"C'mon Vamonos, Everybody Let's Go..."

Dora the Explorer: Making connections through a journey

The items I chose for my collection are a globe, a puzzle and a book. The images of these objects can be classified by the color blue, but more importantly, as symbols of discovery. The image of a globe has been used throughout history as a sign of discovery, of understanding and knowledge. Explorers used the globe or maps as a way of guiding them on expeditions of discovering new lands. Today we use globes often in education as a way of discovering our world and the countries within it. We also use maps to guide us on journeys in our life. This symbol can also be seen as discoveries made in life's journey. As we travel down the path of life we discover new things about ourselves and about the world, we can understanding.

Similarly, puzzles represent a journey and discovery. With each piece of the puzzle we gain a bit more understanding of the final picture or the destination. As the pieces begin to fit together, they guide us through the rest of the journey by informing us where and how the other pieces will fit. Once the journey is complete, we discover the larger image that all the pieces help to create. Just as the map is a metaphor for life's journey, the puzzle represents how all of the pieces of our lives fit together to create who we are and the journey we take in life.

The last item in my collection is a book. Similar to the globe and the puzzle, books guide us through a journey. With each page comes a discovery; we discover more about the characters, the setting, the plot. The book takes us on a journey to new places and through narratives that may never be our own. Books can also be used to symbolize life's journey. Often we use phrases such as, "the author of our own story" or "chapters of our lives," etc. Our lives are one long story, a journey of discoveries with the turn of every page.

Just as these items represent discovery, so too does art education. I believe art is a form of self-discovery, a way to gain more understanding of our thoughts, beliefs, emotions, dreams, fears, etc. Art is a discovery and rediscovery of our imaginations. Art is a discovery of new skills and forms of expression. Art is a discovery of language, a way of communicating that transcends culture, race, and class; which brings me to the globe. Through art, students become global citizens. They gain empathy and an understanding of cultures unlike their own. Art becomes a mode of exploration to discover new cultures, new people, new narratives, new ways of thinking and seeing. With it comes the discovery that we are not much different from one another.

The puzzle represents how art involves synthesis. Alone the pieces are individual, disparate parts, but once they are brought together and connected, they create a unified understanding, a bigger picture. Art works in the same way. As artists, we are natural synthesizers. We combine disparate ideas and combine them into a work of art. Art education is also a form of synthesis. Art is able to take all of the content areas and make connections to the understandings of each. Students are able to gain further understanding of other content areas through art making.

Finally, the book can be seen as a symbol of art through its way of creating narrative. Students are creating stories in their artwork and similar to books, art can take them to new places. The idea of literacy is also connected to art. While books help us to develop literacy and language skills, art helps students to develop visual literacy and gain skills in communicating visually. The printing press and mass media allowed the dissemination of information to become global, and now viral, but images work in the same way. Information is exchanged visually on a daily basis (consider bathroom symbols and traffic signs). Similar to journal writing, students are telling their life stories through the visual form of art.

If I were too add an object from the collection of someone else, I would add Sheri's gift bags. Gifts also symbolize discovery. Gifts are a surprise (well, most of the time). We must search beneath the tissue paper, untie bows, tear wrapping paper and open boxes in order to discover the surprise that awaits. Gifts can also represent life's journey. Most of the time we receive gifts as a way of celebrating a significant date, a passage of time. These moments are pages or pitstops in our journey through life. Art education is a gift of new discoveries and new experiences. It's also a celebration of discovery and of imagination. Moments in the art room should be celebrated and should make up a few or many pitstops in life's journey.

What Works? Homework (Ch. 7)

mindwork: create a time line (over 3 months)

I have a google docs with my time line

• I won't be able to currently do this research but it would fit in well during my student teaching semester or within my first year of teaching

• The only changes I would need to make would come if I did this during student teaching. If this were the arena for my research, I would need to collaborate with my host teacher and the school for permission to do artist blogging as journal exercises.

mindwork: grant source

• Inspiration Software "Inspired Teacher Scholarship"

• The goal of this is to award teachers who are working with visual learning using Inspiration software. The prize is $1,000 toward professional development or new technology for the classroom.

• The agency is associated mainly with educators and administrators.

• I will meet the criteria of an educator working with visual learning, but I don't have the software to use in my teaching.

• This agency assumes that visual learning is crucial for students to develop creative thinking and learning skills.

• As an art teacher, this obviously fits in well with my own philosophy.

what works? eyework

mindwork: count, measure, chart

– possible quantitative data

• the number of students who prefer to do artist research online versus in the library

• the number of students who respond with more attention and better discussion during an interactive exploration of artwork using technology, such as the Google Art Project, as opposed to a powerpoint or poster reproduction.

