Thinking through Art Professional Development Programs

Excellency, originality, and a wide range of opportunities for creative inquiry and appreciation of the visual world define the Museum's educational programming. Our goal is to support and encourage all educators regardless of their familiarity with art to help their students develop their literacy and critical thinking skills through interaction with the art and design of the picture book.

Three-hour program (3 PDPs) – $40 per person or $600 for the group
Four-hour program (4 PDPs) - $50 per person or $800 for the group
Six-hour program (6 PDPs) – $70 per person or $1200 for the group

Minimum 10 / Maximum 25 participants

To arrange a Professional Development program contact the Education Department at programs@carlemuseum.org or 413.658.1113.

Introduction to The Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS)
(3 or 6 hours)
Learn about VTS, an approach developed by cognitive psychologist Abigail Housen and museum educator Philip Yenawine which supports the viewer’s ability to find meaning and pleasure in works of art. Participants will discuss and analyze the strategies, experiment with the method, and learn how these strategies can enhance teaching.

Picturing Stories
(4 hours)
Why do some images – whether from an illustrated book, a newspaper ad, or a famous painting – evoke such strong emotional responses? This hands-on workshop demonstrates the intriguing principles of shape, color, and design developed by Caldecott Honor artist Molly Bang. In addition to exploring these principles in picture books participants will create a cut paper collage to explore their new-found knowledge.

Sowing the Seeds of Visual Literacy
(6 hours)
This workshop offers an overview of Introduction to The Visual Thinking Strategies and The Whole Book Approach, the Museum’s pedagogical method for understanding the art and design of the picture book.