additional artifacts are along the margins
VISUAL ARTS PORTFOLIO
entry one, session one
additional artifacts are along the margins
Presidential Portrait of Barack Obama, Kehinde Wiley, Oil on Canvas, 2018.
I was already comfortable and enthusiastic for this course because of my prior knowledge and experience, as well as my own personal interest in the arts. However, I felt that it was unfortunate to take this course within the span of three weeks as oppose to my undergraduate program at Ryerson University for Early Childhood Studies, where we had Visual Arts for one semester and Dance & Drama for another. As we began to talk about the benefits and versatility of the Ontario’s Arts curriculum (2009), the words; creativity, communication, integration, and equity aligned perfectly with my personal and professional pedagogical values when establishing a healthy and thriving classroom environment. When I was learning about various pedagogical theories during my undergrad program, the Reggio Emilia Approach was one that had the most emphasis on supporting creative and critical thinking, where just as we discussed in class, uses the Head, Heart, and Hands for effective and affective learning.
In the Felicity McArdle reading, teachers are encouraged to provide children with “democratic freedom” and view their students as capable, competent thinkers and “freely choosing individuals” (McArdle, 2002, p.155). I believe that based on visual arts’ values stated within the curriculum, teachers should not be neglecting art class as a 45-minute time slot filler on a Friday afternoon before a school break. I found that in my junior-level practicum experiences, the art curriculum was an secondary tool for learning rather than a balanced and integrated lesson. For example, the Grade 5 and 6 students finished reading a book for Language Arts class and during their art class they were to create a three-dimensional map of the book’s setting. The students were then assessed on the amount of details and accuracy of their map, which left little to no room for artistic and creative freedom. Although they had the access to resources and were able to work on this project more than once a week, it was missing what I think are the most important in the arts curriculum; the Heart and creativity. McArdle also explained the significant role a teacher plays when contributing to students’ artistic identity, and stated that, “What is considered “proper” art teaching is contingent on a number of factors, including our experience, our training, and the discourse of education,” (McArdle, 2009, p.157). I later came to realize this effect when I began to teach my own art lessons with the same class and observed their obsession with accuracy and constantly asking if they were creating their artworks the “correct” way. I wish for educators now and for the future, with enough professional development and self-efficacy, is to recognize and appreciate the great, healthy, and longitudinal impact that effective arts teaching can have on students’ overall achievement.
References
McArdle, F. (2002). “Visual Arts” in The Arts, Young Children and Learning. (pp. 151-159)
Ontario Ministry of Education (2009). Curriculum Guidelines: The Arts pp. 3 - 10, 19 - 22, 23 – 2
Self-portrait of a Grade 6 student, inspired from Norval Morrisseau's Man Changing into Thunderbird (1977) and Danielle Daniel's Sometimes I Feel Like a Fox (2015).
entry two, session four
The exploration of big ideas and teaching to the cultural context of the classroom resonated with my personal and professional experience because from a developmental standpoint, learning about ideas that affect students’ everyday being is a lot easier than learning from the context of something foreign to students. In class, as we were discussing big ideas that we are passionate about, I thought of resiliency, self-empowerment, and empathy. Thus, when reading Melanie Buffington’s article, Power Play (2014), and learning about the works of Kehinde Wiley, it reminded me of the big ideas and cultural context of Jean-Michel Basquiat, another Black American artist based in New York. As Buffington explains the culturally relevant pedagogy, I reflected on how I use Basquiat’s artwork in my teachings with kindergarten students from a school that has predominantly Black and Indigenous students, to discuss social justice issues. There is a book called Life Doesn’t Frighten Me, a poem by Maya Angelou and its pictures were the artworks from Basquiat. What I love most from showing his style and artwork is that it is similar to children’s drawings so I enjoy noticing students making that connection and begin seeing themselves as successful artists. Buffington also mentions the various dimension of multicultural education, such as “content integration, knowledge construction, equity pedagogy, and empowering school culture [and then later added] prejudice reduction,” (Buffington, 2014, p.8). In my previous entry I briefly discussed the versatility of integrating art curriculum’s values, which along with the multicultural education’s dimensions, could easily be the underlining ideas addressed all across curricula.
