First, I must preface that I haven’t actually had my own
classroom yet. I’ve only
substitute taught so far. So I
will do my best to answer the exercise questions based on my experience and the
predicted trajectory of my experiences and interests to come.
1. Prepwork
What tensions do you
see in your classroom?
-Between
students in school and their lives outside of school?
Through my limited experience, I
have found that those students whose family life is chaotic, unstable, or if
their parents are often absent, have a harder time with elements of the
classroom ranging from their ability to stay focused, understanding the
teacher’s authoritative role, treating fellow students with respect, etc.
-Between
your educational background and the curriculum?
I feel blessed and privileged to
have received the education I have had from Kindergarten through college. I feel as though I have had a
majority of caring, skillful teachers that have encouraged me in many ways within
the classroom. That being said, I
feel as though my educational experience was very traditional, very by the
book, much like many schools that exist today and have existed in the
past. This may allow me to relate
to my students if I teach within this type of environment. However, its possible that when I
finish school and get a job teaching art, the structure of the curriculum will
be different than anything I experienced as a student.
What do you want to do
in your classroom that you’re not doing now?
-What
support would you need to be able to carry out a new strategy, curriculum, or
project?
I feel as though I would need a
team of teachers, or at least another teacher, that was trying similar
risk-taking strategies or curriculum, to have someone to discuss ideas and
outcomes with. If not this, the
support of the principal of the school is important at least. I think some sort of encouraging
support system would be ideal.
-How
could you help your students connect more with their own community—its strengths
and its heritage?
I think to connect with the
heritage of a community, the students must first have knowledge of the
community. Therefore I would
probably start the students with a simple research project of their own that
involved the city or states past history and heritage. Depending on this outcome, I would have
students do a hands-on project implementing the knowledge they gained about the
community/heritage.
2. Prepwork for Scratchwork
Make a list of
research questions that interest you.
When you cluster them, what themes or topics appear?
Ideas
about:
Student
learning, curriculum, teaching strategies, evaluation of grading or reflection,
subject matter, or the culture at large or the culture of the school, etc.
I feel at this point I am mostly interested in furthering my
understanding and research of topics related to student learning and
curriculum.
Questions:
-What types of environment to students learn best in? Small groups? Individually?
Large lectures?
Self-teaching projects? Visual learning?
-How much freedom within the classroom is too much? Or not enough? Will students stay on task and be
challenged if they have more control and freedom over their own curriculum and
projects? Or do they need specific
requirements to fulfill for each project?
-Should teachers encourage honing a specific media or medium
or should they encourage breadth within the art world?
-What is the best way to encourage community within the
classroom?
-How should a teacher encourage self-guided learning?
Locate key terms
within the question that may have unclear or multiple meanings. Rewrite the question. Think about sub questions that would
fit.
Topics and key terms that appear:
Self-guided learning
Definition of art
The limits of art in the classroom
What type of
curriculum and strategies of instruction, if used within the classroom, would
facilitate and encourage self-guided learning outside the classroom, allowing
students to locate and manifest what they consider to be artistically important?
3. Prepwork for Bridgework
Write about what you
already know about your topic, and brainstorm what you might want to find out:
I know my own personal experience
in art education and what I consider to be artistically important
-Where
would you go to answer your questions?
Previous teachers that had a large
impact and influence on the way I view art and my approach to learning and
developing art.
Current teachers
Students within the age group I am
interested in (middle school)
-Who
among your friends might know about the topic?
Peers
and colleagues in my same field
-Besides
books/websites what other sources could help you?
Documentaries,
articles, interviews,
4. Prepwork for Headwork
Who are you to be
doing this research?
A
Student, An artist, A teacher
Where did your own
ideas/strategies come from?
My ideas and strategies as an
artist and as a learner have developed over 23 years of help from family
members, teachers, internships, friends, and peers.
5. Prepwork for
Legwork
What would count as
evidence?
