Student Reflective Writing

This ain't on any standardized test!

Curie HS Art 1 Students are doing reflective writing during their critique. That's right! Our students think and process and then think about their thinking! That's art education and we have to let the parents and administration know what we are doing in the classroom. (That is thinking deeply and reflecting throughout the creative process). I'm always surprised when others are surprised that art teachers do this. So many don't realize the depths we bring our students to.

Click on the link to go to our blog. There will soon be another post of some of the studies with the student writing attached. I regret I did not video the discussions. It is so hard to document and run the session at the same time! I need to get that equipment so I can set up the video camera and let it run on its own....

teachers after hours

Valerie Xanos
Curie HS

Students reflect on a project and demonstrate critical thinking

Freshman students in my Art 1 class worked on a still life drawing, using charcoal for 2-3 weeks in class.  I wanted them to learn several techniques such as laying down a tone on the paper first and pulling out highlights, as well as enlarging a small thumbnail sketch in order to ensure a successful composition.  This type of art (Vanitas Still Life using Chiaroscuro) is an ancient form, and so we also spent time learning about that.

Following the completion of their drawings from observation, students spent pretty much an entire class period reflecting on their process and how they felt about it.  Below are some of the examples of their written reflections using the template we received in our workshops, as well as some of my thoughts when reading them.   I will post some images of the students finished works over winter break- to coincide with their reflections.

As a teacher, the best part of looking these over is the drawings the students made of themselves, “map yourself doing this activity”…  I was surprised by how much information the students’ drawings possessed. They reinforced and expanded my overall impression of the student and their view of themselves.  The drawings demonstrated emotions the students were feeling and thoughts they had while making their drawing. They showed this through the way they drew their facial expression, the posture of the person representing them, and more.

The drawings also remind me of certain actions the students took, or seminal moments in their process for them, such as placing their drawing across the room to look at it and noticing it has all the same value.

In many drawings, the students recorded an exact drawing of the shapes of their piece, upside-down, which reminded me how deep their connection with that image they struggled with- how ingrained it must be.

Another thing that was really great was reading some of the students’ “self talk” that they included in their drawing- basically their inner life as an artist. The way they drew thought bubbles with internal dialogue was really interesting.  The bubbles described how the students spoke to themselves during the project, which is not something a teacher could know about without this type of reflection.  Some examples are “Ani, step down and think”, “don’t look too frustrated”.  Students also included dialogue from their peers that went on, in speech bubbles, which is also valuable information for how the students were communicating with and helping each other throughout the process. 

This student stood while she drew, everyday.  I like how she captured that, as well as how she seems to be alone in her world.  The drawings most students created in this reflection are perfect mini-versions of what they were working on.

This student includes an image of himself asking for tips and guidance from other students at his table.

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Another thing that amazed me from reading these reflections was the HUGE range of emotions that students felt during and about this process of creating a charcoal still life.  Everything from angry to irritated to sleepy to calm to happy to proud to nervous to passionate serene and graceful.

I also enjoyed reading about how the students felt this process would change them as artists, and what prior experiences they had which impacted their drawing experience.  One student said she felt calm because the objects were peaceful, another said her interest in antiques fueled her for part of the project. Others sited family members or drawing classes from the past, or past projects in my class, which gave them confidence going into the project.

While reading these over, I tried to keep my eyes open to repeating answers and feelings the students’ had- trying to learn what the students may have gleaned from the project as a whole.  When they answered the 3 questions on the back, many of them expressed that they learned to be more patient with drawings and with themselves, that they moved past frustration to make something they are proud of.  

 

Many mentioned that they had never worked for so long on something before. Some mentioned specific things I wanted them to learn, such as not to outline everything in order to make things look more 3-dimensional.  Many of them also mentioned that they loved charcoal or despised it, and those feelings that were rooted in an experience with a physical material dictated the direction of their feelings. I am also glad that each of my students experienced several different emotions throughout their process, this is true to life during almost any challenging experience.

