Developing a broader base of knowledge.

Becoming an effective art educator means being competent in art content as well as pedagogy. Content refers to those areas that relate directly to the visual arts: production processes and techniques, critical analysis and interpretation of masterwork and student work, contextual (history) investigation, and aesthetic questioning. Pedagogy--sometimes labeled professional knowledge--refers to the principles and methods of teaching.

According to research conducted by the Public Education Foundation, parents place a high value upon teachers who have a deep understanding of content and whose classrooms reflect exemplary management skills. While pre-service preparation provides indispensable tools for achieving classroom success, continued and ongoing professional development is required to attain the higher levels of understanding that are referenced in the research. Such opportunities abound for student teachers to continue their learning and to begin to advance a broad base of knowledge. Here are a few suggestions:

** Become familiar with state and national standards for the visual arts and use them for every lesson. Most states post standards to their Web sites. The national standards (upon which many state standards are based) can be found at www. mcrel.org.

** Join the your state and national art education associations * Attending conferences and reading professional literature offered by the associations keep knowledge up to date. The National Assembly of State Arts Agencies Web site, www.nasaa-arts.org, links to each state's association. Access the National Art Education Association at www.naea.reston.org.

** Attend professional development programs and workshops offered by local school districts.

** Learn the nuts and bolts of how a school operates by going to faculty meetings.

** Visit other teachers' classrooms and take notes about classroom management.

** Take advantage of school programs such as mentor teachers who team with novice teachers.

** Visit the library and check out books about educational practice, artists, or making art.

** Watch videos about pedagogy, classroom management, discipline, and art topics.

** Log on to www.art teaeherconnection.com for resources, images, and art lessons.

** Go to art museum functions such as teacher training or guided tours of new exhibits.

** Visit the education Web pages of art museums. Many museums post teacher resource guides on their Web sites. Try these sites as samples or try an online search of any museum: Tate Museum www.tate.org.uk

Getty Museum www.getty.edu

Minneapolis Institute of Arts www.artsconnected.org

Amon Carter Museum www.cartermuseum.org

Metropolitan Museum of Art www.metmuseum.org

** Become a member of an online teacher community such as www. tappedin.org, a site that offers free online professional development opportunities as well as use of an electronic classroom.

Dr. Pam Stephens is associate professor of art education and supervisor of student teaching in the visual arts at Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff. Your questions and suggestions for future topics are invited by e-mail to [e-mail].

* See "Why Join an Art Education Association, Part 2" on page 33.