Literature review.
Many progressive institutions, regardless of their curriculum and design principles, understand the importance of displaying student work as much as teachers can, as often as they can. Even those of us that have experienced the most traditional forms of education can recall the excitement of seeing one’s own art work or A+ test being displayed on the bulletin board. It should be stated, however, that simply displaying the work alone will not achieve the desired benefits of student exhibits. In order for student work curation to increase further evidence of deeper learning from students, several other components must be taken into consideration. The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation identifies “deeper learning” when students “are gaining an indispensable set of knowledge, skills, and beliefs including: mastery of core academic content, critical thinking and problem solving, collaboration, effective communication, self-directed learning and an 'academic mindset'” (What is deeper learning?). These characteristics are habits that we at HTHNC work hard to instill in all of our students through our project-based curriculum. Therefore I will be using the term deeper learning to encapsulate all of the complex purposes that our projects serve. This paper will first clarify why student work exhibitions are so critical to deeper learning and then review how this can be done effectively. It should also be noted that although some of the sources that will be referenced in this project discuss art curriculum and art students, many of the points art educators make can be translated into all areas of learning. Additionally, for the purposes of this research, the term “curation” will be interchanged with “displays” and “exhibits”; “to curate” with “to display” and “to exhibit”. When “student work displays”, “exhibits/exhibitions” or “curation of student work” is mentioned, this includes making any type of student work a public presentation whether it be art products, performance art, written work or digital work being exhibited within a school as well as outside of a school.
Why Curate? Witnessing students taking ownership of their work is truly one of the more rewarding aspects of teaching. The students are invested and engaged, they are working to the best of their ability -- they truly care. But how do we get them there? Many educators and researchers claim that providing students with an authentic audience is the key to this ideal learning environment. Leading educational theorist John Dewey emphasized the importance of the society in relation to a student -- that mature, knowledgeable adults need to communicate with immature youngsters in order for meaningful and permanent learning to occur (1916). These community members are the “authentic audience” that our students need. Beyond the superficial motivation of a grade, an authentic audience gives students a real-world reason to genuinely care about the work they are doing. This audience member may be the “user” of the product the students are creating (i.e. 2nd grade students may be the user for the children’s book 8th graders are creating), it may be family and other community members visiting an exhibition in which students are interacting with the guests, or it may the students’ fellow peers that are simply walking down the hall, observing the work. For this project the term “authentic audience” will include all of the examples mentioned.
Providing students with an authentic audience outside of the classroom allows students to take their learning in non-traditional places as well. The exhibition of student work gives students the opportunity to learn from one another, whether it be through discourse or through the observation of the work itself. When Lackey (2008) discusses the purposefulness that is required for effective curation, she points out that “the exhibit is a statement depicting that which has been collectively learned about a topic as well as an opportunity for new learning” meaning not only are students displaying what they learned together but any audience/viewer now has the opportunity to learn from these exhibits (p. 35). Furthermore, as Innelli (2010) discusses in her article, by creating a gallery-like space, teachers are taking the learning beyond the doors of the classroom. “Galleries are already setup to be a venue for disseminating works and ideas to a community culture” which is what makes museums and galleries an excellent field trip opportunity for teachers (p. 49). Suddenly the students become the teacher and their audience the students. When the teaching/learning moves beyond the classroom and students are given the opportunity to share what they’ve learned with others, the teacher has raised the stakes for learning. No longer are they studying for the purposes of a single exam but in fact they are learning for a much more meaningful and applicable purpose -- to share and show their learning with and to others.
By providing students with an authentic audience, curation has a positive effect on student achievement during the process of the project or assignment. Audrey C. Rule from her editorial “The Components of Authentic Learning” claims that “the activity [that students are performing should] involve real-world problems that mimic the work of professionals in the discipline with presentation of findings to audiences beyond the classroom” (2006). When students are aware that their work will be displayed for and/or discussed with their peers, family, other staff members and community members, regardless of the type or format of the exhibition it provides students with an authentic reason to create great work. Nolan, through her experience with The Project School in Indiana, also expresses this positive benefit of exhibitions and student work display. Nolan witnessed firsthand how a group of students can be motivated beyond the grade through the pressures and excitement of an exhibition. Not only did she know that the students understood what they learned but she saw that they were proud and eager to share their hard work with their community (Nolan, 2011). This is the type of meaningful engagement and motivation that teachers often attempt to seek.
