Planting the A/r/tographic Seeds for Flourishing in the Creative Economy

• In Event: 18.039 - Reconceptualizing Teachers' Roles for Canada's Creative Economy

Abstract

This case study presents the findings from the research site at Vanguard School in Montreal, QC. Vanguard is a K-11 school that focuses on helping students with learningThis case study presents the findings from the research site at Vanguard School in Montreal, QC. Vanguard is a K-11 school that focuses on helping students with learning disabilities (LD) find academic success. Teachers at this school are trained specialists in LD and rely on a variety of teaching approaches to successfully convey content knowledge to students. However, despite their commitment to their students and expertise in autism, dysgraphia, dyslexia, ADD, ADHD and other LDs, these teachers find little time to focus on their own pedagogical development. For this reason, this research reports on the findings of working with three teachers at Vanguard who have begun to incorporate dramatic arts, a/r/tographic approaches and design thinking into their teaching practices (i.e. gr. 9 history; gr. 9 English language arts and gr. 10 technology). Three workshops from artists throughout the school year are taken by the teachers. One on design thinking, one on drama and theatre and one on new technologies. The researcher and research assistant having worked with the teachers to incorporate these new artistic practices and ways of thinking into their teaching share their observations, field notes, and interviews on the ways that these artistic interventions impact the ethos of the teachers involved in this study.
disabilities (LD) find academic success. Teachers at this school are trained specialists in LD and rely on a variety of teaching approaches to successfully convey content knowledge to students. However, despite their commitment to their students and expertise in autism, dysgraphia, dyslexia, ADD, ADHD and other LDs, these teachers find little time to focus on their own pedagogical development. For this reason, this research reports on the findings of working with three teachers at Vanguard who have begun to incorporate dramatic arts, a/r/tographic approaches and design thinking into their teaching practices (i.e. gr. 9 history; gr. 9 English language arts and gr. 10 technology). Three workshops from artists throughout the school year are taken by the teachers. One on design thinking, one on drama and theatre and one on new technologies. The researcher and research assistant having worked with the teachers to incorporate these new artistic practices and ways of thinking into their teaching share their observations, field notes, and interviews on the ways that these artistic interventions impact the ethos of the teachers involved in this study.

Author

• Mindy Roberta Carter, McGill University