Rubrics as Forms of Assessment

Rubrics in the art classroom or in the classroom in general is a great form of assessment. It allows the students, teachers, and parents to see the student's grades in a broken down format. I really liked the picture example of a rubric in the article, "Developing Criteria Rubrics in the Art Classroom." It had different ability levels for the students therefore, the teacher could correctly assess each of the students. It is important for us to recognize as teachers that one assessment does not work for all our students in our classroom. We have to adapt our assessments so it is fair and includes all students. By having different ability levels, especially in art, is very important. A student could work diligently on a project and do the best of his ability but it may not be perfect. You cannot give him a poor grade because it is imperfect. You have to base your grades on how much effort he put forth.

As a person who admits that I am not very talented when it comes to art projects and always received poor grades in art class, I must say that I am very impressed by the rubrics. I wish my teachers implemented such a thing into my classes. I always took the time and did my best work on my art projects. I never thought it was fair that I received such low grades on something I worked so hard on. With rubrics, there is a fair chance given to all students.

"It Was Always the Pictures"

I thought this article was extremely enlightening especially for future teachers. We may have students with various disabilities in our classrooms, therefore we have to be prepared to teach those students. This article gives many examples of techniques to use for students with different disabilities.

I really like the idea of the story kits. It definitely helps those students who learn better through pictures. Graphic notes are also very interesting. It assists those students who have difficulty organizing their notes do so by incorporating pictures.

There was one part in the article in particular that I really thought was important. It was the line, "Knowing student interests can help teachers develop curriculum, instruction, and even better support strategies (Kluth, 178). I definitely think this quote is so true and important. It is even more important when you have students with learning disabilities in your class. You have to learn about students as individuals in order to teach them to where they are going to learn the maximum possible. For some students, using pictures is the best for their learning. Therefore, these examples are worthwhile.

Romare Bearden- Let's Walk the Block

I had never heard of Romare Bearden before this assignment. After I opened the website on my computer, I was amazed by what I saw. His artwork is so original and unique. One of my best friends here at college is from Harlem, NY. We looked at the website together and she explained how accurate he made the streets look. It was clear that he took his time, took in every detail he could in order to produce a beautiful piece of artwork.

I thought that the website did a great job of portraying Romare Bearden as a person. The guided tour and the meet the artist tab were great. They both made me understand him to see why the streets of Harlem were so important and inspiring to him.

I loved the way he took some real images and implemented them into his artwork. It made them very complex and different. It explains that he does this because it allowed him to inject elements of reality and current issues into his artwork. I think this is an outstanding idea because, as the viewer, I can tell that the real images are the part of the paintings that he is extremely passionate about.

Graphic Novels

I never thought of using Graphic Novels in the classroom until I read this article and looked at Gene Yang's blog. Graphic Novels and comics are very interesting to many people. Perhaps this is why they are implemented in classrooms today. Yang explained that he could give the students a comic while teaching an algebra lesson and it was almost as if the students had a remote control. They could fast forward and rewind whenever they felt necessary. This is great for students who feel teachers move too fast or too slow. Having a comic as a lesson is another option for students and giving them options when it comes to learning allows many of the students to be on the same page.

I really enjoyed the part where Yang stated that graphic novels were very beneficial to ELL students. Being an ELL student is very difficult especially for the first months. Therefore enabling them to use comics may enable them to learn at a quicker and more accurate pace.

As a future teacher, I definitely think that I would implement these graphic novels into my classroom. Anything that gives students a different form of learning I am interested in using.

Islamic Art

Just by looking at Islamic art, one can recognize the intricacy and time that has been put towards it. It is absolutely stunning and fascinating. To think that there are people willing to take out enough time to create such masterpieces, is phenomenal. I had seen Islamic art before and always thought it was fabulous but it was not until I read these two articles that I attained a greater appreciation of it.

There are so many different ways and methods to create Islamic art. One can start with circle grids, triangle grids, and even diagonal grids. It is a great way to teach students art because they could perhaps choose the shape of grid they wanted to begin with. Although it is complex, there are very detailed instructions in one of the articles. If the teacher can have a great understanding of how to create Islamic art, he or she will be able to introduce and teach Islamic art to his or her students.

Islamic art is also important for culture lessons. The students will be able to gain a better understanding of the Islamic culture by doing a lesson in art. Perhaps some of my students will be of Islamic culture and incorporating this lesson into my classroom will make him or her feel special and allow the other students in the class to better understand.

Rube Goldberg=Art

The article, "Rube Goldberg-Inspired Drawings of How Art is Made," by Thomas A. Oakley, really made me think. When he stated that art is learned behavior like anything else and it is not something a person is born with, I was intrigued. Ever since I was a young girl in elementary school, I blamed my lack of artistic ability on not being born with the artistic gene. I guess you could call this a "cop-out." While reading the article, I understood why art is a learned behavior, especially with the Rube Goldberg examples.

Rube Goldberg machines are extremely complex and after reading this article, I consider them as a piece of art. In my high school Physics class, my group and I had to create a Rube Goldberg machine that threw a basket into a basketball hoop. It took us more than a month to create this wonderful work of art that accomplish such a task as shooting a ball into a net.

