CLASS REFLECTION AND ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY

My reflections on the class Curriculum Planning and Assessment in Art Education - Art Education 7607 SP 2024 taught by Dr. Shari Savage could not be more positive. By using peer feedback and encouragement, I could do something I haven’t done yet as a teacher or mentor and that is develop full units of study in a comprehensive and (above all) cohesive way. Before this class, my units development was based in my own studies that varied little with my own input. Much of my curriculum creation was based in what I had studied. With the help of this class, I was able to weave into the instruction, my own experiences and thoughts from the beginning and not wait until the actual class time to add my two cents.

Before this course, I was basing my teachings on what I felt was quality curriculum and I lacked a standardized methodology to measure, not only my students output within the class, but the quality of the class itself. Through readings and class feedback, I could step back and see where my curriculums lacked insight, interest, and connection with the students and I could see where my own grading systems were flawed and uneven.

The biggest take away for my own process is that I now have the ability and foresight to create a map of learning outcomes for each assignment and with enough planning, I can match those outcomes to each student’s projects so that they can be graded equally. This class, essentially, has offered me a way to create an engaging curriculum as well as a plan to see how students retained the information given. This class has provided a number of practical tools for me moving forward with my career.

Although these readings could be used in many different settings, the overarching message that is held aloft in this class is that it is up to the teachers to put their best foot forward to take art education forward. Each article is loaded with ways that teachers can make a difference in moving away from cut and dry technician teaching to curating and engaging material that keeps their students thinking and striving to create work that represents their ideals and passions. These articles and class have been presented to push new art teachers away from the cookie-cutter and uninspired past and into the malleable, positive, representative, and forward progress of the future.

Annotated Bibliography:

Buffington, M.L., Bryant, A. (2019). Changing Practice: Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy in Art Education. National Art Education Association, The Journal of the National Art Education Association, Jan 2019, V. 71

Buffington makes a great argument for teachers to search harder for finding art lessons that are more diverse in their teachings. Buffington makes a point that teachers need to dig deeper than the skin-deep searches on Pintrest to find more diverse lessons for their students. Many of the top searched lessons on Pinterest that teachers default to do not promote diversity but create harm by simplifying it. “These projects are not celebratory, but trivializing. They reduce complex cultures to simple projects aimed at a reproducible, usually cute, product.” (Pg. 22)

Desai, D. (2020) Educating for Social Change Through Art: A Personal Reckoning. Studies in Art Education. 61:1. 10-23.

Desai makes a splendid case that creating art can be a source of power and a voice when creating change through social justice. By breaking down Western epistemologies within art and design is opening of the flood gates to realizing how powerful art can be as a tool for social justice. Art can be used to challenge social norms and take a stand against social hierarchies. "Art in its representational form can affect politics by serving as a moral witness to gross inequities and state-sanctioned atrocities." (Pg. 15)

Sawyer, A.G., Dredger, K., Myers, J., Barnes, S., Wilson, R., Sullivan, J., Sawyer, D. (2020). Developing Teachers as Critical Curators: Investigating Elementary Preservice Teachers’ Inspirations for Lesson Planning. American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education,
Vol. 71(5) 518–536

In this article, the authors treat lesson planning less as a culmination of facts to be bundled together to be learned and more as a curation process of ideas to be presented and shared. This is a major shift from technician-style teachers delivering a memorized lesson with very little to no deviation from the plan to curation-style teachers who collect ideas and present them in an ever-changing way by continually adapting the lessons to best meet the student needs. "Being a curator of content means going beyond choosing an activity from Pinterest just because it has a lot of pins or assuming that an activity is developmentally appropriate just because a CT suggested it." (Pg. 533)

Wilhelm, J.,D. (2012). Essential Questions. Scholastic Instructor, Holiday 2012.

Wilhelm writes that leading students to the ask more questions is an essential key to keeping students engaged in the subject. Wilhelm states, that we keep students energized and engaged by asking essential questions. For students, distilling larger ideas into essential questions then framing them in a way that connects with the students, leads to longer discussions and more specific questions that keep the students wanting more information. "An essential question frames a unit of study as a problem to be solved." (Pg. 25)

Ploof, J., Hochtritt, L. (2018) Practicing Social Justice Art Education: Reclaiming Our Agency Through Collective Curriculum. Art Education. 71:1, 38-44

Ploof and Hocktritt agree that it is impossible to study art and social justice without participating in the process. By presenting the ideas behind social justice art, teachers are offering their students fodder to create their own voices in the art world. "practicing social justice art education is not an individualistic academic exercise but a dynamic collective process in which art, education, and action are interwoven." (Pg. 39)

Winner, E., Hetland, L., Weenema, S., Sheridan, K. (2006) Studio Thinking: How Visual Arts Teaching Can Promote Disciplined Habits of Mind. New Directions in Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts (189-205). Amityville, New York: Baywood Publishing Company, 2006.

