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Learning to Look Program

Learning to Look, now in its sixth year, addresses Falkirk's goal of providing high quality art education programming for children in the community, both in their classrooms and at our site. Learning to Look has proved to be extremely successful in providing art outreach for children in five Marin County school districts. During the last academic school year, we reached 350 elementary school students in eighteen classes.

The primary approach used in the program is "Visual Thinking Strategies." (VTS) For more information about VTS, click www.VUE.org. VTS is a developmentally-appropriate, student centered method. Based on in-depth research on how viewers respond to art, the key to this technique is the discovery process. The goal is to help students build confidence that deepen their own ability to construct meaning from art. Art become accessible, understandable and rich with possibilities.

Artists in schools programs in Marin County provide valuable training in specific art forms. In contrast, Falkirk's Learning to Look program focuses on visual literacy. The approach we use is based on the premise that finding meaning in works of visual art involves a wide range of thinking skills. The program focuses primarily on fostering and developing an understanding of arts and culture through
1) visits by the curator to the classrooms to help the students learn critical looking skills through in-class slide projections and related activities and
2) students visiting Falkirk to practice these skills utilizing Falkirk's changing gallery exhibitions, as well as complementary hands-on art-making activities in the galleries.

This technique encourages:

  • a personal connection to art from diverse cultures, times and places
  • confidence in one’s ability to construct meaning from art
  • active class discussions and group problem solving
  • development of thinking and communication skills
  • transference of these skills to other subject areas
  • the motivation and curiosity to acquire additional information
The first step is to prepare the students for their art experience by setting a stage for excitement and positive expectation. For example, focusing on the "verbs" or action words in the artwork, through actual physical movement, is an excellent point of entry into a lesson. Once children are engaged in the art experience, they will be eager for more knowledge about art and its many avenues.

When viewing an artwork, students are first asked to look at the image without talking. Then the teacher/facilitator asks specific, open-ended questions:

  • "What's going on in this picture?"
  • "What more can you find?"
This encourages the students to examine what they see; later more specific, probing and directed questions are added. From the beginning, students are also asked to back up interpretations with evidence; whenever they state an opinion, teachers ask them, "What do you see that makes you say that?"

The facilitator ensures that every response is heard and acknowledged, by pointing to what is mentioned as a student talks, and then paraphrasing what was said. As the discussion evolves, teachers link various related answers, helping to make students aware of their converging and diverging views, and of their developing skills at constructing shared, yet varied meanings.

School curriculums strive for the development of reading comprehension and critical thinking skills. To complement these goals, this project helps children develop their visual acuity and comprehension of the universal language of art. As a National Historic Site, with ample room for art activities and an opportunity to experience original art works, Falkirk is extremely conducive to the on site activities of the program.

How to Get More Information or Participate in the Program

To learn how your school or classroom can become involved in Learning to Look, please contact Beth.Goldberg@ci.san-rafael.ca.us.
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