ARTDevan

Devan Schneider toc

=** 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, J. (2000). //Becoming an art teacher//. Stamford: Wadsworth.


 * __ 2. What is the author’s background in education? __**

Twenty years teaching art in K-12 public schools across the United States. Also taught at a university level, but could not find a book to recommend to students about becoming an art teacher, decided to create one.


 * __ 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? __**

The author made the same early mistakes that most teachers, even art teachers, make. Followed the existing projects that the previous teacher had done, without knowing why.

Formed the book by taking notes about what she recommended to students, pages of notes became longer and longer, eventually turning into chapters that make up the book.


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

1. Preparing for Teaching 2. Moving into the Classroom 3. Expanding into the Outside 4. Seeing the Big Picture


 * __ 5. From looking at the Table of Contents consider the following: __**


 * 1) ** Which chapter(s) should you definitely read before you begin the unit project **

Chapter 4: Progressing Through Planning Toward Teaching
 * Lesson Plans, Components, Strategies, Sequencing Units


 * 1) ** Which chapter(s) will be particularly helpful with planning assessments? **

Chapter 14: Addressing Standards, Assessment, and Accountability
 * Visual Arts Standards, Relating to the Book, Accountability, Portfolios, Outcomes, Grading System


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

Chapter 8: Encouraging Reflection Chapter 10: Making Interdisciplinary Connections Chapter 13: Integrating the Components


 * __ 6.Of all the chapters in the book, which one interests you the most? Why? __**

I am most interested in the chapter (15) that discusses how to prepare for interviews, prepare a resume and statement of philosophy, and prepare a portfolio. This will be most helpful to me when it actually comes time to apply for a job and don’t have an instructor to ask what would be best. Skimming this chapter revealed a wealth of very helpful information.


 * __ 7. Of all the chapters in the book, which one will you probably not read during this course? Why? __**

I will probably only skim the chapter that details how to write a lesson plan and unit (4), as these are topics that we have already covered in depth. I feel confident in these tasks, but might quickly reread to see if there is any new and interesting information.


 * __8.__** **__ What is one section in particular that you would like to discuss further with your content advisor? __**

Chapter 6: Teaching the Language of Vision Any chapter the might help me write my essay (or help choose a topic)

= Content Advisor Meeting =

We discussed several things at our meeting on Wednesday. We went over the textbook, including what specific chapters will help us with our paper, this class, and in the future. Our main focus however, was discussing the paper and how we were going about choosing topics and a thesis. Kelly shared her thoughts on what the trends are in best practice in our field, which was very helpful in determining what articles to focus on. She also shared the specific best practices that she believes every lesson, unit, and field of study should include. This helped us form topics that included classroom practices that are relevant today. For example, I intend to focus on technology. This is really a 21st century skill. Important themes include critical thinking, multiculturalism, global thinking, interdisciplinary skills, etc. Instead of having a broad topic (technology) I am now able to focus on how to fit that topic into something that’s useful in a classroom, a unit, or a broader curriculum. We were able to share our three intended topics, and with Kelly’s help figure out which best practice worked with each topic. After the meeting, I felt as if I had a better handle on what to focus on and how to make it relevant to teaching practice.

Three trends: 21st century Skills, Communication and Collaboration, and Global Perspectives.

=Online Writing Instruction: No Longer a Novelty= by Deb Aronson

ü What are the author’s main arguments or points?

The author, Deb Aronson, argues that educators can create a meaningful space online that can serve as a place for online writing instruction. This online space can take shape in any number of ways, from discussion board to class wikis. She mentions both pros and cons for conducting writing instruction online. On the positive side, teachers take less time grading and passing papers back and forth, shy students become more engaged when writing online, students are more willing to take risks with their writing because of the higher number of graded writing assignments, and finally that because all interactions take place either reading or writing that it provides students with more chances to practice what they are studying; to become better writers. On the other hand, online instruction does end up taking more of the instructor’s time. The time they save not having to “hand” back papers is quickly lost setting up and maintaining the online community. It is also common for administrators enroll more students in online courses than in traditional classroom settings, resulting in more grading and other administrative tasks. The author also notes that several conferences and committees have started to review best practices for online writing instruction, providing guidance for educators who wish to use this method.

ü Does he/she support those arguments or points convincingly? Explain.

