An Arts Based Approach

This year, I decided to enroll in a cross listed course that crosses the disciplines of English Language and Literature, Women and Gender Studies and Intercultural Studies. In my 4 years at Brock University I have not yet come across a course that crosses so many disciplines and also incorporates aspects of History and Political Science. The reason, that this course is cross listed across so many faculties is the wide scope of knowledge that comes from each topic, event or reading. Not only are we currently learning the historical information of political warfare in Latin America, we are reading first hand accounts and narratives of women who escaped their countries with very little family and cultural heritage to claim as their own.

            In reading this weeks chapter in Interweaving Curriculum and Classroom Assessment: Engaging the 21^st Century Learner there was a large focus on rich assessment tasks, and using curriculum to educate across disciplines and grade levels.  I believe that integrating different subjects for a more holistic education is going to benefit our 21^st Century learners in the long run. When it comes to learning, with a holistic design, students are more immersed in all the subjects that they are accustomed to. But instead of splitting up English, Drama, Music and History (for example), if we can integrate classes to build off of each other and explore how they can inform the other, students will have a more seamless education. I believe there is a lot to be learned from different areas of expertise and that with a community of teachers working together, the students will thrive. Just as my University course is allowing for an understanding of everything from women’s rights to literature and from the history of Latin America to the political unrest still there toady, I believe adolescent education can follow suit.

            Another aspect of the Brock University course that I enjoy so much is our discussions of interdisciplinary education. This also comes in the form of research methods and the move of academia to include all aspects of culture in its constraints. We discussed; for example, arts based research. This research uses “artistic processes and forms in one or more stages of the research process” (University of Alberta). In this framework, a painting could be used in demonstration of cultural significance in which ones research may be following. In another, the play used by a researcher could become the framework for discovery, using it as a jumping off point. Below I have attached the outline for arts based graduate research at the University of Alberta for you to take a look.

http://www.secondaryed.ualberta.ca:82/en/GraduatePrograms/AreasOfStudyOrientationsAndResearchTraditions/ArtsBasedResearchAndParticipatoryResearch.aspx

I think why this research perspective struck me is because of its inclusion of a variety of disciplines for one common goal. But why do we not use this in our undergraduate studies? Would this be applicable in the high school setting? Could we ask students to use and interpret art forms for their own understanding of a specific topic? I think yes. I hope that as we continue in our educational journey as perspective teachers we will be exposed to more methods of integrating other disciplines into our teachable. Personally I am a strong believer in the importance of drama and music being integrated into all aspects of academia. In this thought; however, I hope that other disciplines can teach me on how to integrate their learning objectives into my own classroom.

The Teacher As Expert: The 21st Century Shift From Traditional To Constructivist Teaching

The trajectory of education has substantially shifted throughout the 21^st century. As reflected in the first chapter of Interweaving Curriculum and Classroom Management (Drake et al.) the movement from the “old” to “new story” of education has been important for forging the grounds for student centered learning. No longer do teachers focus solely on tests and grades for recognition of student achievement. By incorporating the models of both “assessment as learning” (in which the progress of learning is made evident to student and teachers throughout the unit) as well as “Assessment as learning” (developing self assessment and having students monitor their own individual learning) teachers and students begin to develop a more symbiotic relationship in which both are champions of student development.  Students come to school with different experiences, interests, skills and advancements and as a result, the model of schooling and curriculum has had to make major adjustments to allow for students to thrive in these environments.

Within this chapter the examples “BYOD” was given to demonstrate 21^st century adaptations of technology and assessment. Instead of fighting the emergence of technology, schools have acknowledged the presence of devices with their students and therefore are developing interesting ways to use them within the classroom. It is futile to fight against the inevitable and using advances to the advantage of the students can create an environment of interest and understanding. For instance using phones in the classroom will help students to feel as if their teachers are attuned to their interests and learning styles.

Another thing within the chapter that I really liked was the use of “exit cards” as a tool of assessment. In my work with a school last summer I was able to see the use of “exit cards” in a tangible and successful fashion. The student teacher who was teaching almost 100% of the lessons within a certain class designed an exit ticket that was not only visually appealing and exciting to the students, but helped her to understand how the class was understanding her lessons. In the use of exit cards she included three sections, in which students recorded their favorite part of the lesson, things they were confused about and an answer to a trivia question. The student teacher worked very hard to go through these and assess how she as an educator could improve her lessons. In this way, students become a master of their own learning and tech their educators about what they respond well to.

The importance of a drastic shift in the education model is clear as a result of new a diverse learners; however, I wonder how this shift will affect students who have had a predominately traditional based learning experience. I remember when I was in Grade 10 history, my teacher asked us to not memorize information and rather to understand it. Although now that seems pretty standard in terms of educational philosophy, I was really thrown off. Furthermore, when told that we would be tested not on dates and factual information, but rather we would have to discuss comparisons of different historical events I was very confused as how to go about this. Being brought up in a pretty standard model of education (memorize your multiplication tables, testing on dates, specific information) etc, this new teacher who was trying to teach to a constructivist model completely threw our class off. We didn't like her teaching style very much. I understand that if a learner is brought up in this understanding then it may be easier for them to go through a “new story” of education, but for those of us who weren’t the change may be too drastic. Therefore, in changing diverse societies, how can we mirror the change of our education seamlessly to make it useful to students, to ensure the best learning possible?