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M6U4A3:  Teacher Evaluation

Teacher observations are a great way to gain insight and feedback on how an instructor is doing in the class. A pretty standard system includes a pre-observation, observation, and a post-observation. The pre-observation is designed to help the teacher build a rapport with the observer and lay out the expectation of the teacher and their performance. During the observation, the teacher should prepare ahead of time and make a backup in case the lesson doesn’t go as plan. The post-observation is the most critical. It gives the teacher a chance to explain the decisions she made in the lesson. This lets the teacher explain any unexpected changes in the lesson. The end result is usually weighted in various ways so to have different measures to hold the teacher accountable.

Ohio Teacher Evaluation System (OTES).

One of the systems is the OTES.The school district can choose between 1 of two frameworks. The original was a (50+50) and the new one is a (50+35+15). The original framework looks at 50% of the teacher performances on the standard and 50% on the student growth measure. The alternative looks at 50% the teacher performance on standards, 35% of the student growth that is measured and the last 15 % looks at alternative components. The alternative components can include, student surveys, teacher self-evaluation, peer review evaluation, student portfolios, and district-determined components. They have a mid-year review and conferences which include a pre-conference, observation, and a post-conferences along with a completed performance rubric. The final review is the same but also includes a written report.

Teacher Effectiveness System in Act 82

The Pennsylvania State Education Association created a new system back in 2013.  A school district in PA can choose between several evaluation models. One of them is the Teacher Effectiveness System in ACT 82. It is a little different compared to OTES. It is a 50+20+15+15 system. The 50% is the teacher observation. Elective data is 20% which includes the district to designed measures and examinations along with nationally recognition standardized tests.  Building level data makes up 15% which includes the academic growth of the student and the last 15% is teacher specific data. This includes student performance on assessments and student learning the objective process.

Personally, It seems that the Teacher Effectiveness System in Act 82 is more critical on teachers. Compared to the OTES, they take in consideration of the standardized testing of the students. I think this could possibly hurt the way teachers educate their students. Currently, at my school, we teach for the test and at the end of the day, the students never had the time to actually build a base for the knowledge. Instead, it was crammed and dumped because it was for a test. It may not be the case with every teacher, but it seems like a system that could encourage that style of teaching. I prefer the OTES 50+35+15 split. It seems to offer more reflections from both the students and the teachers. I think it is so important to have those in a teacher evaluation because it shows how well the teacher connects with the students. At the end of the day, a student would learn better from a teacher they like instead of one they hate.

References

Pa.gov. (n.d.). Classroom Teaching Professionals . Retrieved May 27, 2017, from http://www.education.pa.gov/Teachers%20-%20Administrators/Educator%20Effectiveness/Pages/Classroom-Teachers.aspx#tab-1

Ohio Department of Education. (n.d.). Teacher Evaluations. Retrieved May 27, 2017, from http://education.ohio.gov/Topics/Teaching/Educator-Evaluation-System/Ohio-s-Teacher-Evaluation-System

(n.d.). Retrieved May 26, 2017, from https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/preparing-for-formal-observations

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M6U2A3: Pre-Assessment for Differentiation

From the selection of the Teacher Work Exemplars, I picked kindergarten level teaching colors. I ultimately want to teach high school level art but currently, our hagwon has kindergartners who are learning color.  With that, I made a Quizlet to pre-assess the kindergarteners to see if they know the basic colors. Quizlet is a wonderful tool where the students can take the time to learn, use flashcards, and take the quiz. The teacher can also get immediate results to gauge how the class is doing. 

Scores 5 students answered most, of the pre-assessment questions correctly. 12 students have some knowledge about the topic as shown in their score, but need to develop higher order thinking skills. 5 students appear to have limited knowledge about the topic.

For the high scoring group of 5, the next step with them will be to mix colors. This will be the start of learning the basics of primary and secondary colors by listening to the primary color song. They will be asked to review all of the colors as practice and then they will be given red, blue, and yellow clay. They then will have to make the rest of the vocabulary words (orange, green, purple).

For the students who scored in the middle ( the 12 students), they will review the flashcards one more time on Quizlet. This is to make sure they remember all of the colors. Next, they will be split into groups. Each group will have the vocabulary words on a piece of paper. They will go around the room and match the word with colors in the classroom.

For the students who need help, they will learn the colors one more time on Quizlet and practice the colors with the teacher. They then will read a book on colors with the small group. 

Everyone will come back together to share what they learned. The low group will start with reading the book to the class and practice their spelling with the class. The second group will show examples around the classroom and how they labeled the room. The third group will teach the class how to make the colors using clay.  By splitting up the class, it gives the students more time to focus individually on the next step for them personally. 

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High Stake Assessments

Korea is known for their obsession with testing. I currently teach middle school students who are stressed for their high school exams. Later on in their educational career, they can take the SAT. The SAT is not what Americans would be familiar with. It stands for the Samsung Aptitude Test. Scoring well on this test means not only are the students well educated but they have the ability to move up in society. Working for Samsung is a status symbol and it’s common for parents and teachers alike to put the pressure on their students to do well.

So how hard is this test?

A mock test of 10 questions was released from NPR to give English speakers a chance to try out their abilities.

I wanted to give it a shot to see if I was worthy of Samsung. The questions were expected with solving math problems. Others made the test taker think in three dimensions and really push the ability to think differently. Sadly, I scored only a measly 40% which measured out to be closer to the average of people who have taken this test. Out of 7,061 people, only 121 gotten between a 90%-100% on the mock test. Give it a shot yourself!

This was a fun little quiz, but this is the reality that faces my students. If one of my students got 40% on their score, the repercussions are astronomical.

The SAT test is a high stake test, but it not required to be taken by all students. The CSAT is the college scholastic aptitude test and all students feel the pressure of doing well on the tests.  On the day of the test, the city provides more buses and subway lines so the students can get to the testing centers. They even stop planes from flying over the centers to ensure the students can focus.(T.K., 2011)  The test itself is 8 hours long and students have been studying for it since middle school. If the student is successful and does well on the test, then they can go to the top universities in the country. If they fail or not do as well as they can, they can retake the test, but they must wait one full year before doing so.  With such high stakes, there have been severe consequences such as 48% of students have contemplated suicide from stress.(Power, 2010) They spent on average 7.6 hours a day studying for the test. (Lee, 2011)

The test can create a lot of stress for the teachers. They mostly teach for the test to a class of 40 to 45 students. Because of the class size, it is very hard to differentiate the learning. Often parents send their student to hagwons (cram schools) to help boost their students chance of doing well on the test. (Power, 2010) Some have critiqued the schools where they have hurt the idea of learning because they want to rather they learn because they need to.

