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VAST

Visual Arts as Sources for Teaching

Each summer the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s Education department offers K–12 teachers of all subject areas the chance to immerse themselves in the Museum’s collections and explore the special nature of art and its use as a classroom resource.

VAST is generously supported by the Sherman Fairchild Foundation, Inc., the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the Comcast Foundation, and the Albert M. Greenfield Foundation.

Looking to Write, Writing to Look
July 11–15, 2011, 9:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Art provides a rich starting point for a variety of approaches to writing and explorations of literary themes; in turn writing about art encourages thoughtful looking and rich discussions. Based around the Museum’s new teaching resource, Looking to Write, Writing to Look, this one-week seminar explores how careful looking and discussion of works of art helps K–12 students develop critical thinking skills, strengthen their descriptive language, practice vocabulary, and become inspired as writers and observers.

Through lectures, small-group gallery discussions, and writing and hands-on art workshops, participants will engage in approaches and activities that can be used both in the Museum and in the classroom to promote looking, thinking, and writing. Sessions will be led by Museum Educators and guest speakers, artists, and authors. Teachers will be grouped into elementary, middle school, and high school work teams to facilitate meaningful discussion and brainstorming of curricular connections.

Course Highlights

All VAST participants will receive the Looking to Write, Writing to Look teaching resource kit, which contains image cards of twenty-five artworks from the Museum’s collections, a resource guide with background information of each artwork, classroom activities, worksheets, a glossary, and a bibliography, and a CD-ROM with digital versions of the images, a PowerPoint slideshow with looking questions and details of each work of art, and a digital version of the resource guide.

Credits

VAST may be taken for several credit options:

• 30 Pennsylvania continuing professional education hours
• 30 New Jersey professional development hours
• 2 graduate credits in Art Education from the University of the Arts*

*Teachers opting for graduate credits at The University of the Arts must also register with the university by calling 215-717-6092. An additional fee of $375 payable to the university applies. Those opting for graduate credit will be required to complete supplemental reading and additional written work.

Fees

$200 Members, $250 Nonmembers
Graduate Credit: $375 (paid to The University of the Arts)
Graduate Course Number: ED 8051 01

Location

VAST is held at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Benjamin Franklin Parkway and 26th Street, Philadelphia. The Museum is served by SEPTA bus routes. There is an hourly parking garage for those who wish to drive to the Museum. Teachers from beyond commuting distance may apply for VAST but will need to make their own arrangements for room and board.

Registration

To register, call the Museum’s Ticket Center at 215-235-SHOW (7469) from 9:00 a.m.– 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, or visit any Visitor Services Desk at the Museum. There is a $3.00 service charge ($2.50 Museum members) to register by phone. There is no service charge for registering at the Museum.

For more information, please contact Education: School & Teacher Programs by phone at (215) 684-7580, by fax at (215) 236-4063, or by e-mail at .