David Rufo
David Rufo is an Assistant Professor of Education at Utica University. Previously, Dr. Rufo was an Assistant Professor of Education and Program Director in the Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences at Cazenovia College in upstate New York and before that a Clinical Assistant Professor at Fordham University’s Graduate School of Education at Lincoln Center in New York City. Additionally, Dr. Rufo has two decades of experience as a general elementary classroom teacher and an instructor in the Department of Art Education at Syracuse University. Dr. Rufo’s research interests include: Teacher Education, Curriculum Studies, Interdisciplinary Learning, STEAM Education, Qualitative Research, Classroom Action Research, Narrative Inquiry, Elementary Education, Critical Pedagogy, Child-Centered Education, Hands-On Mathematical Investigations, Democratic Classrooms, Visual Culture, The Self-Initiated Creativity of Children, Contemporary Art, Art History, and Art Education. David has published articles in a variety of national and international peer-reviewed journals. In addition to being an educator, David is also a visual artist. His writings may be found at cazenovia.academia.edu/DavidRufo and his artwork at davidjohnrufo.com.
Supervisors: James Haywood Rolling and Jr.
Supervisors: James Haywood Rolling and Jr.
less
InterestsView All (20)
Uploads
Papers by David Rufo
children who feel comfortable and safe in a classroom environment engage more deeply and meaningfully in academic content (Gude, 2010; Nickerson, 1999; Richards, 2010). Furthermore, according to Wright (2015), the affective filter “refers to factors, such as fear, anxiety, shyness, and lack of motivation” (p. 319) that can impede learning, whereas, a “safe and enjoyable classroom environment…helps to lower the affective filter” (p. 61). When students in the author’s classroom engaged in creative rituals of their own choosing, it lowered their affective filters which consequently opened up new channels and entry points into their learning (Rufo, 2017). The ritualized creativity of the students was made manifest in myriad ways that included drawings, paintings, 3D objects, installations, game design, and the production of short films. This narrative demonstrates how student agency allows members of a classroom community to express their individual and collective voices, while providing ample opportunities to
learn in creative, meaningful, and relevant ways.
thinking to design the interior and the exterior of the forts, and employing mathematics to estimate the appropriate size and shape of each fort.
areas in surprising ways.
The online interactive version of this article may be found here: http://vokeart.org/rufo/
children who feel comfortable and safe in a classroom environment engage more deeply and meaningfully in academic content (Gude, 2010; Nickerson, 1999; Richards, 2010). Furthermore, according to Wright (2015), the affective filter “refers to factors, such as fear, anxiety, shyness, and lack of motivation” (p. 319) that can impede learning, whereas, a “safe and enjoyable classroom environment…helps to lower the affective filter” (p. 61). When students in the author’s classroom engaged in creative rituals of their own choosing, it lowered their affective filters which consequently opened up new channels and entry points into their learning (Rufo, 2017). The ritualized creativity of the students was made manifest in myriad ways that included drawings, paintings, 3D objects, installations, game design, and the production of short films. This narrative demonstrates how student agency allows members of a classroom community to express their individual and collective voices, while providing ample opportunities to
learn in creative, meaningful, and relevant ways.
thinking to design the interior and the exterior of the forts, and employing mathematics to estimate the appropriate size and shape of each fort.
areas in surprising ways.
The online interactive version of this article may be found here: http://vokeart.org/rufo/
blowing mass can have a disquieting effect, whereas following a
single flake of snow is an enchanting experience; joyful, and
revelatory. This observation brought to mind the ways children
create. Together, children seem to move as a swarm. Many times adults fret that they might collide or blow off course if we do not constantly intervene and shepherd them along. In my fourth-grade classroom, I have witnessed the myriad ways children whirl, pivot, and spin their creativity. One minute they are engrossed in a solitary artistic exploration and the next minute they are excitedly sharing their creation with a group of friends.