Final Blog: Synthesis of Course
I have appreciated learning about different ways to
integrate writing and different types of literacy into my content area. I think
this class has helped broaden my vision for how to implement these ideas and
has also helped me realize ways in which I already integrate literacy in art
classrooms.
One characteristic I want to help my students develop is
their own voice when speaking, writing and coming up with ideas. I think
helping students develop their own unique perspective and approach is essential
in their artwork, writing about their artwork and brainstorming ideas. Artists
often do this when they write and speak about their own work.
Helping students to develop their ideas can help them respond
to the world in which they live. Giving students many different kinds of
opportunities to write is a great way to help them further their critical
thinking skills. Free writing, writing and sketching in response to readings
we’ve done as class, keeping a journal/sketchbook, writing more formal papers
and writing about their opinions to different kinds of artwork. One of my
lesson plans incorporated reading a novel as a class and keeping a
journal/sketchbook as they read.
The digital world in which we live is also an important
issue to address with students. I think giving students projects in which they
can integrate digital information with their own ideas is an important
opportunity. One of my classmates in Art Methods developed a project called
“Mash-ups.” The students could find segments of music or conversations and link
them all together to create a specific message. I think this type of project
could help students integrate digital media and information with their own
ideas and I think it would be great to give them the opportunity to do
experiment with this sort of project.
I hope to help my students develop a critical visual
literacy to the world around them and the visual information they are bombarded
with on a daily basis. I also want to help them integrate art classroom
knowledge with their day- to- day lives and to help them view the world through
a different lens.
