Course Descriptions

Course Title and Number:

The Teaching Artist: Theory and Methods, LA 301, Fall, 3 credits
The Teaching Artist: Practicum, FA 302, Spring, 3 credits

Course Description

The Teaching Artist Program curriuclum prepares CVA students to become Teaching Artists. First semester, the course utilizes visiting professors and professionals under the guidance of the CVA lead professor, the course offers students study in historical and contemporary classroom learning/teaching theory, familiarizes students with the Minnesota Graduation Standards, provides an overview of child development, and prepare students to develop, prepare, present, and assess arts infused learning experiences with K-12 students and teachers. In addition, the course offers strategies in classroom management, provides the opportunity for classroom observation and participation and introduces students to a variety of teaching artist residency opportunities. Spring semester students participate in 3 Teaching artists experiences for a total of 90 contact hours.

After the completion of prerequisite fall semester course work, Teaching Artist students are involved in K-12 classroom observation, interaction, and visual arts infused teaching. Collaborating with classroom teachers Teaching Artist students participate in two visual art residencies supervised by a CVA faculty member and shadow a Teaching Artist during a school arts residency. In addition, students email CVA instructor weekly journals using a descriptive review format describing weekly residency and shadowing activities, participate in an online class meeting during the semester, and attend three, all-class meetings to aid development of individual lesson plans, assessment methods, create digital portfolio documents and address imminent issues, problems or concerns. Students are expected to schedule 6 hours of Practicum experiences weekly for 15 weeks to total 90 hours. This time coupled with hours spent on site and in preparation fall and spring semester totals 130 hours and meets the CVA internship requirement.

Course Goals

Throughout the course Teaching Artist students will:

1. Develop and apply basic teaching skills and methods
2. Develop and implement classroom management skills and strategies
3. Create, prepare, implement, and assess student visual arts infused lessons
4. Understand and apply contemporary educational theory to classroom practice
5. Apply Minnesota Graduation Standards to visual arts planning and assessment
6. Gain access to and information from Minnesota based arts organizations that offer artists residencies statewide
7. Participate in Teaching Artist spring practicum experience

Method of Assessment

Students will self assess and be assessed using the Tuning, Descriptive Review and Critical Response Protocols. Specified rubrics will be used for presentations, essays, and research papers.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

Evaluation and Grading

1. Classroom assignments and participation in class and presentation will determine 50% of final grade, out of class assignments 50%.
2. Final grade is derived from full participation and accomplishment in class, lab/lecture, and field trips; individual meetings regarding peer presentations with instructor outside of class meeting schedule; punctual completion of weekly assignments, Jackson school observations and team taught presentation; peer lesson plan preparation, presentation, and assessments; and research paper and deadlines.
3. Spring semeseter students are required to participate in three teaching artist Practicum experiences for a total of 82 hours to include observation, aiding teachers and artists in the classroom and teaching two arts infused lessons.
4. Students are required to create four written lesson plans and submit to the instructor through e-mail.
5. All work must be completed and submitted in a punctual manner.
6. Letter grades for assignments and class participation will be determined as follows:
   • A - excellent: advanced study, skill development, and execution evident in all assignments. Exemplary participation and leadership in critique, class and Practicum.
   • B - high quality that goes beyond average expectations: additional work, care, and thought evident in assignments and presentations surpassing the requirements of the assignment. Superior participation and leadership in critique, class and Practicum.
   • C - adequate: requirements of the assignment and presentation met. Average participation and leadership in critique, class and Practicum.
   • D - attempted: requirements of the assignment, presentation, critique, class and Practicum. minimally met.
   • F - inadequate: does not fulfill the requirements.

Student Responsibilities

1. Abide by the CVA Attendance Policy, Honor Code, Grievance Procedure and Code of Conduct.
   See CVA Student Handbook.
   
2. Arrive to class on time with all materials, ready to work.
3. When meeting off campus allow enough travel time to be punctual. Allow extra driving time during rush hour and use Mapquest before leaving.
4. Complete and submit assignments and peer evaluations on due dates.
5. Cite all research, text and image sources (See CVA Student Handbook)
6. Use all available support services including advising, tutorials, and workshops.
7. Respect public school rules on dress, signing in, etc. as well as the individual teachers and students when on site.
8. Be responsible for cleaning up the classroom space used for your peer presentation after each class presentation.
9. No smoking anywhere inside any CVA building. Smoking is permitted only in designated outdoor smoking areas on campus. NO smoking near or on any school grounds.

Methodology

The course will be will be lead by the CVA professor with additional presentations by a variety of visiting professors and professionals in the fields of education and psychology, as well as individuals from a variety of Minnesota-based arts organizations that offer artist residency programs.

