carrie a. dyer

_t_e_a_c_h_i_n_g_/ design PHILOSOPHY :

The processes I use in my personal work are directly connected to my teaching philosophy. It is important for students to create, obtain, and explore their own processes as well as their own aesthetic. Through my art and design I give myself specific constraints that I rarely abandon. I generate, create, or photograph all of my own imagery. Although I am open to many different perspectives, I require students in beginning classes to generate their own imagery from scratch. Design projects are created to utilize a creative approach to project development. Process is a critical consideration in the art and design field. During each project students are required to complete a variety of solutions to each project.

For example, I have developed projects that require the students to think and question the relationships between the personal and the universal. One project specifically investigates contemporary illustration techniques and the cross pollination of hand processes with digital processes. Students investigate the ethical and moral states of design. Social and political assignments are generated to subject students to the state of society and the dualities of tension and connection in the form of a social action poster series. Additionally, I assign a semester long project called the "Making Collection Cycle" to expose students to processes, readings, videos, and personal journaling connections outside of the typical project cycle. It is important for students to develop the ability to multi task and handle multiple projects at once.

I teach my classes by posing questions and introducing abstract reasoning obstacles for the students to negotiate throughout the semester. Because art and design is not an intricate combination of equations that equal one answer it is important to have discussions about which equations can equal correct answers. When a student asks me a question– I respond by asking them a question. I use this technique so that the students will begin to learn through their own observations and reasoning so they don't solely rely on a mentor to complete an idea or project. For each class that I teach, I pose a question the students are to digest throughout the course. I revisit these questions and see these questions as conceptual problems the students are to negotiate throughout the semester.

During many projects I work alongside the students so that I am sharing and modeling my processes. I ask the students to find, study, understand, elaborate, and work from what inspires them. It is important as a teacher to be aware of my individual aesthetic and to encourage students to find their own way of creating a visual language. A balance of studio time and critique time is essential to assess the student's ability to work technically and conceptually. For this reason, I generally adopt the philosophy that there should be two critique stages, first a "draft critique" and then a "final critique." Though it is extremely important to understand the history of art and graphic design, the critique that I offer is directly focused on contemporary art and culture because students will enter the contemporary world when they finish their education.

I've found that students learn best when they can look back at the presentations and materials presented in class. I make presentations and inspirational work available through a course website. I put these items together in what I call "inspiration packets." Links are incorporated my teaching website to technical tutorials and artists and designers. The teaching site is constantly evolving based on technology and information.

Overall, I approach art and design as a creative process and I encourage the students to make classroom assignments interlock with their own body of work and interests. Students that are not aware of their own passions and interests are encouraged to explore possible trajectories. As a teacher I am a passionate facilitator who gives direction and encourages students to find their own answers or solutions to given projects. I frequently refer to contemporary teaching research including resources that investigate different teaching approaches and what is successful when looking at different learning styles. I aspire to make the classroom a collaborative atmosphere where the students develop meaningful relationships with the subject matter, their classmates, and an increased passion to learn.