Curated Reading List

This curated reading list explores some of the recent readings that relate to my interests in artmaking practices, environment, and universal design for learning pedagogy. Over the past several years in a post-covid America I have worked in a school/district that has had sweeping, dramatic changes in the visual art department that have caused a need to reevaluate previous processes, including the form and use of sketchbooks as a tool for student engagement and learning. I have been working tirelessly to create a new environment that would serve the needs of the diverse students who are coming into my classroom in this constantly fluctuating situation. My recent focus has been on creating an accessible learning environment that encourages students to be able to learn through making and interacting with their environment, and actively engaging with their learning by allowing for their own voice and choice to be expressed. The readings below over the past several courses in graduate school have been collected together as an exploration of ideas that relate to this topic.

This exploration begins with investigations into the classroom and studio environments, and universal design for learning. Some of the readings deal with the individuals who engage in the learning environment, and how they are able (or not able) to express their thoughts and experiences. In many of these readings an emphasis is placed on the availability of choice in the secondary level art room as a catalyst for fostering autonomy and creative ownership of the work. Transitioning into teaching methods, the readings advocate for Universal Design for Learning (UDL), in which educators design lessons inclusively and align them with the goal of accessible lessons to diverse learning styles and student abilities. Including a cognitive teaching process as a theme in this research provides insights into stages artists move through during art planning, creation, revision, critique. The theme of art-making processes and play encourage open-ended sketchbook assignments that foster experimentation, play, and personal exploration. The curated readings below collectively offer a beginning guide for educators interested in seeking to thoughtfully design sketchbook assignments that can serve the needs of a diverse population of students at a variety of skill levels in order to create an engaging environment for learning.

Environment & Universal Design for Learning

Darts, D. (2006). Art education for a change: Contemporary issues and the visual arts. Art Education, 6-12.

Darts explores the transformative potential of art education in addressing contemporary issues. The article highlights a school project where students and staff, inspired by performance art, actively combat bullying and hate speech through artistic expression. Darts advocates for a curriculum that engages students by incorporating their perspectives on social issues, fostering meaningful learning experiences. Despite challenges, allowing students to actively shape their education proves rewarding, emphasizing the importance of making art education relevant to both students and their communities through their own voice and choice.

Katz-Buonincontro, J. (2018) Creativity for whom? Art education in the age of creative agency, decreased resources, and unequal art achievement outcomes. Art Education p. 34-37. 

Katz-Buonincontro examines the evolving role of creativity in STEAM education, emphasizing the importance of ensuring creative agency for all students, particularly in the context of decreased resources and unequal outcomes. The article raises questions about viewing creativity as a human act or a human right, and addresses the impact of funding cuts on art education in lower-income schools. The author also discusses J. Banks' four categories for relating to students, urging educators to reflect on their teaching methods and cultural awareness. The article advocates for socially just art education that prioritizes understanding the educator's relationship to students and communities to promote equitable art opportunities within the learning environment.

Gude, O. (2000). Investigating the culture of curriculum, In Real-World Readings in Art Education: Things Your Professor Never Told You, Dennis E. Fehr, Kris Fehr, and Karen Keifer-Boyd (Eds.), New York, NY: Palmer Press.

Gude discusses the misalignment between students' perceptions of exciting and vital contemporary issues and the core content chosen for a high school art class curriculum. Emphasizing the need for art educators to create curricula that foster lifelong appreciation or participation in the arts, Gude advocates for a critical evaluation of curriculum to ensure alignment with cultural values. This resonates with the idea that incorporating students' culture and interests into the curriculum enhances relevance and engagement, reflecting the dynamic nature of each unique classroom culture.

Mathison, C. J. (2019). Choice-Based Learning in the Art Room. A Literature Review Presented in Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Education. Northwestern College, Iowa. NWCommons. https://nwcommons.nwciowa.edu/education_masters/174/

Mathison presents a comprehensive literature review on Teaching for Artistic Behavior (TAB), a choice-based art education philosophy. The review explores TAB's historical development, its three-part theoretical framework emphasizing the artistic process, student autonomy, and a studio-like classroom environment. Mathison contrasts TAB with traditional Discipline-Based Art Education (DBAE), emphasizing the role of choice in preserving creativity, individuality, and fostering engagement. The article challenges conventional teaching methods, advocating for a student-centered approach, and provides practical insights into implementing TAB in the art classroom. Mathison's work contributes valuable perspectives on the benefits and challenges of choice-based learning in the arts.

