Teaching

Studio instruction from first-year to graduate levels spanning three decades and four institutions of higher learning.  Courses taught include Ceramics, Drawing, Life Drawing, Painting, Sculpture, 2-Dimensional Design, and 3-Dimensional Design.

At Otis College of Art and Design, Professor Lavender taught multiple sections of Form and Space--a Foundation 3-Dimensional Design course--over a 15 year period, and served as Head of that curricular area from 2002 - 2010.  (View the Foundation Program pages on the Otis website: www.otis.edu).

Educational support material and media production includes:

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Sustainability in Form and Space.  A presentation focused on Life Cycle Analysis and sustainable practices in art and design for Foundation Form and Space classes, and all art/design students.  Instructional narration/voiceover written and performed by Elektra Grant.  View presentation:  (link to come)

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Building a Six-Inch Cube.  A video demonstration of a first-week exercise in the Foundation Form and Space curriculum, following up on in-class activity to support students at home in their planning and execution of this simple, primary form fabrication that will lead to more complex compositions.  View video:  

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Contributions to Faculty Development

Department-based activities include mentoring new Foundation faculty and sharing resources for the benefit of colleagues as professionals, and as educators.

The most conspicuous and unfortunate myth surrounding art in higher education today is the too-often assumed link between success in one's professional field and distinguished teaching.  Truly effective teaching grows out of focused attention to what is known about how students learn, how curricula best support learning, what motivates students, and student cognitive-affective makeup.

The following resources support a deeper understanding of Art Education, provide access to professional and educational development opportunities, cite research into how individual instructors can best support today's students, and discuss how institutions can best serve their faculty through meaningful Faculty Development programs:

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Art Education Archive.  A list of recent articles and excerpts from art education and educational psychology literature.  Browse the archive to find information and research on a wide range of relevant topics.  Download this resource:  Art Ed Archive.xls

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Pedagogy Visited:  What Exactly is Teaching Excellence?  A two-part blog discussing several myths that permeate college art education, and a number of teaching challenges common to the college art/design classroom.  Posted on O Teaching Matters, October 18, 2007 (Part A), November 14, 2007 (Part B).  Read the article:  blogs.otis.edu.

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External Funding Opportunities.  A comprehensive guide to grants, fellowships, and residencies for artists and designers, compiled with the support of Otis Interim Provost Gwynne Keathley in support of faculty development.  Download this resource:  Grants and Fellowships.pdf

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White Paper on Faculty Development.  A synthesis of research on faculty development in colleges, universities, and AICAD schools, including recommendations for the future of faculty development at Otis.  This resource was created with strategic planning support from the Irvine Foundation.  Download the paper:  Fac Dev White Paper.pdf