Synthesis and Conclusion.
Video Link:
https://youtu.be/XwW1E5CVPnU
EDUC466: Synthesis & Conclusion Outline
Intro:
Hello, my name is Galt Tomasino, I am an Art Education Student at CSU. This video provides information about the class: EDUC466: Methods and Assessment in Art Education; specifically the service learning/experience, and the role it played in my education as a beginning teacher.
This semester I had the opportunity to teach at Beattie Elementary School under the supervision of Ms. Kimberly Noel, in the art room. I had the pleasure of working with first and second grade students in four different class sections. It was our responsibility to create lesson plans each week and then reflect through a journal entry and "assessment" blog which was updated on CANVAS each week.
EDUC466 not only taught me the important aspects of a successful art education practices, but also provided my first experiences teaching in an actual classroom. I was nervous at first, but the course provided structured curriculum that pertained to our teaching habits in great detail, and this served to provide the skills necessary to begin working in the field. Through the classroom experiences I was able to return to class with new questions that came directly from events that occurred while I was teaching. This marriage between advanced coursework and lecture, with hands-on experience teaching in a classroom environment, created a much more effective learning experience overall.
Five Points:
In reflecting on all that we have learned over the course of the semester, I have identified five essential components that interplay with one another and dramatically improve Art Education when implemented appropriately. They are: art’s origins, advocacy for art, art & society, public-arts economic role, and the assessment methods of art. Each category consists of a series of texts and readings that help to answer questions from the discussion of the five sections.
Art’s Origins:
When instructing the First and Second Graders of Beattie Elementary, it was imperative that we reflected upon this question from the reading, “How Young Artists Grow”-Koster,
“Where does art begin?”
As described in the text, “It begins with the line-it reflects the physical control of the child over his body.” Koster
The reading: “Studio Art: Praxis, Symbol, and Presence.” By Marilyn Zurmuehlen : The University of Iowa, identifies key characteristics of what the mark making process entails…
• Marks represent something other than their physical appearance
• What they represent is intended by their maker
• What is shared between maker and viewers is intended representation
• Verbal language elucidates the meaning of what is being represented
• This begs the question, “How often are you an originator of your artwork?”
Through the Service Learning Program, we also placed emphasis on the process of art making and creative thinking over the end product. Highlighting the importance of intrinsic value and mark making. It was important however, for us as teachers, to establish a connection between the skills the students were learning to the professionals that use them, as a means to validate their efforts. Creating professional level artwork was not a goal, or a realistic one, at that, for this age group. The objective worth fulfilling was for the students to be expressive in their own way through learning various techniques and manipulations of materials.
“By viewing artistic growth as a developmental process, one that every human being has gone through, guiding adults will be better able to respond to the artistic growth of the young children in their care.” “How Young Artists Grow”-Koster
As stated, regarding art’s origins, working with materials in this manner is an essential process all human beings use to make sense of the world, improve cognitive function, and develop problem solving strategies. Drawing is also intimately linked to linguistic growth. We saw this carried out in our classroom, as young students used a combination of drawn images, symbols, marks, and written word with the intent of communicating their thoughts and ideas. Therefore it was vital for us as art teachers to approach the lessons for this age group, with the intenet to build essential skills children learn through the art making process that will last them a lifetime.
“Children’s’ drawings are the beginnings of their writings.” Koster
It is integral to their development, and the advocacy of the arts, to equip elementary students with a positive perception of themselves and their creative capabilities so that they can transfer this ideology into other aspects of their lives as well.
As stated by the United States Department of Education, “Children who are encouraged to draw and ‘scribble’ at an early age will later learn to compose more easily, more effectively, and with greater confidence than children who do not have this encouragement.” 1986
Advocacy for Art:
Therefore advocacy of art is not only the life-blood of art programs, but also a major factor on whether or not students continue practicing art as they progress into the ‘Middle Grades’.
An important tool for generating advocacy and student involvement in the arts is to create lesson plans that utilize the essential conditions for art making. These are: artistic causality, which is what causes someone to make art. Idiosyncratic meaning which correlates life experiences with the art that we make. Intentional Symbolization, a non-discursive method that relates to the originator and holds personal meaning.
