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Abstract
In the last decade there has been a great fervour over the educational reform and the incorporation of 21st century skills in schools. Technology has radically changed the economy and society which is impacting the educational system. As the saying goes luck favors the prepared, and teachers are the ones tasked with preparing our youth with the skills and knowledge to navigate the unknown. Arts education is on the rise as the economy is favoring those with right brain skills that include creativity, empathy, seeing the bigger picture, innovation, synthesizing, and problem solving. Betty Edwards argues art “[...] provides the means for releasing potential, for gaining access at a conscious level to your inventive, intuitive, imaginative powers that may have been largely untapped by our verbal, technological culture and educational system” (1979 p.5). Art has a distinct advantage as an interdisciplinary subject and lends itself to the transfer of knowledge and skills to multiple facets of our brain. “More directly, the argument suggests that experiences in the arts create capabilities or motivations that show up in non-arts capabilities” (Catterall 2002).This study is an exploration of the implementation of Disciplined Based Art Education (DBAE) in a beginning high school art class in an attempt to increase student ownership of learning while legitimizing art as an area of study.
Background and Need
California, like many states, is in the process of implementing Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for students K-12. CCSS is a set of national standards designed to help all students receive an education, even if they change schools or move to another state. The new standards were also devised to ensure students are college and career ready. In addition to new standards there is also a new tests, the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP), which was given for the first time in the spring of 2015 to over 3.2 million students. The CAASPP includes a multiple assessments like Smarter Balance Summative Assessment which is directly linked to CCSS. The results of the 2015 CAASPP serve as a baseline for future results. Teachers, schools, and districts need more time, training and resources to meet the high standards California has set.
The Napa Valley Unified School District (NVUS) current “mission is to transform lives by instilling 21st Century skills and to inspire lifelong learning” (“21st century mission” n.d.). The district defines 21st century skills as critical thinking, collaboration, communication and creativity also known, as the four C’s. NVUSDNew Tech Network (NTN) embodies the mission and utilizes the four C’s through problem based learning which has been successful in meeting the district goals. NVUSD is in the process of implementing the project based learning (PBL) model in all its school sites and the school, examined for this paper, was no exception when it opened in 2010 as a fully functioning PBL model site.
Project based learning (PBL) model is one way educators are attempting to close the achievement gap and prepare students with 21st century skills. PBL at its core is inquiry based which emphasizes students’ ask questions, investigate, make decisions and problem solve (Baek, 2009). As educators adopt this model in their teaching practice for it be effective there are six components each project must contain. A successful project will include authenticity, academic rigor, applied learning, active exploration, adult connections, and assessment practices. The PBL model is a relatively new concept for teachers as this shifts away from traditional teaching which relied on students recording, memorizing and repeating information. PBL is a complex and multifaceted model that will take time and experience for teachers to refine for their specific content area.
The PBL rubric is a reliable instrument for measuring student achievement based on the six components of a project. The authenticity of a project means projects will simulate real world problems that are meaningful for students and have several possible solutions. The academic rigor, which refers to projects being aligned with national, state or district standards, demands projects have breadth and depth of specific knowledge of central concepts, development of life skills (collaborate, presentations, writing) and habits of mind (concern for evidence, viewpoint, cause and effect, precision of language and thought persistence). Applied learning requires students to apply new skills and knowledge in developing solutions to a complex problem, demonstrate high-performance work organization skills (work in teams, use technology appropriately, communicate ideas, collect, organize and analyze information), and use self-management skills (develop a work plan, prioritize pieces of work, meet deadlines, identify and allocate resources). The active exploration of a project requires students to conduct independent research, gather authentic information from a variety of resources and use a variety of methods in addition to the raw data provided by the teacher. The adult connections component of a project refers to student interaction with outside or simulated adults who have expertise and experience that can ask questions, provide feedback and offer advice throughout the progression of the project. As students make adult connections they get a sense of the real world standards for this type of work. The assessment of a project occurs at multiple points throughout the project so students can receive feedback from peers, teachers and mentors. When starting a new project teachers clearly explain the assessment process and expectations of the project to students. The assessment of projects includes an evaluation of content skills / knowledge as well as life skills and/or habits of mind which is demonstrated with the final end product being a culminating exhibition or presentation. PBL provides students a context for their learning as it more holistic in nature. Students are able to develop 21st century skills like creativity, problem solving and collaboration as they are required to demonstrate mastery of learning through projects instead of test taking.
While the school was set up as a PBL model site, the school is still in its infancy in establishing itself. The school has approximately 1500 students and is still growing. During the 2013-14 school year the school had only 65.5 teachers and then jumped to 75 teachers for the 2014-15 school year according to the recent SARC reports (American Canyon High School, 2015). As stated before the school is not a mature site which is advantageous for establishing a new pedagogy and it is aligned with the district’ vision as the foundation for school policy. However, the school is still laying down the foundation work as the school continues to settle in and is only recently getting data on student achievement. In 2012-2013 the graduation rate for the school was 93.04%, a 7.4% increase over the state graduation average of 80.44% (American Canyon High School, 2015). Despite graduation rates the school is struggling with academic performance. For example, only 54% of the school’s students were considered proficient or advanced in English and 58% in mathematics on the California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE) which was lower, for both subjects, than the state average. The student population breakdown is 35.9% are socioeconomically disadvantaged, 8.1% are English learners and 7.3% have a disability.
