Friday, April 24, 2015

Pre-Thinking / Proposal


What are my thoughts on my teaching for the beginning of the semester to now?  I would like to go back and re-evaluate the 12 qualities great teachers share.  These are: compare and contrast, and before and after. What it means for me to be a teacher and why I always being a life long learner. Through this foundation that was helps me change into better teachers that I did not know was there. Next, I would like to look back at the student’s that I had the privileged to work with and what where their abilities, reflect back on what has changed throughout using this blog experience and see if I can de-code what information has changed from the very beginning to now.

Format
For my summative reflection, I would like to do a visual representation of my progression using video. (Yes, I’m in love with having videos and a way to visually express what is on my mind). This incorporates pictures, words, sounds and voiceovers. As I look back on my old way of thinking, and work through what happened this semester and I look at what my thinking looks like now.
Talking about each step has changed over the semester and why that change took place as I see it.

Lineage Tree
Using the tree I can see that I am growing everyday and this will be an on going thing throughout my life and teaching. At this moment, I need to add three more influences that have happened to me this semester regarding the tree.  I think I need to add all the students that I have interacted with.  Also, they need to have their place on the tree. Without them, I would not have grown the way I have this semester. Each of them allows me to see things from their viewpoint and that is a whole new way of thinking. Maybe they are not the branches in the tree, but they are the leaves themselves.  I see them as blooming flowers and each flower is a different color to show that each one of these students have given something of themselves to me.  They can be different color flowers for different groups of students.

My lineage tree, as I see it, is something that has a very strong root, which keeps me centered, allows me to grow and change over time. I’m adding color to each new the flowers as a major turning point in my teaching.

Friday, April 17, 2015

Marzano - Chapter 6 - Observing and Discussing Teaching: Week 12

For those that do not know where I work, this is a small, but brief insight. I work for the office of Research and Graduate studies; International Teaching Assistant Program (ITAP) we, as a program, help international teaching assistants become better teachers through different programs like – SPEAK test, and the OPT test (videoconferencing). I help with the advisory evaluation of these instructors through video taping them in their classrooms. With that videotape, we then interpret and I re- view the tape together and strategize to help them improve their teaching skills. This way they can connect with their students and become an improved teacher.

On page 75 of chapter 6 it talks about videos of other teachers and ways to help improve our teaching. I can tell you that this method is a great tool for anyone to see what they are missing in their teaching process. Also other ways to see teaching that can help.  Some are just to sit in a classroom and watch someone else’s teaching style. We can see what is done well by that teacher and what is not. That way we can also reflect back on our own teaching style and what we might need to change about our style of teaching in the classroom setting.

Peer coaching on page 78, we, as teachers, are always coaching. It could be our peers, our students or the people we interact with. This relationship that comes with the understanding a passion to teach, can find them self in someone else shoe. Through these relationships we also have growth that helps us become something better than what we were before. The communication clarifies some random question that two or more people can work out and form a relationship over and can grow within the classroom setting also.  Our students need to see this to help them understand that we have a relationship with our colleagues that might help them form a greater understand of life and with each other.


Working with these instructors has helped me see that I also need to improve my teaching style. Sitting in their classrooms and watching their students interact with them has given me a different viewpoint on what the students need from their teachers. For me it’s trying to find new strategies that can help me in the classroom to be come a better teacher, finding ways to interact with my students in their time and space. We need to have ways to interact with other educators that can help us see new ways in our own learning to reach far beyond who we are and what we doing now. Change is hard for all of us, but it can lift some of the burdens and responsibilities that teaching can bring to the new educator world.

Saturday, April 11, 2015

Responds to blogs week 11

Annette:
First off I would love to see what your student’s work looks like for the lesson on, “Why Design Is Important: Creating A Space Of Your Own.” I can visually see the two-dimensional surface of a room, but having each student adding their own perspective to this assignment would explain a lot for me. Could you also name what historical artworks you will be showing your students for this lesson?
I love artwork that helps students reflect on their self-expression.  This is one of the best ways to keep our students engaged within the classroom from what I have seen.
Annette, this lesson was very thought out and I hope you do not mind, but I’m going to add this lesson to my basket of ideas to pull from.

Jon:
On part 1: This was a great way to add classroom management to your lesson by adding, “Raising your hand if ….”. This is a great way for you to see if and/or when your students are following the lesson and a great way to use the checks and balances of understanding to assessment throughout the lesson. Jon, on your next lesson try to make it for just one grade level, I think this would help in the planning and the activity. Last, but not least, young children need to have shorter questions and answers with hands on or visual clues. In my opinion, this lesson was designed for older aged students, but you used your young girls and they were too cute. Pull it back next time, if you do this level again. Simple is the best way to keep their attention.
Jon, this was a great first lesson and you are on your way to becoming a great teacher.

