Planning for Learning
Resource Kit - Fine Art
This resource is a compilation of practical and authentic classroom resources that can be used to enhance art education. This resource is intended to be used to create a Second Grade Inuit Inquiry Project. The guiding question is, "How does where we are impact who we are?" and what better way to explore the question than through stories and cultural art. Additionally, this resource kit is designed to encourage the progression of skills (the skills taught in previous experiences are necessary for the next). Some resources are intended to support learning about the Inuit and others demonstrate expert examples of art techniques. As for the inquiry, the final project is to create a folktale inspired by the Inuit culture - this is where students will demonstrate their new found knowledge of the Inuit culture.
Integrated Curriculum
An Integrative Project incorporates two or more subject areas. When curriculum outcomes relate in a meaningful way the learning experience is heightened. This project is specifically designed around the topic of the Fur Trade; however, art, math, science, language arts, drama and social studies outcomes are all present in this integrated lesson series.
Science & Art
One of my favourite things to do is to help children think about their world in a way that they haven't been exposed to before. As a result, I created this art based science lesson to teach students how different materials react to heat and then we explored the impact extreme temperatures have on the human body. In order to do so I froze paint in ice cubes and brought a hair dryer to school to melt crayons. The students created artwork out of the melting ice cubes (represented by cool colours like green, purple & blue) to explore the effect of warmth on a cool material. Next, they melted wax crayons (which were red, orange and yellow to embody the warm colours) in order to explore how heat can transform a solid in to a liquid. The following lesson incorporated the concept of cubism, so we did an investigation into what the art form involved and why it came about. The students used what they learned about cubism when they traced their hand over a sheet of paper they broke into cubes. After creating the cubes and tracing their hands the students coloured the outside area with cool colours and warm colours to represent their body heat.
Teaching Toolkit - Literacy
This Teaching Toolkit includes eight teaching strategies. Each one of the eight strategies work on increases either reading, writing, listening or speaking skills. All of the strategies can be implemented at, and adjusted to suit, any elementary grade level.
These strategies are simple, practical and can be implemented with a group of students or during a one-on-one session. These strategies encourage development of crucial skills and promote confidence which in turn results in success in later grades and throughout life.
Intentional Holidays
We asked ourselves: How can similes and poems be used to compliment others? Student created personalized cards for their mothers and fathers. Always strive to create activities that will engage students do to personal investment or value. In this case students previously created gifts for their parents and were now asked to create cards to express their appreciation for their parents.
Pinterest to Purpose
How can we take a simple Pinterest craft and turn it into a meaningful piece of artwork that met the Alberta Art Program of Studies?
Ask students to select a topic or concern of interest and create a piece of art to raise awareness, for example:
" The purpose of my final piece will be to raise awareness of Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) that is impacting bees and in turn agriculture. The statement that goes along with the piece is as follows, “If we die, we are taking all of you with us!” And so, my goal is to create a striking piece that depicts the disappearing/dying bee colonies. The cause of CCD remains unknown but there is much we can do to help the bees flourish once more. However, most people do not realize what an integral role bees play in agriculture. Without bees our source of food would quickly begin to dwindle and eventually vanish completely. And just as the bees, we would slowly begin to die off and disappear. "
Guided Reading with Parent Volunteers
When creating lessons for volunteers who do not have a teaching background it is important to write clear instructions, directions and explanations. Not do we have to scaffold lessons for students but also structure the lessons in a way for our volunteers to be successful. Parent volunteers create strong connections from home to school and the extra adult help provides extra support for the students (increase one-on-one interaction) and results is exponential growth over time.
Facilitating Learning
Drama, Drama, Drama
Drama is an excellent strategy to engage students in unforgettable learning experiences. Drama integration can be utilized to reach students who may not be as strong academically but excel in other areas. Drama can be taught purely as a subject or to increase engagement during an academic subject lesson.
Interactive Centres
Moving with Math Centres were created in response to students' misconceptions about math concepts by using a variety of teaching strategies to maintain student engagement while they participated in a rich math experiences. Students should be strategically grouped so that they are with students of varying abilities so that they could support and learn from one another.
ESL Differentiation
Through the implementation of strategies that support necessary skills ESL Students can work towards moving from BICS to CALP language. This newsletter was created for English second language learners in response to misconceptions about how we acquire additional languages. Within the newsletter there are strategies and activities which can be used to scaffold student understanding of the English language through knowledge about the English language.
Quality Literature
Select literature that will engage students in lessons and brings life to duller topics. Always pre-read and practice reading all literature before "preforming" in front of your students. Make the reading experience dynamic by adding sound effects and allowing students to participate actively in the process.
Spur of the Moment
It is always my hope to make use of real life, present situations in order to bring lessons and all learning to life for young children. While my mentor teacher was away for two days and I devised a project to leave as a keepsake for her. My students had a chance to experience how to take a real life situation and twist it in a way to evoke an element of humour and comedy in writing.
Special Needs
This literature review focuses on the difference between a learning disability and a genetic disposition, for I had regarded them to be one in the same. Specifically looking at the process of language acquisition in students with Down’s Syndrome. The connection to the final article is simple; art can be used to beautifully and meaningfully integrate subjects to create holistic learning experiences. Art can be used as literacy, visual literacy.
Classroom Environment
Set the Tone
Peaceful music playing and essential oils diffusing.
Daily Routine
Familiarity is safe and predictable.
