Teaching Strategy Index *Modified for English Language Learners
Interview Students*
1
Role Playing
2
Student-Teacher Conference
3
Open Experimentation
4
Media Analysis*
5
Sketching to Learn*
6
Collaborative Projects
7
Small Group Work*
8
Chunking
9
Gradual Release
10
Anchor Charts*
11
Visual Learning
12
Simulation
13
Doodle Prompts
14
Literal Observation*
15
Vocabulary Wall*
16
Scaffolding w Native Language*
17
Differentiation*
18
Leveraging the Local
19
Reflecting Classroom Diversity*
20
Interview Students* Students should be invested in their learning outcomes. There are wide variety of artistic materials and techniques. Students may be interested in gaining experience in particular types of art or developing specific creative skills. To begin a course, I would utilize an interview strategy (group interviews and/or questionnaires) to discover their interests/knowledge and incorporate that information when determining curriculum priorities. Through interview, a teacher may also more clearly identify the background knowledge and language skills. This is particularly important for recognizing English Language Learners and their potential for visual expression that could support their language acquisition. ●
What types of art or materials are you familiar with? Ex. painting, drawing, animation, graffiti, photography, graphic design
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What types of art materials have you used? Ex. pen, pencil, marker, paint, clay, chalk
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What types of art do you create on your own? Ex. drawings, collage, photography
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What types of materials are available to you outside of the classroom? Ex. pen, pencil, paper, glue, tape, spray paint, camera phone
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What types of art do you enjoy seeing? Ex. photography, street art, graffiti, murals, paintings, drawing, tattoos, sculpture
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What types of art do you aspire to create? Ex. portraits, jewelry, watercolors, pen and ink, photography, murals, animation
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What skills, techniques or materials do you think you will need for the art you aspire to create? Ex. drawing eyes, metals, soldering iron, good paint brushes, pigment, different weights of pen, SLR camera, computer software, permissions
Learning Strategy (2 of 20)
Role Playing Praise and Criticism of Abstract Expressionism One of the most widely heard debates in art, even (maybe especially) among people who are not well-versed in art is regarding the merits of Abstract Expressionism. If you’re familiar with Jackson Pollock, I’m sure you’ve heard (or thought yourself), ”This is just paint splatter!” or “Pfff, my 5-year old could do that!”. In fact, there is a fantastic documentary on Netflix called, “Who the $&% Is Jackson Pollock?” about this very debate. In a Role Playing strategy, I would create two groups of students, assigning each a role either in praise of or criticizing a well-known Abstract Expressionist like Jackson Pollock or Mark Rothko. Both groups would collaborate to research the artists and movement, then use the steps of art criticism (describing, analyzing, interpreting, judging) to present their opinions. At the end of the debate, we would follow-up by debriefing on the role-playing experience and what we learned. Images: Examples of Abstract Expressionism
Mark Rothko “Orange and Yellow” 1956
Jackson Pollock “One: Number 30” 1950
Learning Strategy (3 of 20)
Student-Teacher Conference Student-Teacher conferences should be held during class intermittently throughout the course, and especially when student is working on a process-intensive project. During a conference students can report on their progress and consider problems as well as possible solutions. â—? Students may discuss work with teacher in pairs or very small groups to facilitate learning, especially necessary when working on a collaborative project. â—? Conferences require an inviting and supportive atmosphere to encourage open discussion and trust among participants. â—? Student-teacher conferences provide teachers an opportunity to guide learning as well as provide a space for students to demonstrate their learning through discussion and sketches.
Image: Mentor-Designer conference with Tim Gunn and contestant (Project Runway)
Learning Strategy (4 of 20)
Open Experimentation Experimentation is central to creativity and innovation in the arts, as it allows students to make connections between the concrete and the abstract. Students may be unfamiliar with the materials or processes involved in a new project. In order for a student to succeed in creating new work, it is necessary to allow time for students to do hands-on experimentation with new aspects of a projects by ● ● ● ● ● ●
Testing Exploring Manipulating Organizing information Documenting discoveries Making decisions
During the experimentation period students are encouraged to use cooperative skills in interpreting and communicating findings among their peer groups. Open experimentation space increases student motivation and understanding.
