Blendspace and Key Assignment

https://www.blendspace.com/lessons/h3uUlPzBgBLnIw/edit

Final Paper

a.       Problem Statement:

How might I change my lesson planning to allow for more student choices during the lesson to encourage more engagement and excitement?

Although I can plan lessons that are engaging for most students, I’m trying to motivate the at-risk students that are afraid to try, because they are convinced they will fail or are not willing to be challenged by the lesson.  I will attack this problem of practice in two ways:  I will use a student advisory committee to survey and get transparent feedback before planning at least some of the lesson at first and I will offer more choices in a menu board that students can choose during the lesson.  During and after each lesson, I will ask the at-risk and other students how the lesson went and edit as needed.

b.      Data & Analysis:

	Video for presenting proportions of the face	Facial features	Drawing models	3-D materials like feathers and glitter	Clay	Food Art Projects	More drawing
3rd grade	9/16 like	9/16 like			2 mention clay	2 liked	2 more time
4th grade	½ like	Not so much	Groups of 3
5th grade	6/12 like (5’s) 10/14 like (3’s)  More tech class	Liked the challenge	5/12 liked 9/12 got to pose-only one said “no”	3/12 wrote in more masks	4 mention clay		8/12=3/4 of class 3/14 drawing 3/14 draw poses 14/14 draw faces 4/14 painting

Suggestions for new projects: 2 for lizards/dragons, cars, forest, avatars for famous people, bikes

Changes to this lesson: draw who we want (groups of 3), not draw a person, more fun, easier to harder poses every time,  group portrait, oil pastels, add more time

As I suspected this lesson would have more of a chance to please and challenge students, because they could draw or paint more—they decided, I made them try both.  They liked the challenge of drawing faces the way “artists do” and loved drawing each other.  Next time I will put them in groups of 3 and let them set the poses and change with my timing. My concern would be groups with someone not as comfortable with, but I would set the groups ahead of time, what if awkward groups had up to 5 people (1 modeling and 4 drawing and then switch).

Changes from comments by Tiffany and Brandi:

Tiffany asked about surveys being generic or different for feedback on each lesson.  At least at first I will specialize each one—later I may use a more generic one. I had planned on class blog being open for all students, parents, and classroom teachers to read; this would be a kind of journal for what the students see as important in the art class today.  In a blog, I would be nervous about comments if it doesn’t have the student’s name on it.  For the end of lesson surveys by all the students, I will let it be anonymous, because while the student may be rude to me it will not hurt another student’s feelings.  I did include a class survey for the end of this lesson for on my blog.

Brandi asked how we could complete all these activities in the once a week I see the students for only 50 minutes.  I was going to allow students to choose from a choice menu—I’ll have to pull names to write on the blog each class and rotate those that do want to write with those that don’t.  Conferencing especially with my advisory committee is at lunch and surveys will be pre or post the lesson for the whole class periodically.  I also would conference with at-risk students in the middle of class to check on learning—I normally do this as part of formative assessment to talk with each student and check each project to give feedback.

I think my form for class conferencing needs to be quick and specific, so I can talk, write in about 5 seconds and go to next student!  I’m getting good ideas from the students.

c.             Abstract of Solution:

The student advisory committee is 2 3^rd graders, 6 4^th grade students and 4 5^th grade students; the committee is a combination of at-risk students, but also artistically motivated students.  Included in the committee are all races at my school and several ESOL students to make sure my lessons are accessible to all students. I will ask suggestions for how to offer more choices on ways to demonstrate learning and reflection on the lesson.  During the lesson I will conference with all students to see how they are progressing with the learning objectives.  After the lesson I will use a survey for all students, to get more feedback about the lesson.  This feedback can be anonymous.  This is the meat of my practice to get feedback from the students and the committee and use their suggestions; I can’t make everyone happy all the time, but I think showing the at-risk students that I value their opinion over and over again will change my relationship with them and break down some barriers to trying new things in art.

