My Culture

As school is once again about to start, I find myself thinking today about a course that I developed and taught with the goal of helping educators understand and appreciate the significance of the culture that their kids bring to their classrooms.

Because culture is often hidden or hard to notice, I often feel that not everyone 'gets' this concept  - what is culture? Its a big thing - and to clarify my thoughts, I offer this description of my own cultural roots.

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I grew surrounded by women who believed in the power and necessity of feeding people. Cooking was not only a daily task, a way to celebrate holidays and mark the Sabbath, but a competition. The women in my world really cared who made the best chicken soup, whose apple pie was the most delicious, and whose food was made only with the ‘finest and best’ ingredients. Refusing food in any home caused deep offense.

I grew up among people whose basic forms of communication included yelling, broad gestures, and at least two languages in the house. And almost every adult I knew spoke with an accent.

I grew up among three generations, where caring for our grandparents was a part of every day. I grew up seeing disabilities – my father was deaf, my grandmother partially paralyzed by a stroke; my upstairs neighbor was in a wheelchair. I grew up understanding that war did terrible things to people, and that life was not easy. I also grew up believing that kids were mean, and you better know how to defend yourself.

I grew up in an apartment building surrounded by people from different countries, religions and backgrounds. I grew up among survivors, (of war, loss, depression and family.) I grew up understanding that the people I knew all came from somewhere else – whether a different country, neighborhood, religion, economic status or set of values, I grew up aware that not everyone believed or behaved the way my family did. I also grew up knowing that neighbors looked out for each other and cared for one another.

I grew up in the city, on paved streets that scraped your knees if you fell while running or playing ball. I grew up thinking that plants were something that grew on window sills (fire escapes when the weather was warm). Trees grew in the park; bushes were what lined the entries to buildings. Flowers were a gift on your parent’s anniversary, and that food came from stores.

I grew up believing that education was not a choice, that college was an expectation, that my behavior, in school, in the neighborhood and at home was a reflection of my family, and I undersood that pride and shame were two sides of the same coin. I grew up wearing my best clothes for holidays, especially the beautiful hand made coats and hand knit sweaters that showed the talent and the caring that went into their making.

I grew up with a sister to fight with, play with, and find solace with. I grew up knowing that fathers work, and take care of us, and mothers stay home and take care of us. But, I grew up with the message that I could grow up to be and do anything I wanted – as long as I behaved myself, and went to school.

I grew up surrounded by art, books, theatre and culture, and the taste and smells of foods from around the world – the upside of a city childhood.

All of this – the richness, the sharp edges, the people, the food, the languages, the terrifying moments and the wonderful ones, shaped who I am, the work I do, the life I lead and the family I have raised.

The more I learn about culture, and the more I write and teach about it, the more I understand its impact. When we work with kids, when we seek to be culturally competent, in classrooms and programs, we are working not only with the present, but with a past, and with beliefs and behaviors that may span generations and color every interaction, every day.

In name only

Name Game

I have been very busy lately. My weeks seem to fly by -  filled with planning and teaching and taking art classes.

My Saturdays have been fabulously filled by a painting class, Dynamic Abstracts with Illa Guttman at PCC. This class is six hours of feeling like a fool followed by the elation of actually creating a painting. Some weeks are better than others - and it is wonderful to be part of a group, and especially, to have such a wonderful teacher.

I am also planning to teach an abstract painting class for kids next week, Spring Break. I am ready - bursting with ideas to share and things to do. I find myself poring over books of paintings in the library and visiting galleries - just looking at how abstract artists work, thinking about ways to express what I want my students to know. All of this causes me to think of about lines and color and shapes in different ways, and to experiment with varied projects to see what results.

I will be teaching my students to create abstract images with tempera, and I use acrylic in my PCC class, and frequently in my own studio, yet, I often find myself returning to these line drawings. They are fun to do, relaxing, more accessible than paint and far neater, and they are a different way for me to explore flow, color, overlap, shapes and ... some kind of grace - maybe the unexpectedness of finding shapes and forms I do not plan - which somehow feels to me like the very heart of abstract expression.

This image is based on a painting project I did earlier this year - the lines are my name, written in different sizes and directions, always crossing, forming new shapes. It is 9x12 on watercolor paper, done with fine tip pens.

