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.
I really like this idea and believe that you can do this: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. You will have to refine how you define blended literacy. I suggest you look at the literacy common core standards. You will find a strong rationale for what you want to do that no one can argue with.
ReplyDelete