Art and Design Education
The MA in Art and Design Education with initial New York State teacher certification (visual arts, all grades) is designed to prepare students to teach in public schools and other educational settings. Through the integration of studio, research, and practice this intellectually challenging program helps students to test ideas, develop a personal teaching style, and explore research questions through participation and observation. Students thus get opportunities to work collaboratively with their peers, community members, and professionals in the field, while they learn to develop lessons and projects that promote their pupil’s critical inquiry and creative practice. As reflective practitioners and researchers, students are prepared to work effectively in diverse cultural contexts and to apply interdisciplinary perspectives in a variety of educational settings.
THE PROGRAM’S STRUCTURE
The MA in Art and Design Education is a 33-credit degree program open to individuals with a minimum of 25 credit hours in art, design, and/or the history of art from an accredited higher education institution or the equivalent of the bachelor’s degree from an international institution of acceptable standards. It offers an advanced experience for artist- educators interested in joining a top-ranked art and design school which has been preparing professionals to lead the field of art and design education K-12 for more than a century.
Teaching Experience
Students take courses that immerse them in fieldwork and student teaching in K-12 public schools and other settings. In these practice-led teaching experiences students learn to apply their knowledge of learners, their belief in their pupil’s ability to learn, and their cultural awareness to planning and instruction. Students get opportunities to work collaboratively within school and community contexts to promote culturally relevant pedagogy and equitable learning opportunities.
Saturday Art School
Since 1897, Pratt Institute’s Saturday Art School has been offering a broad range of classes for children and teens. Students in the Department of Art and Design Education teach in Saturday Art School, a teaching and learning laboratory school for children and teens from Brooklyn’s many neighborhoods; classes are taught by students who are supervised by faculty. Students learn to integrate their studio knowledge in the planning and teaching of studio-based projects over the course of the semester culminating in a curated exhibition.
Certification Requirements
Our programs are recognized by New York State Education Department (NYSED) as “approved teacher preparation program(s)” and as such prepare students to meet the requirements of Initial Certification in Visual Art, Grades Pre-K-12. In order to be recommended for New York State Education Department (NYSED) Initial Certification in Visual Arts (all grades), students must complete a Teacher Performance Assessment (TPA) and a number of non-curricular requirements. All non-curricular requirements must be taken with a provider approved by NYSED and may require a fee. More information is available here: Teacher Certification Information.
Chair
Aileen Wilson
awilson2@pratt.edu
718.636.3637
Assistant to the Chair
Jonell Joshua
jjoshua@pratt.edu
718.636.3681
Art and Design Education Office
Tel: 718.636.3637
https://www.pratt.edu/art/art-and-design-education/
Faculty
Faculty Bios
ADE-609 From City to Studio to Classroom I - (3 Credits)
This course draws on each student's studio core and considers ways that artist- teachers can adapt studio competencies to an educational setting. Through fieldwork observations and research, students will identify the concepts, skills, techniques, materials and language specific to each studio core. Students then begin to adapt, translate, and make studio learning accessible for the diverse abilities and interests of individual learners and groups of learners. This course includes 15 hours of fieldwork in a K-12 setting. The class will take several all-day field trips on the day of the scheduled class meeting. Therefore, students must leave this day free for those trips.
ADE-610 From City to Studio to Classroom II - (3 Credits)
Through discussion on select readings from the literature on art and design pedagogy, combined with site visits and observations, students analyze how learning takes place as a dynamic interaction between a given educational and sociocultural context. Making connections between their own and other studio strengths and pedagogical knowledge, students apply and adapt instructional, planning and assessment tools to design innovative lessons that address the diverse needs and interests of learners in a variety of K-12 settings..
ADE-611 Teaching in the NYC Public Schools - (3 Credits)
Students apply the insights gained through previous coursework, reading, and observation as they participate in a professional teaching situation in either a NYC public elementary or a NYC public secondary school. Under the guidance of a NY State certified visual arts instructor, students work for 25 full days at their assigned sites-observing, assisting and ultimately teaching independently. An ADE faculty member observes the students 3 times over the course of the semester and leads 4 on-campus seminars that serve as a forum for reflection, analysis, and inspiration. Lesson plans and artwork from lessons taught, as well as issues related to studio management, curriculum development, and school cultures are the subjects of discussion. Students work with their cooperating teachers to identify a research question and explore that question through action research.
