Teaching Philosophy Statement
Individuals learn through experiences and interactions with others—in both formal and non-formal spaces. Through my professional journey, I have embraced the communicative potential of art to build community and relationships between people and disciplines.
I believe I am best able to make positive contributions within a university that has an art museum or galleries on campus that seek to maintain or strengthen relationships between local teachers, pre-service art educators and the museum. Initiatives of this sort give attention to beneficial affects that local educators and the university community can have on one another. My teaching experiences and research have led me to discover a passion for linking educators through local museum resources. Through this venue (which always includes technology components), educators of all disciplines, levels and abilities are able to explore societal issues and address curricular standards in memorable ways.
My pedagogical practice is grounded in historical and contemporary theories of art education. I believe it is important to acknowledge the progression of art education and utilize aspects of effective art education that remain consistent over time. It is important to engage an audience in ways that elicit creativity and self-expression; skills and craftsmanship; constructivist learning; and attention to the processes of artists, including engagement with art history, criticism, aesthetics and art production. It is equally important for an audience to engage critically with a concept, and acknowledge the lures of our everyday visual culture. In my opinion, pre-service teachers able to articulate aspects and effects of visual culture tend to be better prepared to relate to their students, and assist them in learning to make educated choices as global citizens.
Effective art education programs instill in graduates the ability to create standards-based curriculum relevant and connected to other disciplines. Themes, big ideas and issues traverse disciplinary boundaries. Through my own interdisciplinary collaborations in various education contexts, I understand logistics and the added value of integrating art across the curriculum. When art educators are able to collaborate with teachers of other subject areas, they can impact one another while assisting students in connecting the dots between disciplines in meaningful ways. Through cross-curricular connections and interdisciplinary collaborations, others may see how art has the power to increase learning and address standards in their areas. This is not only a way for art educators to advocate their programs in public education. More importantly, it is a way to build community and morale throughout schools and greater publics being served.
In order for art educators to be fully integrated into their communities, it is essential to embrace technology as a means for communication, collaboration, as well as a tool for teaching and art production. My desire to keep up with advancements in education technology is intertwined with my passion for professional development. Technology offers platforms for sharing and for teaching one another; there is absolutely no reason why any art teacher should ever feel isolated or uninspired. Since there are often inequalities related to technology access and resources in public education, it is important for teachers to realize that content always drives the technology, rather than the other way around. If teachers develop an understanding of ways new technologies can extend learning and audiences in meaningful ways early in their careers, I believe they are more likely to seek out creative applications for technology in their own teaching and professional development.
My research combines all of these areas. It has enabled me to develop sustained teacher workshops at a museum with the goal of strengthening relationships between local teachers and a museum educator. Interactions with educators give me life. I love the challenge of assisting educators in collaborative interdisciplinary efforts. Building relationships between people and institutions takes time. It involves finding shared vision and making constant adjustments in short and long-term planning. In working toward this mission, I strive to discover new ways to empower educators towards eliminating personal and professional barriers and working together to cultivate community.
Stephanie Harvey Danker, Ph.D.
I believe I am best able to make positive contributions within a university that has an art museum or galleries on campus that seek to maintain or strengthen relationships between local teachers, pre-service art educators and the museum. Initiatives of this sort give attention to beneficial affects that local educators and the university community can have on one another. My teaching experiences and research have led me to discover a passion for linking educators through local museum resources. Through this venue (which always includes technology components), educators of all disciplines, levels and abilities are able to explore societal issues and address curricular standards in memorable ways.
My pedagogical practice is grounded in historical and contemporary theories of art education. I believe it is important to acknowledge the progression of art education and utilize aspects of effective art education that remain consistent over time. It is important to engage an audience in ways that elicit creativity and self-expression; skills and craftsmanship; constructivist learning; and attention to the processes of artists, including engagement with art history, criticism, aesthetics and art production. It is equally important for an audience to engage critically with a concept, and acknowledge the lures of our everyday visual culture. In my opinion, pre-service teachers able to articulate aspects and effects of visual culture tend to be better prepared to relate to their students, and assist them in learning to make educated choices as global citizens.
Effective art education programs instill in graduates the ability to create standards-based curriculum relevant and connected to other disciplines. Themes, big ideas and issues traverse disciplinary boundaries. Through my own interdisciplinary collaborations in various education contexts, I understand logistics and the added value of integrating art across the curriculum. When art educators are able to collaborate with teachers of other subject areas, they can impact one another while assisting students in connecting the dots between disciplines in meaningful ways. Through cross-curricular connections and interdisciplinary collaborations, others may see how art has the power to increase learning and address standards in their areas. This is not only a way for art educators to advocate their programs in public education. More importantly, it is a way to build community and morale throughout schools and greater publics being served.
In order for art educators to be fully integrated into their communities, it is essential to embrace technology as a means for communication, collaboration, as well as a tool for teaching and art production. My desire to keep up with advancements in education technology is intertwined with my passion for professional development. Technology offers platforms for sharing and for teaching one another; there is absolutely no reason why any art teacher should ever feel isolated or uninspired. Since there are often inequalities related to technology access and resources in public education, it is important for teachers to realize that content always drives the technology, rather than the other way around. If teachers develop an understanding of ways new technologies can extend learning and audiences in meaningful ways early in their careers, I believe they are more likely to seek out creative applications for technology in their own teaching and professional development.
My research combines all of these areas. It has enabled me to develop sustained teacher workshops at a museum with the goal of strengthening relationships between local teachers and a museum educator. Interactions with educators give me life. I love the challenge of assisting educators in collaborative interdisciplinary efforts. Building relationships between people and institutions takes time. It involves finding shared vision and making constant adjustments in short and long-term planning. In working toward this mission, I strive to discover new ways to empower educators towards eliminating personal and professional barriers and working together to cultivate community.
Stephanie Harvey Danker, Ph.D.