Including Difference: A Communitarian Approach to Art Education in the Least Restrictive Environment
Although there were many ideas discussed in this reading, To best express what I believed the thesis could be, I wanted to include this quote: "Art education has not fully aligned wth the educational efficiency aspirations of standardized assessment. Perhaps in part because of this, the art classroom remains a fertile landscape for diverse and meaningful assessment of student learning, allowing for varied forms of data collection." What I also got out of the reading was figuring out what counted as meaningful assessment in an inclusive art classroom with differently-abled and typically-abled students as well as how to connect student assessment to student learning. I believe this thesis is important for art educators so that we can build our own inclusive environment in our classroom that avoids inequality in assessment. There isn't much about this thesis that troubles me. This connects to my life and work because when I have my own classroom, I want it to be an inclusive environment, a community even. This has been extremely beneficial for me to read since I know in my career, I will be teaching classes where some students learn a little differently that others. I see that it's my job to help those students feel included in a positive and meaningful safe space to explore and learn. I found this reading important since I have had experience being a student in an art classroom like that with my high school art teacher being a person who always wanted everyone to be involved no matter the differences between students. I saw that as a student but I haven't learned much about building that kind of environment as a future educator so reading this has definitely helped. My question for the class is after reading this and thinking upon your own experiences as a student, do you think there could have been anything else the teacher could've done to make the class feel more inclusive for all students?
0 Comments
Reading: Section 1 - Assessment in Art Education: Building Knowledge, 2018
I believe the thesis of the introduction and section 1 was how to successfully assess students in art education grades K-12 and that it is best to gather qualitative information rather than judge skills and concepts by quantification. This thesis is important for future art educators and art students. I couldn't find much about this thesis that I disagreed with. This thesis connects to my life and work because it helps me along in the subject of grading my art students in the future. Grading in an art class is very different from any other class. There's no perfectly correct answer like there would be in a math class. Art is subjective and as a teacher, I have to know how I can assess my students' work fairly and successfully. From this reading, I really liked that the author/authors emphasized that assessment of art students should be gathered qualitatively instead of quantitively. I also loved the idea of using sketchbooks as a tool for them to explore their own art outside of the classroom, and when the author talked about students self-assessing their own work made in the classroom based on their effort. I thought this was great to kind of engage students and making them a part of the assessment process. Nicole Packard (2018) Art for Social Justice Change: Exploring Social Justice Art in the Sixth Grade Classroom
This thesis was stating that the art education curriculum should shed light on the importance of connecting art projects to issues that the students feel are important. This thesis, like the last reading's thesis is important for future and current art educators. There isn't anything that really troubles me about the author's thesis. The reading definitely connects to my life as an art educator who wants to bring attention to social issues in the classroom and produce lessons and class discussions on which issues are important to them and what they'd like to do to make positive change. I particularly liked the part in this reading where one of her students named Anna wanted to portray the issue of homelessness in her piece. I like that the author included her mistake of assuming that her student needed to portray a homeless person in a certain, stereotypical way when the student had her own vision of how she saw homelessness. I liked this because it's really important to listen to your students and how they want to portray something and their reasoning behind it. The only question that I have is...What are other ways in which we can create art projects to initiate real change? even if just in their community similar to the paws donations. Nicole Tucker (2018) Art Activism Matters: Implementing Social Justice Art Pedagogy
The thesis of this reading was stating an experience of investigating the effects of social issues students' motivation and engagement in the art classroom. This thesis is important for future art educators. This thesis is important because it emphasizes the importance of young people noticing problems in the world and being comfortable enough to express their feelings and thoughts towards those issues. I didn't really have any troubles regarding this thesis or the reading in general. The main proposition of this reading strongly impacts and connects to my own life and work as I become an art educator. In my own work, I would love to make my own classroom to feel like a safe space for students to be themselves, express their feelings, and this reading gave me that same idea but for them to feel safe expressing how they feel towards current social issues. She talked about an author she referenced who expressed "...the importance of students bringing their unique voices to the table, creating safe spaces for students to process and reflect on social issues." (p. 4). I enjoyed the reading also because in my own work as an artist, I struggle to make work that relates to social issues. I would love to make work that connects to people a little more, showing my reactions to real world problems and I think that if I did something like this in my art classes as a student, it would improve my awareness of current issues and ways that I could do my part in spreading that awareness through artwork. Reading: The thesis of this reading is how a big idea dealing with human issues can strongly influence artists and art students and get them to think a little deeper into the choices they make in their work. I believe this message is important not only for students and artists but for art educators. I especially enjoyed reading when the undergraduate student/ future art educator tried to base a lesson from Andy Goldsworthy''s work and his big idea. He misunderstood what Goldsworthy's big idea was but this was a mistake that I think a lot of other art educators would make in trying to base a lesson around what you believe the artist's big idea or theme is. It's important to completely understand what the artist is going for so when you teach a lesson focused on the artist's main idea, you can do everything possible to give the students the experience of making something inspired by their idea. Big Idea: Vanessa German, Decoy: What Side of The Bed Does Your Soul Wake Up On, 2018, Mixed media assemblage
Bid Ideas: Emotion, Power, Dark vs. Light, Found Objects, Childhood Probing Questions: What makes the figures power figures? What story is the artist trying to tell? What do you think of the idea of using found objects to make art? http://www.carlhammergallery.com/artists/vanessa-german https://youtu.be/8U6KkT6MioQ
Curator Statement: The Pen is Mightier explores the anonymous letters placed in the golden envelopes read aloud and the handwritten messages in them during the Overlap: Live Tapestries exhibition. The golden envelopes held handwritten letters addressed specifically to the artwork displayed in the gallery and this takes a closer look at some of them while showing the unique styles of handwriting.
