Allicann's Blog

Field Work

allicann — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 05:54:27 +0000

This project was beneficial in that it allowed us the opportunity to get out in the field and observe first-hand how real art teachers deal with the problem of assessment in their own classrooms. I observed at the high school level. The students were working on a project called “Narrative in Clay.” Students were instructed to create a coil pot and then paint it with a line design containing symbols inspired by those on Native American pottery. Students were to create their own symbols and use them to tell a personal narrative on their pot.
By observing at the beginning, middle, and end of a project I was able to see how assessment strategies are used and implemented throughout the course of a project. Assessment strategies and tools, when used correctly, are advantageous to student learning and extremely valuable to the teacher in helping them determine how much students have actually learned. Overall, I feel the project is a beneficial part of the course and a good way for us to see how what we learn in class is relevant and applicable to the field of art education.

I also came across an interesting dilemma that I thought I should note. During the final, large group critique, the group of students that went up first contained the student that I had assumed to be the troublemaker of the class. It also had a girl who dressed in preppy clothes, whose pot was well crafted and visually pleasing. Of the two, she spoke first, but had nothing interesting to say about her narrative or what she had learned while making the piece. She did not seem emotionally invested in it, or really care how it turned out. The boy’s piece, on the other hand, had low craftsmanship: it was very bumpy, uneven, and poorly painted, and he had declared on many occasions that he knew his piece looked like “crap.” But when he started talking about it, he shared a personal story depicted within the piece, which went much deeper than any of the other students who presented that day. It surprised me and made me think about how I would react to these two students as an art teacher. Which students’ piece is better? Which behavior do I reward? I think it would be necessary to address both students, pushing the first to take her ideas to the next level, while praising the ideas of the second and encouraging him to add to the sophistication of his ideas by improving the quality of the piece. Both students probably feared failure or some kind of rejection, but I think it would be important for the teacher to reach these students and help them develop as artists.

Trinity High School Visit

allicann — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 05:43:10 +0000

Having the opportunity to visit an IB school and be able to talk to students about their work in such an in-depth way was a very beneficial experience for me. I got to see how a program like this would run and how this style of teaching and learning effects the students. Both of the girls I talked to were readily able to discuss their work, ideas, and materials in a very mature way. In the AP art class I took in high school, we did not focus as much on talking about our work and the meaning behind it, which I view as a great loss. Through the process of developing their own ideas, creating original works of art, and practicing the skills necessary to vocalize their ideas and intent, the art students at Trinity are building a body of skills that will benefit them no matter where their future takes them. Through my interviews with Sam and Katrina, I saw how they grew in confidence as I talked with them. During the large group discussion, the students made it very clear that what we had done was a big help to them…and the benefits were reciprocal! I was able to practice my questioning and critiquing skills: When Sam and Katrina asked my opinion about specific pieces, I had to synthesize what they had told me and what I was seeing with all the things I had learned in my studio, art history, and art education classes. It was a very rewarding way put what I have learned to use, as well as to learn how the examination process works and what it would be like to judge student work. Overall, I feel this experience was a very worthwhile endeavor.

As an artist

allicann — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 21:30:26 +0000

In my art assessment class this week, we did an activity that involved half the class acting as the questioners and the rest as artists. I took the role of the artist this week and brought in three of my own pieces to use. During the critique, the questioners rotated around to all the artists, asking them questions pertaining to their idea development, creativity, experiences, etc.
I thought this was a very interesting activity that allowed us to both see the work of our classmates as well as discuss our work with someone who had not been in the same class or done the same project as us. By allowing the artists to pick any three of their pieces, what resulted, for me at least, was a concise look at my current state of mind as an artist. The three pieces complemented each other, each reflecting a different facet of my ideas, experiences, and artwork.
This was a unique experience in that we were given the opportunity to discuss and critique our work with peers without the pressure of grades or deadlines. Many times, the questions that were asked had me thinking about things that I had not considered before. This exercise benefited me simultaneously as a student, artist, and future art educator.

