This stems from curriculum action on my campus recently.
The fact that a student took some arts classes in her past, and then went through an elementary education program with no emphasis on the arts education, does make her qualified to teach art in elementary schools. If we are to take ourselves seriously we must make sure that those who are certified get the best instruction and experience that we can give then. Just being an artist does NOT prepare you to teach the arts. We've known this for years about artists in residence. The same holds true for generalist teachers...
That's it just had to get it off my chest as we realign our programs.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Still Snowing
In Nebraska snow is still falling and I am wondering about friendships, projects and relationships. In a word back to our networks that become so established they are an integral part of who we are. As a type I found out that I like working in teams. But that is not enough, I like working in teams over long periods of time figuring out everybody's strengths, contributions. But maybe more than anything it is about growing our thinking together.
When I look at my work I have worked with individuals and schools districts over a long period of time.
With Kathy Wilson I have worked for 12 years now, Nancy and Monique- close to decade, the Nebraska Reading First crew- seven. I like this kind of work. It is close, almost intimate, it allows everyone to be engaged in different ways at different time points. And most of all it has space for growth and change over time. This IS professional development, the kind where everyone develops. In this work we are all participants, researchers, evaluators, teachers, developers.
For example, in my last visit to California (great again), one of the kindergarten teachers approached to talk about assessments. She said (I hope I will not misrepresent here) that she as a teacher had her own way of measuring student growth but last year she stopped and instead relied on our project measurement and was dissappointed to see little growth. She hypothesized that the problem was that our assessment required active vocabulary, students had to show kinds of lines without a directive prompt, she felt (justifiably) that vocabulary acquisition could also be assessed passively by asking student to produce through a prompt, e.g. "can you draw a jagged line?". I agreed that there is merit for that approach and then we followed up a discussion about levels of precision within a study and what to do next. This is a great example of a teacher thinking as a researcher and the researcher/evaluator getting a much better idea about classroom needs and perspectives.
Monique wrote in an email recently "You two [Guy and Nancy] have impacted my thinking about education so much in the last ten years." it is more than I deserve but in reality it is a two way street- Monique has impacted my thinking just as much (if not more).
The link to art integration is clear- real integration can only emerge from sustained engagement, thinking AND socialization. It is just as much about relationships as it about achievement.
When I look at my work I have worked with individuals and schools districts over a long period of time.
With Kathy Wilson I have worked for 12 years now, Nancy and Monique- close to decade, the Nebraska Reading First crew- seven. I like this kind of work. It is close, almost intimate, it allows everyone to be engaged in different ways at different time points. And most of all it has space for growth and change over time. This IS professional development, the kind where everyone develops. In this work we are all participants, researchers, evaluators, teachers, developers.
For example, in my last visit to California (great again), one of the kindergarten teachers approached to talk about assessments. She said (I hope I will not misrepresent here) that she as a teacher had her own way of measuring student growth but last year she stopped and instead relied on our project measurement and was dissappointed to see little growth. She hypothesized that the problem was that our assessment required active vocabulary, students had to show kinds of lines without a directive prompt, she felt (justifiably) that vocabulary acquisition could also be assessed passively by asking student to produce through a prompt, e.g. "can you draw a jagged line?". I agreed that there is merit for that approach and then we followed up a discussion about levels of precision within a study and what to do next. This is a great example of a teacher thinking as a researcher and the researcher/evaluator getting a much better idea about classroom needs and perspectives.
Monique wrote in an email recently "You two [Guy and Nancy] have impacted my thinking about education so much in the last ten years." it is more than I deserve but in reality it is a two way street- Monique has impacted my thinking just as much (if not more).
The link to art integration is clear- real integration can only emerge from sustained engagement, thinking AND socialization. It is just as much about relationships as it about achievement.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
A new year
As fresh snow is settling on our frozen Nebraska streets I set to write my first blog of the year.The blog this year is set to take a somewhat new direction.
First I would like to keep others engaged in writing on the blog as we make our way through the project and our growing understandings. Thus, thank you to Qizhen, Katie, Nancy and Monique. Each contributor added a dimension and insight.
I actually do not know if anyone else is happening by so if you do just drop a comment about the things you care about or wonder.
As for the blog for this coming year. I intend on using it first to accompany our data analysis efforts (this is where Qizhen will help) to uncover patterns and wonder about their significance before we come to a polished product- a thinking space if you will.
The second use is as a writing exercises in an efforts to increase my productivity. Finally, it is a way to communicate with an audience... even if that is limited to a few.
Beth Olshansky sent me her book: The Power of Pictures: Creating Pathways to Literacy Through Art.
First I would like to keep others engaged in writing on the blog as we make our way through the project and our growing understandings. Thus, thank you to Qizhen, Katie, Nancy and Monique. Each contributor added a dimension and insight.
I actually do not know if anyone else is happening by so if you do just drop a comment about the things you care about or wonder.
As for the blog for this coming year. I intend on using it first to accompany our data analysis efforts (this is where Qizhen will help) to uncover patterns and wonder about their significance before we come to a polished product- a thinking space if you will.
Beth Olshansky sent me her book: The Power of Pictures: Creating Pathways to Literacy Through Art.
Beth was part of our first grant and helped kick off our thinking but after a few years of joint work we found ourselves working in different directions. In a way I am eager to see if despite the different paths we end up with similar conclusions. A book is always a complex undertaking but from the skimming I have already done the book shows a promising potential for some of the classes we teach here at UNL. This may actually warrant a review for Education Review- we'll see.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
National Reading Conference II
So, I am here in Albuquerque (spelled right this time I hope). This morning I went into a session about studying visual representation of children and youth.
