VCET: Linking Art to Learning

Creative Thinking Forum:
Art Play - Stories of Engaging Families, Inspiring Learning and Exploring Emotions www.naeyc.org/yc. 

I read the article -" Art Play" by McWilliams, Vaughns, O'Hara, Novotny and Kyle (2014). It was inspiring!
The authors reintroduced me to the work of Hanoch Piven, an Israeli Collage Artist. As I read, application ideas danced in my thinking. Notions which could greatly enhance the educational experience of the students I am privileged to teach! This blog is an effort to focus on the "dance" that I imagined and develop all the steps of it to teach and reach others.

Project 1
The work of Hanoch Piven could be used to anchor our first "All About Me" unit for kindergarten this year. Using his book, Let's Make Faces, we could develop a collage project and display the portraits for Back to School Night. It would have a dual purpose as a personal introduction by each student, as well as, an author study. Material would be gathered by teachers over the summer and families invited on Meet Your Teacher Morning, to send in small objects that represent their child in a "Me Bag" on the first day of school. The first few days would be spent learning about each child during Morning Meeting and when the class finished with their presentations, everyone would be given the opportunity to create their collage. The display would be coupled with First Day Pictures and be a grade level display of all the kindergarten students.

Project 2
A Collage Course could be offered as an after school opportunity and the work presented in the school, library or through the Post Office as a Community Link.

Project 3
This activity would be the main feature in the Wake-Up and Read Project. Families would be invited to come to school on a Saturday morning to have a bagel, hear stories featuring the works of Hanoch Piven, and be given the opportunity to create a collage of their child. The work from the event would be presented as a school display.
 * Implementation Note: I would like to practice the aspects of Wake-Up and Read before we had the event.

VCET Leadership in the Arts

Creative Thinking Forum: Leadership in the Arts

I would like to begin this Creative Thinking Forum with a quote from Ariel Sacks, an 8th Grade Teacher Leader (Awakening the Sleeping Giant: Helping Teachers Develop as Leaders, by Marilyn H. Katzenmeyer and Gayle V. Moller (2009) Understanding Teacher Leadership, Chapter 1, p.1). Ms. Sacks succinctly conveys the concept of teacher leadership and provides a logical lunching pad into the Arts:
     Being a teacher leader means sharing and representing relevant and key ideas of our work as              teachers in contexts beyond our individual classrooms so as to improve the education of our                students and our ability to provide it for them.

Many times teachers, myself included, become caught up in the micro-life of their classroom. Students' specific challenges become the motivator for instructional development. Teachers' researching expertise is used to solve classroom issues and not documented and shared for broader application.. This year my passion to support students led me to learn about Whole Brain Teaching, and to successfully apply the concepts to the students in my classroom, however, I only shared the dynamics of the concept with a few people. I would submit, that solving classroom challenges only represent a small percentage of the potential success for the application of the information they provide. "Sharing and representing relevant and key ideas of our work in contexts beyond our individual classroom (Sacks, 2013)" is another vital aspect! Continued reading and reflection on this year, made me aware of pathways I would like to pursue in the coming year.The first, is the expanded use of student art as a platform for discussion, in and outside of the class, and second, is the Personal Learning Environment (PLE), a documentational tool for sharing ideas, not only among students and their families, but also within my teacher team.

Expanded Use of Student Art
An important feature of Kindergarten is the opportunity to explore art for learning. In our school we have an hour of art each week, as well as, one to three art projects to develop students' fine motor skill and auditory ability. This artwork takes whole group form, with 1 or 2 color choices to create a sense of individuality. My proposal would be to expand the use of art in the classroom to include, "studio-style" opportunities. For instance, in the fall we study squirrels. A studio experience would be to ask students to represent a squirrel through 3-dimension (ex. clay), painting, or collage. It would be fun to have students use cut up pictures of squirrels to create the distinctive shape of a squirrel! The result of their work could extend beyond the classroom and be used as a library exhibit and/or a backdrop for books on squirrels. Another idea, that I have seen and loved, but never tried is giving students the opportunity to explore color by asking them to create a collage featuring shades of only one color (ex., red - where all pictures selected have red as the dominate color). Students could work individually or in collaboration to create an artistic anchor chart to be mounted and displayed all year! Doing this would give students ownership of their classroom environment and document their ability to understand and spell color words PLUS they would develop collaboration skills as a team! A beginning of the year request for used magazines could become a very significant resource for inspirational artwork during the course of the year! These ideas and their effectiveness could be shared with my teacher team so they could do the project, as well. I envision having a Kindergarten Squirrel Show in the lobby of our school - the possibilities are endless, exciting and all provide opportunities for Leadership in the Arts!