As the new curriculum continues to update and incorporate Indigenous culture, it is essential for teachers to understand the Indigenous Arts Protocol. Bear Witness, from the Tribe Called Red stated in the video that “If you do want to explore things you know that aren’t your own that don’t come from yourself. Then listening is the most important thing. That you find somebody who can teach you how to respect and how to do things right,” (2016). This mostly speaks to teachers who are outside of their classroom culture and may feel unsure of what practices are culturally appreciating versus appropriating. In terms of the ongoing process of enriching arts practices, Nyla Innuksuk said, “Y’know Indigenous people they want to share what they have so if you ask questions and you have a willingness to learn they will understand that and they’ll want to share with you their culture.” Thus, with the growing availability of Indigenous ambassadors and resources, establishing a safe and inclusive classroom dynamic should be woven into everyday curricula.
References
Angelou, M., Boyers, S.J., Basquiat, J.M. (1993). Life doesn't frighten me.
Buffington, M. (2014). Power play: Rethinking roles in the art classroom. Art Education, 67(4), 6-11.
OAC Protocols for Working with Indigenous Art & Artists (2016).
VIEW here! OAC Protocols for Working with Indigenous Art & Artists (2016).
Angelou, M., Boyers, S.J., Basquiat, J.M. (1993). Life doesn't frighten me.
entry three, session five
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As a member of the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO), I frequently visit the exhibits and permanent collections within the gallery. However, our class trip changed my perspective of the artworks in the gallery and re-energized my critical and creative thinking through the various activities presented to me. Since I was already interested in going to the AGO, I went in with an enthusiastic and positive outlook but it also made me question how to create that same atmosphere for the students who do not feel as eager to walk around and look at artwork all day. In the Stacey Goodman article (2014), there is a list of activities to do while at the gallery however does not include how to prepare the students for the trip or how to debrief and extend their learning after the trip. Thus I am taking it upon myself to touch on a few activities from the reading and our excursion that inspired my own future teaching and include ways to continue students’ ongoing thinking even when they have long left the gallery.
The first activity that left me with the biggest impact was searching for art pieces that spoke to my personal big ideas. My artifact is the drawing piece I found by Shuvinai Ashoona which I felt represented my big idea of Uniqueness and/or Independence because each character stood out from one another which expressed their individuality yet they did overpower each other. After labelling this piece to represent my big idea, I felt like it solidified my personal values and I built an ownership and connection to the art piece. As a way to extend students’ thinking, students could create a small list of their big ideas/ values prior to the trip, then during the trip they could match their big ideas to the artworks thus getting into the role of an art collector. Once they scavenged for their big idea pieces, either through taking photos of it or sketching them (like how our class did in the African collection) the students can then present and critically analyze their collections as a class or in small groups. This activity could also incorporate Goodman’s idea of the Guerilla Girls inspired activity of institutional critiquing whose voices are being silenced and underrepresented (2014). What I admire most about field trips to art galleries is that there will always be at least one artwork that will resonate with a person and create a deeper connection and admiration for visual arts. This idea should allow teachers to let go of the insecurity of not being an art expert and just allow the students explore and create their own meaning. That is the beauty of using the environment as the third teacher and having students immersed in the art world.
References
Unknown title, Shuvinai Ashoona, Drawing, 2017.
Goodman, S. (2014). Eight ways to enliven up the museum field trip.
Unknown title, Shuvinai Ashoona, Drawing, 2017.
Ken Robinson's TED Talk (2006)
entry four, session six
Similar to our mosaic class activity with the relief prints, during my internship at Vibe Arts for Children and Youth, we facilitated a workshop with the children in Sick Kids Hospital’s burn unit to create a mosaic piece using the resistance technique. We discussed as we created the piece the importance of staying strong and not allowing our obstacle to overtake our identity, hence the title; Resistance. As one of my projects with Vibe Arts, I also created a three-day workshop for school aged students to go on a walkabout and search for street art and eventually creating a street art piece of their own. This introduces the ideas of what is street art versus vandalism and tagging. After listening to the Ted Talk of the French street artist, JR, it provided the affirmation that many people needed to hear about the significance of art and its influence on society (2011). I have noticed a gradual shift in society’s idea of art, especially with the current Banksy exhibit coming to Toronto and the growth of murals around the city. JR’s talk stated that, “the city is the best gallery… I would never have to make a book and then present it to the gallery and let them decide… I would control it directly with the public in the streets,” which connects strongly to my big idea of Self-empowerment (2011). By having students take control of what they want to present and how they want to represent it, it builds on the idea of having students become their own ambassadors.
