Looks Like Burnt Toast by sllamme, made at DoInk.com

More fun Web 2.0, create free animations at http://www.doink.com/

The sign I'll be posting in a prominent position

                                        

 I have discovered a fun site which allows you to generate your own warning signs. There are also links to other sites which allow you to create warning labels, streets signs and tombstones. A few of the symbols are inappropriate for use by schools, but I see a lot of potential for personal enjoyment! Give it a try. http://www.warningsigngenerator.com/

Authentic Learning and Five Year Olds

Great ideas here, can't wait to try this with my kinders!

LTC 8750 Research Presentation

LTC 8750 Annotated Bibliography

Open publication - Free publishing - More art

LTC 8750 Research Proposal

Open publication - Free publishing - More art

I would say that this is definitely a working document. I think that the timeline will need some tweaking, and I'm wondering if I need to add more information regarding the significance of my questions.

What's Your Sentence?

I'm about 1/3 of the way through Drive, Daniel Pink's last book. I love that man! He has the ingenious ability to communicate his brilliant thoughts in such a manner that makes you feel like you're just hanging out with your next door neighbor. While attempting to refine my research problem I came across this video promoting the book.



Pretty simple, huh? NOW, if I can just figure out my sentence the rest of the pieces should just fall, effortlessly into place!

LTC 8750 Research in Art Education 6/8

Mindwork: Create a Time Line

The idea for my research came about last winter. My co-worker and I began gathering materials over the spring. We have a wiki where we post links that might be relevant to our curriculum. For the past couple of months we have been reading and reviewing books on Visual Culture, the i-Kid, and 21^st Century learners. We plan to meet for a week in July to plan / outline our curriculum and then meet again in August prior to the start of school. This summer we are planning around district pd workshops, classes, vacations, and her son’s sporting activities. During the school year we realize that we will probably have to meet at least once a week to review our progress and to make revisions as needed. Our administrator is giving us permission to meet during PLC time to review data and discuss plans.

Mindwork: Finding a Grant Source

Since the idea for my research came about last winter I have already applied for a district technology grant. I wish I had read What Works? prior to submitting the application, however, this grant has previously granted me an Adjustable SmartBoard and a document camera. This year I have asked for a set of ten iPads. Since I have already submitted this grant I will use it to work backwards throughout this exercise. If I am not awarded the grant this year perhaps I can look back and see what revisions I need to make.

The agency - The Technology Department of the Waynesville R-6 School District

What are its goals or purposes? The district technology plan states - Technology will be fully integrated into the curriculum in all subjects and grade levels throughout the district.

With whom does the agency-or its members-associate? The technology department is a part of the school district falling directly under the superintendent and school board, the school district is accountable to the state, and in a lesser degree, to the federal government.

What other kinds of projects have they funded?

This department has previously awarded technology in the form of SmartBoards, document cameras, iPads, classroom speaker systems, and clickers.

What criteria do you meet? The format of this grant required me to tell the ways I use technology:
SmartBoard -On a near daily basis I use my SmartBoard to project examples of fine art for the purpose of conducting VTS, Visual Thinking Strategies is a research based visual arts program that promotes critical thinking, collaborative meaning making, and visual thinking. Consistent with the objectives for 21st Century learning, the role of the teacher is that of facilitator. Students examine the image, think, contribute interpretations, listen, and build understandings together. I use VTS with all grades K-6.

I use my SmartBoard regularly to share Powerpoints, Prezis, Animoto videos, and teacher created voice threads. Students participate in virtual museum field trips

I have used interactive Smartboard lessons to explore color mixing, shapes, size relationships, and virtual art making activities.

I have also used the SmartBoard to share student photography, and to conduct formative critique.

Library / Mobil Labs- I have used the mobile lab so that students can conduct research, building a knowledge base prior to executing a project. Students have used Photobooth to explore the concept of distortion.

Students have explored a variety of Web 2.0 sites.

Classroom Computer - My classroom computer is used to create Powerpoints, Prezis, and VoiceThreads, I research images for Visual Thinking Strategies. I participate in various art education nings and follow art blogs.

The art room has no stand-alone computers, so students frequently use the teacher computer to execute an image search or obtain information

Technology trainings - Last year I received 3 hours graduate credit from MU for the course Artistic Thinking Through Digital Media.  Spring 2011 I attended  METC. Spring 2012 I attended Missouri Art Education Association workshops Apps for Art, Designing With an iPad and participated in a Technology Round Table.

These experiences have allowed me to explore a blended literacy approach to teaching art. My students have explored the importance of visual literacy. I have infused art lessons with open-ended learning that is relevant to the lives of my students. I have addressed what it means to be a Digital Citizen, taught students the meaning of copyright and copyleft, and have emphasized global connections.

Have shared my knowledge and expertise - I have shared Web 2.0 resources and lesson ideas with district art teachers. I have presented the workshop Web 2.0 for the Elementary Art Teacher at the Missouri Art education Association 2011 Spring Conference.

