While I begin to read a new book (Engaging Learners Through Artmaking by K. Douglas & D. Jaquith) I keep thinking back to all the information I read in Choice without Chaos by Anne Bedrick. Some of the most important pieces that keep coming to mind when I'm teaching are:
Accountability, Responsibility, & Expectations
1. I believe it is important to hold students accountable for their behavior and mistakes. I think that it builds better people if we show children that there are consequences to all their actions. I felt it was an appropriate consequence that when members working in a center do not clean up their center according to the expectations that the center is then closed the following week. I think it teaches children to think about their actions and teaches them to be responsible for their working environment. This is a skill that is not only important to touch on but to develop to form responsible and accountable adults. This life skill being taught through the arts shows the capability of arts to be much more than 'busy, cute work.'
2. When the expectations are clear and the students are held responsible for those expectations the classroom should function much smoother. When students know what is expected of them it begins to break down the stress that comes with developing new ideas as an artist. The same goes for the room organization, when students know where everything is and where it goes from memory, they spend less time fidling with other unimportant things and move straight to their target materials/center.In Choice without Chaos Bedrick also discusses the importance of routine so that students already know how the classroom functions. This is the same as knowing where all the materials can be found, it comforts the student and makes the room a safe place for making.
Room Organization
I have begun to think about the way my tables should be moved and how I can make each space as user-friendly, organized and what supplies need to go in that area. One of the things that is very important is the limited sink and counter space. I always say that I wish my room was designed by another art teacher, then I might actually have more than 4 cabinets and a mini sink. Since it wasn't I'm going to be the MacGuyver of classroom space and make it work for me. I already know that painting and printmaking are going over by the sink. I have made a classroom diagram to begin drawing in centers and seeing what walkways should look like as well as what creates a 'flow' to the classroom.
Along with thinking about the layout of my classroom I am also thinking about 'share-time' space and writing space for artists statements. I think this will be important to my admin because they are shifting to a project-based learning style where all of the subjects are intermixed and if I can show them that writing is utilized in the arts then they will better understand and advocate with me for Choice-Based Learning.
That is all for now. Clearly my head is spinning with ideas and reflections. I haven't totally used this on my students but am gradually easing them into developing their own ideas and using materials of their choice [for now with restrictions to 2-3 material choices]. There are enjoying it and I finally feel as if I've found a way to learn about my students, help them develop personally relevant ideas and explore new materials along the way. I. AM. EXCITED.
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Finished the Book.. Now for some notes
I finished Choice without Chaos by Anne Bedrick a week or so ago but never had a chance to post again, so I'm going to go chapter by chapter and comment on some highlights I made while reading. I really enjoyed reading in the iBook format, it was really simple and clean and had nice tools for annotations. It also had video clips built into some chapters to make it interactive. I'm going to make my notes italicized
So..
Chapter One:
"Each class begins with a demo or discussion to inspire students to explore new concepts or try media that they might not have otherwise considered. (pg. 10)"
"Students without an idea work on whatever was demo'd. (pg. 10)"
I liked this immediately but wondered how it was different then what I did already. Later in the book it is discussed that the demos and discussions are rarely longer than five minutes. This keeps class moving and maximizes making time. the second quotes makes sense and helps to reign in students who come without an idea or maybe even those having a bad day and not feeling inspired.
"The more that they become used to the structure of a choice program, the more often they will come to class with ideas that they want to try. (pg. 11)"
"Allowing students to choose what to work on, guarantees that they are working on projects that motivate them.(pg. 14)"
So true. I have been easing my kids into the idea of having their own ideas and coming to class with them. After one week of giving them an option they are all excited to come back and finish what they started. I have tried to do something else more than once and they always remind me about that piece they started the last week. It makes me excited to think that this is the type of enthusiasm I'm getting without centers and short demos.
"The sad reality is the by the time students get to college, much of the ability to think for themselves has been trained out of them. (pg 12)"
"People are built to be learners, they want to explore the ideas that intrigue them, but school rarely allows them to time to do so. (pg. 14)
This is what I'm getting at. We need to teach our kids how to think, not what to think. I know I'm much more inclined to learn and retain something if I'm motivated and interested. For example [and totally off topic] this evening I saw a picture of a woman's foot that had been bound and it intrigued and made me wonder. So I looked it up and learned about the painful tradition practice. The point is that I found it interesting and wanted to know more so I dug a little deeper. So, I really think that when you let kids follow their interests they are going to learn much more than if I dictate something to them. That brings me to the next quote..
"They do it because it is the assignment, but "doing is not the same as understanding, and following a teacher's directions is not the same as learning.(pg. 15)
"Anyone with time to practice finding and solving problems can learn to be creative. (pg. 18)"
Amen. My kids tell me all the time. "Ms. Alexa, you're so creative!" I always tell them that they can be too, they just have to practice and since I'm older than them I've had more practice.
I'm going to end this [much longer than I expected] post with this last quote that pretty much sums up why I think choice-based learning is important to our future generations..
"But, if they grow up being the one in a room to see the possibilities in the world around them and evaluating whether or not the things they see are ideas worth investigating, is that the kind of adult I want to help create. (pg. 19)"
Next few chapters soon, going to find a way to summarize and organize for the next one.