Robinson, K. (2006, February). Do Schools Kill Creativity [Video]. TED Conferences. https://www.ted.com/talks/sir_ken_robinson_do_schools_kill_creativity.

Sir Ken Robinson's TED Talk, "Do Schools Kill Creativity," argues that creativity is as crucial as literacy in education. Addressing an audience interested in education and youth development, Robinson emphasizes the importance of fostering creativity in students, given the uncertainty of the future. He contends that the current education system, rooted in the industrial revolution era, does not adequately cater to the diverse, dynamic, and distinct nature of human intelligence. Robinson encourages a shift towards an educational framework that aligns with the realities of human intelligence to better prepare students for the evolving world.

Wiggins (n.d.). Portfolio as Evidence. Chapter 8 from, Applications and Implications.

Wiggins explores the multifaceted role of portfolios as assessment evidence in the visual art classroom in Chapter 8 of "Applications and Implications." The article highlights diverse uses for portfolios, including showcasing the best work, demonstrating student growth, and archiving pieces for job applications. Wiggins emphasizes the importance of clear criteria for success, whether chosen by the teacher or student, and introduces the concept of an anthology, incorporating tasks, prompts, tests, and quizzes to comprehensively assess the content of an art classroom.

Pedagogy and Teaching Practice

Gude, O. (n.d.). Rubric for a Quality Art Curriculum . UIC Spiral Art Education, 1–2. 

Gude defines curriculum specifically as “not only a structure for the dissemination of knowledge; the structure and content of the curriculum also involves the production of knowledge.” In this short brief Olivia Gude explains her thoughts on curriculum, and how it should allow for space to grow and evolve to meet the needs of the students, teachers, and community. The students and teachers should be active participants in the curriculum they participate in. The act of instructing/learning the curriculum should also allow the participants to better understand their place in history given the context provided by the content.

Marshall, J. (2014). Transdisciplinarity and art integration: Toward a new understanding of art-based learning across the curriculum,

Studies in Art Education, pp. 104-127.

Marshall explores transdisciplinarity and art integration in education, as discussed in "Studies in Art Education." The article emphasizes the shift from the traditional "arts infused model" to a more comprehensive "concept-based art integration." This approach aligns with cross-curricular concepts, incorporating processes like the "Studio Habits of Mind" relevant beyond the arts. Marshall introduces Arts Research Integration (ARI) as a key principle, fostering a mode of learning where students pursue ideas across disciplines, breaking down previous curriculum borders. The article highlights the potential for visual art teachers to enhance student engagement by incorporating open-ended sketchbook assignments that encourage students to create their own meaningful connections across subjects.

Nelson, L. L. (2021). Design and deliver: planning and teaching using universal design for learning. Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co.

Nelson's book, "Design and Deliver: Planning and Teaching Using Universal Design for Learning," underscores Universal Design for Learning (UDL) as a dynamic framework that empowers learners by understanding their diverse needs. The book emphasizes the importance of thoughtful planning and design in creating an inclusive learning environment, acknowledging that all learners have unique ways of understanding content. UDL aims to eliminate barriers, recognizing individual differences without diminishing students. The text's principles align with the creation of open-ended sketchbook assignments in secondary schools, providing a flexible workspace for students to demonstrate their understanding of course content while ensuring practical assessment methods for teachers.

Novak, K. (2016). UDL Now! A Teacher’s Guide to Applying Universal Design for Learning in Today’s Classroom. “2 Types of Learning Standards & UDL Implementation.”

Novak's book, "UDL Now! A Teacher’s Guide to Applying Universal Design for Learning in Today’s Classroom," emphasizes the importance of designing lessons with learning standards in mind, introducing Integrated Comprehensive Systems for Equity (ICS) as a framework to integrate Universal Design for Learning (UDL) into classrooms. The ICS model focuses on equity, alignment, transformation, and leveraging policies to support and scale up best practices like UDL. The reading discusses two types of standards: content standards that require specific knowledge and method standards that focus on tasks or means, with verbs guiding their identification. Novak also explores the use of scaffolding for all students to demonstrate learning progression, highlighting that students need not follow exact instructions but should exhibit skill development. The implementation of UDL involves analyzing standards, identifying the target audience, and determining the aspects of knowledge and skills students must acquire.

Art-Making Process

Ingold, Tim. (2013). Making: Anthropology, archaeology, art, and architecture. (pp. 1-44). Routledge.