In my own experience, I found that one of my first forms of advocacy and self-expression came from visual art. Thus, as teachers from kindergarten to high school, I believe that artistic freedom should be supported to foster innovation, problem-solving, and advocacy. This also connects to Ken Robinson’s renown Ted Talk on how traditional teaching is eliminating students’ creativity during a time when innovation and problem solving skills are at high demand (2006). Once students find their inspiration and passion within themselves, it can be used in other areas of the curricula and most likely outside of the classroom. As an example of a big idea becoming advocacy could connect to the science curriculum’s expectation for environmental stewardship and sustainability. This is what means by using art to turn the world inside out with the context of education; by nurturing students’ own values and encouraging them to advocate for their cause, thus inspiring students to make a change.
References
JR's Using Art to Turn the World Inside Out:
http://www.ted.com/talks/jr_s_ted_prize_wish_use_art_to_turn_the_world_inside_out.html
Ken Robinson’s Do Schools Kill Creativity:
http://www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity.html
JR's TED Talk (2011)
Resistance, children from the Sick Kids Hospital's burn unit, Oil pastels and watercolour paint on Wooden Canvas, 2016.
Health & Physical Education PORTFOLIO
entry one, session one
When reflecting upon my prior experience with physical education (may be referred to as phys-ed), I am grateful for the level of support and involvement from the community to help develop my physical literacy. I have had a positive experience for numerous reasons; my parents would dedicate my evenings and weekends with extracurricular activities and sports teams, my elementary school was consistent with the Daily Physical Activity program all year round, and my phys-ed classes would have a variety and balance between games and sports. It was not until the first class in the course when I realized the disservice physical education teachers, from the past and present, had on my fellow peers. The importance of the first Fundamental Principle in the Health and Physical Education curriculum, “Health and physical education programs are most effective when they are delivered in healthy schools and when students’ learning is supported by school staff, families, and communities,” became clear to me (Ontario, 2015). I believe that students truly turn to the adults in their environment as their leaders to healthy and active living, therefore physical education teachers should be striving to implement a high quality program that can impact a students’ lifestyle habits long term.
The two fundamental principles that stood out the most to me was the fourth and fifth. The fourth principle, Learning in health and physical education is student-centred and skill-based, is where I believe that most phys-ed teachers need the more professional development in order to support every and all of their students. It is suggested that modified small group activities enhances students’ level of participation, as well as improving their skills and knowledge, ensuring the philosophy that “every child is a champion” (Temertzoglou, 2016). What I tend to question is the challenge between respecting a student’s right to pass and recognizing a student’s lack of participation. Should there be a certain amount of passes in phys-ed classes? I remember my peers, especially during middle school and high school, would frequently make excuses to not participate in class, which I thought was out of laziness. However, after the discussions had in this course, it seems to be also a combination of anxiety and insecurity. I aspire to create a classroom dynamic where I can advocate for body positivity, students’ sense of empowerment and establish a safe environment. The fifth principle, Learning in health and physical education is balanced, integrated, and connected to real life, is also important to me, personally and professionally, because through playing on competitive sports teams, I was able to learn lessons on character and determination that I still carry with me throughout all aspects of my life. As educators, we have an obligation to scaffold students’ capabilities and guide them into reaching their full potential. Whether it is cognitively, physically or spiritually, I believe that every activity should be connected to real life.
References
Ontario Ministry of Education (2015). Grades 1-8: Health and Physical Education pp. 3-10
Temertzoglou, C. (2016) Fundamental Principles for High Quality Health & Physical Education Programs.
Positive attitude towards daily physical activity
When to respect a students' right to pass and when to address the issue of a students' lack of participation
Effective and engaging physical education must have variety and be inclusive to all students.
