12/8/2020
Topic:
Students with Disabilities
Barry Wilson
|
Patty was the first student I had in my art classroom that used a wheelchair. It was a challenge for me to interact with her as a typical teenage student in my art class. She of course wanted to be treated like any other student. Patty did not want people to feel sorry for her. My job as a teacher was to in some ways not see the wheelchair and yet make accommodations.
Besides the mental changes I had to make to my approach, there were physical alterations to the art room I needed to make. Some tables and equipment had to lowered. Spaces between tables needed to be widened. The areas where I needed to make more space also changed depending on what part of the lesson or process Patty was working on. I found it very useful and practical to put wheels on tables and equipment. By putting everything on wheels I could make quick alterations to the space to accommodate the students working in the space.
While making the room more accessible to one student may seem like a lot of work, I have to say the changes that were made actually benefit all the students and has made the art room more adaptable to the needs of the students. We can now configure the space to whatever our needs are with relative ease.
Patty was very successful in the art room. She made a number of pieces that added to her portfolio and won an awards for her work. |
12/11/2020
Topic:
Assessment of Learning
Barry Wilson
|
Breaking down tasks, analysis, is a strategy I could use in my class. I have students look at masterworks and analyze what the artist is doing, how they put the work of art together, why it works, and what could be borrowed from that artist for their own work. Students are then asked to make a sketchbook page that includes their written and visual analysis and reflections. I currently give them a worksheet with ten rubric items for each sketchbook page.
For some students I believe breaking down the assignment into smaller sequential steps would be very helpful and productive.
Another strategy that I will soon be using is the grouping of students in smaller groups of three to discuss and share ideas and critique each others results in a cooperative learning situation. I believe that will increase participation, sharing of ideas, and refine social skills of the students. In this grouping there will be individual accountability but also the improved climate of a more personal sharing and listening dynamic. While I think it may be beneficial all the the students, it will certainly help those students with disabilities to be more comfortable and learn from peers. |
12/14/2020
Topic:
Assessment of Learning
Barry Wilson
|
Providing multiple ways to demonstrate understanding of the concepts in my visual art class has been effective in allowing students of varying abilities to show me that they have received and process the skills and understandings covered in the course. I include in my class the following ways for students to be assessed: drawing ideas, writing their ideas, oral presentation of their ideas, a final visual art project, and reflections about the project both written and oral. These multiple modes of allowing the student to communicate their ideas to me gives me the capability to assess them by selecting a response that plays to their strengths. For example, perhaps the student’s project did not turn out as successfully as they would have liked, but I can read what they have written or listen to their oral critique of the process and assess whether they understand the important concepts regardless of a particular result of their product. |