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Educational Portfolio

Part One: The Learner and Learning

Introduction

The learner is one of the biggest determiners of how the learning takes place and takes

root. The learner, or at least a good learner has five qualities that make them so: they are

inquisitive, confident, inventive, reflective, and they take initiative. However, not all students have

these qualities, or if they do, they might not show these qualities for all subjects. It is the job of

an educator to draw these qualities out of their students and nurture them as much as possible. As

in life, not all learning is done in the classroom, and the skills of a ‘good’ learner become

invaluable life-long skills.

A teacher’s job is not only to pass knowledge to a student but to help them want to

become lifelong learners. The only way that can be done effectively is to have a knowledge base

behind your teaching that informs you how students learn and what ‘phase’ of learning they are

currently in based on their approximate age grouping. Having this knowledge lets educators

know when a student may be struggling when they might be ahead of their peers, and when they

might need extra help.

Educators often focus on the fact that there is discernible learning being done, either by

looking at test scores or grades in general. But not all students learn the same way, which is why

it is essential for educators to know how to differentiate their teaching styles and provide sources

that students of any skill level can pull from and use. It is also crucial for educators themselves to

be life-long learners, as the world around us is ever-changing, and we as humans must admit that

we do not know everything. Things change from year to year for everyone, so teachers need to
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stay up to date with educational techniques and processes to have a large base to call upon when

they are in the classroom.

And just as the world is ever-changing, so are the people. Throughout a teacher’s career,

they will encounter thousands of students. It is just as important for teachers to learn about their

students, acknowledge their unique differences, and understand that as no two teachers are the

same, neither are two students.

Educators must constantly adapt and change for the world around them and for the

benefit of their students. We must encourage our students in their educational pursuits and help

nurture their need for knowledge as best we can with our knowledge bases, just as educators

must remain lifelong learners.

Description

One of the most exciting parts of my college experiences has been seeing how

developmental theory can not only help design appropriate learning experiences but how it gives

the teacher a framework for thinking about content material and how to best present it to support

growth for all learners.

Ceramics Unit Plan - The unit plan was created in my Introduction to Art Education class in my

sophomore year. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, all courses were being conducted online, so all

the resources were online. Communication with professors was limited to emails and Zoom

meetings. This was my first experience looking at a UDL Unit/Lesson Plan Template. Using this

template, the categories for action and expression, engagement, and representation, really caught

my attention. At first, I had trouble understanding what these categories were asking me for.

However, once my professor explained what they were asking for, it was amazing how
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user-friendly they were in providing options for students to engage, learn, and show what they’ve

learned. It provided categories to develop as many opportunities for students as possible for the

unit.

Stages of Development Chart - This chart was created in my Art Ed Contemporary Issues class.

Reviewing the Stages of Artistic Development that Viktor Lowenfield developed was beneficial.

All teachers need to understand the stages of development that their students go through,

especially in the art room, where it is the common misconception that students only attend art

classes for fun.

Kehinde Wiley Ebook.pdf- This E-Book was created in the Special Education in the Secondary

Classroom course. We looked at all thirteen categories recognized under the Individuals with

Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Each student was assigned a research project to look into the

history of the disability and look up accommodations and UDL guidelines that may benefit a

student with a specific disability in the classroom. My research on Traumatic Brain Injury, which

can appear differently in individuals, making the need for a variety of instruction even greater.

Kehinde Wiley Lesson Plan- This lesson plan, which would eventually be developed into a unit

plan, was created for an assignment where we had to make a lesson about diversity and/or equity

for our content area. My content area being art, I chose to look at the artist Kehinde Wiley, an

openly gay African American artist. He recreates old historical/master paintings using

street-casted models of color in place of the original caucasian model. An excellent way to start
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this unit would be to compare the original artwork to Kehinde Wiley’s recreation in a class

critique-style conversation.

Learning Development

Performance Criterion 1.2- Candidates use understanding of developmental theory (in areas

such as cognitive, linguistic, social emotional, and physical) to design appropriate learning

experiences.

Analysis of Performance Criterion

Developmental theories help educators better understand where students are projected to

be based on their age, what skills they are developing, which they have already developed, and

what skills they might be lacking. Developmental theories give educators a good starting place to

build their lessons upon; it provides general information so classes can accommodate the needs

of the individuals within the classroom. These theories also key an educator on whether the age

group struggles with group work if they are prone to falling, and what subjects they might find

interesting.

