Saturday Class - First Three Weeks
IPTS Standard 2 - Content Area and Pedagogical Knowledge - The competent teacher has in-depth understanding of content area knowledge that includes central concepts, methods of inquiry, structures of the disciplines, and content area literacy. The teachers creates meaningful learning experiences for each student based upon interactions among content area and pedagogical knowledge, and evidence-based practice.
IPTS Standard 8- Collaborative Relationships - The competent teacher builds and maintains collaborative relationships to foster cognitive, linguistic, physical, and social and emotional development. This teacher works as a team with professional colleagues, students, parents or guardians, and community members.
As our senior clinical experiences the Art Ed students of ISU run Saturday art classes for grades k-8th. For the first three weeks I was placed with two other classmates with 4th grade. The central focus of this unit is for students to recognize the important role art can play within environmentalism. This will be done by teaching students to repurpose materials to create 3D sculptures and cohesively set up a meaningful installation. On the first day we introduced the students to two artists, Vik Muniz and Geo Rutherford. Muniz works with landfills to create large images out of the materials found there. Rutherford collects natural and manmade items she finds on the shores off the Great Lakes. She then makes still life prints and displays of what she collected. To first introduce students to working sculpturally we had them create ocean scenery like seashells out of clay. Working in 3D is different from 2D so taking a typical material like clay to begin with will help them when they have to think more creatively with recycled materials like water bottles, garbage bags, and straws. The students completed a planning worksheet to help them through this process. Before they started building their sculptures on the second day we introduced them to artist Angela Haseltine Pozzi. Pozzi does almost exactly what we are doing, collecting garbage and making animal sculptures out of that garbage, but on a much larger size. On the last day the students finished their sculptures and we created a class installation. On this day we discussed artist Tan Zi Xi and her installation Plastic Ocean in which she hung waste collected from the oceans and suspended them to appear like their floating. The students were very receptive to the entire process and had a great time making their sculptures. On the last day they all spoke of their work with pride and were able to make meaningful connections to the unit artists and environmentalism.
Unit Plan
Artist Handout 1
Artist Handout 2
Artist Handout 3
IPTS Standard 8- Collaborative Relationships - The competent teacher builds and maintains collaborative relationships to foster cognitive, linguistic, physical, and social and emotional development. This teacher works as a team with professional colleagues, students, parents or guardians, and community members.
As our senior clinical experiences the Art Ed students of ISU run Saturday art classes for grades k-8th. For the first three weeks I was placed with two other classmates with 4th grade. The central focus of this unit is for students to recognize the important role art can play within environmentalism. This will be done by teaching students to repurpose materials to create 3D sculptures and cohesively set up a meaningful installation. On the first day we introduced the students to two artists, Vik Muniz and Geo Rutherford. Muniz works with landfills to create large images out of the materials found there. Rutherford collects natural and manmade items she finds on the shores off the Great Lakes. She then makes still life prints and displays of what she collected. To first introduce students to working sculpturally we had them create ocean scenery like seashells out of clay. Working in 3D is different from 2D so taking a typical material like clay to begin with will help them when they have to think more creatively with recycled materials like water bottles, garbage bags, and straws. The students completed a planning worksheet to help them through this process. Before they started building their sculptures on the second day we introduced them to artist Angela Haseltine Pozzi. Pozzi does almost exactly what we are doing, collecting garbage and making animal sculptures out of that garbage, but on a much larger size. On the last day the students finished their sculptures and we created a class installation. On this day we discussed artist Tan Zi Xi and her installation Plastic Ocean in which she hung waste collected from the oceans and suspended them to appear like their floating. The students were very receptive to the entire process and had a great time making their sculptures. On the last day they all spoke of their work with pride and were able to make meaningful connections to the unit artists and environmentalism.
Unit Plan
Artist Handout 1
Artist Handout 2
Artist Handout 3
Classroom Setup
IPTS Standard 4 - Learning Environment - The competent teacher structures a safe and healthy learning environment that facilitates cultural and linguistic responsiveness, emotional well-being, self-efficacy, positive social interaction, mutual respect, active engagement, academic risk-taking, self-motivation, and personal goal setting. This includes a virtual environment and any learning aids used within a Google Drive.
7D: understands how to organize the instructional environment to maximize students’ learning.
In our fourth grade classroom we had a large space but used the tables to cut off the back of the room and direct the students towards the screen. This way the space feels more comfortable and the students and our instruction won't get swallowed up by the extra space. The students sat at two long tables that allowed them plenty of room to work while being close enough to peers for social interaction and sharing materials. The front of the classroom had a projector screen where we presented the learning material for the day. next to the screen where everyone could see were our vocabulary posters. On the right side of the room along the windows were tables that housed all the building materials for their sculptures. Having separate tables still made the materials accessible to the students but also took away any distractions during direct instruction.
7D: understands how to organize the instructional environment to maximize students’ learning.
In our fourth grade classroom we had a large space but used the tables to cut off the back of the room and direct the students towards the screen. This way the space feels more comfortable and the students and our instruction won't get swallowed up by the extra space. The students sat at two long tables that allowed them plenty of room to work while being close enough to peers for social interaction and sharing materials. The front of the classroom had a projector screen where we presented the learning material for the day. next to the screen where everyone could see were our vocabulary posters. On the right side of the room along the windows were tables that housed all the building materials for their sculptures. Having separate tables still made the materials accessible to the students but also took away any distractions during direct instruction.