• the number of students with successful writings (papers, journal entries, etc.) with traditional paper writing format versus blogging.

mindwork: ethnographic observation

(I'm not currently in a field observation setting so I'll use my experience from last semester).

– map the space

• bulletin boards are at the front of the room above the white board and on the side above the cabinets and computers. Both boards have student exemplars and current student work displayed.

• the teacher's desk is catty-cornered at the front of the room opposite the door. The desk creates a cubicle with the last third of the white board and a teacher's cabinet.

• the teacher only spends a few minutes behind the desk to enter electronic roll. The rest of the time is spent walking around from student to student to observe and assist.

• the students' desks form a large rectangle with supplies tables in the center.

• the supplies are in several places in the room. Each hour has a cabinet with their own tub to hold their work. Most supplies are found on the middle tables, but the computers are along the walls, the colored pencils are on a rolling cart, and the ceramics supplies are in the back of the room by the sinks.

• the screen projector hanging from the ceiling is unique to this room.

• the class is always started with a review of what they're to be working on and any other house keeping details. The rest of class time is spent with the teacher walking around answering questions, pointing out areas to work on, making comments, etc.

– observe the people

• one student has a horrible time concentrating on the task. She constantly complains about not wanting to do the drawing assignment – "there's no point," "I don't like doing this," "I've already decided on my first one so why do I need to do three more?" etc. When she is working, it doesn't appear that she is taking much pride in or work or craftsmanship.

• the teacher stops with each student and creates conversation about their drawing. He provides feedback with positive critiques and areas of opportunity – "this contrast looks great, but I would work on this contour line here," etc.

• there are several arts education posters about keeping arts in school, a few posters with graphic design vocab words and visual elements, and other art prints on the walls (a rather sparse collection though). There are 6 old school apple computers for the graphic design class.

• for an art room there aren't a lot of visuals all around. I find it kind of uninspiring. Although, visuals may be a form of distraction for some, I would think that the majority of students would feel inspired by seeing other artwork, colors, textures, etc.

– theme in the classroom: talking, instead of working

• Are these students able to multitask?

• Are they still completing their assignments?

• Is the seating arrangement causing these distractions?

• Is this a sign that they aren't engaged with the lesson?

What Works? Legwork

mindwork: multiple data sources

– myself as a data source

• I never considered looking at my own personal history as a data source, but I've grown up with the digital age and have experienced its growth. I can use my own experiences with technology in and out of the classroom as a data source.

• I can also consider using personal observations as a data source. For example, I work in a restaurant and on several occasions I've had a child – sometimes as young as 2 – at my table using the apps on a smartphone to pass the time instead of the crayons and kids menus we provide. This was the most surprising to witness, but I can also consider looking at my observations in the classroom, specifically of the interaction and relationship with technology in the lives of my students.

– student work as a data source

• Another source I could possibly consider is the artwork and journaling, both formal and informal, of my students. Specifically, I can consider the different approaches and themes in art that they students take, and how these reflect their connection to the digital culture.

– surveys as data sources

• Creating a survey for a classroom or several classrooms of students might result in some great feedback and statistics about how they view technology in their personal lives and its place in the classroom.

– interviews as data sources

• Similar to surveys, interviews would be a great collection of data. I can consider interviews with art educators and students, as well as people outside of the classroom interested in learning in the digital age.

– How might I collect it?

• For my personal observations and experiences, I could put together a journal of field notes or utilize my blog to post some observations.

• For the student work, surveys and interviews, I'd have to do some class visits for a couple days or once a week in order to conduct some of this research. The problem that arises then is time.

– What kind of special permissions would you need to use the data?

• If I'm using student work or writings I would need to get permissions to use them. I would also need permission from the teacher whose class I'm observing.

What Works? headwork

mindwork: explore the emic and the etic

– the emic stance:

• In relation to this topic of the iKids, I have a lot in common with them. I didn't grow up in such a technologically enriched lifestyle as today's students are, but I grew up on the cusp of this digital age. I communicated through AIM in middle school; I used computer games and learning activities in and outside of school (Oregon Trail anyone?); I had a cell phone in high school (I lived in the beeper generation, but never had one), used programs similar to InDesign for yearbook and newspaper production, had a MySpace account, and had an early version MP3 player. But it wasn't until college that I became immersed in what we now call the digital age. While I did have a digital art class in which I learned Photoshop, multimedia lessons were not as prevalent as they are and will be. Like many students now, I was taught with the 7+7 art method and in a standardized test era, granted I feel my situation was probably not as extreme as the high-stakes testing culture of education now.

• I grew up in the suburbs of St. Louis where the majority of my school experience was spent with mostly other middle class, white kids. My cultural experiences didn't really occur until my high school French classes and encounters with the foreign exchange students. These cultural experiences hit a new level when I traveled to Europe for a 17-day tour with a few faculty members and parent chaperones (one of which was my art teacher and one was my mom).

