Making Meaning with

Choice-Based Art

Theory
Choice-based art education views the student as an artist. When

making art, they are able to make authentic choices. They use their

own ideas and pursue their own interests

Better Practice
Teachers who allow students when making art (Teaching for Artistic
to have a studio experience
while still giving constraints Behavior, 2017)
can guide students in making
artwork that is personally Teachers create a studio setting, were all
meaningful.
of the important parts of an art curriculum

come together. Students work on skills and techniques, learn

about art history, aesthetics and conventions, and reflect on and

critique artwork. (Hathaway, 2013, p. 12). Students are able to work

at their own developmental pace and create work that is

meaningful for their own personal growth as an artist (Bedrick,

2006, p.21). The student decides their subject matter, materials,

and the approach they will take. Work is often more meaningful

because students are more invested in their work (Douglas, 2009,

p. 290).

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A/R/Tographical Theoretical Lenses
Artist
One of choice-based art educations
biggest components is teaching students
to think like an artist. The Studio Habits of
Mind are a great way to teach students
about the artistic process. When students
stretch and explore, they try to reach past
their current capacities, and learn from
their mistakes. When they express, they
create work that communicates and idea,
a feeling, or a meaning. When they
develop craft, they learn how to use tools,
materials, and techniques. When they
envision, they are making a mental
picture of the next steps in their process.
When they understand arts communities,
the learn art history and learn how to interact with other artists. When they observe
they look closely a see things they may not have otherwise seen. When they engage and
persist, they learn to work through problems, develop focus. When they reflect, they
learn to talk about their process and assess their work (Hetland, 2013).
Researcher
Students should consider what the big idea means to them, and plan out how
they are going to express it. It is important for them to understand that artists are
researchers. Research in the visual arts ranges from planning a research study
to playing with materials to see what they can do. Giving students a place to take
notes, such as research workbook can be beneficial. Research workbooks can
contain plans and sketches, notes, as space to experiment with new materials
and techniques (Bastos & Zimmerman, 2015, p. 79).
A choice-based teacher is also a researcher. They are observing, recording data,
and making changes. This could include watching the flow of the room and
making changes to the arrangement of the work areas and centers as needed,
and making changes to the way instruction and information is provided based on
the needs of your students.
Teacher
The teachers rolls in a choice-based art room include demonstrating, modeling
facilitating, coaching, and providing students with curriculum content. These rolls
can be filled through whole-group demos, small group instruction, one-on-one
conferences, and visual references. The students are in control of the subject
matter, the materials they use, and the approach they take (Douglas, 2009,
p.300).
The student can also act as a teacher by helping peers with a medium or
technique in which they have knowledge.

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 Practice
Room Layout
The physical lay out of a choice-based art room is important. Supplies are often
organized by medium (i.e. fiber, clay, drawing, etc.), and stored in a way that
allows student access to them.
Menus
Centers should have menus that give students additional and specific
information. They can contain directions or steps and vocabulary. The teacher
can also display resources like artwork from different eras and cultures.
Lessons
In order to help students creating artwork that is meaningful, it is helpful to have
them work under a big idea. Big ideas are human concepts that impact our lives
and the way we think and live. Big ideas interest students because they can
relate to them (Sakantani, 2009, p.48).
Along with a big idea, lessons should teach a skill or technique that the students
have the option of using. If a student does not choose to use the skill or
technique that is taught, they may need one-on-one instruction in their medium of
choice. This can be offered through the teacher, peer, or the answer may be
found through the students research.
It is important that the lesson is short, so students have plenty of time to work
and reflect. Some choice teachers offer a different 5-10 minute lesson every day.
Some structure their lessons so that the choice offered to students is more
scaffolded.
Ideation
When giving students the
freedom to form their own
ideas, it is important to give
them the skills to do so.
Ideation needs to be
explicitly taught. One way to
teach ideation is by making
a list of possible ideas
broken down into catagories
(Douglas, 2009, p.902) If
student have an idea, but
are looking for a way to
make it their own, they could
use the SCAMPER checklist (Bastos & Zimmerman, 2015, p. 238).

