The students from Y2K

A few of my fellow new and seasoned educators were chatting about the students in the 9th, 10th, and 11th grades this year - mostly the 9th graders from last year who are now (mostly) 10th graders.

Now, 9th graders are a species of their own, granted. Last year, there was something especially unusual about these kids. Something in their attitudes led most of the teachers to wonder why they were so jaded and indifferent - much more so than the typical teenager. A common thread among this particular bunch - across all schools and districts in our region - was that they seemed to be indifferent to consequences. We educators wondered what about the kids from this year was so different.

These are the Y2K kids. These students are all about 14, 15 years old this year. Nearly seven years ago, according to the media and computer 'experts', the world was going to end. Maybe not literally - but there were times when it seemed that way. Everywhere you looked, the Y2K was coming! Banks sent out notices about their preparedness for impending disasters. Every company hired whatever computer tech available to update their hardware in a panic to retain their data. People built bomb shelters and cleaned out old, forgotten fallout shelters from the cold war era. Emergency preparedness kits were flying off the shelves just as fast as people stock piled canned goods, batteries, and toilet tissue.

We all watched with a morbid curiosity as the ball dropped over Times Square.

Then nothing happened.
The world didn't end.

Imagine being a 7 or 8 year-old child when all of this is going on around you.

While these students as 9th graders made teaching quite difficult last year, they all seem to be doing well this year - especially in their service-learning projects. It would appear that having first-hand experience in affecting (positively) someone else's environment through service learning projects, is helping these students to learn about consequences - both positive and negative ones.

Anyway, it will be interesting to follow these students in the next few years.

Resources to explore

In my research of Art Education and Home-Schooling throughout this past semester, I have compiled a list of links and books to peruse. I am currently writing up a few reflection papers on the topic to submit to my professor. I am including my list here for your interest, too. Some of the books I have read, and many are on my to-do-list.

With Student-teaching approaching for next semester, I probably will be taking a short recess from research and developing the thesis project. The experience will demand most of my attention and time. I intend to continue the blog, though. I hope to add insights and reflections from the public-school teachers' perspective.

I hope this helps some people out. Here goes:

Books:

1. Patricia Lines: “Homeschoolers: Estimating Numbers Growth”
2. NCES: “Issue Brief: 1.1 Million Homeschooled Students in the United States in 2003”
3. NCES: “Projection of Education Statistics to 2013”
4. Brian D. Ray: “Worldwide Guide to Homeschooling; Facts and Stats on the Benefit of Homeschooling”
5. John Cloud & Maggie Morse: “Home Sweet School”
6. Michelle Duggar & Andrea Cooper: “
7. Mitchell Stevens: “Kingdom of Children; Culture & Controversy in the Homeschooling Movement”
8. Howard Gardner: “Multiple Intelligences”
9. California Alliance for Art Education
10. Linda Jewell Carr: “Instructional Programs Used in Five North Carolina Counties”
11. Brian D. Ray: “Strengths of Their Own; Homeschoolers Across America”
12. Brian D. Ray: “Homeschooling on the Treshold”
13. Chris Jeub: “Why Parents Choose Homeschooling”
14. Jane Van Galen & Mary Ann Pittman: “Homeschooling: Political, Historical, and Pedagogical Perspectives”
15. Pat Farenga: “Teach your own, The John Holt Book of Homeschooling”
16. Suzanne Stephens: “The New Pioneers: Black Homeschoolers”
17. Chris Klicka: “The Right To Homeschool”
18. John Holt: “How Children Fail: Revised”
19. William Upski Wimsatt: “No More Prisons”
20. Genevieve Vaughan-Jackson: “Sketching and Drawing for Children”
21. Mona Brookes: “Drawing With Children: A Creative Method For Adult Beginners Too”
22. Kat Rakel Ferguson: “Creative Kids Artistic Drawing”
23. MaryAnn F. Kohl: “Science Arts: Discovering Science Through Art Experiences”
24. MaryAnn F. Kohl: “Global Art: Activities, Projects, and Inventions from Around the World”
25. Alexandra M. Terzian: “The Kids’ Multicultural Art Book: Art & Craft Experiences From Around The World”
26. Arlette N. Bramen: “Kids Around The World Create!: The Best Crafts and Activities from Many Lands”
27. Jennifer Tjomas: “Masterpiece of the Month”
28. Kinghorn: “Let’s Meet Famous Artists”
29. MaryAnn F. Kohl: “Discovering Great Artists: Hands-On Art for Children in the Style of the Maters”
30. Joy Evans: “How To Teach Art to Children”
31. Darcie Clark Frohardt: “Teaching Art With Books Kids Love: Teaching Art Appreciation, Elements of Art, and Principles of Design with Award Winning Children’s Books”
32. M.L. Libby: “Using Art To Make Art”
33. Eric Booth: “The Everyday Work of Art: Awakening the Extraordinary in Your Daily Life”
34. Helen D. Hume: “A Survival Kit for the Elementary/Middle School ArtTeacher”
35. Nancy Beal: “The Art of Teaching to Children: In School and At Home”
36. Helen D. Hume: “The A rt Teacher’s Book of Lists”
37. Barbara Mc Nally: “Complete Art Curriculum Activities: 150 Easy-To-Use Art Lessons in 8 Exciting Creative Media For Grades 1 – 8”
38. Angela Kesselring: “The inclusion of visual art in home education : a qualitative microethnographic case study”

