Reflection #15: Where Am I Heading?

I figure that I am heading in a better direction for my teaching and for teaching my future students with the arts. I feel like I am more comfortable to teach the arts and I have many resources and tools at my fingertips. I feel like there are different areas of the arts that I can focus on throughout the school year. I hope to be able to try all of these areas and be able to improve and become better in my teaching.

I feel that I can do this through practicing and not being afraid to experiment and try new things. I hope to also be open to my other colleagues as well and be able to try out their ideas to know if it will be good for my students. Hopefully I can get to the point where I can feel good about my teaching through the arts.

I hope that my students will enjoy it as well and as much as I have. I hope that they can see the benefits of having the arts. Surely, I will teach them how they can appreciate the arts and become more exposed to them. I hope that they can see their creativity increasing and their critical thinking skills being enhanced. I hope that it will be something that they will always enjoy!

Reflection #14: My Journey

What I have learned about myself throughout this semester is having a more open mind for the arts. I felt that I always had, but this helped for me to have it grow more and more. I am beginning to understand how important it is to integrate the arts into the classroom. It helps enrich the creativity of the students so they can become more independent thinkers and solve more problems on their own. It has helped me to learn that there is no right way or wrong way to do something, but that they can feel safe and feel comfortable and accepted by themselves and their peers.

So I will begin to start to implement and create lesson plans that will integrate art more into the lessons. I will be more open about using dance and theater rather than drawing and painting as what I think of first when the arts comes to mind. I want them to be exposed to all different types of art forms and to allow them to be able to enjoy and to really enhance their thinking through all different kinds of art forms that they learn best from.

Now I will try to have the courage to be able to implement the arts more into lesson plans so that the students can learn and become more independent and creative in their learning. I want them to be exposed to what has made the world what it is today through the different art forms. There is so much to learn and appreciate. By having them be exposed, I hope that it will inspire them to love the arts and to expose it to others as well.

Reflection #13: Field Experience

What have I learned from my experience? I have learned so much from being in field. Our lessons we did for our field experience went well. Actually, one of our lessons went well with the students drawing the different types of Roman pillars, but the other lesson we had where we integrated process drama into the lesson didn't do too well. The students had been a little more rambunctious that day and it was harder to keep them focused. They did really well with the role-on-the-wall activity, but the pantomime activity, they weren't cooperating very well with it. We did have a good experience with the pillars though. They did a great job with identifying the different types and incorporating them well in their drawings of their ideal home.

So what can I do better? I can better understand now that the students need to have clear directions of what they are going to do in the different activities for process drama or for any other activity we might do with them for the future. I would have to know the students a little better to know what worked for them and what didn't. We found out after we did that lesson was that the students did not do well sitting on the floor trying to listen. They liked to work better in groups and being able to discuss what they can learn from their classmates in their groups. We could have done that in a different way where it would have worked better for them and for us too.

Now what do I plan to do in the future? I plan to be able to spend time and try these lessons again and work with what works well with the students. I hope to be able to keep the same activities, but maybe switch out activities for different ones. It would have probably worked better if the students with partners had an interview with each other about the story and the characters within the story rather than the pantomime. It's just a matter of experimenting and trying of what works and what doesn't work. All in all, I think it comes down to knowing your students well enough to know what would be best for them and their best learning environment.

Reflection #12: Field Experience

What we are doing in field is doing our lesson plan where we are trying to integrate process drama in 6th grade on the Ancient Rome unit. We told the story, "Roman Diary" where it is about a young girl that is Greek and she is on her way to Rome as a slave. She describes her experiences in her journal entries. She tells about the things she has witnessed and seen and how she has felt. We had the students act out being at an auction for auctioning her off to a master, there was an activity of a role on the wall where we had the students write the feelings of a Roman soldier going off to war. We had them write the feelings the soldier might have had being in this parade. Alot of the students wrote down that they thought that soldier might be scared and worried to go to war. On the outside of the soldier's outline, we had them write words that people watching the soldier in the parade might have felt. Most of them wrote down, proud, handsome, courageous, etc. We had an activity where we pantomimed them going throughout different places in Rome. The young slave girl rescued a baby in a fire and we had an interview with the three heroines and the class asked questions while they gave their best responses as if they were the slave girl.

