Asma+Al-Shami

By: Asma Al Shami** My name is Asma Al Shami; I am a Jordanian. I have a BA in Interior Design. This is my eighth year as a teacher. The first three years I was a substitute teacher and then I began teaching Art in Dhahran Elementary Middle School in 2004. I teach grades K to 8 and this is my fifth year teaching the subject, and I really love it. I think this course will help me deliver well rounded instructions to my students. I’ve always been interested in curriculum mapping and ways in which I can enrich my knowledge of instructional design so I can better educate and assess my students. I have done a presentation on the subject, Curriculum Mapping for Art, and also attended workshops about it! So this course will definitely polish and add on to my knowledge and help me become a better teacher by giving me the tools to prepare, plan, and deliver better lessons. This course will impact my teaching skills positively; for well designed lesson plans engage students and teacher which give great satisfaction to both! "Knowledge Alive" ** The author believes that students are often educated and given knowledge which they can’t actually make use of in the real world, and that they should be taught how to apply the knowledge and understand it. As for my response to his ideas and suggestions, I would agree with all of it since I feel, as a teacher, my students’ frustration and boredom when they aren’t engaged in a new lesson or activity we start in my class. I realize that the key answer here is, acting on the knowledge and bringing it to life and using it in everything they do, in other classes as well as in the “Real World”. Therefore, curriculum designers should start focusing on the keyword” Application of Knowledge”, which is probably best acquired through more project based learning since it gives students the chance of going out in the real world and collecting answers from experts and technicians in the field of research. As for the implications of his ideas for curriculum designers, is that they have to start in co-operating field work and research work into their curriculum and making sure the students do it so as to get the desired result which is the optimal experience learning experience.
 * Response Journal #1:
 * Response Journal #2:

**"Preparing for Today and Tomorrow" I**n Eisner’s view the appropriate aims for schools to prepare students for today’s and tomorrow are: As for "hoop jumping" it seems to be inevitable in education, at some point in each phase a student gets to, whether it is in school or university level or even when getting a job. It is a way of measuring individuale competancies. It is also a means for students to aquire general knowledge which will prepare them to face whatever faces them in the futur. Personally I could imagine myself using some of these aims in my art classes by having students contribute to the community by making art projects that could be donated to public places for the purpose of beautifying them.
 * 1) Preparing students who have good “Judgment Disposition”, in critiquing any given thought or concept. Also give the students good writing and reading skills that enable them to extract meaning from any text no matter how complex.
 * 2) Having the ability to find meaning in any subject such as music or visual arts for that gives students a broader sense of experience.
 * 3) Teaching students how to collaborate, is another aim which would benefit them greatly and teach them how to be team players yet shine, and therefore, be prepared to be part of the community mesh they have to enter one day.
 * 4) Being a good citizen by contributing to meaningful projects which helps build character and social skills.
 * 5) Community service is the fifth aim which teaches a student how to pay back to the community in a moral sense. Students should realize that they have duties toward the community they live in and try to help where they could; for example: hospitals, orphanages, community resources etc…
 * 1) Community service is the fifth aim which teaches a student how to pay back to the community in a moral sense. Students should realize that they have duties toward the community they live in and try to help where they could; for example: hospitals, orphanages, community resources etc…

While reading this article I felt that I do a lot of constructivist teaching in my art classes. I always ask open ended questions that encourage my students to talk about their understanding of the visual arts being discussed. I also encourage my students to learn new art techniques demonstrated to them through experimentation, because I find that that enriches their experience and style. I find that constructivist classrooms have many advatages such as teaching students to critically think and learn more processing of information. Also using a variety of ways to express knowledge which could be retained and in real life situations. It also stimulates and engages students. And finally promotes social and community skills. As for the down side of the constructivist it only works for a megre number of students in the population who are privileged backgrounds compounded by great teachers, commited parents, and rich home environment. It also doesn’t allow individulae voice of students because constructivist classrooms encourages “group thinking”. Also the fact Constructivist teachers reject assessment their students through exams, therefore it is not considered very reliable in comparison to traditional classrooms.
 * Response Journal #3: Constructivism as a Paradigim for Teaching and Learning **

