Contact Us
Carrie Patterson, Chair
Associate Professor of Art
Phone: 240-895-4252
Email: ccpatterson@smcm.edu
Office Staff: 240-895-4225
Alumni Where are they now?
Matthew Fishel (studio art, 2001) completed an MFA at Maryland Institute College of Art in 2010. Originally interested in painting, Matthew has expanded his practice to include animation, video, installation, and digital imaging. He is a frequent contributor to RedStarKGB, an ongoing collaboration of filmmakers in Baltimore. His own film, "A Short Film Regarding Possibilities", was selected by the Maryland Film Festival in 2006. See his work at http://www.matthewfishel.com
Assessing Advanced Placement Art History and Addressing the Challenges of Teacher Preparation
Abstract:The availability of resources, well-educated teachers, and college programs are all imperative if a student is going to have a successful experience when enrolled in an AP art history class in high school. By evaluating the current state of the AP art history program through resources provided by the AP organization I found they project a high ideal on the teachers. If teachers do not meet this ideal then many students will struggle when taking the AP exam. For those students who do achieve a positive experience from the class and attend college are met with limited art history programs. These constant challenges that both teachers and students have to face is what I have analyzed.
These constant challenges have created a great deal of pressure for teachers and students within the AP system. The high ideal proposed by the AP organization is even more demanding for teachers who have little training and limited resources causing them to struggle in successfully teach their students. Students in turn strive to attain a vast amount of necessary information needed to score effectively on the AP exam. Therefore available resources and programs are paramount for a more effective class. Proposed solutions might include paying more attention to the concerns of the demands of the program. With more attention hopefully there will be more action in improving current obstacles that the AP program, teachers and students all may face.
