What is ‘Teaching Studio’?

It is a space where teachers and educators gather together to perform creative activities such as developing teaching plans and conducting various research which are necessary to improve school education system through exchanging their educational experiences and having a rehearsal. This concept was borrowed from the creative studio of artists, and applied to ‘the education’.
Six teacher’s autonomous research groups gathered at the cultural complex of the Korea Arts and Culture Education Service (KACES) on December 28, 2011. It was to share achievement of the project and successful case-study results from each group, and at the same time, to discuss how they could revitalize art education at schools. I, as one of the members who have participated in the project round the teaching studio as a center during the past eight months, wanted to share the information on the studies.

Results of research

Korean Orff-Schulwerk Society
Study on the application of the Orff-Schulwerk method to the music education in elementary schools
After studying the fifth and sixth grade music books under the seventh curriculum, they have developed a teacher’s guide for the elementary school music teachers so that they could understand and apply the student-oriented Orff-Schulwerk method to their music class. In addition, they have suggested a training program for music teachers and developed a guideline for teaching-learning so that it could be used in various workshops for music teachers in regard to music teaching methods.

Arts Republic (Ari’s Teaching Studio)
Development of an integrated art education program through creative activities, and teacher’s guides
They have published a series of teacher’s guides such as the human body and movement, the new century animal theater, the taste and movement, and my own book writing in order to use them for creative activities, which could be utilized in schools. One of the brilliant ideas I found from the manuals was that they had included photographs, figures, and tips so that the school teachers would not have difficulties in teaching.

Gyeongnam Arts & Culture Education Service
Project for a good school making as a cultural community
Based upon their analysis on the successful case-study regarding a formation of a cultural community in the Seongmisan School, they have introduced a research activity which was seeking for a sustainable art education in schools by means of constructing a cultural community composed of schools, local governments, other schools, arts groups, local residents, artists, and entrepreneurs. They also dealt with the limitation of administrative support, the problems resulted from transfer of teachers in charge, and the necessity of art education mediators.

Music Committee of Korean People’s Artist Federation in Ulsan
Development and application of a creative activity program: an integrated song creation program ‘A Dreaming Song’
‘A Dreaming Song’’ is an integrated song creation program which enables students to experience general methods of songwriting including writing lyrics and melodies, computer-based editing, and recording. They have held the local community teaching concert to play their songs and give a presentation on their study. They are planning to distribute a detailed guideline for teaching-learning during the teacher’s training workshop.

Arts Education Institute, Gwangju National University of Education
Development of an integrated art education content: ‘Users guide of the body for self-awareness’
They have introduced their ten session program comprised in recognition of the body, search, use, and love, which provided students with an opportunity for self-awareness, introspection, self-expression, and enlightenment. One of the most impressive sessions was the story about the fourth graders in Duam Elementary School, who had pleasantly got to know each other while drawing pictures with their hands, feet, hair, hips, and body.

Center of Visual Art boda
Study on a photograph media and a geographical experience with which a boy meets
The teacher’s autonomous research group from the department of photograph at Anyang Arts High School ran a workshop ‘A Whale Have Swallowed the Map’ which dealt with utilization of photographs in art education for youth and young children. Through the demonstration during the workshop, they let the participants experience a cultural topography (between Gangnam and Anyang), identification, and integration of photographic media. They also have proposed a practical learning model using photographs while holding a student photo exhibition which was related to the workshop.

Written by Kang Myeong-shin (Teacher at Donggyo Elementary School in Seoul, Musical Researcher at Korean Orff-Schulwerk Society)