Expression hour gives students choice during art classes

NEW BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- While many elementary school students are learning art techniques in a structured way, children at New Bloomfield Elementary School are learning by choice.

No, they do not get an hour to do whatever they want. They do, however, have some controlled freedom. The new curriculum gives students the opportunity to appreciate themselves more by making their own type of art.

Starting this school year, Lori Hays' students will be given the choice as to how they want to express themselves artistically through different media centers. The centers include drawing, collages, sculptures, painting, clay, printmaking, masks and fibers.

Students will learn a concept and then decide how to create it. They will work independently through these "mini studios" throughout the year not only to create art but to fulfill different learning techniques that are expected of them.

Children will be assessed not only on their completion of a particular project of their choice but also their understanding of the concept and medium used. Once their work is completed, students will fill out an "artist statement" where they explain why they created the project, what they were trying to achieve, and how it was created.

Hays got the idea from the mentor whom she student-taught for in her hometown of Mexico, Mo.

"What really interested me was seeing students coming in during their recess time to continue their art," she said.

At the end of the previous school year, she noticed that many students were throwing away their artwork instead of taking it home.

"It kind of disappointed me because to me, art is a personal thing."

She said she hopes the students will be able to view their assignments as art and not just projects they have to complete for a class. Hays realizes that because this is a shift from conventional teaching, there might be a decline in the productivity of students, especially as they are trying to find their artistic niche.

While the method has been praised by many parents, she notes that there have been some concerns, including a parent who was worried her child would concentrate on using one center and not experiment with the rest.

"I assured her that my curriculum calls for students to use each center at least once," she said.

Students will be able to find their comfort zone, but will also be asked to experiment with the ones that are unfamiliar. During a recent kindergarten class, students learned the basics of drawing.

Hays hopes that students are not only creative in her classroom, but in other areas of their lives.

"I think it will teach them problem-solving skills they will be able to use in other classes such as creative writing," she said.