December/January Charter Chat

Expressions Charter Chat: December-January from Mrs. Novello and Mrs. Shane

Task Performance Challenge

At our most recent Professional Development Day we discussed the role of assessment and evaluated assessment strategies to identify whether or not our assessments hit the 4 levels of the DOK. After this discussion we dived into SBAC data to determine patterns. The SBAC data is very broad and does not target specific skill sets, but it does outline how students are able to problem solve with multi-step problems. Individual multi-step problem solving is something our students could use more practice with. Thinking about our pillars and the many opportunities we provide for our students to collaborate led me to believe that one we we can increase the ability for individuals to tackle multi-step problems is with Task Performance Challenges.

This got me excited, REALLY excited, because I had developed a digital project over the fall that I was too nervous about teaching for fear of glitches, skill level and just the unknown. So I decided I would use a block period (85 minutes) to the introduce the digital art project as a challenge on a sideshow, review the steps on the board, reinforce that it was an individual challenge,  and have students upload their completed project and write a justification process onto a google form for completion.

I think this project was a great start to setting up engaging, individual challenges that lead kids through multiple steps. I am really happy with their projects! You can see all of them here, but I posted several stand-outs.

Word Photography

Just when I thought I had it all figured out, my students prove me wrong! It's a good thing, really, for the circumstances to flip around where the students become the experts. In regards to technology, it happens A LOT and I think it's a good thing!
Our initial plan was to use Adobe Photoshop to create our word photography. I took the time to master this application making sure I practiced on the same version that is loaded on the Mac's in the Media Center. I even created a YouTube tutorial for my students to follow along. What I didn't take into account was the nature of technology and the GLITCHES that can (and did) occur while students were working within Photoshop.
The good thing is that my tech savvy students provided alternate methods for creating their word collage. Some methods I was familiar with, some I was not. Even though my heart was set on them utilizing a particular tool, I feel being flexible and adaptable to the situation provided students with the freedom to choose their creative tool and successfully finish the project.

Connecting Math and Art with Looney Tunes

Teaching math and art can be a struggle in the artoom. However, I have found that when the math is presented with hands-on, highly engaging content the kids dive in and have success! Years ago when me and Rochelle (my very favorite math teacher) were reviewing STAR math scores (remember those?) we noticed that our 7th grade students collectively struggled with the testing category category of Ratios and Proportions. Thus, this unit was developed and was the beginning step for incorporating more math rich concepts into the art room.

The Looney Tune Scale project is the second project within the unit and kids always do a great job and feel a great sense of pride in their work. However, by the time they are finished with their character they have forgotten about the math problems we completed to scaffold the project. To bridge the learning gap I created an end of unit survey and reflection  to make the math learning stick.

Scaled Paper Model House

The Ratio and Proportion Unit gets kicked off with a Paper Model House Challenge. In this challenge students are to measure the dimensions of a house, apply a ratio and build it to scale. For groupings we allow individuals to use a 1:2 ratio, groups of 2 to use 1:4, and groups of 3 to use 1:6 to balance out the work load. In addition to building the exterior structure, design elements are also required. 4 exterior design elements and 2 interior design elements are to be cut out and attached to their Paper model scene. Once kids are engaged with the design elements, they naturally want to extend their design by adding color to make their scene look more realistic.
This project is a great hands-on approach to introducing math in art and allowing students to see the extension for how ratios are used in real life!

33 Book Cover Ceiling Tile Murals- IN ONE DAY!

My 8th grade students had participated in the Big Day of Reading for 2 years already. As 6th and 7th graders, the activities they participated in included reading circles, found poetry, author talks, and readers theater. Although all of those activities are fun and engaging, I felt that their role as 8th grade Students needed to shift to an advocacy role and promote reading to their younger peers. It is from that belief that my Donors Choose grant was written. When my students learned that they would be creating Book Cover Murals for the Media Center on the Big Day of Reading, they were apprehensive, but excited!

On The Big Day of Reading 88 students collaborated by painting 33 ceiling tile murals in the style of book covers. EVERY genre of book was represented ranging from children's picture books to horror novels. EVERY mural was successful and turned out stunning! The project, which was executed in one day, was so successful that we decided to display the murals in an art exhibit for the month of January before installing them in the school library. My students feel pride in their effort, understand that their work will have a lasting impact on the culture of our campus and have set a high standard for future students. This experience has made my students more aware of their role as leaders and how they can communicate ideas through the creation of public art!

Block Letter Sculpture Contest Winners

There were so many great Block letters that made it very hard to select the most creative, most original and most technical. Somehow, we managed to pick the following 9 Block Letters. Each student received a Barnes and Noble Gift card as their prize. LOVE Literature and Art!