Cathy Weisman Topal

Lecturer

Phone: (413) 584-1169 home

Office: 302 Morgan Hall - (413) 585-3262

Email: ctopal@email.smith.edu

Degrees:
B.A. Cornell University, 1969
M.A.T. in Visual Studies, Harvard University, 1970

Research Interests:

Visual Studies and Arts Education, Early Childhood Education, The Reggio Emilia approach to education, Design Education, Making Learning Visible through Documentation, Technology in Education

Teaching Interests:

Working with teachers to integrate the visual and expressive arts into the classroom, Using the power and potential of studio materials to research, explore and understand any subject area, recycling as an important part of the studio experience

Courses:
EDC 305 The Teaching of Visual Arts in the Classroom
Please visit the class website: http://www.smith.edu/educ/Topal/VA_Web/edc_305_home2.htm

Cathy Topal is also a studio teacher at the Smith College Laboratory School and the Center for Early Childhood Education at Smith College.

Representative Publications:

Explorations in Art: Kindergarten, “Big Book” and Teacher’s Guide. The curriculum is part of a new kindergarten through 5th grade visual arts curriculum series, Davis Publications, Inc., Worcester, MA, 2008

A review of Impact of Early Art Experiences on Litearacy Development Impact of Early Art Experiences on Literacy Development, by Kathy Danko-McGhee and Ruslan Slutsky, N.A.E.A. publication, 2007

Chapter: “Bringing the Spirit of the Studio into the Classroom”, In the Spirit of the Studio, edited by Gandini, Lella; Cadwell, Hill and Schwall, Teacher’s College Press, NY, 2005 Thinking with a Line (TWAL) Teacher’s Guide to the Interactive CD-ROM, Davis Publications, Inc., Worcester, MA, 2005

Website for Thinking with a Line

Teacher's Guide to Thinking With A Line: CD-ROM program for training to teachers to use studio art materials and processes more effectively in the early childhood classroom, 2004

Beautiful Stuff: Learning with Found Materials, co-authored by Lella Gandini, Davis Publications, Inc., Worcester, MA 1999

Children and Painting, Davis Publications, Inc., Worcester, MA 1992

Children, Clay and Sculpture, Davis Publications, Inc., Worcester, MA 1983

Rosetta Marantz Cohen

Susan Etheredge

Sue J. M. Freeman

Janice Gatty

Sam Intrator

Alan L. Marvelli

Lucy Mule

Al Rudnitsky

Cathy Topal

Carole Learned-Miller