3

By teaching for artistic
behavior, educators facilitate
authentic choices for students
and honor their ideas for
artmaking. This is the core of
our pedagogy.
-Katherine Douglas
Art-Making
Students are responsible for setting up
their own work area. Once they have a
plan, they can gather their supplies from
various center and get to work. Many
teachers worry that chaos will ensue
when students are left to their own
devices, but when students are making
something that is meaningful to them;
they are more likely to be focused on
what they are creating (Douglas, 2009, p.
164). While students work, it is important
to keep artist behavior in mind. These
include, but are not limited to: risk-taking,
following a line of thought over time,
going deep with a preferred medium or
technique, playing and experimenting,
and bringing aspects of their life into their
art (Teaching for Artistic Behavior, 2017).
Reflection
Students should be given time to reflect
on their process and what their final
product means to them. For younger
students, this could take the form of peer
sharing and feedback. Older student may
prefer to create a blog or digital portfolio.
Process over product
In an elementary setting, it can take
some time to get used to the look of
genuine kid art. Your students finish
product may not look as skilled or refined
as at would with a teacher directed
lesson. In choice-based art, the focus is
more on the process than the product. In
choice-based education, teaching
students to think like artists and create
personally significant is the main focus.
Assessment
Observation is important in a choice-
based classroom. Teachers can use
checklists, photos, conferences, and
writing to collect data on student
progress. Teachers should also find a
way to allow students to self-assess.
They could write an artists statement,
keep a journal or blog, and have peer
discussions.
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 Recommended Strategies
Introduce centers one at a time. Make sure students know what is
available, how to get things out, and how to put them away properly before
opening the next center.

Having an area that houses frequently used supplies like glue and
scissors can be helpful.

You may want to have some supplies that are teacher controlled, and
Manage project storage by having a small box for each class, and a clip
with each students name. If the student has something they would like to
keep in the classroom to continue working, they put their clip on it and
store it in their class box or the drying rack.

Label all materials and supplies. This makes it easy to find things and
easy to put them away in the correct spot. Adding a photo can help keep
centers neat.

Start collecting small containers and put supplies out a few at a time to
discourage students from using too much at once.
Establish routines for how time is structured and how students get started
and clean up. Stick to these and warn students if there will be any
variation.

Give students a 15 and 5 minute warning before clean up. This will allow
students who have a big mess plenty of notice if they need to start
cleaning up early.

Try to allow for 10-15 minutes of reflection time at the end of each class.
This time could be spent sharing as a class, with a partner, or writing in a
journal or blog.

While students are sharing, take notes. This can help them write an artists
statement, and is helpful for assessment.

Be patient. Allow for the shock of being allowed freedom to wear off.
Students will become more focused on making meaningful artwork as they
adjust to the change.

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References
Bastos, F. M., & Zimmerman, E.
(2015). Connecting creativity
research and practice in art
education: foundations, pedagogies,
and contemporary issues. Reston,
VA: National Art Education
Association.
Bedrick, A. (2012). Choice Without
Chaos. iTunes.
Douglas, K. M., & Jaquith, D. B.
(2009). Engaging learners through
artmaking: Choice-based art
education in the classroom. New
York: Teachers College Press.
Hathaway, N. E. (2013, May). Article:
"Smoke and Mirrors: The Art
Teacher as Magician ... Retrieved
April 1, 2017, from
http://teachingforartisticbehavior.org/
wp-
content/uploads/ArtEd_May13_Hath
away.pdf
Hetland, L. (2013). Studio thinking 2:
the real benefits of visual arts
education. New York: Teachers
College Press.
Sakatani, K. E. (2008, December
31). Personal Spaces: Students
Creating Meaning through Big Ideas.
Retrieved June 17, 2017, from
https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ871982
Teaching for Artistic Behavior. (n.d.).
Retrieved June 17, 2017, from
http://teachingforartisticbehavior.org/