The PBL model is an adjustment for teachers, students, and parents who are more familiar with traditional teaching practices which were based on left brain thinking and test taking. Students have grown accustomed to there being one right answer (generally at the back of their textbook), and there is only one way to get to the right answer which limited students abilities to develop the four C’s. The school is now looking to make strides in student achievement within the PBL model by focussing on the development of student agency.
Student agency is a complex combination of skills; the rubric delves into two subcategories: the growth mindset and taking ownership of one’s learning. The growth mindset is concentrated on student effort and their ability to correlate their effort, practice, perseverance, and grit with their learning and academic success. Making mistakes is a part of the learning process and fear of failure prevents original ideas or creativity to flourish. No one is perfect at everything especially the first time something is attempted, and being able to recognize effort and practice as necessity for success, students will be more likely to try new things or give up easily.
The second subcategory of agency, ownership of learning, is about prompting students to become active participants in their education, self monitor, seek & apply feedback, and understand how to learn to learn. Many students generally lack the maturity to be self-disciplined or self-motivated enough to learn for the sake of learning. There are a few exceptions in those who have an inherent desire to learn, but by the time most teens who get to high school have long ago lost their curiosity for a myriad of reasons. High school is the last stop for students before they are faced with the “real world” and will need to be self guided.
The visual arts classes at the school like the rest of the school is trying to develop student agency as a way of establishing itself within the school community and student population. A vast majority of beginning art students at the school have never taken an art class or have little experience with the arts. There is a wide range of students (9-12th grade) with an array of artistic and academic performance levels in an art class. While art is a popular elective at the school, there are a good number of students who are enrolled in art because it meets the graduation requirement. Students, whether they want to be there or not, struggle with the idea that art is a legitimate area of study and there is more to learn than artistic expression.
The Napa Valley Unified School District (NVUS) current “mission is to transform lives by instilling 21st Century skills and to inspire lifelong learning” (“21st century mission” n.d.). The district defines 21st century skills as critical thinking, collaboration, communication and creativity also known, as the four C’s. NVUSDNew Tech Network (NTN) embodies the mission and utilizes the four C’s through problem based learning which has been successful in meeting the district goals. NVUSD is in the process of implementing the project based learning (PBL) model in all its school sites and the school, examined for this paper, was no exception when it opened in 2010 as a fully functioning PBL model site.
Project based learning (PBL) model is one way educators are attempting to close the achievement gap and prepare students with 21st century skills. PBL at its core is inquiry based which emphasizes students’ ask questions, investigate, make decisions and problem solve (Baek, 2009). As educators adopt this model in their teaching practice for it be effective there are six components each project must contain. A successful project will include authenticity, academic rigor, applied learning, active exploration, adult connections, and assessment practices. The PBL model is a relatively new concept for teachers as this shifts away from traditional teaching which relied on students recording, memorizing and repeating information. PBL is a complex and multifaceted model that will take time and experience for teachers to refine for their specific content area.
The PBL rubric is a reliable instrument for measuring student achievement based on the six components of a project. The authenticity of a project means projects will simulate real world problems that are meaningful for students and have several possible solutions. The academic rigor, which refers to projects being aligned with national, state or district standards, demands projects have breadth and depth of specific knowledge of central concepts, development of life skills (collaborate, presentations, writing) and habits of mind (concern for evidence, viewpoint, cause and effect, precision of language and thought persistence). Applied learning requires students to apply new skills and knowledge in developing solutions to a complex problem, demonstrate high-performance work organization skills (work in teams, use technology appropriately, communicate ideas, collect, organize and analyze information), and use self-management skills (develop a work plan, prioritize pieces of work, meet deadlines, identify and allocate resources). The active exploration of a project requires students to conduct independent research, gather authentic information from a variety of resources and use a variety of methods in addition to the raw data provided by the teacher. The adult connections component of a project refers to student interaction with outside or simulated adults who have expertise and experience that can ask questions, provide feedback and offer advice throughout the progression of the project. As students make adult connections they get a sense of the real world standards for this type of work. The assessment of a project occurs at multiple points throughout the project so students can receive feedback from peers, teachers and mentors. When starting a new project teachers clearly explain the assessment process and expectations of the project to students. The assessment of projects includes an evaluation of content skills / knowledge as well as life skills and/or habits of mind which is demonstrated with the final end product being a culminating exhibition or presentation. PBL provides students a context for their learning as it more holistic in nature. Students are able to develop 21st century skills like creativity, problem solving and collaboration as they are required to demonstrate mastery of learning through projects instead of test taking.
