Studio Art Education: Encouraging Self-Directed, Reflective, and Risk Taking Artists since 1996.
Happy Graduation to ALL the 2017 WUHS Graduates. I was fortunate enough to be the school photographer on Sunday and these are a sampling of the fun and excitement that was had. 4 years (13 years) goes by SO fast. Enjoy each and every day. Enjoy your accomplishments, it is a beautiful day so… Go Make Some Art!
Frank
So sorry… I uploaded the WRONG VIDEO. It’ll work ok, but no cool intro music or images of VincentVanGogh’s Bird’s nests. Here is one for your viewing pleasure.
Sunday night and I sit in the family room eating my popcorn, sitting back and watching the Tony Awards with my daughter. She’s beginning her first day of summer vacation with rehearsals for her show choir and I begin my first days of summer vacation in 3 days… oh well. My blog may take a hit as the summer begins, fewer posts yes, but more specific to educational topics versus the “Day to Day” stuff that happens in my classroom
It was a great year (give or take 5.5% of it) and I begin by thanking my students. Now that is not some trite comment that “every teacher says to their classes,” but is TRULY who I owe my thanks to. Yes, many great things have happened that were not necessarily on behalf of the direct actions of my students: ASCD Presentation in Los Angeles (via this website and my good friend and collaborator Janie Pollock), University of Melbourne, Australia Presentation (again… this website and Janie Pollock), EXCITING trip to Washington D.C. for National Teacher’s Appreciation Social (Thank you to Dr. Jill Biden and her staff), development of #WHSoc20 with the other 20 teachers from the Washington D.C. trip, new construction of a gallery space in our school to highlight the the importance and elevate the standing of the visual arts in our society… and I could REALLY go on.
With all that I have been able to accomplish, all the highlights, it is the writing of my students (and the artwork) that really makes me proud. I provide a survey at the end of the year for kids to offer me feedback about my courses, lessons, classroom practices, and the like. I was surprised by a few of the responses and not surprised by others. The ones that REALLY stood out were less about me and more about what the kids took away from the courses. Those are what I share with you below. Please… if you have read this far, take the time to read even further… offer me YOUR feedback and I will share it with them.
Lastly, Wednesday, June 11 at 8:00pm CST on Twitter using #WHSoc20 you can join the conversation about the BEST ASPECTS of THIS year from a number of educators from across the country. We all met at the White House this spring and are doing what we can to spread the great news and practices in education… I hope you can join us…
Students Comments:
Q: Is there anything about this class that frustrates you?
I wanted to go through more of the questions but… I will be saving them for the next post – Q: What do you like best about this class and / or teacher?
Thank you ALL for taking my classes and allowing me the BEST JOB IN THE WORLD for another year… Please send me your comments and thoughts! Subscribe and share the idea to subscribe. I have plans to share a lot this summer as I work on two articles on education and all that I have done and what can be done in the classroom… any classroom.
Frank
Waterford Union High School in Oil Painting class of 2008 – 2009
The painting class of 2008 – 2009 took the challenge of creating a series of works that documented their high school and challenged their understanding of how to use oil paints, mediums, power tools, and the very challenging linear perspective as they composed their images. BEginning with a long walk and conversation about composition, the artists came up with their favorite angles of the building and developed their own ideas for the image as they were faced with the challenge of their school as the subject matter. From photography and thumbnail sketches, teamwork and construction of the canvases, the artists created a wide variety of compositions using all the different skills and techniques they had in their art toolbox. Thanks to the following artists for their hard and dedicated work creating a strong and successful body of work. Each one of them created a unique and individual viewpoint of the building that gave them so many memories and skills to last a lifetime. Thank you Waterford Union High School artists.
Visual Art GOALS and OBJECTIVES
National Visual Arts Standards – Standard 1
Understanding and applying media, techniques, and processes
Frank Korb
There are 6 OVERARCHING GOALS that all of my art students work toward and focus on during the year in all of my art classes. The goals are referred to on a daily basis and are been modified, but not “dumbed down,” from the National Standards for the Visual Arts so that they make more sense to the students who are working with them through their art making and other art experiences.