• I'm excited by art, by conversation, by cultural experiences, by involvement in the school and in the community. I'm excited by new technology and forms of communicating, but I also appreciate history. I'm excited by aesthetic experiences, whether formal, informal, personal or group-based. I'm excited by creating and I believe in imagination and innovation. I believe in a new wave of art curriculum, and I'm a soldier for the cause.

– the etic stance:

• As an outsider, I might feel that technology is diminishing the traditional skills set forth by our predecessors (Kamhi). If digital art making caters to the instant-gratification mentality of our students, will they be able to appreciate the process and technique of traditional art making? (an insider question, too). I might worry that certain skills will become obsolete (did you hear they are planning to take cursive out of the curriculum?). Are our children learning how to use digital devices before learning how to read and write? Is this necessarily a bad thing? A veteran teacher may view these devices in the classroom as a distraction instead of a helpful tool for teaching and learning.

• The larger issue is this transition in education, specifically art education, where new teachers and those inspired by the current conversations in art ed are rallying for a new reform, but others aren't budging. This conflict makes it hard for this transition to happen naturally and beautifully, and it also hinders collaboration among educators and with others invested in education.

mindwork: use the 3 questions for analysis (looking back at ch. 1)

– What surprises you?

I was surprised that I had already addressed my refined question in my original scratchwork but was still thinking so broadly. The question was there the whole time. I was also surprised that I knew other people are already campaigning for new age curriculum, but I didn't not to what extent until I did my Google-ography.

– What intrigues you?

I'm intrigued by new ideas in student learning. I think this is what drives my question. Every generation will experience a change in our culture, whether the development of a new technology or a transition into a different way of living, like sustainability and going green. If I continue to be intrigued by student learning, I'll constantly evolve my ideas and approaches as a teacher.

– What disturbs you?

The one thing that's bothersome is my lack of confidence in myself sometimes. In a few of my responses, there is a trace of doubt or self-consciousness. I need to believe in myself as a new teacher; this will help for my confidence in the classroom and make me a better teacher.

– What surprises you? (emic and etic)

I'm surprised that my school experience prior to college was so uniform and not multicultural. It makes me wonder if my future classroom will bring me that same experience or if I'll have a wide range of cultural differences.

– What intrigues you? (emic and etic)

I'm intrigued by the experiences and skills I've gained from the beginning of the digital age that I grew up in compared to those of my students. How do our skills, personalities and world views compare and differ? How will my experiences assist me in teaching them?

mindwork: state your ethics

I'm still thinking about this...

What Works? Bridgework

narrowing my research question:

How can art education curriculum meet the needs of the iKids generation and incorporate their skills?

mindwork: discover what you know

– What is my definition of iKids? skills, culture, personalities, etc.

• multimodal

• multitaskers

• born into a multimedia, mass media society

• communication happens through many media sources

• they have the answers at their fingertips with Google and Wikipedia.

• used to instant gratification and expect it

• entering a more globalized society

• technologically savvy

• connected, yet disconnected

• gimme gimme culture

• peak of mass consumption and consumer culture

• have only experienced standardized testing, teach-to-the-test curriculum, education emphasizing the "core" content areas

– What sources do I know already that I might consult?

• "Signs of Change: Art Education in the Age of the iKid" by Kathy and Melissa :)

• Howard Gardner's Five Minds for the Future

• Daniel Pink's A Whole New Mind: Why right brainers will rule the future

• Paul Duncum and Olivia Gude's new 7+7

– What people might I ask or contact as resources?

• Kathy and Melissa

• art educators in the field

• others studying new age education and/or the "iKids"

– Where would I go to find out more?

• Duncum's current research and published articles

• More of Gude's research

• Other experts in the field

• TED videos

• database searches

mindwork: Google-ography

– keyword search: "teaching art in the 21st century"

• 1st stop: not to my surprise Art21 was the first thing to pop up, but the second result was "Why teach art in the 21st Century!" This site voices why the arts are important in today's society and how the arts can provide an essential set of thinking skills for our students to be global citizens. Pretty interesting stuff, check it out regardless of your research topic.

• 2nd stop: an article from the Boston Globe "Art's power to teach 21st-century skills." The article sounded as if Pink's message of right-brain skills dominating the future has started to spread beyond art education pedagogy.

• 3rd stop: Teaching for Artistic Behavior, a site dedicated to choice-based teaching and learning. They listed the cognitive skills needed for today's society from the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, which led me to my next stop

• 4th stop: The Partnership for 21st Century Skills website. Part of their mission statement is "P21 and its members provide tools and resources to help the U.S. education system keep up by fusing the three Rs and four Cs (critical thinking and problem solving, communication, collaboration, and creativity and innovation)." WOW! This is exciting stuff.