While the school was set up as a PBL model site, the school is still in its infancy in establishing itself. The school has approximately 1500 students and is still growing. During the 2013-14 school year the school had only 65.5 teachers and then jumped to 75 teachers for the 2014-15 school year according to the recent SARC reports (American Canyon High School, 2015). As stated before the school is not a mature site which is advantageous for establishing a new pedagogy and it is aligned with the district’ vision as the foundation for school policy. However, the school is still laying down the foundation work as the school continues to settle in and is only recently getting data on student achievement. In 2012-2013 the graduation rate for the school was 93.04%, a 7.4% increase over the state graduation average of 80.44% (American Canyon High School, 2015). Despite graduation rates the school is struggling with academic performance. For example, only 54% of the school’s students were considered proficient or advanced in English and 58% in mathematics on the California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE) which was lower, for both subjects, than the state average. The student population breakdown is 35.9% are socioeconomically disadvantaged, 8.1% are English learners and 7.3% have a disability.
The PBL model is an adjustment for teachers, students, and parents who are more familiar with traditional teaching practices which were based on left brain thinking and test taking. Students have grown accustomed to there being one right answer (generally at the back of their textbook), and there is only one way to get to the right answer which limited students abilities to develop the four C’s. The school is now looking to make strides in student achievement within the PBL model by focussing on the development of student agency.
Student agency is a complex combination of skills; the rubric delves into two subcategories: the growth mindset and taking ownership of one’s learning. The growth mindset is concentrated on student effort and their ability to correlate their effort, practice, perseverance, and grit with their learning and academic success. Making mistakes is a part of the learning process and fear of failure prevents original ideas or creativity to flourish. No one is perfect at everything especially the first time something is attempted, and being able to recognize effort and practice as necessity for success, students will be more likely to try new things or give up easily.
The second subcategory of agency, ownership of learning, is about prompting students to become active participants in their education, self monitor, seek & apply feedback, and understand how to learn to learn. Many students generally lack the maturity to be self-disciplined or self-motivated enough to learn for the sake of learning. There are a few exceptions in those who have an inherent desire to learn, but by the time most teens who get to high school have long ago lost their curiosity for a myriad of reasons. High school is the last stop for students before they are faced with the “real world” and will need to be self guided.
The visual arts classes at the school like the rest of the school is trying to develop student agency as a way of establishing itself within the school community and student population. A vast majority of beginning art students at the school have never taken an art class or have little experience with the arts. There is a wide range of students (9-12th grade) with an array of artistic and academic performance levels in an art class. While art is a popular elective at the school, there are a good number of students who are enrolled in art because it meets the graduation requirement. Students, whether they want to be there or not, struggle with the idea that art is a legitimate area of study and there is more to learn than artistic expression.
Literature Review
INTRODUCTION
The educational system has recognized the necessity of addressing 21st century skills within the curriculum as students need them to be college and career ready. In NVUSD 21st century skills (creativity, collaboration, critical thinking and communication) are closely linked into right brain thinking skills and capabilities. Content is still heavily valued as is doing well on standardized tests like the SAT and CAHSEE. The hierarchy of subject matters is also entrenched in the US educational system with English, math, history and science classes at the top, while other subjects like foreign language, art, physical education are viewed as fillers. Project based learning allows for teachers to meet content standards while developing creativity, collaboration, communication and critical thinking. The problem is developing those skills when many students, parents and teachers continue to view these skills as secondary or a bi-product to the real learning. There is a discrepancy between what is perceived by students to be valued and what is actually valued by the economy and society.
The overarching theory is around Stephen Dobbs Disciplined Based Art Education (DBAE) Handbook (1992) and how when art becomes real (beyond making something pretty) students can start to take ownership of their learning. The review of the literature includes the effects of feedback and self-assessment in an art class as a way to make art meaningful and develop student ownership. The literature review will conclude with a comparison of structuralism and poststructuralism and an overview of the benefits of a student centered art class.
The educational system has recognized the necessity of addressing 21st century skills within the curriculum as students need them to be college and career ready. In NVUSD 21st century skills (creativity, collaboration, critical thinking and communication) are closely linked into right brain thinking skills and capabilities. Content is still heavily valued as is doing well on standardized tests like the SAT and CAHSEE. The hierarchy of subject matters is also entrenched in the US educational system with English, math, history and science classes at the top, while other subjects like foreign language, art, physical education are viewed as fillers. Project based learning allows for teachers to meet content standards while developing creativity, collaboration, communication and critical thinking. The problem is developing those skills when many students, parents and teachers continue to view these skills as secondary or a bi-product to the real learning. There is a discrepancy between what is perceived by students to be valued and what is actually valued by the economy and society.
The overarching theory is around Stephen Dobbs Disciplined Based Art Education (DBAE) Handbook (1992) and how when art becomes real (beyond making something pretty) students can start to take ownership of their learning. The review of the literature includes the effects of feedback and self-assessment in an art class as a way to make art meaningful and develop student ownership. The literature review will conclude with a comparison of structuralism and poststructuralism and an overview of the benefits of a student centered art class.