Reflection #15

My idea of Creative Arts is totally different from when I first started attending class. Although some of the elementary schools provide specialty classes for Art and Music, students can participate in more activities. Time is very valuable for teachers, but I learned in Creative Arts that the benefits outweigh the costs. There are many ways that the arts can be implemented into lessons and teaching. If you use arts as a part of the lesson, you are actually using time more wisely and effectively.

When I went to Field, I planned lessons for my 5th grade students. I found it easy to include arts in the activities and the students were appreciative of them. I think they will remember the lessons better because of the drama and visual arts activities that I included in them.

I plan to use the many forms of art when I become a teacher such as Drama, Creative Movement, Visual Arts, and Music. We have learned many ways to use picture books to integrate the arts. I have enjoyed the activities we participated in in class and I plan on using these ideas in my classroom. It will be beneficial to my students and they will be able to have fun while they learn.

Reflection #14

This week we created skits for vocabulary words. I really like this activity idea. It was really fun! We also reported and heard from other classmates about how field experience went. We discussed how we implemented art in our lessons and also how the teachers used it. It was really interesting and I could have listened all day to others' ideas.

Our teacher told us that she didn't do very many art activities in class, however she had them act out a read-a-play and she incorporates it in science. For instance in heredity, they colored butterflies so that they were camouflaged with items in the classroom. I think she implements art without her realizing that she is doing it. I think she associates art with drawing and arts and crafts projects.

It is easier than I thought it would be to implement arts into lesson plans. I loved seeing the students involved in our lessons. We used a painting for a primary source, a classroom impromptu debate, and some of the students sketched drawings in their Lewis and Clark journals we made them. They even loved the "Turkey Dance" I taught them! They really appreciated creative arts activities and because of this experience, I want to continue finding ways to implement the arts in my teaching.

Reflection #12

Field experience is over. It was fun getting to know the students in 5th grade. It was challenging, but fun to teach from our lesson plans.

Our cooperating teacher liked our lessons and so did the students. They enjoyed learning social studies in a more creative way. We taught from a primary source which was a painting of "The Death of John Wolfe", taught them the "Turkey Dance", had the students write and illustrate posters, create journals of Lewis and Clark (some included sketches), and probably the most memorable was the debate between the Loyalists and the Patriots.

The students enjoyed these activities that we implemented art into. I plan on continuing to compile ideas for creative art activities for future use in the classroom.

Reflection #11 Field Experience

On Monday, I got up and interrupted the class after the Pledge of Allegiance and "stepped down from the Loyalists Party". I told the students that I decided I thought it was important to have freedom and have our own government where I could vote for the things I wanted. I tied it in with the words of the Pledge of Allegiance and it was really good. I even tore up my Loyalist Party sign and it was awesome! I hope that my students will always remember this drama activity and the importance of the meaning of "liberty and justice for all". I know I will.

We also taught about Lewis and Clark and the students took actual journal entries and created their own in a journal I constructed for each of them. We told them to be creative in decorating their covers and some of them even sketched animals and plants that they learned about during the activity to go along with their entries.

Our cooperating teacher had told me earlier that they don't do a lot of art activities because her students don't like it. I know they take Art Specialty and Music Specialty classes during the week, so I think it is hard to justify spending more time in those type of art activities.

I think I would like to continue to integrate drama activities into my lessons. I think it is my favorite art activity, which surprises me because I didn't think I would prefer it over music. I believe it can be the most powerful teaching strategy.

Reflection #10-Field Experience

We have been teaching Social Studies in a 5th grade class. We have taught the students about The French and Indian War, The Sugar, Stamp, and Townshend Acts, and the Boston Tea Party.

Yesterday we integrated drama into our lesson. I represented the Loyalist Party and my partner Sarah, represented the Patriots. I campaigned for my party by saying a few things and asked the students who wanted to join my party to come up to the front of the class with me. Then, Sarah spoke for her party and the rest of the class came up to be in her group. We had a debate and involved the students in it. At first I was a little worried that I hadn't explained any rules before the activity about talking in turn, but in hindsight, I was able to emphasize how angry the colonists would have been. It was probably okay anyway, because when it started to get out of hand a little, I told them that one person could speak at a time. The students then wrote a persuasive letter to a family member or friend notifying them of their joining one of the parties. I think it helped them to understand the significance of the conflict that the colonists suffered through.