Transitions
Wind chimes, timers & countdown minute warnings.
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I quickly came to realize that transitions result in a lot of wasted time in the lower elementary grades. In response, I began to spend more time and put more thought into the way I had students transition from one activity to the next. Initially I would use lines like, "Move silently to your desk, tiptoeing like a robber." Eventually I began to integrate the students muscial knowledge about beats into transitions. For example I would tell the students, "Move back to your desk in no more and no less than seven beats. Go. One-Two-Three-Four-Five-Six-Seven."
Community & Character
"We always try our best and never give up"
Modelling expected student behaviour goes a long way to creating healthy, safe classroom environment. In our classroom we make sure each and every student knows they are valued and have much to contribute to the classes overall learning. We establish and maintain a peaceful classroom and talk about how to be peacekeepers. Students also enjoy a communal snack each day where they get plenty of time to socialize and build community.
Support the Universal Design for Learning
The classroom goal is to teach learners how to transform accessible information into
usable knowledge through active participation. Proper lesson design and representation of
information provides students with usable scaffolds. Using multiple means of Representation,
Expression & Engagement in order to reach all students in an effective manner.
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Representation
Perception
Young children benefit greatly from multiple representations for it aids in transfer by making connections and also because there is not one optimal form of representation among learners. Visual displays must possess a balance of images and text, for example word walls could be colour coded by subject and display images. The classroom should be full of visual diagrams, charts, and captions (transcriptions of classroom subject conversations.) There should also be many tactile objects or visuals that convey perspective on the subject matter, all of which allow for active interaction.
Language & Symbols
It is important to pre-teach all vocabulary to children by providing: definitions, explanations, illustrations, examples and connections to previous use. This constant, meaningful exposure heightens comprehension and effective use because the syntax is clarified. Even though curriculum may be monolingual, many students are not; therefore, providing translations or labeling objects in multiple languages may be beneficial to learners. Classrooms are usually linguistically dominated even though text is a weak format for presenting concepts, so it is important to be aware and have a balance of non-linguistic representations as well.
Comprehension
For equal learning to occur one must prime, activate or provide prerequisite knowledge for children in preparation for teaching new subject matter. It is vital to distinguish critical information from the unimportant fluff for children while you model (demonstrate), scaffold (assist) and provide feedback to the students. Present the new subject mater through different means and continue reviewing previous topics because it enhances transfer of knowledge; knowledge is not about individual facts in isolation, but how they interact with one another and the ability to access information in any given type of situation.
Expression
Physical Action
Teachers must always be prepared to adapt any lesson to a student with a physical impairment through the use of assistive technologies. In addition one must also be able to optimize the available assistive technologies in order to provide proper assistance.
Expressive Skills & Fluency
It is important to remember that there are many different types of mediums that can be used for expression; also, providing different modalities for expression helps level the playing field for students. In our media-rich world today it is important to be familiar with multiple medias for a wider range of accurate expression of knowledge, ideas and concepts. Children must be exposed to the way others use text, speech, drawing/illustration, music, and visual art as means of expression. It is also a great idea to have a physical manipulative to help demonstrate thinking; for example with math, use wooden blocks, base-ten blocks or 3D models. In modern day it would be useful for students to be well versed in social medias and how to use interactive web tools to their benefit; exposing children to tools that are an optimal match for their time period prepare them for the future. Fluency occurs when children have many opportunities to perform and are gradually released, teaching them to be more and more independent.
Executive Functions
The management and control of cognitive functions takes place over time, first you must scaffold lower level skills until they are mastered, then they are used to scaffold higher level skills. Enable children to estimate their own effort, the level of difficulty and allow them access to resources, so that they start to think on their own. It isn't wise to set meaningful personal goals for children, but you can give them guides, checklists and makes postings that show class objectives - the end goal. Along the way (and throughout each project) provide them with feedback so that they may see the progress they are making or have made, this will help them guide their efforts. Ask questions to guide self-monitoring and reflection so they develop strategic planning where they stop and think, and are able to explain their work.
Engagement
Recruiting Interest
In order to recruit interest there must be different ways to achieve one objective, all of which: develop self-determination, result in pride be personalized, be culturally relevant, and age appropriate; however, they must in accomplishments and increased connections between subjects. It is also important to involve the students in the designing of activities and academic tasks. In order to make learning meaningful, activities must support personal response, evaluation, and self-regulation while providing active participation, exploration and experimentation through fostering imagination to make sense of complex ideas creatively. The classroom must have an accepting, supportive climate with a predictable routing, noise buffers and lessons with varied pace, length and breaks.
Sustaining Effort & Persistence
Young children are still learning self-regulation & self-determination and must be supported through their external environment. Constantly remind the children of the importance (the reward) of completion with and example of the visual outcome or a verbal reminder. Foster communication & collaboration with others outside of the class by providing children with the prompts they will need or form groups within the class based on common interests. Guide students towards mastery through relevant, constructive, consequential and timely feedback. All the while thinking about focusing on their effort, areas of improvement, achieving standards and giving informative feedback, not being comparative and competitive.
Self-Regulation
Intrinsic motivation comes from providing sufficient alternatives to support different aptitudes. If students are expected to self-regulate expectations must be clear and charts etc to track regulation must be present. Provide enough resource for them to choose and try out different adaptive strategies for managing external and internal events. If learners loose sight of their progress & learning they loose their intrinsic motivation. Have them constantly ask themselves, "What can I do to improve?"