NYU research projects
It was extremely interesting visiting and interviewing The Island School for this project, a pre-k to 8th grade community school in the lower east side of Manhattan. Overall, the community school director was extremely helpful in translating information that Fourth Arts Block would find useful for their initiative. He spoke about The Island School’s partnerships, programs, and methods of outreach. This all gave me a better understanding of what a community school is, and what their essential goals may be. The Island School’s specific pillars are attendance, family engagements, health and wellness, and enrichment through after school programs. They are clearly pushing to achieve these goals through their "Educational Alliance" after school programs, family initiatives, and wellness resources. They sincerely care for the wellness of their children and families in that they provide many mentorship opportunities and medical resources. The after school programs give students a zone for self-expression, and allows them to discuss issues outside of the school, as well as their own personal experiences. The art teacher, Barbara Solony, carries this theme of community connections through her own classes. She provides opportunities for students to connect with the community and the community members. She will often bring her students to various locations in the community to sketch, and discuss its history. Several trips have led to a connection to a local gallery or festival, in which the students were able to partake. Furthermore, the school and the art teacher both prioritize curriculum on social justice issues. The school seems to primarily focus on homelessness because of the demographic of students who attend the school, as well as the location of the school. Many of the school’s population is considered homeless. The Students have done projects to help the homeless, such as making wallets or cooking sustainable food. The school also provides a program called “Live Out Loud” that is a space to discuss gender identity and sexuality. Many of these programs occur after school, and if not, are fit into the daily schedule. The community school director stresses the importance for programs focused on social justice, and the importance of family and community interaction.
It seems like The Island School is very proactive in providing a social justice oriented education. In our graduate class, we have discussed the importance of social justice issues in education, which heavily ties to critical pedagogy. Critical pedagogy is grounded in lived experiences, is socially and culturally responsive, problem-posing, dialogic, collaborative, and activist oriented. In The Island School, the students’ knowledge and experiences are definitely valued. It also seems like a lot of dialogue is happening between students surrounding social justice issues. However, it is hard to say how critical the students are in these discussions. They may be visionaries, but are they change agents? Are they actively questioning homelessness and the social structures that perpetuate it, or are they simply providing care? Some of these concerns may naturally come up in their classes and group discussions, but I pose a challenge for The Island School: How can you encourage students to really critically analyze homelessness, create awareness around the issue, and have an active role in changing the demographic of their community?
It seems like The Island School is very proactive in providing a social justice oriented education. In our graduate class, we have discussed the importance of social justice issues in education, which heavily ties to critical pedagogy. Critical pedagogy is grounded in lived experiences, is socially and culturally responsive, problem-posing, dialogic, collaborative, and activist oriented. In The Island School, the students’ knowledge and experiences are definitely valued. It also seems like a lot of dialogue is happening between students surrounding social justice issues. However, it is hard to say how critical the students are in these discussions. They may be visionaries, but are they change agents? Are they actively questioning homelessness and the social structures that perpetuate it, or are they simply providing care? Some of these concerns may naturally come up in their classes and group discussions, but I pose a challenge for The Island School: How can you encourage students to really critically analyze homelessness, create awareness around the issue, and have an active role in changing the demographic of their community?
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Art Education technology integration: NAEA conference 2017
ARTed talk: Teaching Technology
THE GOOD TEACHER PORTRAIT: dr. Enid zimmerman
*This video features paraphrased dialogue from Dr. Enid Zimmerman in her articles and lectures, along with interpreted interactions.
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