What criteria are you missing? By golly, I think I’ve got it covered!

What assumptions does this grant have about education? Students are prepared for success when their teachers have and use the appropriate technology tools.

Does the descriptions for into your own philosophy of teaching? Why or why not?

The district technology mission very much coincides with my own belief that we must reach this generation of students where and how they already spend their time. I am seriously committed to the use of technology!

Analyze the language of the grant, noting key words and phrases. What words are focal in writing an application? The goal of this program is to put equipment in the hands of teachers who will use it to educate our students. We are not interested in just putting equipment in buildings.  Every year there are more and more qualified applicants for this grant. Hopefully I have proved that I DO use technology in a way that is meaningful and relevant to the learning of my students.

LTC 8750 Research Translation II

RESEARCH TRANSLATION ~Using the Concept of Material Culture Studies in the Art Classroom by Julia Marshall

RESEARCH PROBLEM  - This article is not an actual study, but a chapter about ‘objects, learning, and creative process.’ The author defines material culture, and the central premise of material culture studies; artifacts both have and convey meaning. She offers five sequential projects and ideas using the study of material culture to as a means for students to learn more about themselves and their world. Important terms are clearly defined. There are no variables given.

A problem statement, if this were a study, would be - Material culture studies are most frequently conducted in the social studies classroom, however, examination of cultural artifacts provides a valuable foundation for the creation of meaningful art and creative problem solving.

LITERATURE REVIEW  Literature was well organized, and relevant. Sources cited ranged from 1985-2005. The oldest research defines material culture study; the age of the information cited has no bearing on the facts presented.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS  The author questions, “How might material culture studies pertain to the intersection of art exploration and creative practice that constitutes art education?” (P108) Though not stated as such, her hypotheses would be ‘Material culture and the studies of material culture objects can shape art making and teach critical, symbolic, and creative thinking skills.’ (P108)

DATA SOURCES/SAMPLING If this were a study, student created art and photographs, written reflections, interviews and student journals would be good data sources.

MEASUREMENT TOOLS There are no measurement tools listed. I think that student / teacher rubrics and checklists would be good tools.

METHODOLOGY/PROCEDURES This article gives through descriptions for five different activities. Each activity is accompanied with photographs and suggestions. The author tells specifically how each project will engage students with different types of information valued in the field of material culture studies and the type of thinking each lesson is design to produce.

RESULTS I predict that students participating in this unit of Material Culture Studies would create art that demonstrated the use of critical, symbolic, and creative thinking skills.

DISCUSSION The author concludes this chapter driving home the point that material culture study provides ‘a focus and conceptual framework for creative art making.’ I do not believe that she uses any generalizations. I believe that this article would translate into a valuable study ‘demystifying creativity’ (p115) and imaginative thought processes.

LTC 8750 Research in Art Education 6/7

Mindwork: Combine Data from Multiple Sources

New considerations for data sources

Regularly collected Student artifacts from free time in the Computer lab	Interesting to see the relationship between an open-ended, technology rich blended literacy instruction and use of free time
Student histories – Examination of student records	Good overview of students background- places lived, etc.
Counselor behavior records	Observe any link between new curriculum and student behavior
Parent surveys	Determine amount of times and types of technology students use at home, parents use of technology

Methods and Methodologies

Mindwork: Search Archives

My school is located on the Ft. Leonard Wood Army post. Possible sources of archived materials might include the post military installation and the post library. The director of the museum’s wife is a technology specialist in my district. She was previously the building tech in my building; I would feel comfortable picking her brain for archive material ideas.

Mindwork: Count, Measure, Chart

VTS will be a part of the curriculum for my study, last fall I used graphs to visualize student achievement pre and post VTS. I could see using a similar type of graphing for my research. I also found some of the different visual data displays from the David McCandless TED video very interesting.

Mindwork – Document Oral Language

During VTS I frequently transcribed 20-25 minutes of VTS discussion. It was helpful to hear / note myself as I paraphrased and to reflect on the use of students linking their comments. I observed that students tended to use recently learned art vocabulary. I recognize that this type of documentation can yield interesting data.

Mindwork: Try An Ethnographic Observation

Since I will be team teaching my project, I think it would be extremely helpfully to do ethnographic observations on my fellow teacher, the library media specialist. I already know that we are similar in terms of organization, student expectations, and tolerance in terms of clutter (we’re both neat freaks!) I already know that I am more of a disciplinarian, and that she is far more patient with misbehavior than I am. I do need to observe other details about her space, what she does when students are in her class, the types of discussions that take place.

LTC 8750 Research in Art Education 6/6

Researching the Idea / Assuming Self and Other

Mindwork: Discover What You Know

My Main Question, at least for now, ‘Will a blended literacy instructional format generate higher levels of student motivation and learning?’

What is my personal history with technology?

