ARTSuzanne


 * Textbook Survey—Art **

As you peruse your content area textbook, please complete the following activities and/or questions. You may place your responses on this page.

1. Write a bibliographical entry for the book using APA format. Bates, Jane. K. (2000). //Becoming An Art Teacher.// Belmont, CA: Wadsworth

2. What is the author’s background in education? She became an art teacher in 1965 for a high school in California. She then was employed by the Department of Defense and taught art on an Army base in Germany. She came back to the states and taught art in New York and Arizona. While in Arizona she earned her masters degree and then her doctoral degree. She taught on a college level at Marshall University. She has helped write curriculum for Arizona and Maryland. She received Outstanding Art Educator of the Year in Arizona, Outstanding Art Educator of the Year in the Higher Education Division. She now teaches at Art Education at Towson University.

3. Read through the “Preface—Recognizing Bats and Ways to Avoid Them.” What are 2 things that you learned about the book or author from reading this preface? She didn’t seem to enthused about teach elementary art. She believes art should not be a mindless activity.

4. How is this text organized--What are the four main parts to this text?

1. Introduction to the field 2. Present issues, content, and strategies 3. Present issues, content and strategies 4. Synthsis and preparation to make students into teachers 5. From looking at the Table of Contents consider the following:

Chapter 3: Planning Verbally and Visually and Chapter 4 Progressing through Planning Towards Teaching, and the sections with sample unit planning. Chapter 14: Addressing standards, assessment and accountability
 * 1) Which chapter(s) should you definitely read before you begin the unit project
 * 1) Which chapter(s) will be particularly helpful with planning assessments?


 * 1) Which chapters provide helpful background information for preparing your research essay?

6.Of all the chapters in the book, which one interests you the most? Why? The chapters on unit planning, they seem to be the most concrete and useful.

7. Of all the chapters in the book, which one will you probably not read during this course? Why? Chapter 9: Embracing Diversity

8. What is one section in particular that you would like to discuss further with your content advisor? I’d like to review the unit plan they provide and ask her what she thinks of them.


 * Meeting with Content Area Advisor:**

Tonight the art group met with Kelly at Panera, it was an extremely helpful and productive meeting. Kelly came armed with a bunch of resources and ideas for us to talk about in regards to our research papers. We each took time to discuss topics that we thought we are going to cover in our papers, we discussed how we could incorporate them under one large umbrella of theory/idea. We also briefly discussed some of the practice Kelly has found effective and productive in her classrooms, she shared with us some of her paperwork and her class website.


 * Review of article Persistence of the Five-Paragraph Essay**

The authors main argument is that we are teaching students to be formulaic and not critical thinkers prepared for the 21st century class room by pushing the 5 paragraph essay.
 * 1) What are the author’s main arguments or points?

I think she does, noting that more creative student assignments instead of a standard 5 paragraph essay will prepare students better. The real world does not often involve an exact 5 paragraph essay, by encouraging students to experiment with different paragraph formats, strengthening their communication and overall writing skills.
 * 1) Does he/she support those arguments or points convincingly? Explain.

I think it would be good to stress in any art writing I do that you need to answer the questions fully but that I’m not looking for an exact 5 paragraph format. I honestly hadn’t realized that the 5 paragraph essay was a thing, but its been quite a while since I’ve been in a high school English classroom. I think that I like the idea of using a creative assignment for the students to complete that advances their digital skills, I could see myself having my students create a Weebly instead of using a essay. On the Weebly they could write short bits of information that is cohesive and covers the subject full while practicing their writing and digital skills.
 * 1) How does the information in this reading support what you will do or do in your classroom? Site some specific examples.