Fall semester lectures and presentations will generally alternate with lab work, field trips, and student peer presentations. Students course work includes: study in childhood development; lesson plan creation, implementation, and assessment; familiarity with Minnesota Best Practices and Graduation Standards; purchase and preparation of classroom artmaking materials; and development of classroom management strategies. A final research paper, variety of readings on educational theory and arts education from provided articles, textbooks and books on reserve at the library, arts integrated lesson in the students' field of expertise prepared and presented to peers, and elementary classroom observation and interaction are required.

Spring semester students are involved in actual classroom observation, interaction, and visual arts teaching experiences. Collaborating with classroom teachers, art instructors, arts professionals, and teaching artists CVA students participate in three classroom visual art residencies overseen by the CVA professor. Students are expected to meet independently with their collaborative partners throughout the residencies. The CVA core class meets three times during the semester, and students will be in contact with the CVA instructor via weekly e-mail to check in, aid development of individual lesson plans, assessment methods, and address imminent issues, problems or concerns. The course website is the students link to the classroom. Residency experiences are arranged independently with participating teachers and artists. During practicum the individual student is expected to meet 6 hours a week in three 3-6 week residencies for a total of 82 hours by semester's end. Class meets at CVA four times a semester for a 3-hour session. The three spring class meeting dates are prearranged with the class at the final fall semester class meeting.

Textbooks

Thoughts on an Art Education; Rudolf Arnheim, Getty Publishing.
Art and Human Development; Howard Gardner, Getty Publishing.

On reserve at the library:
Art and the Creation of the Brain; Elliot Eisner, Yale University Press, New Haven, 2002.
K-6, St. Paul Curriculum; St. Paul Schools, 1999.
The Courage to Teach; Parker J. Palmer; Josey-Bass Inc. Pub., San Francisco, 1998.
Multiple Intelligences; Howard Gardner; Harper Collins Publishers, New York, 1993.
How to Talk so Kids can Learn; Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish, Fireside, New York, 1995.
Positive Discipline; Jane Nelsen, Roslyn Duffy, Linda Escobar, Kate Ortolano, and Debbie Owen- Sohocki,
Prima Publishing, 1996.
Observation Drawing with Children: a Framework for Teachers; Cicchetti, M. D., Clark, C. Fucigna, B. Gordon-O'Connor, B.A. Haller, M Kennedy; Teachers College Press,Columbia University, 1998.
Your Five-Year-Old to 14 Year-Old: Series of books by Louise Bates Ames; Gesell Institute of Human Development;
Dell Books, 1981.

Estimated Materials Cost

Each student will receive a stipend of $25 to present and prepare materials for their peer presentation. Materials are availible in the Teaching Artist closet that students are encouraged to use. See LMI for access. Personal expenses will arise from copying articles and lesson plans to hand out to other students, purchase of books, and personal art supplies for making examplars.

Requirements

Presence and participation in all field trips, lectures, and classes; one 5-7 page research paper; two written lesson plans; assortment of readings and assignments; classroom observation K-6; team taught 1st grade Harvest project presentation. Peer presentations cannot be rescheduled. Lesson plans must be submitted through the e-mail as a Microsoft Word document (in rich text format prior to presentation. (digital labs available at CVA).

Full participation in Practicum experience including contacting teachers and artists to create schedules; observing and helping in the classrooms for 40-45 hours per residency and 12-15 hours for shadowing to total 85 hours; planning preparing lesson materials and lesson plan; implementing and teaching arts infused lesson.Weekly journals using the Descriptive Review Protocol are to be submitted each Sunday midnight during the semester. Students are expected to read one anothers journals each week. Students are required to turn in a Teaching Artist Packet on CD at the final class that includes: 2 revised lesson plans, 2 digital galleries, Teaching Artist Philosophy Statement, 3 descriptive paragraphs of the Practicum experiences, and a Teaching Artist Resume. Students participate in four mandatory all class meetings during spring semester.

Mandatory and full attendance and participation in labs, fields trips, peer presentations, team teaching lessons and Practicum experiences. If hours are missed during Practicum students are expected to make them up. See CVA Attendance Policy.

Grading Policy

Final grade is derived from participation and accomplishment in class, lab and lecture, field trips; completion of occasional daily assignments, Jackson school observations and team taught presentation; final paper; peer lesson plan preparation, presentation, and assessment: and completed all Practicum work. Students are required to create written lesson plans and self assessments each semester and promptly submit to the instructor through e-mail and PO box for CVA instructor review. All work is is assessed by particpating teachers, artist, lead CVA instructor and participating student. All work must be completed and submitted in a punctual manner.