Posted on

Course 3, Final Project-Halloween!

 

Are you ready for Halloween? Because we were just in time to decorate for the Open House and soon we will have a Halloween Party at school. Let’s warm-up and see some of the students’ works.

.

Poster- Shaun’s artwork.

Ylin_Slideshow_Halloween

After a strong collaboration with Melanie and Cindy, here comes our final project:

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1M43T9OJlpTr1wygtWXHYZ5KJM7UJpeOmVs69stinU44/edit?ts=5f8bbe73#slide=id.g9cffd0b9d1_0_2618

 

Halloween_COETAIL_Final_Course3_Project

  • Why did you choose the option you chose?

I look at the list of the shared groups and I thought that there was a small group also in Asia(Korea, Vietnam) and I thought that I could communicate easily because of the time zone, with them. I also often read their blogs and I found them, interesting educators, where we could find some things in common.  I love collaborations and I found it very exciting coming from different fields to find a common ground to work for all of us. I wrote them straight away an email and I was accepted into the group.

The combination of an analytical mindset(Melanie- the science teacher), a wonderful designer, and teacher Cindy (a true designer guru- I always admired her fantastic designs) and me -the art teacher and artist (a creative spirit), I thought would work nicely.  Also working with so experienced educators, like my colleagues, is always a great challenge to learn together, exchange experience, and get things from other perspectives.

  • Why did you choose this topic? These standards?
  • We were discussing in a video call various topics and standards. We were thinking about Ocean Pollution, Ceramics, and different states of matters,  but the time to realize this project would have been a very long one. We wanted to be something that could connect us all and to exchange as soon as possible opinions and results.
  • Because now it is the time of Halloween and the children would love this theme and it is an international celebration, we had the feeling that all the children would feel connected and happy about that. We set that the public would be the students from Vietnam.
  • We set up the lesson plan together, did the researches, and I  conducted a few lessons. One was online and two others at school. We sent samples of the student’s works to the school in Vietnam. The age of our students was also similar, 4th Grade(Cindy’s Class) with 5th Grade (my students) and 6th Grade( Melanie’s students). So they could definitely share many things in common at this age.
  • We choose ISTE Standard 6 and 7, Creative Communicator, and Global Collaborator
  • 6 B. Students create original works or responsibly repurpose or remix digital resources into new creations.
  • 7 B. Students use collaborative technologies to work with others, including peers, experts, or community members, to examine issues and problems from multiple viewpoints.
  • 7 C. Students contribute constructively to project teams, assuming various roles and responsibilities to work effectively toward a common goal.
  • How did you grow as a collaborator and facilitator during Course 3?
  • We designed together lesson plans, based on our skills achieved during this 3 rd course. We created a platform for students to exchange and get motivated, that their work reaches a wider public and it is valued.
  • How was this final project different from or similar to other learning experiences you have designed/facilitated?
  • I found it very useful that we had two video calls and we communicate via email and google docs comments very intensively. I found that all my peers worked very hard and then our work was smooth as the sea. A good structure was put in place from the beginning. We shared our work and responsibilities. So everyone knew what to do.
  • How does this final project relate to what you learned in Course 3?
  • We tried to design all our lessons based on all the units that we studied in this course. I explain to my students about visual literacy, visual hierarchy, infographics, memes, slideshows, the principle of design, CARP.  Even my students mess up their Infographic, it was interesting for me to see what I could facilitate and I was clear about it and what was maybe too difficult or too unclear explained. It is good to change the roles, and suddenly I found myself from the shoes of a student into the shoes of a teacher again.
  • What has influenced you the most in Course 3 and how is that reflected in your final project?
  • I like very much the idea of a story behind every design(Design Zen). I found it very important how the information and the design go hand in hand together.  Even I thought it would the job of a graphic designer, and sometimes I need lots of time for creating something with the computer,  I think it is necessary to have a basic of tools and I found myself, enjoying canva and trying to create lesson plans with visuals for my students.
  • What outcomes do you hope to see when students (or educators) complete this unit? How will you know that students (or educators) have learned the concepts?

Some of the samples of the work of my students from 5th Grade.

Ylin_Slideshow_Halloween

Halloween art ,

Anna_Halloween_History

 

Some of the students responded very well but some I have the feeling they didn’t understand the task and they needed more time to finish their work.

