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Westonka Art Department Benchmarks
Westonka Art Department Benchmarks
The Westonka Art Department Benchmarks are the core learning targets of our curriculum. They are a combination of the most current, highly regarded teaching strategies in visual arts education. They combine the 8 Studio Habits of Mind, the Visual Thinking Strategies, and the National Visual Arts Standards, each of which is described below:
8 Studio Habits of Mind
8 Studio Habits of Mind
The 8 Studio Habits of Mind were developed by Harvard's Project Zero- a team of researchers studying how children become creative thinkers.
At Hilltop, we start explicitly talking about these "habits" starting in 2nd grade. They help students identify the components of their creative process so they are more aware of where they struggle and where they succeed, and how they can improve. By 3rd and 4th grade, students reflect on the these habits in their online artist statements, posted along with photos of their work, on Artsonia.com.
Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS)
Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS)
The Visual Thinking Strategies were developed by cognitive psychologist Abigail Housen, veteran museum educator Philip Yenawine, and their colleagues. As Director of Education at the Museum of Modern Art, Yenawine was primarily concerned with making museum education programs more effective. Housen, a Harvard-trained educator and psychologist, conducted empirical research exploring how viewers — experienced and novice — think when looking at art objects.
The primary way we use VTS in the Hilltop Art Room is through guided questioning when looking at artwork. Without giving any prior information about the artwork, students are free to explore their own ideas about the art. The conversation centers on 4 main questions:
What do you see?
What does it remind you of?
What feeling/mood does it give you, or what mood do you think the artist had when making it?
What more do you want to know?
National Visual Arts Standards
National Visual Arts Standards
The most current National Art Educators Association's National Visual Arts Standards were created in 2014, and are structured by grade level. The 4 main pillars are:
Create- Conceiving and developing new artistic ideas and work
Present- Interpreting and sharing artistic work
Respond- Understanding and evaluating how the arts convey meaning
Connect- Relating artistic ideas and work with personal meaning and external context
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