Enduring Ideas from Fairfax, VA

I just returned from our VAEA conference.  I learned today about one Fairfax County, Va. district curriculum.  The workshop was titled "Re-visioning: Integrating One Big Idea for a Course or Grade level, and presented by Carol Trost, Art Resource Teacher, Marshall l High School.  In that county they are taking 1 Enduring Idea and making it "The Idea" for the entire county. (Trost, 2011)  Fairfax County Public Schools, in Fairfax Va. Has 194 schools (138 Elementary (preschool - 6) 22 Middle, 4 Secondary (7 - 12), 21 High (9 - 12), 2 Alternative High Schools, and 7 Special Education Centers.  They have articulated three overarching student achievement goals.  They are Academics, Essential Life Skills, and Responsibility to the Community.  Part of the county's philosophy is "Art education in Fairfax County Public Schools is a core discipline, essential to the growth and development of all students."  It's interesting that the theme for this year's VAEA conference was that of Art Grows Potential.

 

Sample of FCPS Curriculum at a glance. Presented by Carol Trost from Fairfax, VA at the VAEA Annual Conference, November 3-5, 2011

In this workshop we worked in groups of 4-5 to create a single unit of instruction.  We were given a sheet of paper with one big idea on it.  (My group's idea was community)  Then, in 7 minutes, we recorded anything that came to mind that could be related somehow.  We filled the page.  From these words the key concepts are discovered.  We followed that with finding artists that would also relate.  The presenter had small 4x6 cards of contemporary and known historical artworks that she uses with her students in the classroom.  It was easy to recognize the "masters" from art history, but there were some art works I had never seen, and artists I had not heard of before. Some of the artists image examples from Carol's classroom collection were works from Tim Hawkins, Leornaora Carrington, Cindy Sherman, Barbara Kruger, Heidy Cody, Ken Chu, Volanda Lopez, Trenton Doyle, Bruce Newman, John Baldessari, Pepon Osorio, Layla Ali, J. Andtoni, Bansky, Varo, Moralso, A. Cutler, L. Lukova, Varo, A. McCollum, and K Marshall.  Now I have new artists to go research!

We didn't get to the production piece of the plan but it was a good start for all of us who participated.  Not only did the presentation/workshop show us "how" and "why" to utilize this type of plan, but it showed how they are doing it.  What I would now also like to know is what all their teachers thought of this plan at the end of 1, 3, and 4 years.  How will it have been received, implemented or changed?  Now there's an idea for a long term investigation.

Student Achievement Goals - The Fairfax County School Board has created three overarching Student Achievement Goals that provide a framework for the school system in its work of educating students. The goals involve:

• Academics
• Essential Life Skills
• Responsibility to the Community

The direction I want to go with my thesis project is to write curriculum.  The hard part about writing curriculum is doing it all by yourself.  The document, the guide, is better designed by more than one mind.  Collaboration with peers who are all working to make a map for their art educational community is what produces a quality curriculum guide.  We all just need to remember that it is just a guide.  It is not the specific map every teacher must follow.  There has to be some freedom of choice within any curriculum.  This allows for each community to decide for themselves what approach will work best for their students.

I was fortunate enough to participate in many incredible sessions over the last 2 days.  I'll write more about those later.  For now, I need to get some sleep.

Trost, C. (2011, November). Re-visioning: Integrating one big idea for a course or grade level. Paper presented at Virginia art educators association 49th professional development conference, Roanoke, VA.

Thoughts on reflections

Possible research questions:  There are many possibilities, these are just a few.

·      What is the role of student self-assessments and artwork reflections in the high school art classroom?

·      What is the benefit of student self-assessments and artwork reflections in the high school art classroom?

·      How do you get students to take an active role in assessing their own work?

