An open letter to my students

Learning outside the classroom

We are constantly learning, gathering information and becoming proficient in so many things. Learning does not only come from books, exercises and lectures but from engaging in watching, hearing and doing outside of the classroom. Sometimes the things that we know well are things that we have taken an interest in and researched ourselves. They often begin as interests or hobbies and soon we can become almost experts. Why is it easier at times to learn about things outside of the classroom than within a forty minute lesson? Here are some of the reasons.

•        We learn about things that interest us.
•       We learn better if we are in control of our learning.
•        We learn better if we know something about the subject beforehand.
•        We learn better if we choose the time and place to learn.
•        And most importantly, we learn better if we can use our best and most effective style of learning.

The Seven Learning Styles

                             Visual: You prefer using pictures, images, and spatial understanding.

                              Aural:  You prefer using sound and music.

                             Verbal:  You prefer using words, both in speech and writing.

                             Physical:  You prefer using your body, hands and sense of touch.

                             Logical:  You prefer using logic, reasoning and systems.

                             Social:  You prefer to learn in groups or with other people.

                             Solitary: You prefer to work alone and use self-study.

Everything you learn becomes a building block for learning something else.

So if you watch a video or listen to a podcast before you study a subject then when you come to class you will remember the new information better. You will have information and opinions to share and you will enjoy the subject better.

My own learning journey

I had the luxury of teaching myself art history almost twenty years ago by travelling to galleries in Ireland, the UK and Europe. I made sketches, took notes while looking at the paintings and only after I had watched videos, did I read about the artists and their works in books. That is my style of learning and I believe that many of you are also visual learners. So for this reason I want to give you every chance to learn the way that suits you best. Here is a list of the resources available to you. If you can think of anything else that will make your learning easier, please let me know and I will try to help.

Resources

·        DVD player and DVD’s available to borrow during study periods

·        Emailed links to youtube art videos

·        Carol’s Art History facebook page (public)

·        10 question quizzes on line through Dasurvey

·        Handouts with extra information

·        Keywords for essays

·        An extensive library on artists and their works

·        Computer prep time for online research

Remember that learning about art and artists is not just a school subject. You will travel and you will come across paintings, sculptures and buildings that you study now and you will get a buzz out of knowing something about them. Also there is something wonderful about finally seeing these art works in real life.

C. Wade