These arguments are sufficiently supported with examples and evidence from educators who have used this method to instruct their students. Although the author seems to be in favor of this method, she also presents challenges and past problems that need to be addressed before implementing an online writing curriculum. That beign said, the pros and cons section of the article contains far more pros than cons. The author seems to take the stance that because there is a large amount of evidence regarding different types of face to face writing instruction, that it is necessary to explore new and technology focused methods.

ü How does the information in this reading support what you will do or do in your classroom? Site some specific examples.

In an art classroom, the majority of instruction time should be spent with students using their creativity to produce artworks. However, it is also important for students to be able to communicate their ideas, as well as participate in sharing and critiquing ideas presented by others, whether it is another classmate or an artist from the community. Online writing instruction could benefit students in my content area in the sense that not all students are comfortable sharing their ideas in front of the class, either because they are unsure of their knowledge or because they are sharing very personal influences. If students were given an online outlet to post about their work or the work of others, it would give them an opportunity to do so in a low stress environment in which they are more comfortable. A discussion board and wiki would work perfectly for this type of writing instruction. It could allow students to have a place to post pictures and thoughts without feeling as if it is an essay being harshly graded. I am unsure of how to grade student writing. In the article, one of the teachers is impressed with the quality and quantity of informal writing samples he received. I would have to come up with a grading rationale that balanced the need for students to write clearly and in a way that effectively shares their ideas while also placing the majority of focus on the ideas themselves instead of grammar and composition. After all, I’m not an English teacher but still want to encourage students to be able to write about art in a competent manner. Also, I do not see myself assigning homework to be completed outside of class because most students would not have the necessary materials for certain types of art. Online writing would be something that all students could do outside of the classroom and at any time.

=Outline of Art Research Paper=


 * 1) Introduction

A. As technology begins to play a more important role in our day-to-day lives, we must ask ourselves how we can use the best of these technological developments to boost learning for our arts students.

B. Connector (between attention getter and thesis)


 * 1) Different educational practices and techniques have been shown to further engage students and increase both comprehension and retention of information.

2. By using these practices, we can better prepare our students for both further educational experiences and the ever-changing workforce.

3. Arts education that incorporates technology prepares students to become 21st century learners, which in turn allows them to hone a variety of skills.


 * 1) Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
 * 2) Multiculturalism
 * 3) Real Life Meaningful Work
 * 4) Communication and Collaboration
 * 5) Interdisciplinary Skills

C. Because of the need for students of the arts to utilize tools that allow them to compete in the Information Age, arts educators must incorporate a variety of emerging digital tools in the classroom.

II- Digital Portfolios

A. Digital portfolios utilize any number of digital capturing techniques to store and present student artwork.

1. Students can create digital portfolios in any number of ways. Some educators have utilized very basic digital techniques, having students photograph their pieces and then reviewing them on the camera screen.

2. Others go so far as to have students photograph work, assemble fully interactive websites complete with written descriptions of a students work.

3. Traditional portfolios require students or teachers to save, preserve, and assemble work. They only exist in one instance and are unable to be shared with others. Students are not able to edit and improve upon the portfolio once it has been completed.

B. Authentic Examples of the trend/best practice in the classroom

1. Examples from the following articles

1. Fitzsimmons, D. (2008, Sept). Digital portfolios in visual arts classrooms. //Art Education, 61//(5), 47-53.

2. Roland, C. (2010, Jan). Preparing art teachers to teach in a new digital landscape. //Art Education, 63//(1), 17-24.

2. This trend allows educators to allow students to collaborate, share, and communicate through their portfolios, as well as encouraging critical thinking and problem solving through the assembly of the final product.

III. Interactive Whiteboards

=Assessment Meeting=


 * That to modify assessments for specials needs students requires knowledge of that specific student. Talk to the aide or refer to the IEP and also base it on what you know they can do from classwork. Each student will need a different test every time. This can be a trial and error process. You might design an assessment that ends up being too difficult for the student to complete, or too easy. You have to decide what you want each student to learn and how you can measure that particular student's learning. Kelly noted that this is a work in progress and that when you look at your existing assessment it becomes easier to trim out difficult or wordy material.
 * That there are many different ways to assess art, and that visuals are often a large part of different assessments (instead of just reading and writing) Almost all of Kelly's tests and quizzes included pictures. This was interesting because obviously visuals are an important part of any art class and assessment should reflect this. If you teach students using visuals, then why wouldn't you assess them using visuals. I have used this technique on worksheets and look forward to being able to implement it for quizzes and test

