Washington High School

Hearing about everyone’s work with different community partners shows how important and necessary it is to make the connection between CCA students within the larger Bay Area community, and the breadth of positive affect that the Center for Art and Public Life has in providing the grounds for these meaningful experiences.

It has been such a great learning experience for me working with Todd Elkin at Washington High School in Fremont. Particularly, I have been witnessing the innovative use of the Studio Habits of Mind teaching framework that Todd demonstrates. The project assignments he gives his students are extremely thought provoking and I wish I had such a wonderful art teacher in high school! In viewing the students’ work, it is quite apparent that they have ownership of how to successfully communicate concepts visually. Todd provides specific criteria and visible goals for each project, as well as questions for the students to answer in their process journals in order to demonstrate that they understand the material. In the beginning of the school year, I wanted to learn more about how to teach visual literacy and I have definitely gained insight to ways of achieving this goal. To see how the high school students persist at their work to solve the questions that arise is extremely eye opening. My only qualm is that I wish I could be on site more frequently than once a week to further build a stronger connection.