Media elements

When students are engaging in media arts - be it through making or responding - they need to have an understanding of the elements of media. According to ACARA (2013), these are composition, time, space, sound, movement and lighting. When creating their own work, thinking about these elements is important in order to create an interesting and effective piece. When responding to others' work, it can be a very helpful exercise to analyse why the artist may have chosen to do things a certain way, and how it contributes to their telling of the story.

During our media arts workshop, we created a photo story. During the making of our piece, we had to consider these elements and choose the most effective way to portray the story we wanted to tell.

References

Ewing, R., & Gibson, R. (2011). Transforming the curriculum through the arts. Melbourne: Palgrave Macmillan.

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (2013). Revised Draft Australian Curriculum: The Arts Foundation to Year 10. Retrieved from http://www.acara.edu.au/verve/_resources/draft_arts_curriculum_22_february_2013.pdf

Story principles

The story principles in media arts are structure, intent, characters, setting, points of view, and genre conventions (ACARA, 2013, p. 84). Using media arts in the classroom, students will explore these principles as they engage in the making of their work. These are principles that extend further than the arts curriculum, however; they have a strong link to literacy and the English syllabus (DfES, 2003). Integrating knowledge and learning can be an effective method for teachers planning for learning outcomes; tying them together creates a connection which might help students to see the relevance of what they are learning.

Storyboard for our photo story

As students progress through primary school, they should be gaining a more thorough understanding of these principles and how they affect what they are creating in the media arts classroom. In a lesson involving storyboarding, for example, it's important that students make conscious decisions about these different principles in order to create a cohesive story for the audience.

References

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (2013). Revised Draft Australian Curriculum: The Arts Foundation to Year 10. Retrieved from http://www.acara.edu.au/verve/_resources/draft_arts_curriculum_22_february_2013.pdf

Department for Education and Skills. (2003). LOOK AGAIN! A teaching guide to using film and television with three- to eleven-year-olds. London: bfi Education.

Media arts

In a culture that is rich in media and technologies, it is important that our students develop the skills necessary to engage critically and effectively with these. Media arts provides students with the chance to create representations of the world around them, and respond to others' representations, using a wide range of media (ACARA, 2013). For students to be able to do this effectively, they need to develop a level of competency regarding both the use of media, and the language of media arts (Gibson & Ewing, 2011).

Using a photo of a place which has meaning
and then adding a one-word caption to create
a media arts piece

Throughout the implementation of the media arts curriculum, students need to be presented with opportunities to make and respond. In essence, students are immersing themselves in media culture through exploring, viewing, analysing and participating (ACARA, 2013). Experiencing this within the primary classroom is giving our students a head start for the other areas in their lives, now and in the future, where they will need to engage with media and technologies (Gibson & Ewing, 2011; Anderson, 2009).  This can be achieved on both a local and a global scale, exposing students to the world of communication through media.

References

Anderson, N. (2009).  Media Remix: Digital Projects for Students. Screen Education: 55.

Ewing, R., & Gibson, R. (2011). Transforming the curriculum through the arts. Melbourne: Palgrave Macmillan.

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (2013). Revised Draft Australian Curriculum: The Arts Foundation to Year 10. Retrieved from http://www.acara.edu.au/verve/_resources/draft_arts_curriculum_22_february_2013.pdf

Art dialogue

When engaging with students in regards to their artwork, it is important to invite a meaningful discussion about the art making process. In order to achieve this, teachers need to be focusing on the elements and principles in visual arts rather than making an empty or potentially damaging comment based on a value judgement of the art work (Gibson & Ewing, 2011, p. 137). By addressing the aesthetic elements of an artwork instead, teachers can gain an insight into the student's self-expression and reasons behind their choices during the art making process.

Some valuable comments or question about Rose's (6 years) artwork could be:

1. I like the way you've used the same two colours throughout your drawing.

2. Why did you choose to make the flower big?
3. Why did you make the dress stripy with straight lines?
4. I like how you represented the darkness by colouring black above the light.
5. Why did you draw the girl in pencil, but colour the rest in with texta?
6. I like how you've used both your colours equally - everything has both colours on it, except for the balloons which have one of each colour. It creates a nice balance in your picture.

