Friday, March 7, 2014

120- We pushed in and worked with Mrs. Wagner on observational drawings of animals.  They were creating a caring environment for the animals, so we looked up what the animals eat, so they could provide that.  I love when we do research on animals- the students are so curious and have such an interest in learning about them.

Burchfield Penney trip with the Second Graders:

The second graders were really excited to see the Burchfield Penney.  I hope to collect some images from their journals and some of their reflections during the next week, as it was too hard to hear from all of them while we were on the trip.

Ms. Sharino wrote a reflection on her observations as a chaperone that I would like to include here:

Students were eager to point out what they were questioned to find. They did require instruction not to touch the artwork. [Atelierista's note- This is something we reviewed before the trip, but it's the first visit to an art gallery for most of these students and the urge to touch something as beautiful as these paintings is really hard.]

Megan and Evan often referred to previous experience with the topics to answer the questions- ie. fly fishing, Megan enthusiastically spoke about "flying fish" and what she remembers about a program she saw. Evan gave a narrative of his experiences fishing with his father and grandfather. 

When asked to draw what they liked after discussing fly fishing, many drew themselves fishing.

As for my own reflections, I was surprised to see that a student who usually struggles immensely with producing art was actually the best interpreter when looking at art.  She was able to understand the artists' point of view in a difficult to read painting. She showed understanding of perspective, a tough concept for children this age. I'm so grateful to have an understanding of the Hundred Languages of Children now, because I see evidence of its truth over and over again.  This child was able to use spoken language, infer and reflect in a way that demonstrated a level of understanding that we might have missed if we hadn't taken her to the art gallery and paid attention to her as the experience occurred.

The other observation I've had, now that I've watched all four grade levels tour the museum, is that some students who struggle with self-control in a traditional learning environment are doing really well in the museum. They are intrigued by the artwork, they have all enjoyed writing in their notebooks and they seem genuinely interested in the whole experience.

The Burchfield-Penney docents told me today that our students are really well behaved and that we should be proud.  I already know that, but it's wonderful to hear other people have taken notice of that.

My student teacher, Michael Perozzi, took the following photos today:

The second graders were excited to see the Nancy Rubins' sculpture from the Burchfield window.  That was the sculpture that inspired their rolled paper sculptures. They decided to draw it in their journals. 

103- The students came in and many of them finished their houses.

102- I pushed in and we played "I spy" with a photograph of block play, to encourage their ability to pay attention to fine detail.