__ 1. People learn what is personally meaningful to them:__** When giving my students a new project to work on, I always try to make it relate to them. My third graders started a lesson on “Expressionism”, their project was to produce a drawing that expressed their feelings and how they see things. **2.** **__What they learn is challenging but acheivable__:** I always set expectations to be met at the beginning of of each lesson and seldom do I have a lagging student. This at first surprised me, but I learned not to underestimate my students. **3.** **__What they learn is developmental__:** I find that my younger students need more concrete step by step instructions and that’s obviously because of their little experience and development. Whereas my older students usually need less instruction time since they are more developed. **4.** **__Individuals learn differently__:** I realised in teaching art that it is a subject which made a lot of students uncomfortabl, for fear of not being “good artists”. That is a proof of the fact that each student has a different way of learningwhich is why I always give visual in addition to experimental learning opportunities in my classes. **5.** **__People construct new knowledge by building on their current knowledge:__** I’ve noticed that in my art classes students perceive visual art presented on the slide projector differently, and that is probably because each individuale has different current knowledge then the other. **6.** **__Much learning occurs through social interaction__:** I often assign group projects in my art classes through out different levels, a mural is produced by each and every class. The sheer joy the kids find in collaborating to produce a joint project is evidence that learning happens in social settings. **7.** **__People need feedback to learn__:** In my art classes I’ve made it a point to make time to evaluate any students’ art work. But the way I go about it is by having a group disscussion about each student’s work art work, and that gives students feedback which is welcomed because it gives them an idea how their art work was perceived by their peers. **8.** **__Successful learning involves use of strategies which themselves are learned:__** There are clear steps I ask my students my students to make when starting a new project which are:planning their composition, preparing tools, understanding process, and executing. All these steps help the students make sure they understand what they are learning in each lesson whether it’s a technique or a new subject in art history! **9.** **__A positive emotional climate strengthens learning:__** I totally agree with this statement, because I find my own mood affects my students learning tremendously and vise versa. If one of my students is not feeling emotionally well it affects their learning and concentration level. **10.** **__ Learning is influenced by the total enviroment:__** I often give students a practise session before starting on a new technique which gives them a lot of confidence to start the following class on their original art work. As i have stated above, I do most of the above most of the time and I do feel that my students gain meaningful contact time during art. The enviroment that is provided is very welcoming and to my students which makes them comfortable to any new subject. I believe that there is "Powerful Learning" taking place in my classroom.
 * Response Journal #4: "Powerful Learning"
 * Which of those conditions are viable in your present teaching assigment?

Response Journal #5:**

Justify the claim that the best lesson and unit designs are backwards. The great thing about backward unit design is its flexibility. There is no exact plan to go by, all that matters is to achieve student understanding and skill development. When the teachers set the result they’re trying to get and ask the important questions; they get students thinking about what they’re about to embark on. This puts students in thinking mode. This mode is what the student needs to be able to process the new information and be able to understand it, and eventually perform the tasks which prove that they got the concept. It’s a well known fact that when students see the Big Picture they understand the lesson better. By doing backward design one can predict issues that may arise and find a way out of them! It is also a good way of staying focused on what outcomes and skills are supposed to be delivered without getting off track! When the method of assessment is decided on initially, it enables students to apply what they learned and self-assess their work efficiently. So to sum it up, backward design gives the teacher a logical learning plan.

Response Journal #6: What behaviors do you associate with student understanding? How do you distinguish between students “knowing” and “doing” versus understanding what they are studying. It is important for the teacher to set the goals which will show whether the students will give students enduring understanding. Meaning what skills and knowledge students will acquire and retain for life? If student are able to transfer their knowledge to other areas in life, then that is evidence of understanding. Also knowledge of the subject is not as clear as it may seem, sometimes a little uncovering is needed even for the obvious. If the student understands the concept then they will be able to apply the skill. Whereas if they know it they might not, necessarily, be able to apply the skill. Personally I distinguish between students “knowing” and “doing” by asking the essential questions and assessing the performance. That usually gives me a very good evidence of where is the student in respect to understanding and as well as applying the knowledge.