For an older student, one could make a comment about the use of complementary colours, however it is likely that a six year old wouldn't understand that concept, and therefore it would hold little meaning for them. According to Wilson's graphic principles, Rose would be considered to be in the symbolism stage, employing the territorial imperative principle, and the conservation and multiple application principle. 

Using these artworks as an example, a teacher could talk about colour by addressing how each section is different: there is monochrome, complementary colours, cool/warm colours, and neutral colours.

References

Ewing, R., & Gibson, R. (2011). Transforming the curriculum through the arts. Melbourne: Palgrave Macmillan.

Assessment in visual arts

Assessment in the visual arts classroom can - and should - take many forms. It is important that assessment takes place in both a formative and a summative capacity (Gibson & Ewing, 2011). This allows the teacher to gather information that can affect the curriculum and what needs to be taught, as well as providing an idea of how students are progressing throughout the school year. Authentic assessment strategies focus on both the process and product, as well as addressing learning outcomes which students are made aware of before engaging in art making (Beattie, 1997).

Collage using only two types of paper

Assessment practices can also be made more relevant for students if they allow for an integration of knowledge (Dorn, Madeja, & Sabol, 2014). This is beneficial not just for teachers, but also for students, who can begin to engage in evaluation of their own work and progress. Reflection is an important element of assessment; teachers, so they can examine their own teaching strategies, and students, so they are able to continuously improve throughout their art making. 

Collage next to the drawing which inspired it

Providing students with authentic opportunities to demonstrate what they have learnt, and express themselves within a certain context, is critical for effective teaching and learning. 

References

Dorn, C., Medeja, R., Sabol, S. (2014). Assessing expressive learning: A practical guide for teacher-directed authentic assessment in K-12 visual arts education. Routledge.

Beattie, D. K. (1997). Assessment in art education. Worchester, MA: Davis Publications.

Ewing, R., & Gibson, R. (2011). Transforming the curriculum through the arts. Melbourne: Palgrave Macmillan.

Puppetry (visual arts)

Puppetry can be an extremely effective tool within the visual arts curriculum, as well as throughout the other KLAs, and even for students' overall development. Within a visual arts classroom, puppets present a way for students to be creative and expressive with the materials available to them. Puppetry goes beyond just the process of art-making, however. 

The cast of the the twisted 'Little Red Riding Hood'

Particularly in the primary school setting, puppets can help teachers to engage the students in a classroom management capacity, as well as address difficult issues which students might be resistant to discuss otherwise (O'Hare, 2005). These issues could range from completing homework, to school bullying. Having a puppet as the go-between for teachers and students can eliminate some of the pressure for students, as the power dynamic is altered.

Red Riding Hood schemes with the
woodcutter and the wolf

The teacher could also use puppets which are controlled by the students, allowing them to feel a bit more anonymous and gain some confidence with their communication skills (Gibson & Campbell, 2013) . Students who are shy may feel they are able to respond and contribute when it is someone else (the puppet) speaking, and not them. It also removes some of the fear of making mistakes, as the puppet is perceived to be the one making the error, not the student (Özdeniz, 2000). Students can express themselves freely, sometimes even displaying thoughts and emotions they would not otherwise share in a classroom. 

Grandma interrupts their master plan

References

Gibson, R., Campbell, V. (2013). Playing with puppetry. In R. Ewing (Ed.). Creative Arts in the lives of young children: play, imagination and learning. pp. 114-128. Camberwell, VIC: ACER press. 

Özdeniz, D. (2000). Puppets in primary. 

O'Hare, J. (2005). Puppets in education: process or product? In M. Bernier &J. O'Hare (Eds.) Puppetry in Education and Therapy: Unlocking Doors to the Mind and Heart. pp. 63-68. Indiana, USA: AuthorHouse.

Art appreciation

Art appreciation itself can be a somewhat confronting experience for students, who may be hesitant to engage fully with the art. In order for students to develop a deeper way of creating and responding to art, students must first truly look at the artwork. The inquiry method, proposed by Feldman (1970), suggests that by stalling students in order to make them stop and look, one can begin the process of effective art appreciation. 

Memory drawing of a wheel

There are many ways in which a teacher in the primary classroom can achieve this - games are a useful method of getting students to participate and engage without even realising that what they are doing is appreciating and responding to art. A couple of examples of these are the alphabet game (asking students to come up with something from the artwork that begins with each letter of the alphabet), dinner party (where students must ask questions to discover which art work they are portraying), and the art map compass. The important thing for primary teachers to remember is that art appreciation should be enjoyable, and will be most effective when it is meaningful for students. 