It is also stressful for the teachers.  In 2016 there were accusations that unionized teachers taught students who ultimately did worst on their CSAT exams. Data was collected from the test scores and the names of the teachers have been made public. The rationale behind it was so the parents would know what results the teacher’s education would be given to their child. The list was eventually pulled due to the court demanding it to be removed or to pay a hefty fine of $27,000 USD. (Lee, 2010)

From the research that I gathered and the personal experience of living in Korea for three years, it seems that the high stakes CSAT test are too stressful. There doesn’t seem to be any flexibility or alternatives like there are in the states. Here in Korea, social status really affects the education and reinforce the stress of success. I’m not saying the U.S.A. doesn’t have similar social standards but it seems that the students in Korea are so focused on this test that they are suffering mentally from the whole process. There is a time and place for high stakes test, but not when it causes such high levels of unhealthy stress.

When I was a student, I remember vividly the PSSA (Pennsylvania System of School Assessment) testing. It was administered to 11th graders school-wide over the course of a few days. I remember being stressed on how important it was for our school to do well. They promised more technology paid by the state for doing well. Even then, it seemed more like a practice for the SATs or ACTs that some of us will take later that year.

On testing days, the Freshman got to have extended study hall during the test, while the 10th graders started practicing for the test. The seniors were the lucky ones and had a half day. It was a right of passage for seniors to go out for brunch before class to blow off some stress that comes with graduation. Compared to the CSAT in Korea, it really doesn’t seem that stressful. But how has it changed since I was in school?

For one thing, in the state of Pennsylvania, only 3rd graders and 8th graders are taking the standard PSSAs. 11th-grade students are still taking a test, but it has been refurbished and adopted a new name called “The Keystone Exams.” The test covers algebra 1, biology and literature. It was thought to have the score count for 30% of the student’s final grade, but in the end, it was left up to the school whether it would hold weight or not.  For the class of 2016-2017, it is now a graduation requirement to pass all subjects or else they will not be able to graduate. It will also be reflected in their transcripts. (PSEA,2016)This was not a requirement when I was in school. Also, students who are taking International Baccalaureate, or Advanced placement Algebra, Biology, or Literature, can skip the Keystone test for that subject.The results of the tests are used to rank the schools. It is also used as a factor for the required annual teacher evaluation ratings. (Hardy,2015)

In order to teach to the new test, some schools said they had to make sacrifices. Most of the sacrifices made by the school were cutting down on art, music, physical education and social studies. It should also be noted that colleges don’t look at PSSA/Keystone test scores. This could also be a reasoning why some of the test scores haven’t been high and students not taking it seriously enough. While students may not view it as a critical high stake exam, it seems that the teachers and administration does, especially if it is taking away from other subjects. There have been further complaints from teachers that they feel that they need to “teach to the test.” Students have also noticed, due to teachers needing to skip around the material to make sure all of the information was covered. This can hurt the logic behind setting up a unit plan in the first place. Others have also complained that teaching for the test can halt actual learning. Yes the students could score well, but that doesn’t mean they understand the material. (DeJesus, 2011) It seems that for high stakes test comes with a lot of negativity. Yes, they are a good measure of a big population, but between the stress and the burden to teach to the test, it seems a bit counter intuitive. Maybe it is the way that the tests are designed. Maybe they should not just test for information but more on skill sets, abstract thinking and reasoning. Maybe there is a way to lessen the burden of high stakes testing.

References

DeJesus, I. D. (2011, April 18). Pennsylvania System of School Assessment tests require sacrifices in lessons, teachers say. Retrieved May 06, 2017, from http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2011/04/pennsylvania_system_of_school.html

Hardy, D. (2015, November 17). Keystone exams: Questions and answers. Retrieved May 06, 2017, from http://thenotebook.org/latest0/2015/11/17/keystone-exams-questions-and-answers

Lee, J. (2011, November 13). South Korean students' 'year of hell' culminates with exams day - CNN.com. Retrieved May 06, 2017, from http://edition.cnn.com/2011/11/10/world/asia/south-korea-exams/

Lee, T. (2010, May 05). Unionized teachers blamed for poor CSAT scores. Retrieved May 06, 2017, from http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2016/10/113_65406.html

Power, J. (2010, November 22). Students speak out on exam stress. Retrieved May 06, 2017, from http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20101118000821

PSEA. (2016, September). Understanding Pennsylvania's Keystone Exams. Retrieved May 06, 2017, from https://www.partnersforpubliced.org/PartnersForPE.aspx?id=12131

T.K. (2011, November 11). Can You Go to College in Korea? (Take the Exam!). Retrieved May 06, 2017, from http://askakorean.blogspot.kr/2011/11/can-you-go-to-college-in-korea-take.html

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Project Based Learning Lesson Plan - an Innovative Teaching Strategy

For Activity 2 of Module 5, Unit 5, we had to create a lesson plan using innovation strategies for our class. My first thought was to incorporate more technology and make it a very digital heavy lesson, but technology is only great when it is used appropriately. In my hypothetical art class, using technology wouldn’t make the students get a better understanding of the material. Instead, having them make it themselves will. I chose to do a project based learning lesson to help the students achieve a higher understanding of the material.

In the previous lesson, the students looked at artist statements and summarized them in their own words. They also defined the meaning of “concept” and began to relate it to art. The standard that we are looking at states,

HSP.1.6 Describe and analyze the way the elements of art- color, value, and texture are used to convey an intended concept based on works of art found in the classroom, in art reproductions, in students’ own work, during online research, or a museum visit.

In order for the students to look at intended concepts and analyze them using, color, value, and texture, they should make their own works of art under these conditions. For the student to understand other artists intended concept, they should form their own to see what the work requires to write one, create the artwork based off of it and see how it changes over time, if it does at all.

The benefit of project based learning this way is that the students can make the project relatable to themselves. They are required to make a visual piece that represents who they are as a person. They have the chance to express who they are both visually and verbally in their statement. Often it is easier to draw from what you know so students will have an easier time drawing from their own interest. In this way, the goal is to bring an understanding of how they use the elements to show an idea to better help them look at other work that looks different but made out of the same conditions.

By making their work as well, can help bring insight to how others might work or may work in a different way. It also leaves the students room to interpret the directions in their own way to create something unique to them. This also brings a set of skills setting realistic goals and reflecting on how they change which can be applied across different subjects. Also, a huge benefit that we often forget about is that making things like in project-based learning is fun! It lets the students play around and explore new ideas. It can get them excited to come to the class which is sometimes half the battle.

The drawback of this specific project based learning is having the students care more about the process of making and not the analytical and academic side of the project. It also doesn’t guarantee that the students will understand their peers intended concepts more. The idea is to walk them through the process to later help them describe and analyze work but unless that is very clear, I can see how students might struggle with that portion of the project. To make sure the students do not struggle, I need to make clear objectives as to why we are doing this project and the intended purpose for each step along the way. That way the students can keep the end goal in the back of their mind while they are creating their artwork. Project-based learning can also stress some students out more. There isn’t a concrete yes or no answer. Where some students might enjoy exploring and trying new things, not everyone will agree. For the students who might struggle with such a broad topic, it would be best to have a separate rubric or a sheet breaking down guidelines to be more specific. It would also help for myself as the teacher, to let them write their own rules to follow. This way it might help relieve some anxiety with an open-ended project.

