Educators across the country are using studio thinking to make a case for their students’ art education. But what exactly does this framework have to offer?
Studio thinking is an approach that teaches art as thinking, rather than a subject for learning and teaching. This new perspective on the "real benefits" of visual arts education is based on research that suggests arts education enhances student learning in other subjects, but is also crucial to the physical and mental growth of children.
The authors of Studio Thinking argue that students who have been taught art as thinking have better skills in other areas, including reading and math, and that they are more likely to graduate high school ready for college. This is due to the fact that art helps students think critically, which improves their academic performance in other areas.
In addition to improving a student's learning in other areas, art classes also improve their social and communication skills. Arts classes allow students to express themselves and collaborate with other students, a process that can help them develop a more positive outlook on life.
Digital and Tactile Integration
Another way that teachers can incorporate visual arts into their teaching is by using interactive displays. This type of technology allows them to easily share techniques and ideas with their students, while increasing their interaction and fostering creativity.
The studio structure of art classes is broken down into four modes of instruction: Demonstration-Lecture; Students-at-Work; Critique; and Exhibition (with Transitions functioning as a substructure between these). Each mode of instruction builds on the foundational eight so-called “studio habits of mind.”