Drawing with a picture to work from

Art appreciation has numerous benefits for primary students; research shows that students who engage in art appreciation within the curriculum displayed higher self esteem (Aylward, Hartley, Field, Greer &Vega‐Lahr, 1993). It's an important skill to nurture, in order to equip students with the skills necessary to make sense of art (Gibson & Ewing, 2011).

References

Aylward, K., Hartley, S., Field, T., Greer, J., & Vega‐Lahr, N.
(1993). An art appreciation curriculum for preschool children. Early Child Development and

Care, 96:1, 35-48.

Feldman, E. (1970). Becoming human through art: aesthetic experience in the school. Michigan, USA: Prentice-Hall.

Ewing, R., & Gibson, R. (2011). Transforming the curriculum through the arts. Melbourne: Palgrave Macmillan.

Puppetry (drama)

References 

Gibson, R., Campbell, V. (2013). Playing with puppetry. In R. Ewing (Ed.). Creative Arts in the lives of young children: play, imagination and learning. pp. 114-128. Camberwell, VIC: ACER press. 

Özdeniz, D. (2000). Puppets in primary. 

O'Hare, J. (2005). Puppets in education: process or product? In M. Bernier &J. O'Hare (Eds.) Puppetry in Education and Therapy: Unlocking Doors to the Mind and Heart. pp. 63-68. Indiana, USA: AuthorHouse.

Teacher in role

Teacher in role and the mantle of the expert are both innovative ways the teacher can engage students with classroom content (Ewing & Simons, 2004). By removing the traditional teacher-student dynamic, a whole new dimension is opened up, allowing students to explore and think critically. This strategy can be utilised specifically for drama, or as a way to experience content across the curriculum. The mantle of the expert encourages learning to take place on multiple levels (Heathcote & Herbert, 1985). Asking the students to consider you as the teacher as a new person can be effective for introducing this strategy in the classroom, however teachers and students which are experienced with the teacher in role may not even need this. From there, authentic learning can take place through the teacher accepting the offers students make, and encouraging students to take on their own roles of being knowledgeable about a topic. By letting students know they are now in charge by having higher status than the teacher (Heathcote &Herbert, 1985), they can build up the confidence to communicate their ideas and participate fully in the experience, exploring drama itself or any number of topics throughout the other KLAs. At the same time though, the teacher needs to be one step ahead in their planning of this (Bolton, 2002; Ewing & Simons, 2004) so students are guided in the direction desired for the learning outcomes. 

Introductory speech for teacher in role

From designing our own introductory speeches on absolutely any topic (our group choosing the germination of a seed, pictured above), I began to understand what a broad and fantastic tool teaching in role, or mantle of the expert, can be in exploring content in the classroom, especially when the teacher is able to guide the learning from within the drama (Ewing & Simons, 2004).

References

Bolton, G. (2002). A comparison. In A. Jackson's Learning Through Theatre: New Perspectives on Theatre in Education. Routledge.

Heathcote, D. & Herbert, P. (1985) A drama of learning: Mantle of the expert, Theory Into Practice, 24:3, 173-180.

Ewing, R., & Simons, J. (2004). Beyond the script: take two. Marrickville: PETAA.

Literacy through drama

Drama can be a fantastic resource for both emergent and proficient literacy learners (Harrod, 2002). It enables students to engage with texts in a way that does not intimidate those whose skills may still be developing. We explored this concept using Voices in the Park by Anthony Browne. The first activity we participated in showed an explicit link to literacy - writing down adjectives, similes and metaphors to describe characters in the story. Using strategies like this, both literacy and drama outcomes can be achieved in a holistic and meaningful way (Ewing & Gibson, 2011). 

Writing down adjectives to describe the characters

There are also implicit ways in which drama and literacy can be intertwined. Using activities such role play and narration, students must employ what they know about the dramatic elements - focus, tension, space, role - as well as their understanding of a narrative, in order to create their drama (Ewing & Simons, 2004). Implementing these strategies can help less confident students to build up a better sense of self-efficacy (Harrod, 2002).