Personal Learning Environments (PLE)
One area of my practice that I want to develop this year is providing my students with a Personal Learning environment (PLE). I love having my "blogspot" to practice, expand and share my thinking. Special thanks go to the George Mason's Virginia Center for Excellence in Teaching (VCET) team for helping to create this forum! I realized that I have lots of ideas to share and so do my students! As a Leader in the Arts, my job is to create a forum where their voices can be heard. When I first made the connection between research and reality, I laughed, thinking, "Connie, your students are 5 years old!" however, I could not dismiss the idea! Most kinders are more than willing to share their thoughts - I realized I just had to find a venue! In my school, each class is blessed to have a Smartboard, which is an interactive, electronic devise much like a large TV screen. At the beginning of the year, I could write student insights on projects on the Smartboard for them - toward the end of the year students could have the opportunity to write their own ideas on our Big Screen Blog! Excited for the possibilities of this student contribution, I realized this type of student forum could be evaluative and help teachers develop  and enhance class projects. Student thoughts could be shared with parents in our weekly "Window on Our World" e-letter and, most exciting of all -PLE's could be used to help students develop and measure their critical thinking and articulation skills! WOW!!!! It makes me excited to think of the ways these ideas could be incorporated into my students' on-line portfolios, in addition PLE's would give students a sense of ownership of their learning environment, help me plan more effective instruction, and develop and enrich teacher/student dialogues!

Conclusion
Teacher Leadership is a mind-set. It starts with the awareness that options are endless for those willing to reach out and connect with others. This week's VCET Program has helped me realize this valuable truth. I would like to end my blog with this thought from Awakening the Sleeping Giant (p.21)....
     The giant resource of teacher leadership must be unleashed in the support of improved student             learning. When teachers recognize that they can be leaders and accept a leading role                           from among the array of roles available to them, positive results in school will follow.The                  importance of teachers in complex, ongoing, educational change efforts cannot be overstated. 

Here's to 2014-2015 - our year for making a difference!

VCET Art Assessment

Creative Thinking Forum: Tracking Student Development in Kindergarten Through Art

Art is a major component in the Kindergarten Classroom. It allows instructors to monitor student process and creates a forum for dialogue with the student. One of the books I have found instrumental for use in conversations with both students and parents is titled, Yardsticks by Chip Woods. This foundational  book on childhood development presents student growth and development using art and descriptive text, which is applicable to home and school. 

Application:

At the beginning of the year each student will receive a manila folder, quartered off into sections (standard assessment approach for our school). Students will have the opportunity to create a self-portrait, write their name, what they know of their letters, numbers, and any words they know how to spell. Teachers use the data in different ways. For me, the folder will be a point of student/teacher discussion and goal setting for each new quarter. 

Assessing Development

At the beginning of the year, students should be able to draw a recognizable human form. Many times it is just a curricular head with lines for appendages. The second quarter is usually marked by the addition of facial features and fingers. A rectangular body is added to the form, next simple clothing and hair. Since of am a proponent of art instruction, I correlate the language of "sticks" and "semi-circles" from penmanship and allow students to draw "sidewalk kids" with chalk, as developmental practice (and FUN!). During our shapes unit, students focus on recognizing the "big picture" shapes that are included in things we see. Both of the lessons support visible progress for student assessment. Toward the end of Kindergarten, students are usually capable of drawing detailed and recognizable figures, adding environment to their drawing and many times include additional people and animals. It is fun to watch students go from loosely formed circles to very detailed, interesting pictures that not only show artistic development but also support their writing!

The Rubric

The rubric included in this assignment will be used for their fine motor skill development and drawing ability only and will be introduced as a kindergarten team document at the beginning of the 2014-15 school year to provide data support for the evaluation of student progress.

Name _________________________________________________________

VCET: QUARTERLY ART ASSESSMENT 

Draws Person (reduced xerox of quarterly drawing for tracking inserted here)	1st Quarter	2nd Quarter		3rd Quarter		4th Quarter		Folder Assessment  Complete
	Additional Observations: Student is ____________ handed.