When exhibits implement interactions between students and audience, these events can also be seen as a critical component of the learning process as well as a form of assessment. Vygotsky wrote that “language arises initially as a means of communication between the child and the people in his environment. Only subsequently, upon conversion to internal speech, does it come to organize the child’s thought, that is, become an internal mental function” meaning at some point in a child’s development, speech is critical for mental development (1978). The Coalition of Essential Schools also claims that exhibitions not only “ensure internal and external engagement” but that they also “assess student learning and school effectiveness authentically” and “raises the stakes” for students and schools alike (Davidson 2007). Davidson clarifies that “exhibitions authentically prepare young people for democratic participation, citizenship, and lifelong learning. They function as rites of passage that help students become poised self-advocates able to present themselves to the world” since they are engaging with real community members and expressing what they have learned in their own way (2007).
Thus displaying student work provides students with an authentic audience which is absolutely critical to developing a positive school culture and increasing student achievement. And since these projects with an authentic audience provides all students with a real-world reason to engage with their learning that goes beyond their grade, a variety of entry points for understanding the content knowledge or skill as well as diverse methods of assessing student understanding, it can be seen that this component of an exhibition could be a means of equity and inclusion to engage students of all levels and backgrounds. Yet it is important to bear in mind that the uniqueness and individual needs of each student still trumps the effectiveness of having an authentic audience for the students' work. For example, our special needs students should be taken into special consideration when attempting to curate student work throughout a work space. Teachers with autistic students are instructed to “minimize visual and auditory distractions...by painting the entire environment a mute color, by limiting the amount of visual 'clutter' which is typically present in most classrooms in the form of art projects, seasonal decorations and classroom materials...[and] by placing study carrells and individual student work areas, bordered by a wall or corner of the classroom, away from group work tables can also reduce environmental visual distractions” (Stokes, 2014). Therefore curating student work around work space for autistic students should be done so with discretion.
Additionally, further reasons educators may refrain from including the authentic audience component into their curriculum may relate to the “teaching to the test” culture that has developed in the the education world. Popham (2014) explains in his article from Educational Leadership the two variations of teaching to the test methods, such as “item-teaching” and “curriculum-teaching” and the hazards that may come along with them, especially “item-teaching”. The article continues to explain how school leaders may deter teachers from “item-teaching”. This article clearly displays the amount of pressure educators carry due to the high-stakes tests that exist in our country, whether that pressure be from their superiors, parents, testing culture, etc. Due to this common mindset in educators, it can be understandable that such time and effort consuming work such as project-based learning and including aspects of an authentic audience may be left behind. School leaders should always take into consider the school and staff culture when attempting to implement project-based learning or assignments with an authentic audience.
Starting with Design
In order to achieve the goal of conveying our school’s story to our audience and increasing evidence of deeper learning, any procedure for curation within a school should be purposeful and intentional. Lackey quotes experts on museum displays: “designing museum exhibitions is the art and science of organizing the visual, spatial, and material elements of an environment into a composition that visitors move through. This is done to accomplish pre-established goals. The presentation of exhibitions in museums should never be haphazard or left to chance” (2010). If teachers should consider school hallways like museum galleries, then they too need to be thoughtful and organized when exhibiting the work of students. Every display should have a goal and should be organized in a way that achieves that goal. She continues to say exhibitions “should be defined as ‘a showing for a purpose’, the purpose being to affect the viewer in some pre-determined way. And, as a medium of communication, the possibilities afforded by exhibitions are boundless” encouraging teachers to be creative in terms of their exhibitions but regardless setting a clear goal and purpose (Lackey 2010). If and only if the exhibition is organized and its goal(s) clear can it then be used as another means of students teaching and learning from one another.
