M8U8A1

Thu Nguyen

Cohort 01/2016

M8U8A1

REFLECTION ON INTASC STANDARD 7

A good work requires a good planning, an appropriate execution, and back-up or ad-hoc solutions. An effective teacher is a master of all these factors to compose a meaningful lesson for students. Most of the time teachers spend is not for speaking and teaching in the classroom but for planning what they are going to teach. According to the local law in this country, Ivory Coast, the total in-class time of a teacher should not exceed eighteen hours per week, teachers are required and provided the sufficient amount of time for their back stage work, planning for instruction.

Building cross-disciplinary skills

One of the most recommended skills of the 21SCT for students to demonstrate is cross-disciplinary. This lesson is planned to help kindergarten make connections between Math and Art. From my experience with this age level, some students still write numbers backward. So this hidden number lesson in Art aims at both tackling this issue and developing drawing skills for young artists. Before launching this lesson, I did refer to the school standards for math of this particular grade, then debriefed my plan with the homeroom teacher and agreed the approach in order to make sure we aligned.

Meeting learning goals

With that goal in mind, the lesson focuses on numbers that are often written backwardly. (2,3,4,5,7,6,9). One number will be learned at once. After each drawing lesson, students will be able to call out hidden numbers from the artworks, trace them using fingers, then write them confidently. During the focus lesson, as videoed, students gradually build a strong connection among lines, shapes, and numbers. They see how lines connected to make numbers, then shapes, and finally pictures. When students follow instructional steps, they develop not only the drawing skill but also enrich eye and hand coordination. The lesson helps to strengthen student’s number writing skills, to build up basic drawing skills, to connect math skills in art, and vice versa.

Teaching strategies

Interactive instruction is the key to check the prior knowledge and to engage student’s participation. Questions are used to facilitate thinking and stimulate correspondence. Statistically, the hook at the beginning of the lesson promises the engagement and the commitment of students at the later stage. Clear objectives are evidently stated to ensure students are aware of what will be learning and is expected of them.  Holding the focus session not more than ten minutes enables students at this age level stay in focus. This is the key I’ve learned and experienced. Teacher long lecture is one of the least preferable things in student’s dictionary, and in everyone’s, I believe. Managing time and ensuring the delivery of the content are perhaps the most challenge I faced at the beginning of the year. After daily self-reflection and listening to my students and my assistant, I’ve improved dramatically my management skill.

Everyone needs time to digest, to practice, and master the skill. The portion time for individual practice can make up to 50 percent in my plan for each lesson, along with small group strategy, students are provided space, time, and individual support when needed. Re-demonstration is always needed. The understanding of the students in the focus lesson does not guarantee immediate independence. So critical is “we do” strategy. As videoed, I intentionally change the position of the board to make sure the best access and vision for all students at each instructional step and the supervision to two small groups at work. Praise, motivation, and immediate feedback are often used to direct students in each progress that they make.

Art talk or critiques is held in a fun and simple way. Empower students is the key for inspiration. The career spirit day is actually out of my original plan. But I immediately find it perfectly fits in my plan of that day. Students come dressed in their future job costume, a part of social studies curriculum, and share about their choice. Manon who chooses to become an artist is given a real chance to lead the class. Her aspiration for art truly makes the talk easier, more meaningful, personal, and reasonable to herself and her peers. It is a proof of peer learning. It is evident when Leo seeks for Manon’s feedback and then automatically realizes that a background is needed.  The responsibility is completely transferred when students demonstrate can-do attitude.

In conclusion, planning is the heart of a smooth lesson. It takes time to think, to write, and even to foresee unexpected issues but its result always deserves. All the effort is paid back from the moment I see the shinny and satisfying smiles on student’s faces for their own artworks and they are aware of what should be done to perfect each detail.