The use of GOALS in my classroom (in any classroom for that matter) is an essential part of the process of running a high energy and well planned / focused classroom. The introduction of the GOALS, and the interaction of the student with that goal, literally fires up and activates the neurons in the brain and gets the young artist (student, teacher, whomever) focused on the work that will be undertaken. This OPENS THE FOLDER to learning.
This is the first of six weeks that we will be looking at and unpacking the goals so that they are more easily understood. It is important to note that, when the goals are given to the students, they are restructured (a smidgen) so that they are meaningful and pertinent to the day’s activity. Notice, they are not agenda items but rather bigger thinking topics.
The National Standards for the Visual Arts have been developed into a series of GOALS that are clear, measurable, observable, and understandable to the students, parents, and community. The use of goals is to keep the mind open to the idea of learning and focused on the act of learning, By combining both declarative (mind) and procedural (application) knowledge the intentionality is focused on the combination of art theory and art making as well as the investigating the close relationship between the two.
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Standard #1: Understanding and applying media, techniques, and processes
As an art student you will demonstrate the ability to:
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One last note about the day to day activities in the class and GOALS specifically is that when we wrap up the class – the last couple of minutes, we take time to reflect, to GENERALIZE the relationship to the goals and the day’s work. This is the CLOSING THE FOLDER that allows the neurons to settle down and pack away the learning, the experiences, until the following day.
You can find these (and more) in my Visual Arts Handbook HERE.
Thanks –
Frank
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Art Foundations: Final day to wrap up the cityscape drawings. Use your time wisely!
GOALS:
Cityscape Instructions HERE.
COLOR WHEEL:
GOALS:
What was the most difficult part of your drawing today? What have you SEEN as being different that you though it would have been? What is different in drawing the ear than you found in drawing the MOUTH and EYES? What was it that made it so different?
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AP Studio Art: Today we are in the computer lab working on uploading and getting our accounts all set and ready to ROCK and ROLL!
GOALS:
What else have you got to do with the body of work you have produced? How many works have you in each of the 3 categories? What do you need to continue working on? MONDAY… prepare yourself for a work that will test your CHARACTER!
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Study Hall: What is it to have a strong sense of Honor?
GOALS:
On your goals sheet, write out your definition of HONOR. What components do you feel best define someone of high character?
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Art Foundations: Work on your cityscapes. What do you need to do to make it even more AWESOME? You are working with VALUE and COLOR! Make sure that you are NOT SHARING the colored pencils that are out on the BLACK BOX. DO NOT SHARE!
GOALS:
Cityscape Instructions HERE.
COLOR WHEEL:
10 minutes before the end of class – Self – evaluation of the writing for the day, in the JOURNAL SECTION of the week today. What did you find NEW in your work that you forgot you did well or struggled with? How are you working with the new ideas of color in your drawing? What is a specific place in your drawing that you are REALLY pleased with? Give a SPECIFIC AREA! We will be sharing your ideas QUICKLY on Friday!
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Drawing: Today you are going to be working on the MOUTH (that is also on the CHALKBOARD). What can you do to make your drawing even more successful? Look at the shapes – REALLY carefully! Check out these Eyelashes!
GOALS:
What was the most difficult part of your drawing today? What have you SEEN as being different that you though it would have been? What is NEW in the MOUTH, DIFFERENT, UNIQUE, UNUSUAL… WHY?
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AP Studio Art: Great critiques yesterday – grades will be in the book shortly…
GOAL:
In addition to having written and reflected on your work, you are going to be needing to continue to PRESENT and EDIT your works. TODAY should have been a PERFECT opportunity to do just that. What was your biggest accomplishment today in the tasks you chose to work on today? Please share your ideas and thoughts with a classmate.
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Art Foundations: FINAL DAY to work on your cityscapes. What do you need to do to make it more AWESOME? Do it today!
GOALS:
10 minutes before the end of class – Self – evaluation of the writing for the day – What did you find NEW in your work that you forgot you did well or struggled with? PREZI Self – Evaluation
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Drawing: How’d your eyes turn out yesterday? How about drawing a set of lips? A Mouth? Let’s give it a shot.
