Learning the Arts with Technology

This week we will consider the 3rd dimension of our course, teaching and learning in the
Arts. We’ve already been through important documents that give background for the
areas of Social Studies and Technology. I’ve put together a collection of links to
important documents and websites that give Arts Education background (below). My
own book, “Visual Arts Units for All Levels” (ISTE) provides much of this background,
too, although with a particular Visual Art slant. The ARTS for grades 1 - 6 generally
include Visual Art, Music, Dance, and Theater (Drama). To this list I'll add (facets of)
Literature.

Visual Art, many would argue, is the most applicable and practical for implementation in
the grade 1 - 6 setting. It can be done in virtually any classroom and need not require
elaborate materials, although "Art" classes led by "Art Teacher" specialists may choose
to do so. Teachers need not be talented in Visual Art, nor be working with talented
students in order for Visual Art to be used to facilitate and enhance core curriculum-
related learning. Furthermore, it is an art form that supports students who are not
comfortable 'performing', speaking, or presenting themselves to others. This aspect is of
particular value in working with special population and challenged students.
This reading assignment should give you a good, general understanding of Arts
instruction in grades 1 - 6. Rather than prescribe which items from this list that you
should read I’ll simply give you focus questions to answer and allow you to explore
these as you find and formulate answers to contribute to a class discussion. However, I
recommend that you quickly skim through all of the documents and sites to get the gist
of their content and organization and then return to them for detailed reading as you feel
the need. See the section at the bottom for directions in how to submit your answers.
Part I: Skim through the materials accessed via the links provided below - and
return to those parts you feel are of particular interest and value. Read a
sufficient variety and amount for you to give a good understanding of the
following:
Why should you include Arts instruction in your work as a grade 1 – 6 teacher?
(assuming your job is other than that of Arts Specialist teacher)
What are the goals of offering Arts instruction in grades 1 -6? Can you cite a specfic
activity you think you would like to try with your students.
When? From the point of view of ‘How do we integrate the arts into our school day?’
how much time should we spend on the arts? How do we make good use of the time we
have to include them? What problems do teachers face regarding time and scheduling
of arts activities? What approach to this would you take?
How? Assuming that you have no special training in implementing Arts instruction
(other than what we can cover in this course) but must offer and/or integrate Arts
activities, what ideas, practices, resources, etc. have you come across that you would
like to use?
What’s needed? Besides time and knowhow (already discussed), what else do you feel
you need in order to implement Arts activities in your teaching practice?
Assessment? Now that you’ve included Arts instruction as part of what you offer your
students, how do you assess their learning? What ideas, resources, practices, etc.
(from these links or any other source) have you seen that you would make use of?
Chapter 7 (pages 49 - 58) of our book Visual Arts Units for All Levels addresses
this dimension of Arts instruction.
Approximately 300 – 500 words.
As you answer these, please state where you got your insights and ideas from
(which reading are you referring to?). You’ll find an area of our BlackBoard
Discussion Board set up for you to post your answers. In addition to posting
your own answers, please return to this discussion in a few days and read and
respond to the post of a classmate. You may wish to ask questions, make
observations and SUGGESTIONS, recommend related links, and/or redirect your
classmate to items he or she may have overlooked in this week's reading, etc. A
good portion of your grade for this assignment will be in response to this second
part of the assignment. NOTE: Please try to respond to a classmate who has not
already received many responses.
Online READINGS - Envisioning Arts Education in our Classrooms
1. NYC DOE Arts Education
http://schools.nyc.gov/offices/teachlearn/arts/index2.html
(off particular relevance to our course are the sections listed directly
below - find them on the left hand column of this home page)
- Arts Management Tools
- Curriculum Blueprints for the Arts
- Resources (Links section)
- NY State Education Dept. Requirements:
http://schools.nyc.gov/offices/teachlearn/arts/nysartsrequirements.html