M8U7A1

Thu Nguyen

Cohort 01/2016

M8U7A1

REFLECTION ON INTASC STANDARD 6

In my teaching subject, no standardized test is required for the elementary level. Even so, it doesn’t mean no assessment exists. Assessment in art is not about preparing students for tests, it is about engaging students in their own growth and guiding them in the decision making.

The lesson is for the 3^rd grade in the Aboriginal Art unit. Students will work in groups to create their own stories illustrated by Aboriginal symbols.  Since we were already half way when I began videoing for the clinical and so I missed many periods showing formative assessment along the way. However, the video provides a snapshot of strategies used in both formative and summative assessment.

Critiques

It is a common practice in art to help students describe, analyze, interpret, and evaluate artworks of not only others but also of self. For young learners, critiques may be very sensitive but it proved to be one of the most effective strategies when it is appropriately approached. My young artists exercise critiques along the process of creating art. With this approach, students are given many chances to learn from mistakes, to adjust when possible, and therefore to meet the goal easier.

Teacher/Peer Feedback and Observation

Grouping strategy benefits not only students but also teachers. It surprised me seeing how my students took the active roles leading this project. Some groups worked beyond the expectations. When one member of the group was absent over many periods, the others worked harder for the absent peer in order not to miss the deadline. What I like was to see how different genders think and work toward the set goal. Girls are driven by imagination and details while boys are more determined, effective, and fast decision making. Conflicts and arguments were unavoidable especially for some individuals, but they show respect toward other’s ideas and opinions in groups. Beside keeping the pace and time, I provided many praises, motivations, and questions to guide the creating process.

Self-assessment and group evaluation

Since the nature of the final artworks requires the collaboration and creativity, for the first time, I empowered my students to do the assessment and give scores for self and for group. Their honesty and their maturity, as videoed, affirmed my trust. It totally convinced me that when students were involved in or aware of criteria and goal setting, which was fully described at the beginning of the unit, they become meta-cognitive and understood exactly what was expected of them.

Peer and self-assessment also helped to create a learning community within the classroom.  It gave students a sense of all the things they have to consider when setting and marking work, thus students can learn from their previous mistakes, identify their strengths and weaknesses, and learn to target their learning accordingly. This enables students to better understand assessment expectations and work towards improving their own performance. Generally, it can encourage students to take greater responsibility for their learning. Taking this a step further, it transferred the ownership to students, fostering deeper engagement with the assessment and their learning.

The final products spoke for effective strategies employed in this unit. I was extremely content with the imagination, creativity, collaboration, and the ownership my 3^rd graders exhibited. For the full collection of seven stories, click the link below. Enjoy!

https://sites.google.com/a/icsabidjan.org/mrs-le-s-art/3rd-grade

M8U2A2

Thu Nguyen

Cohort 01/2016

M8U2A2

REFLECTION ON STUDENT CASE STUDY

My case study is about the behavioral issue of a 4^th grader. Briefly, Bella is a 10 year-old girl, born in UK, in an English and Cameroonian family. She joined this school starting from the 1^st grade and continued up to 4^th grade. Bella is a skinny girl who likes hands-on activities. Bella shows interests in music and art, and like helping teachers. Bella lives comfortably with her parents and one kindergarten sister in a villa compound near the school. The family caregivers are often responsible for sending and picking the girls to and from school.

Behavioral issues – Interventions – Progress versus pending

While Bella’s academic record showed no significant concern, the numbers of Bella’s office referrals drew my attention. Bella was reported to engage in hiding or stealing things of others. She often made noise during the focus lesson and distract her peers at work. She rarely aligned with others when working in assignments. Especially when being alone or in circumstances of less adult supervision, she was often engaged in some unexpected or off rule actions. One time, Bella poured two containers of paint into the running water when it was her turn to be a sink helper with the curiosity to see how colors were mixed. In another painting lesson, she spread paint all over her two hands and pretended to bump on other’s T-shirt. When being reported, Bella often denied her responsibility. Not only taking actions unexpected, Bella’s posture and gesture also showed her uncertainty. When being asked to present her idea in front of the class, she couldn’t stand straight, often hid herself behind others, avoided eye contact with teachers, and spoke in a low voice.

