MGCCC Art Appreciation Syllabus.pdf - MichaelAldana.com

1/12/2010
Instructor: Michael Aldana MFA
michaelaldana@michaelaldana.com
985-778-1627 cell (don’t call after 9pm)
Class Blog: http://www.art-appreciation-aldana.blogspot.com/
Art Appreciation 1113, 3 credit hours
Class Time: Monday 6pm – 10pm
I will attempt to be in the classroom at least 30min. prior to class if you wish to meet to discuss
anything. Please email me or call me ahead of time to let me know.
Required Book: Gilbert’s Living With Art (ninth edition) by Mark Geltein
Attendance Policy
Due to the shortened duration of classes there will be only one excused absence allowed.
Students are expected to arrive on time and prepared. Late arrival or unpreparedness may result
in a tardy mark which will account for ½ an absence. Each absence beyond the first excused
absence will result in a letter grade deduction from your final grade. Because this class is
condensed it is vital that you be here to take notes on the lectures. If you miss a class, please see
that you obtain a copy of the class notes from a classmate.
If you have a disability of any kind and will need any reasonable accommodations or assistance
in the classroom or with this course, please see the instructor on the first day of attendance.
Other expectations
My expectations for attendance and grading are clearly laid out and there will be no exceptions
because if I bend the rules for one, I must bend them for all. It will not be fair for the others in
the class. Unless there is an accident, hospitalization, or death (all of which I will require some
sort of official proof), there are no other excuses for missing class, quizzes, tests or assignments.
If you miss a quiz or test, or do not turn in your paper on the final day, you receive a zero for that
quiz, test or assignment no exceptions. It’s better to turn in something no matter how little it is,
than nothing. All quizzes and exams will be given at the start of class. I may provide you with
10 or 15 min to cram. I expect each student to maintain a decorum that is respectful to each of
your classmates. Please silence all cell phones.
Ask plenty of questions. If it will help you better understand the subject, please, by all means
ask any question no matter how simple or complex. Nobody can speak for you. If you are still

too shy to speak up in class, write it down and email me. I have no problems giving you all as
much feedback as you need… as is necessary. I check email frequently.
Grading
Students will be evaluated on the following criteria:
Attendance and Participation (including blog assignments) - 15%
Quizzes and Paper- 35%
Midterm Exam - 25%
Final Exam - 25%
I will not drop the lowest grade of any quiz. My thoughts on this are, if I were to drop any grade
that reflects what you learn or don’t learn in this class; what would be the point in giving a quiz
in the first place? No worries though, I will offer a few extra credit opportunities.
Grading Scale: A= 100-90%, B= 89-80%, C= 79-70%, D= 69-60%, F=59-0%
There will be no makeup exams or quizzes.
If you do not understand why you have received a particular grade, you should absolutely seek
clarification. If you have any questions with a grade on any assignment, exam or quiz, please
contact me, within a week of receiving your grade, via email. You must address your question in
writing through email first. If after I reply to you, via email, you still have questions; please
contact me to set up a meeting. I will not address grades during class.
Extra Credit
I will add extra credit assignments throughout the semester through the class blog. The extra
credit will vary in its weight depending on the assignment. Some examples would be short
papers discussing a gallery opening or show at a local gallery, art projects, or writing short
essays on a given topic.
Learning Outcomes
I am here to help you accomplish your goals. We can do this! All you need to do is be dedicated
for the duration of the course and there should be nothing holding you back from achieving an A.
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to
Recognize the elements and principles of art
Interpret artworks
Recognize mediums and media
Develop a working vocabulary of art terms

Understand the function of art through time
Recognize famous works of art
Content Outline
I. Introduction to Art
A. Living With Art
B. What is Art
C. Themes in Art
Quiz
II. The Vocabulary of Art
A. The Visual Elements
B. The Principles of Design
Quiz
III. Two Dimensional Media
A. Drawing
B. Painting
MIDTERM Exam- Before midterm you must turn in a rough draft for a 3-4 page paper about an
art movement or an artist.
C. Printmaking
D. Photography
E. Graphic Design and Illustration
Quiz
IV. Three Dimensional Media
A. Sculpture and Installation
B. Pottery and Crafts
C. Architecture
V. Arts in Time
3-4 page paper about an artist or an art movement. Due at the beginning of the last class day
(NO LATER).
FINAL Exam
In addition to covering what is listed above, the class will be required to read an article posted
on the class blog each week and respond in kind. If no article is listed then your blog
assignment will automatically be to write about one image we discussed in class. I would like
this to be interactive and more free form. Feel free to read your classmates comments and
discuss their posts as well. A new blog post will be made each Wednesday by 7pm.

