Course Description:  

This online course prepares students to be art educators in a K-12 school setting. Candidates learn to apply standards-based and research-informed instruction through themes, media, and concepts to develop a series of unit plans that meet the cognitive, social, and personal interests of children and youth. Students will explore critique strategies, collaborative practices, lesson planning, unit planning, assessment, and technology integration. 

Level:

Graduate

Prerequisite:

Participants in this course seeking college credit must submit proof of having earned 60 college credits OR possession of a Bachelor's Degree or higher OR a State Teaching Certificate (Unofficial copies are acceptable; official transcripts would be required of anyone enrolling in the full MAT graduate program).

Instructor:

Rachel Somerville holds an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership from the University of California, Davis, where her doctoral work centered on research that bridges the divide among innovation, community, and education, exploring areas of equity within the education system and the impact that mentor programs have on college enrollment and retention for first-generation students. She also investigated the emergence of community workspaces or maker-spaces within formal education, specifically examining teachers as early implementers of this movement and the academic conditions that foster creativity. Dr. Somerville's approach to teaching emphasizes collaboration, creativity, and student voice. Through her experience as a teacher and administrator in a variety of K-12 settings, she believes that quality art programming in the visual arts should be provided by arts specialists and supported by school leaders, classroom teachers, with arts organizations and community programs. She feels that this partnered instruction serves to enhance a collaborative and an authentic approach to learning. Learn more: www.meca.edu/people/rachel-somerville/.

This course is scheduled based on instructor availability. Please contact Rachel Somerville, the Chair of the MAT Department: (rsomerville@meca.edu) to check availability.