Our role as a facilitator in the art room is to provide our experience in art to help students figure out what will interest them. Often times, teachers will have a methodology that they follow, which was passed on to them from their art experiences as a student. It is imperative that as art educators and ambassadors, that we use a multifaceted approach through differentiated instruction to support a classroom of students, with different educational needs, goals, learning types, personalities, and backgrounds in art education. For many students, elementary art will be one of the last times in their life that they are consistently involved with design and the creative process as it pertains to art making.
“4 Ways You Can Advocate Art”
As expressed by Wynita Harmon from the magazine article by the same name, and found on: https://theartofeducation.edu/
1. Get art into your local community.
“Sharing your students’ work is a great way to highlight the role art plays in your student’s lives. An art display helps stakeholders visualize what you are doing and the impact it has on students. It helps them directly see the type of work and thinking they’re supporting. Adding a brief write up of what the students are learning as well as a few process photographs to your display will give viewers a more holistic understanding of arts education.”
2. Highlight your students’ art within the school.
“Displaying student work within your school and hosting art shows are great ways to advocate for your arts program on campus. When you host events, don’t forget to invite the local media and your school districts’ communication department. Or, write up a blurb and submit it yourself!”
“Highlighting student work not only lets your coworkers and parents see what your students are making, but it gives your students a chance to shine! Taking every opportunity to get your students’ work out there is a great way to show the validity of your art program. Don’t forget to write up a description of the projects, including the standards, vocabulary, and techniques students learned. These signs will help educate viewers.”
3. Be aware of legislative polices.
“The legislature makes many decisions that revolve around education and may greatly impact support for art education. While No Child Left Behind contained language about art being a core subject, the EveryStudentSucceeds Act, passed in 2015, has named art and music as topics beneficial to a “well-rounded education.”
This language has allowed for the state and local legislatures to make decisions on new funding opportunities for the arts.
“Art is also eligible to get funds under the Student Support and AcademicEnrichment Grantsand the 21st Century Community Learning CenterFunding when applied for by state government agencies. While many may not know about these funding opportunities, it is one important reason to stay in the know when it comes to legislative policies and why, as citizens and art teachers, we need to stay informed.”
4. Reach out to your representatives and stakeholders.
Making your voice heard is imperative to advocate for the arts. Reaching out to your local city and state officials about the importance of art in schools is a great way to start.
If you’re looking for some talking points, Clyde Gaw shared some thoughts on his blog in a post titled, “What Do Children’s Art Classes in School, Have to Do with Civic Engagement and Voter Turnout,” he said, “The art classroom is that place in school where children develop a critical eye, a critical mind, where visual literacy is emphasized, and where the refinement of the imagination is practiced daily. We need more art education in our schools, not less. I ask you to please stay informed. Remain active as a citizen-advocate. Your voice to elected officials is essential to protect those educational programs that make our schools special.”
Art and Society:
In conjunction with the avocation of art, I found the success of the YA/YA initiative to exemplify, how someone can create an opportunity for those who, would otherwise be disenfranchised, and create a positive outcome for them as individuals, and the community as a whole. “…she gave them an assignment, she gave them a permission to search their souls for an experience and set of feelings that could be made into art. It is the depth of feeling that makes the YA/YA work seem so vivid and alive.” “The workshop moves students into mainstream culture. In their interactions with artists and corporate clients and through travel, YA/YAs build their confidence and learn to maneuver through different cultures without compromising their own beliefs and histories.” “The workshop provides the means for these adolescents to bring voice to the mainstream and demonstrate that their voices have value.” Studies of human behavior and psychology show the importance of feeling like one belongs to a valuable group. The notion that a person’s efforts hold meaning, opportunity for personal growth, and developed capability to impact the community in a positive way, are vital to our being. Also, the way YA/YA incorporated aspects of business, marketing, sales, and competition highlights the importance of real world application, transfer of knowledge and techniques, and how students will rise to the occasion if they feel their efforts are not in vain.
Practical application of skills, that interact with other facets of one's society, marry the intrinsic and extrinsic values of art making. This harmony reflects the "three P's" and demonstrates how they are applicable in the role of art education outside the classroom. In these "real world" scenarios students are able to tap into their individual experiences outside of the boundaries of the classroom, and involve their time in projects that excite and challenge them. In turn, these projects will have stronger meaning, relevance, craftsmanship, and hold the potential to impact the community. In regards to Service Learning this semester, we saw how import personal relevance was to the student involvement in the projects, as well as the importance of providing students with professional connections to the information they were learning and how it could be used to impact the world. This served to create a sense of validity, and provide the students visions of themselves as successful artists.