Art Every Day: K is for Kids and Creativity

Day 11
Today's image is a botanical drawing of a potato plant- the final assignment in the fun class I am just completing. It is a botanical drawing - so has no shadows. It looks a little flat to me. None the less, it was fun to draw. I used graphite and color pencil.

Now onto the K. I have kids on my mind. I am just back from a teacher meeting with a handful of interesting and challenging new lessons to present. The classes I teach are part of an after school program funded by parents. This means that only kids who can afford the classes, get to participate. Yet, every kid I encounter tells me they love to do art, and that they wish they could do more of it in school.

Today, the arts are a luxury that many of Oregon's financially strapped schools can't seem to afford. Art advocates (I am certainly one) believe that the price for eliminating the arts from our schools will exact a price we don't want to have to pay.

Arts help students think creatively, not only express ideas, but shape them too. They offer opportunities for success in a variety of learning styles, and prepare kids for the world of work beyond school. And, most of all, kids like art. For many, the arts are what keep them coming to school day after day.

To learn more about the value of arts education, check out this video about the importance of creativity and the value of arts in school from Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB) Art Beat at School.

By the way, Oregon Art Beat at School is another fantastic resource for art education, ideas and resources. It includes lesson plans sorted by grade, subject and content standards, and are based on individual videos aired on the TV program and available for streaming online (and in your classroom).

In the interest of full disclosure, I am one of the writers for the site, and I highly recommend it.

Why Do Students Drop Out of School?

When asked this question, most people assume that kids drop out of school because they can’t handle the coursework. In fact, only about 35% of dropouts quit school because it’s too hard.

Some people think that kids drop out because they hate school – and feel alienated. That may be true for some kids, but the fact is, there is no “typical” dropout.

The reasons kids drop out of school are as complex and varied as their faces and their personal situations.
Here’s a list of some of the reasons kids drop out:

• Family trouble; poverty, violence, drugs, alcohol, too many responsibilities, needing to work and support family members.

• A family that moves a lot, especially in the city, so that the kid is forced to change schools often.

• Teen pregnancy.

• A bad attitude about school.

• The belief (not always inaccurate) that school is meaningless and irrelevant.

• Teachers and others who offer no help or support.

• Poor grades, failing, being held back a grade.

• Lack of involvement or motivation.

• Harsh discipline, suspension, probation for bad behavior.

• A difficult transition to ninth grade. (or fifth or third grade – yes the problem can start that early)

• Parents who are uninvolved, and negative about school

• Poor or no communication with families and support people.

• Absenteeism, consistent lateness and cutting class.

• Negative friendships with gangs or kids who hate school.

• Disregard for special needs, unrecognized talents, unencouraged abilities.

• Feeling like an outsider because of a learning disability or physical or other difference.

• Unacknowledged and sometimes untolerated language and cultural differences. It’s hard to learn in a situation where everyone is expected to share the same beliefs and learn in the same way.

Though this long list still doesn’t address all the potential risk factors, its important to keep in mind that sometimes the most unlikely kids succeed, and equally important, sometimes, the one who seems the most promising drops out.

Why? We think we may know.

Research has shown that no matter the situation, whether boy or girl, struggling student or gifted one, child from poverty or wealth, no matter the reason why they drop out, the reason kids stay in school is simple.

If they are going to stay in school and succeed in life, all kids need the same thing - All kids need strong, supportive relationships.

In fact, research shows that good relationships between kids at-risk and their teachers and/or mentors may significantly increase the chance that the student will not only stay in school, but increase their level of success throughout life.

Seems simple doesn't it? Yet forming strong relationships with kids can be one of the biggest challenges an educator or mentor can face. It takes heart and mind, and some creativity. How do you form strong relationships? What has NOT worked.

In the next post I will provide a surprisingly simple idea that does work, and takes no extra time or preparation.

Thinking about Thinking: Core Thinking Skills

Thinking skills are relatively discrete cognitive operations that can be considered the “building blocks” of thinking.
ASCD’s Dimensions of Thinking, Core Thinking Skills Categorized by Intended Outcome for the Learner

Question of the Day: How can we help today’s kids be successful in our increasingly complex world?

Answer: Teach them to think.

