Jenavieve Kisst

ART 133
Unit Paper 4
March 29, 2016
Our Unit 4 big idea is play and our 21st Century idea is a choice based and learner
directed teaching style. We often do not think of play as a form of art, but author George
Szekely (2011) explains to us how it is in his article, Testing the World Through Play and Art.
Often our learning styles become more learner directed as we get older, but the mixture of both
styles is important for personal and public reflection and meaning to self.
We learn through play! As children (and, hopefully, some still as adults) we explore all
the neat and new stuff around us. While playing we, arrange, decorate, construct, and set-up
(Szekely, 2011) which builds on our art skills. This learning can be choice based or learner
directed by our guardians. I became the student and my students became the teachers
(Freyermuth, 2012) an educator professed about her experience with a choice based and learner
directed atmosphere in the classroom. There are challenges with allowing a classroom that much
flexibility but there are also rewards. The rewards are strengthening the learners perceptual and
intuitive skills by allowing them to come up with the answers and think more critically as oppose
to the educator giving answers and rigid direction. These skills build the tools necessary to
reflect and make decisions and opinions on personal and worldly issues. Art is a great way to
discuss issues. Klein in her article on comic liberation says, That the goal of contemporary
artists is to discuss personal, social, and political issues in a humorous way as a means of
confronting a topic rather than just entertainment (2008).
At the Multi- Cultural Center on campus we discussed social issues directed at the
difference between equality and equity. Our presenter shared personal stories to express the

differences and also showed us images of both. One example she used was that we all learn and
express our knowledge differently. This example brought me back to choice based and learner
directed teaching. This style of teaching allows all children to express themselves.
The way in which I would incorporate play into my classroom would be through a choice
based and learner directed teaching style. I would allow the children to use different mediums to
create art projects that we work on so that their art reflects them best.
References
Freyermuth, V.K. (2012). One art teachers search for a holistic approach. In L. H. Campbell &
S. Simmons III (Eds.). The heart of education: Holistic approaches (pp. 266-269).
Reston, VA: National Art Education Association.
Klein, S. (2008). Comic Liberation: The feminist face of humor in contemporary art. Art
Education, 61(2), 47-52.
Szekely, G. (2011). Testing the world through play and art. In D.B. Jaquith & N.E. Hathaway
(Eds.), The learner directed classroom: Developing creative thinking skills through art
(pp64-76). New York: Teachers College Press.