Instilling this knowledge of art and society will present your students at an early age with the understanding that their voice does matter, regardless, of background, race, ethnicity, religion, disability, or other factors, and that there is great value in their effort to reach out to their communities.
Public Art’s Economic Role:
In regards to public art as it pertains to community involvement, it is wise decision to involve students in field trips, guest speaker discussions, and activities that directly affect the community. Not only does this serve to establish connections between teacher and student, through an exciting alternative to lecture, but also ingrains a sense of unity with the lessons they learn and how they can be used in the world. Sculpture Gardens, murals, and architecture are examples that one can highlight to demonstrate that is art all around us, and is a vital part of everyday life.
Studies have shown that students tend to remember these kinds of activities, while most standard learning practices and the information they hold is forgotten, especially by children of this age. Knowing what kind of learning methods stick with the demographic you are teaching is vital to their success.
It is important to educate students at a young age about the value art holds in society, so that as they mature they don’t reject art in its entirety.
Assessment Methods of Art:
As suggested in the readings, “Standardization, testing, and conformity are all aspects of our educational system, although they do not necessarily have to be, I would also suggest that, in one form or another, they are attributes of most institutions and, in fact, of many societies—leading to marginalization and a loss of voice.” This quote expresses the misuse of diversity among human beings.
Variety, the differences in our skillets, and the existence of multiple intelligences, holds the opportunity to be our greatest strength, but is often used as a reason to marginalize those that don’t embody the same characteristics of those in authoritative positions.
In regards to Service Learning at the elementary level, statement this holds true. Pre-assessment and continuous reflection of how the students are responding to certain tasks allowed for us, as facilitators of the course, to create lesson plans that empowered students, challenged them, and promoted multiple avenues for them to explore their abilities and find success. Being mindful of the Standards while incorporating a choice-based curriculum created a learning environment that was much more organic however, and it did not punish students for failures. Instead it encouraged exploration, learning from mistakes, reflection, and the development of problem solving skills through art making that allowed students of different abilities to thrive.
A classroom environment that enforces strict behavioral rules might work for some personalities, but can cause other students to shut down, and reject the institution completely. We learned that a teacher must be flexible, and establish personal connections in order to reach every student and build off their interests effectively. To promote student development the reading suggested that adolescents need to acquire “durable self-esteem, flexible and inquiring habits of the mind, reliable and relatively close human relationships, a sense of belonging in a valuable group, and a sense of usefulness in some way beyond self.”
Particularly for this age, creating a classroom environment that addresses these basic human needs is of utmost importance. Addressing this is a challenge we face as art teachers, and how we choose to react to this issue will shape our students’ self-worth, and ultimately, impact how they interact with their community as well.
Closing Statement:
Overall, I learned an immense amount of new and very helpful information over the course of this semester. I am so grateful to my professors, volunteers, and the students that provided me with the opportunity to share my passion for art and grow as an instructor. The concepts that I was informed of will forever stay with me as I make my way to becoming an art teacher. Working in the field, in actual classroom situations helped ingrain the lessons from the coursework, and provided me a stronger understanding of how to apply the information effectively. The readings, research, and experience of Service Learning at Beattie Elementary School worked very well together, and I cannot express how thankful I am to have been involved with such a wonderful group of people and thoughtful community. I look forward to advocating the arts, and sharing my passion with future generations of students to come.
__________________________________________________
Bibliography
Eukino, D. Studio Art: Praxis, Symbol, Presence. Reston, VA: National Art Education Association.
Goldbard, A. & Adams, D. New creative community: The art of cultural development. (2006), Oakland, CA: New Village.
Kellogg, R. (1990) Studio Art: Praxis, Symbol, Presence. Reston, VA: National Art Education Association.
Harmon, W. “4 Ways You Can Advocate Art”. Education of Art Association
Koster. (2003), How Young Artists Grow. Reston, VA: National Art Education Association.
Hetland, L. et al. (2007), Studio Thinking: The Real Benefits of Visual Arts Education. New York: Teachers College.