Papers need to be 3 pages regarding an artist or an art movement. All material must be your
own. I do not want to know where the artist was born, who is parents were, what his dogs name
was. I want you to tell me something important about an artist or movement, not the ancillary
details. Give me the important stuff. Since books have been written about movements and
artists, I’m sure you’ll have no problem coming up with 3 pages of information. Provide
sources. Wikipedia is not a valid source (as well as most online sources). Turn in a rough draft
prior to the Midterm Exam and your final draft is due at the beginning of class on the last day. I
will only accept papers and drafts through email. Do not turn in a paper version. As well I
would like you to submit the paper or draft in a .doc or .docx format.
I will post the entire power point lecture used in class as a PDF located on the class blog after
each week along with your weekly blog post. Here you may download the PDF as an aid. All
material listed in color is to be considered test material. All material assigned from the book is
test material. This means you have all the material needed to provide you with the answers to
the test. Read it, speak it, and write it.
One tip I can give you is that learning and memorization is accomplished through repetition.
When you are learning material, read it out loud and then write it out (use a recorder if you want
when you read). We learn visually, audibly and kinesthetically… that is with our eyes, with our
ears and with our body in writing. When you read it out loud, you see it, and say it, using two of
the senses. When you take the notes you use your kinesthetic and visual skills. Optimal learning
occurs when you repeat something 7 times. Doing this process just once, that is, reading out
loud and taking notes gives you 3 repetitions. At least 3 repetitions, of something, is a good
place to start in memorization and learning.
Cheating and/or Plagiarism
A friend once told me in referring to college students: “Ahh college, the one place where people
actively strive not to get their monies worth.” College isn’t free. Get the most of it while you
are here. You, the state, or a scholarship is paying money for you to learn. The only way to do
this is by doing the work yourself. If any student is caught cheating or turning in the work of
another, this will result in an automatic 0 grade for that assignment and possible dismissal from
the class role.
The syllabus is subject to change at my discretion, however if amended, you will be notified in class
as well as on the class blog.
This was from an interesting study on learning outcomes in college. It was in regards to how students
view their role in their education. In this study they asked students basically who was the primary person
responsible for the grades given to them in their class, themselves or their professors.

"Given the emphasis some educators place on encouraging students to take ownership of their education,
it was surprising to find that, overall, this group of students [In the Study] did not see themselves as being
instrumental in shaping their own education experience." (p. 146) What the findings confirm is that
students (at least those in this cohort) do not understand that they are at least partially responsible for what
happens to them in courses. It seems to reconfirm the extremely passive orientation many students take
toward knowledge acquisition.”
Curran, J. M. and Rosen, D. E. (2006). Student attitudes toward college courses: An examination of
influences and intentions. Journal of Marketing Education, 28 (2), 135-148.
These students in this study (for the most part) did not see themselves as the shapers of their destinies, but
rather graded at the whims of their professors. Let me assure you, I will provide you with more
information to be accessible to you for you to attain the best grade you can. I merely deliver the
information to you and then test your ability to retain the information given. How much you retain and
how much you gain from this class is primarily up to you. I am at your disposal via email, phone, class,
and even if you wish to set up an out of class meeting. I want you to succeed; however, you need to ask
me for help if you need it. Please understand you are the primary shapers of your lives.
The point being, take advantage of all the materials available to you while you are in college. From the
computers, the professors, other students, to texts, use everything! You get out of college what you put
into college. You are paying for all types of services through colleges and universities, take advantage of
all of them and you can only improve your chances of having success in school.
You may download an extra copy of this syllabus online at the first entry on our class blog
http://www.art-appreciation-aldana.blogspot.com/
You are paying me to help you. Please do not hesitate to email me if you have any questions or need any
extra assistance. I want you to succeed!