What do you think of when you hear the word “art”? You may have thought of painting, digital art, pottery, photography or a number of other activities. Every one of these creative activities possesses such vast differences, yet they are all categorized under the blanket name of “art.”
Art is the creation of something physical and visual, requiring materials and a spacious workspace. These factors are why the switch to online learning has hit art teachers the hardest. But although this drastic change was a hurdle, most schools in the U.S. did not respond by canceling any art classes. Instead, schools found various different ways to overcome the boundary of online learning.
How has the Montgomery County Art Department handled these unprecedented times?
I happen to be taking “Digital art 1A/B” at Clarksburg Highschool this year, and the main challenge was getting started. The beginning of the year got off to a rocky start because every student was working on a different device. This meant the school had to devise a plan for all devices to get Photoshop.
Getting Photoshop is especially challenging with a Chromebook, the device most students had. After a few weeks of adjustment, my classmates and I were able to download the needed art program. Now in October, almost a quarter in, we’ve been able to create two art pieces with the guidance of our teacher.
The only missing piece is the lack of a classroom environment conducive to interaction.
A fellow sophomore in Clarksburg highschool said, “Forget not knowing their personalities; I don’t even know what they look like!”
However, this challenge applies to all other classes following the online learning protocol.
Online, many teachers have found the Distance Learning Ceramics Community Forum, in which more than 40 art teachers have shared their experiences on combating this challenge for physical art classes. “Demetra,” a high school pottery teacher, devised a plan where her students would pick up a slab of clay at the school, finish their project at home and then bring it back for her to put it in the kiln. She would later distribute the finished piece back to them.
Although Demetra was able to send clay home to kids, many schools do not have the funding or resources to do that, highlighting the systemic socioeconomic divide.
Another high school art teacher on the forum came up with some unique and interactive ideas to encourage effective, interactive learning regardless of socioeconomic status. He created videos for his students and made “mistakes” while molding in order for the class to point them out (serving as a visual assignment).
Another option was to share episodes of “The Great Pottery Throwdown” which he claims is, “a must-see reality TV show from BBC, where potters hone their skills with different, usually wheel-based clay challenges.” The last activity he recommended was taking the class on a digital field trip. He showed them around a virtual museum through a slideshow of different pictures and videos. The students then curated their own ceramics exhibit in a presentation, having the option to pick any theme, time period or object.
Among the unanticipated challenges of online learning, these teachers have come up with innovative ideas that have turned these challenges into more interesting experiences for students. The way in which online learning made students and art teachers come together, despite a distance of miles, is remarkable.
Article by Inaya Siddiqi of Clarksburg High School
Photo by Cathy Bowman of Winston Churchill High School