// Memorable Learning \\

Week 5

Designing lessons that are creative and inspired through the arts is what gives students that opportunity for memorable learning. There are some teachers that have been drawn toward this type of art integration, and there is a visible difference in the culture of their classroom. Students are creating memories through their experiences of using their creativity to thus develop learning. The transformative classroom that uses the arts is able to see the “motivational force” derived from the excitement of using the arts and the “thinking process” that is derived from their creative minds at work. (situation) The authors of Creating Meaning Through Literature and the Arts articulate that creative thinking is not just ordinary thinking, in order to think creatively one must go through four qualities: “imagining possibilities, collecting information, connection ideas, and drawing conclusions (which include problem solutions).” These four things lead one to have this creative thinking that they describe, all of which went into the reasoning for art integration (Cornett, 2015).

Schools today are designed around the Common Core Standards. Many teachers or citizens flinch when hearing this term, however, the standards actually support the idea of integrating the arts. These standards design makes it unacceptable for students to sit around all day doing work sheets, they encourage an environment of higher order thinking in the classroom. Students are to become active learners in the classroom instead of-previously believed-passive learners. This active learning is where the connection to the arts and literature comes into play. The art integration has students thinking deeper and more creatively, which draws into the higher order thinking of the Common Core Standards. Teachers must engage the students into interactive and stimulating lessons that captivate students minds and draws them in with excitement. The way to get to this captivation is through creative teaching instead of “bland” teaching. The characteristic that sets creative teaching apart is the idea of giving students freedom of “how to get there”, giving students the ability to make their own decisions and become independent learners. This type of thinking and art integration dates back to the 16th century, and is what the 21st century needs as well develop as human beings (Cornett, 2015).

Throughout my field experience of being at The Boys and Girls club, I have had the opportunity to incorporate seed activities that are designed through the art integration theory. I have seen how engaged and motivated students become when they have the chance to use their creativity and are encouraged to think independently and not through a set structure. Although not every one of my seed activities were successful, I could still see how they would benefit students within the classroom. What drew me to teaching in the first place was to have classroom that teaches students learning can be fun and memorable and not a boring and cumbersome task. When I first learned about the idea of arts integration, and saw the variety of categories that fall into the integration process, I initially was drawn too it. I think that it is exactly the connection between my love and passion for teaching and the requirements from the Common Core Standards. Even though the students that were at the Boys and Girls club were there to have “fun” and most complained during power hour (homework time), these seed activities were so engaging to the students that they were more than willing to participate in them. Integrating these seed activities also supported me as a preservice teacher when learning about the students because it gave me a sight into what kind of learners they were. Knowing what type of art and literature is appealing to a student gives teachers the knowledge to differentiate properly in the classroom. Differentiation is necessary when teaching and I think that through the arts differentiation becomes more attainable.

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The differentiation element is necessary when teaching and knowing how the arts can support this and connect to the Common Core Standards is beneficial.

 Resources:

Cornett, C. E. (2015). Creating meaning through literature and the arts: Arts integration for classroom teachers (5th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall.

// Involvement In and Out of School\\

Week 4

The articles this week were about parent involvement in the classroom and in their children’s education. As a teacher, deficit thinking can be about almost anything that relates to a student, including the home life and parents. However, Finders and Lewis decided to go to those “other parents” that are often the target for such deficit thinking like “I just don’t understand why those other parents won’t even show up” and ask give them a voice (Finders & Lewis, 1994). They found out that these parents have suggestions that will help educators understand exactly ‘Why Some Parents Don’t Come to School’. One of which I hadn’t thought of before, that being their previous experience with school. This idea has expanded my initial reasoning for wanting to include parents and reach out to them right away. School has such a large impact in our daily lives, and one bad experience can cause an undesired outcome for a person’s future. I’ve always believed that including parents in their child’s education is important, and the suggestions that both articles gave are necessary to create a friendly, comfortable environment for both the student and the parent. Creating a partnership between the parents of your students mean s that you are building on home experiences, developing trusting teacher parent relationship, and getting to know the funds of knowledge available in your classroom. All of these things, become the path in creating that partnership (Allen, 2008) (Finders & Lewis, 1994).