VCET Studio Thinking

Creative Thinking Forum: Integrating Studio Thinking in the Kindergarten Classroom

This year I would like to integrate studio thinking into my Kindergarten classroom, making it a place where students engage in dynamic learning. Realizing that to create an effective learning environment requires careful planning, I read, Studio Thinking 2 (2013), by Hetland, Sheridan,Veenema and Winner. This book presented three areas of focus:

1. Creating a Studio Culture
2. Focusing assignments and thinking
3. Using works of art to teach

Creating a Studio Culture

My reading provided the insight that a studio culture has specific elements to consider: the physical space, the light and sound and the social climate. I want students to recognize an "arts focus" as they enter their classroom. This goal will be achieved in multiple ways. The bulletin board at the entrance will be labeled Our Class Gallery and include a sign that says: Waiting for the Work of My Talented Class! As students move into the room they will see 3 child-size easels to be used in center rotations. Materials will be labeled and included at this center after they have been introduced. (A side note: Many times Kindergarteners come to school unfamiliar with classroom tools. Each year students are carefully and systematically instructed so they can work with confidence, as well as, demonstrate appropriate respect for the needs of other members of our classroom community.) Continuing the tour, students will see trapezoid tables placed together to make small groups of 6, a reading area complimented by a table lamp to provide directed lighting and books that are organized and labeled by subject matter. Students will have 3 computers and a printer set up, along with an interactive writing center. Large group activities will be supported by a SmartBoard and the viewing area identified by a 9'x12' area rug of America. The Calendar will be accessible from the rug and have interactive components to allow connected learning. Finally, there will be two trapezoid tables set up for individualized and small group work, with both teacher and Instructional Assistant (IA). Work times will be supported with a variety of music, selected to add background for individualized student assignments, as well as, peer/teacher interactions. The design of  the physical space, and the light and sound elements should all promote an environment that nurtures constructive conversations, through the use of  reflective language and questioning techniques to prompt students to explore and develop their thinking. Students should feel that their work is valued and that they work in a positive learning environment.

Creating Focused Assignments that Use Works of Art to Teach

Like at other grade levels, Kindergarten teachers focus their assignments to meet specific curricular requirements. Two things, I will be doing this year are, using original art and creating open-ended questions for students to grapple with in their centers. Examples of this application are:

• For our Me Unit, I could show self-portraits of Picasso, Van Gogh, and Eric Carle and ask students how they would picture themselves in terms of color and form. The end product would be our Classroom Gallery presentation.
• For our Columbus Unit, I could show portraits of Columbus and contrast them to student renditions of the famous explorer asking students to consider ways they might combine their portrait of him with his achievements. The end result would be reflective conversation with teacher/peers and a hall display.
• For our Thanksgiving Unit, we could compare and contrast paintings of the first Thanksgiving with photographs of reenactments of the celebration shown in books. I would invite students to show the first Thanksgiving through a drawing, a puppet play or 3-D construction. The end result could be a display in the library that shows our classwork along with books about Columbus. 

I am getting excited to meet my new class and try these ideas!!!  More blogs will follow!. 

VCET Leadership: Using Studio Structures in the Kindergarten Classroom

This year my professional focus will be implementing the Studio Structures in my kindergarten classroom and adapting some of the segments for assessment. I realize this will take preparation,  planning and critical professional review in my role as teacher.

Setting the Stage: Next week, I will investigate ordering 4 student easels for my class. I want to use them as an information center, a creative communication tool, an opportunity for arts exploration for the students in my class and a visual signal for me to use Studio Thinking in my teaching practice.

Goal 1: Demonstration - Lecture
Our introductory unit, titled "All About Me," takes place the first week of school. The first day, I will introduce myself using the painting center. We will talk about the use and care of the materials. The end result will be a picture of their teacher. It will be displayed with the self-portraits my students create in a gallery format on a bulletin board in the classroom.

Goal 2: Critique
After my demonstration, I would enstablish a forum for critique using my self-portrait as the example. Students would have the opportunity to discuss their responses to color, style and finished product and create class guidelines for the critique process.

Goal 3: Students -at-work
After two days of practice, one with me and the second with my Instructional Assistant (IA), I would open up the Arts Center to students. Volunteers would be solicited for the critique process that would follow class guidelines.

Goal 4: Exhibition
Student self-portraits would be presented in our classroom gallery. We would learn to interact as artists with each other by viewing the exhibition as a class of art appreciators. (this would be an opportunity for teacher/student assessment).