So at the end of the lesson, we had the students make a journal entry of their own writing down their life as a servant and see how it would have been for them. Many students shared and they were really good! They truly got a feel of how it might have been being a slave in Ancient Rome. I think the activities helped them to understand those feelings.

Now the students have a better idea of what life was like for someone their age, but maybe at a very different social class than they are in. It helped them to gain a better perspective and appreciation for the people of Rome and their lives. It helps them to realize who they are in their own lives and how they can be aware of others and their needs and be more sensitive to them. Overall, I think they were grateful to enjoy the experience and the activities in process drama.

Reflection #11: Field Experience

What have I been learning about while being in field and using the creative arts? I have been learning a few things. I learned while giving the lesson about the different types of pillars that a lot of them are still used today and the places where they have been in used in architecture have been used in the White House, the Lincoln Memorial, the Utah State Capitol and so many other places I'm sure. It was just amazing to see the the shapes and lines and what distinguishes one pillar from another. This helped students to be able to understand and distinguish from the other pillars by their art form.

So what does this all mean to me as a teacher? It means that a lot of the art that was used back in the time of ancient civilizations are still being influenced today in our buildings that we see. It means that their artistry was passed down to us and we can appreciate where it comes from and from where it was originated. That meant a deal to the students in the classroom realizing that what they see and what buildings they are familiar with, they can know that it was the Romans and Greeks that influenced that type of artistry.

Now what am I going to do? I am having the students draw their ideal dream place using the four different types of pillars at least once to be able to know and distinguish how they are similar and how they are different from one another. I encouraged them to look at the shape and the lines and the form of the pillar and what type of pillar might be used on what type of a building. They were able to remember the pillar types very well and they are doing very well on their sketches of their ideal dream house.

Reflection #10: Field Experience

What am I learning about? What am I teaching about? I am learning a lot about the students in my field experience and learning more of what their needs are and maybe what my field partner and I can do to help them. We are teaching the Ancient Rome unit and it is our first day of teaching tomorrow. We are teaching on the geography and architecture of Rome. We are hoping to do our post/summative assessment by having the students draw their dream house using the different types of pillars we discussed in class.

So what am I going to do to help the students learn more about the drawing and the elements of art? I am going to teach them about the elements of art and what they can do to make their drawings stand out and be excellent. I want them to take time in their project and be proud that they did it.

Now what am I going to do? I am going to teach about the different types of pillars and why they used that specific type of pillar for a certain type of building. I hope that it will be fascinating and fun for them to stop and take a look around town or if they take a vacation to spot the different types of architecture and how this kind of art is still influencing us today.

Reflection #9: Music

What did I learn from the process I engaged in in the creative music lesson? I learned that very simple melodies and lyrics were very helpful to children and to adults as well. I learned that it is easier to sing and not say and to have the students repeat it many times, so they know the song really well. Also, I learned that I have to be comfortable and confident in the song and to know it well enough to teach it to children. I learned that cues helped to know when the students are supposed to come in on a song and that will help them to know when to start and stop.

So what is important for me to remember and learn? I felt that it was important to remember that we really can retain much more information by singing the song. I can remember most of the lyrics to almost any song that I love to sing. I feel that it is important to integrate lyrics and melodies that are fun for you and the rest of the class. I felt that it was important to identify and hear the difference in different notes and pitches so that the students can understand and know how to sing better.

Now what are my next steps? I feel that my next steps are to find ways to integrate the core into music. It is so fun and such a great learning experience with children. Whether they say it or not, many students love to sing songs and do activities that involve singing. I know that they would much rather do that than a read a textbook all of the time, so I would encourage them to write their own music and lyrics to songs. They will be happier and I feel more successful in the classroom if they use music.