The first two weeks I attended the Boys and Girls club, I didn’t really have a focus in my information gathering. It was random and sparse notes written here and there when having conversation with students. These last two weeks, I was able to gain a perspective and understand what information I was gathering and how this information would draw significance in my differentiation. I began learning about the students home lives, cultural background, and their funds of knowledge. I think that as a teacher, it’s easy to forget, through the bustle and stress of the school year, about the seriousness this information holds. One of the students I observed this week made the comment, “nobody has to be poor, you can choose not to be.” I think that this definitely plays into a students funds of knowledge and even the influence they have at home. I found it interesting that the student made the comment when the club that he was attending was designed for students’ who’s family needed financial aid. I’ve also been seeing a large population of the students’ parents being divorced. As a teacher, it’s just as important to communicate and have that partnership between both parents when families are split. There can’t just be a trusting relationship built with one parent. I can imagine that it may become difficult when trying to build this trusting partnership between the two parents when there isn’t a civil bond for the sake of their child. Even though this may occur, it’s important to remember not to fall back into that “other parent” deficit thinking. There is almost always a reason for a parent’s absence in their child’s education (Finders & Lewis, 1994).

Being at an after school program, parents or guardians are normally coming from work or prior obligations. There is a large population of students going to the Boys and Girls club of Tampa, and an even bigger one when combined with other after school programs such as the YMCA. Seeing how many children actually do attend tells me that flexibility as those children’s teacher is necessary. These parents are unable to pick up their children at 2:00, thus a parent will also be unable to attend a meeting of some sort right after school as well. Thinking that they don’t care about their child’s education isn’t the right move, reaching out to the parent to understand and create a bond is the right move.

One of the seed activities that I did this week was the color poems. I noticed that some of my peers did this seed activity as well, and their student work differed than mine. My student decided to take the paper and write the adjectives that described the color around the paper in different ways. It makes me think that he would like to create a poem using the shape poetry method.

Allen, J. (2008, September). Family partnerships that count. Educational Leadership, 22-27. Retrieved June 8, 2016.

Finders, M., & Lewis, C. (1994, May). Why some parents don’t come to school. Educational Leadership, 50-54. Retrieved June 8, 2016.

// Creative Minds at Work \\

Week 3

Many times we hear about equality in school, however, equality isn’t giving every student a far chance to strive for academic growth. I think that it is best said through the illustration:

In the articles this week, they were focused on teaching educators about giving students a far shot, i.e. equity in school. Within providing equity for students teachers need to be aware of what they can out reach and do for their students to provide this equity. This includes: being advocates for the curriculum textbooks, getting to know parents, understanding students instead of deficit thinking about them, etc. Giving students equity in the classroom is a multiple faceted subject, and isn’t a simple one time fix all. It takes time and trial and error. Being aware of your students and the individuals that are within the classroom and not so much focusing on their cultural differences is one way that the articles described. I thought that the story that began the article “The Culturally Responsive Teacher” was a perfect depiction of how equity and understanding your student’s funds of knowledge is essential in their learning. The story told about a little girl who was given the responsibility within her family to take care of her siblings including taking them to and from school, handling their family’s finances, being her parents English translator, and even working with her mother to obtain more money for their family. Peeking inside the home life of this little 8 year old girl shows a much broader perspective of her capabilities and her priorities, while in school she is seen as a student who struggles in her language and math skills, has little initiative, and is disinterested in school (Villegas & Lucas, 2007). If this child would have been provided with equity in school, she might have shown greater gains because the learning would be more appropriate for her. I think that this topic is so important as a preservice teacher to understand, because it all ties into differentiation and how much of an impact that truly has on a student.

As I spend more and more time at the Boys and Girls Club, I am learning new things everyday about my students. Some of the simplest things that the students say nonchalantly when talking to me, sometimes has the most meaning to me. The notes that I’ve been taking enables me to create lessons that would suit them and give them equity in the classroom. This week, I was able to do a new variety of seed activities which actually provide me a great insight on my focus students. I was able to do two visual arts seed activities, I decided to do this because a couple of the kids are in the prodigy art program, and the ones that aren’t were still really excited about doing the seed activities I chose. Two of the students that say that they’re only interested in sports and being active, wanted to join in on the activity after I described it. I think that there is still more that I need to find out after seeing their enthusiasm for art because art can be a great tool to use in the classroom, especially for assessment differentiation. The other activity I chose was to do the 20 questions activity with my gifted student. After talking to her these past weeks, I have seen that she likes challenges and I thought that this activity gave her an appropriate challenge. While playing the activity with her, her enthusiasm grew for me to guess her item. When I finally guessed her item, she went on to tell me about it. She has picked a smoothie but not just any smoothie, a smoothie she drinks everyday. She then went on to write down the recipe for me, which ties into my knowledge about her liking cooking. I think that having some sort of cooking influence in a lesson could be beneficial for her learning. These seed activities are not only a great tool to learn about for classroom integration, but they are also a great tool in understanding these students as well!

Doodle Minute Student Samples

The outcome of the seed activity 20 questions.