Abstract
We’re living in “an attentional pathogenic culture,” meaning “an environment in which sustained and deep focus is harder for us all” (Hari, 2023, p. 11). Harvard’s Jennifer Roberts (2013) argues for slow pedagogy that supports focused, deep attention and counters the frenetic technology-driven world that immerses and often overwhelms our students. Given the need for slow pedagogy and art’s capaciousness for contemplative inquiry, I’ve developed a new pedagogical framework for aesthetic experience, called Re-presencing, designed to support our students amidst increasing “attentive stress,” to borrow a phrase from Philosopher Franco Berardi. Re-presencing entails characteristics of effective pedagogies—privileging student voice, building on student’s prior learning and experience, providing scaffolding for learning and engagement, and engaging higher-order thinking and metacognition through questioning (Husbands & Pearce, 2012)—and may be a valuable tool for educators seeking to support students in slowing down; being present; connecting with themselves, others, and works of art; and perhaps even flourishing. In this presentation, I share encouraging findings from a recent qualitative study that invited four emerging adults (18-25) to practice Re-presencing with an artwork at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. The experiential data gathered included observations, semi-structured interviews, anonymous surveys, and participant journals (reflective writing). The study found that all participants experienced heightened presence, connection, and derived meaning in and through Re-presencing with their artwork. Importantly, the experience was deemed meaningful by the participants, and the experiential data showed numerous indications that it was transformative, meaning the participants experienced both epistemic and personal transformation.
Presenters
Rebecca TaylorStudent, Doctorate of Education, Teachers College, Columbia University, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Aesthetic Experience, Art, Museums, Personal Growth, Self-Cultivation, Self-Development
