Lesson PlanThis lesson plan was taught at St. Mary's School in DeKalb, Illinois in the Spring of 2017.
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SuccessesThe attentiveness and cooperation from the students was surprising on the first day of my lesson. They were soft-spoken, and early in the lesson, many students were hesitant to answer questions. I was most surprised by the honesty and elaborate engagement in the lesson via online homework assignments I called “think sheets.” Students were noticeably more open and critical for their online think sheets versus their handwritten think sheets. These eighth-grade students had little to no trouble navigating online work as well as using the resources provided via a website developed for their automata project. I was largely surprised that my most soft-spoken students wrote their online think sheets in fine detail. One student was so engaged in her work, her think sheet assignments were incredibly thoughtful and elaborate. She was particularly soft-spoken in class and was able to communicate succinctly in her online think sheet assignments. Conversely, the talkative students often had to be reminded to submit their online work. The best moment was talking to one student individually in a “catch-up” session and hearing how he appreciated my lesson incorporating art and technology. He expressed how the project expanded his view on how art and technology co-exist so frequently in everyday life. A major improvement I made over the course of teaching this lesson was the use of my voice. I naturally have a soft-spoken voice and for my first two days, my voice did not carry throughout the room. I worked to position myself in the center of the room and to not place myself behind my laptop during presentations. I practiced vocal exercises with my peers and greatly improved the volume of my voice to carry to each end of the room. As a result, I received less questions on materials I previously covered, and students appeared to understand the purpose of the assignment more thoroughly. My visual board served as a valuable tool during the lesson. When a student struggled with generating an idea, I had the student go over the visual board with me to walk through and clarify each step of the assignment. With the aid of the visual board and referencing past think sheet assignments, students worked through their concepts and formed productive plans for their automatons. I organized the classroom in three sections: there were three tables for students to sit and there were three work tables. I assigned two tables for painting since they were located next to sinks and another for materials to be used for developing automata. Students had little to no difficulty working at these tables, yet I should have organized clean up to be more efficient. I shifted from saying “guys” to “everyone.” This was the most challenging change I made in my classroom dialogue. Working on stating “I need” instead of “please…” effectively shifted the class to stay on task. These seemingly simple changes held a noticeable shift in the class; more students stayed focused and engaged in the lesson. When I began using “I need” instead of “please,” students took my words seriously and continued to perform the tasks I assigned them. When I used “please,” I was asking them to make a decision, but when I used “I need,” I was making a demand. I believe the online think sheets were a success because communication currently revolves around online mediums. I believe many students felt more comfortable by submitting their think sheets online because, at home, they are likely not restricted from using technology as they are at school. Every student created an automaton that functioned and was influenced by a famous work of art. Each piece was individually distinct from one another and each was handled with thoughtfulness and care. Some students focused more on three-dimensionality while others embraced a more two-dimensional approach. This project provided the opportunity for students to flourish in either three dimensions or two dimensions. This project also prompted the opportunity to blend three dimensional qualities with two dimensional ones. The expansive paint color palette provided an outlet for expressive mark making, which some students needed. ProblemsThis lesson took more time than anticipated; time could have been used more efficiently if pieces were previously cut for students. While the experience of creating the project from scratch is important, I believe students would have better benefited with more time to work on visual qualities. If students had more time to focus on the visual qualities of their automata, they could have further explored the inspiration aspect of the project. I should have spent more time to discuss with each student the significance of the materials and applications of paint in regards to their chosen inspirational works. Some students approached this project with thoughtfulness to their chosen inspirational work of art, and if I were to teach this lesson again, I would emphasize to the class examples that applied method to meaning. Students had technical issues that needed troubleshooting that we did not have enough class time for. Instead of placing the duty of troubleshooting on the teacher, I should have allotted time for students to troubleshoot with one another. A common technical issue that some students faced was an unstable cam follower. The cam follower would not move up-and-down and would spin instead. The cam followers were likely not weighed down properly. If I were to do this project again, I would ensure time for troubleshooting where students would work together to find a solution to technical issues. Using online think sheets, accessing assignments was a simple task for me. However, if I were to repeat this lesson, I would provide a way for students to see their previous responses for past think sheet assignments. Also, I would post think sheet responses online for students to reference. I often forget that eighth grade students do not always remember their previous assignments, and having them be easily accessible would benefit the students. I also needed to organize clean-up duties more efficiently and involve students more in the clean-up process. Assigning tasks to student groups would better manage class time; this would ensure the classroom is ready for the next class. Some student responses for think sheet assignments lacked academic language and did not expand on questions requiring two or more sentences. Approximately half of the class submitted answers that were short statements instead of thoughtful responses. To improve the use of academic language, I should tally the words used and who used them. If there is a visual checklist for students to interact with, they would likely be more inclined to use academic language. They would be immediately rewarded for using academic language. Some work was rushed and did not fully function. More tinkering and trouble-shooting would have aided students in forming functioning automatons. Some students struggled with cutting precise sizes for the cardboard frames, yet all frames were still functional. If I were to do this lesson again, I would have pre-measured cardboard pieces prepared for cutting. This could help differentiated learners who might struggle with fine-detail precision methods such as measuring. If the first step is done for them, this should help ease some concerns and anxiety. If a student is still struggling with cutting their pieces, I should ask another student, who was successful and waiting for the next step in the lesson, to help their classmate. AdjustmentsMy first day was too definition heavy with information that was not necessarily important. I think my introduction was lengthy and should be shortened with a think sheet exercise. To better improve my dialogue, I should not stand behind a desk; a clicker would be immensely helpful. Having a boundary between myself and the students creates a barrier; we would better hear each other if we were not separated. Shifting dialogue from a lecture to a discussion would also ensure progressive dialogue in the classroom. From this lesson, I have grown to use my voice, yet I can still work on staccato. Even towards the end of my lesson, I had to keep catching myself using a softer voice. With more practice, I believe I will carry my voice more effectively in the classroom. For future classrooms, I should ask a colleague to stand at the end of the room while I speak from the other to test if my voice needs to be louder. ReflectionOverall, looking back towards my time teaching eighth grade art, I am fairly impressed with the progress I made through this experience. I am noticeably more confident and have found my voice in the classroom. The amount of respect the students had for me and this lesson were remarkably rewarding. I am grateful to have had this experience and to “get my feet wet” teaching a lesson I am passionate about. Teaching for middle-level students has been a memorable experience.
The art show truly tied in the entire lesson and provided students with a chance to share their hard work and thoughtful artist statements. I look forward to teaching this lesson to my future students. Day 1
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