Putting different things together to create something completely different is art. I never thought this before and now I realize that not only did I have a Physics lesson, I had an art lesson as well. Creating this certain machine tapped into my artistic side and let it shine through. It must have, because my team's machine made the most amount of baskets in two minutes giving us ten bonus points on our final grade!

A Chair is Art?!

Before reading this article, never had I thought of the importance of a chair besides the most obvious, for something to sit on. I did not think that one could classify it as art. However, now that I have read the article, I have realized that there is something called functional art. Some other examples of functional art are cars, tables, televisions, microwaves, etc. Just because they serve an important service to people, does not mean they should not be seen as art.

I have heard of aesthetic appearance before and thought I understood what it meant. But after reading this article, I realized that there is so much more to it than I originally thought. The quote, "The aesthetic experience may involve viewing something in a new way; provoking an instinctive response that promotes well-being; reflecting personal goals and a hope to fullfill those goals; and/or leading to deeper knowledge," really made me understand what aesthetic appearance was really about. There are so many different levels to it and so many different interpretations and importances. Who knew that a chair, something that people use practically everyday could be so inspiring and so beautiful?

"Have Your Cake and Eat it, Too"

As a visual and kinesthetic learner, I must say that I completely agree with Amy Schultz article, "The Sweet Role of Art in Literacy." At times in school, it would be very difficult for me to fully grasp the concepts at hand because I was never learning in a way that catered to the way I learn best. I feel that if I were given the chance to express myself in art form before writing or other learning, I may have excelled far more.

The article talks about how art is a meaning-making activity in the same vein as writing. I strongly believe that drawing helps children make their ideas visible. If students who are more visual and kinesthetic learners are able to draw their ideas to begin with, their writing skills are going to improve and excell. It is extremely important as a teacher to cater to all of your students' different learning styles. If you do not, there will be so many students that are so far behind that it may be almost impossible for them to improve.

My Tattoo!

Now, it is not up to par with what I would want on my actual skin, but it is similar. Umbrellas have deep significance to me and if you take a moment to think about what an umbrella does and signifies, it's beautiful...

The Wonderful World of Tattoos

To be completely honest, I have always wanted to get a tattoo. However, I can never seem to find the perfect one to compliment me so perfectly. I have debated over initials, stars, and other random objects but not one sticks out in my head as crucial to have.

As a person whose teenage years are soon coming to a close, I can understand why so many teenagers are getting tattoos today. Although they are seen as self expression, in all honesty, to me, it is a sign of rebellion. I know that when I became a teenager I could not wait until I was eighteen to get a tattoo without my parents' permission. I had no clue what kind of tattoo I wanted to get or where to put it. All I cared about was getting a tattoo just for the sake of turning eighteen. It was almost seen as a right of passage into adulthood.

I realize now that a tattoo is permanent and that it will be on my body until the day I die. I think this is partially the reason why I have become so hesitant about getting one. I know that whatever I get inscribed into my skin, it needs to be something of crucial meaning and importance to me. As I get older I understand this and that is why I believe that teenagers getting tattoos is simply an act of rebellion.

One question I have is, "What are the statistics of adult getting tattoos and the meaning behind them?"

Both articles we had to read for the next class had great points and expressed their opinions in poignant and clear ways. However, I must say that I agreed more with the article, "Autism-The Way I See It," by Temple Grandin. He seemed to have a completely positive outlook on his views and was not concerned with the way in which people perceived his thoughts. I can relate to him when he says he is a visual thinker becuase I am the same. It was almost as if his article was reaching out to me to say that I am not alone. Through all of my schooling, I have had some difficulty trying to learn the materials being taught to me by my teachers who were almost always lecture-only teachers. As a person that learns better through seeing objects, doing projects, and using art, it was very difficult for me to fully grasp the concepts being given to me.

Another part I really enjoyed about Grandin's article was that he described the other types of learners. However, Donna Williams also did a great job at explaining them. She even mentioned a few more types of learners that some people may have not have heard of before. I loved how Grandin talked about how individuals with ASD are thought of as different from the way "normal" people think. It is crazy for me to think that because I learn the same way as Grandin and as many other people in the world, that I am in some way not normal. This brings in another notion of what normal is. As a teacher we are told that no one is normal, but clearly there are still issues in which people and students are not feeling "normal." My one question would be then, how can I break this mold in which the word "normal" is still thought of as the highest and best power? What can I do to show my students that there is no "normal" way of learning?

Art has played an extremely important role in my life. From the age of three I have been dancing. To me, dancing is an extremely personal and profound form of art. When asked why I love to dance so much and why I have been committed to it for seventeen years, I simply say that I love the way it makes my body and soul feel. It is definitely a form of personal expression and it allows me to show how I am truly feeling. If I am angry my style of dance that day is going to be completely different from a day when I am happy and fulfilled. I have aquired a strong passion for the arts from dancing for so many years. I have come to thoroughly enjoy photography and paintings. In fact, my best friend from home is a beautiful and inspirational painter with whom I love to see her creations.

Like the one article stated, there is a personal aspect to art. For me, this is dance. I also agree with the second article when it says that art is great for students who may not perform well in other subject areas. If their strength is art, allow them to use that strength when it comes to learning other subjects. One question I have is how can I incoporate math and art? I am more than sure it is possible, I am just unsure of where to begin.