In the context of project-based learning (PBL), this “authentic audience” component or the concept of “backwards design” is critical, if not vital for all students and for the purposes of attaining the benefits of PBL. Sometimes the culminating exhibition at the end of a project or unit is a special event in which the authentic audience is the attendees of the exhibition. As discussed above these types of exhibitions provide students with authentic reasons to create meaningful work and learn the topics. Although its effects are not as drastic or obvious, the same can be said for a stand-alone exhibition of student work. Additionally, Berge, Larmer and Patton, all three of whom are considered experienced practitioners in project-based learning and project design at HTH, agree that every meaningful and effective project must include a public display of the students’ works at the end of the unit. By giving the project an authentic audience and an opportunity to be displayed publicly, students now have even more motivation and ambition to produce great work that goes above the superficiality of receiving a good grade. Inevitably, with exhibition being an important component to every great project, the skill of curating, marketing, promoting, public speaking and other skills become a part of the project itself (Patton & Robin, 2012).
Jeff Robin, another curation expert from HTH, explains how student work displays also need to have “symmetry, repetition and a surprise” in order for them to be effective and eye-catching (Robin). When Robin says symmetry he means “a series of any kind - the same size work, the same medium, the same use of technology...or even the same size frame...symmetry is the key to any great curation”. This indicates that when teachers are designing a project they should not only be aware of how the students’ final products will be displayed but also how all of these works will be symmetrical to each other. The concept of repetition in Robin’s theory is very much the same - an exhibit can have much more of an impact on the audience of there is a consistent theme. Perhaps it is a consistent color scheme or the material in which the product is made or the time period that the class focused on - regardless of what it is the repetition should be obvious and should make the exhibit all the more appealing. Lastly, Robin emphasizes the element of surprise in any exhibition and the purpose behind this is much like anything else that gets the attention of people. Although Robin does not further elaborate, from the examples he presents one can assume that the element of surprise or grabbing the audience’s attention is just as important as the work itself because what is the purpose if no one cares or notices. As Robin points out: “bulletin boards - no one looks at them” indicating that our students’ work should demand the attention of visitors because it makes them curious. Much of Robin’s points circle back to the idea that the purpose of an exhibit must be constructed at the beginning stages of the assignment itself. “...I know that having exhibition as an end goal, and knowing from the outset how the work will be displayed, helps me teach” (Robin 2008). In other words, determining a purpose for the final exhibition can also support teachers and students during the process of the assignment and help students understand what the purpose of their work is.
Larmer and Mergendoller also presents the powerful impact of observing a student present at an exhibition as opposed to viewing the student work on its own. Larmer and Mergendoller’s emphasis on the student’s process of learning and creating reminds me of its importance and its role within our own campus (Nolan, 2011) (Larmer & Mergendoller, 2010). Regardless, one conclusion remains: the teacher or designer must have had the final, culminating exhibition in mind throughout the process of the project or unit. Without the pre-determined purpose, without the organization and structures for a successful exhibit and without communicating the final exhibition to the students from the beginning, the benefits of exhibition and student work display cannot be reaped.
Student Voice Matters
Although the displayed student creations throughout our school made me proud and created a lively atmosphere, the blank walls and empty spaces confounded me even more. That brought me to the conclusion that it was not in fact that our staff was incapable or apathetic regarding displaying student work - on the contrary, our school building proved that many staff members cared very much about student work curation. Rather it was that consistent curation was simply not happening. By including students into the process of curation and creating the Curation Club, I hoped to make student work displays more consistent and common. The Curation Club is a student organization that supports the teacher and the school in beautifying our campus through activities such as displaying student work. The hope is that through student voice and student power, the curation of projects will become sustainable. But why students? What can students offer to teachers? More importantly, in what ways might this experience benefit students?
In Cushman’s book Sent to the Principal, she interviews several students regarding the separation between the school (staff, faculty) and the students:
A student walking into the high school sees the building and the adminstration, the principal and sometimes the faculty, as a separate entity that he is opposed to, not on the same track. But school shouldn’t be like a brainwash camp, just a solid institution that the students butt their heads against. It’s gotta be a dynamic entity that we have a vested interest in making better, and more enjoyable, and more profitable for us. (pg. 4).
Through this student testimony it is apparent that students want to be involved in their school and in their education. Once students are provided with opportunities to act like young adults and make important decisions, they will rise up to the challenge: “In a million little ways, your students are watching to see whether you regard them as citizens or as subjects. In a million little ways, they will invest in school, if they see you as a partner” and I definitely foresee the student-led Curation Club and student curators investing in their own school and as a result empowering themselves and their teachers (Cushman, 2004).
