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?