What came to my serious attention was the incident, which was called a lost and found story. Bella found a glucose supply container of one friend in her class who had a serious level of diabetes and had to self-carry an emergency kit around her belly 24/24. Instead of returning that part of the friend as instructed by the PE teacher, Bella noticed me in my Art classroom that she found it inside my paper shelf! After meeting with the school nurse and the related teachers, I found out the truth of the story made by Bella and this was not the first time Bella involved in such cases.

Some interventions were applied immediately such as meeting with her parents, scheduling her in a lunch program with the school counselor, and engaging her in activities that she is interesting in especially music and art. Via the meeting with her mother, one of the active and supportive members of PTO, we got to know more about the family situation that the mother just miscarried a baby and Bella and her younger sister were often taken care by nannies instead of parents. The mother also admitted that she used to have a similar behavior during her childhood, a desire to grasp things from others.

I thought one of the reasons of Bella’s behaviors was to draw the attention of adults and I believed she would be more responsible given the trust and the opportunities. My solutions consisted of rearrange the seat chart, assigning Bella in helping jobs under supervision, pairing her with peers who had less conflicts with her, praising Bella every time she showed an improvement. As its result, her performance in the 2^nd and the 3^rd quarter jumped and showed a big progress. She was engaged in class activities and her artworks were remarkably creative and impressive. She also volunteered to help one peer in the mask unit, and their both artworks were extraordinary. Surprisingly, Bella was a careful and extremist. She never gave up even with a tiny stain on the floor when helping cleaning, a job that she loved to help with. Bella’s influence and inspiration to others were remarkable. She was able to call many friends, including boys and girls, to help cleaning the room after each lesson. Her group also created a lovely song called “Rescue” and sang it cheerfully. When receiving the certificate award, the best helper of the month, she was motivated and became more confident when sharing about why and how she liked helping the teacher. Her mother was also happy receiving my report.

For whatever reasons, Bella was reported to steal a portion of modeling clay in my classroom in the last quarter, which really saddened me. Since I did not see her taking it, I had to refer Bella to the counselor. After two meetings with the counselor, Bella finally admitted she took it without asking for permission.

My presentation at VC dated 16 Oct

I did expect to share more about the case and was ready for the interactive Q&A session in this VC. Unfortunately, the Internet connection was not at our side. There was always a delay every time I spoke and the screen was reported frozen. Thanks to the flexibility and the well role defining of the instructor and my fellow cohorts, I got all questions recorded by one cohort, some were answered on site and the rest will be shared in the later part of this paper. What I liked about this interactive Q&A was that everyone had to review the case presented via Prezi, VoiceThread, Screen Recording, or video before the date we met. During the session, we had one time controller, one facilitator, and one note recorder so both presenter and audiences interacted actively while the instructor was a participant.

Questions and suggestions received

1. Katherine: How do students respond to her since her behavior seems socially unacceptable?

- During the first quarter, very few peers wanted to be in the group with Bella, and Bella seemed not to fit in any group in her class, and she seemed being isolated.  When her improvement was shown, she gained more confidence and was observed having friends around and more network, especially when she voluntarily helped one boy in the mask unit.

2. Jeffrey: Are her parents brought in for the many incidents that were referenced, stealing, etc...   Can her father be brought to be part of school-life?

- Rarely unfortunately, but mother is an active PTO member. She also admitted to having similar issues when she was younger. I think there are tow reasons for the disconnection. Firstly, the father is too busy with work and travel to attend meetings with teachers. Secondly, living in a too much comfortable zone having so many caregivers around the kids or leaving kids in the hands of helpers, parents will somehow lose the impact and education on kids.

3. Katherine: My thoughts:  attention-seeking child, what is this about? 

- Your thought confirms my point above. Bella’s symptoms appeared around the time her younger sister was born, and it worsened when the mother miscarried another baby. Both parents seem having no time or attention for her. It needs to mention that her younger sister was an opposite of Bella, a very well behaved girl.