I also taught them the "Turkey Dance" as an activity to get the wiggles out before my first lesson. The students loved it and we did it again a couple of days later before another lesson. I think it really helped.

In art specialties, the students learned about texture and studied some paintings on postcards to find different textures. We get to go to art specialties again this week and I am interested in what we will learn. It was fun seeing students do activities we did in Creative Arts class.

Reflection #9 Music Part 2

I learned that it is easy to write songs to help students learn facts. It was fun creating a song to present in class. Using the melody from folk songs and other popular songs made learning easier, since all we needed to teach and learn was the lyrics.
It was really fun to participate in the other groups' presentations. They had a lot of fun ideas that we can incorporate into our classrooms. I liked learning fun ways to warm-up, and it wasn't hard to learn the songs to be able to sing them in rounds. I liked learning and clapping beats and rhythms and I'm sure the students will enjoy doing this as well.
Music has always been my favorite activity to participate in since I was in grade school. I remember learning a second part to Silver Bells and it was so fun to harmonize. I want my students to have a positive experience in learning and participating in musical activities in addition to their music specialty class lessons (if they are available).
I plan on reading more about implementing music into academics. I think I will start writing more songs, besides, it was a lot of fun, and I can still remember that General George Washington asked Betsy Ross to sew a flag with 13 stars and 13 stripes. I'll probably never forget it, thanks to music.

Reflection #8 Music

Note: I missed class last week because of my illness, and was disappointed because music is my favorite arts subject.

The textbook's definition of music is "sound patterns over time intended to express moods, ideas, or feelings". (Creating Meaning Through Literature and the Arts) Music can be used as a valuable tool in teaching students in the classroom. I plan to use music in helping my students memorize facts and concepts, as background sound to help stimulate thinking, for brain boosters, for exercise activities, and to have an enjoyable experience in learning.

It is important to teach students musical elements and concepts, how music has developed and how it defines different cultures. Music has always played an important part of history and I think students should be taught about the influence of it. Also, students and teachers need to know that they don't have to be professionals in music. They just need the desire to learn a new skill.

I want to be able to integrate music in my classroom. First of all, this is going to require some research in finding songs and activities that will increase learning and that will match the core. Starting at preschool age, children learn their abc's by music. It is much easier to learn by lyrics and melody and students will be able to retain their knowledge better if facts are taught by music. I would like to incorporate music in behavior reminders, classroom rules, helping with self-esteem, and physical exercise. I have used music in kindergarten (as a substitute) as a teaching tool for learning colors, rhymes, abc's, and as substitute for physical education activities when outside recess was not allowed. I have also used classical music to help students concentrate on math problems. I have seen it's positive influence in these situations. Music will help me teach Math, Science, Language Arts, and will also help to create a RAD classroom. My students will definitely be exposed to music in our classroom.

Reflection #7 Creative Dance #2

Reflection #7 Creative Dance Wk #2

As I have experienced dance and creative movement in Creative Arts class, I have realized that a person doesn't have to be talented and coordinated to participate in these activities. I also found out that the more I participated in the creative movement activities, the more I felt comfortable doing them.

I like how creative dance can be integrated into academics. I think it was quite easy planning these activities around picture books and by using the ideas in our textbook. I enjoyed coming up with plans for our group presentation and it was fun participating in some of the other group's activities. I like this strategy and plan to use the ideas created by my classmates, along with others that I create, and from books written by other teachers. I would like to involve my students in this type of active learning. I will also encourage my students to be considerate of others and to include everyone in these activities, so that every child will feel comfortable enough to participate.

Using creative movement and dance is a good tool to use because it not only teaches and reinforces facts and information, but students can have a chance to express themselves in their own way. Additionally, children will get up and move, which will give them a chance to exercise, without them even realizing that they are doing just that.

Reflection #6 Creative Dance

I, like many others perceived dance as techniques learned in classes such as ballet, jazz, and tap. I'm not a very coordinated person and I was happy to see that it didn't matter what the movements are in creative dance. It was up to my own imagination and creativity how my body moved. It made it a little less embarrassing to participate.