The skills that kids today need to succeed and survive are very different from the ones that served their parents. If they are to succeed in school, find meaningful work (and perhaps multiple jobs), and meet the challenges of life in the 21st century, today’s kids need more than just the ability to answer test questions. They need to be able to focus their attention on what is important in a situation, know where to find information, remember what they’ve learned, organize their learning, analyze information, generate new ideas and solutions, put thoughts and information together in new and different ways, and evaluate their ideas and information to be sure they work. In other words, kids today need to ease and familiarity with core thinking skills. I hope you will print the list of these skills (below) and keep them in mind as you plan lessons, and interact with kids.

TIP: A key strategy that teachers, mentors and parents can use to encourage the development of core thinking skills is asking open-ended questions instead of providing answers. Questioning kids encourages thinking, expression, research and interaction. Of course finding the right questions to ask can be a skill in itself. This downloadable page of Thinking Skills/Reasoning Process to Incorporate into a Lesson, is filled with good examples to get you started.  For more ideas, visit Inspiring Ideas: Asking Open-ended Questions

Core Thinking Skills:

• Have a sound basis in the research and theoretical literature
• Are important for students (and teachers and parents) to be able to do
• Can be taught and reinforced at school (and after school and at home)

Focusing skills - directing attention to selected information (What’s really important here? What do I want to know?)

• Defining problems - clarifying problem situations
• Setting goals - establishing direction and purpose

Information gathering skills - acquiring relevant data (How and where can I find information?)

• Observing - obtaining information through one or more senses
• Questioning - seeking new information by formulating questions

Remembering skills - arranging information so that it can be used more effectively (How can I keep what I learn so that I can use it again?)

• Encoding - storing information in long-term memory
• Recalling - retrieving information from long-term memory

Organizing skills - arranging information so that it can be used more effectively (Where does this belong? Does this fit?)

• Comparing - noting similarities and differences between two or more entitities
• Classifying - placing entities in groups by common attributes
• Ordering - sequencing entities according to given criteria

Analyzing skills - clarifying existing information by identifying and distinguishing among components, attributes, and so on (Is this really a dinosaur bone, or just a toy?)

• Identifying attributes and components - determining characteristics or parts of something.
• Identifying relationships and patterns - recognizing the way elements are related.

Generating skills - using prior knowledge to add new information (Have I seen something like this before? When the clouds get like this, does it means it is going to rain?)

• Inferring - reasoning beyond available information to fill in gaps.
• Predicting - anticipating or forecasting future events.
• Elaborating - using prior knowledge to add meaning to new information and link it to existing structures.
• Representing - adding new meaning by changing the form of information.

Integrating skills - connecting and combining information (If this is true and this is too, then, this must be true too, right?)

• Summarizing - abstracting information efficiently and parsimoniously.
• Restructuring - changing existing knowledge structures to incorporate new information.

Evaluating skills - assessing the reasonableness and quality of ideas (Will this work? Why or why not?)

• Establishing criteria - setting standards for making judgments.
• Verifying - confirming the accuracy of claims.
• Identifying errors - recognizing logical fallacies.

I will be posting practical ideas for putting many of these ideas to use in YOUR classroom, so please visit often. In the meantime, TELL US PLEASE: How do you integrate thinking into the content you teach? What kinds of questions do you ask? What are some of the results of encouraging kids to find their own answers?

Adapted from: Dimensions of Thinking, Alexandria VA: ASCD. R. Marzano, C. Hughes, BF Jones, B. Pressiesen, S. Ranking, C. Suhor, (1987)

Decisions Decisions

Did you know that decision making is a skill, one you can teach and learn?

In its list, Wikipedia states that decision making “might be regarded as a problem solving activity which is terminated when a satisfactory solution is found.” In myexperience - with kids, and with adults, its reaching that satisfactory solution that is the challenge. For many of us, deciding anything... what to eat for lunch, where to go on vacation, what we want to do with our lives, is a problem to solve.

In our increasingly complicated world, all of us need to be able to make good decisions. The good news is that decision-making is a skill; it can be taught. The process can be surprisingly easy, lots of fun, will teach and build on an array of thinking skills, and be integrated into almost any subject or project going on in your classroom, program or family.