The presentation focused on analysis of identities and stories that had very little to do with the work we are doing in arts integration. What it did point to was the way visual texts allow choice, and expression that are not usually acceptable in the classroom. The problem, however, was that most of the projects that presented were not part of classrooms either.... Thus, it is not as much integration in school as it is out of school chances for expression. I am not saying in any way that it is not important. Instead I am trying to say that this has to happen IN schools as part of the fabric of instruction.
The second piece was that there is a need to make our voices about integration heard- next year we will again suggest a session or at least a paper.
As for vocabulary Judith Scott allowed me to see today that we have abandoned at least partially the emphasis on wide vocabulary and focused on other aspects more- well more work to do- maybe in the next grant...
More tomorrow
The presentation focused on analysis of identities and stories that had very little to do with the work we are doing in arts integration. What it did point to was the way visual texts allow choice, and expression that are not usually acceptable in the classroom. The problem, however, was that most of the projects that presented were not part of classrooms either.... Thus, it is not as much integration in school as it is out of school chances for expression. I am not saying in any way that it is not important. Instead I am trying to say that this has to happen IN schools as part of the fabric of instruction.
The second piece was that there is a need to make our voices about integration heard- next year we will again suggest a session or at least a paper.
As for vocabulary Judith Scott allowed me to see today that we have abandoned at least partially the emphasis on wide vocabulary and focused on other aspects more- well more work to do- maybe in the next grant...
More tomorrow
Saturday, November 28, 2009
National Reading Conference
The conference starts next week in Albuquerque NM.
Two presentations target the intersection of literacy and the Arts both with book illustrators:
The following presentation is scheduled on Saturday, 12/05/2009, from 08:30 AM - 10:00 AM in Santo Domingo.
Two presentations target the intersection of literacy and the Arts both with book illustrators:
The following presentation is scheduled on Saturday, 12/05/2009, from 08:30 AM - 10:00 AM in Santo Domingo.
| Voice and Visions of Yuyi Morales: Award winning illustrator discusses her art | |
| Chair: | Jesse S Gainer, Texas State University - San Marcos |
| Discussant: | Mary Esther Huerta, Texas State University - San Marcos |
| This multimodal and interactive session will include an ethnographic interview of Yuyi Morales, an award-winning children’s literature illustrator, providing a “lived-through experience” for session attendees to explore the intersections of art, culture, history, and politics as manifested in her art. This session will feature the illustrator talking about her art while showing it. Facilitators will foreground connections relating to research methodology and data analysis in regard to scholarship pertaining to artwork in multicultural children’s literature. | |
The following presentation is scheduled on Wednesday, 12/02/2009, from 08:30 AM - 10:00 AM in Taos. Exploring the intersections of culture and art in the work of one award-winning children's books illustrator | |
Friday, November 20, 2009
Taking the Long Way Home
Our California second grade team has hit a snag recently. The project they were doing was taking too long- disrupting the normal pace and plan of the second grade classroom. They have in consultation with us (meaning those who do not carry the burden) about choosing to finish a long meaningful project instead of doing one more arts integration cycle.
At the same time a colleague of mine came back from watching a second grade classroom. She, who usually spends time in secondary classroom, reflected that the pace moving from one activity to the next was breath taking - and that she as a student would probably fail to thrive in that room because there was no time to think and act with deliberation. Although I do quick pacing as efficient for teaching some things (phonics for example). I did agree with her that curriculum and administration are often pushing teachers to divide their days into small chunks. The small chunks are not connected and so students do not connect them either and are thus left with many fragments of knowledge and procedures that are not well organized- and thus are quickly lost.
When we integrate the arts and ask ourselves and our teacher researchers to think in longer cycles we are disrupting this cycle. We are proud to be the disruptors....
At the same time a colleague of mine came back from watching a second grade classroom. She, who usually spends time in secondary classroom, reflected that the pace moving from one activity to the next was breath taking - and that she as a student would probably fail to thrive in that room because there was no time to think and act with deliberation. Although I do quick pacing as efficient for teaching some things (phonics for example). I did agree with her that curriculum and administration are often pushing teachers to divide their days into small chunks. The small chunks are not connected and so students do not connect them either and are thus left with many fragments of knowledge and procedures that are not well organized- and thus are quickly lost.
When we integrate the arts and ask ourselves and our teacher researchers to think in longer cycles we are disrupting this cycle. We are proud to be the disruptors....
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Summer Plans
The first is our literacy and arts integration class. It is the third time we are teaching this class and I am ecstatic that we have been able to sustain this effort and find a niche with new and experienced teachers. That mix has actually been great for everyone's professional development including mine. The experienced Monique Poldberg will be leading this class- one of the most reflective teachers I have ever had the pleasure of working with.
The second piece will be taught for the first time this summer at UNL. It is a week dedicated to Readers' Theatre. The week focuses on scripting in the curriculum and in depth understanding of how Reads' Theatre can be integrated into everyday curriculum and not just as an add on. For me drama is the easiest integration into the language arts and social studies curriculum- almost a gimme. The link is so natural that there is no wonder that despite partial evidence teachers find it useful. The class will be taught by Barbara Egbert- who is internationally trained and brings a broad understanding and classroom experience to the workshop.
Finally, a workshop about technology integration, led by Lance Poldberg closes the line. Lance approaches technology as an opportunity to engage students in making curriculum based media-integrated learning artifacts. It is an opportunity for elementary and middle school teachers to develop and experiment with technology- with an emphasis on meaning making and well fun.
As the plans take shape I will probably add detail...
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