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Thoughts on Arting

Making the artists of the future, one learning experience at a time. 

Artists Explore

5/20/2016

7 Comments

 
Myth of TAB: it's a free-for all.
Fact: Offering choice takes organization and planning, but when that foundation is in place students are empowered to create. 

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Table 4, working with oil pastel as part of "Artists Learn".
It's taken us all year to get here, but my Art 1 students are flying solo. They are confident, ambitious and self-directed artists. Not just a few kids - everyone is able to find an idea and use Design Process Thinking to bring it to fruition. 
Picture
Sharing tips on how to center clay.
For the past two weeks. Art 1 has been working through "Artists Explore" - a self-directed, self paced unit, where kids are tasked with completing three of the following choices:
​
- Learn new skills and use them to make art.
- Re-visit a work of art you could improve on and recreate it.
- Learn about an artist and make a work of art in their style.
- Make art about a political or social issue that's important to you.
- Work with a group to make a collaborative artwork. 

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All of these pictures are from my classroom today. None of theses artworks were planned or organized by me. Instead, my students are generating ideas, planning to make them happen, then creating and revising. I'm conferencing with students, giving one on one demonstrations and just having a lot of fun watching everyone be so successful. 

7 Comments
Heather Alexander link
5/20/2016 05:48:36 pm

Thank you for sharing. This the wave we are riding in my classroom. You have reminded me to celebrate it!

Reply
Sarah
5/21/2016 06:03:59 am

Can you explain a little more about your unit requirements? How do you ensure that kids end their works at the same time? How do you introduce the unit? Thanks.

Reply
Melissa
5/21/2016 08:29:13 am

Hi Sarah! I intro the unit as "Artists Explore", give them the time frame and remind them of the expectation to work in a series if they finish quick. At this point in the year they are coming up with their own ideas, using the Design Thinking Process linked to in the article.

Melissa
5/21/2016 08:32:19 am

Thank you!!!

Reply
Isaac AlaridPease
5/21/2016 06:25:16 am

Hi, I'm a high school teacher who incorporates choice into the classroom, and one of the things I struggle with is how much time to give kids to work on a project like this. How much time have you allotted to this project? What do you do with students who are slow poking on what they are going to do, when you feel like they could move with more purpose? What do you do with those that finish early? Thanks, for your input.

Reply
Melissa
5/21/2016 08:31:53 am

Hi Isaac! The 2 things I've found that works the best for the differences in finishing time are:
1. The expectation to work in a series if what you pick doesn't take the project's allotted time.
2. Daily conferences with student were you can help those who need support with pacing.

Reply
Deanna Neal-Dwyre
5/21/2016 08:10:56 am

I have the same challenge-completion deadlines. The students love it when they have choices, and I feel they retain what they learn. But, time limits are a reality.

Reply

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    Mrs. Purtee

    I'm interested in creating a student student centered space  for my high school students through choice and abundant opportunity for self expression. I'm also a writer for SchoolArts co-author of  The Open Art Room.

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