Corrine Delaney

Art 133, Section 05/06

March 1, 2018
Unit Paper 3

To be vulnerable, one must feel psychologically safe in their environment to take risks

and try new things. As stated by Willcox (2017), “Students and teachers must embrace their

personal vulnerability in the art room to engage in creative risk-taking that minimizes shame”

(p.11). When observing Rose’s class, Willcox (2017) found that students who have less high-

stake assignments, are given creative freedom, and receive individualized attention from the

teacher are more likely to take risks. By letting students be vulnerable, Rose’s class was able to

be creative without fear of failure (Willcox, 2017). Similarly, Visual Thinking Strategies allow

for students to personally explore and discuss art (Housen & Yenawine, n.d.). The role of the

teacher is to facilitate the discussion, allow each student to respond to the image, and

acknowledge each response by summarizing the main idea (Housen & Yenawine, n.d.). As a

result, students can think and contribute to the discussion in a non-restrictive way.

The modification for the “Empathy Braid” studio I would make is inviting other classes

of the same grade level to participate, so the students can learn more about their peers. I would

ask students to share things about themselves they would like their peers to know, which can

make some students feel vulnerable. Then students would braid their completed fabrics together,

and hang it where everyone could view it. The modification for the “Graphic Editorials” studio I

would make is using the computer lab at school to complete the activity because not every

student will have access to PowerPoint at home. I would also like to monitor the type of images

being used. Since vulnerability can bring attention to topics, such as drug abuse, I would make

sure students are not viewing or using images that appear inappropriate for their age. However, I

think it’s important to let students explore these topics, so they become more aware.
 References

Housen, A., & Yenawine, P. (n.d.). Visual thinking strategies: Understanding the basics.

Retrieved from http://www.vtshome.org/research/articles-other-readings

Willcox, L. (2017). Vulnerability in the art room: Explorations of visual journals and risks in the

creation of a psychologically safe environment. Art Education, 70(5), 11-19.