Resources

Maryellen, W. (2009, November 12). Problem-Based Learning: Benefits and Risks. Retrieved April 28, 2017, from https://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/effective-teaching-strategies/problem-based-learning-benefits-and-risks/

Pascual Print article, P. (n.d.). Project-based learning: the pros and cons. Retrieved April 28, 2017, from http://www.greatschools.org/gk/articles/project-based-learning/

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Lesson Plan Incorporating Multicultural Perspective

The wonderful advantage of art is that it can be very seamless to incorporate diversity into the curriculum. Art is created all over the world and can immediately reflect the cultural and history of a group of people.  Art can be a form of telling about history or what people view as important. For my second lesson plan, the students need to summarize different artist statements. I want them to have an artist from a different background from them. My goal is to have the students summarize a different artist from every continent. When the students share their work with the class, we will have a little more insight from different perspectives around the world.

I think it is important to have them learn about someone completely different from them to help open up the conversations about the similarities and differences within our own community. While one student may have an artist who is vastly different from them, another student in the class might be able to relate to that artist more. It can help promote conversations that start with art and can extend into sharing their own culture, ideas and views on what is important. I have seen before in classes where students are shy about sharing where they’re from, especially when different cultures are not brought up as often as they could. This can be the starting point for students to share more about themselves and their backgrounds. While this lesson doesn’t share the student’s personal backgrounds, this lesson can help the students feel comfortable and promote further conversations about diversity and their culture in the future.

We do not live in a vacuum and often times education is taught from only one perspective. How can we keep students engaged if we can’t relate the content to them? It is so important to show different views to reach out to students of all backgrounds. The more connections the students can make a subject about their personal lives, the more they can use the information they learn in class. It will stick with them longer and become valuable. In the opposite direction, it is important to introduce new places, topics, and ideas from different perspectives and places to help bring empathy and understanding to others. This is a lesson that goes beyond art but art can be a tool to introduce this life long lesson.

Through learning about an artist that comes from a different background, they will be asked to see how where they live affects their concepts of art. This means the student will have to begin to try to put themselves in their shoes to help bring understanding to the art, the statement and the artist’s concepts. This will help develop cultural competence. I think another way to help further develop cultural competence is allowing the students to ask a lot of questions. Being curious can promote more conversations and springboard not only for more ideas for their art but also gain insight into another part of the world. It can be something to bring back to their own community. One way to have them thinking about asking questions is to have them write questions down in their daily reflections. The ultimate goal is to be able to have either someone from the class of a similar background be able to answer or bring in a guest speaker or the artist themselves to share their experiences. It can show how the experiences they have are very connected to the art they make.

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Reflecting on Your Teaching

For filming my lesson, I wasn’t allowed to film my students due to various school rules. I also currently do not teach high school students and the lesson that I designed was meant for that age group. Instead, I asked two of my co-workers to participate in my mock class. I also originally wanted to have a powerpoint but due to the restraints of the classroom and time limit, I had to print out the material and tape it to the board. Overall, I’m pleased with how they responded to the lesson and activities. When we had to film a lesson earlier in the module, I struggled to feel comfortable teaching adults when it was clear the lesson was meant for younger students. This time around, it felt more natural. That may be due to unpacking the standard  back in unit 1 or being more confident in the material that I’m presenting. Regardless, there were good qualities and things that I can work to improve upon.

Did students meet the objectives of the lesson?

The objective of the lesson was to have the students by the end of the lesson, all of the students in the proficiency art class will be able to remember and understand the 7 elements of art by looking at examples and creating their own work. To me, it seems that they were halfway there with understanding. I think when I planned the lesson, I didn’t take into account time as much as I could have. It would have taken at least two class periods to have them learn the elements, play the game, and make artwork. Through the formative assessments of the game and then later reflecting upon their answers, it seems that both students were understanding the definitions and beginning to see there can be more than one answer. This was evident in the second round of the game.  They were talking to each other about the pictures and giving various reasons why they believed each picture belong specifically to which element of art. So for the lesson that I taught that day, it seems like they understood that labeling the elements can sometimes be objective, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they remember the definitions.  I think that there will need to be another activity or another formative assessment to make sure they remember the vocabulary.

Were students engaged? In what part of the activities were they most productively engaged?

The students were fully engaged when they were in the draw it activity, group discussions and playing the matching game. They had to actively participate in order for the lesson to continue to move on. One way that I tried to keep them engaged was to have them answer specific questions when they turned to talk to their partner. While I was teaching the elements of art, my students were still engaged because they weren’t real high school students and were helping me out with my video. I have a feeling that is where some students in real life would tend to space out. I wanted to keep them engaged by having them read out some of the definitions, but I think I’ll need to keep thinking and revisiting this part of the lesson to keep them with the material. The activity they were engaged because they physically had to move the pieces around to solve the problem. They also had to talk with each other to make sure they agree with where they put the matching pieces. I think for this part of the lesson the students were engaged for most of the class. I still think it would not be exactly that case with actual high schoolers and I believe I’ll have to revisit how I’d teach the elements to them.

What concepts/information did you have to clarify? Why were they not initially clear and how they might eliminate the need for clarification in the future?

Each element of art has its own sets of sub-rules and categories. I have a feeling that this could have been broken down visually better. This is where a tool like Prezi or an interactive mind map would be helpful to show the different tiers of information relating to each element. In my mind, I didn’t initially review it with the students because I knew they had no previous background and I didn’t want to overwhelm them. However, it might have been helpful to show the examples and explain to them that we will review those parts another class in more detail. The reason why I think this may have been a problem was because one of my students was confused with the element called space. Space can refer to both positive and negative space, but also how space is handled on a picture plane. This means a painting can not have a lot of difference in positive and negative space but still have a sense of space. In the lesson, I compared this to looking down a train tracks and how it looks like they disappear. That feeling when someone is looking at a picture is also space. I think I would need to be clearer with that in the future. Again, this could be done through better visuals that break the different components of space down further, along with the other elements.

Do you need to re-teach or further modify for some or all learners?

In the mock lesson that I taught, I didn’t need to modify for the learners or really re-teach the information. If I had a real class of students, I think it would be a different case. The lesson that I taught would be day one of the lesson. The next day I think we’d have to go and review again what they are. I think another way that I could modify the lesson is for a bigger class, I could have multiple games set up at the tables going on all at the same time. For students who are struggling to visually see the elements, I could have a matching game that has more rounds and builds up to the harder pictures in more steps. I could also sit down with them and explain my thought process behind each piece and then have them do the same. For students who are getting the information quickly, I could give them challenging pictures to match that are a bit more ambiguous.