I am continually amazed at how the arts can be integrated into the curriculum. Not only can dance be used as a tool in grabbing a student's attention and interest, but it also can be used to help them remember what has been taught, and help them with higher order thinking. I like how the text says, "Dance is the art that puts the curriculum in motion." I felt it did just that as we performed the water cycle last week. I am really amazed that students can even learn or review math through dance.

I think one of the most interesting things that I learned last week is that possibly children who are diagnosed with ADHD might just need to get up and move. The book says that dance triggers the brain to produce catecholamine which is an alertness hormone. I think it is great that we learn about helping our students be able to focus in class. In Psychology we do brain busters that serve the same purpose. After activities such as these, kids will be able to concentrate more and this will help in moving information from sensory memory- to working memory- to long-term memory.

I really like the idea of implementing creative arts, including creative movement into the curriculum. This will take a little extra planning, but it will be worth it in the long run. My students are worth the effort. They will be able to learn better, feel good about themselves, and be able to use their creativity, all while having a good time.

Reflection #5

Chapter 9 in our textbook discusses ideas on how to use drama skills and techniques for higher order thinking. Energizers and Warm-ups can be useful in motivating students. These activities can also stimulate the brain for use in creative problem solving, and can help increase concentration and focus. Pantomime can be a good tool for shy students or ESL students to make it easier for them to be able to express themselves in a comfortable way. Improvisation can be very useful in reviewing material. It also requires different ways of thought process. The use of drama in Literacy will bring about increased participation and is a great starting point for a theme or idea for writing projects.

I learned that there are many ways to implement a variety of skills while reading a book to the class. I particularly liked the activities that will help my students feel empathy toward the characters, especially in Non-Fiction books. When we participated in some of these activities in class, it was really cool to put ourselves into the place of the character and/or scenes. The story of Ruby Bridges can be a life changing experience as students learn about the challenges that she went through and that one person can make a difference. It was kind of sad to experience the kinds of treatment she received from other people as we as students participated in the “CarWash” activity. As we shouted at “Ruby” it really helped our class feel sympathy and a little empathy for her. The Imaginative/Sensory activities we participated in as we read some of the other books helped us feel like we were in the character’s shoes. These activities can draw students into the story and can be a powerful tool in teaching about real people and the sacrifices that they made. They can also stimulate creativity and imagination.

I would like to try several ideas from the information sheets and also from the textbook. There are so many ways to use drama and I will be able to refer to these ideas as I make my lesson plans. They will be very beneficial to me as a teacher.

I love the idea of Process Drama through reading books aloud in class. I particularly think these activities would benefit students in the study of Social Studies and Literacy Skills. I also liked the drama activities in class, such as the Reporter and the Panel activities. I especially like the idea of activities in groups, so that everyone can feel comfortable and not be put on the spot. These activities can be really good assessment techniques for end of units. I was amazed that we can even use drama in learning grammar (such as in the adverb game) and also in math. Who knew?

Creative Arts Reflection #4

I took a drama class in high school and considered drama as just acting, such as in a play or musical.  In our Creative Arts class I learned that there are many uses for drama.  It can be very useful in teaching, assessing, in motivating, and it also builds social skills (just to name a few).  I am excited about learning how to implement these ideas in my classroom.  It will be so much more fun to design and carryout lesson plans when these creative ideas that we learn in class and from the book are used in our planning. 

I was a little nervous during the theatre games last week, but it helped to be able to work in groups.  I did enjoy the narrative activity.  I like to read stories (especially picture books) to my students when I substitute and I think this will be a great way to reinforce many subjects when I have a class of my own.  Who knew that drama could be used in teaching math?  I would like to use the idea of "Daily Math" where students pantomime how math is used in everyday life and also role-playing story problems.  These activities will help my students find that learning math will be useful to them. 

Drama activities can be helpful in the academic achievement of students.  It can improve reading comprehension, oral language, and writing skills.  It can also be beneficial to students with learning disabilities, ESL students, and students from families with low incomes. 

I will definitely find ways to include drama in my classroom.  I will also find ways that students in my class who are shy or uncomfortable can participate and will have the desire to do so.  Adding drama to my lessons and activities will add excitement to the classroom and it will also help my students attain higher academic achievements.  It's a win-win situation, I think!

