Burton, J.M. Preface. Ch. 9. Early Adolescence: Ideas in search of forms This chapter gave a mixed assessment of children between the ages of 10-14 years old. My major take-away was how this period is an investigation of truth. Children are asking questions about themselves and the world around them. They are asking "serious" questions about life, connections, and hypocrisy. Due to the investigative mode (mindset) comic strips and doodling prove to be excellent forms of expression for thinking about topics, questions, streams of consciousness. Burton states that it is the "Stage of Reasoning" highlighted by Lowenfeld that is flanked by a shaky foundation of truth/reality and the need to use/relate to the culture and conditions of their circumstance. The realization of multiple truths led me to my current unit for 8th grade. We are discussing topics such as race, privilege, (I don't know if "class" exists currently), and spirituality/religion. All to...
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Sadowski Intro Adolescents at School, Second Edition : Perspectives on Youth, Identity, and Education
Adolescents at School, Second Edition : Perspectives on Youth, Identity, and Education Introduction Best Lines: "standards, accountability, and testing movement is based primarily on a view of students as a group - and the notion that if we put the right inputs and apply them in the right amounts, then eventually we'll get the right output..." "...emphasize the realness..." Said me: Our future inhabitants are going to laugh at our use of "race." Questions : Do we hold onto the parts of our nature, expression, activities that are celebrated by others? Do we hold onto the parts of our nature, expression, activities, self that gain attention by others? Though we are all very unique and individual, can theorist agree that human beings in certain situations "act/perform" the same way 9 times out of 10? And if so, does the institution of social situations alter how students "feel" about certain topics, activities, areas of study? (i...
Burton, J.M. (2013) Part 4. Lesson Sequences and Assessment. Part 5, In and Out of the Classroom. In, Guide to Teaching and Learning . Noticings: - Sequence matters tremendously if a teacher is planning on evaluating a student. Quality sequence takes into consider students' prior knowledge while also preparing for the "learning road" they are on in order to achieve their goals. - Sequence should be based on development and progression. Profound Statements: " It also stresses the importance of assessment as an intrinsic component of learning. Thinking ahead in planning and assessing learning is fundamental to good art education." " The planning of sequences should be paralleled by an assessment procedure, designed to determine the degree to which the desired learning has taken place." Questions: Application: Pre- and post - assessments Portfolios
Burton, J.M. (2015-16). Blue Ribbon Committee: Remarks delivered to the Chancellors Panel. Profound Statements: " Digging deeper, the arts provide young people with languages of expression and communication and function much like verbal languages." " While the arts are languages ... empowering important perceptions, thoughts, feelings and ways of critical thinking, that are not available within the everyday lexicon of words." " Researchers in the discipline of cognitive neuro science, offer a vision of cognition in which motor action, activity of the senses and feeling states inform the shaping of complex thought, giving it power, flexibility and rich meaning." " Such research underscores critical actions of the mind and gives value to the arts as disciplines of meaning making, of deep learning and of diverse personal accomplishment." "... it is through the arts that we create and are shaped by culture... languages that both respect yet...
Darling-Hammond, L., Ancess, J., & Falk, B. (1995). The Bronx new school: Weaving assessment into the fabric of teaching and learning. In, Authentic Assessment in Action: Studies of Schools and Students at Work. NY: Teachers College Press. Noticings: - The best curriculums are built around student interests, needs, and experiences. - Comprehensive assessments have to be designed in order to guarantee quality education. - Children are at the center of learning when we have plenty of opportunities to look closely at their thoughts, strategies, and skills. Questions: - Why do our schools NOT pay closer attention to students' developmental milestones and phases? I truly only see that type of investigation and thoroughness with students with IEPs. - What are the opportunities I possess as an educator coming into an already structured system that does not fully match my beliefs of pedagogical advances and meeting children's needs?...
Hurwitz, A., & Day, M. (2012). Chapter 17. The Social dimension . In, Children and their art. Not Available
Burton, J. M., & Hafeli, M.H. (Eds.). (2012). Part 1, Snapshot I. Where did you get that orange? In, Conversations in art: The dialectics of teaching and learning. NAEA. Noticings: - I enjoyed getting a visual image of a 5 and 6 year old classroom. I loved the similarities that presented itself in a middle school environment which makes Art at its focus, student voice as the driver, and the ability to experiment and fuel off of peer interactions. - Teacher's role is very similar as well. We are there to coordinate and provide a "soundboard'' for children's thinking and experience. We prompt and give advice, but often children just need affirmation and confirmation of their own solutions to problems that presented themselves throughout the lesson. Questions: - How did she work her students up to the ability to paint for 60min? - How can we use the excitement of "imagination" as a focal for older students? I was excited hearing abo...
Burton, J.M. (2013). Part 1 Creating a “Vision” Part 3. The art of planning lessons. In, Guide for teaching and learning. Noticings: - Major ideas come in excellent buckets of 4. "Material, Product, Motivation Dialogue, and Objective." " how objects, ideas, thoughts, and events might look, feel, act, and are situated, etc." - Importance of "balance" is explicitly noted several times throughout the research. Everything holds a relationship that should be carefully thought-through. And when we consider the area of learning, it is not solely for the sake of the child, but we must be open to learning ourselves. (Very Teacher SEL) - Stresses the value of play and experimentation in the learning process. - Every material has a unique opportunity and possibility. Materials and subject matter go hand and hand, one can lead the other. "... different materials will invite different kinds of reflection on subject matter for each possesses its own characte...
