CUNY Academic Commons

My personal favorite connection exercise is the Renaissance “moral compass” activity, which highlights every student’s individuality and brings attention to psychological likenesses. It analyzes two sculptural versions of David by Donatello and Michelangelo. I divide the class into four quadrants, identifying them by temperaments prevalent during…[Read more]

I have a Google form called the Art Experiences Questionnaire (I used to give out a printout on the first day of class), and I ask students to describe their previous experiences with art, such as studio or art history courses in high school, trips to art museums or galleries, self-taught creations, and relatives with art. In class, students share…[Read more]

I love the image that shows the objectives written in DIFFERENT languages, fonts, and colors. This kind of brick-a-brack methodology is very intriguing and promising! I dream of having students paraphrase the Objectives without using the same words, only synonyms. I have not actually done it yet, but I think I will work it in my Menti Polls this…[Read more]

This prompt took some thinking… College isn’t just a deep dive into a student’s major. General education requirements are designed to fracture a single-minded focus, revealing the interconnectedness of knowledge. A history course sheds light on the social issues the art or literature classes explore. Science labs teach manual skills that can be…[Read more]

Yes!!! Well said and right on point, one does not become an expert in something just by dreaming about it. Learning and growth come from challenging experiences—failure and commitment go hand in hand.

The quote makes me think of another, maybe not yet popular phrase that “practice makes progress” (not perfect), which is really the goal of higher education. The concept of failure is a big part of this mantra, that small steps contribute to the whole, whether they are positive or negative lessons.

In the Purpose and Relevance group, I was struck by the similarity in comments and concerns for a broader view and student exposure to different skills and academic fields, which I found troubling in my courses, which are Gen Ed requirements. In a two-year college, students come in with a preplanned career path, unwilling to engage or not knowing…[Read more]