Image: Open Experimentation - Preschool / shells and pastels (from my own teaching documentation)
Learning Strategy (5 of 20)
Media Analysis* Media analysis is a critical literacy strategy in which commercial media works are examined for the purpose of “decoding” the work – that is, determining the purpose, intended audience, mood, and message of the work, and the techniques used to create it. Through media analysis, students evaluate images, maintaining a critical distance and resisting manipulation by media producers, and they learn about media techniques that they can then use to create or enhance their own works. English Language Learners may be encouraged to find advertisements written in their native language. Advertising media is one form of content that is accessible in every language. Key concepts of media analysis include: ● Recognition that media construct reality ● Have commercial implications ● Contain ideological and value messages ● Have social and political implications
Image: McDonald’s Advertisement
Learning Strategy (6 of 20)
Sketching to Learn​* Through making quick sketches, students can represent ideas and their responses to them during or immediately following a presentation or lesson. They can also take notes in pictorial or graphic form. Sketching to learn is often used during a listening or viewing experience in order to help students understand new or complex concepts or techniques. Sketching is a foundational skill in most forms of visual arts, both fin and commercial. Using sketching as a form of notetaking will give English Language Learners a way to demonstrate classroom learning without needing to rely on language. Further, teachers may help annotate sketched notes for English Language Learners to help build art content literacy. Example: During a visual presentation on various styles of ceramic arts, a teacher may ask students to take sketched notes of the forms that stand out to them. Students may use these sketching notes as an opportunity to ideate for their own creative projects.
Images: examples of ceramic sketches with annotations
Learning Strategy (7 of 20)
Collaborative Projects For studio projects where the whole class collaborates on a single studio project, students can work on an element of a project in their seats and then later add their element to the whole. The teacher can address the project first as whole class, then explain the individual assignments and how the work will fit together. Example: Pattern Mural inspired by street artist Barry Magee Each student is tasked to produce an 11x14 pattern that will be included in a larger mural of patterns. Students will work on their patterns individually though the ideation stages through to completion. Once complete, students will have the opportunity to reflect on their work and where it belongs within the whole piece.
Image: Inspiration - abstract mural by street artist Barry Magee
Image: Collaborative project created by students
Learning Strategy (8 of 20)
Small Group Work* The importance of collaboration in the creative process cannot be overstated. For this reason, it is crucial to design a number of small group assignments of varying length and intensity. Small groups also provide opportunity to partner students who are English Language Learners with “helper” students ready and able to patiently reiterate instructions. When students work in small groups, teachers have a better opportunity to more deliberate support to English Language Learners. Before beginning the projects a discussion of the democratic process of decision-making should be discussed. Assigning a group manager may reduce the chances of conflict during the project. The teacher can facilitate small groups by supervising the planning stages of the project and by having students check in periodically to report on their progress and to discuss the next steps of the project. Example: Cardboard Relief Compositions/Sculptures This cardboard relief may not appear impressive, but represents these key elements: ● Emphasis on composition and 3-dimensional construction ● Provides opportunity for individual work and collaborative decisions ● Scaled for small group work ● Can be completed in less that a week
Learning Strategy (9 of 20)
Chunking Some individual assignments can be process intensive, meaning multiple stages or steps are required. In which case, students may feel overwhelmed by the scale of work or confused about how to proceed. To avoid this, an important strategy to use is “chunking”. Chucking allows students to move through a creative and learning process confidently as they learn and move from one “chuck” to the next. The ultimate goal of an assignment could take many forms. It may be individual or a classwide collaboration, but in any case, the stages of production and learning need to be broken into chunks that can be understood and replicated within one or two class periods. Example: Color Wheel Flowers For this assignment, students are tasked to produce individual flowers that represent the color wheel and combine into a field of flowers mural. The necessary units or chunks include: ● Brush/Painting techniques ● Color theory ● Color mixing ● Initial color wheel ● Color wheel flower
