Project Findings
Trial #1: Art 10
Scenario 1: Art 10
Students were asked to create a meaningful collage critiquing some aspect of social media. Our decision to provide our students with this theme was to help generate ideas with an element of cohesion in order to ensure they had a similar understanding when it came time to critique their projects. By scaffolding our instruction and building upon concepts as we worked, we were able to talk to specific ideas and issues within the theme throughout the entire process. By providing the instruction and discussion gradually, students gained confidence in their understanding of the topic and felt confident to critically assess the artworks they were assigned to.
Issues:
Coordinating dates between schools proved to be an issue as the students in one school had art class every day for three hours, while the other school had art twice a week for 80 minutes. For this reason, the students of CCH were able to complete their tasks much quicker than those at Myers, resulting in a delay before the critique and a loss of student interest in the project. In order to combat this issue, we would align the project differently, having the students with less frequent work periods begin earlier, resulting in a similar completion timeline. Another problem that we encountered was that some students were not engaged in the given theme, therefore lessening their motivation and dedication in both the creation of their own artwork and the critique of others. We feel that this could be resolved by providing a more open guideline for the project, allowing for further individualization and interpretation, even if there was still an overarching theme.
Changes For Future Trials:
* Have a more flexible timetable for posting to the collaborative website; classes will work on a staggered schedule
* Implementing a broader theme for student’s artwork allowing for a critique that is more open to student interpretation and prompts further questions. This will also help to encourage student engagement and motivation since they will be able to express their own interests and ideas while receiving constructive feedback.
Throughout this process we were able to watch students think critically about their own artwork and the works of others. They began asking more questions and worked to create meaningful decisions within their projects. Knowing that their piece would be viewed and critiqued by another student, most worked to create something that they were proud of and looked forward to receiving feedback. While we did experience successes within this process, we also came up against a few problems. Coordinating dates between schools proved to be an issue as the students in one school had art class every day for three hours, while the other school had art twice a week for 80 minutes. For this reason, the students of CCH were able to complete their tasks much quicker than those at Myers, resulting in a delay before the critique and a loss of student interest in the project. In order to combat this issue, we would align the project differently, having the students with less frequent work periods begin earlier, resulting in a similar completion timeline. Another problem that we encountered was that some students were not engaged in the given theme, therefore lessening their motivation and dedication in both the creation of their own artwork and the critique of others. We feel that this could be resolved by providing a more open guideline for the project, allowing for further individualization and interpretation, even if there was still an overarching theme. While our first attempt was not as successful as we had hoped, we still believe that this is an important concept to include within our future art classes and plan to continue towards our desired result.
Scenario 1: Art 10
Students were asked to create a meaningful collage critiquing some aspect of social media. Our decision to provide our students with this theme was to help generate ideas with an element of cohesion in order to ensure they had a similar understanding when it came time to critique their projects. By scaffolding our instruction and building upon concepts as we worked, we were able to talk to specific ideas and issues within the theme throughout the entire process. By providing the instruction and discussion gradually, students gained confidence in their understanding of the topic and felt confident to critically assess the artworks they were assigned to.
Issues:
Coordinating dates between schools proved to be an issue as the students in one school had art class every day for three hours, while the other school had art twice a week for 80 minutes. For this reason, the students of CCH were able to complete their tasks much quicker than those at Myers, resulting in a delay before the critique and a loss of student interest in the project. In order to combat this issue, we would align the project differently, having the students with less frequent work periods begin earlier, resulting in a similar completion timeline. Another problem that we encountered was that some students were not engaged in the given theme, therefore lessening their motivation and dedication in both the creation of their own artwork and the critique of others. We feel that this could be resolved by providing a more open guideline for the project, allowing for further individualization and interpretation, even if there was still an overarching theme.
Changes For Future Trials:
* Have a more flexible timetable for posting to the collaborative website; classes will work on a staggered schedule
* Implementing a broader theme for student’s artwork allowing for a critique that is more open to student interpretation and prompts further questions. This will also help to encourage student engagement and motivation since they will be able to express their own interests and ideas while receiving constructive feedback.
Throughout this process we were able to watch students think critically about their own artwork and the works of others. They began asking more questions and worked to create meaningful decisions within their projects. Knowing that their piece would be viewed and critiqued by another student, most worked to create something that they were proud of and looked forward to receiving feedback. While we did experience successes within this process, we also came up against a few problems. Coordinating dates between schools proved to be an issue as the students in one school had art class every day for three hours, while the other school had art twice a week for 80 minutes. For this reason, the students of CCH were able to complete their tasks much quicker than those at Myers, resulting in a delay before the critique and a loss of student interest in the project. In order to combat this issue, we would align the project differently, having the students with less frequent work periods begin earlier, resulting in a similar completion timeline. Another problem that we encountered was that some students were not engaged in the given theme, therefore lessening their motivation and dedication in both the creation of their own artwork and the critique of others. We feel that this could be resolved by providing a more open guideline for the project, allowing for further individualization and interpretation, even if there was still an overarching theme. While our first attempt was not as successful as we had hoped, we still believe that this is an important concept to include within our future art classes and plan to continue towards our desired result.