"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.

Considering Questions and Methods

Is there a way I can take my students on a walk in their town so they can see how VISUAL IMAGERY and DESIGN, pervades the landscape?

I think having this conversation is a great way to introduce visual culture into the art room. It would be the most beneficial to actually take students on a field trip out into their town, maybe a downtown area or at least a suburban business area.The students could break off into pairs or groups to explore a block and document how many ways visual imagery and design are used in that block of the city. This would be a great photo or video project. Once we come back to the class we could share our findings.
If a field trip isn't feasible, we could visit the urban landscape virtually through video that I creates or some kind of cyberspace tour. With this option we could discuss as a class all the visuals we encounter.
There's a third option, as well. The students could make a visual journal of all the visuals and design they encounter between the time they wake up and the time they get to school, or even their entire day (that would be quite the documentation!). In their journals, they could take photos or sketch all the different images in their experience as a way of documenting this research.

Image-storming! A new obsession

Love finding images of inspiration online but not really sure how to organize them on your computer? Try Pinterest. Last semester Melissa introduced me to Pinterest and now I'm obsessed! It's a great place to save images and find images. Basically how it works is you create virtual "pin boards" so while you're surfing the Net or Google imaging or checking out awesome artists, you can pin those images to one of your virtual boards. You can also go to the site and check out what others have pinned and repin their images. The best part is you never lose the original source so you can always go back to the same blog, artist site, etc. and see what's new on that site. Check it out! Above is a snapshot of one of my boards "balloons."

What Works? Scratchwork

mindwork: explore trial questions

"It's all about the questions."

As Chapter 2 mindwork suggests, I've looked back at my scratchwork from chapter 1 and have asked questions about my questions. Continuing the exercise, we're asked to categorize those questions.

– Teaching Strategies

• I believe in celebrating imagination and creativity, but how am I doing this?

• How do I set up this model with students on day 1 so they feel comfortable in rediscovering their imaginations and do not fear their own creativity?

1. Why wouldn't they feel comfortable?

2. Why would they fear creativity? Past experiences? Our current education model?

• How can I establish community and trust within the classroom?

• How can I establish trust between me and the students, insure that this is not me vs. them but me and them?

• How can I incorporate student-directed learning?

1. What does student-directed learning look like?

2. Is this purely something based off of their feedback?

3. Is it me learning from them and them learning from each other?

4. What if I had lessons where students taught the class a technique or subject matter? Is this empowering them to direct their own learning? What about a class blog or wiki that we can all contribute to or a designated space or time to share current ideas in art and society (a continuous list of things to check out)?

– Student Learning and Outcomes

• How can I ensure that my students are engaged and having fun?

• What signals can I look for that this is happening?

• Will these signals be purely observational or are student responses also necessary (exit slips, journal entries, critiques, etc.)?

• How am I providing a creative outlet?

– School Policies and Politics

• How can I be a leader in changing our current educational method?

• Can the arts pave the way for other content areas?

– Curriculum

• How am I defining 21st Century curriculum?

• What does a 21st Century curriculum look like? What does it look like not in a lesson plan but in the classroom?

• What are 21st Century ways of thinking about art?

• What big ideas am I most interested in teaching? Which ones do I think will resonate the most with the age group I'm teaching?

• How can I incorporate multimodal and multimedia ways of learning and artmaking to emphasize the skills of the iKids generation and highlight our changing society?

• What does multimodal and multimedia art lessons look like? What do they look like in a low budget school?

mindwork: position yourself in relation to the question

– Who am I in relation to this idea? How does my position affect the way I approach and/or understand it?

• I am a future art educator. I am a student studying the ways of 21st century art, artmaking and art education. I have yet to enter my first year of teaching, which makes me inexperienced; currently I'm in the realm of theory and little practice. With this position, I'm approaching this curricular development as theory and not as observation or practice.

– Who will be best served by this study?

• Aside from my own gain, this study could potentially serve all art educators. Young teachers who are already familiar with 21st century art but aren't sure how to implement it can use the help of such a curriculum. Veteran teachers who are tired of the tried and true lessons they've used for years, who might be bored with their lessons or need help bringing 21st century ideas into their classrooms could be helped by this curriculum.

– Who might be affected or hurt by it, and how?

• Potentially veteran teachers could be offended by this. This conversation is a current discussion point in art education and there are still many educators that are firm believers in the old 7+7 method. They might face a 21st century curriculum with opposition and feel that their expertise is in question.

– What are my hidden biases and assumptions?

