Resource- Behavior Management

Link- Rob Plevin, You Tube Videos

Link- Site, Behavior Needs

Resource- Soul Pancake

"Our brain batter of art, culture, science, philosophy, spirituality and humor is designed to open your mind, challenge your friends, and feel damn good." Quote from Soul Pancake Home Page

I love Soul Pancake because it transports me directly to my happy place, delighting my senses with flamboyant visuals, inspirational videos that pull on my heart strings, and mini activities that are charming and witty.... making good on their claim Soul Pancake feels damn good! Enjoy.

• Video clips to use in the classroom (check out Kid President)
• Writing prompts for daily journal entries
• Creative activities

Mind Map

Project Idea: Have students create a mind map as an alternative to the vision board, brainstorming and content requirements would depend on the lesson objective and learning target. This could also be an interesting way to explore strengths and skills.

 

 

 

Educational Philosophy verses Theories of Education

A short review...

The terms "educational philosophy" and "educational theory" are often used interchangeably, though there is a difference. In short theory supports philosophy, which tends to be more abstract and cerebral while theory is concreted in scientific observation and therefore is more easily translatable into action. Educational philosophy seeks to answer the big questions, what is the nature of knowledge and the purpose of education, who are we as educators and what are our values? Educational theory more directly addresses issues surrounding curriculum development, methods for instruction, assessment and classroom management. For example I identify as a existentialist and a postmodernist in terms of my educational philosophy, the theory that most informs my practice is constructivism. Identifying one's philosophy of education is in my opinion critical in order to deliver quality instruction, if we do not know why we teach, if the methods we use are arbitrary, then truly what are able to accomplish and how will we know if we have accomplished anything at all?

Postmodernism: An Overview (Taken from Foundations of American Education by L. Dean Webb, Arlene Metha, and K Forbis Jordan

Purpose of Schooling	Nature of Learner	Curriculum	Instructional Methods	Classroom Management	Assessment	The Educator	Leading Proponents
Critically examine all institutions in society   Develop critical literacy   Question “scientific realism”   Question objectivity, truth, and rationality	Capable of becoming aware of disequity in society   Capable of understanding social, economic, political, and ecological injustices	Cultural politics that challenge all unequal power relationships   Hidden curriculum	Constructivism   Critique and examine autobiographical histories, languages, and cultures   Examine hegemony and hidden curriculum	Nonthreatening   Supportive   Open   Self-discipline   Individual choice   Responsibility	Authentic assessment: Journals Narratives Portfolios Writing Samples Portfolios   Student self-evaluation   Teacher evaluation	Scholar: Practitioner Leader   Critical thinker   Change agent   Doing critical theory   Sensitive to and aware of their influence on students   Respects rights of students to disagree	Michael Apple   Michel Foucault   Henry Giroux

Link- Philosophy verses Theory in Education

Link- Philosophy verses Theory in Education (Alternative Site)

Below is my personal philosophy of education, written while pursuing my teaching certification in art education, K-12.

My Philosophy of Education

My most passionately held belief is that educators must assist students in the acquisition of critical thinking skills in order to foster a new generation of problem solvers, who seek to redefine and fulfill democratic ideals and maintain an equitable society. In addition, it is also my belief that a comprehensive art education provides students with visual literacy, which is an invaluable skill to acquire in our increasingly visual consumer society. Because of these two fundamental values I strongly identify as postmodernist in regard to my philosophy of education. Like Giroux, I value independence and self efficacy as indispensable qualities of a decision maker (Webb, Metha, & Jordan, 2010); I therefore believe that educators must model these traits in order to fairly expect students to exhibit the same behavior. Because I believe formidably that every student is capable of complex enquiry, it is also the responsibility of administrators and educators alike to create a classroom community which is nonthreatening and where social, economic, and political issues can be intellectually debated.

Believing as I do that all students are capable of critical intellectual enquiry, I assert that their personal experiences are not only relevant to but directly impact their capacity for critical assessment (Tavin, 2005). Students need to be provided with fertile ground through the implementation of lesson plans which aspire to teach more than simple technical ability, and in addition provide multifaceted conceptual themes (Hanes & Weisman, 2002). By allowing students to explore these themes and express themselves through sketching, journaling, dialogue, debate and ultimately in the production of an art object or performance students become invested in their own learning, and will mature into proactive agents of social change. These thematic lessons are enriched through the inclusion of cultural context, including relevant historical and contemporary social/political frameworks. This context is provided by exploring the works of contemporary and historical artists and theorists alike.

