I finally received my PVG and had the privilege of experiencing the equivalent of Canadian grade 6-12 art classes. One major difference is that my partner school has 4 art teachers and 4 art classrooms, as opposed to one art teacher and classroom per middle school / high school in Alberta. They also have 2 separate visual art streams: Expressive and Design. The expressive classes focus on more traditional mediums and processes including the use of oil pastels, acrylic paint, coloured pencil, graphite, still-life, and portraiture. Whereas the design classes have a more tactile and practical focus creating art in the form of tote bags and other fashion designs, and architectural processes using mediums such as print making, air dry clay, and found materials. I appreciate the distinction between the 2 within the curriculum, I have seen design incorporated in Alberta classrooms however it is left to the teachers discretion if they would like to include it. My partner teachers talked to me about their focus on practical use and careers involving the creative process following the students high school experience; every class and the program as a whole is heavily focused on developing creative thinking skills rather than only technical skills.
Although I will only have 3 days at the school, I have learned a lot already and I’m looking forward to bringing the insights I have gained into my practicum at home.
Cheers,
Jaleesa