As LTTA continues to innovate and develop new programs, we must continually question and challenge ourselves in the process so that we remain relevant. We want to stay current with the ever changing needs of the educational communities that we partner with.
What new resources may be needed to be brought forward?
- Experts in structuring a digital learning environment
- Outside partners to act as experts in creative fields
- Friendly teachers who are experts in the field of assessment and prototype creation
- Relationships/partnerships to people at post secondary and in arts ed level to support a high level delivery model
- Engaged with community leaders who love art: be at the fore front of community building
- Be wiser about how we work with our own Artist-Educators: what skills do they have to bring to the table?
- Support for media literacy
- Need to know digital resources in schools
- Create a list/repository of essential digital tools that will help you be successful in what we are doing with your students
How can we ensure that what programs we create is still valuable in 30 years?
It should have:
- Diversity
- Multiple entry points and multiple tools (access from many different skill levels and learning styles)
- Self learning and unregulated discovery time
- Basic skills development
- Essential questions
- Process that is one can take to get through it
- Clear learning objectives
- Room for failure
- Some way to connect with masters
- Teacher PD integrated in the learning environment
- Teacher and students are encouraged and supported to diverge from the plan (check points along the way they can access different art forms)
- Contributions from participants
- Media Literacy
- Digital tool resources (ever changing)
"Diversity" is listed first as something our programming "should have" to make it relevant for years to come. It raises the larger question in my mind "What is true diversity" as well as this more specific inquiry "Can/should we aim to create something that includes diversity, or rather something that fosters diversity."
ReplyDeleteLet me elaborate. In considering how our program might inherently be diverse, or include diversity, I believe we need to consider the diversity of the team currently working to create it, as well as the diversity of the artists hired to implement it. I believe that this kind of inherent diversity is more closely linked to the hiring practices, and structure of LTTA as an organization. If we have thoroughly examined our practices, and are achieving equitable diversity among our team and artist roster, than diversity within the programming will take care of itself.
If we are looking at making the program accessible and engaging for a broad range of students, then I would offer that this is about creating something that "Fosters Diversity." Lines of inquiry for our team to check in around this objective might include
- Are there opportunities for individual voices to be expressed and heard?
- Is the process accessible to students of all cultural/ethnic/religious backgrounds, socio-economic statuses, gender/sexual identities, physical and mental abilities,
- Will students of all backgrounds see themselves reflected in the product they create?
- Does the process offer choices that allow artists and teachers to adapt the lessons to the specific needs of their students, and choices that allow students to engage in a way that works for them.
- What training will artists and teachers receive to ensure that they are creating safe and respectful spaces for their students to feel comfortable being their true selves and expressing themselves.
I believe "Diversity" is certainly a word and concept that should be a continued part of our discussion, and we should deeply consider what authentic diversity looks like for ourselves, and those that we hope to work with.
I look forward to discussing this further as we move forward with the project!