 * Outline (sorry for the messed up formatting- it won't transfer correctly)**

i. Paul Abramson notes in his article ‘Art for Education’s Sake’ that even cave people made art, when life was almost solely focused on survival humans still found time to create art. ii. “Art delights, instructs, consoles. IT educates our emotions. And it remembers. As Robert Frost once said about about poetry, “it is a way of remembering that which it would impoverish us to forget.” Art awakens, englarges, refines and restores our humanity.” (Gioia, Dan) i. Advertisements (Irving Penn/Clinque) ii. Music iii. Book Covers/Cd Covers i. No Child Left Behind- i. “A recent bulletin from the Department of Education, for example, tells of schools that ‘provide a sequential and cumulative arts program for students in pre-kindergarten through grade 12.’ The schools, all in Aldine, Texas, were “plagued by low test scores and low school attendance” to reverse that, the district developed an “arts-infused curriculum….founded on research showing that training in the arts could enhance student learning in core academic subjects and could improve school attendance.” “ (Abramson, Paul) ii. “The Department of Education, a proponent of academic testing publushes and example that shows that teaching and emphasizing art can actually increase test scores.” (Abramson, Paul) iii. As reported in Critial Links (2002) “The report identified six key areas that benefit from arts education: reading and language skills, mathematic skills, thinking skills, social skills, motivation to learn and positive school environment.” (Kirkland, Lynn and Manning, Maryann) iv. “Maryann remembers an ESAA project that she worked with in the 1970’s in which low-achieving readers spent time each day in a self-selected area of the arts. The results were miraculous; when students received recognition for singing, playing an instrument, speaking, drama, dancing or the visual arts, their reading and writing skills improved.” (Kirkland & Maryann) i. “First, we will see one that is much richer in multicultural influences and influenced by worldwide artistic practices, de to developments in the communication technologies and a new generation of faculty who are more globally adept and engaged. Fusions of indigenous and traditional art-making within a variety of art forms will be the norm.” i. “…the empowerment of individuals to come to a clearer understanding of their own identities within a complex structure of race, class, gender and power.” (Noel, Jana) ii. “Another student proclaimed, with surprise, that “This prigject was the first time I had chosen to create and then share a piece of art with colleagues. Perhaps I felt that I had something new and original to share with class that was relevant to learning.” i. “…students will have a direct impact on technology which, in turn, will affect curricula and delivery systems.” (Merrion, Margaret) i. Creativity and Innovation ii. Communication and Collaboration iii. Research and Information Fluency iv. Critical thinking, problem solving and decision making v. Digital Citizenship vi. Technology Operations and Concepts i. “In reality, it is no longer possible for every teacher to be an expert in every new technology, and students often possess more expertise than their teachers. “ (Larson, Lotta and Miller, Teresa) i. Achieving success in art can be frustrating for some students who struggle with the traditional ideas of what art is. Some students believe that they must be draw like Michaelanglo in order to be considered a good artist. The addition of technology to a classroom removes some of that pressure and allows students to be more creative and free with their concept of what their art is. ii. Traditional art based forms such as drawing, sculpture and painting should not be wholly ignored as they provide a good basis for students to continue to build on as technology rapidly changes. If they have a strong foundation in these skills they will be able to adapt to new technology.
 * 1) Introduction
 * 2) Art is all around, we often don’t consciously notice it or recognize it’s effects on our lives but it does greatly influence our perception of life.
 * 1) Mention the ways in which art is around us
 * 1) There is a lot of discussion of arming our students with 21st Century Skills, and Arts Education is a vital part: students who experience success in art often turn that into a desire to achieve more in other content areas; arts programs incorporate multicultural aspects into the coursework, making students better citizens of the world; and art programs that expose students to technology serve to make them aware of the many ways that art and technology can provide a richer life.
 * 2) Why art education is important
 * 3) Arts education being cut
 * 1) While art was identified as a core subject instructional time was often cut because of the focus on test scores for English Language Arts and Math
 * 2) “ Most districts that increased time for ELA or math also reported substantial cuts in time for other subjects or periods, including social studies, science, art and music, physical education, recess, or lunch.” (Center on Education Policy)
 * 3) Art improves test scores
 * 1) Multicultural
 * 2) Students are much more aware of multicultural influences and open to the differences in our world.
 * 1) Internet, cell phones, 24 hour news cycle, cable, access to magazines and alternate news sources.
 * 2) Students can use art to explore social justice and the multicultural influences of their own neighborhoods.
 * 1) Goes back to building student confidence which overflows into other content areas and boosts student learning and success in those subjects.
 * 2) Technology
 * 3) Students are extremely technologically savy, they are digital natives and do not remember a time in which people didn’t have easy access to computers, cell phones and the internet
 * 1) Educators will need to adapt their programs to incorporate technology to keep students enaged and further prepare them for the world outside of school.
 * 2) The Partnership for 21st Century Skills, an advocacy organization, believes that there are 6 main skills students need to possess in order to succeed in the 21st century:
 * 1) This means that students need to be prepared for the rapidly changing technology landscape and it’s the responsibility of educators to give students the background and foundation needed to continue to achieve success.
 * 2) Students will have to opportunity to engage in projects and with other people far outside of their own classroom walls due to advances in computers, internet and cell phones.
 * 3) Educators will need to stay on top of technology.
 * 1) Making art more accessible
 * 1) “art educators who spoke with ** eSchool News ** said certain software programs and emerging web-based collaborations are helping establish a strong base of conceptual understanding–regardless of raw manual or technical talent. This enables a far wider range of students to appreciate art.” (Devany, Laura)
 * 1) “We do not eliminate studio processes such as drawing, painting, computer graphics, sculpture, ceramics, or “the basics”.” (Hicks, John M.)

