1.3.4 Methodological Material_Chapter 4: "Foundations For An Inclusive Educational Artmaking"

SUMMARY

Several implications for Educational Artmaking and for the InCrea+ curriculum come from the analysis sketched in this chapter. An inclusive Educational Artmaking and an effective curriculum should at least adopt the following choices:

a. Assume a positive view of development. This in practices suggests highlighting and promote all positive aspects, positive attitudes and resources that might support inclusive and participation for all

b. Adopt principles proposed by UDL: using multiple means of expression, involvement and expression might contrast challenges to inclusion and contribute building participation of all

c. Move to a positive and educational perspective, as shown by some of the authors arts’ therapy, thus becoming Educational ArtMaking, active and engaging experiences with diverse arts’ expressions that can contribute to dissolve barriers, build confidence, promote the ability to work in a group and perceive the sense of belonging.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES  

INTRODUCTION

This chapter proposes the foundations for an inclusive Educational Artmaking. The principles we will refer to come from diverse disciplines. The first, Positive Youth Development (PYD), characterizes developmental psychology and the attention to positive development, that is to all the resources and attitudes professionals, educators but also parents can count on to support well-being and future construction. The second comes from educational psychology and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and refers to principles and strategies we should adopt to support learning and participation of all. The third, as shown by the authors, Lavickein and Matonute, refers to innovative experiences that can support whole experiences, communication through the arts. Although it has its roots in therapy, it provides principles and strategies that can be translated and made useful in educational contexts and for inclusive purposes.

POSITIVE YOUTH DEVELOPMENT

While the term “PYD” has been used in different ways and contexts there are some similarities among several models. Traditionally approaches to development and related research have focused for years on problems that children and young people may encounter while growing up, such as learning difficulties, antisocial behaviors, affective disorders. The interest for positive resources and strengths is more recent. Known as Positive Youth Development (PYD), this perspective introduces a more affirmative and welcome vision of young people (Damon, 2004) and of their development. Accordingly, while acknowledging the existence of adversities and developmental challenges that may affect development in various ways, it resists conceiving of the developmental process mainly as an effort to overcome deficits and risk.

PYD is a strength-based approach in which youth develop by identifying and honing skills, competencies, and interests in a way that helps them reach their full potential. PYD also emphasizes that youth themselves play an active role in their development. From a PYD perspective, a standard of health is not merely “problem-free” nor merely competent but emphasizes the extent to which a young person experiences optimal development.

Several models and approaches of PYD have been developed. Here, Lerner’s 5Cs and 6Cs model is described.

UNIVERSAL DESIGN FOR LEARNING (UDL)

Drawing on advances in neuroscience and new insights into the nature of learning differences, universal design for learning (UDL) is an approach to designing curricula—including instructional goals, methods, materials, and assessments—that are flexible enough from the outset to accommodate learner differences (Meyer & Rose, 1998, 2000, 2005; Rose & Meyer, 2002). According to Rose and Meyer (2002), UDL is built on the premise that “barriers to learning occur in the interaction with the curriculum—they are not inherent solely in the capacity of the learner. Thus, when education fails, the curriculum, not the learner should take the responsibility for adaptation” (p. 20).

Similarly, when a curriculum is universally designed to enable the wide range of learners to access and progress in the curriculum: all students—including those who do not have special needs per se—will benefit from having more flexible learning environments. UDL is a means of identifying and removing barriers in the curriculum while building scaffolds, supports, and alternatives that meet the learning needs of a wide range of students. Specifically, a UDL curriculum is characterized by the provision of 1. multiple or flexible representations of information and concepts (the “what” of learning), 2. multiple or flexible options in expression and performance (the “how” of learning), and 3. multiple or flexible ways to engage learners in the curriculum (the “why” of learning; Rose & Meyer, 2002).

EDUCATIONAL ART-THERAPY

Redirecting the main aim of education into a child’s personality development means the change of education nature: the education has to be changed from an individual's education into cultural development, the world’s image and the formation of humans in it (Cahn, 2009). Particularly culture is a certain link which relates personality’s social and genetic features and makes a person the member of a civilized society. Thereby, education is understood as a cultural phenomenon which is the process defined as a pathway into yourself and a person perceives his/her purpose of life.

Art as the oldest human’s creative, emotional, feelings and notions self-expression means revealing conceivable and inconceivable human’s inner and outer reality. In this connection, art becomes a very appreciative space for implementing the aims of psychotherapy. Although the therapeutic aims are not strange there exist many examples when art therapy is applied more as psychic harmonization help or as solvation of social conflicts in human’s education or for other purposes (Dapkute, 2003, p.8).