Learning Strategy (10 of 20)
Gradual Release Autonomy is the goal when teaching brand new technical skills in art. However, before this can be expected of a student, there must be scaffolded instructions to lead them into independent practice. The “gradual release” strategy has four steps and goes like this: 1. I Do: teacher leads and models instructions 2. We Do: teacher leads and guided/assisted practice 3. You Do (Together): students practice technique collaboratively 4. You Do (Independently): students work individually on project utilizing new skill Let’s elaborate on these four steps. Step One: “I Do” Start teaching the skills you want students to learn by demonstrating. Keep this part short and focused. Utilize visual aids. Model thought process as you execute skill. (i.e. “I start my value scale with the darker value where I use the most pressure to draw. I use a little less pressure each time the value gets lighter.”) Step Two: “We Do” After new information is introduced in the initial lesson, students will try out what they’ve learned. At this point, students still need a high level of support, and the teacher’s role is to guide students through figuring things out with hands-on practice. This step could look like students making their own version of your example or experimenting with specific techniques. Step Three: “You Do (Together)” This stage is the place for building deep understanding. It’s important to note that this is not time to start working on final artwork. During this stage, students work collaboratively in groups to develop the skills you’ve taught. They should be working without direct instruction. If needed, the teacher may model again any aspect of the lesson. Step Four: “You Do (Independently) At the final stage, students should be ready to go solo and apply their new knowledge. At this stage, students should be truly autonomous. Students should not be replicating a teacher example at this point. They should be making art where they independently are deciding how to use what they have learned.
Learning Strategy (11 of 20)
Anchor Charts​* Anchor Charts are essentially a type of visual aid that illustrate anything from daily procedures, to overarching course concepts, to specific artistic techniques. For routine procedures, anchor charts may be permanently displayed to remind students how to clean a paintbrush or how to mix colors or what to do during clean up. For new processes, anchor charts may be used as visual aids to guide students through a lesson and support any students moving slower than the group. Process anchor charts may contain more complex information, like how to choose between watercolor or acrylic paints. These anchor charts can also illustrate more detailed examples of specific techniques. Anchor Charts can provide important information or points of reference for students and keep classes running smoothly. Additionally, visual aids in the classroom and during lessons will benefit students who are English Language Learners. Whenever possible, visual aids should include bilingual text.
Images: examples of anchor charts for visual art classrooms
Learning Strategy (12 of 20)
Visual Journaling Drawing requires daily practice. Progressing in creative thoughts requires thoughtful documentation. Visual note taking is important in mastering new technical skills. For all these reasons, visual journals are a must in the art classroom. Journals are typically cumulative works, and may be checked intermittently throughout the course, on a regular basis or as part of a final portfolio of work. For those new to journaling, I recommend weekly journal checks that provide teachers the opportunity to observe student’s progress and provide encouraging feedback. Further, journals entries may occasionally be presented to the class for discussion or kept private between the students and teacher. Journals may include: ● Daily doodles/sketches ● Collage work ● Project Ideation ● New technique notes/examples ● Personal thoughts and inspirations ● Responses to teacher-led prompts
Images: examples of different approaches to visual journaling
Learning Strategy (13 of 20)
