A Recipe for Success Nurturing and Measuring High Quality, Student-Driven Exploration Jennifer Bransom Director, Program Accountability Melissa Nelson Manager, Teaching in the Community

Goal and Objectives Successful students : Collaborate with others, apply multiple approaches to solving problems, and produce creative expressions through writing and artmaking, Connect with artists and their artmaking processes, and Demonstrate a greater depth and breadth of understanding about artists

Behaviors that Indicate Success Environments where learning, inquiry and creativity regularly occur benefit students AND teachers. Expectations: Students revise and assess their own and others’ work. Sharing, Dialogue, Collaboration: Students offer information, ideas and possibilities to enrich and improve individual and collaborative work. Creative Strategies and Choices: Students explore new artistic choices and develop personal and ensemble styles. Skills, Technique, Knowledge: Teachers and students work toward excellence by developing both fundamentals and more advanced skills.

Progress in After School Less than Basic Basic Proficient Basic Proficient Advanced

Progress with DMA Program Less than Basic Basic Proficient Proficient Advanced

Critical Ingredients Elementary and middle school 6-week program; 4 days a week, 45 minutes per lesson Professional Art Supplies Contemporary Art Project-Based Curriculum Staff-Led Tour Museum Professional Accountability: application process, training before and during program, observations, coaching, and participant tracking

Program Overview Themes Interpretation - ALL o Interpreting the works of artists o Interpreting the works of peers o Expressing creative ideas and intentions through discussion and writing Sensory experiences – Weeks 1-3 o Feeling and describing unseen materials and objects o Listening to verbal descriptions that aid in drawing a mystery object o Artist connection: Dorothea Tanning Making connections and finding relationships – Weeks 4-6 o Exploring multidisciplinary aspects of large-scale sculpture o Considering an ordinary object in a way that is different than its original purpose or meaning o Artist connection: Mark Handforth

Lessons Learned Setting up students and instructors for success during after school hours Structure is essential for both instructors and students. Change it up: Providing structure does not mean rote or monotonous lessons. Vary each afternoon to appeal to different learning styles, strengths, and interests. Individual or small-group learning: Opportunities to work on their own or in small groups are better suited to the high energy levels and short attention spans of students during after school hours.

Melissa Nelson, Dallas Museum of Art Jennifer Bransom, Big Thought