Second Life Follow Up

allicann — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 03:38:57 +0000

I think the idea of working on a project with another school through Second Life is a good one; I liked being able to see the artwork in as close to a 3D setting as is possible. The way we were able to go and see the art work displayed in a gallery added an extra dimension to the project. We weren’t just assessing our partner’s artwork. We got to see how they displayed it, we communicated with them about their ideas, and got the feeling of a gallery setting.
On the day of the “opening” in Second Life, I had some difficulties because I wasn’t able to bring my own computer. The one that I was at while we were doing this was very slow, which severely limited my capabilities within Second Life. It took a long time for the artwork to load up and look clear, so I feel that I missed out on a lot because of that. If we were to do this again, I would make sure that all of the technology was working adequately beforehand.
I think that incorporating cyber space into the arts classroom has potential, but I would still be weary of it interfering with real life possibilities. I think it is useful for accessing places or events that would be impossible to otherwise, but I think it would be more beneficial to do projects for “real” whenever possible.

Based on Benchmarks

allicann — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 17:37:19 +0000

Trying to attach a grade to a piece of individual art is a difficult thing to do, but I think it is necessary and beneficial if done in a sensitive, helpful way. As in any other subject, students want to know how to improve. If the only thing an art teacher says about their work is that it is wonderful, the students won’t learn anything.
In my Art Assessment class, we did an activity where we reviewed five different art lessons and then looked at student work that came out of them. On a scale of low, middle, and high, each member of our class ranked each artwork. We tallied up the rankings of each piece and discovered that some of the pieces had tallies evenly spread across all three benchmarks. One piece was sometimes ranked equally as high, middle, and low. This showed us how different people’s opinions can be and how important it is to have other colleagues help you form your benchmarks.
Developing a benchmark scale is tricky in the beginning, but it has major benefits as it helps keep the assessment consistent from year to year by giving the teacher a common starting point.

Perspectives

allicann — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 04:17:54 +0000

I am working on a ceramics project based on a movie my friends and I made at my family’s cottage in Northern Wisconsin. For me, using real life experiences in my artwork is what makes it interesting.

We had our first critique in my ceramics class the other day. It was a fairly normal critique in all regards, except for some interesting realizations I made because of it.

I think it is such a learning experience to be in a class with people who have such a range of skill levels and ideas. Some are underclassmen, some already have skills in ceramics, and some fall shortly behind me in the Art Education process.

During the critique, a girl pointed out that there seemed to be a similar thread running through and affecting each of my pieces. I had looked at my previous works of art and found this to be true, but her comment led me to consider how my ceramics pieces fit into what I already knew. I love moments like this, where someone else points out or reaffirms something about your work that you hadn’t seen before. A different perspective is often just the thing to define for yourself what you weren’t able to alone.

These are places I’ve gone to my whole life. Now I see that they are important and I can reflect on how these experiences have effected me. I think it is important to help students do the same. Places or people may be so engrained in the every-day fabric of life that you don’t see their significance.

Often, though, these things are what matter most. With an understanding that all students are different and carry divers experiences, art educators need to help students express themselves a way that is unique to the individual.

(Second) Life

allicann — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 22:17:55 +0000

By this point in the semester, I have worked through setting up my Second Life account, creating my avatar, and have made several attempts to familiarize myself with how to get around the virtual world. As of yet, I am still very frustrated and not fully convinced of its worth.
Last semester I went to a lecture that introduced me Second Life and its possibilities in the educational arena. It does offer many great opportunities; obviously the project that we are working on with our partners at Penn State would not be possible without this new technology.
On the other hand, I am still weary about spending so much of my time in a virtual world that attempts to simulate real life. I even find the name “Second Life” a little unnerving.
However, I will reserve final judgement for the end of this project, as I am sure it has many things in store for me to learn. As a future educator, I think it will also be important for me to be exposed to new technology and keep its possibilities in mind for my future classroom.

Starting Here

allicann — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 18:51:00 +0000

Setting up this blog has been a new experience for me, but I’m also looking forward to learning more through the conversations that take place through it.
A little bit about me: I am a senior in the Art Ed. program here at NIU. I enjoy canoeing, reading, gardening, drawing, spending time with my friends and family, and basking in beautiful autumn sunshine. In one way or another, my artwork always manages to reflect this.

Hello world!

allicann — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 01:17:24 +0000

Welcome to WordPress.com. This is your first post. Edit or delete it and start blogging!