|
|
Waldo Peirce |
Visual Arts Lesson
Teacher Reflections by Emily Serway
Reflection 1
The art lesson in the Waldo Peirce unit of Looking to Learn is a fun and meaningful lesson, especially when paired with another lesson in the unit, as was the case when I worked with a classroom teacher who taught the social studies lesson. Students became very engaged with the work and responded to the scale, to the approachability of the subject matter, to the sense of place in the work, to Peirce’s style, and to the door that the mural frames. My class expounded upon all of these topics at length! The door became a portal to their collective imagination, every child added a little more to the conversation until I began to believe that perhaps there was some kind of secret compartment or room behind it! Having the Peirce mural used in their classroom as well as in the art room resulted in an unusual level of investment in their projects in both places. Their familiarity with the work allowed them to start seeing it as an old friend—it became part of their vernacular. In my opinion, every student came to have a new appreciation for and understanding of murals, design, and the social context of Peirce’s mural. My students’ work in this project was some of their best because they were so invested—it was evident that using the same image and ideas across the curriculum helped students feel more connected to their work. My students began thinking about the connections between life and art, and between history and art, and they started seeing their own art as a method of expression of their personal ideas about time and place.
Reflection 2
It is important to me to assess students as they learn so that I can tailor my instruction to their individual learning needs. Using formative assessment techniques helps me ensure that my students are learning and achieving the goals of the assignment. It is easy in the visual arts to let students do whatever they want – they have no lack of great ideas. But sometimes students can mask their lack of understanding by creating their own project! Formative assessments help me tell the difference between these kinds of work. As students worked on this project, I used several techniques for assessing what they understood. I listened to conversations about the work, I informally interviewed students as they worked, and I examined students’ rough sketches to make sure that they had understood the instructions before they continued on to their other work. I also put a checklist on the easel in the front of the room so that students could assess themselves to make sure that they had completed all of the project’s criteria. As students worked, I addressed any concerns that my formative assessments brought to light as they arose. I redirected students who did not seem to understand the instructions. I helped students understand what a mural is and what Peirce’s mural was for. If I noticed that a student was just drawing a picture without thinking about the architectural feature, without using what they had learned about drawing people in proportion, or without drawing their person doing something that people do in Maine, I had a detailed discussion with the student, referred to the checklist and redirected the student.
Reflection 3
One assessment strategy that I tried was a small group assessment. I asked students to work at their table groups and to use the following as a guideline for discussion about the work. “Say something you notice about your friend’s artwork,” and “Ask your friend a question about their artwork.” Although these seem like appropriate questions, this assessment strategy felt forced. The students had already had all of these discussions throughout the weeks of making work together. They did this assessment grudgingly, but I don’t think it was as meaningful as the natural conversations they had had all along. I would try doing a mid-project peer review if I did this project again. Criticism from other students is a powerful tool that helps students to examine their own work. If this assessment took place in the middle of the project, it would provide more timely feedback, would push students further in their thinking, and would encourage them to do their best work.
Reflection 4
The questions on the self-assessment sheet were the same questions that I had asked students throughout the process. I asked them verbally and I made a checklist for students to follow. This final assessment piece was meant to make sure that everyone had followed the procedures for the project and could see that for themselves. Many of the students mentioned how Waldo Peirce painted himself into the mural. This kind of personal story is always fascinating to students and is therefore what they remember most clearly. One student didn’t understand the question, so instead of telling me something about the mural, she asks Waldo Peirce a question: “Was it hard to make?” This tells me that even though the student did not read the question well, she was engaged enough to be thinking of questions to ask the artist.