Reflection #8: Music

What is music and why should I use music in my elementary school classroom? Music is a really good tool to help children be able to learn and remember information in a fun and interesting way. Music is a great tool or a great mneumonic to help remember and retain information. Using lyrics or words and putting it to a melody can help children and adults remember information for much longer than if they were just reading it out of a textbook. I would use it in my classroom for that reason. It helps them, but most of them really like it and they think it is fun. They can learn while having fun too.

So what are my goals for teaching music for my future students? So what is important for teaching music to children? My goals for teaching music to my future students is to teach them how to effectively sing using the elements of singing. I wish to have to them sing the core as well. I want them to be able to write their own lyrics and music for their projects or assignments and I also wish they can write music of their own to help them in their life. It's important to teach music to children because music truly can speak to children and adults by expressing different types of emotion. It is an art form that can truly touch them and they can learn from the feeling and emotion rather than reading out of a book sometimes. It is a different way to teach children effectively.

Now what do I plan to do to prepare to effectively teach and integrate music into my future classroom? I plan to try to implement at least one song per unit if possible or every other unit, or wherever seems fit to use music appropriately. Also, during transitions of changing subjects during the school day, I wish to share short songs or singing rounds with students. I wish to also have my piano in the classroom so I can play it for the students and have them be a part of the music too. I believe that it helps students to appreciate and want to be more interested in learning and performing music for others and themselves too.

Reflection #7: Dance

So what has changed my understanding of children's creative dance? It has helped me to understand what is being taught in the curriculum. It helped me to feel good applying creative dance in almost any area of the curriculum (math, science, social studies, etc.) It helped me to realize that they are truly applying the information that is being taught to them. By them doing, they will remember and retain the information for a much longer time than actually reading out of a textbook. Plus, it is a lot more fun for them to be able to be involved together as a class and individually.

So what will I be taking with me of my experience teaching, participating, and learning about creative dance? The experience I felt that I had was that I was tired by the time all of the lessons were taught, but it helped me to retain the information much more effectively rather than reading it out of a textbook. It helped me to have fun and be involved with my other classmates by solving and figuring out problems and how we would work it out well together. It helped me to be able to pass this onto my future students and for them to be able to enjoy the same experience as well by being taught well and remembering the information and the fun they had too.

Now what do I plan to teach for my future students and how will I prepare for that? I hope to teach them information that they may have a more difficult time understanding, but I hope to be able to have them meet at least once a week in the gym and be taught a standard through creative dance. It will be a time that they can look forward to every week and that I will be able to look forward to it as well. I hope that I can teach math concepts, science lessons, music lessons, and many more lessons throughout my teaching career. It will be different from other teachers and I hope that I can help them to feel like they are a part and involved in their own classroom too.

Reflection #6: Dance

What new insights do I have regarding creative dance and what it offers to students? I think that I was really surprised how well everyone worked together. I learned that everyone got along better and were willing to do things because they were doing it together. There wasn't much worry because everyone else was being creative in their dance and what they interpreted it to mean. They were able to feel safe and willing to be creative in what they were learning. It allows me and very likely my students to retain the information better from doing and thinking creatively and working together as a group.

So what does that mean for me next week's preparation and for field? It will help to allow students to feel safe, comfortable, and confident in expressing themselves. Everyone is unique and different in how they express emotions and different shapes. It allows them to feel more freedom and not feel so restrained to do what others want them to do. I wish to encourage the class and my students to use different levels, pace, and rhythm in creating different shapes. It will help them to learn the curriculum in a more fun and interesting and memorable way.

Now what do I need to incorporate these skills and knowledge into my classroom? I will try to incorporate many subjects into creative dance in order to help students want to remember those important lessons for the curriculum that they need to be tested on, but I want them to be able to remember how they felt and how much fun they had in being able to show their creativity. If I can enhance their creativity, then that will stimulate creativity to do well in all other subject areas.