4. Ralph: The behavior is escalating-possibly because of something at home possible conflict (sibling, father)

- There is no conflict with parents and family, but she spent a lot of time with nannies instead of with her parents. Perhaps, it relates somehow to the focus or appreciation of parents to the younger sister or the pregnant period the mother had gone through.

5. Katherine: I wonder if she can be given specific tasks jobs each week that give her a sense of belonging and importance?  If the dad is gone a lot is there a way to utilize a notebook, not necessarily a behavior chart, but a notebook where Bella could once a week write her dad a letter about what she's learning, looking forward to, etc....and he could respond? 

- This is a genius idea. I wish I could share it with Bella and the counselor.

6. Brittany: Thu, are there specific consequences for her behavior at school and does she clearly understand her impact on other students? Similarly to my friend "Andrew" she seems to be acting out with no regard for others

- Yes, there are. We had classroom and office level. Bella received six office referrals not only this year, but also in the previous years. What I surprised was no official record in the school behavior system so that we could keep track and align ways of interventions. I seemed to be the first teacher using this tool and was not receiving the full support from the principal.

7. Katherine: Before she is set off to be independent, can’t there be a review or a set of prompts that are given to her regarding expectations?

- There are clear set and agreed rules, consequences, and expectations in each classroom. I believed the homeroom did a good job in managing the overall class. The teacher and I did meet and share many concerns plus interventions regarding to Bella.

In conclusion, Bella has two extremes. One where she is helpful, caring and responsible when being supervised, but when unsupervised she is engaged in these unexpected and disruptive actions. She has met with the counselor, but the behavior continued. I think behavior prompts, office referrals and detentions many time over years did not solve the problem, stealing still exists in here and there and Bella is not the only case. The long-term approach must be the perception and responsibility education and perhaps along a school wide campaign saying no to stealing, similarly no to bully. The school administration must also strictly apply detention as indicated in the handbook for the sake of the majority of student body. Her parents seem essential to her improvement and behavioral success. Teacher’s supervision and motivation are equally important.

M8U6A1

Thu Nguyen

Cohort 01/2016

M8U6A1

REFLECTION ON INTASC STANDARD 5

Application of content is a wide concept for teachers. The expectation of INtasc standard 5, I believe, is to engage students in problem solving relating to authentic local and global issues. Although this particular lesson did not address the highest level of the standard, it truly engaged students not only in making connections between Math and Art in the digital age through a meaningful and authentic learning experience but also helped students develop interdisciplinary skills using critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration. However, this reflection will walk you through the lesson videoed and some evidences to demonstrate my understanding about this standard.

1. The lesson’s reflection

This lesson was delivered in the last quarter of the year when I found less chance to apply the standard in full capacity. It was a continuity of the lesson for grade 3 called “Digital versus Symmetrical Portrait”. Many 21^st skills were integrated in this fun and meaningful learning experience.

Interdisciplinary, authentic, and collaborative learning

The symmetry concept in mathematics was applied in a practical view and in a fun way of learning. Students were guided to the portrait topic using their own faces. The most exciting part of the lesson was when students used Ipad and Iphone to take portrait photos of peers. The big gap between device and numbers of students brought them closer and provided the togetherness. I loved to see my students played roles such as photo directors and photographers. I enjoyed seeing their collaboration to produce high quality portraits.

The second and third day of the lesson, as videoed, were used for individual practice. Students applied symmetry concept and drawing skill to complete another halves of their faces. The most motivation was that the faces appeared proportionally compared with the originals, even though not all students could achieve this level but you can see my talented artists regardless different genders.