Find Cards: Find a style of handwriting that stuck out to you or a letter read aloud that caught your attention. How did it make you feel? Can you relate it to your life? Reflect on how this may have affected your mood. Exhibition Poster: Individuality/Uniqueness
- individuals' handwriting - similar to fingerprints - signature - different languages and forms of writing - artwork expresses individuality - handwriting as a form of art Focus: Handwriting - letters in golden envelopes - stylized writing - some legible, some not - each envelope is different, each person is different, each person's handwriting is different https://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/03/science/whats-lost-as-handwriting-fades.html Abstract: In our data visualization for our 360-degree video, we want to emphasize that handwriting has been lost in the midst of such advanced technology. It seems to not matter as much anymore. As children, some of us grew up learning how to write our name, write letters, and write in cursive. Today, it doesn't seem to matter as much, when we want to write a letter or a paper, we type it, even applications are mostly online now. Also, signatures are becoming the only thing most write a lot of the time. We noticed how refreshing and exciting it was to look through the handwritten letters addressed to the artworks since it's not something we see anymore. It was interesting to see the different types of handwriting and style each had and we wanted to explore that deeper as a form of art and expression of individuality. We hope that our data shown accurately displays this exploration. Five things I want my students to learn/practice: 1) Self-Expression, to be unafraid to express thoughts, ideas, beliefs 2) Confidence, to be proud of themselves and their work 3) Inclusion/Acceptance, to include every student and to be accepting of every student 4) Building a community of art makers, to encourage, support, and help each other in the classroom 5) To take risks, to be unafraid of making mistakes Around 2025, I imagine myself as an art educator in an elementary school classroom. It's a big public school. I have my own classroom. There are multiple tables with four to a table, facing each other. There's a diverse group of students. It's never really a quiet classroom. We're always open to discussions and sharing of creative thoughts, ideas, and opinions. There's a large window looking outside of the building. I have made signs of encouraging messages scattered throughout the room. The room is messy of course but that makes it even better, especially while I have a variety of art materials organized throughout the room. Looking back on experiences I've had in previous art classes through the years, I remember small things that mostly involve the inspiring art educators that have guided my way to my intended career path. In elementary school, I remember making a sgraffito seahorse on rainbow paper that might've been the first thing I've ever been proud of making. I want to involve students in projects where they can find ways to learn new techniques to make beautiful things and to be proud and impressed with themselves like I was that day. In middle school, I remember that my art teacher would always go out of her way to encourage other students, compliment them or just say something to make someone's day. The first day I met her she said, "Oh Lacie! That's a lovely name, that's a name I'll see in lights one day." Her infectious personality did help most of the students create this sense of community, that we always spoke words of encouragement, and sometimes gave helpful suggestions, it made a more pleasant experience during the school day. She'd also ask us after every project, what grade we'd give ourselves. For some reason, I always said a B or C, because I didn't think I truly deserved the A, but she'd prove me wrong, showing me all of the things she was proud of when she viewed my work. She always had a way of boosting students' self-confidence. I knew that I wanted to be like that, I wanted to put a smile on my students' faces any chance I'd get to teach them. My very last high school art teacher was similar to the one I'd had in middle school but she had to deal with a time in my life that was particularly hard for me but she always encouraged me despite the doubts I'd had in myself while also pushing me to improve day to day. I always liked to stick to what I already knew but she'd show me different methods of doing things, she taught me not to be so stiff and worrisome when making something didn't turn out the way I originally planned. She taught me to take risks by encouraging me to think more creatively. She was also always someone students could go to, her classroom was a safe space with no judgments, and only kind words and that was everything to me at that time, that a teacher could go out of her way to provide a learning environment like that where students could feel free to express themselves and become better versions of themselves. Teaching in 2025: When I imagine teaching in the future and how technology in general and in the art world will progress, I know that I will have my students dabble with a lot of new techniques and trends but will also stick with and appreciate traditional art practices. I also would want the students to explore different mediums and media and integrate that into our class. For example, creative writing, film/documentation, digital art, etc. link to animation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eM2m4Rz_Eg8 Title: Safe Space Main Concept: One of the most powerful things about art education is that experiencing art and making art can help heal. For many, an art classroom may feel like a safe space where students feel that they can truly be themselves without judgment or boundaries. It's a place where people can let anxieties of life go, take risks, and create something beautiful and interesting. The purpose of this encounter will be to illustrate the power of the art classroom being a safe space for students to express how they feel. Students/participants will have an experience, maybe unsettling or uncomfortable kind of like a haunted house but not nearly as extreme before entering the other half of the art house where it will be an open, safe space to view art and reflect on the experience and how they felt about viewing the work after. Process: 1) Students/participants will be be told through signs to go into the art house. 2) They may experience some discomfort at first as going through the house they may feel a sense of awkwardness or discomfort. 3) The next part of the walkway will be lighter, and more colorful, with beautiful artwork to look at before coming out. 4) Students/participants will then be asked to recall/reflect their thoughts and feelings throughout their experience through drawing, poem, phrase, etc. on the sheet or on a separate piece of paper. Materials: 1) big cardboard 2) dark sheet or fabric 3) light sheet or fabric 4) sheets of paper 5) writing utensils: pens, pencils, markers 6) some kind of light source
|
LACIE SOLTArchives
May 2019
Categories |