=Late Work Discussion=

After thinking about the policy in this class and discussion with others what their plans are, I think I know what my policy will be. I don’t want to be too lenient or too strict, basically I want to be fair. Especially in an art class, where most projects are done over a period of time, there usually aren’t any surprises at the last minute. I think that my policy will be to see me on an individual basis. That way, students do not perceive the policy as being different for each student. I believe that late assignment must be dealt with on a case-by-case basis. For example a student who had three weeks to complete a painting but shows up with a blank canvas is a different situation than a student who has their clay dragon’s tail fall off the night before it is due. The “see me” policy encourages open communication between the student and the instructor and prepares students for real world interactions with bosses and professors.

I like the idea that once a unit has passed, so has the opportunity to turn in late work. For small assignments, it seems fair to take off 10% each day that it is late, with the maximum being 50% off. That way the student ends up with some points instead of a zero. If a student has late work that requires the classroom materials to complete, then perhaps this is a special situation. They literally couldn’t get it done at home.

=Unit Plan Ideas=

After brainstorming a topic for the unit plan and discussing my ideas with my content advisor, I had narrowed the topics down to two choices. I again decided to focus on the middle school level. One important component to art instruction is culture. Most middle school curriculums contain an ancient civilization unit, but that does not need to be the only cultural instruction that students receive. The following idea would bring culture into the art classroom and expose students to different types of art. It is one thing to teach students how, but quite another to teach the who, what, where, when, and why.
 * 1) Mexican Folk Art: Student would create traditional mexican folk art using copper and aluminum tooling. They would have a choice of subject and material. They would learn about mexican culture, art technique, and also use higher thinking skills to create a character and narrative to use in their artwork
 * Learning Objectives
 * Students will experiment with the techniques and processes for creating tooling artworks
 * Students will explore and discover different components of Mexican folk art and culture, also focusing on legends and icons that can be adapted for their artwork.
 * Students will collaborate with each other to develop the subject of their artwork as well as the story that they will be telling with their piece.

=Unit Plan Meeting=

Kelly has shared many insights with our group over the course of this class. Some of the most helpful ideas have come through working on our assessment and unit plans. Some of the insights from our meeting on Wednesday: = = =Determining Final Grades=
 * It is extremely helpful to have another art teacher read you lesson plans. If they can't figure out how to teach the unit, it doesn't make enough sense. After revising, imagine that an teacher from another content area is reading your plan, revise again so that it makes sense to any teacher.
 * Be careful when using wording that might have been taught before in another context. Ie: if you have taught the students about the elements of design and then use the word element to describe part of a story. To the students, they know the meaning of the word "element" and it doesn't match up with how the teacher is now using the word.
 * Don't be afraid to give homework. If you don't want to overwhelm your students, have them making lists and brainstorming outside of class. This way, they aren't expected to complete a project at home but they are doing parts of a project outside of class, on their own. It is easy to make students accountable for these "thinking" tasks. Require a list of three things, or one paragraph about their ideas.

I am fairly confident that I can grade fairly and evenly for all students. I feel as if many students think you grade based on whether you like them or not. I am not worried about my personal feelings coloring my grading, but want to make sure that there is no perception of favoritism in my classroom. I also feel as if I have the required knowledge to assess my students learning based on the standards. It might be possible for a teacher who does not know their content area to be unsure of what the different levels of achievement might look like. This would be very unfair for students.

I have concerns about my ability to create rubrics that properly assess learning. Art is very subjective, but we can't grade students based on whether they are excellent artists or not. Finding ways to measure learning, achievements, and standards is more important than measuring art ability. I have trouble incorporating student progress into a rubric. It is important to reward students for improvement, but you must also find ways to put this into a rubric without hurting students to might not be progressing as quickly. One other concern I have is how to calculate a final grade. Participation and work in class are very important in an art classroom. How much should this figure into a grade? What if a student produces amazing artwork but does no work in class and goofs off all the time? We should not reward someone for a talent they possess without them putting the work into it. If they can complete a work in five minutes that is the same in quality as a student who worked hard for a week, that doesn't mean they deserve the same grade. Right?