GOALS:
What successes did YOU have in the drawings of the EYES and MOUTH? What is one area that you really felt were unsuccessful when it came to the areas you struggled? Be explicit and specific – PLEASE!
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AP Studio Art: Critique
GOALS:
What did you go through mentally in building your concentration? What is the earliest memory of the decision? What were the stumbling blocks that you REMEMBER as being in front of you? Where were the support systems that helped you out of the pits of self-doubt etc…?
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Study Hall: What was the ONE thing you learned or struggled with or wrote down at the end of yesterday’s class? What is your response to it today?
GOALS:
How much time are you putting into your schoolwork OUTSIDE of school? What is the biggest challenge for you at home? What are you doing to hold yourself accountable for the work you need to accomplish?
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Art Foundations: 2 more days to work on the city scape. What is your plan of action for the last 2 days? Value? Perspective? ACCURACY?
GOALS:
What have you done today to move your drawing forward toward completion? What is the STRONGEST aspect of your drawing? The thing you are most proud of? What are you in need of working on STILL? It is ok… but what still needs work?
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Drawing: Today – Eyes, Nose, Mouth, and Ears – Find 4 examples of each – larger than OR about the same size as REAL eyes from MAGAZINES that we have in the classroom – Slightly smaller if necessary, but… try to go large. Cut them out and GLUE them into your sketchbook. We are looking at the face this week…
GOALS:
What mistakes did YOU make – how bad were they when it came to eyes?
Homework: Collect images from the newspaper or magazines that represent you or that you feel are important to you in today’s social environment. The images MUST be in your sketchbook at the beginning of class tomorrow!
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AP Studio Art: CRITIQUE of the Works you have accomplished SO FAR… ALMOST DONE!!! Bring out one of your EARLIEST concentration works and set it along side of the 3 most recent works we are looking at today.
GOALS:
Ok… By Wednesday – You will have your 2 questions worked out for the upload of the projects to AP College Board… WE NEED TO SHARE THESE ALOUD and HELP ONE ANOTHER. What do you feel about the work you have created here?
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Study Hall: What are the classes you KNOW – before we meet with you – that you have missing work in?
GOALS:
What was ONE NEW THING you learned today in ONE of your classes – be particular about the facts and information. How does it tie into what you will be able to use tomorrow? What is one thing you heard about today that you are not 100% sure on? Why might it be important tomorrow or in the future for your classes?
Visual Art GOALS and OBJECTIVES
There are 6 OVERARCHING GOALS that all of my art students work toward and focus on during the year in all of my art classes. The goals are referred to on a daily basis and are been modified, but not “dumbed down,” from the National Standards for the Visual Arts so that they make more sense to the students who are working with them through their art making and other art experiences.
The use of GOALS in my classroom (in any classroom for that matter) is an essential part of the process of running a high energy and well planned / focused classroom. The introduction of the GOALS, and the interaction of the student with that goal, literally fires up and activates the neurons in the brain and gets the young artist (student, teacher, whomever) focused on the work that will be undertaken. This OPENS THE FOLDER to learning.
Over the next six weeks, we will be looking at and unpacking the goals so that they are more easily understood. It is important to note that, when the goals are given to the students, they are restructured (a smidgen) so that they are meaningful and pertinent to the day’s activity. Notice, they are not agenda items but rather bigger thinking topics.
1. Understanding and applying media, techniques, and processes.
2. Using knowledge of principles and functions.
3. Choosing and evaluating a range of subject matter, symbols, and ideas.
4. Understanding the visual arts in relation to history and cultures.
5. Reflecting upon and assessing the characteristics and merits of the visual arts.
6. Making connections between visual arts and other disciplines.
One last note about the day to day activities in the class and GOALS specifically is that when we wrap up the class – the last couple of minutes, we take time to reflect, to GENERALIZE the relationship to the goals and the day’s work. This is the CLOSING THE FOLDER that allows the neurons to settle down and pack away the learning, the experiences, until the following day.
You can find these (and more) in my Visual Arts Handbook HERE.
Thanks –
Frank
Art With Korb 