Conscience alley

Another way to link literacy to drama is reflection upon the conclusion of activities. Diary entries or creative writing pieces can help a teacher assess the students' understanding of the concepts while allowing students to experience a bit of freedom in their self-expression, and employing the literacy techniques they know. This is also great practice for the student as a metacognitive learner, assessing themselves and their own understanding (Ewing & Gibson, 2011).

Reference

Harrod, C. (2002). Drama and literacies. Drama Queensland Says. v.25 n.1 p.7-11.

Ewing, R., & Simons, J. (2004). Beyond the script: take two. Marrickville: PETAA.

Gibson, R., & Ewing, R. (2011). Transforming the curriculum through the arts. Melbourne: Palgrave Macmillan.

Playbuilding

Using the text 'The Green Children' as a stimulus, we began to examine the role of questioning and dramatic context in creating a meaningful drama experience. 

'The Green Children'

With this particular excerpt, we looked at the way it made us feel, and any information we would like to know about the story in order to better understand it. Engaging in the various playbuilding exercises - e.g. still images, mapping, role walk - showed me the importance of building belief. If students can build belief in the roles and the stories, they can explore concepts in a really powerful way. The other aspect of playbuilding in the classroom is that it is a collaborative process (Philip & Nicholls, 2009), and so allows for students to have some ownership over their work. Building these characters, and the stories behind them, lets students emotionally connect with an issue in a non-confrontational way, as they are inherently distanced from it (Ewing & Simons, 2004). 

Still image from the moment the green children are discovered

Through asking questions and collaborating with peers, playbuilding can be an extremely meaningful experience, and a fantastic way of getting students to engage with content from other KLAs in a way that encourages critical thinking. Reflection is a key part of this process (Philip & Nicholls, 2009), which we participated in during the workshop by thinking about the various characters emerging and what influences their attitudes. Students' reflection can be used as an assessment tool for teachers, as well as allowing students to metacognitively engage with their own learning (Ewing & Simons, 2004; Ewing & Gibson, 2011).

Reference

Philip, R. & Nicholls, J. (2009). Group blogs: Documenting collaborative drama processes. Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 25(5), 683-699.

Ewing, R., & Simons, J. (2004). Beyond the script: take two. Marrickville: PETAA.

Ewing, R., & Gibson, R. (2011). Transforming the curriculum through the arts. Melbourne: Palgrave Macmillan.

What good are the arts?

The arts are a vital aspect of student learning and development, and should be infused throughout the curriculum to achieve a more holistic learning experience and the emergence of higher order thinking skills. Research shows that an integrated arts curriculum produces higher student achievement in areas such as critical thinking, emotional wellbeing, self-expression and problem solving (Jay, 1999; Gibson & Ewing, 2011). The arts provide a way for students to access content from other key learning areas (KLAs), as well as learning the specific skills which relate only to the arts. With the new national curriculum soon being implemented (ACARA, 2013), it is more important now than ever to promote an integrated approach to the arts within this somewhat crowded curriculum (Lemon & Garvis, 2013) and for teachers to understand the extensive benefits the arts bring to a classroom. When content is explored in a holistic way, there is much more relevance to students' lives, which leads to more meaningful learning (Gibson & Ewing, 2011). The arts can also help teachers to assess students' understandings of content areas, allowing for them to adjust teaching accordingly.



While there are proven benefits that relate to academic performance in the 'traditional' subject areas - mathematics, literacy, science (Jay, 1999) - we mustn't forget the importance of the arts in and of themselves in assisting students to become well-rounded, creative and expressive people (Gibson & Ewing, 2011).


References

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA). (2013). Revised draft Australian curriculum: The arts foundation to year 10. Retrieved April 14, 2014 from http://www.acara.edu.au/verve/_resources/Draft_Arts_Curriculum _22_February_2013.pdf

Jay, L. (1999). Dancing through life: A rationale for arts education. (Order No. 1397398, University of Hawai'i). ProQuest Dissertations and Theses. Chapter 2, pp.9-27.

Lemon, N., & Garvis, S. (2013). What is the Role of the Arts in a Primary School?: An Investigation of Perceptions of Pre-Service Teachers in Australia. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 38(9). 

Gibson, R., & Ewing, R. (2011). Transforming the curriculum through the arts. South Yarra, Victoria: Palgrave MacMillan.