Although the benefits of incorporating student voice and choice into a school may be obvious, how one implements them successfully is a different story. Fletcher brings up this concept of “meaningful student involvement” and how teachers may achieve that in their classroom or school - “meaningful student involvement evolves from a growing awareness among students and educators that young people can and should play a crucial role in the success of school improvement...Research shows that when educators work with students in schools- as opposed to working for them - school improvement is positive and meaningful for everyone involved” (Fletcher, 2005). Fletcher brings up this concept of balancing this act of valuing the opinions of the students and yet setting boundaries for an effective discussion or change.
So how do I know whether the student-staff partnership is meaningful or superficial? Fletcher presents his “Ladder of Student Involvement” that breaks down the characteristics and descriptions of the way teachers treat students and where they may be on that Ladder (see figure below). Currently, according to Fletcher, there would be no way for me to achieve a level 7 or 8 (the highest level) because the Curation Club would not have been “student-initiated” and instead it has been “adult-initiated” as stated in level 6 which is described as “students are involved in designing projects, classes, or activities that are initiated by adults. Many activities, including decision-making, teaching, and evaluation, are shared with students” (Fletcher, 2005). At the same time, since the students that will be in this club will be volunteering their own time and energy, perhaps it can be seen as student-initiated or at least eventually turn into something that is very much student-initiated and student-led so that it may continue regardless of my presence.
Indeed it will take time and effort to get students properly trained in assisting teachers with curating. However once that is done I believe these students can be a powerful example of how students are taking leadership roles within their school. Innelli points this
out as well: “students can take the lead in developing exhibits and curriculum with appropriate training. Thus, students could help construct knowledge in the museum as part of community service that would serve their learning, their peers, and the public” (Innelli 2010). Although Innelli is discussing students volunteering at an actual museum, the same ideas apply.
According to the literature presented, student voice should be a fundamental component in bringing about a change in school culture. There are also many academic benefits to the concept of an authentic audience and exhibitions and these characteristics are also necessary to a project-based learning curriculum. Tor these reasons the goals and direction of my project was devised. Since using student leaders is so critical to the school, the staff and the students themselves, the existence of the Curation Club was necessary. And since having an authentic audience is a fundamental trait of project-based learning due to its academic benefits, it made sense to assist my colleagues in both project development as well as the actual act of displaying student work. Because of this, one will see that many of the workshops my colleagues and I developed for the staff at HTHNC will span from the beginning stages of a project (i.e. brainstorming, planning, developing) to the very last stages of a project (i.e. student assessment, exhibitions, displaying the products). A question that further remains is whether or not addressing these criteria will in fact change the mindset and culture of the school when it comes to displaying student work.
Why Curate? Witnessing students taking ownership of their work is truly one of the more rewarding aspects of teaching. The students are invested and engaged, they are working to the best of their ability -- they truly care. But how do we get them there? Many educators and researchers claim that providing students with an authentic audience is the key to this ideal learning environment. Leading educational theorist John Dewey emphasized the importance of the society in relation to a student -- that mature, knowledgeable adults need to communicate with immature youngsters in order for meaningful and permanent learning to occur (1916). These community members are the “authentic audience” that our students need. Beyond the superficial motivation of a grade, an authentic audience gives students a real-world reason to genuinely care about the work they are doing. This audience member may be the “user” of the product the students are creating (i.e. 2nd grade students may be the user for the children’s book 8th graders are creating), it may be family and other community members visiting an exhibition in which students are interacting with the guests, or it may the students’ fellow peers that are simply walking down the hall, observing the work. For this project the term “authentic audience” will include all of the examples mentioned.
