Elementary Classroom
Following your elementary classroom observation, describe how art materials, visual forms, images, or activities were used in the classroom by answering the following three questions (200 words total):
1. What form of arts integration or interdisciplinary learning units have you observed? In what ways were the visual forms investigated, learned, discussed, or produced in the classroom?
Students incorporated art with literacy. The students recreated their favorite book character from construction paper and the mid-section of the character was a pamphlet that described the character in detail using what they knew from the book. The students also wrote out the plot of the book. Students used yarn, pipe cleaners, markers, crayons and pencils.
2. Was there a Big Idea or theme used? If so describe. Were students working with narrative, observation, imagination, and / or visual thinking?
The students were focusing on studying plot lines and the instructor was really trying to get the students to imagine that if the characters from their favorite books were real, what would they look like? The instructor wanted the students to imagine and use visual thinking to recreate the character using construction paper and mixed media.
3. What suggestions would you have for integration and interdisciplinary learning for this unit or lesson you observed? Try to think how you could make the learning more meaningful, connected, and deeper. Be specific.
This same art project could be used with integration to social studies. Students could pick a famous leader in American History and research this person and recreate an image of that person. This would be incorporating art, history, and literacy into one unit/project. The students could also write out direct quotes in the mid-section of the character and write why that person was important. It may even be cool to leave the name of that famous person off the art work and have the students guess based on the information given.
1. What form of arts integration or interdisciplinary learning units have you observed? In what ways were the visual forms investigated, learned, discussed, or produced in the classroom?
Students incorporated art with literacy. The students recreated their favorite book character from construction paper and the mid-section of the character was a pamphlet that described the character in detail using what they knew from the book. The students also wrote out the plot of the book. Students used yarn, pipe cleaners, markers, crayons and pencils.
2. Was there a Big Idea or theme used? If so describe. Were students working with narrative, observation, imagination, and / or visual thinking?
The students were focusing on studying plot lines and the instructor was really trying to get the students to imagine that if the characters from their favorite books were real, what would they look like? The instructor wanted the students to imagine and use visual thinking to recreate the character using construction paper and mixed media.
3. What suggestions would you have for integration and interdisciplinary learning for this unit or lesson you observed? Try to think how you could make the learning more meaningful, connected, and deeper. Be specific.
This same art project could be used with integration to social studies. Students could pick a famous leader in American History and research this person and recreate an image of that person. This would be incorporating art, history, and literacy into one unit/project. The students could also write out direct quotes in the mid-section of the character and write why that person was important. It may even be cool to leave the name of that famous person off the art work and have the students guess based on the information given.
Art Classroom Reflection
Following your art room observations describe (200 words total):
1. The content of the lesson, written and spoken objectives, and resources used
The lesson was focused on mixing colors of paint together to create more colors and then created an abstract drawing of shapes and symbols and filled it in with all the diverse colors. Students used a thick piece of white paper, a pencil, a sharpie and acrylic paint to complete this project. Students also wore aprons so that the paint didn't get on their clothes.
2. The teacher, her / his teaching strategies and format / process of the lesson as presented
The teacher was very passive in his teaching strategies. The students were out of control and loud the majority of the class period and it seemed as of he did not have control and couldn't manage the classroom. He had the students first sit on the carpet when they came in and they reviewed what the class period should look like and what each student should be working on. He also addressed what the students should begin to work on (pattern landscape) when their bigger, painting project was completed.
3. Student engagement of the lesson, classroom atmosphere, and environment
Students were pretty wild and talkative during their work time but were quiet when he first addressed the class at the carpet. He gained their attention a few times by saying "Mona" and the students would say back, "Lisa" and I thought this was a pretty creative twist on gaining attention strategies from a normal classroom setting.
4. Classroom behavior management
When students were out of control, he only gave reminders but never acted out behavior corrections by moving students or pulling them aside to talk to them. I also think the students knew he does have much management skills so they play off that and behave much worse in this classroom environment than with their normal teacher.
5. Compare the art classroom to the regular classroom in regards to the teaching strategies, lesson presentation, student engagement, classroom atmosphere, environment, and behavior management.
In the regular classroom, I was able to see the teacher present the project to the class by walking them through the steps she took to create her person from her favorite book but in the art classroom I saw the students finishing up projects so the two observations were from different points in the art work development. I do think the students were more focused and excited about their artwork in the classroom and were a lot less focused on their artwork in the actual art classroom. Although the art teacher did walk around and make an effort to talk to each student about his/her art piece, he could not have conversations and manage his classroom at the same time. In the regular classroom, the teacher had much better control of her students and their focus while walking around and helping students with their project.
1. The content of the lesson, written and spoken objectives, and resources used
The lesson was focused on mixing colors of paint together to create more colors and then created an abstract drawing of shapes and symbols and filled it in with all the diverse colors. Students used a thick piece of white paper, a pencil, a sharpie and acrylic paint to complete this project. Students also wore aprons so that the paint didn't get on their clothes.
2. The teacher, her / his teaching strategies and format / process of the lesson as presented
The teacher was very passive in his teaching strategies. The students were out of control and loud the majority of the class period and it seemed as of he did not have control and couldn't manage the classroom. He had the students first sit on the carpet when they came in and they reviewed what the class period should look like and what each student should be working on. He also addressed what the students should begin to work on (pattern landscape) when their bigger, painting project was completed.
3. Student engagement of the lesson, classroom atmosphere, and environment
Students were pretty wild and talkative during their work time but were quiet when he first addressed the class at the carpet. He gained their attention a few times by saying "Mona" and the students would say back, "Lisa" and I thought this was a pretty creative twist on gaining attention strategies from a normal classroom setting.
4. Classroom behavior management
When students were out of control, he only gave reminders but never acted out behavior corrections by moving students or pulling them aside to talk to them. I also think the students knew he does have much management skills so they play off that and behave much worse in this classroom environment than with their normal teacher.
5. Compare the art classroom to the regular classroom in regards to the teaching strategies, lesson presentation, student engagement, classroom atmosphere, environment, and behavior management.
In the regular classroom, I was able to see the teacher present the project to the class by walking them through the steps she took to create her person from her favorite book but in the art classroom I saw the students finishing up projects so the two observations were from different points in the art work development. I do think the students were more focused and excited about their artwork in the classroom and were a lot less focused on their artwork in the actual art classroom. Although the art teacher did walk around and make an effort to talk to each student about his/her art piece, he could not have conversations and manage his classroom at the same time. In the regular classroom, the teacher had much better control of her students and their focus while walking around and helping students with their project.