• I believe that we must be a community of learners who share ideas and learn from one another. I fear that I will have a bias against those teachers who are unable or unwilling to see the future in art education curricula. I want to learn from all mentor teachers and not feel a bias against any who may not share my views.

– Could I change my question to avert ethical difficulties, or should I face these difficulties directly?

• At this time, I don't see any ethical difficulties, that's not to say they aren't or won't be there. If some do arise, I will face them directly.

– Topic rewrite:

• How is 21st century curriculum and ways of thinking about art currently used in the classroom, and how can I as a future teacher, as well as current teachers, implement these practices in our own classrooms to better the experiences of an iKid generation?

mindwork: position yourself in relation to the question

– Terms that may be unclear

• 21st century curriculum

• iKid generation

– "insider" and "outsider" perspective

• An "outsider" would approach this question and not really have an understanding of current conversations in the art education realm. They wouldn't know how to approach art curriculum and practices. Also, they may be able to guess, but would be unclear of what the iKid generation is. An "insider" may or may not be up to speed on current art ed. topics. If they are, they'd probably have a firm grasp on 21st century ideas and curriculum. They would have a solid understanding of how to approach art education based on their own classroom experiences. Through observation, they'd be aware of iKids but may not be familiar with the term or how to approach teaching this generation.

– What's missing, what bothers you, what might you be assuming?

• What bothers me is I'm not sure if this is something I can actually research. Does this qualify as a research question? I feel like it's more of a personal project. But maybe that personal connection means I'm on the right track; I'm doing something to better my success as a teacher, my students' experiences, and maybe the success of other teachers. I might be assuming that this will be easy, that this shift from traditional curricula based on technical skills to 21st century art education will be an easy transition. I'm assuming, or wanting to believe, that everyone is making this shift so I'll be surrounded with support and ideas.

– Subquestions

• How is 21st century curriculum defined?

• Aside from Gude and Duncum's new principles of art, what other experts can I look to for ideas?

• Do I need to define big idea lesson plan designing? Am I assuming most people knows what this is?

• How is iKid generation defined?

• How can art ed. curriculum meet their needs and incorporate their skills?

What Works? Prepwork

Some of these questions may be difficult to answer as I am not yet in my first year of teaching, but I'll use field experiences and my assumptions of the type of situations I might experience as a first-year teacher to answer the prepwork questions.

prepwork (p. 3)

– What tensions do you see in your classroom?

I might see a disconnect between the lessons I'm teaching and their relevance to the students' lives. I fear the dreaded question, "Why do we have to learn this?" A student asking this question may signal a lack of interest from the student, because my lesson isn't providing an authentic, engaging learning experience. Or it could signal a lack of understanding, because my explanation wasn't clear or the process and end goal wasn't made known. I also fear tension between a state-mandated, teach-to-the-test curriculum and my personal philosophy and pedagogical framework. I hope as a first-year teacher, I will not get caught in the undertow and drift away from my personal goals as a teacher, for my students and for art education.

– What do you want to do in your classroom that you're not now doing?

I could see not doing certain lessons

– What's preventing you?

What might prevent me is money. I could see myself (especially in the first few years, until I gain experience) struggling to make certain projects work because of lack of funding. I might not have the knowledge of how to improvise in techniques or supplies, or where to go to find cheaper materials.

I could find support through the other art educators in my building or district, also by doing research online–someone has probably already found the solution; I just need to find them. I can always count on support from the colleagues I've made at MU, as well. Bouncing around ideas is the best source of support.

prepwork for scratchwork (p. 5)

What research questions are of interest to me?

When I thought through questions I have about my first year of teaching, I found that my main question was how can I implement 21st century curriculum and ways of thinking about art in my future classroom?

– What ideas do you have about ... Student Learning?

Students need to be engaged and need to have fun (or be fulfilled) in order for a lesson to be successful. They also need this creative outlet to provide an arena for right-brained thinking, especially as a breath of fresh air from the boundaries of standardized testing and curriculum.

– Curriculum?

I believe in the 21st century model of art curriculum, in which the 7+7 have taken the back seat and are considered helpful tools in the tool belt of art making, but are no longer the central focus of curricular development. Instead, Duncum and Gude's 7+7 take the lead in creating engaging lessons focused on big ideas to which every student can relate and respond.

– Teaching Strategies?

I believe in approaching the classroom as a celebration of our imagination and creativity. Community is one of the strongest assets in having a successful classroom experience for both teacher and student. Student-directed learning is just as important as teacher-directed learning; allowing the students to give input into what they want to learn will result in lessons that are more engaging, more authentic, more meaningful and that produce higher quality artwork.