Providing students with an authentic audience outside of the classroom allows students to take their learning in non-traditional places as well. The exhibition of student work gives students the opportunity to learn from one another, whether it be through discourse or through the observation of the work itself. When Lackey (2008) discusses the purposefulness that is required for effective curation, she points out that “the exhibit is a statement depicting that which has been collectively learned about a topic as well as an opportunity for new learning” meaning not only are students displaying what they learned together but any audience/viewer now has the opportunity to learn from these exhibits (p. 35). Furthermore, as Innelli (2010) discusses in her article, by creating a gallery-like space, teachers are taking the learning beyond the doors of the classroom. “Galleries are already setup to be a venue for disseminating works and ideas to a community culture” which is what makes museums and galleries an excellent field trip opportunity for teachers (p. 49). Suddenly the students become the teacher and their audience the students. When the teaching/learning moves beyond the classroom and students are given the opportunity to share what they’ve learned with others, the teacher has raised the stakes for learning. No longer are they studying for the purposes of a single exam but in fact they are learning for a much more meaningful and applicable purpose -- to share and show their learning with and to others.
By providing students with an authentic audience, curation has a positive effect on student achievement during the process of the project or assignment. Audrey C. Rule from her editorial “The Components of Authentic Learning” claims that “the activity [that students are performing should] involve real-world problems that mimic the work of professionals in the discipline with presentation of findings to audiences beyond the classroom” (2006). When students are aware that their work will be displayed for and/or discussed with their peers, family, other staff members and community members, regardless of the type or format of the exhibition it provides students with an authentic reason to create great work. Nolan, through her experience with The Project School in Indiana, also expresses this positive benefit of exhibitions and student work display. Nolan witnessed firsthand how a group of students can be motivated beyond the grade through the pressures and excitement of an exhibition. Not only did she know that the students understood what they learned but she saw that they were proud and eager to share their hard work with their community (Nolan, 2011). This is the type of meaningful engagement and motivation that teachers often attempt to seek.
When exhibits implement interactions between students and audience, these events can also be seen as a critical component of the learning process as well as a form of assessment. Vygotsky wrote that “language arises initially as a means of communication between the child and the people in his environment. Only subsequently, upon conversion to internal speech, does it come to organize the child’s thought, that is, become an internal mental function” meaning at some point in a child’s development, speech is critical for mental development (1978). The Coalition of Essential Schools also claims that exhibitions not only “ensure internal and external engagement” but that they also “assess student learning and school effectiveness authentically” and “raises the stakes” for students and schools alike (Davidson 2007). Davidson clarifies that “exhibitions authentically prepare young people for democratic participation, citizenship, and lifelong learning. They function as rites of passage that help students become poised self-advocates able to present themselves to the world” since they are engaging with real community members and expressing what they have learned in their own way (2007).
Thus displaying student work provides students with an authentic audience which is absolutely critical to developing a positive school culture and increasing student achievement. And since these projects with an authentic audience provides all students with a real-world reason to engage with their learning that goes beyond their grade, a variety of entry points for understanding the content knowledge or skill as well as diverse methods of assessing student understanding, it can be seen that this component of an exhibition could be a means of equity and inclusion to engage students of all levels and backgrounds. Yet it is important to bear in mind that the uniqueness and individual needs of each student still trumps the effectiveness of having an authentic audience for the students' work. For example, our special needs students should be taken into special consideration when attempting to curate student work throughout a work space. Teachers with autistic students are instructed to “minimize visual and auditory distractions...by painting the entire environment a mute color, by limiting the amount of visual 'clutter' which is typically present in most classrooms in the form of art projects, seasonal decorations and classroom materials...[and] by placing study carrells and individual student work areas, bordered by a wall or corner of the classroom, away from group work tables can also reduce environmental visual distractions” (Stokes, 2014). Therefore curating student work around work space for autistic students should be done so with discretion.
Additionally, further reasons educators may refrain from including the authentic audience component into their curriculum may relate to the “teaching to the test” culture that has developed in the the education world. Popham (2014) explains in his article from Educational Leadership the two variations of teaching to the test methods, such as “item-teaching” and “curriculum-teaching” and the hazards that may come along with them, especially “item-teaching”. The article continues to explain how school leaders may deter teachers from “item-teaching”. This article clearly displays the amount of pressure educators carry due to the high-stakes tests that exist in our country, whether that pressure be from their superiors, parents, testing culture, etc. Due to this common mindset in educators, it can be understandable that such time and effort consuming work such as project-based learning and including aspects of an authentic audience may be left behind. School leaders should always take into consider the school and staff culture when attempting to implement project-based learning or assignments with an authentic audience.