1. NY SED Learning Standards – The Arts

http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/ciai/standards.html#Art

full version
http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/guides/arts/artsperf.pdf
2. NYSED Arts Resource Guide
http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/guides/arts/
3. ***Texas 21st Century Community Learning Centers
INTEGRATING ART AND SOCIAL STUDIES - WORLD CULTURES
http://www.texas21afterschool.org/07/?q=node/143
 4. ArtsEdge (provided by the Kennedy Center - http://www.kennedy-center.org/ )
http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/
*ArtsEdge How-To’s
http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/educators/how-to.aspx
5. *Incredible Art Department
http://www.princetonol.com/groups/iad/
Professional Organizations
- *NYSATA (NYS Art Teachers Association) http://www.nysata.org/
- *NAEA (National Art Education Association)
http://www.naea-reston.org/olc/pub/NAEA/home/
- NDEO (National Dance Education Organization)
http://www.ndeo.org/content.aspx?page_id=0&club_id=893257
- MTNA (Music Teachers National Organization)
http://www.mtna.org/
NYSMTA (New York State Music Teachers Association)
http://www.nysmta.org/index.php
- NYS Alliance for Arts Education
http://www.nysaae.org/advocresource.htm
*** NYS AAE - Toolkit for Teaching the Arts
http://www.nysaae.org/toolkit/index.html
(the toolkit is comprised of the links on the left hand column of the page)
….
What Teachers and Students DO When They Do Arts-based Instruction
Here’s another framework that I think may help you better understand Arts instruction.
I’ve listed below some big bullet facets of what teachers can ‘do’ in class as parts of Arts
implementation/integration. I’ve included links to things I’ve found that I hope help flesh
out an understanding and give some ideas of things you may use in your own way, as
well. Clearly technology is a medium that makes this possible.
Learning About the Arts: Simply giving theory, history, and context is an important
part of Arts and Arts-based instruction.
- What is Cubism http://www.theartgallery.com.au/kidsart/learn/cubism/
- - Puppetry Home Page http://www.sagecraft.com/puppetry/
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- Jazz Timeline http://www.apassion4jazz.net/timeline.html
- Marsalis Plays Happy Birthday http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Amwq43-lrM
- Clogging http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clogging

Arts Appreciation: Reviewing, analyzing, comparing, etc. specific products and

performances
- Vincent Van Gogh Gallery http://www.vangoghgallery.com/
- Virtual Sculpture Gallery (using QuickTime VR technology)
http://mandarb.net/virtual_gallery/sculptures/athena.shtml
- Wynton Marsalis Live http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=rvH1Qi6G6Ng&feature=related
- Gregory Hines and Savion Glover http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZxfRpL5GVo
- Autism - Toothpick count http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqbXPfaN_VM
- Wayang Kulit - Buah Nangka http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdgZcvnpOo0

Creating: Armed with an understanding of Art and how and why it fits in, MAKING Art is
the logical center of activity and focus
- 45 Websites For Students To Create Original Artwork Online
http://mrssmoke.onsugar.com/45-Websites-Students-Create-Original-Artwork-Online-3442983
- ARTisCAM http://www.artisancam.org.uk/
- Art Kids Rule http://accessarts.org/ArtKids/Painting/paint-online/
- Glogster http://tonyvincent.edu.glogster.com/my-glogs/
- Queeky – Draw Online: http://www.queeky.com/cms/tools/queekypaint
- Google SketchUp New Users 4: Create a Chair http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=RCqr3ZJ8Igc
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- Xtranormal: Text to Movie (can be used for virtual drama, etc.)
http://edu.xtranormal.com/watchmovies/
- iDance - http://www.xspasm.com/dance/dance.php +
http://www.xspasm.com/tech/tech.php
- Creating Music - Musical Sketch Pads
http://www.creatingmusic.com/new/sketch/mmm/mmm.html or
http://www.sfskids.org/templates/home.asp?pageid=1 (you may want to Google up
others)