As I said in my 6/4 post, I have already completed the grad level courses - Artistic Thinking: Multimedia Applications for Teaching Art, Visual Literacy and Visual Culture, and Visual Thinking Strategies I & II. I blog regularly, posting homework, but additionally sharing thoughts, finds, and experiences. I have implemented an afterschool technology club. I witnessed firsthand the willingness of students to utilize technology for the purpose of creating, collaborating, and researching. I belong to a couple of art ed nings and follow blogs of art and technological interest.

Mindwork: Google-ography

How many options do you have for further, more focused search? There were not many options when I searched using the terms blended literacy art curriculum. This tells me that either there’s not a lot of information out there, or more likely that I need to hone my searching.  I did get results for visual literacy, media literacy, art literacy, and literacy + art. I think searching these terms will provide the types of information I need and probably steer me in the direction I need to go. Not finding much using Google, I tried dogpile and found a few more sites. No particular expert names pop up, but I do keep getting a Rockville, Maryland school district site. I will definitely visit that webpage!

Mindwork: Google-ography

How many options do you have for further, more focused search? There were not many options when I searched using the terms blended literacy art curriculum. This tells me that either there’s not a lot of information out there, or more likely that I need to hone my searching.  I did get results for visual literacy, media literacy, art literacy, and literacy + art. I think searching these terms will provide the types of information I need and probably steer me in the direction I need to go. Not finding much using Google, I tried dogpile and found a few more sites. No particular expert names pop up, but I do keep getting a Rockville, Maryland school district site. I will definitely visit that webpage!

Mindwork: Shape Your Working Bibliography

Here’s what I have so far:

Frey, N., & Fisher, D. B. (2008). Teaching Visual Literacy: Using Comic Books, Graphic Novels, Anime, Cartoons, and More to Develop Comprehension and Thinking Skills. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

JESTER, J. (2003). Of paint and poetry: Strengthening literacy through art. THE QUARTERLY, 25(4). Retrieved from http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/resource/958

(2012, June 6). Learning, arts, and the brain the dana consortium report. Retrieved from The Dana Foundation website: http://www.dana.org/news/publications/publication.aspx?id=10760

Rosen, L. D. (2010). Rewired: Understanding the iGeneration and the Way They Learn (1st ed.). Palgrave Macmillan.

(2012, June 6). Training in the arts, reading, and brain imaging. website: http://www.dana.org/news/publications/publication.aspx?id=10760

The more I searched, the more I found that I feel like will be relevant, some may even be more useful than those I have included here. I would like to include more journal articles. At this time I think I am happy with my research question.

Headwork

Explore the Emic and the Etic

Stepping In: I love meaningful art making, using technology, exploring visual culture, and using VTS. Most of my in-district art-teaching peers don’t share the same philosophy. Some of the other teachers in my building recognize that I go above and beyond, others see me as a babysitter. My administrator thinks that I do a good job, but his sole interest is in test scores. My own school experience is vastly different than that of my students. I attended K-12 in the same district, and lived in the same house for most of that time. My students are military dependents, sometimes they aren’t even in the building for an entire school year. They move frequently, and most have lived in other countries. My parents were married, many of my students parents have been married multiple times and have an assortment of various half and step siblings. I learned to use technology as an adult, my students have never know a time without technology. I get excited about learning new things. I love to experiment with web 2.0. I’m the first to sign up for in-district technology trainings. I get frustrated when I can’t get my peers to embrace new technologies. I get really frustrated that my work schedule doesn’t permit time for me to even use the restroom.

Stepping Out:  Other staff members wonder why the art teacher needs to use the technology lab. Parents want to know why students don’t bring home more art projects? Others might not understand the concept of meaningful art versus crafts, visual literacy, and VTS. I might need to interview administration, staff, and parents. My school is a tightly woven little community, so I might even ask the custodians, nurse, and lunch ladies. I could ask questions about visual culture, technology, art making, and the role of art in public education?

Mindwork: Use the Three Questions for Analysis

1. What disturbs me?

The district art curriculum is shallow.

Subjects are isolated, there is little to no blending of literacies in the district elementary curriculums.

It is difficult for me to book lab time, and mobile labs are unreliable.

What intrigues me?

I would like my lessons to be meaningful with real life connections.

I would like my students to use technology in ways that develop media literacy.

What surprises me?

The way I solve problems!

2. What disturbs me?

A tightly packed schedule, lack of respect for what I do by some staff and some peers. An administration that does not value the arts.

What intrigues and surprises me? Stepping out, I was surprised identify possible need for more communication between myself and my school community.

Experimenting with an Ethics Statement

The purpose of this study is to determine the affect a blended literacy curriculum has on student engagement and achievement. This curriculum will complete fulfill the curriculum goals for Fourth Grade Art, and Library Media http://waynesville.k12.mo.us/district/departments/instructional_services/curriculum_guides/. Some Fourth Grade Communication Arts, Math, Social Studies, and Music Curriculum will also be be covered as part of this research. At no time will the educators conducting this study deliberately suppress or distort subject matter pertinent to the student's progress. No data collected will disclose personal information about students. No student work or likeness will be published without the written consent of a parent / guardian. Pseudonyms will be used in lieu of student names.