Zurmuehlen, M. (1990) Studio Art: Praxis, Symbol, Presence. Reston, VA: National Art Education Association.
https://youtu.be/XwW1E5CVPnU
EDUC466: Synthesis & Conclusion Outline
Intro:
Hello, my name is Galt Tomasino, I am an Art Education Student at CSU. This video provides information about the class: EDUC466: Methods and Assessment in Art Education; specifically the service learning/experience, and the role it played in my education as a beginning teacher.
This semester I had the opportunity to teach at Beattie Elementary School under the supervision of Ms. Kimberly Noel, in the art room. I had the pleasure of working with first and second grade students in four different class sections. It was our responsibility to create lesson plans each week and then reflect through a journal entry and "assessment" blog which was updated on CANVAS each week.
EDUC466 not only taught me the important aspects of a successful art education practices, but also provided my first experiences teaching in an actual classroom. I was nervous at first, but the course provided structured curriculum that pertained to our teaching habits in great detail, and this served to provide the skills necessary to begin working in the field. Through the classroom experiences I was able to return to class with new questions that came directly from events that occurred while I was teaching. This marriage between advanced coursework and lecture, with hands-on experience teaching in a classroom environment, created a much more effective learning experience overall.
Five Points:
In reflecting on all that we have learned over the course of the semester, I have identified five essential components that interplay with one another and dramatically improve Art Education when implemented appropriately. They are: art’s origins, advocacy for art, art & society, public-arts economic role, and the assessment methods of art. Each category consists of a series of texts and readings that help to answer questions from the discussion of the five sections.
Art’s Origins:
When instructing the First and Second Graders of Beattie Elementary, it was imperative that we reflected upon this question from the reading, “How Young Artists Grow”-Koster,
“Where does art begin?”
As described in the text, “It begins with the line-it reflects the physical control of the child over his body.” Koster
The reading: “Studio Art: Praxis, Symbol, and Presence.” By Marilyn Zurmuehlen : The University of Iowa, identifies key characteristics of what the mark making process entails…
• Marks represent something other than their physical appearance
• What they represent is intended by their maker
• What is shared between maker and viewers is intended representation
• Verbal language elucidates the meaning of what is being represented
• This begs the question, “How often are you an originator of your artwork?”
Through the Service Learning Program, we also placed emphasis on the process of art making and creative thinking over the end product. Highlighting the importance of intrinsic value and mark making. It was important however, for us as teachers, to establish a connection between the skills the students were learning to the professionals that use them, as a means to validate their efforts. Creating professional level artwork was not a goal, or a realistic one, at that, for this age group. The objective worth fulfilling was for the students to be expressive in their own way through learning various techniques and manipulations of materials.
“By viewing artistic growth as a developmental process, one that every human being has gone through, guiding adults will be better able to respond to the artistic growth of the young children in their care.” “How Young Artists Grow”-Koster
As stated, regarding art’s origins, working with materials in this manner is an essential process all human beings use to make sense of the world, improve cognitive function, and develop problem solving strategies. Drawing is also intimately linked to linguistic growth. We saw this carried out in our classroom, as young students used a combination of drawn images, symbols, marks, and written word with the intent of communicating their thoughts and ideas. Therefore it was vital for us as art teachers to approach the lessons for this age group, with the intenet to build essential skills children learn through the art making process that will last them a lifetime.
“Children’s’ drawings are the beginnings of their writings.” Koster
It is integral to their development, and the advocacy of the arts, to equip elementary students with a positive perception of themselves and their creative capabilities so that they can transfer this ideology into other aspects of their lives as well.
As stated by the United States Department of Education, “Children who are encouraged to draw and ‘scribble’ at an early age will later learn to compose more easily, more effectively, and with greater confidence than children who do not have this encouragement.” 1986
Advocacy for Art:
Therefore advocacy of art is not only the life-blood of art programs, but also a major factor on whether or not students continue practicing art as they progress into the ‘Middle Grades’.
An important tool for generating advocacy and student involvement in the arts is to create lesson plans that utilize the essential conditions for art making. These are: artistic causality, which is what causes someone to make art. Idiosyncratic meaning which correlates life experiences with the art that we make. Intentional Symbolization, a non-discursive method that relates to the originator and holds personal meaning.