Analysis of Theoretical Framework

Viktor Lowenfeld is widely known in the art education community for his theoretical

work in creating the stages of artistic development. The article, "Viktor Lowenfeld: Some

Misconceptions, Some Insights'' discusses the shortcomings of his career, such as only studying

European and American children and how Lowenfeld only did a limited amount of research

himself, and his stages of development are a culmination of multiple peoples work. However,

Lowenfeld is accredited with creating stages from the varying amounts of research done over the

years before his publication. Lowenfeld theorized that there were five stages of artistic
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development that children go through from ages one to fourteen. There has been an argument

that some children's art shows them being at multiple stages at once when Lowenfield's theory

states that stages only move forward in a linear progression.

Nevertheless, Lowenfeld has defended his stages by saying that expecting children to all

develop consistently in art would be unrealistic. Children do not grow in the same way or at the

same time in other areas of development, such as physical or social-emotional. Lowenfeld's

stages of artistic development provide a structure that helps explain individual patterns of growth

and learning in relation to expectancies. It emphasizes the uniqueness of each person and the

creative aspects of art and defines the role of the teacher as an active participant in all of this.

(Michael, 1986).

Salient Evidence-

Stages of Development Chart

Ceramics Unit Plan

Lowenfeld’s development stages are stepping stones guiding art educators through where

an age group should approximately be developed. My evidence that shows this is a flowchart that

walks through each stage and the ages that specific stage encapsulates. Within this is a

breakdown of the approximate age/grade students are at and the defining skills and interactions

that make up each step in the stage. In the Pre-Schematic section at age five/Kindergarten, where

students prefer to stand and talk while they work, their hands tire easily from the developing

adult pencil grip, and they tend to fall sideways from their chairs. Stepping from the last stage in

the Pre-Schematic section, where six-year-olds are always in a hurry to work, and the result often

comes out sloppy, to when they turn seven, where they become perfectionists and get upset if

they feel they are not given enough time. When students are four, they can start cleaning up
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independently, and when they turn twelve, they start actively avoiding cleaning up. The flow-like

chart that I have created addresses the Performance Criterion as it breaks down approximately

where students of various ages are expected to be from, and I can build lesson plans. I can design

lessons using this chart to assist learners who are on course, those who might be a step behind,

and students who may be more advanced than their peers.

The chart and Lowenfeld's work connect to my lesson plan as it helps meet the needs of

fourteen-year-olds in a high school classroom. It gives them a choice in what kind of ceramic

form they create (bowl, vase, cylinder), and it allows them to explore a material to which they

might feel a pull as they gain confidence in their skill. These two things abide by their

developmental stage needs. Through creating on the wheel, students tend to talk and critique

their art while they work, adding to a fourteen's need for positive peer critique. I have

unfortunately not been able to teach this lesson in a classroom yet, but it begins to look at and

examine how to meet the needs of the variety of students in high school art classes.

Critical Self-Evaluation-

There is so much that goes into each stage of artistic development. In the future, I will

create a more extensive version so that it can be more easily read and include more defining

features of each age group. In addition, I would also like to start creating a collection of works

from each stage of development. This would be unequivocally helpful when looking at student

works to visually compare what each age group makes rather than just a list of traits. After

reflecting, the ceramics unit plan should be more focused on how students with more of an

eighth-grade (or lower) ability set can be caught up and raised to the same developmental level as

their peers. However, by selecting it at mostly a ninth-grade developmental level, the unit

included the final stage of artistic development that Lowenfeld created. This lesson was designed
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for an introductory-level art course, so it is likely even older students or students who have never

worked with clay on a wheel before will be at the end of the Pseudorealism Stage.

Overall, my writing addressed the Performance Criterion well. The Stages of Artistic

Development evidence chart shows an understanding of the breakdown of each artistic stage of

development that students go through. This chart helps focus on how to best structure lessons to

meet the needs of the students in the classroom. Through research, my evidence demonstrates

that Lowenfeld's developmental theory only applies to primarily American and European

students, and it is unclear whether it could be as reliable worldwide.

Learning Differences

Performance Criterion 2.2- Candidates use an understanding of diverse cultures and

communities to design inclusive learning experiences.

Analysis of Performance Criterion

In the art room, understanding diverse cultures and communities is critical, as it makes a

huge difference in whether your lesson is culturally appropriative. Understanding does not stop at

knowing why cultures or communities create particular objects/pieces or practice specific

techniques. There needs to be an understanding of the importance of the materials they use and

why and how the work is done. Without this extensive understanding and research into the

culture or community, an art teacher could unintentionally be culturally appropriating. All too

often in art history, what is focused on is primarily white men who are predominantly

heterosexual. Students need to see themselves in the artists they are studying, regardless of
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gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or religion. It helps them feel more included in the

classroom and the community.