Using the most fashionable devices of the age

Mobile devices used in the previous lesson to produce the digital portraits were the hooks and means of learning in this 21^st century. Using this fashionable tool truly transformed the classroom to be more student-centered and engaged them in learning via playing. As videoed in the meeting with the mentor, I emphasized how important to perhaps review the current school policy regarding the ban of mobile device in the classroom. If the school was not able to provide the devices, I think BYOD policy should be applied under the control of teachers.

Teaching Strategies

Backward strategy

The final products were presented to students right in the 1^st day of the lesson. And each following day was a scaffold toward the target. Similar to project-based learning, students were clear and well-informed expectations and therefore they set a clearer mind and a proper attitude to deliver the result.

Modeling-  “I do”- is the most important part of my lesson. I explained while demonstrating each working step. I thought finding symmetrical dots or points on a portrait photo would be more challenging for this group age than on a geometrical shapes they used to in mathematics. My thought was confirmed when students entered the individual work.

Individual support

After “I do”, individual support is critical to help students slowly reach the final target. As shown in the video, some students who struggled from math faced challenges in finding symmetrical dots precisely. On the other hand, Seone, the Korean girl, in this class and her twin brother, Paul, worked extremely well even though they were newcomers of the month.

Gradual release of responsibility

On the third day shown in the video, I invited Seone to show how she found symmetrical dots in front of the class. Students were given time to complete their work of art and also encouraged to help each other in the group.

2. My evidence reflecting the standard 5

During the school year, especially in the first to third quarter, I did have many project-based experiences with elementary students. Most of the projects were interdisciplinary, literacy integrated, and subject to school-wide events. Art played an integral role and was interwoven in many ways of learning and creating. Students were guided through social studies and art or world language and art projects. Homeroom teachers, subject teachers, and I worked together and conducted lessons either in their classrooms or in mine. We were a team of teaching to ensure the best approach to student’s learning.

For example, during the African American History month, our campus was transformed into exhibition sites, which visualized the history and the progress of African American worldwide.

 

African American History Month - The Underground Railroad site by PreK-KG

Associated with “Harriet Tubman” poem by Eloise Greenfield

Harriet Tubman didn’t take no stuff

Wasn’t scared of nothing neither

Didn’t come in this world to be no slave

And wasn’t going to stay one either

“Farewell!” she sang to her friends one night

                  She was mighty sad to leave ‘em                 

But she ran away that dark, hot night

Ran looking for her freedom

She ran to the woods and she ran through the woods

With that slave catchers right behind her

And she kept on going till she got to the North

Where those mean men couldn’t find her

Nineteen times she went back South

To get three hundred others

She ran for her freedom nineteen times

To save Black sisters and brothers

Harriet Tubman didn’t take no stuff

Wasn’t scared of nothing neither

Didn’t come into this world to be no slave

And didn’t stay one either. And didn’t stay one either.

Inspired by a Picture Book of Harriet Tubman by David A. Adler and Sweet Clara

And the Freedom Quilt by Deborah Hopkinson

Beale Street’s Colorful History – Grade 1

Seneca Village project – Grade 3

 

Grouping to build 3D models of church and school

 

Other groups work on sketching and drawing

 

Fun with making and playing with toys

Likewise, Francophonie was one of the school traditions to promote French in the community. My 2^nd graders learned a poem

 

Grade 2 - La maison de Francophonie

Associated with the poem below

J’ai bâti ma maison

Sans sable, sans eau.

Le cœur de la France

Forme ses grands murs

Les bras de l’Afrique,

Le sol et le toit

Les rires de l’Asie

Les portes et les fenêtres.

Les yeux de l’Amérique

Eclairent ma maison.

Douce est ma maison,

La Maison de la Francophonie!

I hope this reflection will provide a full and clearer view regarding my comprehension and my ways of delivering this standard, despite a part of it was evident in the video. Contradicting with the traditional way of teaching and learning, I love working with other colleagues to guide students through disciplinary projects. Some projects reflect local or global issues, others don’t. The ultimate purpose of education in 21 STC is to help students realize, visualize, and apply skills or concepts learnt in real life situations and issues.