  • If you facilitated this experience, how did the learners respond to it? What feedback did you collect to inform future experiences?
  • Based on the Halloween theme and our lesson plans, I conducted two classes with 5th Graders, (creating, slideshows inspired by the history of Halloween, infographics, and posters).
  • I even created for the Lower Elementary students, some lessons because they loved our displayed artworks and they wanted to create something inspired by Halloween Theme as well. I taught one class for Kindy -exploring line and how to create a spider net and cut-outs of a Ghost House(one student created a beautiful drawing and cut out of our haunted school) and one lesson for the 1st Grade with Halloween Pumpkins-with line patterns and cut-outs. Our Halloween week is still ongoing and I hope the kids are full of imagination to enfold even more their spooky ideas about Halloween.
  • Feedback:
  • I gave too much information. I should structure more simple for elementary students.
  • I still have to work on my skills in slideshows. I would like to create a better presentation myself and prepare less material with clear tasks.
  • I wish I could have compiled all the pdfs data presentation in a slideshow, but I didn’t have time to figure that out. I am happy at the moment that I can use canva, the gallery in the menu for the blog, and some other tools. And, last but not least, I am very proud that in Seesaw I made huge progress. I am very comfortable with lots of functions and tools. I finished 10 webinars as Seesaw Pioneer and I was invited to attend the Ambassador training program and hopefully, soon I could become a Seesaw Ambassador.

Happy Halloween everyone!

 

Posted on

Course 3/ Week5/ Breaking Down Barriers

This course was a long one, but this last unit with the interactive task to reflect on “The Cycle of Socialization”- broke out our routine. The FlipGrid platform to be immediately active and exchange ideas, opinions with our colleagues was a great digital tool to explore and collaborate asynchronously.

Please check out our community discussion and express your opinion.

 

We reflected on the article by Harro: Cycle of Socialization (Harro, Chapter from Readings for Diversity and Social Justice).

We had to choose one word, one sentence, and one phrase that resonates with us and to render the content of the text.

* One word: 

“RESPECT”

* One sentence:

“WHY CAN’T WE ALL JUST GET ALONG?”

* One phrase:

“THE OBVIOUS FIRST LEAP THAT PEOPLE MAKE, IS THE ASSUMPTION THAT, IF WE JUST BEGAN TO APPRECIATE DIFFERENCES, AND TREAT EACH OTHER WITH RESPECT, THEN EVERYTHING WOULD BE ALL RIGHT, AND THERE WOULD BE NO OPRESSION”.

 

What is the Cycle of Socialization?

“The cycle of socialization is a process through which social identities are created, and in effect, each individual represents and is affected by their social identity. “(Source.)

Please check out my answer and join in our debate.

I think instead of explaining with words all the concepts of the text again, I would prefer to illustrate with some art images or a music video clip, what I took away from it.

I think this song catches in a beautiful way the message of the text as well.

This message of imagining a peaceful world where all can live in peace and harmony is what it stays with me after this debate.

 

This document:

https://www.nsrfharmony.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/TextRendering-N_0.pdf,

helps us to understand how this Flipgrid method could be implemented as a collaborative method.

Have you used Flipgrid before?

I saw an online short workshop introduction from a colleague of mine via zoom PD, but I have never used it before to play with the tools.

How was this experience similar to/different from other times you’ve used Flipgrid?

How might you use Flipgrid (or other tools) in your classroom/school in order to collaborate with colleagues and expand students’ authentic, real-world learning experiences?

Sharing a communication platform for a topic. Like human rights posters. Or reflecting on quotes of different artists. For example a slide like this.

Or even more provocative, Banksy’s art and quotes.

“I want to live in a world created by art, not just decorated by it”.

How might your reading on diversity and social justice impact your practice?

Being more active in bringing this information to others. Trying to expose the children more to the socio-political debates. What was the role of propaganda posters? What is the esthetic and the influence of art within the poster message? I would like to introduce artists like Banksy and open their understanding that art could be a very important medium to express yourself freely.

Banksy‘s graffiti art.

“Imagine a city where graffiti wasn’t illegal, a city where everybody could draw whatever they liked. Where every street was awash with a million colors and little phrases. Where standing at a bus stop was never boring. A city that felt like a party where everyone was invited, not just the estate agents and barons of big business. Imagine a city like that and stop leaning against the wall – it’s wet.”
― Banksy, Wall and Piece

What privileged or oppressed groups are you part of?

I am privileged because I have a safe life in Korea. Since I lived in Korea, it was not easy to be accepted as an independent artist here. Social status is very important here in Korea. Often people can’t understand the purpose and meaning of being an artist. Having a second status as a teacher, suddenly became more important for society. Luckily I could find my place and have a balance between my teaching practice and artist practice. The other teachers in my school could appreciate and make finally an advantage of this background for my work perspective.

How has being part of those groups impacted who you are today and how you interact with your colleagues and students?