Websites:

1. “A History of Public Education in the United States” by Deeptha Tattai
www.servintfree.net/~aidmn-ejournal/publications/2001-11/Publications.htm
accessed 10-16-2006 at 8:35 a.m.
2. “Federal Requirement for Homeschoolers Seeking College Admission and Financial Aid” author – HSLDA staff
Home School Legal Defense Association Website
www. Hslda.org/docs/news/hslda/200306200306190.asp
accessed 10-30-2006 at 9:48 a.m.
3. “American Education History: A Hypertext Timeline” by Edmund Sass, Ed.D
www.cloudnet.com/~edrbsass/educationhistorytimeline.html
accessed 10-19-2006 at 12:50 p.m.
4.”A Brief History of Homeschooling” by Patrick Farenga, Copyright 2002
www.hsc.org/professionals/briefhistory.php
accessed 10-19-2006 at 1:16 p.m.
5. www.homeschoolarts.com

6. www.familyeducation.com/home-schooling/art/38701.html

7. www.homeschooled-kids.com/hssart.html

8. www.homeschooling.about.com/od/fineartsa/freeartsnews.html

9. www.homeschoolartvideos.com

10. www.homeschoolingonashoestring.com/art.html

11. www.cricketchurping.blogspot.com/2005/08/nada-on-art-for-homeschoolers.html

12. www.homeschooling.gomilpitas.com/explore/drawing

13. www.homeschoolcentral.com/resource/art.htm

14. www.christian-parenting-source.com/home-school-art-curriculum.html

15. www.windycreek.com

16. www.thejubileeacademy.org/blog/2006043w.html

17. www.thejubileeacademy.org/blog/2006073w.html

18. www.homeschoolclassifieds.com/show-activity.asp?which+882

19. www.creativeartsinaction.com

20. www.wetcanvas.com/forums/showthread.php?s+8threadid+364572

21. www.robinsoncurriculum.com

22. www.homeschool.com/bookstore/art.asp

23. www.artistshelpingchildren.org/artsarticles.html

24. www.homeschooling.suite101.com/article.cfm/teaching_art_at_home.html

25. www.teachathome.com/HSO/?group=TRLHSG

26. www.waldorfhomeschoolers.com/waldorfgallery.html


Many thanks to CSULB Graduate Angela Kesselring for such an excellent thesis to start from, and also to blogger "Cricket" from whom many of the books on the list comes from. (#11 on the web links list). Of course, I welcome your input and resources, also. I will post them here if you like.

Portfolio Review - I am an artist

I have passed the portfolio review which is required prior to student-teaching. I have a spot waiting for me at a local school, and I'm really looking forward to the experience. It was grueling, almost, to show all my best works, stand in front of strangers and familiar faces, introduce myself, and wait for the challenging questions to begin. And they made me go first. "Set the tone" Liz said. Wow.

Overall, I feel like it was successful. Something opened my eyes, though - a few of the questions that were posed to me were very broad... so non-specific that it took me a few seconds to narrow down a feeble, yet intelligible response. I actually thought some of the questions posed to my colleagues were far from insightful - one of them was what I would call a DUMB question.

One of the questions related to how I would incorporate Art Criticism in my lessons. I was struck dumb for a few seconds because I include all 5 points of Art Education in every lesson (art production, aesthetic valuing, art history, art criticism and interdisciplinary relations). I don't compartmentalize them - they all go together, and all aspects are addressed. I felt goaded into agreeing with the reviewer when she suggested I use the "old Masters" to demonstrate a successful art criticism. Ugh - three years of being thrust willingly into the arms of multi-culturalism, only to be shoved back into relying on the dead white guys for the "true" example.

So after considering the experience a bit, I have somehing to watch for when student-teaching: how teachers compartmentalize aspects of lessons. I'm not sure this is as good an idea as some others do. I would be naive to think that I could do anything without categorizing and compartmentalizing things.. but isn't it stealing the creative thinking process from the students when you don't present all aspects of art as inter-related? Something to look for.

I got to hang my paintings in my own home, and put my ceramics back up in my cupboard. They've been in my garage for years, now, and have stock-piled as I have made them. Now I can receive enjoyment from my own works - every day. My home reflects more of me.

That has me thinking more about seeing myself as an artist. I know (logically) that I am an artist. There's something that has been engrained in most of us - that your art is what you do on the side, and you are what your occupation is.

I am myself.
I am also an artist.
I'm also now officially a teacher.

It seems like it would be tiring trying to compartmentalize all the aspects of myself - I am all of those labels, and much more. All those compartmentalized things are inter-related.



Shifting focus a bit: the thesis project is evolving, and I now have tons more tools at my use, and at the ready. I'm anticipating a great experience in assembling this project. I hope it won't be too long before I can share it with you all.