Criteria: A standard, rule or test on which a decision can be based

To begin to make good decisions, we must be able to:

• Recognize situations in which we make decisions and choices (ACTIVITY TIP: Have kids brainstorm lists of the kinds of decisions they need to make every day - what to eat, how to spend time, which book or movies to choose, friends, etc.)Identify conditions, constraints and criteria that are important to the decision
• Identify our options
• Evaluate the information we are considering as the basis for the decision
• Predict effects or outcomes of a particular decision or choice
• Evaluate our options as they relate to all criteria
• Generate or revise decisions in response to new information (e.g., compromise)
• State the information and values on which your decision was based

The following three activities teach how to identify and frame criteria... essential skills we all need to make good decisions. These are fun, and can stimulate lively and interesting conversations on a variety of topics. Because it is one of my favorite topics, I decided to start with an art based activity. Then, I've added two more things to do, but you decide where you want to begin :-)

Gallery Stroll - this activity not only builds decision making skills but is an opportunity to develop language for discussion art. Expect to hear words that describe color, shape, motion, emotion, and much more.

• Arrange ten to fifteen pictures (magazines, photos, paintings) around your room to create a gallery
• Have kids walk around the gallery and study the images on the walls
• When they have completed inspecting each picture, have kids rank the pictures numerically, from their favorite to their least favorite. (Note: Suggest that kids write or sketch a brief “memo” of each image in a notebook.)
• After they’ve made their choices, have kids write out their reasons (criteria) for choosing their three favorites and their least favorite. Then, in small groups, or all together ...
• DISCUSS: What attracted you to the pictures you liked best? Why did you choose the one you did as your least favorite.
• Remind kids that the reasons for their choices are their CRITERIA.

2. Where Should We Go?

• Imagine: You are planning a family vacation (or a class trip) for next summer
• Discuss: Where you might go and the things you might do when you get there
• List: the criteria you will need to consider so that you can make the best choice (these include money, time, interests, transportation, family members, physical limitations, interests, etc.)
• Discuss: How did the criteria you determine affect your vacation planning?

3. Pick a Pet

• Imagine: You are about to select a new pet
• List: Potential pet choices. Everyone can choose their particular favorite.
• Brainstorm: Take five minutes to list all the criteria you can think of that will affect your choice of pet. (Pets you already own, allergies, cost, yard, house size, etc.)
• Discuss: Has considering the criteria about pet selection affected your decision about your choice of pet? Based on what you have considered, which pet would work best for your family.

Wild Geese Guides: A Literature Resource for Young Readers

I posted a blog about author visits and literacy recently, and, as usual, synchronicity took over. On the same day I posted my piece, children's book author Heather Vogel Frederick, posted the following information about a great resource, Wild Geese Guides, on her blog, Set Sail for Adventure (which, by the way, is another great resource.)

Wild Geese Guides is a blog that features "interviews, discussion guides, book club activities and other reading related content for children's literature." It is a great resource for anyone interested in literacy and literature. This is what Heather had to say about it:
"Attention, teachers, librarians, book club members, parents, and everyone else interested in literature for young readers! My good friend Tracie Vaughn Zimmer has uploaded ALL of her amazing teacher guides onto her new blog, Wild Geese Guides.
Discussion questions, suggested activites, multiple intelligence projects, quiz questions and more abound for over 250 books (including several of mine). This is a fabulous resource — stretching from preschool to high school — and one to bookmark, save, follow, tweet and re-tweet (I’m a twit, but Twitter-less), and share with friends."

Everyday lately I see more blogs offering information and resources for teachers. If you are a teacher, tell us, do you read blogs? Do you use the information you find there? Is this a convenient way to access resources? Do you have ready access to a computer in your classroom? What are some of your favorite teacher resources online?
Thanks - I look forward to reading some of your ideas ...

Benefits of Volunteering with Kids - from the Volunteer's Point of View

I recently heard a friend discussing her experiences as a SMART (Start Making A Reader Today) volunteer. Her comments gave me a new perspective on volunteering, and inspired me to sign up at a local school to volunteer my time as well.

My friend is studying Spanish these days, developing her own language and literacy in a second language. To complete her course requirements she is expected to do a service project in the community.

Because she loves “reading, kids and practicing Spanish,” her choice to become a SMART volunteer at a bilingual school was a natural. My friend “loves what she is doing” because she has a strong belief in the importance of literacy, in any language. She believes that the love of reading is a key to positive school experiences for every child.

