Art in the Science Classroom:
Initial Report
Since the beginning of the school year I have been looking for ways to integrate Art into Science teaching and learning. The process has been fun but challenging. I started off the year by having my students sign up to do Worlds of Wonder presentation (see below). This was explained to them as something that you have seen and wondered about or something you thought was really cool and you wanted to know more about it and share it with others. The idea behind this assignment was to encourage the kids to pay attention to the world around them and ask questions. I also wanted them to develop the mindset of sharing knowledge gained with others through visuals, story, examples, etc... So far, students and teachers alike have enjoyed sharing and learning from the presentations.
the_enigma_machine.pptx | |
File Size: | 1604 kb |
File Type: | pptx |
I wanted to have the kids take pictures around the school and the school yard to show something familiar in a different way than we were used to seeing it and then move to making videos about various concepts we were learning in Science. Unfortunately, the idea was nixed due to the no cell phone contract that was going to be sent out to all students. So, I had a dilemma now - take the project in a different direction or try to change current policies? I did some preliminary asking around and discovered that a few other teachers wanted to have the freedom to ask students to use their cell phones or other devices for various assignments so I decided to forge ahead and create cell phone use contract (example below). I also spoke with parents at Open House to explain the ideas we had for integrating technology into instruction at our school this year to get their approval and any concerns or ideas they had regarding implementation. I also asked student groups in 7th -8th grade to generate a set of problems that might arise and ways to deal with those potential issues. They also created a set of consequences for misuse of devices and the freedoms that would be allowed during various projects. These ideas were reviewed and combined to create a contract for students and parents to read together and sign to show understanding and agreement with the policies.
Once the contract was completed, I gave students their first Science video assignment. They were to create a video to explain volume to a 10 year old (see intro to one group’s video below). They needed to have examples, insert a formula somewhere and show at least one method to find volume mathematically. Everyone was very excited about the task, quickly formulated their plans and got busy. I was surprised at how intuitive this process was for most students. Children who were unfamiliar with the process were learning from other students who were more experienced. I saw wonderful work from all of the students but then we ran into another issue. A student from another class misused a device in a very public manner and there was quite a bit of collateral damage in the process. The end result was that all technology use, other than school computers and cameras in the art room utilized under direct teacher supervision, was put on temporary to permanent hold before we got a chance to finish editing or posting any of the videos. At this point, permission to use personal tech devices for work in classrooms is pending approval and the answer will not be known until after Winter Break at the earliest.
I have plans to implement Movement (i.e., demonstrating the movement of molecules in different phases, etc...) and other forms of Visual Art as well. Students in 7th grade have been observing and drawing various cells (see examples below) to initiate careful observation and questions about the contents of cells. We will be researching cell structures and organelles and then creating Shrinky Dink Cells in the 7th grade classroom with supplies ordered from a Donor’s Choose grant. I have begun collaboration with the Art teacher on a Recycling Project slated for spring. Things are moving forward and the prospects are exciting!
Final ImagineIT Report
In implementing this project, there have been some unexpected challenges. From the book, What Should I Do? Confronting Dilemmas of Teaching in Urban Schools by Anna Richert, I learned that dilemmas are to be expected and often there is not an easy solution to these difficult or challenging issues. Although I tried to anticipate some of the problems that would arise, I did not expect that students who weren't even participating in our projects would pose a problem to the work we were doing. Navigating the complex issues of the legal system and pleasing all parties involved in the school environment has been the biggest challenge of them all. Finding the right balance and way to address these issues is a continual process that takes careful thought and adaptability. Plans may have to change and open, continuous communication with all stakeholders is vital.
Talking with my colleagues regarding my project has been so helpful in this process. They have given insights and helpful tips, asked good questions, motivated me to implement the ideas I had (knowing that other people are looking forward to seeing what the students are doing provides incentive). There were many aspects of the video process that I was unfamiliar with and the Tech teacher was instrumental in showing me a variety of ways to edit and share videos to make the students work public. I also received good ideas from the Art teacher for rubrics and ways to clarify assignments through the use of touchpoints, or parameters, and guidelines to make the students work better. Other teachers collaborated with me on the contract by reviewing, editing and giving suggestions for additions that would help them as well as sharing concerns they had regarding use of personal technology in school.
After my initial report, I had tried asking students to jigsaw a reading assignment outlining the development of Cell Theory and Germ Theory of Disease. The student groups then created songs or dramatized their sections. While they enjoyed the process, it was time consuming and I didn’t feel as though the time involved warranted the resulting outcome. In the future, when using Drama, I would have the students do the collaborative work from home as much as possible and then give them less time in class to work together on it. Editing and sharing was also more of a challenge than I thought it would be at first since we can’t always get the computers when desired and a number of students were unfamiliar with the video editing process and didn’t know how to share it. I think I would start with smaller assignments first to get them familiar with process.
Going forward, I plan to continue to refine the methods of creating rubrics that we use with specific touchpoints to guide student creativing. I also want to streamline the sharing process and eventually follow my Deep Play Group Colleagues’ examples of creating online student portfolios. Finding ways to spread the work time on longer projects between home and class will be helpful in saving valuable direct instruction/in class work time.
In implementing this project, there have been some unexpected challenges. From the book, What Should I Do? Confronting Dilemmas of Teaching in Urban Schools by Anna Richert, I learned that dilemmas are to be expected and often there is not an easy solution to these difficult or challenging issues. Although I tried to anticipate some of the problems that would arise, I did not expect that students who weren't even participating in our projects would pose a problem to the work we were doing. Navigating the complex issues of the legal system and pleasing all parties involved in the school environment has been the biggest challenge of them all. Finding the right balance and way to address these issues is a continual process that takes careful thought and adaptability. Plans may have to change and open, continuous communication with all stakeholders is vital.
Talking with my colleagues regarding my project has been so helpful in this process. They have given insights and helpful tips, asked good questions, motivated me to implement the ideas I had (knowing that other people are looking forward to seeing what the students are doing provides incentive). There were many aspects of the video process that I was unfamiliar with and the Tech teacher was instrumental in showing me a variety of ways to edit and share videos to make the students work public. I also received good ideas from the Art teacher for rubrics and ways to clarify assignments through the use of touchpoints, or parameters, and guidelines to make the students work better. Other teachers collaborated with me on the contract by reviewing, editing and giving suggestions for additions that would help them as well as sharing concerns they had regarding use of personal technology in school.
After my initial report, I had tried asking students to jigsaw a reading assignment outlining the development of Cell Theory and Germ Theory of Disease. The student groups then created songs or dramatized their sections. While they enjoyed the process, it was time consuming and I didn’t feel as though the time involved warranted the resulting outcome. In the future, when using Drama, I would have the students do the collaborative work from home as much as possible and then give them less time in class to work together on it. Editing and sharing was also more of a challenge than I thought it would be at first since we can’t always get the computers when desired and a number of students were unfamiliar with the video editing process and didn’t know how to share it. I think I would start with smaller assignments first to get them familiar with process.
Going forward, I plan to continue to refine the methods of creating rubrics that we use with specific touchpoints to guide student creativing. I also want to streamline the sharing process and eventually follow my Deep Play Group Colleagues’ examples of creating online student portfolios. Finding ways to spread the work time on longer projects between home and class will be helpful in saving valuable direct instruction/in class work time.