21st Century Learning in the Art Class

Choice-based art provides in-depth curriculum within the context of work chosen by student artists. This classroom-developed pedagogy is a comfortable fit with the goals of the 21st Century Curricula. The new book, Engaging Learners Through Artmaking: Choice-Based Art Education in the Classroom (Teachers College Press, 2009), provides information on Teaching for Artistic Behavior (TAB), including the philosophy, rationale, and implementation of choice-based authentic art education in elementary and middle schools. The heart of this curriculum facilitates independent learning in studio centers designed to support student choices in subject matter and media. The authors address theory, instruction, assessment, and advocacy in a user-friendly format that includes photos of classroom set-ups and student work, sample demonstrations, and reflections on activities. Sign up for TAB's blog to discuss with other educators the successes, problems, and realities of teaching art in the 21^st Century.