Monster Mash: Learning Real-World Skills in a Creature-Creating Art Class

When I read this article, it made me wonder what talent I had that I could bring to the classroom as an incentive for my students. The article discusses the Berea High School Visual Effects and Design class, in Berea, Ohio. This is a class where students learn how to collaborate to create masks, props, characters, and sculptures for independent films, trade shows, city spaces, businesses and private collectors.

Jim Bycznski, the creator of the program, wanted to take the emphasis off art, and make the class into something real-world based and exciting for his students. He looked at the curriculum and noted that his students would still be painting, drawing, making 3-D objects, and mixing, but instead of the class focusing on just art, it would focus on moviemaking.

Instead of focusing on art, which is low man on the totem pole in the world of budgeting, students would focus on learning problem-solving. They would be asked to figure out how they can fix problems. Bycznski’s goal is to make his students creative problem solvers. He asks “Can you solve problems for yourself? Can you think your way out of a problem? Can you think of solutions to things that are thrown to you?” His goals appeal to his students because, by asking students to solve problems by themselves, they enjoy the freedom in which to do just that. Funding still comes largely from grants, donations, and a basic $30 yearly fee for student participants. But, the more the students’ work show, the better with regarding to obtaining donations, etc.

Running a program this way appeals to me because, by the time most students get to high school, they are burned out and tired of jumping through hoops. The high school kids I have talked to really want what is required of them to be real-world based. They need something they can relate to in order to spur them on. By making your class relate to the lives of students, you can show them how the real world works. If you can do this, you’re more likely to have students who feel like they are more successful and prepared for the world beyond school.