FLAM 2016 Conference Theme
Utopian School: Redefining Boundaries/Exploring Beyond Limitations in our Learning Spaces
What is the purpose of school?
Why teach Project-Based Learning?
What is the ideal set-up for learning?
Utopian practice as pedagogy allows us to work and exist far beyond the boundaries of our current systems of practice and it’s restraints, so that we can reimagine what learning and education can look like. Only when we allow ourselves a totality of complete freedom can we dream beyond limitation, and there is where the magic happens. When we pause, even for one day. When we take the time to do the kinds of work and preparation is takes to check in with our constituents: our students to say “Hey, what do YOU want?” or “What is working for YOU in your learning, in our learning space” and we experiment with some new outside of the box ways together, then we can begin to see the trickling of connections and what that can bring between not just that DAY, but beyond it as well. It’s about what can be created together in celebration of the kinds of progressive, student centered, meaningful project-based learning that we do. And it’s also about pushing beyond the celebration, and coming together to do more of what we say we want….allowing our students to have a voice and a choice. When we do these full day interactive, participatory events that make our school like no other, we are engaging with one another on a deep, meaningful, powerful and long lasting level with our students and we are giving them the chance to do so with us, the faculty and with our community.
This year, on Friday, April 29th, Flam presents: Utopian School, a one day REDESIGN of what a school can be, ney...should be...where students are teachers, nap pods are in, and boredom is OUT. What happens when you survey an entire school including their faculty asking them what they’d create in a Utopian dream school...and then go and try to create the things they came up with (from that dream list)? Come see and BE a part of it with us. Visionaries wanted. Wand making class(es) included.
Why teach Project-Based Learning?
What is the ideal set-up for learning?
Utopian practice as pedagogy allows us to work and exist far beyond the boundaries of our current systems of practice and it’s restraints, so that we can reimagine what learning and education can look like. Only when we allow ourselves a totality of complete freedom can we dream beyond limitation, and there is where the magic happens. When we pause, even for one day. When we take the time to do the kinds of work and preparation is takes to check in with our constituents: our students to say “Hey, what do YOU want?” or “What is working for YOU in your learning, in our learning space” and we experiment with some new outside of the box ways together, then we can begin to see the trickling of connections and what that can bring between not just that DAY, but beyond it as well. It’s about what can be created together in celebration of the kinds of progressive, student centered, meaningful project-based learning that we do. And it’s also about pushing beyond the celebration, and coming together to do more of what we say we want….allowing our students to have a voice and a choice. When we do these full day interactive, participatory events that make our school like no other, we are engaging with one another on a deep, meaningful, powerful and long lasting level with our students and we are giving them the chance to do so with us, the faculty and with our community.
This year, on Friday, April 29th, Flam presents: Utopian School, a one day REDESIGN of what a school can be, ney...should be...where students are teachers, nap pods are in, and boredom is OUT. What happens when you survey an entire school including their faculty asking them what they’d create in a Utopian dream school...and then go and try to create the things they came up with (from that dream list)? Come see and BE a part of it with us. Visionaries wanted. Wand making class(es) included.
Prior Conference Themes
FLAM 2014: Contemporary Art Identities in Learning: Defining Selves/Defining Practice
What is “Contemporary Art Education” and who are the players involved in shaping what we define as the space where contemporary art meets learning? What role does the artist, teacher, museum educator, student, society and/or media play in creating this space? How do we define our identities within these contexts? – Artist-teacher, artist-in-residence, museum goer, gallerist, student-artist, contemporary artist, conceptual artist, etc. Like contemporary artists who question traditional ideas of how art is defined, what constitutes art, and how art is made, we will question and attempt to create a dialogue with one another about how the practice of teaching with contemporary art is performed.