A Moving Experience: The Classroom Activities and Art Camp

My final creative project began as an effort to incorporate bodily movement into the curriculum of my two-dimensional fine art classes in order to give students more opportunities for success in learning. My idea was to design, plan and execute many activities in order to provide students with a more kinesthetic learning environment. In the beginning, I focused on teaching some of the fundamentals of art using activities that would give the students opportunities to move their bodies. I found myself constantly on the lookout for new ways to incorporate movement in art, which led me to organize a summer art camp for students in our district. Art camp was the ultimate kinesthetic experience in the fine arts. The act of moving students away from the school and experiencing the outdoors where they could feel the wind on their face and walk to the different sessions was important for the kinesthetic approach. Throughout the planning and the execution of the camp, I paid attention to the kinesthetic needs of the campers including: teambuilding for socialization and a sense of community, lots of opportunities to be up and moving, field trips, having good meals and snacks, and wonderful fine art workshops with hands on learning. I started this project idealistically thinking that doing it would change the lives of my students. What I didn’t realize was how much it would change mine. I learned that I could be a leader as I strategized, organized, and collaborated. I discovered that I am happy with who I am and how I live my life. I realized that I am not just creative, I am a creator. Not only can I make art, I can make things happen, magical things.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Arts (MA)

Grantor dc:publisher

University of Montana

Year

2008

Author dc:creator

• Montierth, Michelle S.

• art elements and principles
• art history
• kinesthetic art activities
• art camp
• teaching art kinesthetically

Repository record dc:identifier

https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/275

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:scholarworks.umt.edu:etd-1294