Collaboration

I have never been a big fan of collaborative work because there can be many problems in the equity of the project and in who gets to keep the final result. A project that could involve everyone would be a mural project. The students would get to pitch ideas and then vote for the final design. When the final idea was chosen a sketch would be made with the help of the teacher. Each student would be able to contribute to a project and the final product would stay with the school. This project could be done in conjunction with an unit on larger scale mural project. This would help students understand what can be communicated through art and the idea of urban beautification. I would help students feel like they were part of something greater than themselves and give them pride both in the piece of work and in their school. The mural's them could also relate to a subject that they are learning about in another class. This would add a further layer of collaboration and make art seem less about skill. Students may feel more pressure to participate and do well when their work will be viewed by a large audience and their peers are counting on them. Overall, I think that this would be a good way to get all students to participate in the arts.