Sharing: If creating authentic products, performances, and messages for real

audiences is an indispensible focus of Project-based Learning, then exhibiting,
presenting, and sharing are an indispensibel aspect of student Arts.
- Artsonia student gallery http://www.artsonia.com/
- Incredible Student Galleries
http://www.princetonol.com/groups/iad/links/kid_galleries.html
- Global Student Art Gallery http://www.naturalchild.org/gallery/pages/1.html
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- Music with the XO - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZafVLAbFM1A
- Longwood High School: Poetry Slam http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhXacuE_dlA
- Tyler Dunbar "Amazing Robot Dance" Little Miami High School Talent Show 2009
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UorREcET7CU
- Puppet Slideshow http://www.teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?
video_id=23091&title=Puppet_slideshow
- See Chapter 6 (pages 45 - 48) of our book Visual Arts Units for All Levels for a
discussion of Exhibiting and Sharing student art.
Due -Tuesday, July 5
FINAL PROJECT Installment #2
A) Create a Flow Chart (using Microsoft Word or other word processing software) of the
learning process that will take place as your students learn the objectives and create the
product through engagement in the unit you develop. Be sure to arrange the chart to
show how the creation of the product is the goal/final step (of the learning process) and
the learning is done in order to create it.
B) Begin to fill in the following sections of the Final Project Template: A – 4, 5, 8
As you get greater clarity about your project, be sure to go back and refine what you
filled in previously. You may also want to return to refine your flow chart as well as your
Unit Plan.

Create a flow chart (in MS Word or similar software) that plots the flow of learning in
your unit:
1) START by identifying a product or performance you expect them to create - this
should include a listing of the learning objectives* that the creation of the
product/performance will achieve –
2) Next, plot the learning activities and experiences you plan to achieve the objectives
(i.e. online research, oral history interviews, data gathering from primary source
documents, learning basic skills like graphing or photography, etc.) that will enable the
learning and the creation of the product/performance.
3) Further plot any subsidiary or preparatory activities.

A version of this document WITH a helpful illustration

uploaded @ http://www.scribd.com/doc/54782957/Installment-2-EdSe-
604-Final-Project

In effect, you will be “planning backwards”, beginning your chart with the result,
the product and learning it has fostered, and then figuring out the stages you’ll
need to guide your students to in order to get them there!
INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGY: In this unit the students work as a group to identify
and research a New York State explorer on whom they develop an annotated
timeline that they present and explain to classmates in a face-to-face oral
presentation. In Creating this product/performance the students learn the
objectives which are aligned to the NYS Social Studies curriculum items and
standards listed below.

NYS Learning Standards in Social Studies: Standard 2, World History - Key Idea 2:
Establishing timeframes, exploring different periodizations…

…Students will:
•develop timelines that display important events and eras from world history
•explore narrative accounts of important events from world history to learn about
different accounts of the past to begin to understand how interpretations and
perspectives develop

NYS Core Curriculum in Social Studies - Grade 4—Content Understandings

Major explorers of New York State + Impacts of exploration—social/cultural, economic,

political, and geographic

DEFINITION: Learning Objectives are those things students are expected to know and
be able to do as a result of instruction.

Need a little background info? Definition of Flow Chart

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flowchart How to Create a Flow Chart Using Microsoft
WORD 1) http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/word-help/draw-flowcharts-with-word-and-
powerpoint-HA001055266.aspx OR 2) http://www.ehow.com/how_4776079_draw-
flowchart-using-ms-word.html (Google up more on your own)…
Use the Digital Drop Box in our course BlackBoard section to turn this in. Be sure
the title of your submission has your name and the Final Project Installment # so
that I can identify it.
CAUTION: Use ONLY letters, numbers, periods, and underscores in the title of the
files you upload to the DropBox – NO SPACES! Your file will NOT upload properly
otherwise!
You may change and refine your work as often as you feel the need to as you
develop your final version that you will submit in week 10 of the course!