Goal 5: Stretch and Explore
The next time we would use the art centers would be for our Community Unit. In the Demonstration-Lecture stage, I would address the properties of a scene in contrast to creating a single person. Students would have the opportunity add multiple people into a city setting. They would explore adding markers to their toolbox. Again, it would be teacher modeled and student/teacher critiqued.

Goal 6: Reflect
Students would be given the opportunity to reflect with the teacher and a peer on their community scenes of multiple people (this would be an additional opportunity for teacher/student assessment).

Goal 7: Develop Craft
As student responsibility grows more tools will be made available to use. Students would be given additional materials to work with, i.e., oil pastels, colored pencils.

Goal 8: Engage and Persist
In this level, I would ask the question, "How can we use our art center to show we understand science or history?" After discussing ideas, students would be given a challenge relevant to our curriculum, like picturing Columbus or drawing the inside of a pumpkin using a real pumpkin.

Goal 9: Envision
Students would be given opportunity to expand their artistic presentations through creating dimentional artwork, like puppets for a class play or a sculpture from recycled materials.This would be the scaffolded step for Wake-up and Read. Students would be able to effectively teach their families puppet-making at the Wake-up and Read event because they had hands-on opportunities to explore the process in the classroom.

There is no limit to possibilites for the use of these Studio Structures. Feedback welcomed!

Outline for Leadership Project Micro Presentation

 

Title: Wake-up and Read

Presented by: Karen Ciotta and Connie Boltz

Date: July 11, 2014

Description of Event: Families would join staff at two elementary schools for breakfast, art and books. Students would receive free books of their choices donated by the community. All families would be welcomed.

Suggested Event Activities:

·        Story presentation using puppets

·        Story retelling

·        Family reading

·        Creating book marks

·        Make a puppet

·        Self-portrait – students draw themselves reading a book

·        Breakfast Tables – bagels, coffee, juice, fruit

·        Book Give-away

·        Poetry

·        Puzzle station

Standards Rationale Domain 6: Improving outreach and collaboration with families and community.

Collaborative Concept: We would partner is this project to reach our extremely diverse populations and to take advantage of shared knowledge and expertise to develop the concept in other communities through-out the state.

Measurable Impact:

·        Number of students per grade level

·        Number of books distributed

·        Number of families attending

·        The community contribution support

·        The availability of financial data supplied by the community compared to that which is state funded.

What do we hope to achieve?

·        Increased family involvement

·        Develop art and literacy connections

·        Increased community connections

·        Increased support for reading in the community

How is this tied to the arts?

This project uses art as a tool for building literacy. It would encompass the stretch and explore habit of mind by playfully exploring relationships between literature and representative art. It would also create opportunities for children to learn to attend to visual representations more closely than normally expected.

Leadership: Creatively Incorporating Community

Creative Thinking Forum: Improving Outreach and Collaboration with Families and Community

Today's VCET session was presented by Stephanie Dodman, sdodman@gmu.edu  Her topic was, What is "Teacher Leadership?" Our group spit into small groups. Karen Ciotta, a kindergarten teacher from Norfolk and I will be working together. A lesson concept we both gravitated to was, Domain VI: Improving Outreach and Collaboration with Families and Community, from the Teacher Leadership Exploratory Consortium, www.teacherleaderstandards.org . Through sharing ideas, we discovered our schools actively support community involvement - Colvin Run, through yearly Community Service Outreach Projects sponsored by each grade, and Karen's school, through Wake-up and Read! Our discussion goal was to brain-storm opportunities to integrate literature and fine arts in ways that would benifit our beginning reading population and build partnerships with local businesses. We considered further developing the Wake-up and Read! framework by including puppets and paint. The following Station/Center ideas formed:

• Puppet Center - children listen to/share in the presentation of stories using puppets. 
• Paint Center - children use paint or a variety of other media to render favorite character or a scene from the story. This center could also involve making story props, like princess crowns or knight's shields.
• Popcorn Center - this snack center could be popcorn, in keeping with our alliteration theme or another simple snack, possibly from a book, that children would create.

The event would occur on Saturday morning, either at the school or in a close venue so families could easily participate. It would be run by teacher and student volunteers and use materials contributed by the community.
 
Going Forward: One of the strengths of Colvin Run is the focus on strategic planning. This year we were introduced to the concept of the DeBono "Thinking Hats," which is a group discussion tool for examining ideas from differing perspectives. I have attached a link for further study and application.  http://www.debonogroup.com/six_thinking_hats.php?gclid=CN6u0Jf0tr8CFTJn7AodREwA4A