Critical Inquiry in Art Education Critical Inquiry in Art Education | Page 14

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CRITICAL INQUIRY
IN ART EDUCATION
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This student was often excited about having the freedom to create artworks of his own choice. He
was personally invested in every piece of work and was very engaged in his art making. He tried soft
pastels over the weeks and created artworks that mattered to him.
!
This student explored a series of portraits over the week, a subject matter that she revisited over the weeks and
refined her styles as she explored with different media and tools.
Some students reflected
that they started to draw
better after exploring
with the same medium
of their choice over the
4 weeks.
What I learned
about empowering students with choices in the art classroom
They constructed deeper
understanding of the medium,
which they revisited over the weeks
through trial and error. They began
to develop their own style and make
meaning of their artmaking.
A student started to develop her own style after
exploration with ink and pastels.
Offering choices in the art
classroom is both empowering
and meaningful. It allows students
to understand that art comes from
within themselves and not from
the art teacher. Students are able
to discover at their own pace and
not at the pace dictated by the
art teacher.
It is important to give
creativity the time it deserves
by intentionally setting aside
time for play and exploration
that empower our students to
make choices and take risks in
their learning.