So..
Chapter One:
"Each class begins with a demo or discussion to inspire students to explore new concepts or try media that they might not have otherwise considered. (pg. 10)"
"Students without an idea work on whatever was demo'd. (pg. 10)"
I liked this immediately but wondered how it was different then what I did already. Later in the book it is discussed that the demos and discussions are rarely longer than five minutes. This keeps class moving and maximizes making time. the second quotes makes sense and helps to reign in students who come without an idea or maybe even those having a bad day and not feeling inspired.
"The more that they become used to the structure of a choice program, the more often they will come to class with ideas that they want to try. (pg. 11)"
"Allowing students to choose what to work on, guarantees that they are working on projects that motivate them.(pg. 14)"
So true. I have been easing my kids into the idea of having their own ideas and coming to class with them. After one week of giving them an option they are all excited to come back and finish what they started. I have tried to do something else more than once and they always remind me about that piece they started the last week. It makes me excited to think that this is the type of enthusiasm I'm getting without centers and short demos.
"The sad reality is the by the time students get to college, much of the ability to think for themselves has been trained out of them. (pg 12)"
"People are built to be learners, they want to explore the ideas that intrigue them, but school rarely allows them to time to do so. (pg. 14)
This is what I'm getting at. We need to teach our kids how to think, not what to think. I know I'm much more inclined to learn and retain something if I'm motivated and interested. For example [and totally off topic] this evening I saw a picture of a woman's foot that had been bound and it intrigued and made me wonder. So I looked it up and learned about the painful tradition practice. The point is that I found it interesting and wanted to know more so I dug a little deeper. So, I really think that when you let kids follow their interests they are going to learn much more than if I dictate something to them. That brings me to the next quote..
"They do it because it is the assignment, but "doing is not the same as understanding, and following a teacher's directions is not the same as learning.(pg. 15)
"Anyone with time to practice finding and solving problems can learn to be creative. (pg. 18)"
Amen. My kids tell me all the time. "Ms. Alexa, you're so creative!" I always tell them that they can be too, they just have to practice and since I'm older than them I've had more practice.
I'm going to end this [much longer than I expected] post with this last quote that pretty much sums up why I think choice-based learning is important to our future generations..
"But, if they grow up being the one in a room to see the possibilities in the world around them and evaluating whether or not the things they see are ideas worth investigating, is that the kind of adult I want to help create. (pg. 19)"
Next few chapters soon, going to find a way to summarize and organize for the next one.
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Purpose & What you'll find here...
Originally this blog was meant for reading reflections during my Summer A Indie Study with the chair of my Capstone Committee. Now I'd really like this to also entail my classroom transformation and any other thoughts I have about Choice-Based Art Education.
I decided to get a head start on some of the reading for my Indie Study. The focus is on Choice-Based learning and filling myself with as much knowledge as possible about the approach and method. So far the best definition I can give is a classroom studio and delivery method approach that encourages students to be the artists and create art based on their own fascinations while giving them choices about how they make their ideas come to life. That definition comes from what I've gathered throughout my readings thus far.
The more I read the more excited I get. The more excited I get the more daydreaming of what I'll do, how my classroom will look and how my students will feel when they enter the room for the first time.
I have currently read the first 89 pages of Choice without Chaos by Anne Bedrick and that has done nothing but make me so excited for the unique and meaningful work that students can create while working in a choice-based learning environment. There are so many other valuable life skills that students can learn through this approach like time management and problem solving. I also find that I learn more about my students when they create based on their own interest.
The first 89 pages have talked about different room set up and strategies that are used in the classroom. So much of it is common sense and it has truly made me smack my forehead in 'oh duh' moments. I found it helpful that there was a new center every chapter and that there were adjustments made for different grade levels.
So far I am fascinated and I cant wait to get to work on my research.
Bedrick, A. (2012). Choice without Chaos. [iBook].
I decided to get a head start on some of the reading for my Indie Study. The focus is on Choice-Based learning and filling myself with as much knowledge as possible about the approach and method. So far the best definition I can give is a classroom studio and delivery method approach that encourages students to be the artists and create art based on their own fascinations while giving them choices about how they make their ideas come to life. That definition comes from what I've gathered throughout my readings thus far.
The more I read the more excited I get. The more excited I get the more daydreaming of what I'll do, how my classroom will look and how my students will feel when they enter the room for the first time.
I have currently read the first 89 pages of Choice without Chaos by Anne Bedrick and that has done nothing but make me so excited for the unique and meaningful work that students can create while working in a choice-based learning environment. There are so many other valuable life skills that students can learn through this approach like time management and problem solving. I also find that I learn more about my students when they create based on their own interest.
The first 89 pages have talked about different room set up and strategies that are used in the classroom. So much of it is common sense and it has truly made me smack my forehead in 'oh duh' moments. I found it helpful that there was a new center every chapter and that there were adjustments made for different grade levels.
So far I am fascinated and I cant wait to get to work on my research.
Bedrick, A. (2012). Choice without Chaos. [iBook].
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