ARE 421 Chapter 16 Discussion

[Pam Stephens]

1) Please post your responses to qustion 6 on page 314.

Describe the steps you might take to improve the following situations:
a) Untidy and wasteful third-grade class
b) Sixth-grade boys who think art is "sissy"
c) Children who use formulas for making art

2) Read a post by another student and respond. Your response should be more than "I agree" or "I disagree." Briefly state your reasons.

[Kathryn Christensen]

(a) The textbook suggests using the directive method of instruction to introduce a new tool or medium to reduce accidents or wasteful use of materials. I might also tell my students that until they became neater and less careless, the materials being wasted would not be available for use. .

(b) To help change the minds of my sixth-grade boys who think art is sissy, I might show them examples of paintings or other works of art created by men. I would try to find examples that were done in a medium or had subjects that interested the boys. If they saw that the artworks were created by men, they might stop thinking of art as being sissy and become willing to engage in the art lesson.

(c) These children could be insecure about their own abilities and works of art and feel as if they need formulas or other help to do well. I might ask them to draw something on their own and praise different aspects of the drawing. If the students realize that they can succeed without using formulas and that their teacher approves of their work, they may stop feeling the need to use someone else’s art procedures and formulas.

[Kayla Tracy]

Great insight for response c, I can totally see how students could get insecure about their abilities and shy away from creating new solutions for problems. As teachers it is important to create problems and push students to jump out of their comfort zone, and show them that they can succeed!

[Pam Stephens]

Remember back to ARE 200 when you were introduced to the concept of "learned helplessness." I think this use of formulas is little more than learned helplessness; i.e., "I can't draw unless I use a formula."

[Laura Pontel]

a) If a class is very untidy and wasteful of materials, I would have them clean up the classroom one day instead of actually doing a project and after that, give them a choice of having a fun art project connected with the class or writing papers and doing research and not getting to do projects. Hopefully they will understand the consequences of being untidy and wasteful. Also continually enforcing rules that should be set down at the beginning of the year and the beginning of projects will hopefully help keep things in line and more orderly.

b) Having a group of boys who find art 'sissy', I would try to teach them that art can be done in ways that are not 'sissy'. For instance, photos of war and other things that they might find interesting. I would try to include a wide variety of items to keep everyone interested in art. Make a lesson on photography and include images done by males and females and show pretty flowers and destruction. I think that 6th grade boys would be interested in destroying things so finding a motivational piece of artwork could be centralized around that.

c) If older siblings and parents have embedded in their siblings and children a formula for art, I would take them back to the beginning and have them draw in a different manner. Perhaps adding abstract images to a lesson and showing that some artwork has formulas, yet others do not. Basically breaking the habit of drawing with a set formula, which I find everyone does for a certain about of time. Students follow the formula that their teachers give them.

[Pam Stephens]

a) A good response for this situation is: When you are ready to show respect for the classoom and materials, then we'll move forward to _____ (whatever material the students would like to use).

Remember that a good set of art room rules will include something along the line of "Respect the space and people around you." Consequences for poor behavior can be predicated on this rule.

b) The idea that art is "sissy" opens the door to extinguish a broad range of undesirable responses. My concern is that the concept of "sissy" would eventually become a bullying stance against those boys who actually enjoy or excel in art. I would approach the worrisome behavior by finding out what the boys consider sissy about art and then point out artists who are counter to the belief.

[Rachel Richards]

I didn't think of that - calling something "sissy" is related to bullying.

[Kathryn Christensen]

I liked what Laura said about continually enforcing the classroom rules. Creating and enforcing a short list of rules for students to follow is important and necessary for good classroom discipline. If students know that there will be consequences for being disobedient, such as being untidy and wasteful, they will likely comply with the rules.

[Kayla Tracy]

1. a) In order to effectively create an environment where students would respect material and keep the room tidy, the teacher needs to be organized with labels, and instructions, rules to follow that are maybe student developed. Have them understand that the environment needs to be a clean one, and materials if wasted will not be available for future use. Give them the big picture and have respect be the core value of the classroom.

b) If one of my sixth-grade boys thinks art is "sissy" I would ask him why he thinks that and then dive into elaborating on what makes an artist a problem solver and a thinker. I would show him works made by men artists and have him describe what techniques are being used and how long and difficult it might be to recreate that work.

c) As an art teacher I need to steer my students away from formulas. I want them to make their own solutions for a problem, give them themes for study and have them create their own solution. If they are nervous about expressing in out of the box ways, show them that messing up is not a bad thing in art. There is no right way of creating art. Make it so they cant work with in the formula, like the book says, change the environment, instead of working small, have them create on a large piece of paper, filling the page.

[Pam Stephens]

a) Again --- the response is predicated upon having stated rules and guidelines that can be enforced by giving students the option to make the right choices.

[Joshua Hylton]

A) Wasteful student- Give them a limited amount of materials. This way the have a make the materials last and count
Untidy- Make sure to have time near the end of class to have the students pack up. Maybe have a contest for the cleanest station or group area. A prize could be a pencil, eraser, art supplies...etc...

B) Art is sissy- This is where you must relate something that he/she is going to be interested in. Look at sports magazines and get him/her involved in sports photography and such. Different students have different hobbies. ring in a guest speaker that could have a similar inference.

C) Formulas for art- I feel that this is where that changing still life comes in, or a timed drawing. Figure drawing (Clothed) can work here with one minute posture drawings, or motion drawings. Give them a limited time, so they can't think about putting things into formulas. Abstract desgin could also be applied with more imaginiation involved.

[Rachel Richards]

That's a really good idea to have a speedy drawing lesson so they can't think so much about what they're doing.

[Laura Pontel]

I agree with Josh that a changing still life or a figure drawing would help to remove the formulas of drawing or at least teach students that there are other ways of drawing besides a formulated way. However, if I were teaching figure drawing to a class, I would start with the basics and have a longer still life and slowly take away the amount of time given to draw, turning it into a gesture drawing. In this way I feel that the students would be able to associate a formula and hopefully be able to break down any other formulas that they have in the future with other drawing techniques.