I would use a variety of ways to present content including videos to shorten direction times on some lessons.  Students can watch the videos to learn how to draw faces in proportion to the rest of the face.  I would use simulations, podcasts, videos and animations.

Students would have choices about art materials to use for the project.  The type of project to turn in to demonstrate learning: a scavenger hunt using QR codes for the class or a younger class to teach them something like how to mix colors. 

Reflections will be class blogging, Edmodo with individual reflections, monthly artistic muses that the students are interested in (students would include art and reflections about the artist in the blog for sharing cultural influences.)  Students could tell a partner about the learning using a form to fill out and post to Edmodo.  Several students may choose to create a brief video about what they have learned.

I will judge my new practice of planning with the student advisory committee and student work, reflections and conferencing.  I will widen the questions to include subject matter of the art; a student just suggested lizards or dragons for an art project.

i.                     My goals and objectives are aligned with SC Visual Arts Standards including NSTA Tech standards.

ii.                   Transformational solution and UDL and culturally responsive instruction

Transformational Solution	Universal Design for Learning	Culturally Responsive Instruction
Advisory Committee-conferencing before lesson, during the lesson, and after the lesson	6. Provide options for executive functions	Establish inclusion=respectful culture & connectedness
Using choice menu boards to engage students in art lessons	5. Provide options for expression and communication 7. Provide options for recruiting interest 8. Provide options for sustaining effort and persistence	Enhancing meaning= challenging & engaging learning, voice different opinions
Various ways to present information	Representation= 1.       Offer options for perceptions 2.1 Clarify vocab & symbols 2.5 Illustrate through multiple media 3.Provide options for comprehension	Engendering competence= clear rubric, fair grading, real world connections, multiple ways to reach standards
Student mentors for other students	Representation= 3. Provide options for conprehension	Establish inclusion= respectful culture & connectedness

iii.                  Technology used and their relationships to the SAMR Model

Class blog for reflection on the learning-Augmentations

Videos of facial proportions- Substitution

QR codes for scavenger hunt-Augmentation

Artist Interviews that include research and inference about what tech artist would use if

       alive today-Redefinition

Animations, simulations, podcasts, and videos to reflect student learning-Redefinition if

        there is a guiding question to guide learning, substitution if the writing is just posted on-

        line

Model building of art projects including guiding questions for Project-based Learning-

        Redefinition

d. Summary of Outcomes:

Summary of Outcomes:

My lesson will have more engagement, because students are making suggestions and their ideas count.  I will increase the number of choices in the lesson to allow students to more choices and better chance that something is engaging.  The 3^rd and 4^th graders comment on liking tech more the 5^th graders are more withholding of praise of tech—they are more likely to want more drawing time.  Interesting layers based on age and comfort with tech.

I will build honest relationships with students, so they can give criticism and it is accepted by me.  This is modeling in the most basic form; I’m willing to receive their comments on the lesson and consider change.  I think the students will find this empowering.

This lesson produced almost all A’s when I graded them.  The students are trying and demonstrating a high level of proficiency with the drawing of faces and bodies.  This was scored high by almost all students.  Only 4 in 101 students were still feeling uncomfortable with this project by the 3^rd class.

I think this approach will benefit the students and the at-risk ones.  The ones at-risk are going to take longer to build trusting relationships, but I want that with them.

Student Survey after Portrait Lesson

Tiffany asked me if I would be changing this survey or using a generic one.  This time I will use a specific one, since this is a new idea for the students.

Student Survey after Lesson

Circle the best answer.

Name

Did you like the videos for the portraits?	1     2     3      4      5
Did you like the drawing of the face?	1     2     3      4      5
Did you like the reflection of favorite part of the face?	1     2     3      4      5
Did you like drawing/painting the whole body?	1     2     3      4      5
Something else?

Is there anything you think we could change about this lesson?

What was your favorite part of this lesson?