What would you do differently the next time you teach this lesson?

If I didn’t have access to the projector, I think I’d made the examples on poster boards that I could flip over and later be able to display in the classroom during the entirety of the unit. I really didn’t like how messy it was to take the tape down for the information. I think it disrupted my flow for teaching and slowed me down a bit. With poster boards, I could even pass them around to the students to have them get a better look so they can see what I’m talking about clearly. I think I would also have them re-write the definitions from memory and/or summarize each definition in their own words then compare it to the definition from the powerpoint/handout. I think this may be a good way to see if they actually remember the meanings and understand what it means.

After they turned and talked to their partner, I think I would have the other person summarize what their partner said instead of the student explaining it themselves. This way it will make sure that they are paying attention to their partners. Also maybe as a differentiation for the draw it activity if it is a higher level class, have it be a stream of consciousness and not give any hints, but for a lower class, mention that there are 7 elements.

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Differentiating for and Anticipating Student Needs

The school that I currently work at doesn’t have a huge difference when it comes to its demographic. I also aim to teach high school level art classes. For this assignments, I picked 3 hypothetical students to based my answers on.

HSP.1.6 Describe and analyze the way the elements of art- color, value, and texture are used to convey an intended concept based on works of art found in the classroom, in art reproductions, in students’ own work, during online research, or a museum visit.

Imogene Imogene is a bright student who scores above average in both reading and math. She often goes above and beyond the assignments. She has high parental involvement. She is also disabled and paralyzed from the  waist down and is wheelchair bound

Learning Profile: Imogene is a visual learner. For her, it would be best to include pictures in her note taking. Most visual learners want to know the “why” behind learning, so as a teacher, providing a “why” for each lesson might cut back on possible future frustrations or confusion.

In the physical classroom: Asking Imogene in the beginning of the school year what kind of assistance she needs. As a teacher, making sure to kneel down to talk to her at eye level. Clear a path in the classroom so Imogene can get supplies easily on her own.

Readiness: High level of understanding For the exit cards in class, give her an exit card that is more challenging. 

Interests: Imogene really loves color and using it in her work. Throughout the unit, it would help Imogene to show her examples of works of art that relate to the topic as well as has a strong use of color. Also, use it as a form of challenge. Encouraging Imogene to create complex colors in her work will help her push ideas and concepts.

Alfredo Alfredo is an ELL student who speaks Spanish at home. He averages in reading performance and above average in math. He has average parental involvement and no internet at home.

In the physical classroom: It would be helpful to have Alfredo seated in the classroom where he can clearly see the board and hear the teacher. This will cut down on confusion and help him understand the tasks.

Readiness: Average level of understanding: For exit cards with introducing new vocabulary, some of the harder vocabulary that Alfredo doesn’t understand would be translated on the bottom of the card.

Interests: Alfredo is very proud of his heritage. It would be helpful to show him examples of art created by an artist who is also native Spanish speakers and second generation Americans. It will also be good for the rest of the class to learn more about Alfredo and other artists that they typically might not come across themselves.

Learning Profile: Alfredo is an auditory learner. He would learn best in small group discussions instead of giving him a list of vocabulary to learn. Also if confusion arises, as a teacher I will try to explain it verbally. For further research, instead of having him read books on an artist, I would suggest listening to podcasts.  

Jack  Jack is below grade level in both reading and math. He has low parental involvement along with no internet access at home. 

In the physical classroom: Jack would work best being close to the teacher. That way if he has questions or needs further explanation, the teacher can do so without much interference.

Readiness :Low level of understanding: For the exit cards in the class, give him a card that is asking more building questions that help him break down the bigger questions. This may mean, giving him more steps before completing a big task.

Interests: Jack is really into mechanics. There are many forms of art that are based on the ideas of mechanics such as Kinetic art or even 2D works such as Cubism. A lot of it comes from the constructivist movements. It can help Jack pull inspiration from previous artwork to help him succeed in the class.

Learning Profile: Jack is a kinesthetic learner. As a teacher, Jack would benefit from moving more around the classroom. Setting up stations in the classroom for him to work on will help him. Jack would benefit with also making 3D sculptures when appropriate which can push the ideas of the assignments. Physically manipulating the material can help Jack understand the assignment as well as push his ideas

Resources

ACSD. (n.d.). Differentiated Instruction Resources. Retrieved April 14, 2017, from http://www.ascd.org/professional-development/differentiated-instruction-campign.aspx

Child1st. (n.d.). 6 Highly Effective Strategies for Teaching Visual Learners. Retrieved April 14, 2017, from https://child1st.com/blogs/resources/113577735-6-highly-effective-strategies-for-teaching-visual-learners

International Learning Styles. (n.d.). Auditory Learning Strategies for People Who Prefer to Begin by Listening. Retrieved April 14, 2017, from http://www.ilsa-learning-styles.com/Learning Styles/Multi-Sensory Approaches to Learning/Auditory Learning Strategies.html

Kinesthetic Learning Strategies. (n.d.). Activities to Help Tactile Learners. Retrieved April 14, 2017, from http://www.kinestheticlearningstrategies.com/

The Art Story . (n.d.). Kinetic Art Movement, Artists and Major Works. Retrieved April 14, 2017, from http://www.theartstory.org/movement-kinetic-art.htm

Watson, S. (2014, June 11). Tips For Working with Students in Wheelchairs. Retrieved April 14, 2017, from https://www.thoughtco.com/working-with-students-in-wheelchairs-3111137

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Thinking Like an Assessor

HSP.1.6 Describe and analyze the way the elements of art- color, value, and texture are used to convey an intended concept based on works of art found in the classroom, in art reproductions, in students’ own work, during online research, or a museum visit.

The standard that I chose to unpack was from the Office of the State Superintendent of Education in Washington DC. Standards for art are not broken down by specific grades, but instead by skill levels of proficiency, accomplished and advance levels. The standard HSP.1.6 is for a proficient art level in high school.  In order to make sure the students understand the content, they should be both formative and summative assessments. I created 5 different objectives for the standard.

Formal Assessment: Sketchbook writing

Throughout all of the objectives, the students will constantly be using their sketchbooks to write down definitions, questions, meanings, and short essays. In objective three, the students will define the meaning of the word “concept” and how it relates to art and meaning into their sketchbook. Along with writing the definition, the students will be asked to brainstorm various ideas and examples to help relate the content. They will also use the sketchbooks to write short essays and summaries. The students are also required to write down questions they may have. The teacher can directly write the questions back in the student’s sketchbooks which can be used for reference later.  The sketchbooks create a private dialogue between the student and the teacher.

