Conceptual Framework

Teacher Certification Programs of the Department of Art Education at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago

Critical Citizenship in Visual Culture
Educating teacher candidates to respond to the needs of contemporary learners through democratic, responsible and reflective interactions with art and other forms of visual culture.

The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) establishes and conducts comprehensive programs of education including preparation of visual artists, teachers of art, and designers, providing education services in written, spoken, and media formats (from SAIC Mission Statement). The School has a long-standing commitment to the profession of art education, providing essential education for art teachers, pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade (P-12). We offer innovative quality models in art education that connect creative expression, theoretical knowledge, everyday experiences, and social critique for students preparing to become critical teachers of art and other forms of visual culture in a diverse society. We are committed to preparing educators as critical citizens who value egalitarianism, cultural difference, democracy, and social justice. A critical citizen is an individual who is self reflective and has a deep concern for the lives of others. We believe a critical citizen actively questions and challenges the social, political, and cultural structures and discourses that comprise everyday life.

Teacher candidates have in-depth knowledge of art, visual culture, technology and other content areas to inform pedagogical theories and practices directly related to National, State, and local standards. Throughout the programs, teacher candidates explore the functions and purposes of art education and investigate connections between experiences inside and outside of public schooling within a larger framework of cultural and historical analysis. In this sense, teacher candidates understand art and other forms of visual culture, education, and curricula as both products of history and potential sites for cultural change.

As SAIC teacher candidates advance through the programs they focus on a core set of elements:
(1) context and community, (2) knowledge and experience, (3) critical thought and reflection, and (4) practice and evaluation . These four elements support all parts of our art education teacher preparation programs. They are integrated throughout the curriculum including studio, art history, liberal arts, and professional education classes and seminars, pre-clinical and clinical teaching experiences.

Elements of the Art Education Conceptual Framework

Context & community
We are committed to meaningful learning and teaching in a culturally diverse and ever changing society. Therefore, teacher candidates understand that communities are constructed and realize the benefit of partnering with faculty, staff, student, families and local representatives to develop, expand and sustain ethical teaching and learning communities.

The teacher candidate understands:

• The context of social, cultural, economic and political realities as related to self, community and world
• The relationship between cultural diversity and student learning, including how cultural diversity can afford particular opportunities for the exploration of multiple perspectives
• Teaching and learning are affected by access to the development and exchange of new media and electronic informatio
• Teaching and learning is multi-modal, a life long process, and occurs both inside and outside the context of schools

Knowledge & experience
We are committed to preparing teacher candidates through connecting individual experiences with, pedagogical and professional knowledge and skills necessary to ensure that all students are learning. Therefore, teacher candidates learn discourses and performative practices to interpret, teach and produce art and other forms of visual culture while fostering social and political empowerment for all students.

The teacher candidate understands:

• Theoretical and practical knowledge related to communications, literature, mathematics, science, history, philosophy, and social sciences from transcultural perspectives
• Content knowledge, including perspectives on social theory, new media and information technology, art theory, art history, visual culture, art production, and art education that support democratic learning and critical practices
• Methods, resources, technology and materials for designing and implementing instruction based on pedagogical content knowledge, student needs and curricular goals
• Multiple forms of assessment, such as group critique, student self-evaluation and rubrics, and teacher candidate self-evaluation to support active learning

Critical thought and reflection
We are committed to developing critical thought resulting in inquiring and reflective teachers. Therefore, teacher candidates set themselves and their world in question and problematize tacit assumptions, ensuring necessary adjustments to enhance student learning.

The teacher candidate:

• Has a strong foundation in theoretical and conceptual frameworks that integrate research, reflection, technology and practice
• Is teacher as researcher who questions the nature of his/her own thinking
• Uses multiple frames of reference to help conceptualize his/her own positionality in relationship to students, schools, communities, and the professional field
• Creates strategies and solutions in relation to critical thought and reflection

Practice and evaluation
We are committed to multiple forms of teaching and assessment practices that actively engage and have positive effects on student learning. Therefore, teacher candidates facilitate student learning of art and other forms of visual culture through clear presentation of content, ideas, and instruction and assess student performance using established rubrics and multiple indicators.

The teacher candidate:

• Uses a variety of instructional strategies including new media and information technology to encourage students’ development of critical thinking, problem solving, and performance skills
• Applies effective communication skills with parents, students, colleagues, and the public in general
• Makes adjustments to instruction when appropriate
• Collects and analyzes data to improve teaching and learning

Assessment Systems and Performance Outcomes for Teacher Candidates

The art education teacher preparation programs at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago collect data and use performance expectations and outcomes to 1) identify qualified candidates at the entry level, 2) evaluate continuing student performance at multiple decision points throughout the program, and 3) determine levels of accomplishment and appraise program completion requirements.

• Prospective candidates to the art education programs are assessed using multiple indicators including, but not limited to, prior academic performance, knowledge and skills in art, visual culture, art history, and other disciplines, motivation, commitment, and ability to learn. The assessment procedures include, but are not limited to, evaluation of art and writing portfolios, all academic transcripts, letters of reference, and personal interviews. Additionally, all students must meet institutional requirements for admission to undergraduate and graduate programs and successfully complete the Illinois Certification Testing System Basic Skills Test by the end of the first semester in the art education programs.
• Matriculated students in the art education programs are assessed for accomplishment and performance outcomes at multiple decision points in the programs including prior to clinical practice and prior to program completion. Students are assessed in a variety of forms using established rubrics including, but not limited to, essays, papers, art projects, personal art work, journals, self-reflective digital process-portfolios, faculty observations, and lesson and unit plans.

The following performance outcomes are expected of all students in the School of the Art Institute of Chicago’s art education teacher certification programs.

The teacher candidate will demonstrate an understanding of

• Psychological, social, political, and cultural influences on the construction of communities and professional practice
• Content knowledge of art and other forms of visual culture to promote the value, complexity and diversity of all of the visual arts as expressions of social and cultural issues, past and present
• Professional knowledge of arts and sciences to respond to the needs of contemporary learners in a society dominated by visual images and designed objects
• Pedagogical knowledge for effective teaching to educate citizens who participate in democracy through reflective and responsible interactions with art and other forms of visual culture

The teacher candidate will demonstrate the ability to

• Collaborate with colleagues and community to develop, support and improve learning opportunities for all students
• Plan and implement instruction that makes content meaningful to all students and has positive effects on student learning
• Implement a balanced integration of presentation, discussion, inquiry, production and reflection of art and other forms of visual culture in a variety of contexts within various communities
• Use multiple frames of reference to make critical assessments and reflective judgements

The teacher candidate will demonstrate

• Respect for a diversity of developmental levels, learning styles, values, languages, and beliefs
• The integration of research, technology and reflection through the interpretation, production, and critique of art and other forms of visual culture
• A synthesis of pedagogical and professional content knowledge to help students learn about art and other forms of visual culture
• A proficiency for the synthesis of resources, processes and assessments through effective teaching of art and other forms of visual culture

We are committed to ongoing evaluation and assessment of our conceptual framework. We continually assess the framework through ongoing dialogue with all members of our professional community including SAIC administrators, faculty, students, and alumni, as well as cooperating school teachers, administrators, and staff. This process ensures that feedback from our educational community continually influences and shapes our conceptual framework .