I think that living in Berlin for 10 years and being part of the international artist community shaped me to be an open-minded person. Then, later on, choosing to live in an international community from the international school gave me the freedom to express myself as I am and to be open-minded, and to accept different perspectives from different people around the world as well. It definitely enriched me.

What is the “Cycle of Socialization” for you?

“Why can’t we all just get along?”-this sentence from Harro’s article stays with me.

 

 

Posted on

Course 3/ Week 4/ The Art of Communication

 

Today I will try a different perspective and I will start backward with the last question from my assignment:

“How might the concepts from this week change how you see the world?”

  •  audience-message

Considering better the audience you clarify your message, what you would like to communicate with the others. Then you can structure your ideas in simple keywords.

  • right visuals-support your message

The visuals are very important. The right visuals which support your message are the key to reinforced communication. Please check this info.

Garr Raynolds gives some wonderful examples and says that “Good” or “Bad” presentation design does not exist. It is “appropriate” or “inappropriate”, depending on the context.

Implementing the message as a storyteller, it is also a brilliant idea. I love his statement “Storytelling makes us humans”. Watch this ted talk, please.

 

..and I applied his 11th lesson from storytelling “Be authentic”, take risks, and let yourself be vulnerable and I try to create a better presentation.

 

Before
The Elements of Arts in Comparison_01,

The_Elements_of_Art_Inquiry

In this slide, I wanted to provoke students to think and observe more using some of my personal artworks to make them more curious. I chose to search and identify some of the elements of arts. Let’s see if that could be easier for my elementary students with this inquiry strategy.

Usually, in my classroom, I am not using PowerPoint presentations in my teaching practice. I sometimes use Google Slides to structure a lesson and show my students visual aids and a collection of some inspiring pictures.

But this year, I became a great fun of Seesaw. Because I need it every day in my online teaching practice. I am creating mostly there my lessons with all the tools to create templates to answer, to record voice instructions, to add multiple visual aids,  links, and so many other features. I like it because it is simple and even the students have some basic tools easy and fun to use. It is a great tool for collaborative learning.

Luckily this week we started all back to school and we are enjoying now different methods of communicating and expressing our ideas.

Probably now would be the right point to gather feedback. I should send a survey to the students and parents, to ask their opinion about how I communicate my assignments.  Were the visual aids clear enough? Were the lessons easy to understand and to follow? Or, I could use the Harkness discussion protocols method to invite my students to voice their opinion.

Often I used to ask my students in our zoom meetings about their opinion and what was working well and what should I stop using. I got very constructive feedback and I could adjust and improve my lessons.

Probably I would even ask my colleagues their feedback. Often we use to advise each other and collaborate closely. Especially with lower elementary and ELC was very important to communicate early enough what is efficient and easy for students and parents to follow.

“Context matters
However, as far as design is concerned, it is useful not to think (judge) in terms of right or wrong, but rather in terms of what is appropriate or inappropriate. That is, is it appropriate or inappropriate for a particular context? “Good” and “Bad” are indeed terms we use when talking about design — including PowerPoint/Keynote slides — but I’m personally cautious of this kind of thinking, especially when judging a design without its full context available.”

I totally agree with him, because they are many different audiences and presentation from different fields and design it should serve its purpose of delivering the right information to the right people.

The task sounded like that:” The assignment is to choose a visual aid (slide, poster, anchor chart, etc.) that you would like to update.”

How did this process differ from other times you have created/updated other visual aids?

I remembered that I am an artist at the base and I wish to use my skills as a personal strength and originality. I would like to combine the visuals which are handmade with the digital text which is clear, informative, and compact.

Were you surprised by any of the design principles?

Actually not. Because I am an art teacher actually, I knew all the design principles but applied in a different context more in the artistic (and less informational) message through artworks.

Were there any design principles that you already consistently implement in your work? 

CARP

  • Contrast– for the maximum contrast between the text/ images and the background.
  • Alignment -left, right up, down, symmetry
  • Repetition- repeating the same box format.
  • Proximity

What is your opinion about my first slide presentation and the second one? Did I reach my goal?

  by Garr Raynolds

I think I could still practice those digital presentation skills. I feel that it is hard for me, from an artist and educator, to turn so fast into a graphic designer. I believe that only time and exercise make people skillful.

 

 

 

Posted on

Course 3/ Week3/ The Power of Infographics

“It always seems impossible until it’s done!”  said Nelson Mandela.

I feel just like that when I was waiting for the download for my first Infographic from Canva that I have just finished. And voilá!

I had to visualize lots of data to select which has the strongest visual impact and it’s clear to understand and also which is copyright free to use. I added one slide extra(Abstract versus Figurative) because I had to balance my visual expression in this gallery.