Finding strategies and approaches to promote physical activity to a growing generation of students who spend their weekends in front of a screen
Inclusive to all bodies & capabilities
Backwards Model in learning master skills
entry two, session two
Within the ParticipACTION Report Card document, it discussed the correlation between students' lack of physical activity and the increase of children's sleep deprivation (2016). Reflecting on my own childhood filled with various extracurricular activities, my parents would purposely register me for activities after school because by the time I got home, I would go to sleep immediately. Therefore, I agree and value the idea that physical activity helps people obtain good-quality sleep. The article also introduces the guidelines for people of all ages to acquire optimal health benefits using the four S's; Sweat, Step, Sleep, and Sit. In my health education experience, I recall learning about how many hours of sleep is appropriate and implementing a "step count" to track my daily light physical activity. However, Sweat and Sit are new, yet vital, concepts to understand in order to take care of your overall well-being. I was not surprised that due to the rapid increase in children's access to technology and growing dependence on smartphones, over 75% of students from ages 5 to 17 are using more than 2 hours of recreational screen time.
Additionally, in class we discussed the current disinterest of extracurricular activities in schools and how it jeopardizes the overall health and well-being of the school’s environment. It is the obligation of teachers and staff members to be modelling active living and “helping students develop the skills needed to make healthy choices” (OPHEA, 2015). My most disappointed memory of school was when my volleyball coach decided to stop coaching the co-ed team and because no other teacher signed up to take over, my school went without a volleyball team. Similarly, when I was in high school and the teachers were ‘working to contract’ as a part of the union strike, it places the students who rely on afterschool programs in a disadvantage and ultimately caught in the middle. Although this was out of anyone’s control, I saw for the first time the repercussions of students feeling vulnerable at school. As a way for my Environmental Management teacher who actually enjoyed and missed coaching to compensate for the strike, she would bring her students outside during class and implement physical activity into her lesson. She was an inspiration as how I would like to teach my future class, regardless of curriculum subject. Although it is not a part of the teacher’s assigned duties to coach or supervise physical activities in the school community, I have always appreciated the efforts and dedication teachers would put in to ensure we have access and opportunities to Sweat and Step everyday. In order for teachers to gain that self-confidence and competence, it starts at teachers’ professional development and helping teachers enhance their own physical literacy (Fletcher & Temertzoglou, 2010).
References
Fletcher, T. & Temertzoglou, C. (2010). Looking forward, looking back: Shaping professional visions of HPE through critical reflection. Physical and Health Education Journal, 76(1), 20 -24.
OPHEA. (2015). The revised HPE curriculum: Helping students develop skills for healthy active living. https://www.ophea.net/article/revised-hpe-curriculum-helping-students-develop-skills-healthy-activeliving#.VZLVYSgupG4
ParticipACTION. (2016). Are Canadian Kids too Tired to Move?: The ParticipACTION Report Card on Physical Activity For Children and Youth
-Due to the gradual increase of sedentary time and decrease in light to vigorous physical activity,
-There are numerous healthy issues that can leave a long-lasting impact on students
-It is important to remember the 4 S's; Sweat, Step, Sleep, Sit and the recommended hours spent in a day.
-In my future teaching; how can I help the school's community become more physically active besides promoting the Daily Physical Activity program among other teachers?
-Is there anything in place right now that deals with the recreational screen time epidemic with students and their smartphones?
I would like to take every opportunity to take my students outdoors, no matter which subject in order for them to connect to physical and environmental literacy.
entry three, session three
Whenever I learned a new sport, the skills needed to succeed within that sport was the first thing my coaches wanted to teach me. This benefitted me because I was involved in numerous Net/ Wall and Territory sports, thus making those skills transferrable within other Net/ Wall and Territory sports. As a result, I always had to rely on my prior knowledge and experience to learn a new sport. However, as the article by Mandigo, Butler, and Hopper (2007) explains, there is a gradual process of appreciating the game which then leads to mastering the skills needed and enhancing performance. In class, as we were practicing different games, such as tossing the bean bags, it demonstrated to me that teachers can scaffold game appreciation and develop the knowledge and skills for students to apply later in more organized sports, such as boccia ball and football. Reflecting upon my own skills and knowledge, I have noticed that majority of my skills are towards Net/ Wall and Territory, whereas I lacked the skills needed for Target Games and Individual Pursuit. That is why the smaller basic skill-levelled games are essential to students’ physical literacy and skill development (Mandigo, Butler & Hopper, 2007). What I also appreciated about the basic skill levelled games it that we mostly worked within smaller groups. I personally found myself feeling more uncomfortable and insecure about my skills in the Target Games. As a result, to be able to work with a small group and discuss tactical awareness provided me with more insight on how I can improve my aiming without the social pressure of the whole class observing me (Mandigo, Butler & Hopper, 2007). This can also help students practice self-reflection and more forward to enhance their decision-making skills.