Saturday Class - Last Two Weeks
During the last two weeks of the Saturday Art Classes my group was placed with 7th grade. Having worked with middle schoolers before I felt prepared but it was an unusual experience as each day we only had one student. Our unit was based on the idea of empowerment so naturally we made superheroes. During the unit students turned themselves into their own superheroes with various art techniques to not only promote creative thinking, but confidence and empowerment. The students began by planning their own superhero persona and then drawing themselves out. On the second day we had plans to create wearable pieces of their costume but since we had only one student and a different student each day we just taught the first lesson twice. The artists we used to teach this lesson were Hebru Brantley, Cece Bell, and Neysa Bove. Brantley creates original superheroes and reimagines others as Black to provide representation that he did not have as a child. Bell made her own superhero "El Deafo" based on her experiences as a deaf person. Bove is a costume designer who has worked on many Disney films but most recently Encanto. Her costumes encapsulate each characters unique powers and culture. These three artists demonstrate how you can create the representation you need and find power within yourself. Both students took this idea and enjoyed creating original characters. I wish we had more time to work with them but in the end it was still a really fulfilling experience.
Unit Plan
Artist Handout 1
Artist Handout 2
Unit Plan
Artist Handout 1
Artist Handout 2
Classroom Setup
We knew going into seventh grade that we would only have two students so the room we chose was much smaller than before. Like last time the front of the room had a projector screen and vocab posters in easy view. The students could sit anywhere they wanted but as expected they sat towards the front of the room. All the necessary materials for their project was lined up on the front table for easy access. There were extra chairs so we could sit and work alongside the students so they would feel more comfortable and not like we were watching them the whole time. When there are more teachers than students it can be intimidating so we tried to make them feel relaxed and as though the class was just as much theirs as ours.
Professionalism, Advocacy, & Leadership: PAL 1s
IPTS Standard 9 - Professionalism, Leadership, and Advocacy - The competent teacher is an ethical and reflective practitioner who exhibits professionalism; provides leadership in the learning community; and advocates for students, parents or guardians, and the profession.
Designing Discoveries: For our PAL 1 we were instructed to go out in the world and experience art. The art world is constantly growing so it is best to be constantly consuming what it has to offer. The more we experience the better we can enrich our life and the lives of our students. This semester I visited University Galleries for the exhibition Designing Discoveries. The exhibition celebrated the 40th anniversary of Design Streak Studio a research-based social innovation lab focused on human-centered service design. Senior Graphic Design students at ISU work with Design Streak for a capstone experience. While I am not a graphic design student it was interesting to hear about and see all the ways the skills can be applied.
Spin: My second PAL 1 experience was at the Spin exhibition held in the Student Galleries. Spin was set up by a drawing class who wanted to put a "spin" on the traditional medium. We saw drawing done on shower curtains, animations, and some with 3D elements. It is always exciting to see how artists today are pushing the boundaries of what art is.
Designing Discoveries: For our PAL 1 we were instructed to go out in the world and experience art. The art world is constantly growing so it is best to be constantly consuming what it has to offer. The more we experience the better we can enrich our life and the lives of our students. This semester I visited University Galleries for the exhibition Designing Discoveries. The exhibition celebrated the 40th anniversary of Design Streak Studio a research-based social innovation lab focused on human-centered service design. Senior Graphic Design students at ISU work with Design Streak for a capstone experience. While I am not a graphic design student it was interesting to hear about and see all the ways the skills can be applied.
Spin: My second PAL 1 experience was at the Spin exhibition held in the Student Galleries. Spin was set up by a drawing class who wanted to put a "spin" on the traditional medium. We saw drawing done on shower curtains, animations, and some with 3D elements. It is always exciting to see how artists today are pushing the boundaries of what art is.
Professionalism, Advocacy, & Leadership: PAL 2s
Improv Mafia: After experiencing art we were instructed to actively participate with it. My first PAL 2 experience comes form my RSO. I am president of Improv Mafia and run weekly practices and shows. On Mafia we stress not just doing improv but watching and teaching. That is why each week we create workshops to teach to the team focusing on specific skills like characters, relationships, or pantomime. We also hold workshops open to the public if they want to learn about and do improv.
SoTD&D: For my second PAL 2 I had a commission for a Freestage performance. A friend of mine was a running a live D&D campaign for their show called SoTD&D. The production was two days with two different campaigns and nine players. For each player I created a character portrait based on who they had created for the performance. It was a great experience as I learned how to work with a commissioner in a close way, especially when it's something as specific as an original character. I'm so glad I was able to bring their characters to life. I made portraits for his show last year and with that experience this year I was better at advocating for sufficient payment.
SoTD&D: For my second PAL 2 I had a commission for a Freestage performance. A friend of mine was a running a live D&D campaign for their show called SoTD&D. The production was two days with two different campaigns and nine players. For each player I created a character portrait based on who they had created for the performance. It was a great experience as I learned how to work with a commissioner in a close way, especially when it's something as specific as an original character. I'm so glad I was able to bring their characters to life. I made portraits for his show last year and with that experience this year I was better at advocating for sufficient payment.