Sketchbook writing also occurs in objective four In objective 4, the student will actively write down their physical process of making art along with their mental thought process. It is very important for the students to not only write down what they’re doing but also how they are thinking. This is a good insight for the teachers to gauge how informed the students are. It also gives the teacher a measurable objective. The students will have to complete a certain amount of writing by a specific class date. It can also be taken home for the students to finish up or continue to reflect on. It helps the work stay relevant because the sketchbook is a key tool to make sure the students grow throughout the bloom's taxonomy.

Summative Assessment: Final Critique of another student’s artwork.

The last Objective for the standard results in the student's’ participation in a verbal class critique of their artwork but also a formal paper that critiques another student's’ work. The paper acts as a summative assessment because it will encompass everything the student has been working towards. The students will be given a rubric so they have clear standards to work towards. The paper will demonstrate how the student is able to describe and analyze the way the elements of art, specifically color, value, and texture were used to convey an intended concept based on another student’s work. In the paper, they will have to demonstrate their understanding of both the elements of art along with what an intended concept looks like. Through analysis, they will be able to explore how expectations and results match or contract the final product.

The goal is to have the students be able to ask questions and explore ideas through their sketchbook. By encouraging the students, to be honest with their knowledge, it can create a great way of communicating with the students and the teacher. The goal is to have them feel confident in their ability to write a formal critique to demonstrate their learned knowledge from the course.

References

Clark, D. (2015, January 12). Bloom's Taxonomy of Learning Domains. Retrieved April 06, 2017, from http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/hrd/bloom.html

Office of the State Superintendent of Education, Bobb, R. C., & Gist, D. A. (2011, August 29). Art Education Standards . Retrieved April 7, 2017, from https://osse.dc.gov/service/dc-educational-standards

University, C. M. (n.d.). Formative vs Summative Assessment-Teaching Excellence & Educational Innovation - Carnegie Mellon University. Retrieved April 07, 2017, from https://www.cmu.edu/teaching/assessment/basics/formative-summative.html

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Understanding and Applying Standards

When I was sitting in the VC for the new Module, I was sweating bullets over the idea of how to unpack a standard. Up until then, I have never had to teach to a standard outside of what my boss has instructed me to do. I’ve come to realize how much I still had to learn about teaching. I currently teach English as a second language in South Korea. Almost all of my teaching abilities before the Teach-Now program was trial and error with no formal training beforehand. The idea of standards is not really taught in private English schools, much like the one I work at. In the VC, I was worried that I would suddenly fall miles behind my peers.  

However, I don’t really think that is the case anymore. This was a very difficult unit but also one of the units that made me very interested in the framework of standardizing art in the USA. I was fascinated with the discovery of how NCCAS was not actually associated at all with Common Core State Standards. It was also fascinating to read Washington D.C. standards because they were actually based off of California’s visual art standards. I feel as if I shouldn’t have been surprised but it amazed me how the standard for teaching visual arts follows their own guidelines and borrows from other states.  It reminded me of why art is important and so fundamental. It also was a great personal reminder as to why I’m doing this.

Some of the strengths of unpacking standards really let the teacher sit with the information that needs to be taught. It's a very mindful process to unpack a standard and making sure all parts applicable and beneficial to the students. I like to view it as a creative problem-solving. I enjoyed thinking and researching different ideas for activities and learning what other people have done for the standards. With that, though, because it is not common core, information was not as easy to find when it came to showing examples for specific standards.  Also often different states have slightly different standards based around the NCCAS but due to the nature of the classes, it’s really hard to standardize art. It was also challenging to a backward map. I wanted to find an example specific to Art and it was easier to find information for Common Core. This could be due to my lack of experience of using standards and searching for examples.

Backwards mapping reminds me a lot of a stream of consciousnesses. There is one starting point and it can go deeper into itself. There is something very satisfying about taking a big idea and breaking it down. I think the act of breaking it down into smaller parts helps the teacher (or at least, helped me) think of different ways on how to teach, which seems obvious but the standards start off as vague and bring concrete elements to the lesson plan.

Both unpacking standards and backwards mapping really helped bring a focus on what is important to be taught in the classroom. For standards with art, I have a feeling they are going to vary a bit from country to country, state to state and even school to school. However, it doesn’t feel as overwhelming because regardless of the standards, the can be unpacked and broken down into smaller digestible parts. By backwards mapping, it ensures the students have a goal and the teacher needs to design the lesson to get them there. They are great tools to design a lesson that will meet the standards.

Reference list

Bloom's Taxonomy. (n.d.). Retrieved March 31, 2017, from http://www.incredibleart.org/files/blooms2.htm

Center for Teaching. (n.d.). Retrieved March 31, 2017, from https://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/blooms-taxonomy/

Conceptual Framework | National Core Arts Standards. (n.d.). Retrieved March 31, 2017, from http://www.nationalartsstandards.org/content/conceptual-framework

The J. Paul Getty Museum. (n.d.). Principles of Design. Retrieved March 31, 2017, from https://www.getty.edu/education/teachers/building_lessons/principles_design.pdf

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Standards and Backwards Mapping

This time next year I want to be teaching high school art class. Art is not apart of the Common Core State Standard. Instead the National Coalition for Core Arts Standards developed a set of standards for teaching art. The NCCAS is not affiliated with CCSS but has designed a program that aligns with their framework of education. This means a lot of the standards of NCCAS overlap with CCSS. That being said, art is a discipline that is not cohesively taught throughout the United States of America. Some schools have more opportunities than others to teach adequate art classes. The NCCAS took all of those factors into consideration when designing the standard. Once a teacher looks at the standard for art in high school, they are not broken down by specific grade, but instead by skill level of proficiency, accomplished and advance levels. Each state has adopted their own version based on NCCAS standards. The standards that I chose to look at was out of Washington D.C. I started off looking at the proficient art level because that is realistically the level  I would be teaching at in a high school.

HSP.1.6 Describe and analyze the way the elements of art- color, value, and texture are used to convey an intended concept based on works of art found in the classroom, in art reproductions, in students’ own work, during online research, or a museum visit.

Proficiency 

1. To understand and recognize what are the elements of art through both written description and visual examples.

2. Demonstrate the understanding of intended concepts of art through using resources to find the artist’s purpose.

3. Distinguishing the elements in a specific artwork and show evidence of questioning weather the elements are supporting the intended concept of the artwork.

Assessments

1. Students will be given a short quiz to see if they can identify the different elements of art from one another. The quiz would have the different elements and the student needs to match the element to the picture on the quiz and then write why they believe they are correct.

2. The students will be given a  short research project on a specific artist. They must identify one of the artist most well known works and read the artist statement for the artwork. The student will write the artist's intentions for the work. They will also research one to two critics on what they said about the artwork. The student will compare and contrast the different statements about the work of art.

3. The student will be writing a self reflection on their own artwork. The student will clearly state the purpose of their work as well as describe the elements of art used in the artwork. The students will have to answer if they believe they were successful conveying their initial vision. They will also reflect on how their vision changed as they were creating their work. They then will analyze how the elements of art, specifically, color, value and texture, were used to convey their intended concept.