• 5th stop: an EdTech Digest article, "21 definitions for a 21st-Century Education," which listed 21 definitions of what 21st Century skills look like and how teachers can best utilize and teach them.

• 6th stop: Project Tomorrow, their mission statement is "preparing today's students to be tomorrow's innovators, leaders and engaged citizens." They joined forces with Blackboard in their Speak Up report about taking it mobile, how technology and mobile devices are more prominent in today's schools and how today's students learn with technology. The survey's complete findings can be found on Blackboard.

... the journey never ends.

– How many options do you have for further, more focused search?

I have so many options for furthering my research. There are so many articles, blogs, web articles, organizations and projects surrounding this idea of 21st century skills and how these skills are important for the future of our students.

– What do you know now that you didn't know before?

I've been living a Mizzou bubble. I had no idea that there were so many advocates for 21st century curriculum and how many believers their are in the power of the arts on student thinking and building skills for today's society.

– Are there alternative keywords that might help you find more information?

I found quite a bit with my first keyword, but iKids, multimodal literacy, technology in the art room, and today's visual learning might find different results for furthering my research.

– Do you need to consult another electronic source?

I need to try Google Scholar and databases like ERIC for scholarly research and published articles.

– What would you want to download or print?

I'd like to download the survey results from the Speak Up survey. This might be a good source for my own research. I'd also like to download more articles by people like Duncum and Gude.

mindwork: shape your working bibliography

– my working bibliography, more to come

Duncum, P. (2004). Visual culture isn't just visual: Multiliteracy, multimodality and meaning. Studies in Art Education, 45(3), p. 252-264.

Ellis, K. (producer and director). (2009, May 27). Welcome to the digital generation. [video file]. Retrieved February 8, 2011, from http://www.edutopia.org/digital-generation-project- overview-video.

Gardner, H. (2007). Five minds for the future. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press.

Hu, W. (2011, Jan 8). The rise of the ikids. Retrieved February 8, 2011, from http://www.thespec.com/living/familyparenting/article/319189--the-rise-of-the-ikids.

Magner, T. (executive director). (2009, Dec). P21 framework definitions. Retrieved February 8, 2011, from http://www.p21.org/documents/P21_Framework_Definitions.pdf.

Pink, D. (2005). A whole new mind: Why right brainers will rule the future. New York: Riverhead Publishing.

Prensky, M. (2008). The 21st century digital learner: How tech-obsessed ikids could improve our schools. [Electronic Version]. Edutopia Magazine. Retrieved February 8, 2011, from http://www.edutopia.org/ikid-digital-learner-technology-2008.

Tapscott, D. (2009). Grown up digital: How the net generation is changing your world. New York, NY: McGraw Hill.

– more current articles/books?

No, all of my sources are within the last 7 years.

– eliminate sources I thought were valuable?

Not quite, I'm still in the beginning stages and these sources may still be valuable as I'm answering my research questions.

– enough different types of materials?

I could use a bit more variety, but I do have articles, books and website videos or documents.

– where to go next?

More published articles, more videos perhaps (ie. TED), my own books

– time to revise?

After feedback from my scratchwork, I refined my question, which I restated at the top of this entry. I think this has more direction and focus than my original question.

Finding Questions Everywhere

"The Skills Connection Between the Arts and 21st-Century Learning"

In his article, Bruce D. Taylor writes of how our education system is wedded to a 19th-Century model that is conflicting with our 21st Century society. We are teaching what to know but not how to think. Taylor's answer: the arts. Taylor has a Gardner/Pink mentality of how right-brained thinking and creative skills will set our students up for success as citizens in "an increasingly complex, conceptual, and globalized 21st-century society and economy." Taylor also connects the arts to emotion, as something that matters to us. Our students' response to school is often boredom, which shows they are emotionally disengaged. If we incorporate the arts in school, we can create engaging and authentic learning experiences. Further he discusses how teachers often feel confined to the prescriptions defined by individuals far removed from the classroom and the understanding of our students' needs. To this he feels that teachers should be able to be creative in their lesson ideas and approaches to their classrooms. Overall, his argument is for artistic thinking and approaches in every content area.

A potential research question is how can an arts approach in other content areas result in engaging, meaningful learning experiences? A method to answering this question would perhaps be in observation of content areas utilizing right-brain thinking strategies and lessons with meaning-making in mind. This would have to be in comparison to these same content areas, but in classrooms that are using the current approach of teaching to the test.

My hope would be that a classroom which emphasizes creative problem-solving, critical thinking, multimodal forms of learning and responding, concepts and big ideas, and personal connections would result in a class of students engaged, excited and eager to learn.