The authors present their findings for whether studying art can help students score better on testing from reading to mathematics to sciences to writing. Most of the findings show that it is inconclusive evidence to prove these theories one way or the other. While there are no silver bullets in the studies, the authors do land on some amazing discoveries about studying art. "Thus they are teaching their students to focus and develop inner-directedness. They teach them to break out of ruts and blocks and to feel encouraged about their work so that they are motivated not to give up." (Pg. 12)

Smilan, C. (2016) Developing Visual Creative Literacies Through Integrating Art-Based Inquiry. The Clearing House. 2016, V 89, Nos. 4-5, 167-178.

Smilan ties the ability to think creatively and to effectively communicate said creative thinking is a prerequisite for living in the 21st century. Even though the mediums have changed within creating art (painting with brushes versus digital creation), Smilan argues that much of the basis for art remains the same. And against much of the old-school thinking, Smilan argues that creative thinking permeates all walks of life and that teachers from all curriculums should engage in art-based practices. "What remains a constant in this educational reconstruction is the essence of arts-based teaching and learning: the situational ability to analyze, integrate, conceptualize, and [re]create." (Pg. 176)

Summer Classes - Annotated Bibliography - Concept Mapping

I took two classes this summer, ARTEDUC 7606 Technology and Digital Texts, and SU23 ARTEDUC 7000.30 - Issues and Frameworks in Art Education and I enjoyed them both. With Technology and Digital Texts, I was worried that the class would be a regurgitation of what I do on a regular basis (using technology to create content, i.e. videos, animated lesson plans, etc.) but I was happily surprised when I learned a number of techniques that I had not encountered. One of my favorite takeaways from the class was the use of the Backward Design technique to create, not only the full year curriculum, but also day to day work for my students. It’s so comfortable to lay it all out and see where you want your students to start and direct them where you want them to go. At the end of the class, I learned not to underestimate my own knowledge of technology as I did pick up a few tricks that I can apply.

Within the Issues and Frameworks in Art Education class, I had the opportunity to study where I (and my teaching style and methodology) fit into the grand scheme of Art Education. The class allowed me to look at the latest issues in AE and it allowed me to figure out where I fit within my own position as a teacher and as an artist, from gender, to community art, to multi-culturalism and diversity. It was very cathartic, and centering, and I can return to the readings from the class if I need a reminder of how to interpret what’s in front of me in my own classes.

Annotated Bibliography:

Martinez, U., Note-Yupari, S. (2015). Story Bound, Map Around: Stories, Life, and Learning. National Art Education Association, The Journal of the National Art Education Association, Jan 2015 V 68, No.1 

This article studies how multi-disciplined projects within an elementary summer art camp setting that was created to bring out of class experiences to students. The team implementing the project used multimodal literacy (the practice of moving from one sign system to another ie. Visual to verbal, verbal to visual, visual to spatial). The projects used various art to create settings for storytelling, paintings, puppets, dance/movement were used to engage the students in using different parts of their brains to tell a story from development of the story to completing it via the different models.

Morris, C. B., Carpenter II, B. S. (2012). In Diversity, Intercultural Encounters, and Education, On Being Invisible and Passing through Walls: Toward a Pedagogy of Seeing and Being Seen. Rutledge Press

Within this article, the authors describe their autobiographic and autoethnographic stories as self-described invisible people (defined as those who do not quickly and recognizably fall under a cultural nameplate). The article tells each individual story through their own invisible mindset, struggles with personal identity, and the intricate ways that each author has evolved over time.  

Barrett, T., (2009). Stories. The International Journal of Arts Education. lnJAE7.2

This article is an insight into one teacher showing the educational value in two students creating very personal and differing narratives about the same piece of art. It details how each student can see the same piece of art from two very divergent and distant points of view. It also shows that the artists point of view does not have to come from personal experience or feelings but may actually come directly from their imagination. The stories tie directly to the teachers work within a community that was undergoing chemotherapy and helped students express what they were feeling at the time.

Rodriguez, G. R., (2015). Why Arts Education Matters In The Age of Tech and Diversity. Forbes Online. https://www.forbes.com/sites/giovannirodriguez/2015/06/08/why-arts-education-matters-in-the-age-of-tech-and-diversity/?sh=2f8c19474151

This article focuses on the growing studies that support the idea that Art Education is incredibly beneficial to the success of students when they enter the workforce. It specifically takes a look at the El Camino project that is augmenting cultural and musical teachings within the Hispanic community, one that sees 33% of it’s population living under the poverty line. The project is helping under-funded art programs reach their students, giving them more potential to succeed in the real world.

Balsley, J., (2015).  Make It Work! 8 Lessons Art Educators Can Learn From Tim Gunn. The Art of Education University. https://theartofeducation.edu/2015/03/make-it-work-10-lessons-art-educators-can-learn-from-tim-gunn/

The author is sharing renowned clothing critic, designer, and art-school lecturer, Tim Gunn’s, 8 lessons that Art Educators can learn to help them in the classroom. The list is short and direct and is absolutely worth remembering when dealing with student creativity. Tim’s rules make connections with the artist and the art as well as allows teachers to hold their students accountable.