Happy Thanksgiving

A very happy holiday to you and yours.

Changes are underway

Dear readers,

I have begun constructing a website which will eventually offer interactive lessons in studio art and art history, and forums to improve resources and links to fostering the arts in your teaching/learning setting.

So far, that website has been a class assignment for a course I am enrolled in. I have been able to practice the presentation of the content, and I hope to present to you some exciting changes once I am able to publish the new site. Once this semester is over, I will transfer the information posted here to my own website. I will continue to blog - but I will probably abbreviate the articles here, then attach links to the new site.

I have been researching the world of homeschooling, with the intent of writing my MA thesis (or project report) on the topic. My original intent is to write a standards-based curriculum in the visual arts and art history focused toward people who wish to include these topics in their teaching and learning experiences. My focus narrowed further to a target audience of home-schoolwork, and I have researched many issues related to homeschooling and the arts, and home-schooling in general.

I have decided against writing the thesis, and instead continuing with the project (writing the curriculum) and writing the project report. In all the data and information I have found - I am having considerable trouble distinguishing credible sources of information that are not author-biased for or against home-schooling. Writing the curriculum lends itself toward the project report. A thesis would require me to promote and defend a narrow idea which may or may not be beneficial in the scope of learning. While a Thesis (capital "T") will provide me with a publication behind my name on my resume, a project report (lower-case "p", lower-case "r") will allow me to focus on building a strong and relevant curriculum.

I'll follow a particular idea I read a few years ago (I'm sorry I can't recall the author) - that most theses in Art Education are written about what most people already know. Down with redundancy. Down with redundancy.

Why Art?

I realized while reviewing my previous post that half of it did not publish! Many apologies. I didn't intend to just trail off like that. I wrote the original post and saved it as a draft. I added to the draft later, and tried to publish it all - but I guess to no avail.

In my research lately for homeschool students, I have been unable to come across a unifying reason for homeschooling. I am becoming a bit overwhelmed and frustrated by the process of researching this. On the one hand, I need this data in order to be a better educator and to help those who homeschool. On the other hand, I don't want to intrude upon people's personal lives and beliefs. Until I am able to actively participate in the homeschool arena, I will have to put some of my questions on hold, and approach the subject with an open mind.

Certainly public schooling is not a perfect system. One way could never work best for everyone - that is true of most matters. I would like to know what works best in homeschooling education. I will write a curriculum for the Arts in homeschooling. I am doing this for a few reasons:

1. I firmly believe in the arts and visual language as a multi-cultural and multi-dimensional means of communication.
   
2. I believe in serving a community which has been underserved and underrecognized in the realm of education and in the arts.
3. I predict that standards-based education and accountability will extend to the admissions offices of universities - which means that the tests, the transcripts, and the overall rounded-ness of the potential college student will be held to higher standards than they have before. More testing = more data to make a selection from. This may leave many students behind - no matter where or how they learned.
4. The technological world that envelopes us, and cradles us, makes our globe smaller and smaller everyday, it will rely upon a foundation of multiculturaliusm in order to compete in business/trade/economy/travel/etc. An education in the visual arts fosters this understanding, and along with it includes a bit of every other subject area - even the big ones with the bubble-in tests.
   

How do the arts fit in to this equation? Check out this link, I think I discussed it briefly in last week's blog. It's the SAT scores for all entering freshmen to my university, divided by college:
http://sas-web.ir.csulb.edu/IRpdfreports/satwebcomb.pdf

Also of note: Edutopia has plenty of articles on the value of Project-based Learning.

www.edutopia.org

Project based learning raises test-scores, and learning abilities. It requires higher level thought-processes and encourages inquiry-based learning. This is what we do in Art Education, everyday. We ARE project-based learning, and inquiry-based learning.

The thinking and multi-level processing that is required to do art; to talk about art, to think about art, to relate an object to a historical time period, to think about the aesthetic philosophy of how you see and experience a work of art - that is what raises test scores. I have a dozen other links to demonstrate it. Comment or message me if you want to view the data.

Certainly, no one answer appeals to all: but my concern is that homeschooled students will be ripped off in the long run when it comes time to apply to college. We can work together on closing the gaps. You have your resources: your support groups, your curriculum plans, your local library/university/museum, art educators like myself.

Elementary and middle school teachers have even more resources: you have dedicated Art content area consultants in every district to help you include the arts in every lesson. With the resources and backing of your school, you should have no problem finding the help: but finding where to look can sometimes be daunting.

We can go to a question and answer forum, if you like:

Location:
Ages taught:
# of students:
Goal:
Question (50 words or less) :

I know you have questions that you want answered. Now is the time to ask.

Note: ALL information and links provided from this blog and subsequent issues are for educational purposes only. Please do not use copyrighted imagery without the consent of the image owner.
All lesson plans authored by Mrs. B are the expressed intellectual property of Stephanie T. Butler unless otherwise noted. Use of Mrs. B's lesson plans without Stephanie T. Butler's permission or failure of citation is considered intellectual theft and constitutes academic fraud.
Plaigarism is theft: what lessons will you teach our students?