Please check here the slideshow Infographic: The Elements of Art in Comparision.

  • What is the purpose of my infographic?  The purpose of my infographic is to enhance understanding of the elements of art for my students when applying the skills built on the elements of arts. I tried to do also an animated version but the size was too big to upload.
  • Who is the intended audience? The students from Elementary School at ISB (PYP Art) or other children around the world. I am happy to share via Seesaw Community sometimes. (only if is something really good).

But what are Infographics per definition?

According to Kathy Schrock, (Infographic Resources (Kathy Schrock))

“Information graphics or infographics are visual representations of information, data, or knowledge. These graphics are used where complex information needs to be explained quickly and clearly, such as in signs, maps, journalism, technical writing, and education. ”

  • How might a focus on visual communication impact student learning?

I think especially for the art class the visual perception is very powerful for children. When I can give some clear examples with images, their understanding is beyond expectations. The colors, the simplicity, and the clarity of our message are very important.

I was very fascinated to search for interesting infographics that might be suitable to introduce in the art class to my students. To my surprise, I found some very nice ones. I am sure that my kids would love it.

Who is who by the color?

Heroes versus Villains represented by colors in comics books. DC and Marvel By Dailyinfographics and color designers.

 

The Color Psychology of Disney Characters

 

Some of the valuable examples of analyzing data in infographics you could find here.

My Favorite Data Analytics & Data Visualization Blogs

 

  • How might educators support students in expressing themselves creatively in all subject areas?

I hope with this lesson, the children could be more creative combining information and visual expression. The children will have a better idea of how to create visual graphics or a poster that helps them in other research-based learning to summarize and communicate their ideas in a very direct and simple presentation form.

How did this creation process differ from others?

I have never created an Infographic. I had to have a look at the resources which tools, programs I would like to use. I was still thinking that it will take me so long, that I would better create a  note-taking instead. This concept I like very much and I am sure I will try this out one day.

How did the purpose and intended audience impact the final product?

I will test it on Monday and then I can give you my feedback.

If you used this infographic in a lesson, a presentation, or on your blog, how did others react to it?

I didn’t get yet their feedback. Next week we will teach again. I am looking forward to hearing about my colleague’s opinion as well.   

What impact had my infographic for you? Which message did you take? Would you improve something? What would be that? What did you like it and what would you change? How?

Constructive criticism is always welcome! Thank you!

 

 

Posted on

#Course 3/ Week2/ Making Connections

Introductions/ Collaborations

Collaborations are one of my passion in my teaching practice. I love how in PYP we are encouraged to collaborate with the homeroom teachers, transdisciplinary or interdisciplinary, with other subjects within the units of inquiry planned.

Sometimes, I can’t wait to put myself in the shoes of the children and to jump in their world and create together some crazy visions about our world. Especially the lower elementary children and the ELC children are very curious and open to exploring together painting, printing, crafting, etc.

I am thrilled to plan collaborations among the children. How much fun is when the children would have the chance to work together and collaborate creating an art project together. They often ask me if they could work in a group and with the new rules with social distancing, it was not easy to plan that.

Because I have the children seldom at school( every 3 days two classes) and I am lucky if, on that day they have art, I have to plan in a particular way, my classes. Some art classes are “live” and some are still on zoom. Every week the schedule is different and sometimes the schedule confuses me. But I would be very happy to share some of the examples of collaborations.

When the children came to school, I organized different stations with different activities that the children are not bored and then I appointed them in groups of 4-5 children at each table to have a balanced dynamic in the classroom. They can rotate and switch the stations.

5th Grade

The new way of how I planned my art class was with different stations, where children can explore different experiences: clay art, printing/ painting with string on a paper, and shapes balancing(rock balancing).

I made the list with the groups(4-5students) at the beginning of my class and I called their names one by one and I assigned them to their group on a particular table.

Then I got their attention, explaining at each station what are the materials and the challenges. Then I let them create and enjoy the art time.

My stations were:

  1. String Printing/Painting- 
  2. . Clay Art/ 3D 
  3. Balancing rocks and shapes 
  4.  Painting on Canvas 

At each station were posters with instructions on how to explore that technique. I asked them to feel free to explore, but I emphasized the importance of exchanging ideas, helping each other, and supporting each other finding a common goal/idea to express.

For string printing, it was important to think about contrast, to experiment with different colors, shapes, traces, effects.

Clay Art– we explored the form, space, the balance, tell a story, and collaborate. The collaborative learning experience was at the center of this activity.

.

 

Painting on Canvas

We had to finish a project inspired by the space and we were exploring all the colors and the shade of darkness. Another method was to think from dark to light and apply the clear obscure effect.

