Curriculum Development in Art Education

Incorporating Art, Architecture, Geometry, and History

Curriculum Guide and Citywide Art Conference

 

“Theory into Practice: Enhancing the Teaching of the Visual Arts in District of Columbia Public Schools” is a professional development program offered by the District of Columbia Public Schools in partnership with the American University Department of Art and School of Education. The project seeks to assist visual arts teachers in the District of Columbia Public Schools in strengthening the theory and practice of their own art, and to provide them with instructional strategies to create exciting learning opportunities for their students.

This program aims to increase among students in DCPS the knowledge and skills to understand and love art and architecture, and to use the specific ways of thinking and learning in art to increase their achievement in other disciplines. The project will provide DCPS visual arts teachers with an opportunity to explore research-based methodologies for art instruction through graduate study and offers them both advanced arts education in aesthetics, art criticism, art history, and architecture, and the pedagogical tools for increasing students’ achievement. The aim of the program is to marry art and architecture content, the DCPS curriculum, effective instruction, and authentic assessment. As such the program will produce a corps of forward-looking DCPS teachers who will be equipped to lead the transformation of their schools with the ultimate goal of increasing students’ achievement in art as well as related disciplines.

To meet the goals and objectives of “Theory into Practice: Enhancing the Teaching of the Visual Arts in District of Columbia Public Schools” DCPS art teachers will attend a variety of all day workshops, evening seminars, lectures, and three-week intensive Summer Institutes. The program consists of a total of 16-18 days per year over the course of three years and teacher participants must commit to all activities in order to be eligible to participate in the program. Please be aware that as the Summer Institutes conflict with DCPS summer school schedules, teachers will not be able to participate in both activities. For their participation in the program, teacher participants will receive $650.00 in stipends for the first year, $850.00 in stipends for the second year, and $550.00 in stipends for the third year (selected participants). In addition, participants are eligible to receive a total of 12 graduate credits from American University.

Year I

Preparatory Workshop May 19, 2004

Three Week Summer Institute June 28, 2004 – July 20 2004

Follow-up Seminars November 2004

Year II

Preparatory Workshop May 2005

Three Week Summer Institute June 27, 2005 - July 19, 2005

Follow-up Seminar I October 2005, Date TBA

Follow-up Seminar II Two evenings in October 2005, Dates TBA

Follow-up Seminar III January 2006, Date TBA

Year III

Preparatory Workshop (invited participants) May 2006, Date TBA

Summer Institute (invited participants) Summer 2006, Dates TBA

Citywide Art Conference October 2006, Date TBA