b. Arts education is also important because “There are some truths about life that can be expressed as stories, or songs, or images. You don’t outgrow art. The work can mean something different at each stage of life.” (Gioia, Dana)
 * 1) Closing
 * 2) In closing, students who experience arts education gain so much more than a portfolio of drawings to be hung on their parents refrigerators. They gain confidence in them own creativity which can in turn increase their cognitive abilities and bolster their achievement in other subjects as proven by research. They become citizens of the world by experiencing multicultural aspects of art and explore their own views of the world through their artwork. Lastly, they expand their technological skill set through use of computers, internet and other media devices to increase their knowledge and learning of art. This foundation of technological skills provides them with the framework for continued success in the 21st century.


 * Second meeting with Content Adviser:**

First we talked about our papers, then we started discussing types of specific assessment used in Art. Kelly showed us lots of examples of her tests and worksheets. I found the one she had modified for her Special Education students particularly helpful. It was a modification/accommodation from the main test she gave her students. We talked about what sort of things we'd be focusing on for our assessment assignment and then we also talked briefly about our unit plans.

__**Late Work Reflection:**__

I think late work is something I will struggle with on occasion in the art classroom, especially if I am teaching younger (elementary) students. I know in my last placement in working with younger kids that some of them took longer to finish assignments due to developmental issues (not that they were delayed but rather that they just took longer to complete assignments). Some of the students would run over the assignment deadline because they were being perfectionists, that is a case in which I'd have trouble docking a student points because they handed something in late. I think a large part of exceptions will be if students are working diligently during class time and not goofing off I would accept late work.

If I was teaching on a more advanced level (high school) and can expect students to be able to approach/work on art projects at home I would definitely encourage students who are falling behind to work on their projects after hours.


 * __Unit Plan and Objectives:__**

My unit plan is going be a photography self portrait unit. My rough objectives are: Students will create 3 self portraits Students will explore several artists and their self portraits Students will create a weebly about an artist who does self portraits Students will practice the basic elements of photography

__**Final Meeting with Kelly**__

All the meetings with Kelly have been great. She gave me some really great ideas and insights about modifications for my lesson plans, she basically had a list that she ran down- they were clearly things she's used in her classroom. Another insight she gave me was about the state standards, which was really helpful. I was struggling with the fact that there are large gaps in the information/knowledge gaining process between grades 8 and 12. I also really liked the specific feedback she gave me about my unit plan.

__**Reflection Activity**__ The easiest for me to adapt would be a student who is sick for lessons 1 and 2. I could easily adapt this information by providing the student the powerpoints I reviewed in class as well as spend a little time explaining the Weebly. Assuming the student had internet access outside of the classroom they would be able to complete the work easily outside of class.

I think the hardest one for me to work around would be the lack of computers. My projects rely heavily on computers and there was an assumption I was working in a digital art tech class that would have built in computers. If I didn't have the computers the students wouldn't be able to complete the weebly assignment portion of the unit plan. I think perhaps I could try to sneak them into the library to use the computers or perhaps have them do some research or hand write the projects?

__**Grading**__ I am feeling pretty confident about being able to keep on top of grading, I think it may be easier with art since there is generally less paper and usually if there is it's a couple sheets per project/unit as opposed to being a bunch of worksheets and papers and tests. Perhaps I'm delusional, but again this is something I'm not really going to know until I get into it. I'm hoping this fall to really get into seeing how my students grow over the semester as opposed to my previous grading which I only observed students sparingly and grading was one off.