Starting with Design
In order to achieve the goal of conveying our school’s story to our audience and increasing evidence of deeper learning, any procedure for curation within a school should be purposeful and intentional. Lackey quotes experts on museum displays: “designing museum exhibitions is the art and science of organizing the visual, spatial, and material elements of an environment into a composition that visitors move through. This is done to accomplish pre-established goals. The presentation of exhibitions in museums should never be haphazard or left to chance” (2010). If teachers should consider school hallways like museum galleries, then they too need to be thoughtful and organized when exhibiting the work of students. Every display should have a goal and should be organized in a way that achieves that goal. She continues to say exhibitions “should be defined as ‘a showing for a purpose’, the purpose being to affect the viewer in some pre-determined way. And, as a medium of communication, the possibilities afforded by exhibitions are boundless” encouraging teachers to be creative in terms of their exhibitions but regardless setting a clear goal and purpose (Lackey 2010). If and only if the exhibition is organized and its goal(s) clear can it then be used as another means of students teaching and learning from one another.
In the context of project-based learning (PBL), this “authentic audience” component or the concept of “backwards design” is critical, if not vital for all students and for the purposes of attaining the benefits of PBL. Sometimes the culminating exhibition at the end of a project or unit is a special event in which the authentic audience is the attendees of the exhibition. As discussed above these types of exhibitions provide students with authentic reasons to create meaningful work and learn the topics. Although its effects are not as drastic or obvious, the same can be said for a stand-alone exhibition of student work. Additionally, Berge, Larmer and Patton, all three of whom are considered experienced practitioners in project-based learning and project design at HTH, agree that every meaningful and effective project must include a public display of the students’ works at the end of the unit. By giving the project an authentic audience and an opportunity to be displayed publicly, students now have even more motivation and ambition to produce great work that goes above the superficiality of receiving a good grade. Inevitably, with exhibition being an important component to every great project, the skill of curating, marketing, promoting, public speaking and other skills become a part of the project itself (Patton & Robin, 2012).
Jeff Robin, another curation expert from HTH, explains how student work displays also need to have “symmetry, repetition and a surprise” in order for them to be effective and eye-catching (Robin). When Robin says symmetry he means “a series of any kind - the same size work, the same medium, the same use of technology...or even the same size frame...symmetry is the key to any great curation”. This indicates that when teachers are designing a project they should not only be aware of how the students’ final products will be displayed but also how all of these works will be symmetrical to each other. The concept of repetition in Robin’s theory is very much the same - an exhibit can have much more of an impact on the audience of there is a consistent theme. Perhaps it is a consistent color scheme or the material in which the product is made or the time period that the class focused on - regardless of what it is the repetition should be obvious and should make the exhibit all the more appealing. Lastly, Robin emphasizes the element of surprise in any exhibition and the purpose behind this is much like anything else that gets the attention of people. Although Robin does not further elaborate, from the examples he presents one can assume that the element of surprise or grabbing the audience’s attention is just as important as the work itself because what is the purpose if no one cares or notices. As Robin points out: “bulletin boards - no one looks at them” indicating that our students’ work should demand the attention of visitors because it makes them curious. Much of Robin’s points circle back to the idea that the purpose of an exhibit must be constructed at the beginning stages of the assignment itself. “...I know that having exhibition as an end goal, and knowing from the outset how the work will be displayed, helps me teach” (Robin 2008). In other words, determining a purpose for the final exhibition can also support teachers and students during the process of the assignment and help students understand what the purpose of their work is.
Larmer and Mergendoller also presents the powerful impact of observing a student present at an exhibition as opposed to viewing the student work on its own. Larmer and Mergendoller’s emphasis on the student’s process of learning and creating reminds me of its importance and its role within our own campus (Nolan, 2011) (Larmer & Mergendoller, 2010). Regardless, one conclusion remains: the teacher or designer must have had the final, culminating exhibition in mind throughout the process of the project or unit. Without the pre-determined purpose, without the organization and structures for a successful exhibit and without communicating the final exhibition to the students from the beginning, the benefits of exhibition and student work display cannot be reaped.
