Understanding and Talking about Art
In the Art 1 class, I teach students from grades 9 through 12, for most students it is their first art class. Most of the class time is spent in class studio projects. To move away from a project-based assignment, students learn to observe details of an artwork and analyze its relationship to certain culture/time period. Through this project, students will discuss the artwork with the use of art vocabulary terms that students have learned throughout the semester. This presentation is to allow students to think as an artist with why and what the art is trying to convey. I realized that students in art are often not required to speak or write academically, so though this presentation students will be able to use their understandings in art and apply it through a oral presentation along with a reflection of the presentation. This allows for students to talk extensively about an artwork.
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Oakland High School
Oakland High is located on MacArthur Boulevard, Oakland, Alameda County, California. The school colors are blue and white. The school just recent finished the renovation and rebuilding. Among the school buildings, they currently added a medical center onsite for students. Oakland High has two unique programs for students, Visual Arts Academy Magnet Program (VAAMP) and Environmental Science Academy (ESA). In 2009-2010, Oakland High enrolled 1817 students, 48% are Asian, 18% are Hispanic or Latino, and 30% are Black or African American. Only 1% is white and other ethnicities make up the other 3%.
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Students as language learners
The students in the Art 1 class have a wide range of language proficiency levels and language. Within one of the Art 1 class, I have been able to observe a selected student who has speech language impairment. He has an IEP in a special needs program called Resource Specialist Program (RSP). Nathan is a 16-year-old, senior at Oakland High. He is first generation child born in his family. Both his parents are immigrants from China. After observing Nathan within several of his academic classes, I can conclude that aside from his oral language, his reading recognition, reading comprehension, as well as his writing are all average of what is needed in a high school grade level. Nathan understands questions and how it is to be answered. He definitely doesn't need much clarification of instructions. Before he responds to any question he does pause to think before he responds. Nathan's responses show great variety of vocabulary and intelligibility. Also in his responses he does explain, inform, describe, infer, compare, as he takes his time to converse and enuniciate his words. At times he does leave out some words or even utter the words to a point where it is not comprehendible. Nathan also speaks with occasional hesitation. However, he doesn't seem to have any verbal statics.
Throughout the Art classroom, students practice listening the most, students are usually assessed based on their understanding of the project. I have learned that students definitely need further development on their academic oral and written skills. |
If you want more information on my mini-case study on Nathan, feel free to check this out.
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Language development focus and initial assumptions
Working in the art class throughout the semester, I have noticed a lot of independent studio work. To change that I developed an activity that will help provide for the use of academic language development in addition to further understanding and analysis of an artwork. I developed this activity and required for everyone speaks at least once for the presentation, this will encourage students to really engage and work with one another. I believe that more students will speak and listen to one another more than they normally do.
The goal of the lesson was to get students to practice using art vocabulary terms to describe, analyze, interpret, and reflect on a artwork given to them. I wanted students to be able to explain orally:
California Department of Education ELD Standards in This Lesson
Listening and Speaking
Organization and Delivery of Oral Communication: Negotiate and initiate social converstations by questioning, restating, soliciting information, and paraphrasing the communication of others. Reading Vocabulary and Concept Development: Apply Knowledge of academic and social vocabulary while reading independently. Writing Capitalization, Punctuation, and Spelling: Produce independent writing that includes partial consistency in the use of capitaliztion and periods and correct spelling. |
Action plans
I introduced to the class an image of "Manchester" by Kersal Moor. I asked students to observe the image and as a class we discuss what they see in the image. We attempt to answer these questions:
Next, students will work in assigned groups to analyze a given artwork. Each group will get one of the following artworks to do research on:
Finally, students will present their understanding and analysis. This requires students to be able to use art vocabulary to talk about their own learning, which shows their meta-cognitive development. After all artwork are presented, students will reflect on the presentation and their own personal thought about it. They will also include what they learned from the project. Presentation Rubric |
Documentation
The students at first weren't too excited about this activity because they have yet to work in-group project in the Art 1 class. Another reason is also because they are working with students that they don't know. After students got settled into their groups, many got right to work. Some groups needed guidance of where to start their research. Many students utilized their rubric to help jump-start their thinking process and how they as a group will present their findings.
As each group reported their presentation, the class as a whole was very respectful to one another and listened carefully to what was being said. Each presentation was thorough and many used art vocabulary within their explanations, which definitely furthered their language development within the class. After presentations, students did a written reflection about their project and an evaluation of themselves. Having structured explicit questions for them to answer, help focus their thinking and development. |
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Self-assessment and reflection
Overall, I am extremely happy and pleased with the outcome of the presentations. They did learn what I hope they learn as well as so much more. They project definitely showed the students speaking skills regarding academic purposes as well as how they are able to explain their process/understanding. There was a lot of frustration and conflict within some groups. However, many did get down into deep conversations related to the project. I felt that I could have emphasized the writing reflection a bit more. The practice of writing about art is great way to evaluate their understanding. The evidence that I have of their learning is through their oral presentations and their personal reflections about the presentation itself. There weren't any unexpected occurrences that came from this project. However, if I were to modify my plans, it would regard more scaffolding of observation and interpretation of various other artworks. I would also think about making more of a formal written presentation along with the oral presentation.
"Diego Rivera art picture really is saying something. As the year 1945 the picture was created. It told how the City of Mexico really was. It was deep meaning to alot of people.
Some of the pictures on the presentation had some powerful meanin. As in telling the Native Americans Culture. Some were about a Spanish war Revolutions. The elements in the art were powerful. The time period was between 1860's-1940's." |
"I learned that there are many ways of expressing idea through adjusting value, focal point, contrast, etc."
"I was good at interpreting underlying messages from images and colors, although I could improve at looking at the overall beauty of art more." |