Quizzes are great to make sure they understand the basic concepts. It’s a good way to see if the students are ready to move onto the next step. Research is a way of showing how different artist express their intentions. It gets the students to look at the language that is used to describe intention of art. The self reflection is very important for artist to grow. It shows the process of thinking throughout the work and as well as what was successful and what was not in the eyes of the artist. Going back to the critics for assessment two, it also shows the students that intended concepts are not always perceived the same way. Using the elements of art,  can help explain concepts better.

Activities

1. The students will make an element cube. Each face of the cube would be a visual representation of the element.  The six examples could be line, shape/form, color, value, texture and space. They are encourage to use any kind of imagery as long as they demonstrate the 6 elements. The students would be restricted to using only the paper provided along with pens, markers and colored pencils(Cassanova, 2012).

(Cassanova, J, Elements of Art 3-D Cube Project)

2. The student will create a visual quiz for the class based on the artist they researched. The student will show various of art and through multiple choice created by the student, the class has to analyze which is the intended concept of the piece of artwork.  

3. The students will be creating a piece of artwork that is based of a memory of theirs. Memories are not concrete and the students will have to really think about what memory can be illustrated. This provides the challenge to the student to convey their memory to the class. The student should keep in mind weather it was a positive or negative memory and what are different ways of illustrating those feelings. They must use strong evidence of using color, value and texture. Before they make their project, they must write down their initial intent to later compare once they are done with their work.

Sources

Cassanova, J. (2012, September 29). Elements of Art 3-D Cube Project. Retrieved March 31, 2017, from https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Elements-of-Art-3-D-Cube-Project-339947

Conceptual Framework | National Core Arts Standards. (n.d.). Retrieved March 31, 2017, from http://www.nationalartsstandards.org/content/conceptual-framework

Office of the State Superintendent of Education, Bobb, R. C., & Gist, D. A. (2011, August 29). Art Education Standards . Retrieved March 31, 2017, from https://osse.dc.gov/service/dc-educational-standards

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Applying Classroom Rules and Procedures

Having rules and procedures in the classroom is necessary to keep the students engaged and have the class time flow. However, it is equally important to make sure the rules are applicable to the class. At the school that I work at, we have a point system to keep the students motivated. They can exchange their points twice a year for toys and food. This is how our school teaches how to earn and use points wisely. In the classroom, we have standard rules for each teacher and student, but it is up to the teacher themselves to add more procedures and adapt accordingly to each class.

Positive Behavior

The students I teach are various levels of English Language Learners. We have Korean co-teachers that teach either before or after our class. Our co-teachers focus on grammar and vocabulary where our job is to focus on the application of the language. My goal for the students in every class is to learn manners and everyday interactions in English.  Due to the nature of my teaching, I emphasize the importance of class teamwork as well as manners.

To encourage the students to follow the rules, I often verbally affirm their good behavior. I explain back to the students and the class why I thought the behavior was ideal to help set an example for the future. I also do a degree of different nonverbal confirmations. An “OK” hand sign means they are doing the minimum ideal behavior. Double “okay” hand signs mean they’re on their way to earning points.

To earn points in my class, they need to be prepared and show examples of kindness. We have established a routine that before the bell rings they need to be in their seats with their materials on the desk. The classes are only 30 minutes so every minute counts. The points are kept tallied next to their name on the board for the week. If the class is particularly good at showing ideal behavior, I will tell my co-teacher and we discuss how to maintain such behavior. I believe a huge problem in a lot of schools is the lack of communication, so I take responsibility to keep my co-teacher involved. At the very least, I give them a weekly update on the class whether good or bad.

The students can earn the maximum amount of points by going above and beyond what is expected of them. This behavior can be anywhere of showing perseverance on challenging assignments to teach other students the materials. When this happens, I give points as well as let the principal and co-teacher know. I do not have access to contact the parents myself, so it is our co-teacher and principals responsibility to take care of that. Sometimes that doesn’t always happen, so often, I take note and write on their report cards. We write report cards every other month and it is used to show the parents their progress not only academically but growth in behavior as well.

The next step I think would be to have a system set up where points could be exchanged on a quarterly basis. While some students love the points, the twice a year point exchange is too far between to hold interest. I also think implementing an award ceremony like superlatives could be useful and a great way to recognize various versions of what hard work and ideal behavior looks like.

Negative Behavior

My first year teaching ELL students was very difficult. The previous school did not offer any training or advice. It was a lot of learning by trial. My background is in visual arts, not education, so it was a huge struggle. Some of the behavior I witnessed ranged from physical fighting to various forms of bullying to apathy of the work I gave. A lot of this was due to two things: language barrier and a lack of rules and procedures. Currently, this is my third year and I learned a lot looking back on my first few weeks. I cannot emphasize enough the importance of creating procedures and rules and constantly reviewing and tailoring them to each class.

One thing that I learned through my experiences is the importance of immediacy of verbally acknowledging nonideal behavior. This includes minor disruptions, speaking Korean when they're not supposed to and not being prepared. I usually try to reprimand them in a positive way such as using examples of behavior that I do want the student to show rather than calling them out in a negative way in front of their peers. If the example doesn’t work, I tell the student they have a warning and explain to them why they do and how they can fix their behavior. I found giving a solution often helps the student correct their behavior. For nonverbal warnings, I make an “X” with either my fingers or arms to show the students the behavior is not appropriate. This is a common technique that is used a lot in the teaching community that I work in so students are very familiar with the “X”  connotation.

When the students are not prepared for learning, I minus points. I want to teach them the responsibility of being prepared. I also minus points for rude behavior. This can range from minor arguments to name calling to the tone of voice. Often the more fluent students use polite words but in a negative tone towards other students and they believe they are not doing wrong. However, that is not the behavior that I want in the class so we take the time to explain why and if the behavior continues, I minus points.

The behavior that I experienced my first few weeks of teaching would not be tolerated today in any form. However, it’s not realistic to say that it doesn’t happen on occasion. When cheating or fighting occur, the students will get a phone call home to their parents. I also include apathy into a harsh category because I think often this is a sign of more problems that I cannot address alone. Most of the consequences result in minus points and letting the co-teacher, principal and parents know.

The next step for the consequences is staying consistent. Our school really doesn’t want the foreign teachers to handle severe consequences. This creates a problem because often when we try new techniques, they are shot down by the head of the school. We are limited in our consequences and often have to rely on our co-teachers. Also with parental involvement is typically introduced only when the negative behavior occurs. This is where I think something like Class Dojo would be helpful to shows examples of positive behavior to the parents. Often parents do not speak English so it is difficult for me personally to let them know when students are doing well. Report cards are sent home, which is great, but they’re often not translated. If our school could have a translated system to show both positive and negative behavior, that would be ideal. It could be incorporated into the report cards.

Below is a chart depicting the levels of behaviors and the consequences.

