My Webquest Process Page

Here is the link to my Process page that was downloaded onto a Google Doc.


Here is the link to my Process Page directly to my Webquest.

Double Entry Journal #17: Venn Diagram of Assessment

Related Art Webquests and Anchor Videos

To tell the truth, I did not find any particular pottery webquest in which students make pottery. I did find some webquests with interesting introductions I can reference though.
 (Link to a related webquest here)
Here is a pottery webquest about different cultures:
(Link to another pottery webquest here)
I find it sad that some webquests treat art as if it is not relevant to students. And it seems a shame to have to write so many papers about art instead of experiencing it hands on, which would make the material much more memorable.


Here are my anchor videos. They are also posted on my webquest. Though this video has examples of African Pottery, and not Indian, this has some examples of pattern. This video also shows how different cultures use clay to make amazing things, from decorative jugs to whole houses.

Schunior, A. (Producer). (2009).Crafts & culture: pottery. [Web Video]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgvmNzMQ_JI

This is a video I found of a class making pottery using coils of clay. They are using air-dry clay much like the class I am doing this pottery lesson with, hence there is no need to use a kiln.

Bradshaw, M. (Producer). (2010).Fun with coil pots. wee little arts class.. [Web Video]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDN6kQLvGpw

Double Entry Journal #15: Assessment and PBL

This article is referenced for this journal entry: (link right here)
1. Give an example of an authentic form of assessment the students engaged in a PBL performed well on?

 Eighth graders at a racially diverse, inner city school in Boston that had worked with a PBL had the second highest scores in the district on the Standard 9 Open Ended Reading Assessment (Thomas 2000).

2. How does project based learning promote intrinsic motivation?

Learning and motivation is sustained when students choose topics in which they are genuinely interested in and address real life topics. Students get the chance to explore problems that occur outside the small sphere of the classroom. Motivation can also be boosted by showing an audience of peers or adults student understanding of the project, though this is not necessarily intrinsic motivation.

3. What do students who experience PBL do better than student who receive traditional direct instruction?

Students who receive PBL instruction are able to apply strategies from one problem to the next to find a solution. The students are able to engage in critical thinking and create their own goals. Traditional direct instruction does not connect knowledge as well to real problems or situations, nor does it teach student cooperation and collaboration. PBLs also teach students about technology and communication through web design and interactive media like wikis and animated powerpoints.

4. How does PBL align with John Dewey's philosophy of education?

John Dewey wished for students to not go though mundane readings of the textbook, but to train for work that was current. He believes that teaching from just the text does not address student's individual educational needs. PBL actively engages students in what they are learning and provides skills for the current era. PBL also develops students' individual skills and areas for improvement.

5. Why do our assessment practices need to change if we are going to prepare students for the 21st century?

Assessment practices need to change because assessments are designed to gain certificates, not judge real world readiness. The questions are made to be easy to create and grade, because there is a right answer and wrong answers. Assessments are designed to save money and time by allowing them to be graded by machines and not people who are critiquing answers and working overtime. The current way of assessment has nothing to do with the students. (Though there are some exceptions)

Reference:
Thomas, J. W. 2000. A review of research on PBL. http://www.
bobpearlman.org/BestPractices/PBL Research.pdf (accessed Febru-
ary 28, 2009).

Not really a struggling student, but a student with a difference

Since my classmates are focusing on struggling students, I will blog about a student with a difference.
The PBL activity I am doing now is with a fourth grade art class. One of my students is blind. My host teacher does a lot of 2-dimensional artwork that requires lesson adjustment so the blind student can create something similar to everyone else. I am not sure if she likes or dislikes this.

This student works with an Aide while in the art room, and she and the host teacher collaborate to make paper projects with string instead of lines, and fabric pictures instead of drawn and shaded pictures.

By some lucky happenstance, my PBL involves kinesthetic artwork when I had no idea she was going to be in the class I was teaching (I see a variety of classes, Preschool-4th)
I am doing a pottery lesson, and by another stroke of luck I had brought both real examples that the students could pass around and touch, and visual examples.

She was completely elated about the project. Smiling, she explained to me all of her plans about what she was going to make, the handles were going to be wing-shaped like a bird, there were going to be human-like designs on the side of her pot, etc. She was so excited, explaining to me all the interesting things she was going to design. Normally, she and the Aide talk quietly in the corner while they do projects, so they seemed a bit isolated from the rest of the class. I was very happy for her that she was able to do the same project at the same time everyone else was. I think she liked that.

Teacher and Student Questions

All of the questions I heard in three class periods were guiding questions. I work in the art room, so many of these questions and answers were about the elements of art and observation

Host Teacher Questions during a perspective pumpkin patch drawing with third grade:

Teacher Q: Where are the shadows going to be?
Student A: On the ground.

Teacher Q: Where are the lighter areas going to be if the light is up here shining down on the pumpkin?
Student A: The middle and edge.

Teacher Q: Everyone see where it is 3-dimensional looking?
Student A: *nod*

Questions during and apple stencil rubbing project with preschool:

Teacher Q: What colors are good apple colors?
Students A: Green, red, yellow...blue
*debate over what colors an apple can be*

Teacher Q: (playfully) Have you seen a blue apple?
Student A: Yes!

Teacher Q: (playfully) Really?
Student A: No.

Student question during a paper weaving activity:

Student Q: How many lines do we draw? Four?
Teacher A: It depends on the size of your finger that we used for measuring. Some people may have drawn more lines than others.

In summary: Again, these were all guiding questions, and the one student question had to do with the directions that the teacher gave. It is interesting to note that he tried to guess the answer alongside his question. This makes me think that he has some measure of confidence in asking the question.
Let us not forget the debate over what colors apples can be. This is a reminder that not all guiding questions will get the answers the teacher was expecting.

Student Interest Survey

Though this may seem like an odd collection of interests that might seem hard to relate to teaching, I still can still incorporate these interests into my lessons. My survey asked things like who do the students admire? Where do you like to go? What is your favorite hobby or sport? What is your favorite book? What is your favorite food?...etc.

My teaching subject is art and I teach at an elementary school. Many of the students have hobbies outdoors, so I can teach more nature projects to interest them. Since the students like the new movie Dolphin Tale, I can teach them to draw underwater creatures and create an underwater scene. The most students liked Ghost Stories, so I could have them write and illustrate their own ghost story or do some Halloween projects. There are a lot of possibilities here.