By following the Teaching Games for Understanding Model, it builds a solid foundation in which students can apply the same positive attitudes and thinking to any new games, regardless of game category (Mandigo, Butler & Hopper, 2007). One of the main reasons why I appreciate games during health and physical education (HPS) classes and sports in general is because of the life skills that are embedded within all games. As the reading explained, students can learn how to “respect of self and others, team building skills, and critical and creative thinking,” (Temertzoglou, 2015) through any game, at any skill level. That is why creating an inclusive environment where students can feel a sense of belonging and respect is crucial to physical education and life long learning. HPE’s curriculum consists of a lot of social skills and cooperative competence, for educators this means that being inclusive in the physical education setting can set the foundation of how the students interact with each other inside and outside of the gymnasium.
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References
Mandigo, J., Butler J., and Hopper T. (2007). What is teaching games for understanding? A Canadian perspective. Physical and Health Education Journal, 73(2), 14-20.
Temertzoglou C. (2015) How To: Teaching Life Skills Through Physical Education.
Just like in other classroom subjects, physical education involves various types of learners and skills, such as Territory, Striking/Fielding, Net/Wall, Target games, and Individual Pursuits. As a result, it is important for teachers to be inclusive in their curriculum planning.
As I have previously stated in the other Wonders, I am still conflicted when it comes to designing a structured evaluation for students that do not impede on their personal growth and effort. How can I ethically give a physical expectation to my students for the sake of consistency and grading?
I have noticed that I personally enjoy and thrive in Net/Wall and Territory Games, yet I lack the skills needed to be successful in Target and Individual Pursuit activities. As a result, I appreciated the basic skills activities to help scaffold and develop those needed skills.
It is essential for me, as an aspiring educator, to be open to various activities and games in order to benefit my future students and their physical development. I have to keep in mind that whenever learning a new skill, it is important to start at the basic skills that set the foundation to potentially achieve the mastery level.
entry four, session four
What I found the most significant about the Health and Physical Education (HPE) course, is my own self-efficacy and professional pedagogy evolving as we discussed ways to support ourselves and our students. We have touched upon the five fundamental principles when teaching health and physical education, however, I believe that Hellison’s Teaching Personal and Social Responsibility/ Social Model is integral to teaching HPE and many other curricular subjects (Temertzoglou, 2015). The five levels of responsibility include; respecting the rights and feelings of others, participation and effort, self-direction, helping others and leadership, and outside the gym (Temertzoglou, 2015). These five responsibilities perfectly align with my own teaching philosophy as an early childhood educator and an aspiring elementary teacher. I truly believe that any curricular subject should include a connection to the real world, while gaining a sense of mutual respect, empathy, and self-empowerment. Throughout this course, it was unfortunate for me to hear the negative experiences of HPE classes, and made me realize the importance of effective professional development and self-efficacy. As the article explains, it is imperative for teachers to reflect on their “own learning experiences, attitudes, and perceptions towards teaching physical education,” (Temertzoglou, 2015).
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As the HPE curriculum is becoming more controversial with the new sexual health education, the OPHEA article (2017) states the importance of having confidence and teaching effectively while remaining inclusive and supporting every students’ well-being. The steps forward into creating a positive learning space is to reflect on personal biases and remain open-minded, establish a safe classroom dynamic, finding access to effective resources, and creating a strong relationship with the students’ families (OPHEA, 2017). By constructing a strong and mutually-respected teacher-student relationship, the teaching and learning experience benefits all parties. As a self-reminder to myself, both personally and professionally, I chose to select the Feed All Four Action Plan wheel, as shown in class, which will help me reflect and anchor my fundamental values. The four elements on the wheel include; Body, Mind, Emotions, and Spirit. I can feed my body by making healthy nutritional choices and following the four S’s ratio. Through social and professional interactions with my peers it can effectively feed my mind. When I practice mindfulness, meditation, and express myself artistically, it helps to feed my emotions. Finally, I can feed my spirit by keeping an optimistic mindset and making a list of things/ people I am grateful for. By understanding and taking care of myself holistically, it can hopefully create a positive influence and long time impact on my future students.
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References
OPHEA (2017). Teaching human development and Sexual Health with Confidence.
Temertzoglou C. (2015) How To: Teaching Life Skills Through Physical Education.