In order to better understand issues of hegemony and subjugation on a local, national and global level, it is crucial to provide students with a multicultural curriculum that is both broad and comprehensive. By incorporating multiculturalism into every lesson, rather than presenting it as subsequent and therefore inferior material, students will develop a respect for diversity while also gaining a greater understanding of their personal cultural identification. Student should also be encouraged to tackle issues of representation (Hooks, 1995) and the human form (Nadaner, 2002); it is my belief that in doing so young adults may develop a more positive self image. I also believe that in addition to developing student’s individual identity multicultural education also provides students with an increased awareness of their potential contributions to the collective. In this regard my classroom will function as a democratic community; I will always maintain a high level of respect for my students and peers with no tolerance for derogatory speech or behavior. I will enforce this justly and consistently while always modeling the behavior that I require of my students.

As previously mentioned, I believe that having an understanding of art and art theory is synonymous with possessing visual literacy skills. Student competency in interpreting visual imagery is crucial in our society which is predominated by visual media. Form and context are interdependent and no image is neutral in its messaging; interpreting Danto’s theory Anne Wilcott writes “works of art are about something, they are created to present a view of the world and to affect our attitudes and visions of the world”. This is also true of television, cinema, advertising and all other forms of popular media. As both producers and consumers of media, in addition to being part of a capitalist society, it is absolutely essential that students develop the ability to decipher visual media. More importantly students must come to know that exercising this capability is both a right and a responsibility.

Art education is above all else multifaceted, when presented through thematic curriculum rich with cultural context art education becomes a binding agent integrating a broad range of disciplines and subjects. That being said, the study of art is crucial in its own right, while developing visual literacy skills students are encouraged to think critically (Nadaner, 1984). Critically assessing media allows students to become conscious consumers, as well as more proficient producers of media and product. When students are given the right to think in addition to the tools to think critically, we as educators cultivate a generation of inventors, entrepreneurs, and revolutionaries. Through the art productive process students will gain insight into themselves, and a means of expressing this personal evolution. Individual cultural identification and appreciation for diversity are fostered through a multicultural education. Multiculturalism should be well integrated into lesson planning and should never give the impression of being adjunct, as this devalues and diminishes the aforementioned goals of a multicultural curriculum. Issues of representation and the human form exist within a multicultural dialogue and are two of many discourses relevant to student’s lives and should be included in art education. The classroom is a community and therefore the personal experiences of the students within that community are relevant and impactful on every student’s capacity for learning. Above all else I believe that every student has incredible intellectual potential, and that it is the responsibility of educators not to impart knowledge on their students but to reveal student’s intrinsic ability to learn. Moreover if art education were to hold true to these philosophies, I believe that as a result students would become inspired and motivated, developing a lifelong love of learning.

References
Hanes, J. M. & Weisman, E. (2002). Thematic Curriculum and Social Reconstruction. In Y. Gaudelius & P. Speirs (Eds.), Contemporary Issues in Art Education. New Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc.
Hooks, B. (1995). Art on My Mind. New York: New York Press.
Nadaner, D. (2002). Issues of the Body in Contemporary Art. In Y. Gaudelius & P. Speirs (Eds.), Contemporary Issues in Art Education. New Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc.
Nadaner, D. (1984). Critique and Intervention: Implications of Social theory for Art Education. Studies of Art Education A Journal of Issues and Research, 26(1), 20-26.
Tavin, K. (2005). Opening Re-Marks: Critical Antecedents of Visual Culture in Art Education. Studies in Art Education A Journal of Issues and Research, 5-17.
Webb, L. D., Metha A., & Jordan K. F. (2010). Foundations of American education: Sixth edition, 69-91.
Wolcott, A. (1996). Is What You See What You Get? A Postmodern Approach to Understanding Works of Art. Studies in Art Education A Journal of Issues and Research, 74.

Friday Fun-Day, Exquisite Corpse and Survivor Challenge

Link to Survivor Challenge

Resource- Newsela

Newsela is a free teacher resource, providing articles organized in the following categories:

• War & Peace
• Science
• Kids
• Money
• Law
• Health
• Arts

The article on Newsela can be modified by grade/reading level, and come with quizzes aligned to the common core. Below I have provided the link, and a snapshot of the site.

Link- Newsela

 

Resource- Teachers pay Teachers

Teachers pay Teachers is without a doubt one of my favorite online resources. Have you ever done an Internet search for a lesson idea and spent hours weeding through the completely irrelevant garbage that comes up? Not so on Teachers pay Teachers, you can enter a quick search or search by subject, specify grade level, and price, and walla pages of lessons will pop up- each rated by users. The idea here is that teachers pay other teachers for lessons, though I have yet to purchase any lessons, as there are plenty of free resources available. Sign up is free, and becoming a seller is also free. Like Facebook you can "follow" people if you find yourself returning to their lessons again and again. Downloads are quick, and the lessons are marvelous. Enjoy!

Link- Teachers pay Teachers