Field Reflection

Blog Reflection #6:
Please reflect on your overall experience during field particularly focusing on how you and your partner (and your cooperating teacher) were able to integrate the arts into your teaching.

Well field was an amazing experience! I am glad that I was able to fully participate in this opportunity. Our teacher was very "mellow" in his teaching. The few days I observed him I did not see any creative arts methods really being used. However, when it came time for me and my partner to incorporate the art he was very understanding and willing. It was hard at first to figure out a way to incorporate the arts into a specific lesson. I soon realized that many different aspects can be part of the arts. Such as one of our lessons were about Buddhism, the students were able to meditate and understand more about the buddist culture. Another activity we did using arts were to make masks symbolizing which caste they would be in if they were in India. All of the students really enjoyed this activity. If I did these lessons again I would alter somethings but overall I though it was a great activity which all the students enjoyed!

Visual Arts

Reflect on what you have learned about visual arts elements and principles, analyzing the art of professional artists, and using children's picture book illustrators as an entrance to both understanding and making art. Please complete this reflection after we have had all of the student presentations in class.

I have learned a lot of things actually. I had never really thought a lot about element of art. The one activity that I really enjoyed doing was talking about hues. For me that was the most interesting. I didn't really care for analyzing art but it was interesting to think why an artist would do this or that. The children's picture book was a great activity. I would actually have my students do exactly what we did and maybe present it to the class once a month in groups or something. Try to focus one month on line, then the next month shapes etc. I think that would be a fun activity. I really enjoyed going through and painting, coloring and drawing. Great way to incorporate into the classroom.

Reflective #4

Reflection #3 Dance Integration in the Classroom

Think about the reading and the activities we did in class, as well as your own experience with dance in elementary school. Think about how this approach to childrens' creative dance might be different than studio dance (jazz, ballet, hip hop, etc.) or social dance - why do you think children's dance specialists might focus more on childrens' creative dance for education? How do you think you might use dance in your own teaching?

I feel as though by using the children's creative dance it allows for a student to make real life connections and use higher order of thinking. I would use dance in many different forms. A few that I think would be really effective though would be to use dance to express your emotions, another fun one is to maybe use it to "shape" images and use it for math. One lesson would be fun to use dancing for history, show a dance in which the Indians used to do or the different styles throughout the world. By allowing the students to come up with there own creative dance pieces it makes them create real life connections.

Reflective #3

After reading the text, working with music in class, and preparing your group presentation, what are your thoughts about using music in the classroom and particularly, how do you want to use music in your classroom?

Music in the classroom can be very fun, however it is not my strength area. For me the music can be a little distracting, i do think though that most students relate well to music and can have fun with it. Music helps students understand rhythms, patterns, sounds. Some ways I would use music in my classroom are as follows: webbing, music month, science summary songs, sound mobiles, states and capitals song, continents song, common connections in literature, word rhythms, singing words, finger plays and songs. There are many ways to incorporate it into each curriculum area, it is my goal to use music because it is my weakness as well as I think students can connect well with music and have fun being creative!

Reflective #2

Reflect on any new perspectives you have gained about using drama in your future classroom. Why and how do you think you will use drama techniques and strategies? What specific activities do you think you will use most as you begin teaching? What are your thoughts on integrating drama with other curricular areas?

Some perspectives that I have gained in the drama field is that it can be fun! Whenever I though of drama I always thought plays and well they were sort of boring for me. However after reading the chapters and going over the information in class I've come to have a different perspective. A few things that I fill I will use in my future classroom are as follows: Interviewing game/learning style, character as one, alphabet story, and mantel of the expert. I will use the natural progression patterns during each of these games/learning styles. This is a great way for students to be engaged and learning. Drama allows lots of time for fun and it's easily incorporated into the classroom! I think that using integrating drama into other curricular areas is amazing! I think that a teacher that is able to do that only helps her studnets excel more and want to learn. When we took our survey to see what type of learners we are most of us turned up being intra or interpersonal, very hands on!

Teaching In, Through, With and about the arts.

Think about what you have learned so far through reading, discussion and class activities and reflect on how your ideas might have changed, things you want to learn about teaching (with, in, about, through) the arts, and why they are important in the education of every child.

Answer:

So far in arts class i have learned what a big impact the arts have on education. Not only do students do better academically when using arts, they also become better in social situations and problem solving. I believe art is a way that every child can express themselves anyway they choose to. Personalities are so different that every child learns differently. By using the arts students can begin to learn individually instead of how the teacher wants or how this particular student learns. I want to learn of some lessons i can do in all subjects that can involve the arts. I also need to be open minded so i can come up with my own lessons.