 Kraehe, A. (2017) Arts Equity: A Proxis-Oriented Tale. National Art Education Association, Studies in Art Education: A Journal of Issues and Research 58(4) 267-278

The author furthers equity via the arts as social justice using critical race theory that also describes the current education gap between Equal and Equity. The article sets up a simple story about a teacher and how through his lens, we see the widening gap between what administrators, districts, and state education departments see as helping their students is actually widening the equity gap between students who are systemically set up to succeed in the system while pushing away those who are not set up to succeed. It also gives us some great tools and reminders on how to recognize and help to recede this gap.

Morris, C. B., (2013) Chapter 2 - Standing No Where. Stand(ing) up for a Change Voices of Arts Educators. NAEA

The author uses this article to document how mislabeled groups are persecuted because of where they are from and the religious beliefs that they follow. The author herself was accused of spending state funds in bringing these groups to speak at the university she works at. And she defends freedom of speech for all the groups who are being villainized incorrectly. The author walks us through the steps taken by public figures to accuse the author, then all the steps it took to show that no misappropriation happened, yet a number of resources and money were spent to show how wrong the initial accusations were.

Knight, W., B., (2013) Chapter 4 - Moving Beyond Preparing Just Art Teachers to Preparing JUST Art Teachers: Teacher Education for Equity and Social Justice. Stand(ing) up for a Change Voices of Arts Educators. NAEA

This chapter is dedicated to showing that traditional education for teachers prepares them for working within the outdated education systems that plague our education system. The author points out that Arts Educators should be learning ways to help change the system as opposed to abiding by it. Using Social Justice and Equity are the avenues that the author uses to show that perspectives should be recognized and respected so that each student can identify with what is being taught, not just the affluent Caucasian students. The author recognizes that there will be discomfort in discussing disparities but that getting new teachers to talk about equity before they enter the classroom will lead to positive engagement, collaborative group work, and in the end, a better understanding of equity.

Williams, R. M-C. (2008). Image, Text, and Story: Comics and Graphic Novels in the Classroom. Teaching and Learning Publications, Iowa City, IA: University of Iowa Press

Throughout this article, the author talks about the great uses of Comics and Graphic novels as visual tools to teach students about reading and making connections between the words they are reading with the images they are seeing. The idea that new readers can choose to look at the words or the images first means that the student can use to grasp what is happening in the story. As we evolve our idea of what is educational and what is not and comics / graphic novels rise in popularity, we are seeing a great correspondence between learning while reading and interpreting images. 

Wynn, T., Harries, J. (2012). Toward a STEM + Arts Curriculum: Creating the Teacher Team. National Art Education Association. The Journal of the National Art Education Association, Sep 2012 V 65, No. 5. Reston, VA: National Art Education Association

This article explains the rise of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) and how the newer mandates are being implemented to include Art into the acronym to create STEAM. The article includes more proof as to why the modern and practical application of art helps students prepare for work in the real-world application of STEM. The skills derived from art are paramount for a modern society including the harnessing of imagination, and the creative process as a means of survival.

Hutzle, K., Bastos, F., Cosier, K., (2012). Transforming City Schools Through Art. Approaches to Meaningful K–12 Learning. A Possibility of Togetherness, Collaborative Art Learning for Urban Education. New York: Teachers College Press

The authors use this article to make points about collaboration as a learning tool, specifically within art-based service learning. Creating projects for groups to do within a community allows for growth as a small group that extends further out into a sense of connectedness within the community. When small parts of the community come together, gaps in age, religion, cultural differences, are bridged and connections are made. A community that thinks, designs, and implements are projects together, stays together.

Munakata, M., Vaidya, A. (2012) Encouraging creativity in mathematics and science through photography. Teaching Mathematics and Its Applications, 31, 121^132, 4 January 2012. Oxford: Oxford Academic

Following a survey conducted within the student body at the authors university, the student body overwhelmingly felt that science and math are not creative fields. The authors set out to use photography to change their student’s mind. Adding photography and the arts to help with understanding science and math for a multitude of learning styles, visual, auditory, and tactile. The paper discusses how to inject creativity into the process of math and science to help solidify the outcomes of the problems.

Schimmel, N. (2022) Using photography as a teaching tool in human rights and international affairs, Times Higher Education, 15 Mar 2022. Berkley: University of California, https://www.timeshighereducation.com/campus/using-photography-teaching-tool-human-rights-and-international-affairs

The author shows how images enhance the urgency and depth that foreign affairs have for the people being affected. A story about a bombing is made much more impactful with an image attached, showing the power that photojournalism adds to words. For students who may feel connected to people living thousands of miles away due to cultural, religious, and physical differences, can’t deny the power of images of these same people enduring the things they are forced to endure, war, famine, political upheaval, etc.

Concept Map: