Department of Art and Design

Faculty and Staff

Ku

Ta-Teh Ku

Associate Professor, Art Education
PhD, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN
Office: 24 Garwood Hall
Email: T-Ku@wiu.edu

About the Art Educator

My educational philosophy and teaching approaches have been developed in conjunction with my studio background in watercolor, graphic design, and photography; my exposures to theories and practices in the field of art education, as well as my reflections on my teaching practices at the undergraduate level.

Therefore, it is my belief that a successful approach to art teaching should including the following components: 1) a multi-disciplinary approach; 2) awareness of emerging trends; and 3) utilization of new technologies.

All three components above are important in the education of pre-service art teachers who are interested in and will be teaching art. In addition to art making and interpreting, I also stress the importance of visual images in terms of their social, cultural, and personal impact on society. They also can provide pre-service students with resources they need for becoming creative, independent, critical, and unique individuals who play active roles in society.

Ta-Teh Ku came to WIU in 2008. He currently teaches several art education courses, serves as art education student academic advisor, and supervises student clinical teaching field experience.

Education

  • Doctorate of Philosophy, Art Education Program, Curriculum and Instruction Department, School of Education, Indiana University, Bloomington
  • Master of Arts, Studio Arts/Photography, New York University
  • Bachelor of Arts in Graphic Arts, Chinese Culture University in Taiwan

Research Interests

  • Visual Culture Studies
  • Multicultural and Global Art Education
  • Art Education Curriculum Content
  • Students' Responses to Visual Images
  • Photography's Role in Art Education

Teaching Interests

  • Theories and practices of curriculum design at the undergraduate level
  • History, theories, and practices in art education at the graduate level
  • Contemporary issues in art and art education
  • Theories and practices of photography