Advancing Equity through Teaching with the Arts

Advancing Equity through Teaching with the Arts

Academic Year:
2021 - 2022 (June 1, 2021 through May 31, 2022)
Funding Requested:
$9,595.00
Project Dates:
-
Applicant(s):
ktrobert
Overview of the Project:
Advancing Equity through Teaching with the Arts will help beginning teachers learn how to combat systemic racism and structural inequality by using visual art in their teaching. U-M Museum of Art (UMMA) and School of Education (SOE) will collaborate to redesign a key unit in a course for elementary teacher candidates to focus on teaching for equity with visual art. CRLT funds will support this redesign of this course to be launched in Fall, 2022, as well as robust evaluation of the course. The Fall 2022 course will also inform the development of a campus-wide collaborative learning experience on Teaching with Art for Equity aimed to launch Winter 2025, and is open to any U-M student across all units.
Final Report Fields
Project Objectives:

This project will help beginning teachers learn how to combat systemic racism and structural inequality by using visual art in their teaching. U-M Museum of Art (UMMA) and School of Education (SOE) will collaborate to redesign a key unit in a course for elementary teacher candidates to focus on teaching for equity with visual art. CRLT funds will support this redesign of this course to be launched in Fall, 2022, as well as robust evaluation of  the course.  The Fall 2022 course will also inform the development of a campus-wide collaborative learning experience on Teaching with Art for Equity aimed to launch Winter 2025.  

 

Project Achievements:

We were able to develop an approach to a unit of study in EDUC 417 that models how the arts can generate conversations about difficult historical events when elementary students are learning about the Revolutionary War and the founding fathers.  We used funds to produced a video that is used an multiple teaching and learning spaces at the School of Education as a resource for our interns and their students when they are student teaching.  During the unit design and implementation we also learned what needs to be considered when engaging college students in a discussion about difficult conversations so it is inclusive, respectful, and safe for all students. 

Continuation:
Not formally, but the materials and resources we build will continue to be used in other courses at the Marsal Family School of Education.
Dissemination:
The materials are available in a google drive folder that is accessible to anyone who would like to use them.
Advice to your Colleagues:
I learned that having a really big vision for the work is important, but that it needs to be carefully broken down into steps and stages. For example, when I piloted lessons where students were having discussions about a particular work of art at UMMA, I quickly learned that I should have done more preparatory work before they had encountered this piece of art or entered that particular gallery because the piece I had chosen to focus on dealt with emotionally difficult content. I also learned that I needed to design the experience for students so that there was plenty of choice as to how to view a work of art, and that students needed a great deal of reflective time. In summary, what I was anticipating to be a single lesson was, in fact, three to four lessons, each needing its own kind of planning, pedagogies, and support. I also learned this kind of design work takes a great deal of time outside of class to meet with others, produce drafts of materials, seek feedback on materials, and revise materials.
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