Simulation Through simulation, students can participate in a replication of real or hypothetical conditions and respond and act as though the situation were real. Simulation is useful when students are learning about complex processes, events, ideas, or issues, or when they are trying to understand the emotions and feelings of others. A fantastic simulation for a visual arts classroom is having students pretend to be a famous artist. In this lesson, students research and try to get into the heads of famous artists. Then, they are tasked with creating work in their styles. Part 1: To get started, have your students spend time researching and collecting inspiration from artists they like. Having students pretend they’re an artist they love helps to remove some of the fear of creating while also helping them to practice synthesizing information. The work becomes a collaboration between the selected artists and the student. Part 2: Once students have selected an artist, have them answer the following questions in their sketchbook: ● Choose three of your favorite works and sketch them. What materials and techniques did the artist use to create their work? ● Write down two quotes by the artist or about the artist that resonate with you. ● What do you like most about the artist’s work? Part 3: After students have spent time researching, they’re going to transition into pretending they ARE the artist. As they respond to the following questions, they should do so, not as themselves, but thinking like their selected artist. ● Describe a day in the life of your artist. Think about questions like: When do they get up in the morning? With whom do they talk or interact throughout their day? ● How do you think your artist feels, moves, and behaves when they are creating? ● Describe the environment where your artist creates. Part Four: After students research and dive deeper, they are ready to create. Here are 3 steps for getting started. ● Collect Materials- Have students gather materials the artists would have used ● Curate a Playlist - students pick music their selected artist would have listened to ● Create - Remind students they’re pretending they are the artist as they create
Learning Strategy (14 of 20)
Doodle Prompts Get the creative juices flowing with doodle prompts. Similar to writing prompts, a doodle prompt invites a student to create a quick response to an idea - a visual idea. Quick response prompts are perfect for the first 5 minutes of class to get students settled and present to work. Doodle prompts may be handed out on a worksheet to be completed directly or presented on a board for reference or to copy. Doodles prompts are unfinished images, invitations to imagine where there are no right or wrong answers. So, doodles can be graded on participation more than result. This strategy supports other strategies like “visual journaling” and “sketching to learn”. Doodle prompts can be combined with a writing prompt strategy either to practice describing one’s own work or with a small group game in the style of the surrealist game exquisite corpse. Examples of Doodle Prompts
Learning Strategy (15 of 20)
Literal Observation Literal Observation is both a strategy for visual analysis and for building vocabulary. Classroom Example: Have student’s view an image then answer explicit questions aimed to practice the simple act of observing and describing works of art. ● How would you describe the mood of the woman in this painting? What do you think she might be thinking? ● Write a few sentences from the point of view of the woman (use a Vocabulary Wall as a starting point).
Can be adjusted to use nearly any image (Mary Cassatt’s Portrait of a Little Girl shown) Alternatively, this strategy could be structured to provide an outline for more imaginative observation by using a first person fill-in-the-blank format. ● I am _____ (name) ● I am _____ (two character traits of the person) ● I hear _____ (sounds, voices, or words) ● I wonder _____ (something the person is curious about) ● I worry _____ (something that the person worries about) ● I feel _____ (a feeling or emotion) ● I dream _____ (something the person hopes for)
Learning Strategy (16 of 20)
Vocabulary Wall* (language transfer) A vocabulary wall is a flexible strategy that can support students in developing the language needed to understand materials, methods and styles of art. A vocabulary wall can include multiple languages and play with language-transfer to support language acquisition for ELLs. Multilingual Vocabulary Walls can be multifaceted, designed to: ● Connect to anchor charts ● Connect to literal observation exercises ● Be reflected in sketched note taking ● Provide language for critiques and artist statements
To build vocabulary walls that truly reflect the classroom, students could take part in small group writing activity: 1) What nouns, verbs, and adjectives can you list in looking at this painting? 2) Write as many words in English as you can think of, then write more words in your native language. 3) Work together as a small group to translate the words not written in English. 4) To finalize, all words can be compiled and added to the vocabulary wall.
