The Hidden Curriculum of the Art Room Presented by Pete Curran Massachusetts Art Education Association Spring Conference : May 3, 2008 Presented by Pete Curran Massachusetts Art Education Association Spring Conference : May 3, 2008

The Hidden Curriculum of the Art Room : Presented by Pete Curran, 2008 Who is this Pete fellow? Pete likes to Teach Art Pete likes going to Graduate School, here at MassArt Pete likes to Work at a school for Special Learners Pete especially likes to Work with Students who have been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders and Developmental Disorders

The Hidden Curriculum of the Art Room : Presented by Pete Curran, 2008 Objective 1: Define the Hidden Curriculum Objective 2: Identify aspects of the Hidden Curriculum in your own classroom Objective 3: Understand how the Hidden Curriculum affects students with ASD/DD Objective 4: Create an Action Plan for revealing your classroom’s Hidden Curriculum Today’s Objectives

Some caveats: I’m not an expert in Learning Disabilities I’m speaking from the point of view of a neurotypical, white, straight, middle- class male with a college education I was trained artistically in an overtly Western-thinking atmosphere I am aware that my classroom experiences will be unique Before we get started… The Hidden Curriculum of the Art Room : Presented by Pete Curran, 2008

It sounds familiar. Haven’t I seen this somewhere before? What is this Hidden Curriculum? The Hidden Curriculum of the Art Room : Presented by Pete Curran, 2008 Brenda Smith Myles says it’s: “The set of unwritten rules that no one has been directly taught, but everyone knows.”

What is this Hidden Curriculum? The Hidden Curriculum of the Art Room : Presented by Pete Curran, 2008 Courtesy of Boston.com

What is this Hidden Curriculum? The Hidden Curriculum of the Art Room : Presented by Pete Curran, 2008 Courtesy of Boston.com

What is this Hidden Curriculum? The Hidden Curriculum of the Art Room : Presented by Pete Curran, 2008 Courtesy of Boston.com

What is this Hidden Curriculum? The Hidden Curriculum of the Art Room : Presented by Pete Curran, 2008 Brenda Smith Myles warns that: “Violation of these rules can make an individual a social outcast.” Social outcasts? That sounds ripe for drama!

Encounters with the Hidden Curriculum Literature: Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll Gulliver’s Travels, by Swift Harry Potter series Dr. Seuss, Shakespeare, Fairy Tales, Myths, etc.

A Conundrum for the Art Teacher The Hidden Curriculum of the Art Room : Presented by Pete Curran, 2008 A rich history of challenging the Hidden Curriculum of the Arts Shouldn’t we be teaching students to challenge this Hidden Curriculum?

Let’s Draw our Classrooms! The Hidden Curriculum of the Art Room : Presented by Pete Curran, In the box, draw the contour of your classroom. 2. Within this contour, add student desks, tables, and any other important fxtures of your room. 3. Visualize one of your classes to use in this exercise. Draw small circles to signify your students and where they sit in the room. Label the circles with the students’ initials. 4. Identify one student in the class who would be considered a leader of the group. Color in that student’s dot with BLUE. 5. Identify another student in the class who would be considered shy or removed. Color in that student’s dot with GREEN.

Common Obstacles AS and the HC The Hidden Curriculum of the Art Room : Presented by Pete Curran, 2008 Developmental delays in social maturity and reasoning Deficiencies in executive functioning A mismatch of high vocab and poor communication Difficulty moderating emotions Well-developed special interests (Pokemon, anyone?) Underdeveloped motor skills, clumsiness Hypersensitivity to environmental factors Theory of Mind deficiencies Confusing bullying/teasing with positive relationships

How do these matter… AS and the HC The Hidden Curriculum of the Art Room : Presented by Pete Curran, 2008 …in the home environment? …in the community? …in forming friendships? …in school? …in the Art classroom?

Let’s revisit our Room Diagram: Action Plannin’ Time! The Hidden Curriculum of the Art Room : Presented by Pete Curran, 2008

Group 1’s Question: How would this alter your perceptions about the earlier interactions? Action Plannin’ Time! The Hidden Curriculum of the Art Room : Presented by Pete Curran, 2008 Group 2’s Question: Thinking beyond physical interactions, how else would the Hidden Curriculum affect this student?

Action Plannin’ Time! The Hidden Curriculum of the Art Room : Presented by Pete Curran, 2008 On your handout, identify 3 aspects of your art classroom which may present Hidden Curriculum dilemmas to students with ASD/DD. How would you or have you prepared for these instances? How would you communicate these accomdations?

The Hidden Curriculum of the Art Room Presented by Pete Curran Massachusetts Art Education Association Spring Conference : May 3, 2008 Presented by Pete Curran Massachusetts Art Education Association Spring Conference : May 3, 2008 Thank you for your participation. Any questions for me?