I had my students in the 3D Design class and the Advanced Art Class both do a self-assessment and written reflection of their artwork.  3D created a relief identity sculpture using their initials, cardboard and paint.  AA created an identity sculpture utilizing the frame of a window.  Both classes utilized assemblage, collage, image transfer and painting techniques.  Reading their responses has produced new questions.

1.     Do I write comments on their actual papers?

2.     If only 10 out of 25 in 3D and 3 out of 14 in AA turned in the assignment to a take class time to make them all sit and write the reflection?

a.     Why did they not turn it in?

b.     Did I not allow sufficient time for them to complete the artwork and write the reflection?

c.      Did some students take the writing assignment home with them to complete it and will bring it back next class?

d.     Did they not understand the directions?

e.     Do they not care?

3.     What is my next step?

4.     Do I continue on the group critique or do I make the students write/rewrite their reflections first?

5.     What about the student who DID do the assignment?   What do they do while the rest of the class is catching up?

6.     How do I encourage those students who have not worked on their project to the point of almost complete, have not attempted the reflection or didn’t bring their artwork into class to work on or turn in?

Sorting out the answers to my questions

·      If more than ½ a class is not at the same point in the learning process then I cannot responsibly move on.  While this may add extra days into the plan, I think it’s necessary in order to get a real sense of completion of this unit.

·      So here’s what I think needs to happen at the next class meeting.

o   1^st – Ask students if they have a completed self assessment / reflection to turn in (Maybe they took it home)

o   Go back over the process of the writing assignment.

§  Talk about grammar, answering the actual questions, supporting their opinions

§  Reiterate that students should refer back to the grading rubric that was distributed at the onset of the project when they assess their work AND that if their work does not have an aspect of the project criteria then they should explain WHY it doesn’t.  If they can back up their reasoning for not using a required or suggested media, technique or process then they could have a valid reason for being excused from that particular criterion. 

o   Separate the students (out of their social groups AKA chosen seats)

§  Maybe go to the commons so they can really spread out with their artwork and their paper.

§  Maybe get a computer lab for the smaller class to type their reflections. (bring their artwork with them)

o   Set a time limit for writing to be complete then have the large group critique.

o   Allow time after the critique for the stragglers to complete the task.

o   For those students who are complete

§  1^st have them rewrite their response if there are grammar mistakes or missing requirements.

§  Work together to make a display sign to go along with the sculptures in the display case.

§  For the AA students work together to install completed window in the display windows.

There were a few great self-assessments / reflections that were turned in.  I want to scan them so I have them digital in their original form before I write my comments on them.  I think these types of documents could be useful in my research this semester. 

So between now and my next post I’ll get these scanned, write on them, return them to the students and try out my own answers.

When The Administration Visits

Kristen's sketchbook assignment for "A Hand Holding Something"

I thought this image was appropriate for my day today.  "That awkward moment when" the assistant principle comes into your classroom just to see what's going on in the art world.  It's funny how the students' backs straighten when they notice she is there.  Some actually focused more on their work as to not be "noticed".   I see that she's there out of the corner of my eye but I'm too busy mixing more glue and talking to a student about their project.  In fact I didn't even address her at first.  So what do you do when one of the administration comes in.  Well, my thinking is unless they stand and wait to be recognized and addressed by you then you do nothing.  You carry on with your instruction.  After all, that's more likely what they are there to observe anyway.  I was hoping none of my students would shout out "Mrs. Wirt the assistant principle is here"  They were great.  As I was working with a student I heard her ask another what they were doing.  Thank goodness they were able to accurately describe their project.  I guess that means I'm doing something right.

When a student can tell another person what they are working on, how they are doing it and why they are doing it then they are internalizing what they are doing.  One of the best tests to see if your instruction is sinking in is to have a student explain to another person who knows absolutely nothing about art the concept you are teaching.  Students were working on the "Layers of Me" project.  We had finished our discussion just a little prior to our guest's arrival and students were full into their studio time.  When I did get a break I went to speak to her.  She was all complements.  I further explained how students were using their initials for a relief sculpture all about their world.  I explained how they broke down the layers into different parts of their world and used paint and image transfers to illustrate the important things in their life.