Reflection #5: Process Drama

What did you learn about Process Drama/what did you learn from the other presentations? I learned that you can truly have students relate to the stories and experiences in the illustrated books. They can have fun and truly remember the information, but mostly how they felt. A feeling truly stays longer with students and they can remember that experience for a long time. I learned a lot from the other presentations. I learned that having a campfire and retelling a story can be taught in so many different ways. There are so many ways to teach information by using process drama. The students can learn by doing and it's fun and interesting for them.

So what drama ideas will you implement in your teaching? I loved the group that did the decision alley activity. It has the whole class involved and they can be a part of the story. It makes it feel so real for them and the thoughts and the words that come out of their mouths can be completely different than another students. I also loved the role on the wall activity because it has students take views from different perspectives. The story may be told first person from the main character, but I like how this can be used to write the thoughts and feelings of the main character on the inside, but we can also write down the thoughts and feelings of another character's perspective by viewing the main character too. Many of them are great, but these were a couple of my favorite tools that I would like to use for my classroom.

Now what will I do to integrate creative drama into my teaching? I will try to integrate it by doing as many subjects as I can. I can't do them all obviously all the time, but there are so many options to do for social studies and learning about the different people in history. There are many ways to integrate it into language arts and reading to represent a person's feelings, thoughts, and emotions and expressing them through their reading. In science, you can take on different formations of erosion, weathering, and eruption and what different ways to represent how these processes occur. All in all, I want my students to remember how they felt and had fun in learning and doing well on their assessments. I think it will help them retain the information better and in a more fun and interesting way.

Reflection #4: Drama

What I have I learned about drama? I have learned more about drama and how it will especially help students in the classroom rather than just being an extra-curricular activity. For me, it really enhanced my mind and made it more open to infinite possibilities to do in the classroom. I felt more creative and I was encouraged to be creative. It helped me to realize that there really is no wrong or right answer. I felt safe and like I could be myself and I think that's how students want to feel too.

So what kind of activities will I use using drama in my classroom? I really loved the mirroring activity and game. It helped me to focus and feel like I was being challenged. I think the students would love that too. What I really loved was the activities we did involving "The Little Red Riding Hood" story. I think that will really help to teach social studies and make it so much fun. They can use their imaginations and be so creative. They will also retain the information so much more.

Now what does drama do for students? Drama is an amazing art that can open up so many opportunities for learning and teaching. It can virtually be used in most subject areas. I remember that I was taking drama lessons in a youth theater I joined and there was a girl there that was so shy and hardly talked to anyone, and now, she is the most talkative and friendly person! She really came out of her shell knowing that it's okay to be silly and express yourself in so many different ways. She was happier because she made friends and she felt confident in herself. That's what I want for my students is to feel confident and happy in their schooling and also in their personal lives too.

Reflection #3: Visual Arts

What have I learned about the principles of visual art and looking and understanding a piece of art? I have learned that there is more to art than just looking and thinking it's a nice painting. I have learned that there is more to the piece. Every person is so different and can interpret art in their own unique way. How I may I interpret a piece one way, another can interpret it in a much different way than I have. That is what I learned is that there really is no wrong way to view and interpret a painting and say it's right. Everyone has their own interpretation and what it means to them personally. Children's illustrators use the principles of art in so many different ways than another illustrator, but they all use the principles of art. Children love pictures and books and they can easily identify the principles of art in a book, I think. We can teach them about the illustrators and why that illustrator paints those different ways. They want to create an emotion and feeling for children as the audience.

So what can I do to effectively teach students about art and its techniques and styles? I can introduce the elements and principles of art to them and focus on one a week. I can also introduce an artist or other artists that use that technique in their art. I will have students paint or draw that element or principle so that they can learn and also learn about other artists as well.

Now what--why will that be important to me and my students? I think art opens up creativity so much for children as well as adults. Because each student is so different and unique, their work will be unique too from any other person's in the classroom. If I have to feel like they're allowed to be creative and draw how they want to, they will want to do it more and more. Not only will they be creative in the arts, but I hope that they will be creative in their other subjects in school and in their own personal lives outside of the classroom. If they can express their opinion and their creativity, they will feel like they are confident and successful in whatever they may be asked to do.

