Primary Sources in the Visual Arts

Utilizing Primary Sources-

Guiding learning from sources that are personalized and derived from real-world events can helps students take a vested interest in a topic. A letter from a soldier or one  of Van Gogh's artist statements will bring learning to a more interpersonal level.  



During week 4 of my class, Best Practices in Gifted Education, the idea of utilizing Primary Sources in history courses was discussed. Watching this video definitely illuminates the subject of primary sources for me:

 After reading about Primary Source inclusion in a history course, I than began my search for resources for Primary Sources in Art!

Sure, I can explain the torture and torment that Friday Kahlo endured or talk about how tumultuous, loving but painful Frida's marriage to Diego Rivera was or would her story and artwork hit on another level when presented from real footage of the artist?

  

Feed the Talent, Career Inspiration May Follow...

One of my favorite chapters from my classes textbook Best Practices in Gifted Education was titled, "Talent Development". As a high school Ceramics and Jewelry teacher, I have the amazing opportunity to develop artistic, visual-spatial and conceptual-talent everyday.  The difference however, for a GT student is that this development can shape the way his or her mind processes creative problem solving on another level (beyond the typical high school pupil). The challenge of thinking creatively for a Gifted and Talented teenager has the potential for learning and growth beyond the classroom; a career in the arts might open doors to a GT youth's future that he or she did not realize before an Art class (or really any class the student might demonstrate an aptitude).

While these two subjects (Talent Development and Career Development) might not have been directly correlated in our textbook, I see these two concepts compliment each other every semester I teach. In addition to being an art teacher, I am also a Career and Technical Education certified instructor. My art classes are modeled after college level courses and I work with art directors, graphic designers and professional potters in the community to tie the creation of art with a career.

A student may be identified as talented in visual-spatial relationships or creativity but may have only been given the opportunity to express these talents through small project in other classes or outside of school in community center classes, or individually. When a GT student is exposed to the highly-technical and conceptual journey of a high school art class that also explores creative career paths, I often see their eyes "light up" with possibility.

• Talent Development-

Students who demonstrate a strong skill in a particular area or subject should be mentored and inspired to foster his or her talent. When given the opportunity to explore, connect and express a talent, a powerful connection may be developed whose potential could influence a student's future.

• Career Education-

Educating students about  career paths and even shaping a class to address real-world applications in a career will help young adults to comprehend the options available to them beyond school walls. 

To guide my Career and Technical Education in career development, I often reference the CTE website:

http://sc.jeffco.k12.co.us/education/staff/staff.php?sectionid=8131



While reading the article, " The Development of a Career Education Program for Gifted High School Students"(link below).  I was inspired to not just bring career education in the arts to my classes, but to also bring the students to the field. I want to plan more field trips (rather than guest speakers) to video editing companies, pottery studios and jewelers workshops after thinking about the real-world applications mentioned in this article. 
ARTICLE LINK

Higher Level Thinking= Getting My Art Students to Think Deep!

Higher Level Thinking= 

  

Teaching my art students to think:

• analytically
• conceptually
• comparatively
• creatively
• critically   

A nice complement to Inquiry Based Learning to address the needs of Gifted and Talented students, is the implementation of Higher Level Thinking in the classroom.
  


When higher order thinking is utilized, learning will develop on a more personalized and fully-comprehended level when thinking skills  move beyond memorization or low-level recall.  Instead, critical, creative, reflective and metacognitive thinking skills can be taught in the classroom. 

As always, being an Art Teacher, my hunt for resources related to higher level thinking and how to implement this technique is always related to its application in a visual arts classroom.   I found two one resource specifically related to higher level thinking and teaching in the visual arts on Incredibleart.org.

Inevitably, Bloom's Taxonomy came up in my search for resources over and over again; fine with me, because I love Bloom's ideas and the way he addresses questioning and thinking on higher levels is absolutely applicable in my classroom. As a teacher, I'm always looking for new ways to integrate his studies. 

The article I found (link below), was awesome!  Not only did it provide a host of resources for art teachers and Bloom's taxonomy but it included a simply series of steps to use in the classroom (also included below).
Bloom and The Arts 

 I also found a great ppt. that could be used in any classroom for higher level thinking called, " Higher Order Thinking Skills in The Classroom (H.O.T. Skills).

 Two other resources I found specifically related to an art classroom included:
Fine Arts and the HOTS (higher order thinking skills) 

H.E.A.T. in the Arts Classroom 

I can use the information from both of these sites! Providing students in my classrooms, creative modes of artistic expression can give my students the opportunity to explore personal experiences through artistic investigation and personal inquiry. These are higher level thinking skills for sure! What's nice about these sites, however, is that they provide me with a base of ideas and reminders for how to take my art projects up a notch. 
 

  

Inquiry + Exploration= Comprehension

As Inquiry Based Learning is one of the strongest and most accessible teaching methods I can integrate for my Gifted and Talent art students (in addition to increasing the comprehension levels of ALL my students), I have included another post of resources.

