PRES 505 Visual Arts as a Source for Teaching (VAST) at Philadelphia Museum of Art

Division of Continuing Studies Professional Institute for Educators

3 credits 42.0 hours
500 level graduate course

Each summer the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s Division of Education offers K-12 teachers of all subject areas the chance to renew their spirit of inquiry through VAST: Visual Arts as a Source for Teaching. This program allows teachers to immerse themselves in the museum’s collections and its use as a resource in the classroom, with themes changing each summer. The collections serve as the starting point for lively experiences that stress an interdisciplinary and multicultural approach in looking at and teaching from works of art. Participants take part in lectures, demonstrations, small group discussions, behind-the-scenes meetings with museum curators, writing workshops and field trips to build skills and strategies for teaching humanities-based curriculum. This summer, the theme is ‘The Art of Story.’ Works of art often tell stories. The image or object artists create may relate a myth, a religious story, a historical event, a well-known fable or tale, or a story of their own invention. In turn, viewers weave stories as we look at and respond to works of art. Explore the Museum’s collections and special exhibitions, including Witness: The Art of Jerry Pinkney to discover the many ways stories can be told through art as well as the variety or ways adults and students can respond through art and writing. Sessions will be led by Museum Educators and invited speakers and artists (including education staff from the Arden Theater Company). Off-site visits will include the newly reopened Rodin Museum. Teachers will be grouped into elementary, middle school and high school teams to facilitate meaningful discussion and brainstorming of curricular connections. All VAST participants will receive a resource guide with background information on artworks, discussion questions, a resource list and writing connections to bring back to the classroom.

Open to graduate students from the Division of Continuing Studies.
This course is not repeatable for credit.
This course may not be audited.
This course cannot be taken pass/fail.