Educator | Technologist
In the Classroom
CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT
My classroom is one in which student ideas are supported--my role is "guide on the side" helping to make those ideas become reality.
My classroom is one in which student ideas are supported--my role is "guide on the side" helping to make those ideas become reality.
Students understand the Visual Arts as the intersection of Math, Science, Social Studies and Language Arts. Things like writing, reading and solving equations are considered a matter of course.
My classroom is one in which student ideas are supported--my role is "guide on the side" helping to make those ideas become reality.
EDUCATING PRE-SERVICE TEACHERS
EDU 403: Methods of Teaching Art
This course is designed to support the development of reflective, professional, creative and resourceful Visual Arts teachers. It introduces the fundamentals of theory and practice for teaching Visual Arts and emphasizes methods and materials for teaching the discipline.
Topics covered include:
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Self as Artist, Student, and Teacher
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Role of the Arts in Education
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Connecting: Elements of Art & Principles of Design
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Discipline Based Art Education (DBAE)
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Connecting & Responding: Art Criticism & Art History
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Teaching Art to Diverse Learners
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Creating: Art Production
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Choice-Based Art Education & Teaching for Artistic Behavior (TAB)
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Classroom Studio Design
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Connecting & Responding: Visual Literacy
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Assessing Student Artworks
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Arts Integration & STEAM
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Performing, Presenting & Producing
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Next Steps: Becoming a Teacher
Students are required to complete a portfolio website as a culminating assessment product for this course. An example of such a portfolio can be found here.
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Required Texts:
• Hetland, Lois, et.al. (2013). Studio Thinking 2 (2nd ed.). New York & London: Teachers College Press.
• Hume, Helen D. (2014). The Art Teacher’s Survival Guide for Secondary Schools (2nd ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Required Art Materials:
• Sketchbook—8.5” x 11” hardbound (NOT spiral bound)
• Drawing & Collage supplies including: color pencils, sharpie (thin & thick),scissors, glue stick
Additional Requirements:
Students are also required to
• obtain a student membership in the National Art Education Association (NAEA) ($40)
• subscribe to School Arts Magazine (free for digital subscription)
Working with Student Teachers and First Year Teachers
Working with pre-service and new teachers is a joyful part of my practice as an educator. It presents an opportunity to share my expertise as well as an opportunity to learn fresh perspectives from these new and burgeoning colleagues.
As a part of this work, I've shared my classroom with student teachers from Maryland Institute College of Art and Notre Dame College of Maryland; hosted model-classroom visits for new Visual Arts Teachers in Anne Arundel County Public Schools and helped pre-service teachers from Washington College develop professional portfolio websites.
K-12 LESSON EXAMPLES
HAIKU PROJECT
ARTS INTEGRATION LESSON:
ART, LANGUAGE ARTS & SOCIAL STUDIES
Grades 7-8
The Haiku Artwork allows students to grow digital art skills while exploring the poetry and cultural writing form of Haiku.
This sequence begins with a breif introduction to Haiku, its origins and form. Students then move into a series of haiku writing exercises in which they view images and write haiku poems that intend to capture the mood or tone of the image into an under 17 syllable passage. This exercise is followed by students completing several visual journal exercises in which they are asked to write and illustrate haiku poetry about abstract ideas: poverty, joy, fear, forgiveness. After these exercises, students are propmted to spend time writing and illustrating haiku poems about a topic (or topics) of their own chosing.
Students then select one of their own original haiku poems to pursue for their digital project. After learning about ethically sourced images, students research and select two public domain images whose combination best portrays their writing. Students layer the images, adust opacity and apply filters as well as select fonts that make contribute to the overall meaning of the piece.
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THE MASK
ARTS & IDENTITY
Grade 8
The Mask Artwork allows students to explore the topic of identity through the creation of an “inside/outside” mask artwork.
Through the artwork students explore the notion of paradox and address a paradox that exists within their own identities.
The sequence begins with a series of visual journal exercises that help students to gain a sense of their own identities. From these exercises students discover and develop a theme for their mask artworks.
After the creation of the artwork, the students craft an artist statement to more fully communicate the meaning in their artworks with their audience.
I decided to make the outer portion of me to look like me, a happy, normal, fourteen-year-old girl. There are secrets that I have that I realized most people knew about and weren’t secrets anymore. Most of them weren’t so happy, so there is blue representing the sadness peeking out [on the outside of the mask]. ..