As a teacher, I am very glad that many of my students felt that they learned they needed to be more patient with their work and with themselves.  Many of them expressed that if they did apply patience and worked hard, their drawing turned out really well, and they were proud of it.  “I learned that if I stick to something, no matter how hard it might get, I could make something really pretty out of it”.

This is part of what it means to be an artist, and truly persist beyond what you feel your initial capacities are.

This student drew a seminal moment in her process, when she set her drawing up across the room to see what needed to me done and get some distance on it.

I enjoyed reading about what students were thinking about, in this case music.

This student's drawing definitely expresses her sense of anger- the way she drew the clenched hand.

 

Visual Arts and Writing Strategies Workshop, Nov. 1

Thanks to all of you who were able to join us for the workshop last Thursday. We had a great turn out and covered a lot of ideas. We wanted to touch base with everyone regarding the workshop and our next steps.

You Have 7 More Minutes 

We sensed many of you were a little frustrated with the amount of time we were able to commit to the collage activity, and this was confirmed in the reflection sheets. We know we presented some complex information and tried to squeeze it all into three hours. This is a common challenge for us and we want you to know that we try to give as much time as possible to the critical components of each workshop. 

In this workshop we,

Reviewed a Sample of Teacher Reflections from the Art Institute PD
Reviewed the Metacognitive cycle/hologram
• Incorporated Contemporary Art by watching Art 21's piece on Arturo Herrera 
• In small groups, created new language systems to communicate events of the CPS strike through collage 


As a large group, shared back Internal Verbalizations 
Transitioned to writing activity through multiple written and visual examples of Stretch & Explore
In a large group, engaged in word games and writing strategies
Developed individual writing samples

Why Collage and Writing: Where we are Heading

The Inquiry Question for this workshop was, "How can we develop a new visual sign system to communicate our experience?" We used abstraction and appropriation in both the visual arts and writing to illustrate how the arts support deeper levels of understanding. Then, through the recording of internal verbalizations, individual writing samples, and Studio Thinking reflection prompts, we recorded the critical thinking processes. This process of using visual arts, writing, and Studio Thinking reflection is our main focus for year two of this project.

After reviewing materials and data from year one of Studio Thinking, it was clear teachers were ready to move beyond labeling of Studio Habits to a more complex use of this framework. With our evaluator Cynthia Gehrie's help, we are seeing how Studio Thinking connects to Critical Thinking and Common Core. The Studio Thinking Reflection template we have presented in the last two workshops is the tool we propose using to capture this connection. 

Online Exhibition Strike Drawings

Studio Thinking 

Online Exhibit Strike Drawings

What materials did you use?

I used chalk pastels and 6" x 6" paper. Red, white and black. They were very messy.

How did you use these materials?

When creating the drawings, I thought about which colors would best represent (the idea). I layered the pastels to make bold words.

How did it feel?
At first I had to really try and synthesize many experiences of that morning and how I felt into only one image for each suggested drawing. It felt good to process those feelings and see others who felt similarly. 

Which habits did you use?

Envision, Express

Muscial Table Discussion/Speed Crit

This is another way I incite students to have a lively discussion. I made it up this year based on an art-making project* I love to do and something I saw at one of the early SHoM workshops.

This works great for topic discussions (an example would be when we watched the animated movie "Persepolis", and needed to analyze and discuss it). It also works well for quick student critiques.

There are 6 stations in the classroom where students sit in groups of 4 - 6. I will put a large sheet of paper (18 x 24 or bigger) at each station.