I hunted for sites and articles that relate to the Visual Arts specifically. I found a few that did, indeed relate to my field and how I might approach this form of teaching in my Ceramics and Jewelry high school classes.






One of the articles I came across was entitled: "Multi-Curricular Inquiry-Based Learning" by
Carl Chambers. 

His premise is that "Inquiry-based learning is a natural human activity in which the learner obtains meaning from experience" and he includes that, "Using the tools and methods of scientists, artists, problem solvers, and citizens in society,students in an Inquiry driven classroom gain both a deeper understanding of themselves and the world around them" .  

It was awesome to find that this article specifically addresses the visual arts. Chambers relates the inherent nature of inquiry in the artistic process and how art educators can further this form of learning when practiced with inquiry emphasis in the arts classroom.

In his article he writes,  "art educators must help people to understand that it is with the formation of questions and the pursuit of answers that we should initiate and carry out our essential investigations into the visual arts. Many art education theorists set forth inquiry as a traditional tenet of discipline- based art education. They feel that students who understand and use methods of inquiry in the use of art should be able to go beyond merely learning facts. As they acquire concepts and laws associated with the art disciplines and engage in characteristic acts of inquiry, they gradually can begin to understand the complete sequence of relationships involved. Such advanced learners will be those who participate in the discourse of the disciplines and use its modes of inquiry with ease".

Article: Multi-Curricular Inquiry-Based Learning, Carl Chambers

Also from Chambers article, a strong framework for planning Inquiry Based lessons was included; I've posted it below:

I also found a simplified, but effective use of inquiry in an arts classroom on Youtube. I would alter the level of questioning for my high school students, but I was able to draw inspiration from this teacher.

In addition to videos and articles, I came across a resource that I'd like to order. This book (link to amazon provided) looks like a great framework for getting Inquiry Based Learning going:

Amazon Link

Stimulate The Mind!

During the second week of my Best Practices in Gifted Education class, we explored a variety of strategies that address the learning needs of gifted individuals. I found this week's topics (encouraging creativity, multiple intelligences, higher level thinking and Inquiry Based Learning & Teaching) to be highly intriguing (to the point that I am researching and implementing several new teaching strategies in my classroom).  

All of the above topics are ways of stimulating the mind by encouraging analytical thinking, exploratory (rather than rote) learning, addressing all the different modes we use as humans to learn (visual, spatial, auditory, tangible) and allowing students to dive into the learning process rather than simply hear it lectured to them. The benefit of these learning strategies is that retention and comprehension develop at a much higher level. Like the picture below:

 


One of my favorite strategies is Inquiry Based Learning. As stated from the Northeastern Illinois University website (link below), "Inquiry-based instruction is a student-centered and teacher-guided instructional approach that engages students in investigating real world questions that they choose within a broad thematic framework". 

"Inquiry-Based instruction complements traditional instruction by providing a vehicle for extending and applying the learning of students in a way that connects with their interests within a broader thematic framework. Students acquire and analyze information, develop and support propositions, provide solutions, and design technology and arts products that demonstrate their thinking and make their learning visible".


This video, is a creative and visually stimulating, stop-motion animation that helps to define Inquiry Based Learning:

 This article also helped me with a few easy guidelines when designing Inquiry Based Learning strategies in my Visual Arts classes:

10 Tips for Inquiry-Based Learning 


Lastly, this site is also a strong resource for all things Inquiry Based:

Northeastern Illinois Univeristy- Inquiry Based Learning Site 

 

Social Emotional GT Concerns

 

One of the first resources that highlights Gifted and Talented Education is this video I found from Portugal. Our first session in my Best Practices in Gifted Education course tackled the social-emotional needs of GT individuals.

I found this video to be extremely informative about the social emotional needs of  GT students because authentic and identified, GT individuals are interviewed and included in the video segments. The video shows the challenges surrounding teaching GT students in addition to the difficulties a persona has being Gifted and Talented.
 
In this video, Joao Paulo (a GT student who has been expelled for difficulties interacting with his teachers) discusses, first hand his struggles socially in school. A GT specialist in the video addresses some techniques for helping the social emotional issues related to GT kids, including:
1. early identification
2. specialized help to educate GT students and understand how people learn differently (promoting tolerance and understanding for their peers and helping them to understand their own unique, talented minds)
3. Differentiated, challenging instruction.

The article below, made a nice compiled list of common Social Emotional GT student social emotional characteristics:
 Social Emotional Characteristics of a Gifted and Talented Student

This portfolio will highlight resources, information, vocabulary, and strategies discovered during my Best Practices in Gifted Education course.

Each week's blog will include images, links and text all exploring the Gifted and Talented (GT) topic of how to best address, challenge and collaborate with GT students in the classroom.

I am a Visual Arts instructor at Golden Senior High in Golden, Colorado. It has been exemplified over and over during my years teaching students in  Jewelry and Ceramics classes, that utilizing GT strategies in the classroom not only enhances the GT student's learning experience but can also be applied to the enhancement of ALL learners.