Link to Chart

Sources

Marzano, R. J. (2007). The art and science of teaching: a comprehensive framework for effective instruction. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

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Creating High Performance Learning Environments

After watching the first video, I wished that I had Ms. Migdol as my teacher growing up.  Ms. Migdol created a lesson plan where it introduced, demonstrated and tested Roller coaster Physics by having the students build their own roller coasters. It seems that  Ms. Migdol hold a very high performance expectation for the students in her class. Each student is in charge of a specific step in the collaboration. Before the start of the class, they have a group discussion which they called “Chiming.” One student from the group presents their successes, failures, as well as their ideas. This creates a responsibility for the students to not only take accurate notes the class before but to learn how to communicate their work. Through this project the students brainstorm, collaborate and test their designs. This requires a great deal of cooperation. It seems that through  Ms. Migdol’s guidance, she expects the students to hold discussions in a professional manner.  One thing that I did notice was the use of technical language. This seems to be very similar to the Right is Right method of creating high academic expectations.  It seems that the use of technical language came natural to the students. That could be a sign  Ms. Migdol practiced using the language beforehand as well as hold the expectation her students must use it to communicate effectively. I really liked how  Ms. Migdol limited their resources to monetary value. It creates situations that mimic real life. The students may not grow up to build a roller coaster, but they very likely will have projects and limited resources and money. Overall it seems that  Ms. Migdol holds very high expectations for her class when it comes to behavior, academics, norms and procedures.

The second video was a 3rd Grade Chinese Math class. I was very impressed with their skills, mostly because we did not learn foreign languages until second year middle school. The Chinese math teacher used different chants and rhymes to help the students memorize the multiplication problems. When the teacher asked a question, she expected everyone to respond. I did notice before the video ended, a few students in the back of the row who looked as though they couldn’t be bothered. The teaching style from the video mimics the article about math teaching style in China. The philosophy behind it is routine and practice is the best way to learn. This seems to be the backbone of classroom norms in China. The norms and procedures of the class seem deep rooted and have high expectations not to deviate from them. Often the entire class will be instructed all at once rather than individual students. This may seem inefficient to western teachers, but it makes sense for China. They have a huge population and it is generally harder to give individualize lesson plans when there can be upwards of 50 students.  I did like however the idea of question math concepts and understanding the concepts as a whole. Often times with my experience with math, there aren’t questions as to why a formula works or what we can use it for. Having answers to those questions can really build a strong foundation for math. Although this teaching technique is successful in China, it may not work with Western ideals. There isn’t room for the individual student or collaboration. For the most part there seems to be low behavioral expectation as observed in the video with the student not paying attention. Academically, I think there is high expectation, but that is achieved and translated differently depending on the country you are from. The measure of what high academics looks like varies from country to country. In western countries, collaboration and critical thinking are valued as high academics. In those regards, this method isn’t as successful. However, where test scores are valued over collaboration, this method does produce high academic results.

The third video was Ms. Macken’s class and her demonstrating whole brain teaching. From the video,  Ms. Macken uses an elaborate procedure to not only review, but to transition into other activities. On the whole brain teaching website, it follows a flowchart where the teacher starts with an “attention getter” followed by mirror words (which are words and hand motions). Next are directions where the students will have a one minute lesson. Then the teacher will clap twice and announce the students to teach each other what they have learned.  This method of teaching definitely develops a lot of class norms and procedures. It gives students a routine and a way of learning and instructing. It's a good way to keep them engaged and on task. It seems the Whole Brain Teaching method also helps form strong behavioral expectations. The teacher needs to hold high expectations that the students will follow along and have their behavior follow the flow chart. When it comes to high academic expectation, I think it falls in the middle. While there is the “teach part” for the students to interact with one another, a lot of it feels like memorization. It seems like a method for studying for a test but not so much one for collaboration and problem solving.

I currently teach ELL elementary to middle school students at a private hagwon in Korea. For my students in the past, I have only focused on creating high behavioral expectations and norms. We go over the basics of Western cultural manners and practice them daily in English. If students want to do anything in my class they must use “please” and “Thank you” along with other key English words (Such as “ May I_______” or “Here you go, teacher” ). While it is good to practice and hold high expectations of behavior, there should be a balance. As their teacher, I need to also incorporate high expectations academically. Before this module, I believe I was under the impression that “high expectations” and “pressure” were synonyms when in reality that’s not true at all.  Academic high expectations is engaging students and holding them accountable for their education. I have shared various methods such as No Opt Out, Right is Right, and Without Apology in the flip book for activity one. They are what I want to start to implement in my own classes. I also think for ELL students who are younger, the Whole Brain Teaching would be a great way to boost high expectations as well as make it fun for class.

Setting high expectations for the academic success of all students can be challenging. It  starts with the teacher and what high academic success looks like in their country. It is important for the teacher to hold high expectations that follow through with what their success looks like. With that in mind, there isn’t only one way to raise expectations. Dividing up expectations into three parts, such as academic, behavioral, and norms and procedures can help differentiate various methods of raising the bar of expectations. All three combine together to help the student achieve the highest academic success that they are capable of.  Through the examples in the videos, each teacher illustrated different styles that are appropriate for the different expectations. It seems crucial for the teacher to keep in mind not only what the expectations are but how they could change over time. Teachers should be mindful and look for new ways or methods to keep expectation high.

Sources

How Does Class Size Vary Around the World? (2012). Education Indicators in Focus. doi:10.1787/5k8x7gvpr9jc-en

Kan Wei Associate Professor, Beijing Normal University. (2014, March 25). Explainer: what makes Chinese maths lessons so good? Retrieved March 03, 2017, from http://theconversation.com/explainer-what-makes-chinese-maths-lessons-so-good-24380

R. (2011, May 31). Retrieved March 03, 2017, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8iXTtR7lfWU&feature=youtu.be

Roller Coaster Physics: STEM in Action. (n.d.). Retrieved March 03, 2017, from https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/teaching-stem-strategies

T. (2011, June 13). Retrieved March 03, 2017, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7LseF6Db5g

Team, G. (n.d.). Roller Coaster Lab. Retrieved March 03, 2017, from http://edu.glogster.com/glog/roller-coaster-lab/1gku0vrn4cn

Whole Brain Teaching – The fastest growing education reform movement in the world! (n.d.). Retrieved March 03, 2017, from http://wholebrainteaching.com/

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High expectations and self fulfilling prophesy are powerful tools to help students succeed. 

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Establishing a Positive Classroom Climate

The article “Critical Practices for Anti-Bias Education” talks a lot about Anti-Bias Education which, in short, is having the students use a critical eye to look at the material, question it and compare it to another perspective.  It creates a way of learning not only about new content but underlying the teaching with the practice of empathy. When the students become adults, they won’t have a singular voice to tell them what is right and wrong or what is truth or what it's not. Educating students in a teacher-centered style does not mimic real life. Instead, the ideal teaching should be student-centered pedagogy that gives them the tools to look at information critically. There are a few different ways to build critical thinking. One way is to have them put the reading into context. Does the meaning change when it’s compared to something else? Why does it change?