Analysis of Theoretical Framework-

The article "Changing Practice: Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy in Art Education" by

Melanie L Buffington, with contributions by Amanda Bryant (2019), addressed how many

lessons are more cultural appropriation than a lesson that informs students about the culture

behind the project they are doing. Buffington speaks on multiple levels about how cultural

appropriation is much easier for teachers to pass off as 'diverse' lessons, even when they are more

offensive than informative. This article helped solidify how easily cultural appropriation can

happen, even when a teacher may not intend for it to happen, and that a lot of research has to go

behind a culturally diverse lesson. It's effortless to see something from a different culture and

want to bring it into the classroom, but many steps need to be taken before bringing many lessons

into the classroom.

Salient Evidence-

Kehinde Wiley Unit Plan

Kehinde Wiley Ebook.pdf

My lesson plan focuses on the artist Kehinde Wiley. Kehinde Wiley is a part of the

BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) community and the LGBTQ+ community. He

reimagines old masterworks created by straight white men, depicting (mostly) straight white

men, by street-casting members of the BIPOC community to pose and recreate a masterwork of

their choosing. Wiley's work features modern people in modern clothing, posing and adding new

layers to old masterworks when looked at comparatively. My Kehinde Wiley Ebook that
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accompanies this lesson plan lists ideas and techniques for accommodating students with

traumatic brain injuries during this lesson.

While some may not consider the BIPOC and LGBTQ+ communities as diverse right off

the bat, they are both still significantly underrepresented in art history. For students to see

someone like them in the art room in one way or another is critical for them to connect more with

a class or even just a lesson. This lesson would start with discussing who Kehinde Wiley is, so

students understand he is an openly gay African American artist. We would then look at the work

he based his piece on and its historical significance, and then at Wiley's work and how or if what

he did changed the piece's significance. This allows students to talk about and understand

representation in art.

Critical Self-Evaluation-

I have not been able to teach this lesson in a classroom, but it is a much easier lesson to

avoid cultural appropriation than other topics that would be covered in the art room. As

Buffington and Bryant recommended in their article, I researched each piece and the artist

extensively before creating this lesson. Talking about who the artist is and the groups he is a part

of helps students see that there is a wide variety of artists in the world. In the future, the lesson

will expand on the significance of the pieces that Wiley based his work on and look further into

the masterwork artists to see what or if they were a part of more diverse communities.

Connections with more artists that have diverse backgrounds and create representative and

inclusive art will be added. The main takeaway from this lesson is for students to see the

importance of representation in art.

My work and research scratch the surface of the diverse communities that exist in the

world. There are more cultures and communities that need to be investigated and researched to
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create diverse and inclusive lessons. The Ebook evidence that accompanies the Kehinde Wiley

lesson plan looks at a lesson modification for students with disabilities that may cause them to be

unable to complete the lesson as initially formatted. This Ebook includes multiple tools that

would be helpful for any student, such as a filled-out Frayer model and a graphic organizer that

would help students during conversation discussing the various pieces we will view.

Learning Environment

Performance Criterion- 3.2 Candidates design learning environments that support

collaborative learning marked by positive social interaction.

Analysis of Performance Criterion-

Collaborative learning can look very different in many situations; sometimes, it can be

done in a way that students do not realize that they are learning collaboratively. Keeping these

collaborative learning opportunities positive for all involved is essential and sometimes difficult.

Educators must ensure that all students are engaged in collaborative learning while keeping

positive social interactions in mind.

Analysis of Theoretical Framework-

Keeping social interactions positive during collaborative learning can be difficult,

especially if a student needs reminders about expected behaviors during this cooperative time.

Coy and Kostewicz's article "Noncontingent Reinforcement: Enriching the Classroom

Environment to Reduce Problem Behaviors''(2018) examines how teachers interact with students

who may be disrupting a lesson and how each reaction impacts the students and the educator.

Reactive classroom management is exhausting and frustrating for the educator and the student.
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Coy and Kostewicz recommend several strategies that might help permanently eliminate

classroom disruptions, such as proactive classroom management, applied behavior analysis

(ABC charts), and non-contingent reinforcement. During my observations, I have watched a

classroom derail in various ways: from natural teachable moments to more extreme student

outbursts. Often a classroom derailing, from my observational experience, starts with a student or

multiple students. A student can then cause the derailing, or it can be caused by built-up tension

in the classroom throughout the day (or the week) until the teacher has an outburst. Either

situation impacts the functionality of a classroom for the rest of the day, and these are often hard

for both teachers and students to recover from, especially if the classroom derailing is a regular

occurrence. As a teacher, it is vital to develop strategies for each situation and help support

positive interaction and a collaborative classroom.

