Our alumna Diane Jaquith, who teaches art K-5 in the Newton Public Schools and has supervised several of our student teachers, is co-editor, with Nan Hathaway,  of the second TAB book published by Teachers College Press, The Learner-Directed Classroom: Developing Creative Thinking Skills through Art.  Diane is a co-founder of Teaching for Artistic Behavior Inc., a choice-based art education advocacy organization. As many of you know, our own John Crowe was an important early leader in the TAB movement.

Contributors to the book include Lois Hetland, chair of our department; Katherine Douglas, retired elementary art teacher and TAB co-founder, who has visited many sections of Pre-Practicum I as a visiting lecturer; and Pauline Joseph, retired Newton art teacher who supervised several of our student teachers in the late 1990s.

About the book:
In The Learner-Directed Classroom, practicing art educators (PreK-16) offer both a comprehensive framework for understanding student-directed learning and concrete pedagogical strategies to implement student-direct learning activities in school. In addition, research-based assessment strategies provide educators with evidence of student mastery and achievement. Teachers who structure self-directed learning activities can facilitate effective differentiation as students engage in the curriculum at their level. This book provides evidence-based, practical examples of how to transform the classroom into a creative and highly focused learning environment.

Book Features:
* Guidance for implementing a learner-directed program, including advocacy, management, differentiated instruction, and resources.

* Attention to the needs of specific groups of students, including preadolescents, gifted and talented learners, boys, and those with learning differences.

* Insights into reflective practice and strategies for assessment of learning.