Quotes : It is scary to believe that we are a part of a system such as this. I am so honored to be an educator and yet I know all of this to be true and what stands between me and a student. I really enjoy this line. I can't begin to tell you how many times students talk about how unimportant my class is. Do I even need Art? Why do I have to do this? I don't really need this class to get into high school anyway right? This quote is so invigorating because it beckons us to think beyond the now which is extremely challenging for my generation and those to come after. Questions : What does it take? Application : How do I actually discuss complicated and controversial issues with students without creating a riot in my classroom? Without over imposing my viewpoints? With setting a positive standard of a quality "character" when so much of character and morality connects with culture?
Important : This article came at an important moment in time. We are currently thinking about the level of value human beings hold in the United States given their complexion, ethnicity, or socio-economical status. This article reminds us all of the greater picture which is the historical invention of "schools." Scholars were a gathering of individuals who chose to meet to learn about the life within and around them. How we have changed our ideals?! I work for a school that is dualistic in nature (like many of other philanthropic organizations in the 21st century). We came from a place of servitude and found ourselves wanting more. And in doing so, we've entered the systematic approach of what to do. This article highlights the shortcomings of "methodology." I live in an extremely method-thinking and method-approaching place. I feel the strains of it even more as an art educator. I can see the thirst for knowledge in children. I can see the desire for more an...
I am so happy that I read this article. It came at perfect timing due to the decline in student submissions. In this pandemic, I've had projects that really got my students invested, while others laid to waste. This article reminded me of the value of using the digital tools that are available to our students. It also emphasized the need for exploration and investigation in digital media and tools. Many of my students would not consider themselves "drawers" which is why the observational unit is going down. I am not there with them to encourage, guide, and support. So, its best that I use tools that are easily accessible and engaging. You know, speaks their language while also peaking their interests.
Reading this article provided me newfound confidence in getting kids to draw in middle school. It was something that I avoided for awhile because of the overwhelming feeling the class gets when they have to draw. As Dr. Burton described, its palpable the air of anxiety, stress and discomfort with seeing something and the inability to create what we see perfectly. This strive for perfection while at the most chaotic, chasmic clash of independence, dependence, insecurity, and rebellion makes drawing nonsensical in the past. Kids would be melting. But I have more encouragement and more things to say now. So, for this quarter, my goal is to get them away from the computer. I want them making things. We will do 2-3 weeks of observational drawings, 1-2 weeks on memory drawing and close-out the quarter with memory drawing. The buckets are: Create and Connect I want them to connect with themselves and their communities. The people, places an...
In Search of Memories - Eric R. Kandel The conversation on cognitive awareness of self in relation to objects is genuine. It reiterates that we all perceive the world in our own way and there is not one truth. I appreciated the connections he made to psycholanalysts, behaviorist, psychologists, and theorists. It further enlightens that we all need to interact and make connections in order to have a more informed synthesis of the world, perception, and self. Questions: I would like to further learn about how depth, motion, form, and color are studied. I am interested in understanding how scientists are able to know how animals and humans use these "features" of the world in order to inform their cognitive awareness. Are there examinations that could give me a clearer understanding of children's "mastery" or abilities with these features? Beyond having children do more observational drawings, what should I look for in order to evaluate if children how a high a...
Egan, K. (1988). Chapter 6, The origins of imagination and the curriculum. In, K. Egan & D. Nadaner (Eds.), Imagination and Education , New York: Teachers College Press. I'd first like to reflect that the end of the article (the conclusion almost) was a perfect bow-tie to a length and challenging conversation about imagination, culture, literacy, and our binary experiences in this world. I appreciate Egan's statements: Language is the first disruptor of the infant's intimate participation in the natural world: Language creates distance between the self and the object...That unique consciousness of reality, which is the birthright of each of us, can seem hopelessly lost if language becomes a purely conventionalizing instrument, which persuades the child that its uniqueness was merely an illusion and that one is simply a socialized unit among others who are the same. Art can provide ways of accounting for our experiences in the...
Gilmour, J. (1985). Chapter 4 The Artist and the Visible World. In, Picturing the world. Physical Notes
Questions: Should I promote students, during this age/phase to detail the subject and the setting? When is it appropriate to ask students to explain their work? If a student only draws one person, does that meant that they can only focus on that one person and not other objects or subjects? Should I prompt them to consider relationships? Does height matter ie the child's height? Does it play a role in perception and schema? Who determines what an exaggeration is? What if there are such basic objects or routine occurrences that no longer are a focal of the child? How do we determine if they know to include those objects in their artwork? Are there baselines in Lascaux drawings? The idea of "storytelling" happening on one page makes me wonder if it happens due to the fact that children are only given one piece of paper? Are rough drafts or edits considered when thinking about the schema and growth of a child's artwork? How do I determine the difference betwee...
Questions: In the text, Professor Burton points out that "children at this age are thought to be at the height of their curiosity and imaginative powers," yet "stereotypic imagery, paucity of imaginative content, even disenchantment with the whole enterprise of creating art often emerges during this time." Why does that happen? How do these phases of artistic development relate to Art Therapy and its practices? Do therapists use the phases as a way to evaluate clients? How do the phases and need for therapy connect? Does the art show evidence of emotional phases children are in and does it offer tools for regulation that help with emotional needs and artistic development? Noticings: Professor Burton points out how materials guide what is being shown or the message. I wonder if that's the tactic of adult artists as well. Are there artists that showcase and express through material mostly? Phases seem to go from "scribbles," to directionality, to encl...
Gilmour, J. (1986). Expression and feeling. In, Picturing the World . Physical Notes
Franklin, M. (1973, November). Non-verbal representations in young children. Physical Notes
Burton, J.M. (1980, October). Developing minds: The first visual symbols. School Arts. Physical Notes