Read how these Indiana schools are examples of best practices in action as they promote learning in their classrooms.
Looking around the art classroom at Sugar Creek Elementary in New Palestine, Indiana, one sees engaged students making choices about which art activity they want to work on that day. Art teacher, Clark Fralick, begins by teaching a short, focused lesson on an art concept such as color and then students choose a station to try out what they learned. This provides a type of “just in time” learning environment. “The optimum time for a concept, such as color, to be taught is when the student is ready to learn it,” explains Clark. “Since not all are ready at the same time, an introduction to it paves the way for learning more about it and learning from each other.” The use of peer support, where students help out each other, frees the teacher to move easily around the room to assist where needed. “Motivation is facilitated from the inside out,” explains Clyde Gaw, New Palestine Elementary art teacher, who also uses the choice-based curriculum in his art classroom. The choice stations around the room used by both Clark and Clyde may include a sculpting center, painting center, drawing center, construction center, clay center, textile center and animation center. After the focused lesson on color, students choose a station which includes examples, materials, and instructions, so they can work independently on the color concept with that station’s media.
Technology is integrated throughout the stations and art room. Students use computers and software such as Tux Paint™ and Pixie2™ or online tools at Art Rage2.5 to draw and paint. Connecting Wacom Bamboo Digitizing Tablets™ allows students of all ages the ability to create electronically. Students access web sites for information and use WebQuests to explore various art concepts. A popular station is the video/animation station. First grade students learn to use digital cameras and download their pictures, while second graders learn how to edit those images. Third graders are more involved with the use of video cameras by making their own stock motion video clips. This teaches not only the use of video, but also organization skills. Students use a whiteboard to plan out their frames and learn quickly about simplification and the use of the whiteboard to make quick changes from frame to frame. The use of Monkey Jam™, a freeware digitizer application, is useful in grabbing frames to make short video clips from digital images.
Self-assessment and electronic portfolios are key components of this project. Samples of images, text, video and other digital media provide evidence of students’ learning in diverse areas of art. Reflective writings on their learning experiences are recorded throughout the year. Students in Clyde’s class can be seen video taping interviews of fellow student artists explaining their projects, and saving the interviews in their portfolios.
The Choice-Based Art Curriculum has been successful at these two elementary schools in the Community School Corporation of Southern Hancock County. Both Clyde and Clark were awarded the TAB Award (Teaching for Artistic Behavior) at their national convention this year. They share their expertise and experiences with others all over the United States. They feel that empowering students with choices allows art to connect with students’ interests, passions and expertise. This motivates one 3rd grade student to exclaim, “Art comes when you least expect!”
This article appeared in the ETC...and More! volume 2, number 1 newsletter and is published by the Buddy
Project
(Corporation for Educational Technology), in
collaboration with the Hoosier
Educational Computer
Coordinators (HECC),
Indiana Computer Educators (ICE),
the Indiana Department of Education, and Promoting Achievement through Technology and INstruction for all Students (PATINS).
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New Palestine Elementary second graders are writing about their art work for their electronic portfolios.
Sugar Creek Elementary students using the computer to draw.
Sugar Creek Elementary students working with art animation to create a video clip.
