Teaching Fine Arts in a Pandemic: Julie Swienty
Julie Swienty, a piano teacher at Green River College, admits online teaching has been all but easy. The class begins as a lecture, and then branches out into breakout rooms where Swienty provides individual help for students.
All fine arts are struggling during this time, and Gary Oliveira, head of the Fine Arts Division, recognizes this.
“A major challenge has been that the Arts Division has classes that simply cannot be taught online,” said Oliveira. “Several of these classes have specialized studios and classrooms that students would need to access in order for them to run.”
Classes have been forced to come up with creative styles of teaching for their students, from recorded zoom meetings to modified music lessons.
For Swienty and all others of the fine arts department, Canvas serves much more as a communication center for students.
“[Canvas] is one place where [students] can find everything they are supposed to know,” said Swienty, who has been teaching at the college for 15 years. “However, it is not a substitute for what I teach, therefore I rely on it as a means of communication.”
Swienty teaches piano and loves the connections she makes with students. With school being online, she believes the current style of teaching is harder to connect with students on a personal level.
Swienty said Canvas isn’t designed for a fine arts class like teaching piano. “…it tells [students] what the assignments are…it tells them their due dates…it tells them their grades…but that’s not what music is about.”
The style of curriculum Swienty has selected allows students to work at a pace that promotes a positive learning experience.
“I found free keyboards for students who could not afford [or already had] one, and have worked around students’ schedules to make taking music classes possible and meaningful.”
Learning music can be very difficult for many, so Swienty keeps her due dates flexible and meets individually with her students.
“My commitment during the virus is that no student will be left behind just because… of internet issues… not good equipment…etc.,” said Swienty. “Musical concepts must be experience through trial and error…. And I know that students are benefiting from the extra personal time they are receiving.”
Teachers across the country believe that returning to the classroom is the best option moving forward.
“If I had my druthers, I would safely meet with my students one-on-one at least once a week,” said Swienty. “Even though I am not particularly fond of Canvas and Zoom for online learning, I understand its purpose and it has become a very key way of connecting with my students.”
Although every teacher across the world is actively having to come up with high-quality and useful approaches to teaching their students, each is doing so in their own individual ways that promote a successful learning environment. For Julie Swienty, that means making sure students have the resources and help they need to be successful in her class.
