Authentic arts learning in the classroom, occurs when educators are guided by the Australian Curriculum content descriptions/achievement standards, however other key elements are also required.

 

According to Judith Dinham these are fourfold.  

Learners need to be able to explore and develop ideas and imagination, make and present artworks representing their own ideas and interpretations, reflect critically on ideas, their artwork and the artwork of others, and connect their activity to the wider world of art. (Dinham, J., p23).

 

By making Australian animal clay sculptures, students have fulfilled many elements of the Australian curriculum (discussed previously) and which reflect the interrelated strands of making and responding in the Australian curriculum. 

 

My activity was meaningful to the children as it arose organically from the observation of real koalas seen at school – and followed up with a discussion identifying other Australian animals/ reflecting on student’s own experiences. We discussed that our school was situated in a Koala habitat, and made our own Australian animal habitat for our animals.

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Authentic arts learning also requires nurturing of learner's aesthetic sensibilities, that is, their perception of the sensory world.  So an exploration or development of any or all of the five senses are embedded within the activity.

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Working with clay invites use of touch, smell, visual – colour/shape, hearing (the sound of squish/thump/bang), Cold, wet, squishy - and hopefully NOT taste!  In fact, my youngest son was caught rubbing a lump of clay up and down his arm and enjoying the 'cold' sensation, whilst the other required gloves to be able to work with it.  

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Authentic arts learning also needs to inspire creativity.  In this regard, I have embedded the Wallis model of creativity into my arts experience (Dinam, J. p36).

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The learners, in lessons one and two, were involved in the preparation phase, where they also formed connections with events at school and in their own lives.  

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Between lesson one and two, as well as lesson two/part one, and part two, the incubation period would occur.  I believe for some learners at the end of lesson two part one, and others at the beginning of part two, illumination would occur, and then verification when they sculpt their animals.

 

By breaking the activity up,  I have given the learners the opportunity to properly reflect on their own creative process. 

 

In sculpting with clay, the learners are able to make decisions, choices and learn from mistakes. It is therapeutic and relaxing, and can improve concentration and independent working for some learners.  

Learners experience success because the end product isn't important – it looks like what it is supposed to.  The important thing is that the student has engaged with the task and clay work techniques.  

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When planning for an authentic learning task, the six pointed star template is useful. (Dinham, J. p113)

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Finally, for an art activity to be authentic, it must not fall into the trap of any of the pitfalls, that is, the cookie cutter, busy work, handmaiden, smorgasbord, free-for-all, snapshot, or showcase approaches (Dinham, J. ch2).  

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Whilst, all students are focused on sculpting an Australian animal from clay, each finished product will look different and be arrived at through the personal journey of the learner, their own interpretation of technique and ways of knowing the subject.  

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It is more than just busywork, as the learners are gaining knowledge in the arts, that is, in clay work techniques.  

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The activity could support the science curriculum in relation to living things, but is a discrete arts activity in its own right, it is not a smorgasbord or free for all approach here either, and while the finished habitat is going to be our class display in the school art show, this is not the main purpose of the activity.

 

The main purpose of the activity is for the learners to gain knowledge of clay work techniques.  The fact that the finished pieces were to be displayed in the art show merely provided added incentive for student engagement.