– Subject Matter?

The more relatable the lessons are to the lives of our students, the more successful they will be. Big ideas as subject matter, not specific artists, art movements, or techniques – these are supporting roles while the big idea is the lead. That being said, the story is flat without supporting characters so they are necessary.

– The Culture at Large?

We are teaching the iKids generation in which our students are proficient at multi-tasking, multimodal forms of communication/entertainment, and working with multimedia. The art room is a perfect place to emphasize these skills they already possess while also incorporating the traditional skills of the past.

prepwork for bridgework (p. 7)

I already know that IT IS POSSIBLE! There are so many art educators devoting their own research and skills into campaigning for a new wave of art education. I'm not alone in this fight for reform. But I also know, and have witnessed, other educators who have gone through the same pedagogical framework as myself and aren't practicing the Big Idea approach to lesson planning. I've even had this comment made to me before: "Big Ideas are great, but in reality it's hard to make every lesson have one." WHY? Are the teachers not trying hard enough? Is the set curriculum too strict? I want to develop every lesson with a big idea and never consider writing a lesson without one. But how do I do this, how do I overcome any obstacles that might stand in my way?

– Where would you go to answer your questions?

I would look at books and websites for artistic inspiration, teacher and artist blogs might lead to great resources, and Art:21 is a wonderful resource for contemporary artists and ideas. Looking to experts in the field, such as Gude, Duncum and Darts would provide additional ideas and expertise. Colleagues who share my views are some of the best resources for bouncing ideas back and forth.

prepwork for headwork (p. 9)

– Who am I to be doing this research?

I am a future art educator of this generation and those that follow. I am young, enthusiastic and entering the field with new eyes; I haven't been beaten down by the rigmarole and stresses that veteran teachers have faced. I am a product of 21st century pedagogy and I am one of many who are campaigning for this new reform in a tired tradition of art education.

– Where did my own ideas/strategies come from?

Well I don't think I can call any of them "my own." Most of my personal philosophies of art education have been created through the influences of others and my educational background. My pedagogy classes have definitely opened my eyes to how I was taught art and how I would like to teach art.

prepwork for legwork (p. 10)

– List of data sources I already have:

• Curriculum documents developed in 7750

• Spiral Workshop lessons

• Articles by experts (Gude, Duncum, etc.) that showcase their own research and experiences with new curricula

• Books that support creative thinking and stress its importance for the future (Gardner's 5 Minds for the Future and Pink's A Whole New Mind)

• TED videos from experts in the field, or not in the field, that support creative thinking (Tim Brown, Sir Ken Robinson, etc.)

• Colleagues and professors in the College of Ed, as well as other art educators

• Observations from my field experiences, in addition to the more in-depth experience of student teaching I have yet to receive

prepwork for eyework (p. 12)

– Think about your process for solving problems (both short-term and long-term) in your daily life. What methods do you use?

• Short-Term: My most recent short term problem, aside from all the obstacles caused by our snowfall, involved my scheduling. I am a TA for a lab, something I love to do, something I have been doing for the past 4 semesters, and something I need financially in my life (it waives my tuition and pays a monthly stipend). The problem occurred because 3 out of the 4 TAs couldn't teach our Monday or Friday schedule labs. So in order to help my professor out, insure the students they would have a TA, and keep the job for myself, I had to figure out a way to rework my schedule. At the time it appeared my only two options were to a. drop my class or b. quit another job, both of which I couldn't afford to do. Instead, I talked to my art professor about leaving his class early in order to teach my lab and then coming back later in the afternoon to catch myself up and allow for more work time in the studio. Graciously he accepted my plea. Now I don't have to drop a class or quit one of my jobs. Thankfully, no bridges were burned and my schedule is where it needs to be.

• Long-Term: Since I can remember, I've always been self-conscious, especially when it comes to body image. I seem to be confident in most every other aspect of myself and my life, but when it comes to how I feel about my body that confidence goes missing. Overtime, I've allowed for fashion to mask this self-consciousness and fill that void with confidence. It's true what they say: when you look better, you feel better. I feel happy and content with my own fashion sense. This began in 7th or 8th grade (the peak of self-consciousness) when I started caring about what I wore and people noticed. I started receiving compliments from friends, from the 'popular' girls I was only semi associated with, and boys in my grade, which was a first. I felt better about myself. I've continued this into adulthood. Clothes make me feel good about myself, but this is a material solution to an emotional, psychological issue. I have to except myself for exactly who I am, without the cute clothes. In the past year or so, I've become very interested in studying and creating art about our social ideologies, especially about feminine beauty and sex appeal. I began to break down the messages that have been filtered into my unconscious for years and have directed my way of thinking. In realizing this power that social imagery and mass media has over my thinking about myself was daunting, yet liberating. I was 'awakened' and I'm now working to reverse the effects of years and years of emotional abuse by our society. Talking and creating art about this topic is a way for me to rediscover my confidence and positive body image.