TOPIC DISCUSSIONS:

• In the middle of the paper I will write a prompt (6 different prompts in total, one for each station). I might also provide an art image and written prompt for art history critique.
• Students have pencils ready.
• They have 3 minutes to visit each station as a group. 
• At each station, students write (on the large sheet of paper) whatever comes to mind regarding the prompt. 
• I have them work their way around the classroom in clock-wise formation. 
• During the 3 minute period I play music as a cue for students to write. At the end of each 3 minute section, I stop the music as a cue for students to stop writing and move to the next station. This makes it fun and like the musical chairs game.
• Once the students have gone around the room and are back at their own station, we go into discussion mode. 
• Students read the responses to each other and begin discussing the issue at their table. 
• Students must find at least 5 main responses to the prompt topic and discuss them. They must have at least 2 responses that someone disagrees with, and  discuss why they disagree and what their opposing point is as a result.
• The group "Recorder" writes down what their group discusses in a bullet list formation. 
• The next day each group has 3 minutes to present discussion notes to the whole class. Each presentation, students in the class must have at least 1 response to challenge the group, question the group, or make a supportive remark. Often there is more than one response :). The group must counter any class feedback with an answer or explanation of their viewpoint.
• Students receive points for group discussion/recorded notes, and separate points for presentation to class.
• The results of this technique makes for what seems like chaos, but is really several fast-paced and animated discussions. Everyone in the class gets to participate first in a small-group setting for each topic, and then in larger group setting for all topics. 
• I find that several things have made people forget about being self-conscious and silent in this kind of group discussion: 1) the whole thing is rather like a game and fun, 2) the fast pace puts pressure on people to come up with a response, 3) prompts give a clear indication of where I want them to start, 4) the structure provides a framework for definite but open-ended answers. 5) the grading structure insures that students must have something to present and a way to respond to the presentations (ensuring a flow of ideas and conversation), 6) since all students write on each of the prompt sheets, there is a sense of sharing information. Students get to use each others ideas to provoke further thought, 7)students become very loyal to their group and want to defend their stance to the class.

PEER CRITIQUE (I call this one Speed Crit - as in "speed dating"):

• I like to use this for progress critique when students are half way through an artwork and need feedback. 
• 6 stations are set up free of clutter. Each student has their artwork placed on the table with a form next to it. 
• The form is typed by me and has 3 prompts:
• Strengths
• Weaknesses
• Questions
• In addition are two more sections: "Student response to critique", "Teacher response to critique."

• Students must travel to each station as a group. They have 4 minutes at each station and move around the room in clock-wise formation. 
• Music is played to let students know when to write. Music stops and restarts to let students know when to switch stations.
• Student can choose to look at and critique any of the artworks at the table during the 4 minutes.
• They are moving as a group, but not working together as a group. Rather they address artwork and write individually. Often though, they are making verbal comments to each other as they look at the work.
• They must write 3 responses on the form next to the artwork. They must address the 3 prompts.
• All artwork must have responses on the form, so if students see a blank form, they have to make sure that someone writes on it.
• When students have visited all 6 stations, they return to their own station and artwork. They read what their classmates have written.
• Students spend remaining time writing their own reflective response to the critique of their work. 
• Artwork and critique forms are turned in to teacher.
• Teacher writes a response to the critique.
• This has proven very helpful in addressing weaknesses in the artwork. I noticed that students take a peer's constructive advice for improvement more often than listen to me tell them the same thing.
• This can be used with the SHoM framework as a topic prompt.

I find that this process takes the fear out of speaking out loud or being honest in the critique. Responses are anonymous and therefore less pressure. Students have written concrete advice to follow that may help with the finishing of their artwork. Their own response as well as the teacher's helps the student to process the critique and implement problem-solving solutions.
 
*art projects: Mixed Media Blitz and Materials Madness. I'll describe them in another blog post.

Critiquing the Xanos Way

I come from a Greek family. We love to debate and discuss, loudly and passionately. I grew up this way. I raised my four children this way. At our dinner table, in the car, on the couch; there is never a lack of animated discussion about whatever topic someone might introduce. So, as a teacher, I was confounded to find students struggling to discuss an issue or critique an artwork.  Most times, groups would sit quietly while I needled them for responses. Some groups would have one or two outspoken students that did all of the work. I tried guiding a large class setting, and I did all the talking. I tried breaking them into small groups with prompts. I got the same results. So I sat down one day and asked myself "what in the world was my family doing that my students were not?"