One of my favorite classrooms that I was in was the painting studio in university. I’m a little bias as to why I liked it so much because I love painting, but it was more than that.  Each student had their own space to put their materials. We had strict rules that we established about the honor code. We had a set of classroom routines that varied on the teacher to help us get into the mindset of our work. The one thing our teachers did was to encourage critical thinking. They would often present an idea and asked to describe how it can change based on context. They related the exercise to color. Color changes based on the other colors around it. It was meant to be an introduction to color theory but ended up being a practice we kept all year. It would spark different ideas and gain a bit more insight on what other students thought.

We were also encouraged to pull from our own personal backgrounds and use them in our art. When we had art critiques, we were taught how to give constructive and meaningful critiques and to talk to everyone with respect.  The climate of all of my classes in the painting room was very much like that. It is something that I personally want to emulate in my own classroom.

The students that shared the painting class with me were from various backgrounds from all around the world. One thing that I distinctly remembered was having an assignment where we had to paint something from memory. Each student ran with it and everyone created extremely different pieces of art. This prompted a dialogue in class as to, who we are and why did we pick this memory. We shared our experiences with the class and then we were encouraged to look at the similarities. It created a sense of community where we shared a common goal even though we were from different places. I want to implement this into my own art class.

I  currently teach English to Korean students here in Jeju, Korea. We don’t have art class here but some of the same elements can be applied. All of my students are from Korea and I’m the outsider here. However, my students are from all over different parts of Korea. Although for the most part, Korea is very homogeneous, different places have different cultures. One thing we do in my 2nd-grade class is have sharing time in the morning. We share what we do and then I ask them to find similarities in their activities. It helps them make connections with students who they might not have on their own.

Every month we make a new rules list and talk about what is good behavior in the classroom. Since I teach them English, we talk about how to be kind to each other and why some words might hurt feelings.  I encourage them to say how they feel. I have two students who do not get along. When they get into arguments, I  calm down the class and when the students are working, I pull the two students aside and have them talk it out using appropriate language. They must follow the rules that we made earlier in the month. To make sure they are listening, they repeat back what the other person said. This is very new to them because, in Korea, there is the idea that academics is the most important part and social-emotional health is either rarely addressed or not included in school at all.

I’m not sure where I’ll be when I teach my first art class, however, I know what I want to implement regardless of location. I want to build a class that feels like a community. The students will be encouraged to share their backgrounds and what they want for their futures. By creating art projects that reflect the students, it gives them an opportunity to show who they are while learning technical skills. Having critiques helps educate the students on how to talk about art in a constructive and critical way. It will also be an opportunity to explain the use of language and listening. Reflection is a big part of the art. It is also a way to reflect and grow as a student. Every classroom will be different and it is foolish to think there will never be conflict. One way to help offset potential bullying is to implement a Zero Indifference rule. Which means never letting bullying or inappropriate behavior and actions go unaddressed. By implementing some of these strategies, I aim to create a class climate that acknowledges the students and brings a sense of community to our classroom.

Teaching Tolerance. (n.d.). Critical Practices for Anti-Bias Education [Pamphlet]. Montgomery, AL: Teaching Tolerance.  

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Augmented Reality in Art and the Classroom

Here is the video that was mentioned in the audio

Sources

Baradaran, A. (n.d.). Amir Baradaran. Retrieved February 09, 2017, from http://amirbaradaran.com/ab_futarism_monalisa.php

Baradaran, F.M. [Amir Baradaran]. (2011, 11 27). Frenchising Mona Lisa. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFSjXlvOKrI]. Retrieved from URL.

Donovan, J. (n.d.). Junaio Augmented Reality Browser Gets A UI Makeover (Video). Retrieved February 09, 2017, from https://techcrunch.com/2012/06/20/junaio-augmented-reality-browser-gets-a-ui-makeover-video/

Starr February 6, 2017 4:12 PM PST @riding_red, M. (2017, February 06). 'Prosthetic Reality': The art of augmented reality. Retrieved February 09, 2017, from https://www.cnet.com/news/prosthetic-reality-the-artification-of-augmented-reality/

What is Augmented Reality? (n.d.). Retrieved February 09, 2017, from http://www.livescience.com/34843-augmented-reality.html

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Mobile Learning

Technology is very much integrated into our day to day lives. It’s now the norm to have some form of technology at home.  A big part of school is making sure that the education the students receive is relevant to their lives. One way to do that is to incorporate technology when it is needed. Cell phones are incredible devices that can be utilized as a resource. 

I believe that we often get stuck into one idea about how to use technology. We often associate cell phones with recreational activities and only used in our private lives. I think this stems from the association that cell phones are distracting. By using cell phones in class, I believe that it is a step in the right direction from not only breaking that association but also using and teaching it as a functional tool.

I remember when I was in school when we had library class, we were taught the basics on how to cite sources using a book. When we got older and technology became more prevalent in the classroom, we switched to how to navigate online resources. They spent a long time teaching us what are good sources and what are not. Now with smartphones, we need to continue this type of learning. What are good ways to use smart phones?

Using smart phones in the classroom can be a great teaching tool, but also should follow some basic guidelines before letting the students use their phones.

1. Is using a phone in the class relevant to the lesson? 2. Will the phones become a distraction in class? 3. What will the students take away from the lesson? 4.How will the teacher set the example of appropriate phone use/behavior? 5. Will the phones be used as a main point of a lesson or a small activity? Is it a game or a project? 6. Do we need wifi? Do they need to download anything? Do the students have enough memory on their phones if they do need to download something? 7. Does everyone have a device that they can use?

Most commonly when using cellphones, people think of the apps on their phones. There is a plethora of educational apps out there, however there are other ways of using the phones in class.

Picture Sharing For the most part, a lot of art class is done in class with minimum amount of homework. This is typically due to the lack of supplies the students have access at home. However using a group file picture sharing can allow students to upload reference pictures or even their sketches they do at home. By having the students be able to take pictures and instantly upload and share, they can pull visual resources from their classmates.

Virtual tours When learning art history, it is not always easy to get students to understand the context. In University we would go to museums to see the art that we were learning about. However, it is not always practical to go visit museums. There are many different websites that offer virtual tours. This allows the students to view different gallery spaces and critique them. They can also form discussions on how physical art is also being translated into our digital world.

Video making As side projects students could use their videos on their phones to create meaningful art projects. The students can use the videos to make stop animations and explore different video techniques. 

Sources Ormiston, M. (n.d.). Document.write(document.getElementById("site-slogan").innerHTML);. Retrieved February 9, 2017, from http://osse.dc.gov/ed-credentials