Our role as a facilitator in the art room is to provide our experience in art to help students figure out what will interest them. Often times, teachers will have a methodology that they follow, which was passed on to them from their art experiences as a student. It is imperative that as art educators and ambassadors, that we use a multifaceted approach through differentiated instruction to support a classroom of students, with different educational needs, goals, learning types, personalities, and backgrounds in art education. For many students, elementary art will be one of the last times in their life that they are consistently involved with design and the creative process as it pertains to art making.
“4 Ways You Can Advocate Art”
As expressed by Wynita Harmon from the magazine article by the same name, and found on: https://theartofeducation.edu/
1. Get art into your local community.
“Sharing your students’ work is a great way to highlight the role art plays in your student’s lives. An art display helps stakeholders visualize what you are doing and the impact it has on students. It helps them directly see the type of work and thinking they’re supporting. Adding a brief write up of what the students are learning as well as a few process photographs to your display will give viewers a more holistic understanding of arts education.”
2. Highlight your students’ art within the school.
“Displaying student work within your school and hosting art shows are great ways to advocate for your arts program on campus. When you host events, don’t forget to invite the local media and your school districts’ communication department. Or, write up a blurb and submit it yourself!”
“Highlighting student work not only lets your coworkers and parents see what your students are making, but it gives your students a chance to shine! Taking every opportunity to get your students’ work out there is a great way to show the validity of your art program. Don’t forget to write up a description of the projects, including the standards, vocabulary, and techniques students learned. These signs will help educate viewers.”
3. Be aware of legislative polices.
“The legislature makes many decisions that revolve around education and may greatly impact support for art education. While No Child Left Behind contained language about art being a core subject, the EveryStudentSucceeds Act, passed in 2015, has named art and music as topics beneficial to a “well-rounded education.”
This language has allowed for the state and local legislatures to make decisions on new funding opportunities for the arts.
“Art is also eligible to get funds under the Student Support and AcademicEnrichment Grantsand the 21st Century Community Learning CenterFunding when applied for by state government agencies. While many may not know about these funding opportunities, it is one important reason to stay in the know when it comes to legislative policies and why, as citizens and art teachers, we need to stay informed.”
4. Reach out to your representatives and stakeholders.
Making your voice heard is imperative to advocate for the arts. Reaching out to your local city and state officials about the importance of art in schools is a great way to start.
If you’re looking for some talking points, Clyde Gaw shared some thoughts on his blog in a post titled, “What Do Children’s Art Classes in School, Have to Do with Civic Engagement and Voter Turnout,” he said, “The art classroom is that place in school where children develop a critical eye, a critical mind, where visual literacy is emphasized, and where the refinement of the imagination is practiced daily. We need more art education in our schools, not less. I ask you to please stay informed. Remain active as a citizen-advocate. Your voice to elected officials is essential to protect those educational programs that make our schools special.”
Art and Society:
In conjunction with the avocation of art, I found the success of the YA/YA initiative to exemplify, how someone can create an opportunity for those who, would otherwise be disenfranchised, and create a positive outcome for them as individuals, and the community as a whole. “…she gave them an assignment, she gave them a permission to search their souls for an experience and set of feelings that could be made into art. It is the depth of feeling that makes the YA/YA work seem so vivid and alive.” “The workshop moves students into mainstream culture. In their interactions with artists and corporate clients and through travel, YA/YAs build their confidence and learn to maneuver through different cultures without compromising their own beliefs and histories.” “The workshop provides the means for these adolescents to bring voice to the mainstream and demonstrate that their voices have value.” Studies of human behavior and psychology show the importance of feeling like one belongs to a valuable group. The notion that a person’s efforts hold meaning, opportunity for personal growth, and developed capability to impact the community in a positive way, are vital to our being. Also, the way YA/YA incorporated aspects of business, marketing, sales, and competition highlights the importance of real world application, transfer of knowledge and techniques, and how students will rise to the occasion if they feel their efforts are not in vain.
Practical application of skills, that interact with other facets of one's society, marry the intrinsic and extrinsic values of art making. This harmony reflects the "three P's" and demonstrates how they are applicable in the role of art education outside the classroom. In these "real world" scenarios students are able to tap into their individual experiences outside of the boundaries of the classroom, and involve their time in projects that excite and challenge them. In turn, these projects will have stronger meaning, relevance, craftsmanship, and hold the potential to impact the community. In regards to Service Learning this semester, we saw how import personal relevance was to the student involvement in the projects, as well as the importance of providing students with professional connections to the information they were learning and how it could be used to impact the world. This served to create a sense of validity, and provide the students visions of themselves as successful artists.