I’m not sure. I suppose it would be personal
testimonies of students and their experiences, as well as the progress of their
development as an artist
Which people might you
interview?
Art
students of the age I would be teaching (middle school)
Art
students who are older and have had more time to develop
Art
Teachers
To what professional
experts might you turn—authors, documentarians or filmmakers, website voices?
I think it would be important to
not limit the different forms in which this research could manifest
itself. Therefore I would be
interested in turning and discussing this topic with authors, documentarians,
filmmakers, etc.
What material
artifacts might contribute more texture and information to your data?
6. Prepwork for Eyework
Think about your
process for solving problems in your daily life. What methods—and combinations of methods—do you use?
Think of a short term
problem you solved in the last day—write about your thinking and actions—make a
list—analyze the methods you used—describe the process.
A minor, short-term problem I experience within the last few
days was over-commitment in my schedule.
This week I have class from about 9-5pm and then was suppose to
volunteer leading a team of 5th graders for a summer camp from
5-9pm. But I realized that with
this schedule I would be up all night doing homework for my courses the next
day. I was overcome with anxiety. I waited for a few days trying not to
deal with the problem. Ultimately,
I decided that I had to back down from my volunteer role so I could focus on
school because there was no way I was going to be able to do it all and be
successful in both areas. The
method I used was imagining what the situation would look like if I did both
commitments vs. if I back down from the volunteer role. This allowed me to see which choice
would be better.
Think of a long-term
problem you’ve had to solve over the last year—write about the process—the
methods you used, etc.
I would say the biggest problem I faced this year was
figuring out what I was going to do after I graduated from college last
December. I graduated with a BFA
in drawing and painting and a minor in art education, which didn’t leave me a
very clear path to follow for a career.
I was very anxious about this decision and felt directionless (as well
as moneyless). I decided to get a
temporary job until I figured out what I wanted to do or where I wanted to
move. I began substitute teaching,
and luckily this solidified my decision to go back to school for art
education. The method I used
to solve this problem was to talk small steps at a time to get closer to my
goal, which was to find a job that I felt I could enjoy. Secondly, I sought experience that
would give me a better idea of if I did or did not want to teach.
Compare your
approaches—How do they differ?
Within both problems, I looked forward to solve them. I set a goal for the future (whether it
be the next week or the next year or the next several years) and did what
needed to be done to achieve the goal properly.
7. Prepwork for Homework
Think about the
outcome. What do you want to
accomplish?
-Website,
curriculum guide, article, exhibit of student work?
I would love to accomplish a
curriculum guide, a published article or essay, and/or a student lead exhibit
of their work
8. Prepwork for Footwork
List events,
conditions, people, policies, etc, that would both be strengths and positive
and also drawbacks or negative.
Look at your own
strengths and weaknesses
Positive
strengths/helpful:
-Innovative,
creative characteristics of colleagues or myself
-Art
exhibitions
-Artist
talks from visiting artists
-Supportive
team of teachers, principal, and school
Negative
weaknesses/drawbacks
-Certain
policies of school or state for strict curriculum
-Doubting,
lazy, non-action takers (students or teachers)
-Disorganized
9. Prepwork for Deskwork
What are your
organizational habits?
-Separate
binders or folders for different subjects or topics
-Lists/Categorization
What adjustments
should you make to accommodate the study?
-Start documenting student progress
with film or photographs and organize the data throughout the project
How do you visualize
tasks? A map? An outline?
-Maps,
outlines, lists, drawings
Where in your day
would you find time to review your data?
-At
the end of the day? Or at least at
the end of the week?
-Perhaps
the next morning before the day is started
10. Prepwork for Handwork
What kind of audiences
have you written for?
Mostly just teachers and peers
within a classroom. Most recently,
I have been in creative writing courses writing fiction.
What questions to you
have about writing research?
-What
is the proper format?
-What
do you include, what do you not include?
-What
forum/content/length should the research be presented?
How would you like to
disseminate your research?
-Perhaps
through film or a published article or website
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