Here are the links to the National Art Education Standards and Visual Art Grade Level Expectations for next time.

Thursday, April 9, 2015

Week 11: Practice Instead

What would I have done different? I'm not used to teaching to such small students, but I see that I need to bring the lesson down to their level and prepare or assemble smaller sets. Everything worked out pretty well.  One small factor was time. I needed more. The students were amazing during the whole lesson.

I introduced the lesson through a PowerPoint and in the PowerPoint was the Powtoon.  The Students got to yell back-and-forth the answers at the screen. I really think they enjoyed that part of the activity. Then we moved on to understanding what a microorganism is. They had a general knowledge from their field trip that they went on last week in science class (I also went on that field trip with them). Next was the VTS lesson, this group of students has never done a VTS lesson. So it was a little slow at first, but eventually they started to understand that their answers were correct and they could express themselves with a variety of answers.


After the VTS lesson I introduced them to making a little art journal, they had to follow the step by step instructions to assemble a small book. This is where I needed to plan out for more time so they could get their books done.  I had to adjust the books in a different way, so it all worked out in the end. I brought the students back to the mat and we had a small discussion about what their homework would be. What they needed to investigate and where they could get the information from for the investigation. Their homeroom/science teacher was there so she knew what was going on. She is going to help them in their reading time with their investigation. We did an assessment at the end of the day to rap it up. We talked about what they enjoyed about the lesson and what they didn't in within their art journals.

Microorganism


Name- Shirley Boudreaux
TITLE OF LESSON- Microorganism
GRADE LEVEL - 4th

NATIONAL VISUAL ARTS STANDARDS-

(MA: Cr1.1.4)Anchor Standard 1: Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work.
Enduring Understanding: Media arts ideas, works, and processes are shaped by the imagination, creative processes, and by experiences, both within and outside of the arts. Essential Question(s): How do media artists generate ideas? How can ideas for media arts productions be formed and developed to be effective and original? 
Conceive: Conceive of original artistic goals for media artworks using a variety of creative methods, such as brainstorming and modeling.

(MA: Cr3.1.4)Anchor Standard 3: Refine and complete artistic work.
Enduring Understanding: The forming, integration, and refinement of aesthetic components, principles, and processes creates purpose, meaning, and artistic quality in media artworks.
Essential Question(s): What is required to produce a media artwork that conveys purpose, meaning, and artistic quality? How do media artist’s improve/refine their work?
Construct: a. Structure and arrange various content and components to convey purpose and meaning in different media arts productions, applying sets of associated principles, such as balance and contrast. b. Demonstrate intentional effect in refining media artworks, emphasizing elements for a purpose.

(MA: Re7.1.4) Anchor Standard 7: Perceive and analyze artistic work
Enduring Understanding: Identifying the qualities and characteristics of media artworks improves one's artistic appreciation and production. Essential Question(s): How do we 'read' media artworks and discern their relational components? How do media artworks function to convey meaning and manage audience experience?
Perceive: a. Identify, describe, and explain how messages are created by components in media artworks. b. Identify, describe, and explain how various forms, methods, and styles in media artworks manage audience experience.

(MA: Re8.1.4) Anchor Standard 8: Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work.
Enduring Understanding: Interpretation and appreciation require consideration of the intent, form, and context of the media and artwork. Essential Question(s): How do people relate to and interpret media artworks?
Interpret: Determine and explain reactions and interpretations to a variety of media artworks, considering their purpose and context.

(MA: Cn10.1.4) Anchor Standard 10: Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art.
Enduring Understanding: Media artworks synthesize meaning and form cultural experience.
Essential Question(s): How do we relate knowledge and experiences to understanding and making media artworks? How do we learn about and create meaning through producing media artwork.
Synthesize: a. Examine and use personal and external resources, such as interests, research, and cultural understanding, to create media artworks. b. Examine and show how media artworks form meanings, situations, and/or cultural experiences, such as online spaces.

