1. please discuss how you can find ways to make your art program viable, visible and valuable to ALL of your students and the entire school community. This question reminds me of the days when I was an assistant producer in a film company in 2014, because we’ve been thinking about how we can make our movie – like the question ask – viable, visible and valuable. In fact, it requires so many steps, actions, and marketing skills. What if we parcel art program up as same as we wrap up movies? It is very interesting that most of people are bored with reading and writing, while if we provide them with a visible, visual movie, they then become more interested in. So my idea is – what if we “create” art program like we make a movie/documentary. It requires us to do some research, interview some impressive art educators, professors, film art classes in public school art classroom, and interview students with their personal perspective towards arts. We need make all students, school, and community convinced, make them believe that the art program is a valued part of students, schools, and communities. Currently, there are some research results claim that everyone can get mental health benefits through art. Moreover, Jensen’s book shares some actions that teachers can do for helping students make success, and arts, athletics are included. In addition, there are many ways building up the reputation of art program, for instance, art show, online gallery, open house, hallway displays, legacy project, field trip, and so on… 2. How can you make your art program indispensable? When I was asked about this question, I ask “Why don’t people think art program is indispensable?”. That is because the “why” would help us to make art program indispensable. Except for the system - the value of society (hard science is dominant), family value is one of the factors that educators should perceive. The way you change your student’s family (I mean, their value towards art) would finally make art program indispensable. To put it simply, you’ve got support from family, for your community. Here comes up a question, how can we change or influence the perception of student’s parents? How can make them believe that art is important for students? Some artworks from my friend's art class in China ![]() 3. How are you endeavoring to design your curriculum to meet these new standards of Creating, Responding, Connecting and Presenting art? Well, this is what I’d like to learn more from our class. I’ve noticed that there is a shift from teaching individual lessons to infusing big ideas across the curriculum. This is a big change. Currently in China, art lessons are still taught by individual lessons in K-12 classroom settings. I’ve interviewed some art teachers from Shanghai private schools who never study abroad, and they are requested to use school-design based curriculum which is old-fashion style. When I introduced how we teach art in the U.S. with big idea, they seemed so surprised and wanted to learn more. Moreover, I’ve noticed that we do not teach the new standards in isolation, because they are somewhat related to each other, like echoing to each other. In addition, I am curious about the standards of art curriculum in China, so I browsed some online. Standards of art curriculum of in China pay attention to art and life, art and emotion, art and culture, and art with science. It seems like these standards to some degree are different from the U.S’s. I am curious to know how we could design and use American art curriculum which also meets the standards required by China? 4. After reading Jensen’s book Teaching with Poverty in Mind, how do you endeavor to meet the needs of ALL of your students especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds? It’s really hard to sense how unprivileged students think towards life at school, in the classroom. I do not have much experience teaching students from disadvantaged backgrounds, while I recognized it is important to know about “poverty” when I was leading the group from GMS students to China. One of the students, “A” (let’s call her A)’s backpack was broken when we was traveling in Shanghai, and no one knew her background, therefore we thought she might buy a new backpack when we was shopping. However, it was so surprised that one of parents who accompanied us bought a brand-new backpack for her. I was curious about the reason, and I then asked the lead teacher who was RBHS teacher. Her response shocked me. She said A is from a single-mom family, even doesn’t know her who her dad is. She has many sisters and brothers (same mom, different fathers). Actually, I did not know how to handle with this situation, but luckily the lead teacher knew every student’s background well and she knew how to communicate with them. I was impressed by this issue, and later on when I was taking Reflective Teaching course with Amy, I’ve got opportunity to learn more about “poverty”. It is obvious that teachers to know the types of poverty at first, so that they can further study more and take actions in the classroom. Most importantly, we’d better to know their background. I do not know whether it is appropriate to ask student’ background from other teachers in the U.S.? Is it sensitive? Background check is the first step, and next, as Jensen mentions in the book, embody respect, embed social skills, and have students be inclusive. I remember some thoughts from Introduction to Reflective Teaching, and the author suggests teachers to speak “we” instead of “I”, and she claims that dualistic thinking creates separation. Jensen’s book mentions some steps that schools can make them happen, while for teachers he asserts some good actions, such as supporting the whole child, using hard data, retaining accountability, and build relationship. These actions are practical seemingly, while I haven’t tried before. For me, it’s vital to improve personal sensibility, and to gain more practical experience about students from unprivileged background. 5. What new insights about poverty have you gleaned from this book? I highlight some awesome insights when I was reading this book. Jensen states that “it is much easier to condemn a student’s behavior and demand that he or she change it that it is to help the student change it. Every proper response that you don’t see your at your school is one that you need to be teaching” (p. 19). SO TRUE. However, he also claims that “expect students to be impulsive, to blurt inappropriate language, and to act ‘disrespectful’ until you teach them stronger social and emotional skills and until the social conditions at your school make it attractive not to do those things.” (p. 19) Certainly, all expectations you set would be realized until we teach, our schools make changes. “The reason things stay the same is because we stay the same.” “For things to change, we must change.” (p. 46) So we go back to the question: how could we change? Jensen talks about many steps and I do not want to explain more here, while I’d like to add one more question: is it possible for teachers and schools to change family values? There is a book named a framework of understanding poverty, talks about how families who are from poverty tend to view education, and they see education as a threat to their family unit. Usually the mother is at the head of the unit, and they see their children as "property" expected to contribute to the income of the family. So if their children become educated, they fear that their children will abandon the family in the long run. Therefore, when we think about how we teach with poverty in mind, however, it is important to improve those poor family’s values. 6. Choose a contemporary artist and define the big idea (enduring understanding) explored by the artist.
Artist: Yayoi Kusama Big idea: Obsession Essential question:
Yayoi Kusama’s Dots Obsession is in attempt to free herself from obsession, because her art-making has been a private, atavistic ritual, a necessary inducement to repetition that leads to catharsis. Do you have you own obsessions? What are they? Do you feel good or bad sharing your obsessions with parents/friends/people? Why? If you’ve got a opportunity to explore your obsession, how would you embody it?
3 Comments
Bethanie Irons
1/22/2018 03:04:57 pm
Hi Jenny!
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Kathy
1/23/2018 01:02:30 pm
I too am curious about how art is taught in China and the value that Chinese society and culture places on the arts. I hope you and Tingting will share some of your experiences. I am also interested in what your friends have to say about the more conceptual standards we are now utilizing as opposed to the more traditional teaching of techniques, You ask: Here comes up a question, how can we change or influence the perception of student’s parents? How can make them believe that art is important for students?" How do you think art educators can influence the perception and value of the arts?
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Amy
1/24/2018 10:53:08 am
Like Kathy, I was drawn to the differences in values you speak too, especially as you have mentioned that in China, the values are opposite. I wonder if a focus on community arts might facilitate a shift in perception?
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