Salient Evidence-

Kehinde Wiley Unit Plan

My lesson is about the artist Kehinde Wiley who reimagines old masterworks that feature

modern BIPOC people in contemporary clothing, posing and adding new layers to old

masterworks compared to the original. The basis for my lesson is for the class to collaboratively

analyze and discuss Wiley’s work compared to the original. Collaborative learning would be

achieved in a critique-like setting where the whole class would participate and contribute their

thoughts and interpretations to help the entire class better understand Wiley’s work and why

representation is so important. Students may have different opinions on pieces, so it would fall on

the educator to help mediate any disagreements: asking more questions when appropriate to draw

more information from both sides of the dispute to help students understand different viewpoints

and keep interactions as positive as possible.

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Critical Self-Evaluation-

My lesson plan is well thought out for collaborative learning. However, it could be

fleshed out more thoroughly on how to mediate any potential disputes between students. This can

be especially hard during a large high school group critique, where students analyze works and

say what they notice, what they like, and what they might not like. Connecting with Coy and

Kostewicz’s article, my lesson could be further revised to include how to handle disruptions to

the class. While it is not all written out in my lesson plan, looking back at the evidence and

research, I understand how to design learning environments that support collaborative learning

marked by positive social interaction.

Reflection

My spring 2022 placement gave me the opportunity to help my mentor teacher create an

active learning environment that engaged all students. In this second-grade art class of eight

students, there were multiple projects that students needed to finish, so we were both leading

groups through completing their projects. The reward for their finishing was allowing students

free creative time. Students were very focused and engaged in finishing their assignments so that

they could work on pieces individually. Many students doing free creation took their work very

seriously and were excited to try new things with the materials they were given. We circulated

and interacted with students working on individual projects as the groups finished. One student

who was opposed to art class took to making three-dimensional paper sculptures, asking about

better techniques and how to make larger forms. My mentoring teacher and his classroom

paraeducator said that it was the most engaged in art he's ever been.

Universal Design for Learning gives educators a good starting point for being prepared to

accommodate individual academic differences. It accommodates different learning needs and

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allows teachers to range the difficulty of lessons for all skill levels. Planning for differences can

sometimes look different in how the accommodation happens in the classroom. A strength I have

is knowing to take frequent laps around the room and to look around the room for students who

might be struggling with what we are doing. This helps me regulate my pace, and walking

around the room to see where students are, helps determine students who might need extra help

on specific aspects of a project. Often in an observation setting, you are only told things you need

to know about the students you see, so it can be challenging to know when a student is

struggling. Doing visual and verbal check-ins aids me immensely in accommodating individual

differences, whether while observing or substitute teaching. My visual check-ins usually consist

of peeking over shoulders to see how things are going and looking at faces to see if anyone looks

frustrated. Verbal check-ins can be me asking for a fist-of-five or asking individual students how

they are doing in a more one-on-one situation.

Teachers never stop learning, and there will be many places where I wish to further my

learning in the future, perhaps by starting to become more knowledgeable about cultural

appropriation: what it does to the cultures that are appropriated, and how to ensure avoiding

cultural appropriating lessons in my own classroom. An increasingly diverse population of

students comes through schools, and some might have behavioral problems. My professional

development plan includes attending a conference or something similar, specific to art educators,

about managing behavior in the art room. The art room has its own particular set of challenges,

which can make behavior management techniques look different from an Algebra class. Meeting

with other art educators to understand how this might look would be beneficial. Being a teacher

is being a lifelong learner.

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Works Cited

Buffington, M. L., & Bryant, A. (2019). Changing Practice: Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy in

Art Education. Art Education, 72(2), 20–25.

https://doi.org/10.1080/00043125.2019.1559587

Coy, J. N., & Kostewicz, D. E. (2018). Noncontingent Reinforcement: Enriching the Classroom

Environment to Reduce Problem Behaviors. Teaching Exceptional Children, 50(5),

301–309. https://doi.org/10.1177/0040059918765460

Michael, J. A. (1986). Viktor Lowenfeld: Some Misconceptions, Some Insights. Art Education,

39(3), 36–39. https://doi.org/10.2307/3192954