• Comparing my short-term and long-term problems: In comparing my two problems, there was definitely more urgency in my short-term problem because it needed to be corrected immediately in order to meet a deadline, in this case the start of school. While I needed to arrive at a solution much more quickly with my short-term problem, the solution will only be beneficial for the remainder of the semester. This solution also involved the help of others. I needed the cooperation of my professor in order to arrive at a solution. Another difference is that this problem was brought to me by someone else, the professor for which I TA. I needed to find a solution from which she and I would benefit.

With my long-term problem, there was less urgency in terms of time, but there is urgency because the problem involves my emotional and psychological health. Others are involved in the journey of finding a solution, as emotional support, resources, art enthusiasts, etc. But while they are there as support, the problem-solving is primarily my concern because it is an internal struggle. Unlike the short-term solution, finding this solution is on-going and will benefit me the rest of my life.

prepwork for homework (p. 14)

– Think about the outcome. What do you want to accomplish?

I believe that the end goal is a curriculum guide for my first year of teaching. I have the start of this from the curriculum documents my classmates and I created in 7750. We have the beginnings of some amazing lesson plans. I'd like to further my research in 21st century approahces to art making. I'd also like to polish, adapt, extend and add to these existing lessons to better fit my teaching methods and goals.

prepwork for footwork (p. 16)

– Make a double list of strengths and weaknesses

• Strengths: After making my lists I found that one of my biggest strengths is my support. I have a plethora of individuals with whom I can share ideas. I have access to many veteran teachers who have experiences that will be valuable input for my own research. I also have the skill set do write curricular documents. Thankfully I've had the practice of including every important detail for a lesson to be complete. I'm enthusiastic and eager to get started in my own classroom. I'm an ideas person; I thrive off of hearing, sharing and coming up with ideas. The constant flow of ideas helps to keep my energy and enthusiasm alive.

• Weaknesses: One of my biggest weaknesses is fear of failing. I worry that I don't have enough experience to jump into the open waters of teaching. What if all my lessons fail? What if the students don't like/respect me? What if they leave my room and I haven't allowed art to touch their lives in some way? I set high expectations for myself, which is not necessarily a bad thing until I'm too hard on myself for not reaching them – something I'm working on. I haven't completely developed my skills in finding new happenings in art ed and contemporary artists, both of which can aid me in developing the curriculum I'm wanting. I need to practice these research skills.

prepwork for deskwork (p. 17)

– Inventory your potential as a working researcher (what needs to be organized before getting started)

First I need to organize my workspace. Clutter and unorganized resources are stressful and distracting, because my mind will be focused on cleaning instead of working. I need to organize a binder for printed resources. Finding a way to organize on my computer is also helpful. Creating specific folders for PDF articles, artwork, etc. I already have Pinterest which is a great tool for pinning images you like and want to keep in one place. I'd like to utilize some other blog, image storming, and bookmark-type applications to keep myself organized. I also need to organize my calendar by designating a specific time for me to devote to this research.

prepwork for homework (p. 18)

– What do you already know about your own writing process?

I know that I'm often a slow writer. It's a process for me. I have to start with the facts and quotes I want to include either typed in one place, highlighted within the documents I'm citing, or some other form of keeping those important ideas together. Sometimes I'll type the quotes I'm citing first in the order I want my thoughts to go and then fill in the rest; or I start at the beginning and enter the quotes as they fit within my thinking. I write a paragraph, read it, maybe edit, continue on to the next paragraph, and then start the process over.

– What audiences have you written for and in what genres?

I've written creative writing, research writing, journalistic writing for a wide range of audiences. My journalistic writings have always been more lifestyles and entertainment writing, nothing to newsy. This would be the first time I write a research paper that has the potential to be a scholarly article in a publication.

– How would you like to disseminate your research?

It might be nice to create a downloadable curriculum guide for other teachers to use, or maybe create a website like the Spiral Workshop for educators to check out.

* Chiseri-Strater and Sunstein. What Works? A Practical Guide for Teacher Research