What was inspiring for me was the chance to hear her talk about all the benefits that SHE is getting from her volunteer work. She is discovering schools outside of her neighborhood, and seeing firsthand the work these schools are doing to make kids feel comfortable and able to learn. She is working with kids from different cultures, and seeing how schools have changed since her own kids were young.

She is also enjoying the chance to discover new books in Spanish, meet and spend time with kids (from lots of different cultures and backgrounds), and most of all, practice speaking Spanish with native speakers (savvy first graders), who are helping HER build her skills too.
If you are a mentor or volunteer, please share some of the things you get from the experience.

Inspired by Art (Art Beat and Art Supplies)

I am a fan of Oregon Art Beat on OPB (Oregon Public Broadcasting). This week I was completely dazzled by the extraordinary beauty of Maria Simon’s painted bas relief work. To see the video (which is available streaming on the web), click here.

I mentioned in an earlier blog post that I have begun to paint in pastels. The list of supplies I needed for my class sent me searching for bargains. That’s how I found Dick Blick, an online source of art materials. Let me admit here that I love art supplies. As a child, there was no greater gift than a really BIG box of new crayons. In college, my design courses required many and fascinating (not to mention expensive) supplies - many of which I still have and use. As a craftswoman, my supplies and tools are my favorite toys. So, visiting this website makes me feel like a kid in a "candy"shop.

When I first visited the site, I was so intrigued by the variety of offerings, the types of pastels, the paper textures, the prices, and the colors of everything that I didn’t even notice something else. In addition to selling art materials, this site is LOADED with information, for artists, and for teachers. In the forms of curriculum and instructional videos, there are “over 200 ideas to browse. Geared for a wide variety of age and skill levels, our Lesson Plans are designed to meet the National Standards for Visual Art Education and bring the value of creativity to any teaching experience. All original. All free. Help yourself!”

Which brings me back to Oregon Art Beat. After watching the video featuring Maria Simon carving and painting in clay I want to know more about painted bas relief (a form of sculpture in which a solid piece of material is carved so that objects project from a background.) Imagine my delight when I discovered a video that takes the viewer through the process of carving and painting linoleum blocks (instead of the clay Simon uses). It has excellent information about high and low relief, tools, safety, texture and more. Step by step instructions and a list of materials (available on the site of course) are available too. The finished products are beautiful and inspiring. I can’t wait to try it … after I get my new supplies of cours

Upcoming Events: Children's Creativity: Why the Visual Arts Matter

Did you ever notice how the moment you begin to think (or write) about a topic, the world provides new ideas and new resources?

Yesterday's email blast from PNCA (Pacific NW College of Art)  offered a perfect example of synchronicity, and a fabulous opportunity for those of us interested in kids and creativity to learn more about Why the Visual Arts Matter. This series of upcoming events include free seminars, an exhibition of children's art, and a series of  workshops, all focused on creative arts education.

PNCA hosts Portland's first children's creativity symposium, Children's Creativity: Why the Visual Arts Matter, November 11-14, focusing on the relevance of artistic processes of inquiry, reflection, and expression to the cognitive, emotional, and social development of children.

A range of symposium activities, including workshops and lectures, will report on and explore the growing body of evidence that the arts nurture and develop complex thinking and communication skills. Featured speakers include authors/professors Dr. Ellen Handler Spitz and Dr. Lois Hetland.
An arts education is now recognized as providing key tools for the development of metaphorical thinking, the ability to creatively problem-solve, and life-long learning. Fulfilled and productive participation in the cultural, social, and economic processes of the 21st Century society is a key aspect of a creative arts education. Join PNCA for this groundbreaking series that explores the breadth and depth of an arts education.
Complementing the symposium, Imagine: 100 Years of Work from PNCA's Children's Art Archives, features work by generations of children taught in PNCA's Youth Program. The exhibition is curated by Sally Lawrence, PNCA President Emerita and Amy Williams, former PNCA Youth Art Program Director, with additional support from long-time Youth Program faculty Bonnie Allen and MaryEllen Hartman.

For more information, and to register : http://pnca.edu/artmatters
And, if you attend any of these events, please use the comment box below to share what you've learned.