I realized that different people in a good debate group took on different roles. The Agitator/Challenger (my Dad and my son), the Supporter (me and daughter #2), the Lecturer (me or my daughter #3), the Questioner (daughter #1). This was interesting as I had not bothered to analyze family discussions before. I figured that these roles made for some great exchanges that would go round and round and often end up in a completely different place than where we started. I probably should add that my son also fulfills the role of the Joker. You know, the one who makes fun of people when they get too serious. I chose to leave that one out of my experiment as it usually results in someone screaming in our house.

I decided to try to replicate this process, using the roles I mentioned above. My hope was to spur the students into animated and eventually complex discussions. I figured the structure provided by role playing and topic prompts would enable students to work off of each other. 

• I teach high school and see students for 46 minutes, 5 days a week. 
• In the classrooms, I can have 25 - 35 students in one class. They sit in groups of 4 - 6 at "stations". They make their art there and have small group discussions/projects.  Each group has a "recorder". That is a person who writes a bullet list summary of the group discussion for extra credit. 
• I have used this particular technique to promote discussion for, 1. a debatable issue (ex. Is Graffiti Art?), 2. To critique a famous work of art, 3. To critique each others art (in progress and at the end), 4. To analyze movies or readings the class encountered. 
• I give prompts for topic consideration depending on the issue or type of art being discussed. I might have them focus on concepts, controversy, techniques, or aesthetic success. Along with the prompts they must make certain kinds of statements. In the past I gave them a list (along with the prompts) on paper. These statements must be: a) Challenge a speaker or address a weakness in the piece, b) Support a speaker or address a strength, c) Explain what one thinks is going on (in student critique this role must be the artist), d) Raise at least two questions. I let people choose which of these statements they will make as they travel through the discussion.
• The group starts with the Presenter/Lecturer: the student artist explains their work (or anyone can present the basic facts of the discussion topic.) After this, others in the group can Challenge, Question, or Support in any order they see fit. Anyone can also move back into Presenter mode if needed.
• Students are told that if someone raises a challenge or asks a question, they are allowed to respond. Often a supporter chimes in at this point and others will choose sides or even raise new points. When someone responds to a challenge they have two choices a) agree that there is a weakness and then the group moves into problem-solving mode, or b) disagree and the group moves into debate mode. 
• I found that students immediately took to having exciting and interesting discussions. While they were cautioned to keep it civil, the challengers and the questioners made people think and explain themselves. Responders often came up with interesting points that they would not bring up without a "gadfly" in the group. Supporters could bring up positive points that a Presenter might not think of and gave him/her a little back-up. People often switched roles as the discussion progressed. 
• At first I was worried this might incite cruel comments. However, I cannot remember any time that students got mean during a discussion. Usually, the Challengers are very diplomatic. Sometimes that role is hard for anyone to choose and I have to help. We do practice giving constructive criticism/disagreement early on. I explain that the Challenger's job is to help the group problem-solve a weakness and therefore find a way to turn it into a strength.
• After discussion, students sometimes present to the rest of the class, using the Recorder's notes. Other times, they just give the discussion notes to me and I read them. During the discussion I walk around and eavesdrop on the groups, offering help when needed.

So, this is one of the ways I get the students to talk. Unfortunately, we haven't done this once 2nd semester due to new and unusual mandates for quizzes, vocabulary, reading, writing, graphs, grammar, and math to be taught in my art class. I'm struggling just to keep the art-making happening. However, I plan to use it at least one last time with our final projects. I miss our lively group discussions. I'll bet the students do too!

When we critique, I'll video a session and post it. I hope this helps for now. 

Valerie Xanos

Interviewing Student Artist - Coding the Conversation with SH