Faculty Publications and Research

A project-based art instillation, with the purpose of delivering a message, provided high school students with authentic learning. In an ever-changing world, students need a highly skilled and knowledgeable teacher to be the guide-at-the-side. This case study challenges P-12 teachers to see students as capable learners. Teachers allowed for exploration; shared the power; let students fail; provided guidance, knowledge and inspiration; while additionally encouraged and supported student voice are the future of education. Each stage of the process is outlined to share the teachers’ role in the process. Teachers who value and trust the learning process are the best resources we have for the future.

During lunch, several 4-year-olds begin telling stories about machines that do various jobs. Mrs. Michelson writes down the stories as the children share them. Later, she reads the stories, which include tales about machines that feed the cat and make beds, to the class. After reading the children’s stories, Mrs. Michelson says ,“I really enjoyed hearing about your machines at lunch today. I was wondering what they might look like. I think that you could create these machines in the block center. And before you build your machines, you can plan them on paper in the writing center.”

The children transition to the writing center to draw their plans. As they work, they excitedly discuss their drawings with Mrs. Michelson and each other. Mrs. Michelson takes this opportunity to scaffold their learning by asking questions during the design stage. She says to Jelani, “I see you have gears on your machine. Do you think the unit blocks or the magnetic blocks might work better for your building?” Mrs. Michelson tells Alice, “I noticed your machine has a long, thin base. What shape blocks will you need to create the base?” With a hypothesized plan and some ideas for materials, the children eagerly head to the block center to begin building.

How do we as college educators describe our course syllabi: a contract, an instruction manual, a roadmap, an invitation, a collaboration, a waste of time? What do our syllabi reflect about our teaching style, our authority style, the type of relationship we hope to have with students? What do we mean when we direct students—literally and figurately—to “Read the syllabus”? What explicit and implicit meanings do our syllabi convey? Do we secretly—or not so secretly—want students to like us, respect us, fear us, revere us, understand us, need us, pity us, remember us, leave us alone?