(MA: Cn11.1.4) Anchor Standard 11: Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural, and historical context to deepen understanding

GRADE LEVEL EXPECTATIONS (GLEs)-
Big Idea 2: PS 2 Interacting With Others in Ways That Respect Individual and Group Differences C. Personal Responsibility in Relationships Identify and practice the skills used to compromise in a variety of situations. DOK: Level 3

Big Idea 4: AD 4 Applying Skills Needed for Educational Achievement A. Improvement of Academic. Self-concept Leading to Life-long Learning Apply study skills and test- taking strategies to improve academic achievement. DOK: Level 3
B. Self-management for Life- long Learning Apply time-management and organizational techniques necessary for assignments and/or task completion. DOK Level 3

RATIONALE and GOALS FOR THIS LESSON-
Having an understanding of physical and behavioral adaptations that help plants and animals survive in a given environment. Being able to see what microorganism look like and identify them in a drawing. This classification is important to helping scientists clearly identify any species. To study, observe, and microorganism concentrated conservation. It also assists as a way of remembering and differentiating the types of microorganism, classifying the relationship between different microorganisms, and providing precise names for them. Gives students a strong background in indentifying what a microorganism is.

ENDURING BIG IDEA:
Without basic microorganism there would be no life, without life, man does not exist. This is an investigation into living microorganism, so that each student has an understanding of what and microorganism looks like. Through the use of visual images, language arts, movement and science. Students will discover what a microorganism might look like through their own artwork.
Students will sketch the landscape of their ecosystem microorganism.  Students will find a component of their ecosystem and study it closely; by sketching it in detail, then writing about it.

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS –
What is a microorganism?
Where dose your microorganism come from and in what ecosystem?

KNOWLEDGE BASE AND KEY CONCEPTS-
Term - "organism" (from Greek ργανισμός, organisms, from ργανον, organon, i.e. "Any living structure, such as a plant, animal, fungus or bacterium, capable of growth and reproduction".
Understand what a microorganism looks like in its true size.
Understand how artists create artwork within the fiber world.

OBJECTIVES-
1. The student will create a true size microorganism from a fiber media.
2. VOCABULARY- ecosystems, organism, sketch, landscape, survive, population, community, plant, animal, producer, consumer, herbivore, carnivore, prey, bacteria, plant, insect, extinct, unicellular organism, muiticellular organism, microscopic, microorganisms, cells, tissues, organs, plastids, algae, fungi, animals, life span, evolution, reproduction, horizontal gene and transfer.
3. Understand how artist create artwork within the fiber world.

LESSON VIGNETTE 
1.  Introducing the students to the lesson of living microorganism through a Powtoon presentation that sends them on a mission, just like “Mission Impossible”, your mission is to create a living microorganism and introduce them to the artist, and what the final project could look like. (5 Minutes)
2. Concluding with a VTS lesson of Katy Stone’s artwork. (15 Minutes)
3. Artist work (Shirley Boudreaux, Katy Stone, and L (5 – 10 Minutes)
3.  Make an art journal out of copy paper and floss. (30 Minutes)
4.  They will sit down and draw out what they investigated in their science class about organisms.  Then add vocabulary words and definitions. (20 Minutes)
5. Final – They will go back to the group mat.  Then, they will, by a show of hands, tell what was their favorite part of the lesson or what they enjoyed about it. (15 Minutes)
6. Clean Up (10 Minutes)

ASSESSMENTS/RUBRICS:
The students will go back to the group mat.  Then, they will, by a show of hands, tell what was their favorite part of the lesson or what they enjoyed about it. They will tell their partner, one at a time, about their own microorganism art journal. After each student has taken their turn.

After they have shared their art journal, they will write about it in their art journal about what they experienced in this lesson. This is using formative assessment by looking at each other’s work and summative assessment by writing about the project.

STUDENT ENGAGEMENT AND ADAPTATIONS FOR SPECIAL NEEDS -
Students with special needs might need help with drawing out their microorganism. A larger pencil can be used to help with holding it. They may need help with identifying what a microorganism looks like and the wording. They can use a computer for the written assignments. They may have extra time to finish their drawing and for the investigation of their project. A teacher or aide can help with pouring the paint.

MATERIALS, TEACHING RESOURCES/REFERENCES-
Teaching resources:
The fiber artists are Shirley Boudreaux, Leisa Rich, and Katy Stone.   These three artists show the students three different viewpoints of what a microorganism looks like.  These artists work in the fiber world.
List of materials for this project:
Powtoon, power point, pencils, copy paper and color pencils.

TEACHER REFLECTION:
If the students are able to reflect on this project in a positive manner, then I would consider that to be a success.  Each student shows that he/she has pulled information from the arts and sciences to where they have an understanding of what a microorganism is.  They also  understand the relationship between being inside and/or outside the class by utilizing  their critical thinking skills on their field trip and in their homeroom science class.

List of indicators
They can write, talk and draw about what they learned through their art making process. The use of a pencil to draw a microorganism is evidence of hand to eye coordination. Working with paint colors that related to living microorganism and having an understanding of what fabric can be used for.