ADE-612 Student Teaching - (3 Credits)
Students apply the insights gained through previous coursework, reading, observation, and prior student teaching experience as they participate in a professional teaching situation in a NYC public elementary or a public secondary school depending upon which age group the student worked within the prerequisite course, ADE 611, Student Teaching in NYC Public Schools. Under the guidance of a NY State certified visual arts instructor and an ADE faculty member, students work for 35 full days at their assigned sites, observing, assisting and ultimately teaching independently as they plan and prepare their EdTPA submissions for NYS certification.
ADE-613 Professional Practices - (3 Credits)
This course supports students as they prepare to meet the demands of the profession in K-12 settings. Students will complete NYS certification requirements in K-12 Visual Arts and prepare materials to facilitate employment. Guest speakers will present on best practices reflecting evolving trends in K-12 art education. As they observe and interact with students, parents and communities in their co-requisite student teaching placements, students will hone their understanding of the socio-cultural dimensions of teaching and learning and refine individual research interests.
ADE-614 Community Based Internship - (3 Credits)
The internship is a learning experience for community-based art and design educators. It provides students with an opportunity to apply academic knowledge and skills in a practical setting, while obtaining new knowledge and skills in preparation for practice in the field of community-based art and design. Students deepen their knowledge about important applied aspects of their discipline, enhance their professional skills in a real-world context, build their professional network, and inform their career choices. Additional faculty-supervised activities provide the opportunity for an in-depth reflection on the internship experience.
ADE-615 Museum-Based Internship - (3 Credits)
The internship is a learning experience for museum educators. It provides students with an opportunity to apply academic knowledge and skills in a practical setting, while obtaining new knowledge and skills in preparation for practice in the field of museum education. Students deepen their knowledge about important applied aspects of the field, enhance their professional skills in a real-world context, build their professional network, and inform their career choices. Additional faculty-supervised activates provide the opportunity for an in-depth reflection on the internship experience.
ADE-616 The Inclusive Classroom - (3 Credits)
This course focuses on the pedagogical knowledge and skills necessary to teach diverse learners in public schools and other educational settings. Through fieldwork observations, readings, and discussion, students analyze and synthesize effective, evidence-based strategies for teaching and working effectively and inclusively with all school-age pupils. Students further challenge the dominant deficit model approach to teaching in diverse settings by recognizing and acknowledging student assets. This course includes 55 hours of fieldwork in a K-12 setting.
ADE-617 The Performance of Fashion - (3 Credits)
This studio course investigates the close connection between the contemporary worlds of fashion and performance art. The use of narrative has become an important part of a fashion concept, just as it is in performance art. In fashion design, the body is much more than an instrument or a means; it is our expression in the world, the visible form of our intentions. This course explores an expanded definition of fashion to include the body's presentation in the public sphere through; research on the work of historical interdisciplinary artists, the design of objects to be worn by the human body that are performative, and the performance of these projects.
ADE-618 Contemporary Museum Education - (3 Credits)
This class provides an in-depth theoretical and practical understanding of the growing field of museum education. It includes an examination of the changes occurring in art educational paradigms within the museum world, the evolving nature of museums as institutions with educational missions, along with learning and interpretive theories unique to the museum context. The class provides an extensive hands-on component devoted to the special methods, practices and skills associated with teaching with artworks, and in designing educational projects, programs and innovative learning experiences within the art museum settings. The course also explores critical issues facing the field through theory, practice and the analysis of case studies, including audience diversity, collaboration with schools and communities, the rethinking of museum missions and practices, and the use of new technologies. In addition to the examination of theories underlying contemporary museum education, the course will constitute a strong practicum preparing artists' and designers' museum education work. Finally, the course also introduces the contemporary threads in the reconceptualization of museum education as artistic practice at the intersection of institutional critique and participatory and social practice. The course aims to broaden educational horizons and critical perspectives, while equipping students with practical strategies in new learning environments. Many classes will be held in NYC museums, where students will work with objects in various collections, and where they will interact with a variety of museum professionals.
