STAR-POST (Art) January 2020 FINAL_STAR Post Art Jan 2020 | Page 22

“ W hat is art when the
artwork lacks character
and personal voice?” This
Choice-Based Learning motivates
students to be
self-directed agents of their
learning.
Nur tu ring Crea ti ve Vo i c e s
Th r ou g h Cho i ce -B a se d
L e arning i n Art Educa ti on
Ang Kok Yeow
Art Teacher
Zhenghua Primary School
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question asked during a vendor-run
art programme got me thinking.
I had started to notice a similar
compositional style in my students’
artwork and their loss of interest in
the subject over time. As I reflected
upon this, I asked myself, “How
would I have done my lessons
differently?”
This question popped into my mind again
when I attended the National Art Education
Association (NAEA) conference held last year
in Boston. I had the privilege to listen to Ms.
Janet Taylor, an inspiring fellow art educator
and advocate of Choice-Based Learning
(CBL), who shared about how she transformed
her art classroom into a nurturing CBL
environment that impacted changes, helped
students discover their creative voices, and
honed their artistic skills.
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