What Is Torture Or Nurture

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Art Critique – Torture or Nurture

I am an artist and art educator. I am currently a certified doctoral candidate in the Art and Art Education program at Teachers College Columbia University, where I am the director of the Myers Media Art Studio, and teach video art and photography. I have been teaching art classes in higher education since 2008. My experience of art critic that I am about to share in this essay may not present any novel ideas, yet they are still significant and relevant. Throughout my long-term art education, which included several prestige art schools, such as the University of Arts, Berlin, Germany, Carnegie Melon School of Art, Pittsburgh, and the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (SMFA/Tufts University), I have …show more content…

Facilitating to all students in the same way. Educators may aim to give all students the attention they need to succeed; yet there is a common misconception that equity and equality mean the same thing. The reality is that students come from different backgrounds, have different learning styles, personalities, etc., and therefore need different amounts of attention, and divergent educational approaches, to be able to reach their highest potential. It is important that educators are aware of this.
3. Treating students differently. All students deserve full respect and equal treatment. Even if your chemistry or ideology does not match with a student, all belief systems must have the same value in the classroom to be able for students to freely express themselves, and learn from each other. It does not mean everyone has to agree, but everyone must have the same rights. In my experience, this will furthermore encourage students to show interest and respect for each other.
4. Creating space for unhealthy competition. Competition may be a good motivator at times. However, during art critique, I trust it is essential to create a space that does not promote direct comparison of students but focus on their own work, to assure each student’s individual growth, and generate trust amongst the …show more content…

Art critique provides a unique prospect for me to engage with my own work from a distance. It provides a rare opportunity to see how others perceive my personal voice. However, expressing myself via video also means exposing intimate thoughts and feelings to a group of people that I have never met before. Furthermore, employing video techniques mediates and augments my expressions through a technology, which I feel I have limited control of. Therefore, the most important aspect for me in art critique is to feel safe enough to express without reservation. Realizing that a teacher is going out of her way to protect me, and welcome me as who I am, makes me feel empowered to express myself freely, and take in criticism objectively and effectively (Zhenzhen Qi,

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