M8U5A1

Thu Nguyen

Cohort 01/2016

M8U5A1

REFLECTION ON INTASC STANDARD 4

The two INTasc standard four and five were intentionally combined in one lesson called Digital versus Symmetrical Portrait. Portrait is one of the most popular topics in Visual Arts and there are many ways to introduce artist’s portraits to elementary students. Knowing that my third graders were in the middle of the ratio unit in mathematics, I developed this lesson in order to help them make connection between math and art, and to apply math concept in art.

Referring to AERO Visual Art standard

Standard reference is critical in developing a lesson. For this group age, AERO standard emphasizes the connections between the studies of art and art careers, in this particular case, photographer. On the other hand, students should understand and use principles of design, and one of these is symmetry. I’d like to bring my students to that level, to show them why they need some art skills in their real life and for their future. I didn’t want to burden students, especially those who struggled with math, by repeating the same concept. Using the different approach to address the ultimate purpose, it was to help them understand how symmetry concept is used in art.

Meaningful learning experience

To create a hook and an exciting learning experience, we spent the first period to explore about the digital portrait. Students took turn to take portraits of peers, to edit portraits, and to get ready for the printing these portraits. The motivation was that students knew they were working on their own portraits and therefore they were carefully in tiny details like how they looked, what their expressions were, and how to shoot a high quality portrait.

Accessible learning using mobile devices

Thanks to the currently convenient technology, my students explored digital portraits using the most up-to-date mobile devices of this age such as Ipad and Iphone. Unfortunately, the school I worked with had no such facility for teachers and students. Nevertheless, I really wanted to see it possible in my classroom by providing my own devices. There were, however, some concerns before hand if I violated the school policy or if the IT teacher should approach this skill. I still went ahead and tried this lesson with a belief that technology makes learning more personal and meaningful.

Teaching strategies

Tools of learning

In order to facilitate the concept and the skill, I used Ipad and Iphone as a tool of learning. Understanding the nature of the students in the digital age, I took this advantage to launch a lesson with mobile devices. It was evident that technology could transform the classroom dramatically. Experiencing a new way of learning, students became more exciting, more active, and therefore, they found learning interesting, even those who didn’t show their fill attention in this subject.

Considering Ratio 1:7

I was thinking about the ratio between devices and students but still confident to go ahead with this ratio. Ideally should it be 1:2. However, I didn’t have that luxury dream and my students understood our situation, so they showed their commitment by respecting turns and worked rather well together. There was only one case, as videoed, when student refused to participate in either group because he used to or liked to have one device for him. When being convinced that device was for learning, he finally chose to work with one group and it was him who shared at the end of the next lesson that working together was better for his learning.

Group-work-share

It turned out to be a good method when working under a restriction condition, 1:7, to nourish the teamwork and the collaboration among group members. The class was divided into two groups and each group worked with one device at their own pace. Students who had experience with the device helped those who had less or even no experience using smart devices. But everyone did like touching it, using it, and learning with it. I enjoyed seeing my students vote for the group leader and helped each other adjust the hair, the shoulders, the eyes, and even the smiles.

Tapping into the prior knowledge by using questions - Right is right strategy

As shown in the video, I began the lesson by announcing the topic of the day, and then asked students questions to check their prior knowledge. It was the moment I could estimate how interesting students would be for the rest of the period. I also explained the definition of key terms, asked students to repeat terms, and encouraged questions if any.

Clear instruction and expectations

As per my experience, even though there were ninety percent of students in the class understood the concept, it was necessary for the teacher to cover again for the rest ten percent who was still out of nowhere. My instruction began with the final product and expectations. Then I made clear the time and work to reach that end by providing working steps with the new application, hints for do and don’t, as well as rules of working.                   

In short, what I enjoyed in this lesson was not only how I could show my mastery of the content taught but also how my students show their mastery in a fun, meaningful, and engaging learning experience. The following part of this lesson will be demonstrated in the next week’s video.