Language transfer (recognizing pattern connection between native and new language) can be an especially interesting facet of building a vocabulary wall. For example, below are examples of Spanish art-related seven words that directly, or nearly directly, translate to English. -
Pastel / Pastel Collage / Collage Aquatint / Aguatinta Collograph / Colografía Giclee Giclee Acrylic / Acrílico Ceramics / Cerámica
Learning Strategy (17 of 20)
Scaffolding with Native Language* By scaffolding with a student’s native language, the influence of a language learner’s first language may support the acquisition of a new language. This bilingual scaffolding can be an extremely useful strategy in aiding student comprehension on new content areas. Scaffolding with Native Language can be supported with strategies like the previously discussed vocabulary wal. My favorite way to support this strategy is to provide a print rich literacy environment with art books available representing a variety of cultures, artists, and languages.
Image: Examples of Bilingual books for an art classroom
Learning Strategy (18 of 20)
Differentiation* This strategy is relatively simple, but was highlighted to me by an elementary teacher who works with many ELLs and students from a variety of backgrounds on a daily basis. Differentiation is the notion that each student’s ability to thrive hinges upon the recognition of their particular individuality - where in unique skills and knowledge may lie. Everyone learns differently. Differentiating instruction may mean teaching the same material to all students using a variety of instructional strategies, or it may require the teacher to deliver lessons at varying levels of difficulty based on the ability of each student. Teachers who practice differentiation in the classroom may: ● ● ● ● ●
Design lessons based on students’ learning styles. Group students by shared interest, topic, or ability for assignments. Assess students’ learning using formative assessment. Manage the classroom to create a safe and supportive environment. Continually assess and adjust lesson content to meet students’ needs.
Teachers can differentiate instruction through four ways: 1) content (student’s existing familiarity with content) 2) process (how a student works with content material) 3) product (availability of options for final form of assignment) 4) learning environment (variety of working spaces and instructional settings) The implications of differentiation for English Language Learners may include using many of the strategies included in this file, like use of vocabulary walls, visual aids, and chunking.
Learning Strategy (19 of 20)
Leveraging the Local Often, art and artists are considered lofty, far-away notions. Students may stereotypes of the starving artist living in New York or the studious oil-painter creating portraits for wealthy patrons. Whatever their pre-existing notions of artists are, it’s important to show students what local fine artists look like as well as local practical artists. There are many grants available to bring “teaching artists” into the classroom for workshops. While it may be ideal to bring in guest artists, it’s not always pragmatic. Fortunately, with personal portfolios online and various means of online social contact, the work of fine and commercial artists are more accessible than ever. Some units “leveraging the local” may introduce students to the work of commercial artists (i.e. textile and graphic designers) and the paths that those artists took to their careers. I think this approach, highlighting how commercial artists work in local communities, is key to instilling a value for the study of arts that can match that of computer coding or health-care. Similarly, locally based fine artists can bring a special kind of inspiration to students. Example: Alex Lockwood (image) Lockwood works from a shared studio and gallery in North Nashville called The Elephant Gallery. I often see examples of his sculpture in galleries around Nashville. And currently three of pieces of his work are included in a group show at the Cheekwood Mansion. Lockwood is particularly interesting in his use of recycled materials, specifically plastics, in the creation of kinetic/tactile sculptures designed to be touched, spun, even thrown.
Learning Strategy (20 of 20)
Reflecting Classroom Diversity​* Diversity is a significant dimension of the art classroom. A teacher must embrace students’ varying experiences, concerns, interests, learning styles, forms of communication, and visual expressions. Students can be introduced to non-Western and postmodern paradigms of art-making. In the successful art classroom, students are instructed in works from diverse social, cultural, and aesthetic perspectives. While it is important that the diversity in art reflects gender and ethnic diversity of the classroom, for English Language Learners, there is a particular opportunity to reflect both contemporary and historical artists that share their language and cultural backgrounds. Example: A selection of African-American, Mexican, Feminist, and Iranian artists 1. Kehinde Wiley, Portrait of Barack Obama 2. Frida Kahlo, Self-portrait on the border between Mexico and the United States 3. Judy Chicago, The Dinner Party 4. Simin Keramati, Red Hair
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