[re]Design(ing): Art Ed
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[re]Design(ing) a Skill Builder

7/8/2023

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The skill builder is complete! Now, what? 
Upon completing skill builders, I have students reflect on their learning. There are various activities below that I use. Remember, these are just suggestions, and you can adapt them to suit the specific needs and preferences of your students. The goal is to ensure that they not only complete the skill builders but also actively engage with the material, reflect on their learning, and continue to build upon their newfound knowledge and skills. 
Design a Skill Builder (Part one) can be found here. 

Students practice observation skills drawing a still life and use black paper with white crayons.
Students explore using white crayon techniques by observing a still life.

​Process

Engage in peer sharing: Allow students time to share anything that they liked or disliked and what key information they learned. Encourage them to articulate what they found most valuable or interesting.
Highlight vital information: Select a distinctive color to emphasize important information. You may consider the following questions while prompting students to highlight: What is your favorite technique? Which technique do you think you will use? Which was the messy material? Which material was easy to work with? 
​
Foster Inquisitiveness: Have students choose a different color and provide them with the following sentence starters:  “What if…?” “I wonder..” and “I want to try..”.  This will pique students' curiosity and invite them to try new ideas.
Student explores drawing and collage TAB centers
Student explores drawing and collage techniques.
Student's reflection show understanding of the standard. How to align standards in TAB?
A student's assessment of a drawing skill builder.

​Connect

Relate to Prior Learning Experiences: Spend some time drawing connections between the newly acquired skills and prior knowledge in the classroom. Explore similarities with questions like “How is this like…?” “Does it remind you of…?” Explore differences with questions like “How is this different from…” 
Begin to develop art-making ideas:  Students are expected to take their learning and apply it to a work of art. I ask this most crucial question: 
What techniques will best convey your message or purpose? 
​This question tends to manifest best during sketching. I have students label what techniques they will be used in parts of their idea. Also, during the instruction of the skill builder, I emphasize “What do you think this technique would be best for?” “Does this technique inspire a certain idea that you might have?” 
What techniques will best convey your message or purpose?"
Student's painting exploration.
Student's example of a painting skill builder.

​Summarize

Assessing Learning Standards:  Evaluate your student's understanding and progress by developing an assessment that aligns with standards. The two criteria below are from the National Core Art Standards, Creating category: Anchor Standard 1: Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work.

2nd Grade VA:Cr1.2.2a Make art or design with various materials and tools to explore personal interests, questions, and curiosity.

The 2nd-grade standard asks students to explore interests. Something as simple as reflection questions like: “What material or technique did you like the best?” could meet this standard but what is more crucial is how it is recorded. Because of the age of the students, consider documenting a class discussion and having students vote. They could also complete a short worksheet where they circle their answer and visual cues. 

8th Grade VA:Cr1.1.8a  Document the early stages of the creative process visually and/or verbally in traditional or new media.

The 8th-grade standard wants students to document the early stages of the creative process. Developing an assessment of the creative process would be beneficial in demonstrating their learning. Ask students, “What do artists do in the first stages of the creative process?” A pre and post-assessment could best serve this instance. 
Evaluating and Displaying Data: Review and analyze the data from the assessments. Are there any trends? Any significant differences? Take students’ examples and assessment and create a display. This will feature the learning takes place in your creative space to share with the school community. It demonstrates how the students are directed through the creative process and taught to learn to technique to apply to their own ideas or challenge. 
Student's written reflection of practicing sewing.
Student's assessment of a sewing skill builder.
TAB Clay center
A student's pre-assessment before starting a clay skill builder.
Revisit 
Reluctant and stuck students: A skill builder can be a helpful tool for students that are stuck and uncertain about what to create. This method is very constructive with the added use of a list, mind map, or some type of idea-generation tool. Prompting students with questions that involve the skill builder and idea generation tool will provoke and inspire them. ‘What technique would you use to create this idea?” “Which idea is your favorite?”  This should spark students’ interest and get them excited about creating.

Synthesize new materials and ideas: To further enrich students’ learning experiences, I recommend exploring previous skills builders upon completing additional ones. Revisiting past skill builders provides a valuable opportunity to synthesize and merge ideas, fostering a deeper understanding. This technique is particularly beneficial in a TAB studio and choice-based classroom, as it allows students to explore diverse mixed media options, expanding their creative horizons.
Revisiting past skill builders provides a valuable opportunity to synthesize and merge ideas, fostering a deeper understanding."
TAB classroom assessment
Primary students use dots to vote on their favorite material after completing a drawing skill builder.

​ In conclusion, the redesign of a skill builder goes beyond mere technique acquisition and incorporates the important aspect of teaching students how to utilize it as a tool for generating ideas and finding inspiration from various materials. Providing students this system of processing and analyzing information gives them a foundation in learning the creative and design process. It encourages them to think beyond the boundaries of predefined techniques and to approach their work with a fresh perspective. By enabling students to process and analyze information effectively, they gain the confidence and skills necessary to explore new possibilities and solve complex problems. The ultimate goal is to empower students to become independent makers and thinkers in their future endeavors.    
Providing students this system of processing and analyzing information gives them a foundation in learning the creative and design process."
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