“Children are eager to share observations about art. This enthusiasm, combined with guided discussion, leads to deep engagement and collaborative learning,” noted Parrish Art Museum Education Director Cara Conklin-Wingfield. “These techniques help open the mind to new ways of seeing and increase the critical thinking and communication skills our children need to master in order to achieve Common Core standards.”
On Thursday, February 12th at 12 p.m., Conklin-Wingfield will explore the topic of learning visually during a discussion featuring hands-on activities. The one-hour program is part of the upcoming Brain Food session, the Parrish Art Museum’s illustrated lunchtime lecture series. Attendees will test out several teaching methods currently used in museum education to discover what adult museumgoers can take away from them.
The lecture will cover a variety of subjects like Visual Thinking Strategies, a method of facilitated discussions using art images, which has been implemented in both schools and museum nationwide. Visual Thinking Strategies uses students’ observations and discourse to investigate visual art and has been documented to considerably boost critical thinking, language, and literacy skills. The afternoon at the Parrish will include a facilitated discussion as well as image-based puzzles and games that support collaborative learning and problem solving.
Admission to Brain Food: Learning Visually, with Cara Conklin-Wingfield is $10, but free for Members, children and students.
Parrish Art is located at 279 Montauk Highway in Water Mill. For more information, call 631-283-2118 or visit parrishart.org.