Instilling this knowledge of art and society will present your students at an early age with the understanding that their voice does matter, regardless, of background, race, ethnicity, religion, disability, or other factors, and that there is great value in their effort to reach out to their communities.
Public Art’s Economic Role:
In regards to public art as it pertains to community involvement, it is wise decision to involve students in field trips, guest speaker discussions, and activities that directly affect the community. Not only does this serve to establish connections between teacher and student, through an exciting alternative to lecture, but also ingrains a sense of unity with the lessons they learn and how they can be used in the world. Sculpture Gardens, murals, and architecture are examples that one can highlight to demonstrate that is art all around us, and is a vital part of everyday life.
Studies have shown that students tend to remember these kinds of activities, while most standard learning practices and the information they hold is forgotten, especially by children of this age. Knowing what kind of learning methods stick with the demographic you are teaching is vital to their success.
It is important to educate students at a young age about the value art holds in society, so that as they mature they don’t reject art in its entirety.
Assessment Methods of Art:
As suggested in the readings, “Standardization, testing, and conformity are all aspects of our educational system, although they do not necessarily have to be, I would also suggest that, in one form or another, they are attributes of most institutions and, in fact, of many societies—leading to marginalization and a loss of voice.” This quote expresses the misuse of diversity among human beings.
Variety, the differences in our skillets, and the existence of multiple intelligences, holds the opportunity to be our greatest strength, but is often used as a reason to marginalize those that don’t embody the same characteristics of those in authoritative positions.
In regards to Service Learning at the elementary level, statement this holds true. Pre-assessment and continuous reflection of how the students are responding to certain tasks allowed for us, as facilitators of the course, to create lesson plans that empowered students, challenged them, and promoted multiple avenues for them to explore their abilities and find success. Being mindful of the Standards while incorporating a choice-based curriculum created a learning environment that was much more organic however, and it did not punish students for failures. Instead it encouraged exploration, learning from mistakes, reflection, and the development of problem solving skills through art making that allowed students of different abilities to thrive.
A classroom environment that enforces strict behavioral rules might work for some personalities, but can cause other students to shut down, and reject the institution completely. We learned that a teacher must be flexible, and establish personal connections in order to reach every student and build off their interests effectively. To promote student development the reading suggested that adolescents need to acquire “durable self-esteem, flexible and inquiring habits of the mind, reliable and relatively close human relationships, a sense of belonging in a valuable group, and a sense of usefulness in some way beyond self.”
Particularly for this age, creating a classroom environment that addresses these basic human needs is of utmost importance. Addressing this is a challenge we face as art teachers, and how we choose to react to this issue will shape our students’ self-worth, and ultimately, impact how they interact with their community as well.
Closing Statement:
Overall, I learned an immense amount of new and very helpful information over the course of this semester. I am so grateful to my professors, volunteers, and the students that provided me with the opportunity to share my passion for art and grow as an instructor. The concepts that I was informed of will forever stay with me as I make my way to becoming an art teacher. Working in the field, in actual classroom situations helped ingrain the lessons from the coursework, and provided me a stronger understanding of how to apply the information effectively. The readings, research, and experience of Service Learning at Beattie Elementary School worked very well together, and I cannot express how thankful I am to have been involved with such a wonderful group of people and thoughtful community. I look forward to advocating the arts, and sharing my passion with future generations of students to come.
__________________________________________________
Bibliography
Eukino, D. Studio Art: Praxis, Symbol, Presence. Reston, VA: National Art Education Association.
Goldbard, A. & Adams, D. New creative community: The art of cultural development. (2006), Oakland, CA: New Village.
Kellogg, R. (1990) Studio Art: Praxis, Symbol, Presence. Reston, VA: National Art Education Association.
Harmon, W. “4 Ways You Can Advocate Art”. Education of Art Association
Koster. (2003), How Young Artists Grow. Reston, VA: National Art Education Association.
Hetland, L. et al. (2007), Studio Thinking: The Real Benefits of Visual Arts Education. New York: Teachers College.
Zurmuehlen, M. (1990) Studio Art: Praxis, Symbol, Presence. Reston, VA: National Art Education Association.