PDF_Lesson_Plan

I am sorry that I don’t have now the pictures from the balancing rocks and shape project and the other section with the paintings. Maybe I could share it at a later point in those pictures.

3rd Grade/ Dots Day/

Pointillism with digital dots on a screen or brush dot painting

Because it was The Dot Day, I introduced Pointilismus and I painted for the children live on zoom an artwork in this technique. I used a thin round brush and a medium brush. I invited them to explore pointillism with digital dots and if they have time and curiosity also with watercolors.

 

Creative Communicator
Students publish or present content that customizes the message and medium for their intended audiences.
Here I used the standard for educators:
6.c. Create learning opportunities that challenge students to use a design process and computational thinking to innovate and solve problems.

Cultural competence

“Cultural competence means understanding your own culture, other’s culture, and the role of culture in education. Using student’s culture as a basis for learning, communicating high expectations, and reshaping curriculum to reflect student’s diversity leads to better educational outcomes.” NEA

Thinking Routines

I was very fascinated by this video how clear and simply explains the thinking routines of Project Zero.

I found it very valuable when I discovered so many strategies of inquiries and structured plans not only for arts but for all the fields.

Incredible learning and teaching resources from Project Zero to use every day. I will definitely refer to it as often as possible. They are all PDF with structured strategies free to download.

I was inspired to use the one with the Line, Color, Shape, and See /Think.

Colors Shapes Lines_1

Recently I have also at our school a PD about the Inquiry Process and how we could structure the same method across the years. We refer to the Murdock’s Scheme and Inquiry Cycle. It was very useful to see all the additional questions information for each phase.

Other Inquiries Models from PYP.

 

I would like to create a new structure in my art class to teach in the hybrid model that we have at the moment at school.

For the 4th Graders, I was planning to sharpen their power of observation and challenge them to be researchers and communicators. I wanted to push their creative thinking on another level and they did just amazing.

4th Grade

  1. Who is my favorite artist? Why?

Create an artwork inspired by my favorite artist. I explained that one of my favorite artists is René Magritte(and I gave them more examples from his artworks) and then I invite them that they could search independently of their favorite artists and artworks.

Artworks as an example to get inspired by different art movements.

I used the See-Think strategy to get them involved in this process.

See Think Me We_0

Their answers were amazing. I think using their cultural influence was empowering them to search and share with us some famous artists from their countries. For example, I have a student from Colombia who searched and created an artwork inspired by Fernando Botero’s art style. I think being culturally competent to have the knowledge, curiosity, and empathy from artists and cultures from other countries bounded us in this experience.

  • I think this is the answer to how is someone being culturally competent support relationships.

 

Here they used:

Creative Communicator 6a: Customizing Platforms and Tools (ISTE Standards for Students)

Knowledge Constructor

Students critically curate a variety of resources using digital tools to construct knowledge, produce creative artifacts, and make meaningful learning experiences for themselves and others.

Kindy

Another wonderful collaborative learning experience was last year for World Kindness Day when we painted hearts together. We were caring for and expressing our feelings. We were sharing materials and mixing colors exploring different shades of Pink/Red color.

 

Some other wonderful collaborations from last year were:

  • 3rd Grade for the Unit “Who We Are?”,  we created self-portrait with the pictures and feelings from the 1st day of School. Their homeroom teacher took a picture from their first day of school and I printed all out and guide them on how to explore in their paintings. Now those artworks are beautifully exhibited on our corridors at school and I am very proud of my students.

  • 5th Grade created a collective mural around 2m x1.5 m inspired by Seurat and interpreting in their own vision his famous artwork ” A Sunday Afternoon..”. Making connections with their puzzle of painting to each other(searching and finding) was a deep way to collaborate and create an impressive mural together.

STANDARDS FOR STUDENTS

1

Empowered Learner

Students leverage technology to take an active role in choosing, achieving, and demonstrating competency in their learning goals, informed by the learning sciences.

See the Empowered Learner standards in action.  Empowered Learner Playlist

1a
Students articulate and set personal learning goals, develop strategies leveraging technology to achieve them and reflect on the learning process itself to improve learning outcomes.

 

Epilog

For sure in my experience being passionate about collaborations, I can affirm that collaborative learning facilitates a deeper understanding.

Luckily during this special teaching time, within the hybrid model, (because of the coronavirus pandemic) the technology helped us very much. Seesaw was my main communicator which facilitate my teaching to my students.

For students missing the social contact so much, we realized as well as integrating technology in our life we could collaborate and communicate easily with students, parents, and colleagues. We bond strong connections to each other.