Classroom Field Reflections
1. What form of arts integration or interdisciplinary learning units have you observed? In what ways were the visual forms investigated, learned, discussed, or produced in the classroom?
I have observed a social studies project that my second graders were working on. They had to pick a famous person, write a report and then draw illustrations for their report. The art portion of this assignment wasn't investigated; it was up to the students to decide what to draw as their illustrations.
2. Was there a Big Idea or theme used? If so describe. Were students working with narrative, observation, imagination, and / or visual thinking?
The big theme of this lesson was Famous People. They were basically writing a biography for their famous person and they had to make illustrations to go along with what they were writing.
3. What suggestions would you have for integration and interdisciplinary learning for this unit or lesson you observed? Try to think how you could make the learning more meaningful, connected, and deeper. Be specific.
I would have integrated more art into this lesson. I think that the students could do a self-portrait of their famous person to go along with their report. The students could add in pictures of things that were important to their person or what they are famous for. I think that this would help the students make more connections to their famous person!
Art Classroom Field Reflections
1. The content of the lesson, written and spoken objectives, and resources used
The content of the lesson was to learn about Black History Month. She read the book Tar Beach by Faith Ringgold and then introduced what the next project was going to be. There were no written objectives but she did say that they were going to use quilts that they had made for a previous weaving project and they were going to create their own tar beaches through the creation of their own dioramas. They used the fabric weaving that they made for a previous project and then made a dioramas showing a skyline with buildings, while also making the night sky with crayon resist. They also made their own character to fly across the night sky.
2. The teacher, her / his teaching strategies and format / process of the lesson as presented
The teacher is very calm and uses a very calm and quiet voice. She talks to the students in a way that is easy for them to understand what she is saying and she makes them really excited about the projects. For this lesson, the art teacher read the book and then told the students that she really wanted them to use their previous works of art to make a whole new piece a artwork. Then she explained what the students were expected to do with the project and then the students are really encouraged to go off and complete the artwork and use the materials that they want to do. She allows them to be very independent. When all of the projects were finished after several class times, she displayed all of the dioramas in the media center for all of the students to see.
3. Student engagement of the lesson, classroom atmosphere, and environment
The students were SO excited about this project and the excitement started when the art teacher read Tar Beach. They were also really excited to use their fabric weaving. The classroom atmosphere is a really fun one. All of the students are working on their own projects, but they socialize really well with each other and give each other constructive feedback during the working process.
4. Classroom behavior management
The art teacher has a Peace, Love, Joy carpet that the students are sent to if they aren't making good choices. She talks to them in a very calm, but firm, voice and I've only seen 1 student ever go to that carpet. It works really well and I just like how she stays so calm with them.
5. Compare the art classroom to the regular classroom in regards to the teaching strategies, lesson presentation, student engagement, classroom atmosphere, environment, and behavior management.
The kids are much more excited to do art in the art classroom with the direction of the art teacher instead of just doing drawings with their writing in the classroom. There obviously is a lesson in the art classroom involving art, whereas in the classroom, they are just doing drawings to go along with a writing assignment and there is no direction from the teacher in regards to the drawings. The art teacher uses a much calmer tone than my host teacher, but they are both effective in behavior management. The use of art in the regular classroom is so minimal that there really isn't much of a lesson presentation. The students are engaged in both classrooms even though the teachers are very different in their styles. The classroom atmosphere is great in both classrooms and if a student is making good choices, they are sent to a secluded place in the room to be by themselves.
The content of the lesson was to learn about Black History Month. She read the book Tar Beach by Faith Ringgold and then introduced what the next project was going to be. There were no written objectives but she did say that they were going to use quilts that they had made for a previous weaving project and they were going to create their own tar beaches through the creation of their own dioramas. They used the fabric weaving that they made for a previous project and then made a dioramas showing a skyline with buildings, while also making the night sky with crayon resist. They also made their own character to fly across the night sky.
2. The teacher, her / his teaching strategies and format / process of the lesson as presented
The teacher is very calm and uses a very calm and quiet voice. She talks to the students in a way that is easy for them to understand what she is saying and she makes them really excited about the projects. For this lesson, the art teacher read the book and then told the students that she really wanted them to use their previous works of art to make a whole new piece a artwork. Then she explained what the students were expected to do with the project and then the students are really encouraged to go off and complete the artwork and use the materials that they want to do. She allows them to be very independent. When all of the projects were finished after several class times, she displayed all of the dioramas in the media center for all of the students to see.
3. Student engagement of the lesson, classroom atmosphere, and environment
The students were SO excited about this project and the excitement started when the art teacher read Tar Beach. They were also really excited to use their fabric weaving. The classroom atmosphere is a really fun one. All of the students are working on their own projects, but they socialize really well with each other and give each other constructive feedback during the working process.
4. Classroom behavior management
The art teacher has a Peace, Love, Joy carpet that the students are sent to if they aren't making good choices. She talks to them in a very calm, but firm, voice and I've only seen 1 student ever go to that carpet. It works really well and I just like how she stays so calm with them.
5. Compare the art classroom to the regular classroom in regards to the teaching strategies, lesson presentation, student engagement, classroom atmosphere, environment, and behavior management.
The kids are much more excited to do art in the art classroom with the direction of the art teacher instead of just doing drawings with their writing in the classroom. There obviously is a lesson in the art classroom involving art, whereas in the classroom, they are just doing drawings to go along with a writing assignment and there is no direction from the teacher in regards to the drawings. The art teacher uses a much calmer tone than my host teacher, but they are both effective in behavior management. The use of art in the regular classroom is so minimal that there really isn't much of a lesson presentation. The students are engaged in both classrooms even though the teachers are very different in their styles. The classroom atmosphere is great in both classrooms and if a student is making good choices, they are sent to a secluded place in the room to be by themselves.