Reflection #2: Visual Arts

What have I learned about visual art-both from the text and class? I have learned that there are many different elements that are associated with visual arts. I have learned that there is deeper meaning than just coloring a picture. There are shapes, lines, texture, value, and many other elements that can be expressed. I learned that there were a few things that I struggled with while learning about the different elements. Texture and value were probably the more difficult elements for me to learn doing. It just shows that I can learn more and there is more room for improvement. Overall, it helped me to teach my own students that there is more to the world of visual arts and creativity than just coloring, it is the elements that can help students enhance their creativity even further.

So what does that mean for me as a teacher? As a person? It means that there are more ways to open up our creativity by using these elements. It can allow me and my students to focus on texture and what that would mean. Books use words that describe a setting or feeling (soft, rigid, hard, prickly, etc.) They can picture that texture in their mind of what the author is talking about. Lines can also be used for math and what kind of lines (90 degree angles, perpendicular, parallel lines, etc.) Many things from the different elements can be integrated into the other subjects as well. It helps me as a person to see that the world is filled with visual arts and the elements make up those things.

How will this change the way I teach my future students through this newer perspective? Yes, this helped to realize that art goes beyond just coloring for fun and for the kids to be quiet. It really enhances their learning and creative thinking which will expand their knowledge and schema for the different subjects they are studying. All of these different elements are very much apart of the math, reading, writing, science, etc. It will allow them to be more creative and be successful in art as well as their other subjects too.

Reflection #1

What has been my experience through the arts? Well, I feel like I have had quite an experience in the arts. My grandparents and both of my parents have always loved the arts and it was introduced into my home so well. My parents have ten children and when I was young, my dad founded an art foundation and we were introduced to all different kinds of artists (i.e. artists, musicians, writers, etc.) I have always loved theater, music, and dance. I took piano lessons for about ten years and I love playing! I have always highly respected the arts. I had a few teachers that taught the arts. In my third grade class, I had two team teachers who were best friends and they brought music into the classroom. One of the teachers was really good with music and she taught that, and the other teacher was a great artist and so she taught us art. I loved these classes because they used the talents they already had and taught us using those talents. A few new ideas I have learned from Ch. 1-3 are learning how to apply-practice-rehearse to have teachers help students as they practice and give them feedback that will help them retain and apply the information and therefore produce a higher quality of work. Also, learning about Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs were really interesting for me. It helps to know that the student is the focus and that they need to feel like they are safe,accepted, and loved.

So what impact have the arts had in my life? They have impacted my life a ton! When I was young, I was pretty shy and I got involved in a theater group. We performed plays and were taught how to act, play, and have fun! It really helped me not be so timid anymore. I highly suggest parents who have children that are shy or are need of friends, involve them in the theater! There is such a great impact that the theater can do for their children. They make friends, they feel more confident and comfortable, and they are expressing themselves in ways that can probably not be expressed at school or at home. Some of my favorite characteristics about the teachers that I liked were those teachers that treated me like an adult, they showed interest in me, and they loved seeing me be creative. My least favorite teachers were those that were so "by the book and rules." In other words, it was the exact opposite. They didn't allow creativity in the classroom hardly. For me, I want to be a teacher that will encourage creativity and expressing themselves and not being afraid to. Each student can bring something to the table and if they know that, they won't be afraid to want to.

Now what do I want/need to do in terms of my preparation to effectively teach and integrate the arts as a teacher? I need to be very open to many ideas. The arts is very broad and it can cover a lot of different areas. Dance, music, writing, painting, drawing, etc. I need to expose myself to these things more and learn more about the history or different people that influenced and helped these different art forms to flourish. I need to have an open mind and allow myself to appreciate the different kinds of art. I would like to integrate music into the classroom. I play the piano and feel like if I could teach music, my students will have developed that skill to read and interpret music, love and appreciate music, or maybe inspire a few of them to want music to be a part of their lives. The arts, for me, I feel like students can't make mistakes. They can express themselves however they want because there is no right or wrong way. I want them to feel confidence in themselves and I will show my confidence in them!