She asked me some very interesting questions. 1. How do you keep all 25 of them on pace when they are all doing something different?  2. Do you just keep on going when time is up and students have to make up work on their own time? 3. When is the deadline?  I explained that I don't set a final deadline until at least half the class is half way done with the project.  I have to observe how the students are grasping a concept and then I set a date and we push towards it.  I normally don't like for students to take their art projects home to work on in the middle because they often get lost, damaged or never returned.  Then that effects the student's grade.  I am available after school 2 days a week for open studio time.  However if a student is not progressing as they should in class then I push them to keep on task.  As the deadline comes near I will allow students to take work home.  If a student needs more time on a project when the rest of the class has finished then that student has to come after school to work on it or take it home to work on it.  I don't start new projects with the class when old ones aren't complete.  That's not to say that I don't have students working ahead if the finish early.  Students that have completed their project are allowed to begin sketchbook assignments.  Mostly I find that the first person finished with a project really isn't finish.  It's at this point where that student and I sit and talk about their work.  In these conferences students usually find that there are some aspects that could be improved upon and then they really aren't finished.  The strategy here is to ask questions about the composition and meanings of things in it.

Busy days are good days

Today was one of those days when you don’t sit down, even for lunch, and then you had students stay after school to work in the studio.  At the end of the day you sit, both wiped out and energized, and feel like you had just blinked and the day passed. 

I had one of those days today.

3D Design had a great discussion on what shapes identity.  Well, those that were interested did.  It’s week three of school and students are relaxing back into themselves and showing their true personalities.  I really hate seating charts in high school.  At 16 and 17, and third or forth year in art, I thought they’d be a little more interested in their art.  It’s interesting how it only takes 2 or 3 student to change the entire dynamic of the class.  I may have to break down and assign seats.

I’m giving it one more week to see if my subtle methods work before I get into reorganizing where students get to sit.  I see a combination of entitlement, lack of goals, disregard for others, ignorance of common courtesy and a “going through the motions” attitude from a small percentage of my students.  So I have a plan.  There was a homework assignment tonight (Wed.) due the next class (Fri.) that students had to complete.  The assignment was to take 3 of the categories we, as a class, came up with that shape a person’s identity and expand on how those categories relate to their own situations.  For example if one category was “family” then students were to break that down into how their family has shapes their identity.  While students are working on their individual art projects I will call each student up to show me their homework.  At this point I have the opportunity to speak discreetly to the students that seem to be, let’s just say, a little distracted.   This is when it’s good to have students working on their art creation after a class of discussion and homework assignment.

After 3D Design my next class was Advanced Art and Honors Advanced Art class. AA/AAH has twenty students in all, each working on their own 4 or 6 panel window identity project, and each needing a different type of assistance.  Then there are 4 students doing an independent study in the room as well.  Everyone is at different stage and needs an assortment of supplies.  So needless to say, the classroom was a hopping.  Clean up time was a rush because I often loose track of time and ten minutes didn’t cut it today.  There’s another teacher and class in the room the next period, and I had to get to my duty station.  Now that our budget was cut, and so were positions, it’s part of the teacher duty rotation to cover ISS (In School Suspension), study hall as duty.  My duty is to cover ISS.  It’s not a bad duty over all.  I can work on lessons, grade, or finally check my email for the day, while I make sure those in confinement are staying on track of nothing or make up work.

The day flies when you never sit down.  When I look back on the day I had many students find surprise and success, frustration and determination, expectation and responsibility.  I helped someone discover a new ability they didn’t know they had.  I encouraged a student to keep going with their idea.  I recognized and cheered a student for their great creation.  I managed to get a class of 25 to all participate at some point in the group discussion.  As exhausted as I was when it was all over I can at least look back and call it a good day.