In the digital age, one San Gabriel Valley school district revitalizes old art form
Mary Plummer/KPCC
Tenth grader Isaiah Piazza at Rowland High School works on a coil pot. The school recently brought back ceramics classes and about 60 students are now learning to work with clay.
As many public schools across Southern California and the nation invest in digital devices that promise to transform education, some teachers are sticking to — even revitalizing — old-style, hands-on arts classes, like ceramics.
"A lot of this stuff is kind of forgotten," said fine arts teacher Stephen Faller, who brought back ceramics instruction at Rowland High School in the San Gabriel Valley.
He helped his students raise about $2,000 to buy a new kiln by selling Cup Noodles and baked Cheetos.
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Min Seop Kim, 16, signed up for the class hoping for an easy A. He was surprised when he found himself actually enjoying working with clay and discovering how hands-on design differed from the virtual world.
"Online, you're just looking at the view of it, but in reality you're touching it, you're feeling it, you're getting the smell of everything," he said. Click HERE for entire story!