Tag Archives: memo

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Now that I’ve come up with a better, more organized way of presenting my data, I have begun transferring previous data from past visits into the new format.

Thus far, I have been to MoMA 2 times and am anticipating being able to go at least 2 more times before summer.  It has been particularly interesting to see the changing of the exhibitions and the museum space itself. Even in the course of 2-3 weeks, an entirely new exhbition opened and took the place of one that I went to before. Having a direct comparison of two different shows was incredibly interesting to compare how the shows were arranged and presented.

I’ve been also noting the ways that museum chooses to organize it’s spaces/exhibits and my opinions of best practices in their exhibitions. As I have mentioned before, I have found that MoMA’s general approach in their online seminars has been encouraging deeper understanding of art through open-ended questions and letting the viewer feel free to explore an image how they see fit. As a result, it is not expected that every piece on display have a label going into depth about the artist/piece itself. By doing so and telling the viewer direct information, the viewers ability to separate their own thoughts/opinions of the work can be tied to the information they are given. However, that is not to say that this is always the best practice. As I’m sure we all know, Modern Art is extremely complex, with different eras and styles involved, all of which can have deeper meanings. There have been exhibitions that I have gone too at MoMA in which, as someone unfamiliar with the work being displayed, explanations would have helped me better understand various art styles and movements, and how the artists related to such movements.  It ultimately leads to a constant back and forth of just how much information should be given, and perhaps furthermore, in what way can it be presented. Put too much information, and the viewers can lose sight of their own interpretation or even become overwhelmed by the information presented. Likewise, having no information presented can easily overwhelm a viewer and create feelings of confusion and even doubt of understanding a piece. There is no one simple solution- it is all about being aware of your audience and how they can perceive information. The issue I have found at MoMA is with such a variety of different people visiting, the demographics of who sees a work is too vast to be able to specify one way of really learning/teaching.  Contrary, while my own students do differ in learning styles, I at least have the per-existing knowledge of what works best for each students.

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I currently am in the process of getting ready for my next visit to MoMA- this includes looking more at exhibitions that are on display and preparing questions to address in my next visit. I only got to go to MoMA once in March unfortunately, but I am planning on going back there at last 3-4 more times by June. Doing the 2nd visualization really got me thinking about specific observations to make/keep note of while I am at the museum and that has certainly helped in preparing me for my next visit.I am continuing to use photographs as direct observations, but am planning on visually tracking my observations while actually at MoMA.

I am also continuing to utilize the digital resources offered by MoMA and looking closer at specific ways pedagogy is based. I have found in particular that when teaching educators, MoMA encourages inquiry-based learning through open-ended questions and room for interpretation. Yet at the same time, I have also found some descriptions at the physical site of MoMA that give direct information about the work/artist and that is leading me to consider the role that inquiry-based learning has and in what type of environment it should be offered (in a formal, educator-led setting or a casual, open setting for everyday viewers). It certainly leads to thinking more about my own pedagogic approaches and when I utilize specific learning techniques/approaches versus when I do not.

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So far, I have been looking primarily at the digital resources available from the museum and looking close at the approaches that museum takes through these resources. One resource in particular has been the online course Art & Inquiry: Museum Teaching Strategies for your Classroom (offered through Coursera). It not only gives me a direct experience of MoMA’s pedagogic approach/practice, but also provides me with numerous ways to consider utilizing such practices in my own pedagogical approach and how that may affect the way my students learn. I am planning after this course to look into another course about interactive strategies to engage with art.

I have also been particularly interested to see the lessons and slide show presentations that are offered by MoMA through their side-site, MoMA Learning. By looking carefully at how their lessons are designed, that right there is a direct indication of their pedagogic approach and makes for an interesting comparison to my own lessons. It serves as both inspiration for lesson ideas, but also makes me consider the approaches made by both myself and the museum.

I am planning on physically going to MoMA this weekend, and hopefully the next two weekends, to make direct physical observations and attend further exhibitions/events in person. I am really looking forward to really being able to explore the space and see what I am able to take away from the experiences I have at the museum itself.

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I continue to look into how museums impact art education, and vice versa. I also am continuing to look into the concept of accessibility for visitors of a museum. For the museum that I will be focusing on, I have narrowed it down and have decided to focus in on MoMA.  While it is an extremely well known institution, I feel that that can contribute to my research and better allow for me to see the transitions and change in approaches that it has and continues to utilize. I am already a little familiar with some of the outreach programs and teaching opportunities offered by MoMA but I still need to look more into the programs offered by the museum. In the next couple of weeks, I hope to be able to find out more information and visit the museum to take specific notes on the set up/space of the museum and how the visitors are either encouraged or discouraged in their visitation. These notes will comprise of observations both written and photographic. I also will investigate into the various programs offered by the museum and have considered also looking into specific individuals that have played a role in the museum’s educational department, noting key differences in approaches and programs enacted under their supervision (I am still unsure of this part of the research). Again, with being such a well known institution, I am more likely to find more visible signs of change that have been enacted over the years in their teaching approaches, just like art education’s own re-conceptualization.

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My research is focusing on museum education and the exchange of teaching practices in both museum settings and educational settings.  Museums are often thought of as rigid institutions with set rules on how to behave and who may come in to enjoy the contents, but similar to the reconceptualization art education has faced, so too have museums.  The developments made in the art education field yield just as influential in museum education programs and there have been efforts made to increase their approach-ability to the public. Just as methods utilized in the art education field can be used in museum settings, so to can methods taught in museums be brought to more formal educational settings.

Museums offer a chance for students to become more familiar with the outside world, something I have found my students are not very aware of. Because of their disabilities, they only know the immediate world around them and not much else. Much of what they do know is information told to them by friends/family that often is biased.  But getting the chance to go to a museum and see a new perspective or even new thing altogether can be an eye opening experience and show the students that there is more to the world than just what is immediately around them. It allows for conversation of understanding other cultures and encourage open-mindedness. My recent talk with Kevin also brought up the idea of accessibility to museums and how the demographic of an area affects visitation, as well as the impact that a museum may have on a community.  These are ideas I definitely am interested in looking more into. As far as I know, the area I teach in has no museums in the immediate area, and accessing more well known museums of NYC, such as the Met and MoMA can take a while to get to (for example, the subway from Co-Op City to the Met can take up to an hour and half).

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I find that my pedagogical ecology right now is not what I really want it to be. Initially, I was interested in pursuing more independent-based projects in which students can think through the materials they use and be free to explore a range of techniques and ideas.  However, because of the limitations I have with my students, I almost always have to create a strict structure for them to follow with not much room for true exploration. The space of my classroom also contributes to a feeling of limitation- it is a small room with not much space for students to walk around and with no windows, it can seem claustrophobic at times, and it is overheated, creating a feeling of being stifled and stuffy. I try to brighten it up with various artworks and create a positive/encouraging environment, but still, there are times when it feels like a very confining space and that affects both how I teach and how the students feel in the space.

Freedom in creating artwork is a very important belief I have, so it is difficult for me to feel that I have to control how the students work and what they do, and I am trying to push forward in fostering independent thinking. I have attempted to give some classes freedom to create their own art from their own ideas and open material choices, with only one class really succeeding so far. Seeing success with this class gives me hope that I can further reach other students from other classes and engage them in creating, rather than just copying what I do.  Its the small victories like this that keep me going and all I can do is keep trying. image image image