PowerPoint Presentation

Using Student Generated Blogs to Guide and Assess Maker Learning Experiences

Christopher FoxThe Haverford SchoolHow might a shared student review process during a Maker Project enhance self-management and creativity in Grade 11 boys?

The Haverford School is a selective private, non-sectarian, all-boys college preparatory day school, junior kindergarten through grade twelve. Founded in 1884 l, it is located in Haverford, Pennsylvania, nine miles northwest of Philadelphia. Students: 1,013 total, 436 Upper School, 225 Middle School352 Junior Kindergarten, Kindergarten, and Lower School

I am a high school art teacher and chair of the Visual Arts Department at The Haverford School, located just outside of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the United States.2

Mr. Fox

Ive been an art teacher for 34 years teaching a variety of grade levels and a wide range of art media.3

"Temporary Constructs", 46" x 94", Oil on Canvas

I am also a practicing artist with m paintings in public and private collections in North America and Europe.4

Seeing the topic of this years Action Research project caught my attention. This is something I know something about and am interested in.5

While I appreciate the enthusiasm in the new maker movement I will admit to being a bit annoyed that this is somehow seen an new. 6

Students in my classes have been involved in maker learning of one sort or another for all the years Ive been teaching.7

I know a lot of emphasis of this current iteration of maker learning involves certain gadgets that enable forms of making not previously available to individuals. And we have these in the art studios at Haverford now.8

But our studios have always had plenty of tools for making in a variety of materials for years now.9

I would argue that our ability to learn by making and doing is our survival advantage as a species. We are able to learn faster than natural selection can know us off. At least so far.10

What is different is the connectivity many if these technologies enable. My curriculum is no longer bounded by my own knowledge. 11

The one who does the work does the learning.

Terry DoyleSo what about my Action Research?

I was able as a result of being allowed to conduct this research process to read and research across a range of related subjects. I am particularly interested in the current work in neuroscience that seems to be describing from a scientific frame the behaviors I have observed in my art classrooms over the year. 12

In my years at a school like Haverford (a school that describes itself as a traditional, rigorous academic college preparatory school) Ive often been put in a position of having to justify the place of the visual arts in that curriculum. As annoying as that has been it has kept me focused on being intentional in the development of real skills and knowledge in my students.13

Intuitive to Intentional?

What of value are boys in my classes gaining by working on a painting?14

Guide or Frame the Maker Practice without directing it?Create opportunity for deeper and transferrable learning?Assess effectiveness of the practice for growth?Action Research Project

So, my research was in trying to take my experience as an art teacher and an artist and see if it might be possible to describe what is often seen as intuitive or even chaotic practice of creativity, of making new things,15

How can we teach or reinforce this essential practice such that it leads to greater metacognition and deeper and more transferrable learning? 16

http://www.brainpickings.org/2009/04/29/pure-process/

There are lots of diagrams people use to describe this process.17

!

This is what we use. Certainly this is a simplification we could add feedback loops.18

Too many of my students, high school mind you, have been duped into believing this is the diagram.19

First Stage

First Step is to understand the question.20

Projects start with a question.

Ive moved away from assignments in favor of questions and problems as starting points.21

Joseph CornellLouise NevelsonJean TinguelyKurt SchwittersRobert RauchenbergDavid Hockney Video InstallationLow ReliefShadow BoxBas ReliefAssemblageKinetic ArtSearch terms for research:

I have abandoned doing full presentations based on all the research I had done for a project. Instead, Ill present the question or problem and offer a few 22

The one who does the work does the learning.

Terry DoyleSo what about my Action Research?

Remember, the one who does the work does the learning.23

Ben researching on a classroom iPad.

Reed researching on his laptop.

Second Stage

Second step is the the usually frustrating time where things dont work.26

Micha and Shane experimenting with cardboard shapes.

Greg talks about experimenting for his 2 Dimensions Project

Greg talks about his 2 Dimensions Project28

Greg talks about experimenting for his 2 Dimensions Project

Greg talks about his 2 Dimensions Project29

Third Stage

Cameron works with a prototype.

Gabe explains prototyping his idea for the 2 Dimensions Project

Gabe explains prototyping his idea for the 2 Dimensions Project

Fourth StageFinal Stage

Wed move on, but it is those initial steps were most boys tend to rush through because they are so product oriented. 34

Metacognition and deeper learning?

Then to get to the metacognition and deeper learning and transferability we instituted the practice of creating at least one blog post at each step of the way.35

At each stage boys were asked to make at least one blog post describing what they are doing, how and why.36

http://camsartblog20142015.blogspot.com/2015/02/2-12-dimensions.html

Challenge Stage:

What is the guiding question and what do you think it means?Were there terms in the question or project description you needed to look up? If so, explain those terms.What are the actual limits of the project?What then is open to your interpretation?Were any artists or art movements suggested for further investigation and what did you find out when you looked into them?

I provided, earlier on in the year, prompts to help them think about what they might talk about.38

Freddy uses a classroom iPad to blog about his brainstorming stage

Boys could use classroom iPads to make their posts. 39

Brainstorm/Experiment Stage:

Describe some of your first ideas through writing and photos (even though first ideas can sometimes be lame)Sometimes brainstorming involves making quick lists of words, maybe you could post one of those lists.Photograph any rough sketches or doodles you did while brainstorming.Did you, through your brainstorming, discover some new possibility that you think is a particularly unique way of answering the challenge, even if its impractical to carry out? If so describe it.

Jon photographs his work in progress for use in a blog post.

Students were also able to use their smartphones theres a free Google Blogger app that runs on most devices.41

A post showing the result of Bens research stage of the 2-1/2 Dimensions Project

Walter, what do you think about our practice of using the blogs?

Walter, what do you think about our practice of using the blogs?

Reed talks about the benefits of blogging about his work.

Reed talks about the benefits of blogging about his work.

Assessment?As a learning practice?

The principle goal of education is to create men who are capable of doing new things, not simply of repeating what other generations have done men who are creative, inventive and discoverers.

Jean Piaget (1896 1980)

Instead of my previous past practice of assigning a grade at the end of a project, grades were only applied to the individual blog posts. In this way helping to emphasize both the work over the outcome and the thinking and reflective practice as much as the making. 49

Sam, what do you think about the grading of the stages rather than the final product?

Sam, what do you think about the grading of the stages rather than the final product?

Results?

The results of this new practice is that in the course of the year, boys began to use a common vocabulary to talk and write about their work, their work, as a result of the increased emphasis on the early stages of development became much more personal, unique and divergent from initial starting points. 53

The greatest sign of success for a teacher... is to be able to say, "The children are now working as if I did not exist."Maria Montessori (1870 1952)

Cameron explains his maker learning experience, so far.

Cameron explains his maker learning experience, so far.

Chris Fox

cfox@haverford.org

chrisfox.org

christopherfox.edublogs.org