Reflection #3

We learned how to make podcasts in Instructional Technology this week.  We made a public announcement and recorded it.  It was a really fun project.  This activity would be great in a classroom for reports.  It would be a really good way to include announcements in our class websites.  This project would also be fantastic in presentations.  The ideas are endless.  I am glad I learned about how to make a podcast and plan to use this technique and idea in my future as a student and as a teacher.  I appreciate being able to work in partners, so I don't get so frustrated and lost.  Thanks!

Reflection #3 Creative Arts

In class, this week, we discussed the principles of art.  These include proportion, balance, rhythm, variety, and unity.  We looked at different works of art that include these things.  It was very interesting to learn about the "hidden" (to me) messages and themes that the artists were trying to portray.
I have never really learned how to read art and it was a little difficult to identify and understand the principles by viewing the paintings.  I guess it takes practice and maybe a little research to be able to master this technique. This is will be necessary for me to be able to teach my students about art.
Illustrations in books are a way to draw students in to teach them about art principles.  I believe that one of the ways a child chooses a particular book to read is because of the illustrations on the cover.
It was really interesting to me to see how you can use a book to integrate many subjects in.  The artist-author study web was an awesome example of this. I hope to use this idea in teaching various subjects.  I love to read books and learn about the authors and illustrators and know my students will too.  This will be a great starting point for many teaching activities in many subject areas and the bonus is, that they will learn about art at the same time.

Reflection #2 Visual Arts 1

Art is very important in a student's learning process.  There are many ways to integrate art in class subjects.  We can teach math, science, music, reading, and many other different subjects by using art. Our long-term memory can hold an unlimited amount of visual images and we can develop a skill for noticing details. Art subjects can be the focus for other subjects to branch off of.  Art also can enable a child to express himself/herself giving them self confidence that they lack in other academic areas.

This is important to me as a teacher.  I am excited to integrate the arts into all areas of teaching.  From my experience, children love art.  They love to create and feel free to express themselves in their drawings or other art forms.  By using art, I can make my lessons more interesting, memorable, and fun.  My students will be able to use their higher order thinking skills by examining and understanding art.  I will try to not be a teacher that gives art worksheets, but art projects that will give my students an opportunity to use their creativity.  This textbook has so many ideas that I will want to use as a teacher.  As a person, particularly as a student, myself, I hope to be able to implement these ideas in my own learning.  I would like to improve my learning and memorization skills by learning the techniques of paying attention to detail, and visualization.

I didn't realize how often art is used in the learning process at school.  Art and math teach about geometric shapes.  Art and music teach about lines, rhythms, and patterns.  My favorite aspect of art is with literature.  Illustrations on the cover of a book help draw interest in reading it.  The art of "seeing" what you read is important in comprehension and connection.  There are many ways art can be included in the classroom that can really benefit my students.  I plan on using the techniques and skills I learn in this class to help me be a better teacher and to help my students be better learners.

Reflection #1 My Experience in the Arts

When I was 14 years old, I  started playing the piano at my grandma's house (on my own) with a piano book.  I could play the songs because I knew which fingers were number 1, 2, 3, and so forth.  The diagrams in the book helped me to push the right keys.  I started piano lessons and because of my experience, I passed about half of the book off during my first lesson.  The teacher was amazed at what I could do.  During my lessons, she would teach me a little bit of theory and then tell me to go home and practice the songs that I couldn't play.  I realized that I was actually teaching myself by doing this, and I thought it was a big waste to pay for and to go to my lessons.  I wasn't fond of theory either and disliked playing dumb baby songs.  After approximately three weeks, I quit. 
I still wanted to play the piano, so I taught myself how to play it.  I had played the violin for one year in elementary and so I was familiar with a few notes.  I figured out that each time the note went up a space or line on the music, it meant to go up a key on the piano.  I memorized the placement of the notes instead of memorizing note names.  This was a long process, but I learned how to play the piano pretty well.   

I have learned that I do best at learning by teaching and discovering how to do things, myself.  I feel pressure when others teach and critique me.  I learn better in  a more comfortable atmosphere. 

I know that students are different and prefer learning in various ways.  Also, some children are more shy and are unsure of themselves.  I hope I will be able to find a way to let my students experience the arts by finding out how they learn best and also by helping them feel comfortable in expressing their artistic talents.  I hope this class will help me to be successful in doing these things when I teach.