When we first started this project, I didn’t really know anything about project based learning. I knew the importance of larger UDL type group projects to student success, but I didn’t know how PBL fit into that type of model. I had no idea how detailed and elaborate PBL units could/should be. Throughout this process, I found some of the course content presented about PBL fascinating. The stories of student engagement and success with these types of projects are truly inspiring.
Designing this project was beneficial for my teaching practice because it led me to think bigger in terms of what I can assign my students. The reality is a big PBL project might not be as useful in my beginning art classes. With beginning students there are too many techniques that students need to learn before they can become confident enough to venture out with this type of independent learning. However, for more advanced students, I would definitely approach projects with a more PBL (and UDL) lens. One thing that I have struggled with in the classroom is incorporating more writing and visual analysis into my course content. Students tend to really struggle with creating art that has a deeper meaning. Developing this project has provided me with a blueprint for creating assignments that engage students in analysis. Subsequently, these types of engagements will help students to create artwork that makes a statement about something meaningful. There are many obstacles that would make this type of project difficult to implement at my school site. The majority of these obstacles are related to a lack of funding in our program. Additionally, I haven’t had consistent access to a chrome cart in my classroom. This has made assignments that involve research, writing and analysis very difficult to implement. Our department is currently working on a total overhaul of our budgetary resources and we are also developing plans for consistent fundraising activities (art sales, stickers and t-shirts etc.). Additionally we plan to create more community events and host exhibitions that would increase department visibility, and make donation requests more tangible. I have a firm grasp on project based learning and I don’t have many questions. One thing that does make me apprehensive about implementing this type of project is the amount of responsibility that the students need to take throughout the process. I honestly can’t imagine some of my students taking this type of control over their learning. Especially if it requires them to organize/host community engagement activities and/or make requests for donations of space, supplies or support. Regardless, I am inspired to explore these types of activities with my students further. I will probably just start with a pilot project of more advanced students.
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Learning in the 21st century is completely different than when I was in school. I got my first email account when I started college in 1998. When I was in high school we used very little (if any) technology in the classroom.
Today’s high school students need access to technology so that they can be prepared for jobs in the real world. I prepare my students for the future by combining the use of technology with creativity. I have heard several presentations from tech companies arguing that one of the most important things they look for in employees is the ability to think creatively. Many people don’t realize how important art classes are to high school students. Often, arts funding is cut from school budgets. The reality is that the skills students gain in art classes are fundamental to future success in any career. When students learn to think creatively, they develop important problem solving skills. This is my main goal as an art teacher. I know that the skills my students develop doing a creative project will be applied to all sorts of things that they come across in the future, no matter what field they decide to pursue. The 4Cs are incredibly important to art classrooms. Critical thinking and creativity are an inherent part of typical art classes, but collaboration and communication are skills that some teachers need to consciously incorporate into art classrooms. I have managed to incorporate all of the 4Cs into my classes with the use of project based learning, peer assessments and peer critiques. When students work together on a creative project, they develop communication and collaboration skills. Critiques and assessments allow students to communicate, but bigger projects deepen collaborative skills. Some of the collaborative projects that I have planned for the future are group mural making and t-shirt design/screen printing. The article titled Working Inside the Black Box: Assessment for Learning in the Classroom provided a detailed investigation of the relationship between formative assessment and student achievement. The authors provide ample evidence based on the results of projects that were implemented across various school districts in both southern England and the United States. The article describes experiments that teachers completed with various types of formative assessment; from simple questions, to standardized testing. The outcome of the experiments determined student achievement improved when teachers reinvented four types of formative assessment: questioning, feedback through grading, peer- and self-assessment, and the formative use of summative tests. Much of the article was very eye opening, particularly the sections about “questioning” and the “feedback through grading.” The article stated that most teachers use questioning in a way that is completely counterproductive to student growth and achievement. Teachers are afraid of awkward silences, and this dictates the types of questions they ask. Instead, teachers will ask questions that can be answered quickly, with factual and right/wrong answers. This does nothing to provide students with the opportunity or tools to engage with complex ideas. Instead, this only quizzes students on the things that they can easily memorize. The article goes further, stating that teachers need to create a long pause after asking questions - this provides students with opportunities to really think about the materials that are being presented. The article also suggests that student achievement increases when teachers plan questions that are thought provoking, engaging and open-ended. When reading this section, I thought about my own questioning style and realized how much I can change what I do in the classroom. I have definitely been guilty of avoiding awkward silences in the classroom. I now realize that this doesn’t provide students the opportunities they need to engage with more thought provoking concepts. I also found the section about feedback and grading very enlightening. The authors concluded that providing written feedback instead of numerical scores, or letter grades, boosts student achievement. Some teachers went so far as to not give numerical feedback whatsoever and only provide students with written feedback. This section was particularly interesting to me because I have personally experienced this phenomenon. I attended UC Santa Cruz from 1998-2002 and at that time we were given narrative evaluations instead of letter grades or numerical scores. I found this type of feedback to be incredibly effective as it removed the elements of ego driven competition from my efforts towards a degree. While I love the idea of being able to provide this type of feedback for my students, I immediately began to think about the enormous class sizes that I usually have. It is disappointing that this type of feedback isn’t really an option in my department because I usually have close to 150 students every semester. In the end I became frustrated with my school district, the state of California and even the federal government. It is clear that students are losing out on opportunities for growth and success because of the extremely large class sizes. The summary of How People Learn II provided key insight about the neurological processes that take place when someone learns something new. The summary went into detail about various sociocultural factors and how the structure of learning environments affect these neurological processes. One important finding was the influence of culture on a learner’s ability to process and retain information. Brain development and cognition are affected by an individual’s personal experiences within their environment. This all affects how a person will learn throughout their lifetime. Learning is a process and with practice people can improve their ability to retain information. Their learning outcomes can adapt and change over time.
There were a few key pieces of information in this summary that will influence how I approach teaching. First, the reading was a reminder that not everyone learns in the same way and many students will need various combined approaches. Most students will retain the same key pieces of information when it is presented in multiple ways. Second, students can improve their ability to learn through practice. Third, motivation is a key determinant of student success. These are all important for me to remember as a teacher in the classroom. As a learner, I have always found success with very traditional, lecture style courses. I am an auditory learner and I can easily retain information if it is presented in a traditional manner. As a teacher it is important for me to remember that the way I learn is not the norm for my students. I need to be cognizant of the multitude of cultural/environmental influences that affect a student’s ability to learn. It is important to also remember that motivation is another key to student success in the classroom. For this reason it is necessary to create assignments that students will connect with and it is crucial that we find ways to encourage students who lack motivation or are falling behind. |