Student to Student Critique

Ms. Drake at Lincoln Park High School invited Kate and Matt to her class to document her students engaging in one-on-one conversations around their collages. The students were given an extended period of time to look closely at one another's collages and to practice participating in an artistic conversation. When they finished looking at one student's work, they switched to looking at the other student's collage. They used the finished pieces, journal sketches and notations, and Studio Thinking reflection sheets to help guide their discussions. I enjoyed listening to these two students as they probed each other regarding their artistic choices. I was impressed with their ability to maintain a meaningful conversation around their art-making and how they really got up close and into the work. Click on the link below to check it out yourself.

Preparing LPHS Art I Students for Studio Thinking

We are piloting Studio Thinking in two of our elective courses (Mixed Media and Drawing & Painting), and introducing the language in AP and IB Art this year. The intent is to have all art students working with Studio Thinking for next school year as we have a school-wide ILT focus on Critical Thinking.

Our LPHS art students are acclimated to writing in the art room. They have always completed a variety of different types of writing while in art classes: critiques, essays, compare/contrast, investigation/sketchbook assignments, project proposals, research papers, artist statements, self-reflections and self-evaluations, etc. They understand that writing is part of learning about, from and through art.

I have often found it a challenge to teach Art I/early high school students to reflect on the project criteria that ties to the objective(s) of a specific lesson. Therefore, I have been easing them into this process through the use of a revised Art I rubric that utilizes Studio Thinking prompts to help them focus on their work process in relation to the project objectives and criteria. So far it has been quite successful, and I anticipate that the Art I students moving into electives next year will be able to easily transition into the the language having seen and reflected on the SHoM prompts in Art I this year. I also anticipate that with the introduction of the SHoM language for Art I next year, their reflective writing will only improve.

Rubric uploaded to Google Docs.

LPHS Mixed Media: Personal Narrative Collage

We began the project by looking at the season one Art 21: Identity episode followed by a series of individual and group "Close Reads" of Outsider Collage artists such as Henry Darger, Tony Fitzpatrick, Holli Schorno, and Jose Felipe Consalvos to name a few. The students were then charged with developing their own collages based on the project guidelines and the artist(s) that inspired them.

I developed a project handout format for the Mixed Media art students to begin associating SHoM language with routine lesson procedures in the classroom as they develop their individual artistic processes and styles. I aligned the habits with various lesson procedures in the instructional handout so that the students can more easily associate their work processes with the habits while making, reflecting and self-evaluating. The project handout and the rubric have been uploaded to Google Docs. I have included an excerpt of each here:

Concept: (Express, Understand Art World: Domain & Communities) Choose a topic or theme that is of interest to you, and that is important or relevant to you in your life at this time. Your chosen theme/topic should say something about you and/or your personality and interests. Your theme could be related to any or all of the following categories: Personal, political, social, spiritual and everything in between!

from procedure section:

• Begin planning your collage on large paper. (Observe, Stretch & Explore, Engage & Persist) You may alter the size/shape of the background paper, but your final collage may not be smaller than 9” x12” in size. It may be orientated either landscape or portrait.
• When finished, choose 4 Studio Habits to reflect on including Understand Art World: Domain & Communities. Consider process, content and technique! (Reflect: Question & Explain and Evaluate)

Media Use & Technique: Develop Craft Engage & Persist Stretch & Explore	*Little/no attempt to use mixed media processes (1 medium only) to create collage *Composition not considered	*Applies at least 2 mixed media processes to create collage *Composition needs improvements	*Adequately applies 3 mixed media materials, processes to collage *Evaluates composition for improvements	*Successfully applies 3 or more mixed media materials, processes to collage *Critically evaluates composition for improvements and makes adjustments	_____
• My work looks polished and well crafted because • When I ran into difficulty, the way I solved the problem was • I tried something I had never done before when I

I was very pleased with the results. I have found it to be very difficult to teach "sophisticated" collage composition techniques to high school students. This group exceeded my expectations with both product and their thoughtful reflections on the process and connections between their ideas and contemporary artists and techniques. They all really loved this experience!

Completed Mixed Media Portrait Series

The mixed media students are still getting acclimated to the language. For the final portrait series reflection the students were to reflect on the original two habits that they addressed during the in-progress ink reflection, although they were to discuss them based on the completed pieces. Students were to then choose two additional, different habits to reflect on. I found that many of the students were still addressing the frustrations with the ink in the Develop Craft and Engage & Persist areas. I have yet to analyze all reflections more closely to determine any similarities/differences/overlap with reflecting on habits a second time and/or any trends with the additional two (or more) habits students chose for reflection. Some of the finished portrait series and the habits (in the order each student reflected on them):

Envision, Reflect:Evaluate, Develop Craft, Engage & Persist, Observe, Stretch & Explore, Understand Art World (Lauren references her father, who is a watercolor painter, in this habit)

Develop Craft, Engage & Persist, Envision, Express, Stretch & Explore

Envision, Stretch & Explore, Express, Develop Craft

Develop Craft, Engage & Persist, Stretch & Explore, Reflect: Question & Explain and Evaluate

Stretch & Explore, Develop Craft, Express, Engage & Persist