Student Voice Matters
Although the displayed student creations throughout our school made me proud and created a lively atmosphere, the blank walls and empty spaces confounded me even more. That brought me to the conclusion that it was not in fact that our staff was incapable or apathetic regarding displaying student work - on the contrary, our school building proved that many staff members cared very much about student work curation. Rather it was that consistent curation was simply not happening. By including students into the process of curation and creating the Curation Club, I hoped to make student work displays more consistent and common. The Curation Club is a student organization that supports the teacher and the school in beautifying our campus through activities such as displaying student work. The hope is that through student voice and student power, the curation of projects will become sustainable. But why students? What can students offer to teachers? More importantly, in what ways might this experience benefit students?
In Cushman’s book Sent to the Principal, she interviews several students regarding the separation between the school (staff, faculty) and the students:
A student walking into the high school sees the building and the adminstration, the principal and sometimes the faculty, as a separate entity that he is opposed to, not on the same track. But school shouldn’t be like a brainwash camp, just a solid institution that the students butt their heads against. It’s gotta be a dynamic entity that we have a vested interest in making better, and more enjoyable, and more profitable for us. (pg. 4).
Through this student testimony it is apparent that students want to be involved in their school and in their education. Once students are provided with opportunities to act like young adults and make important decisions, they will rise up to the challenge: “In a million little ways, your students are watching to see whether you regard them as citizens or as subjects. In a million little ways, they will invest in school, if they see you as a partner” and I definitely foresee the student-led Curation Club and student curators investing in their own school and as a result empowering themselves and their teachers (Cushman, 2004).
Although the benefits of incorporating student voice and choice into a school may be obvious, how one implements them successfully is a different story. Fletcher brings up this concept of “meaningful student involvement” and how teachers may achieve that in their classroom or school - “meaningful student involvement evolves from a growing awareness among students and educators that young people can and should play a crucial role in the success of school improvement...Research shows that when educators work with students in schools- as opposed to working for them - school improvement is positive and meaningful for everyone involved” (Fletcher, 2005). Fletcher brings up this concept of balancing this act of valuing the opinions of the students and yet setting boundaries for an effective discussion or change.
So how do I know whether the student-staff partnership is meaningful or superficial? Fletcher presents his “Ladder of Student Involvement” that breaks down the characteristics and descriptions of the way teachers treat students and where they may be on that Ladder (see figure below). Currently, according to Fletcher, there would be no way for me to achieve a level 7 or 8 (the highest level) because the Curation Club would not have been “student-initiated” and instead it has been “adult-initiated” as stated in level 6 which is described as “students are involved in designing projects, classes, or activities that are initiated by adults. Many activities, including decision-making, teaching, and evaluation, are shared with students” (Fletcher, 2005). At the same time, since the students that will be in this club will be volunteering their own time and energy, perhaps it can be seen as student-initiated or at least eventually turn into something that is very much student-initiated and student-led so that it may continue regardless of my presence.
Indeed it will take time and effort to get students properly trained in assisting teachers with curating. However once that is done I believe these students can be a powerful example of how students are taking leadership roles within their school. Innelli points this
out as well: “students can take the lead in developing exhibits and curriculum with appropriate training. Thus, students could help construct knowledge in the museum as part of community service that would serve their learning, their peers, and the public” (Innelli 2010). Although Innelli is discussing students volunteering at an actual museum, the same ideas apply.
According to the literature presented, student voice should be a fundamental component in bringing about a change in school culture. There are also many academic benefits to the concept of an authentic audience and exhibitions and these characteristics are also necessary to a project-based learning curriculum. Tor these reasons the goals and direction of my project was devised. Since using student leaders is so critical to the school, the staff and the students themselves, the existence of the Curation Club was necessary. And since having an authentic audience is a fundamental trait of project-based learning due to its academic benefits, it made sense to assist my colleagues in both project development as well as the actual act of displaying student work. Because of this, one will see that many of the workshops my colleagues and I developed for the staff at HTHNC will span from the beginning stages of a project (i.e. brainstorming, planning, developing) to the very last stages of a project (i.e. student assessment, exhibitions, displaying the products). A question that further remains is whether or not addressing these criteria will in fact change the mindset and culture of the school when it comes to displaying student work.