Informal science learning (ISL) organizations that are successful at providing meaningful science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) experiences for Latino children, youth, and their families share some common traits. They have leaders and staff who believe in the importance of developing culturally relevant models and frameworks that meet the needs and acknowledge the legacy of STEAM in Latino communities. Such organizations are willing to take risks to create experiences that are culturally meaningful, garner funding and implement programs by working closely with their
DATE:
TEAM MEMBERS:
Cheryl JuarezVerónika NúñezExploratorium
Girls met to engage with Through My Window twice each week after school. The afterschool program format provided a freer, less structured atmosphere than a classroom setting. Students extensively debated and investigated the questions and themes posed by the novel, Talk to Me. The meeting space had plenty of space for students to move around, as well as teachers who encouraged the expression of full emotional and intellectual enthusiasm for the story at hand.
The Art of Science Learning Project (AoSL) is a National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded initiative, founded and directed by Harvey Seifter, that uses the arts to spark creativity in science education and the development of an innovative 21st century STEM workforce. This research was guided by three main hypotheses: (1) Arts-based innovation training, compared to traditional innovation training, improves an individuals creative thinking skills including critical thinking, divergent thinking, problem identification, convergent thinking and problem solving; (2) Arts-based innovation training
Rather than enacting imaginative approaches, some teachers tend to engage in safe but unexciting transmission of science knowledge. This study examined a professional development programme wherein primary school teachers learned the skills and approaches of Dramatic Science. The findings indicate that the programme met its aim of helping teachers become more confident and creative in supporting children’s science learning.
It is an active time in both developmental psychology and art education. In developmental psychology some interesting new theoretical developments suggest a new level of maturity in the field. In art education there are some productive moves afoot that show that the tendency to emphasize spontaneous production in art class to the exclusion of understanding and appreciation is finally over. These are both welcome sets of changes; indeed, both are changes related to larger shifts in the cultural and intellectual climate of the 1980s.
ABSTRACT The article discusses the research which has showed that music education enhances spatial reasoning skills. The result has suggested that the various kinds of musical instruction leads to spatial learning and the type of instruction has not been limited to any particular program component, musical style or instructional practice. The study has demonstrated that learning standard notation promotes the facilitation of the performance in the spatial-temporal tasks. The music instruction has contributed to the improvement of at least one type of spatial skill in which it is projected to
Can reading skills be enhanced by instruction in the visual arts? Arts education researchers have sometimes made this claim and have argued that the visual arts can play a strong role in the teaching of basic skills in the kindergarten and elementary school years. There are two possible mechanisms by which visual arts instruction might enhance reading ability, one cognitive, one motivational. The cognitive mechanism would involve transfer of skill. Perhaps visual arts training strengthens visual perception skills that can be deployed in reading.
DATE:
TEAM MEMBERS:
Kristin BurgerEllen WinnerUniversity of Illinois
A three-day art project in an afterschool program with no specific arts component illustrates the potential—and the challenges—of engaging children in creating art using recycled materials.
DATE:
TEAM MEMBERS:
Angela EckhoffAmy HallenbeckMindy Spearman
This article discusses the QUT Museums Collaborative, a project comprised of museum educators and administrators and university researchers in Australia, which examined the experiences of young children visiting museums. This report includes a discussion of the research plan and methodology, emerging and anticipated outcomes, and the significance of the study.
This paper discusses the programs, specifically field trip programs, for young children at art museums. The author explains how programs can teach the aesthetics of art (looking, distinguishing, loving) to young children and offers suggestions on how to run a successful program.
Situated in the shade of palm trees in the Miami, FL area, the REM Learning Center serves children aged 12 months to nine years. By having two dedicated Maker Corps Members during the summer, they could increase the number of visits children had to the "Play, Make, Share" studio, continue to experiment with different materials and facilitation strategies, and begin to build the expertise of their staff.