The inner part of my mask shows that I’m not made of happiness. When I was twelve my parents split up after months on end of arguing... I miss my family being a family. This is why there is a house torn in half and me in the middle—because with all the sadness, there is also a lot of confusion. I get confused on where I should be going and what I should be doing... I would still really love my family to be a real family—this is why on the inside it says “save my family".
I made the outside of my mask to show that I am very open and happy. I showed this by using bright colors and splatter paint. I put this on the outside because everyone sees me as very social and open. On the inside I used dark colors like black and silver to show that I’m not always open and social because around new people I’m shy and nervous. I’ve used splatter paint on previous projects so I felt comfortable using it on my mask, but writing words with paint was very difficult for me.
I decided to make the outer portion of me to look like me, a happy, normal, fourteen-year-old girl. There are secrets that I have that I realized most people knew about and weren’t secrets anymore. Most of them weren’t so happy, so there is blue representing the sadness peeking out [on the outside of the mask]. ..
COLOR SPLASH
Looking Closely through Partial Color Photography
Grades 7-8
The Color Splash artwork encourages students to look closely, develop strong compositional skills and hone technical photography and digital art skills.
Students discussed using Color Splash photography as a means of creating emphasis in artworks. They they went on a series of nature hikes to capture images for the piece. They then returned to the classroom edit the photographs digitally.
This project was used as students' introductory lesson into Photoshop. It was chosen for its high-success product--creating student buy-in and instilling a growth mindset in these young artists.
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The use of video tutorials "flips" the classroom, giving students an opportunity to preview processes for the project before the in-person lesson is taught. Students may re-watch the videos again and again and learn and gain support at their own pace.
ACE OF CAKES
ART CAREERS: CAKE DESIGNER
ARTS INTEGRATION LESSON:
ART & GEOMETRY
Grade 8
The Ace of Cakes lesson introduces students to Pop Art while introducing students to careers in the Arts by featuring a popular television show which takes place locally in Baltimore, MD--Food Network's Ace of Cakes. Inspired by watching selected clips of the show, students set out to design a paper "cake" (or dummy cake as it is known in the baking industry) based on a theme or real-world object.
Students put geometric concepts such as diameter, radius, circumference, perimeter and area to work as they design and construct their cakes using tools they associate with math class such as rulers, protractors, compasses and t-squares. Using these tools to accomplish a task rooted in real-world experiences helps students gain a practical understanding of these mathematical tools and concepts.
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The use of geometric tools and mathematical tools helps students to gain a practical understanding of concepts from non-arts disciplines.
The use of clips from the popular television show featuring a local bakery helps students gain inspiration while considering careers in the arts.
Assessment
I employ the Reflective Assessment Model for student assessment in the Visual Arts.
Reflective Assessment engages students in reflective writing throughout the art-making process, helping them become reflective practitioners and articulate artists. Reflective Assessment also leverages a outcomes/standards-based flexible rubric that allows for student self-reflection and self-evaluation.
STUDENT AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS
Below is a sampling of the awards, recogitions, exhibits and activities my students have engaged in.
Honorable Mention
Youth Art Month Flag Design Competition
3rd Place
Love Your Tree
Body Image Poster Exhibition
Best In Show
Broadneck Feeder System
Art Exhibit
Maryland Federation of Women Artists
Arts Award
1st Place: Photography
Color Maryland Green Competition
Many Ways of Seeing
Anne Arundel County Public Schools
Exhibit at the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore, MD
National Junior Art Honor Society
Designed murals for the Lighthouse Shelter in collaboration with arts-based non-profit Creating Communities.
National Junior Art Honor Society and Art Club
Painted rain barrels in collaboration with midshipman Meghan Rosenberger. The barrels are installed in the Annapolis area.
Independent Student Service Project
Prepared/reprogrammed
/packaged computers to be donated to children’s arts center.
Live Sketching
Selected to live sketch for Nationally Recognized school leadership speaker Todd Whitaker.
Gifted and Talented Arts Enrichment Program
Tiles for Katrina
Elementary students created tiles for the rebuilding of a school damaged by Hurricane Katrina.
Love Your Tree
Student work displayed at LYT exhibit in Baltimore, MD.
Maryland Federation of Women Artists Arts Award
Love Your Tree