ADE-621 Student Teaching: Saturday Art School - (3 Credits)
Partnering with The Center for Art, Design, and Community Engagement K-12, students in this course will collaborate with children and young people attending an out-of-school program in art and design, the Saturday Art School. Students will learn to integrate the knowledge, skills and values of their studio-core or major to inform art and design projects conceived and developed in concert with young people. Students, supervised by faculty, will support children and young people in the conceptualization and realization of studio-based projects over the course of the semester culminating in a curated exhibition. Under the guidance of faculty, students work for 13 days on campus planning and teaching children and young people.
ADE-621B Student Teaching: Saturday Art School II - (3 Credits)
Students in this course will engage in collaborations with children and young people attending the out-of-school program, Saturday Art School. In a non-hierarchical working model, students from different studio-cores will conceive and develop project ideas with children and young people. Working in teams, groups project ideas will emerge from a reciprocal exchange of ideas, interests and experiences with the participants.
ADE-622 College Teaching - (3 Credits)
This course examines teaching and learning in art and design in the context of higher education. Students will study the theories and practices of teaching, learning and research in art and design, including a look at the history of studio teaching, various contemporary and pedagogical approaches, and the education of artists and designers. Current debates centered on arts-based research and practice-based research, course and curriculum planning, assessment in art and design, and doctorates in art or design will also be integrated into the work. The course builds a strong foundation for students interested in teaching at the college level in all art and design majors. It will include discussion, fieldwork research and project-based work assignments.
ADE-623 College Teaching: Practicum - (3 Credits)
This course examines the theories and practice of teaching and learning in art and design in the context of higher education through research and observation in Pratt studios and workshops. This course examines studio pedagogy, assessment criteria and methodologies, and studio critique through observation. The course will be divided into two parts: a practicum that allows students to observe, and a seminar that examines contemporary pedagogical approaches and the synthesis of theory and practice in the studios and workshops. Faculty host an observer and provide opportunities for observation. Students taking this class can expect to complete between 45-75 hours of fieldwork. The course builds a strong foundation for students interested in teaching at the college level and welcomes students from all majors. It will include fieldwork research, discussion, and project-based work assignments.
ADE-624 Art, Community, and Social Change - (3 Credits)
Art, Community and Social Change, is a hands-on exploration of urban art and design and their relationship to local communities. Through research and realization of a community-based project in Pratt's \"backyard\" - Downtown Brooklyn, Fort Greene, Clinton Hill or Bedford Stuyvesant --students will study and work with local community based organizations. Students will explore the following questions as they do their research and work on the community-based project: How do artists, designers, planners, architects and art educators shape and develop a sense of social responsibility at the community level? How do they become informed about and learn from the communities in which they work? How can art and design contribute to community-based efforts to address urban issues such as gentrification, foreclosure, community health, and access to healthy and affordable food?
ADE-626 Teaching Art and Design in Museums, Communities, and Colleges - (3 Credits)
This seminar course is designed for graduate students who wish to teach and grapple with the many creative opportunities and challenges in the expansive fields of contemporary art and design education. The course provides a theoretical overview of teaching and learning in art and design, inclusive of all ages of learners within museum, community, and college settings which is then applied in comparative observational research in such settings. Required for the Advanced Certificate in Teaching and Learning (ACTL), the course will also be open as an elective for all graduate students.
ADE-628 Museum Education: Collaboration And Innovation - (3 Credits)
This class is an advanced class in museum education. A prerequisite for the course is 'Contemporary Museum Education'. This advanced course specifically leads students in an in-depth engagement with three important dimensions of museum education, namely: 1) Teaching in gallery and museum environments, 2) Engaging in a museum education related project and 3) Conceptualizing and implementing innovation in the field.
