Highlight 3: Make. Art. Think

A cummualtion

In the fall of 2019, my MECA cohort and I were in a collaboration with LearningWorks AfterSchool (LWAS). LWAS is free program for students in grades 2-5 who are below grade level. My classmate Jon Rudnicki and I were assigned to Amanda C. Rowe Elementary School. Over the course of six weeks, Jon and I taught 17 children art lessons, under our professor Kelly McConnell's guidance, and at the end we presented their creations in a cumulative art show with other LWAS programs from the area's elementary schools.

Working with Jon was a great experience (Std. 10 ). Working on the Google Drive platform (Std. 11), we composed our lessons. When teaching multiple ages and cultural backgrounds we had to make sure our lessons were flexible and relevant (Std. 7A). We taught leaf painting with warm and cool colors, printmaking, and life size symbolic portrait drawings. We provided the students with their own art supplies. These lessons were conducted in a room they knew, with support staff they were familiar with (Std. 3A). One aid in particular, Mrs. McMahon, who has taught for decades, coached us in some classroom management skills (Std. 9). Since there were children from several different cultures we encouraged the students to celebrate those individualities in their art (Std. 2). With their life size portraits, students were free to draw in colors, shapes, symbols, and how they saw themselves (Std. 3E, 4 M. 8C). Students learned not only art skills but relationship skills. They learned to be respectful of others' artwork, especially when the work is human size and all over the floor (3O, 7H). They were too keep in mind how their art will look in the big art show (3I). The printmaking involved steps, protocol, and procedure (Std. 1, 3I) as well as sharing and collaborating with fellow classmates (Std.3A,7H, 8M, 8N, 8Q).

Our assessments were primarily formative (Std. 6). We looked to see that their leaf paintings had cool and warm colors, that their prints were made by following the correct steps, and the silhouettes incorporated ideas or that they valued or admired (Std. 5).

For the art show, we understood that these children do not always have the luxury to see an art show, even if it is one they are starring in (Std. 2). I made sure the students knew that we did our best to make the show as accessible as possible for to them and their families.

Another classmate of mine, Melisa Weglein and I were tasked with making a game for the show. We came up with a docent game. Art admirers (other students) were given a postcard and they were to have it filled with stamps from each represented schools. But, in order to earn a stamp, they must ask the class's docent a question about the artwork on the wall. The docent would answer (Std. 5, 6, 8) and then give the player a stamp. This was a huge success! It was fun and it caught on like wild fire.

The Rowe display at the Art.Make.Think. show, I must say, looked fantastic! I was so proud of the students and what Jon and I had done together. We hung most of the work at eye level for our young and short statured audience. When the class came in, they were instantly wowed by the display. The students were proud to show off their works to their families and friends, and discuss how they made it. The printmaking and silhouettes where big talking points for them due to the procedures it took in making them ( Std. 8N).

I am very proud of the work Jon and I together with MECA and LWAS, and what we brought out of students –what they produced! (Std. 8, 9)