Ingold's work, "Making: Anthropology, Archaeology, Art, and Architecture," underscores the importance of actively engaging with processes and materials in disciplines like art, anthropology, architecture, and archaeology. Emphasizing the concept of "knowing from the inside," Ingold advocates for internalizing knowledge through self-discovery and direct engagement, challenging the dichotomy between knowing and doing. His fluid approach to materials and materiality, likened to alchemy, suggests that understanding comes from exploring the dynamic interplay of form, function, and interaction. This perspective aligns with the value of sketchbooks and art-making materials in the visual art classroom, providing tools for students to explore their environment and learn through hands-on experiences, fostering a connection between knowledge and active engagement.

Mitchell, W.J.T. (2002). Showing seeing: A critique of visual culture, In Michael Ann Holly and Keith Moxey (Eds.), Art History, Aesthetics, Visual Studies. New Haven: Yale University Press, 231-249.

Mitchell's paper, "Showing Seeing: A Critique of Visual Culture," outlines the future direction of visual studies and addresses potential challenges. The author debunks 10 myths and presents 8 counter-theses to visual culture, emphasizing that visual culture encompasses more than images or media; it extends to everyday practices of seeing and showing. Mitchell advocates for a broader understanding of perception, focusing on the experiential aspect rather than mere image interpretation. In the context of post-pandemic America, the paper aligns with the need for increased emphasis on visual culture and perception in secondary education. Mitchell's insights inform teaching practices, emphasizing the importance of actively perceiving our surroundings, a concept reflected in recent sketchbook assignments.

Walker, S.R. (2014). Art-making and Sensation. Unpublished manuscript for Art-making, Play, and Meaning-Making.

Walker's unpublished manuscript, "Art-making and Sensation," explores the intricate relationship between the body, sensation, materiality, and art. Drawing inspiration from artist Richard Serra's verb list, Walker argues that artists learn significantly from the materials they work with, often more than formal instruction provides. The text features the work of art education students at OSU and contemporary artists like Alfredo Jaar. Walker emphasizes the importance of verbal interaction for closure in the learning process, asserting that reflection on art-making experiences is crucial. The manuscript highlights the subconscious learning that occurs through material interaction, stressing the value of bringing this knowledge to conscious understanding. Pedagogically, Walker suggests that art should create its own reality rather than merely represent the real, achieved by setting conditions for cultivated experiences rather than targeting specific emotions. The text underscores the idea that, similar to children's play, the end goal of art creation is not always the primary focus; instead, the emphasis is on learning through doing and experiencing. Walker's insights advocate for maintaining a personal artistic "playground" for students, such as a sketchbook, where self-specified works are graded to preserve the authenticity of their learning space.

Walker, S.R. (2014). Chapter 2: Everyday Play. Unpublished manuscript for Artmaking, Play, and Meaning-Making.

Walker's Chapter 2, "Everyday Play," challenges the conventional notion that the artist's role is solely to create aesthetically pleasing works, proposing instead a focus on becoming agents for social change. The text highlights artists like Rikrit Tiravaniji, who integrates everyday experiences into his gallery dining installations, celebrating the commonplace actions of daily life. Walker emphasizes the historical incorporation of the everyday in art, from Picasso and Braque's synthetic Cubist works to Alan Kaprow's Happenings. The reading underscores the significance of planning experiences over creating works, making space for play, experimenting with everyday structures, and relinquishing expected outcomes in art-making. It draws attention to the role of sketchbooks as playgrounds for students to explore personal interests within class assignments. However, the balance between play and craftsmanship is crucial, as play, while open-ended and light-hearted, should align with the expectations of quality and craft in a visual art class. The challenge lies in finding a harmonious agreement between open-ended play and the requisite attention to craftsmanship in the context of a visual art class.

Walker, S. (2006). How then shall we teach? Rethinking artmaking instruction. Teaching Artist Journal 4(3), p190-197.

Walker's article, "How then shall we teach? Rethinking artmaking instruction," delves into the innovative approach of high school teacher Kate Menke in teaching big ideas within her graphic design class. The article advocates for a contemporary art education that aligns with the practices of contemporary artists, emphasizing the importance of allowing concepts to drive projects. Unlike traditional approaches where everyone works on the same theme, this framework promotes individualized projects to produce meaningful work. The goal is to prepare students for critical examination of their lives and the world, encouraging them to navigate their relationship with the surrounding environment. The process involves incorporating state standards, elements, principles, techniques, and personal or social focuses, ensuring the big idea is not an add-on but the core of the lesson itself. Menke's concern lies in avoiding the big idea becoming a superficial addition to current lessons, emphasizing that projects should be built around the central concept rather than treated as an afterthought.