ADE-630 Media and Materials - (3 Credits)
This exploration of a central element in planning and implementing an art curriculum begins with the research and development of a series of related art projects. Particular literary works serve as subject matter for the projects and extensive experimentation with a variety of studio materials (photo-based media, computers, film and video) is encouraged. The role of technology in the making and teaching of art will also be examined, using interactive/graphics software to design a portfolio website. Through reading, writing, and discussion, issues such as age-appropriateness, teaching techniques and learning styles are also considered.
ADE-634 Beyond and B'tween Pratt's Gates - (3 Credits)
This course explores how social reformers and activists addressed racial, economic and social inequalities beyond and between Pratt's gates across the 20th century through to historical sites, guest speakers and archival research. You will explore why, and how-those with power and those with little power-encouraged, or discouraged, community partnerships for equitable access to the benefits of education for politically and economically disenfranchised communities. The course does this through several disciplinary lenses including social and urban history, cultural landscape theory, and historic preservation.
ADE-635 Puppets and Performing Objects: Ballet of the Hand - (3 Credits)
This studio course examines the role of puppetry as an educational tool, a major form in the history of art, and a unique and contemporary language of object, gesture, and story. The course considers puppetry's unique blending of media such as painting, sculpture, costume, set, and sound design and emphasizes puppetry's innovative combinations of multi-media and narrative effects. Student projects are based on a specific style/s of puppetry--found/performing objects, shadow figures, and rod puppets. Students apply the techniques related to each style as they expand upon their ideas about the traditional languages and materials of art.
ADE-636 Puppets and Performing Objects: Hybrid Contemporary Performance - (3 Credits)
This studio course explores interdisciplinary approaches to performance and their application to contemporary puppetry. Using the unique and contemporary language of object, gesture, and story, the course explores the ways in which puppetry and performing objects can serve as elements of hybrid contemporary performance art. This exploration considers the integration of costume, set and sound design into the performance projects. Students work alone and in teams as they design, write, direct and perform a final project based on any form or a combination of the following forms of puppetry: string puppets, hand puppets, body puppets and masks, large-scale outdoor parade puppets, and miniature paper/toy theater.
ADE-661 Teaching and Technology I Digital Methods in Art Education - (1 Credit)
This course focuses on approaches on teaching contemporary digital art and design, and the use of instructional technologies 21st century art classroom. Students will develop an understanding of collaborative online learning platforms, digital learning resources, and tools to create a connected learning environment. Gaining hands-on experience through interactive tutorials, students will be challenged to apply their knowledge of technology to K-12 and informal learning settings. Students will explore the literature in the field to identify an area of interest for future research.
ADE-662 Teaching and Technology II Digital Applications in Art Education - (1 Credit)
Instructional technologies (computer art, video, and other film processes) are introduced to those without previous experience while students familiar with design hardware and software further evaluate and develop educational strategies and applications in K-12 and informal learning settings. Through a series of studio projects, discussions, and papers, students explore how digital technology, while enhancing teaching and learning, can also be a tool for creative expression and a means of individual and social change. Students will apply research in the field to their studio projects.
ADE-663 Teaching & Technology III: Creative Use Of Technologies in Art Education - (1 Credit)
This course focuses on the in-depth investigation into the creative use of specific digital tools and applications that are most commonly and widely used in K-12 classrooms through hands-on explorations and discussion. Students will develop an understanding of the relationships between technology, culture art and design, and education with a particular emphasis on new and emerging media. While gaining authentic experience through interactive tutorials and discussions, students will be challenged to apply their knowledge and the creative use of technology to K-12 and informal learning settings. The course ultimately encourages students' transformative and playful exploration into the applications of new and emerging media and forms.
Integrate studio knowledge and skills grounded in contemporary art practice into the art and design curriculum.
Articulate, apply and reflect upon knowledge of pedagogy and instruction in art and design education.
Apply knowledge of learners, belief in their ability to learn, and cultural awareness to planning and instruction.
Demonstrate the ability to work collaboratively within school and community contexts to promote culturally relevant pedagogy and equitable learning opportunities