AestheTECH

The students in my PreK-5 art classes take pride in their work!  Here is a sample of some of their projects in the art room.

What is resilience?

word cloud created at wordle.net

Comments from online discussion among art educators!

"Resiliency is the ability to spring back from and successfully adapt to adversity. An increasing body of research from the fields of psychology, psychiatry, and sociology is showing that most people–including young people–can bounce back from risks, stress, crises, and trauma and experience life success (www.resiliency.com)."

Nan Henderson, M.S.W., President for Resiliency In Action explains how resiliency happens.

Resiliency Wheel described in the above video, see the image in its original context at Resiliency.com

Take the Resiliency Quiz!

Portraits of youth... Do you see resilience?

Children are the focus of Gregory Smith's work in Brazil; street children and other children at risk.  Check out more of his amazing photography as well as heart warming (and heart breaking) stories on flikr.  You might also be interested to learn more about the Children At Risk Foundation – CARF (www.carfweb.net).

Questions for consideration:

1.  When/how have you observed resilience in your students?
2.  What are the characteristics of resilience?
3.  In the book; No Disposable Children, the the authors suggest     
     alternatives to punishment, or "get tough" strategies.  What strategies are
     already working (or do you envision) working in your classroom? 
4.  How does our understanding of resilience relate to the Art for Life 
     teaching model?

How can we (as art teachers) encourage and support our students to be resilient individuals in school and in life?

Please share your thoughts and leave your comment below.

Need more information and resources?
 Check out programs building resiliency through the arts.

Art advocacy for at risk youth (articles): don't forget to click on the article links in the side bar!

Art Gallery of Nova Scotia provides a safe environment where youth can creatively participate in various art experiences.

ArtWorks is an arts program uniquely able to reach out to at-risk youth while enriching communities.

YouthARTs - model programs, data to support the development of programs and toolkit for potential program developers.

What is Art?

This animation from Creature Comforts has been around for a few years but it is worth a revisit.  Teachers; has anyone used this in their classroom?  If so, what was the response?

Want to join in on the "What is Art" conversation?  Check it out on Seesmic!