STAR-POST (Art) January 2020 FINAL_STAR Post Art Jan 2020 | Page 40

METHODOLOGY
With the simple use of technology and
adaptation from STAR’s Toolkit -- Let’s
Talk About Art, ‘Project ARTiculate’ aims
to make talking about art fun, interactive
& self-directed for all students of all ages.
Cr i t i ca l I nqu i ry P r oje ct 20 1 9 :
P R O JEC T
A R T ICUL A TE!
ABOUT
Elana Tan
Art Teacher
Xinghua Primary School
T
alking about art is an inquiry
process that hones critical
thinking and meaning-making in
students. It is a launching pad
for cognition, collaboration and
creativity. Art discussion also
develops observational skills,
empathy as well as connection with
history.
As students these days are very
technologically savvy from a young age,
I decided to use technology to entice
them to talk more about art. I found an
application on the iPad -- Daily Decision
Wheel. This is an app that an indecisive
person can use to make decisions. I
adapted this app and customised the
options, keying in questions from the
Let’s Talk About Art toolkit, e.g. What do
you see; What do you think the artist is
trying to say; Guess the art medium used,
etc.
However, across all my art classes from
P1 to P6, I realised that students do not
engage in conversations or discussions
about art without being facilitated or
directed to do so, let alone outside the
art classroom. Usually discussions are
teacher-led, where teachers would ask
the questions and usually it will be the
same students who would raise their
hands to answer. The shy ones would
often remain very quiet; their opinions
and thoughts left unheard.
P4 class: In groups of 5 -- Tuning-in Art discussion
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Bearing in mind these observations, I
did a quick survey to better understand
the needs and interests of my students.
These findings point to one thing
-- children want discussions on art to
be fun and interactive. Many of my
students found it boring to just look at
the screen and then answer the teachers’
questions about the artworks. Some also
mentioned that they have no avenue or
opportunities to talk about art outside of
curriculum.
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