RESIDENCY GOALS
My top goal for my residencies is that teachers will see the value of integrating visual arts into the curriculum as they give students the opportunity to synthesize and demonstrate knowledge and understanding, as well as the opportunity to explore topics in different modes of learning. This is my top goal because I hope teachers will continue to integrate the visual arts in the subject matter after the residency.

My second goal is to engage students in their own learning by allowing them to explore the art materials and use them to express themselves and their understanding of curriculum.

Finally, I want to meet a diversity of students’ needs by showing them that mistakes can be opportunities for new explorations, and that with practice they can build confidence in all of their abilities.

Bilingual (Spanish) instruction is available.

WORK WITH STUDENTS
“How do I show my mathematical thinking?” For this project students created geometric quilt block designs out of hand-painted and stamped papers. Designs were derived from understandings of patterns, fractions and fractional relationships, and plotting points on a coordinate plane to create template pieces. The final display of their work showed the progression of mathematical understanding from kindergarten through sixth grade.

“How can I create a model or diagram to demonstrate scientific understanding?” Kindergarten through 6th grade students created a diagram to model understanding of grade-specific science units, from “What do plants need to grow?” through “How oceanic climates and currents affect land climate.” Students first painted a multitude of colorful papers and then used these to make a collaged diagram, in the style of Eric Carle illustrations.

“How do I show self-awareness and awareness of how I can contribute to my community?” Fifth and sixth graders created mandalas with personal symbols to show how they met a challenge in life, overcame the obstacle and can now share with others. The mandala was then used as a graphic organizer to aid them in narrative writing.

“How have people in society contributed to making the world a better place?” After reading biographies of various famous people, students created a mixed media sculpted and painted plaque with a portrait of the individual and evidence of their contribution.

“How do different cultures represent the same stories in literature?” Students read trickster tales from various cultures and then created stick puppets to represent the different characters in preparation for a presentation of each group’s story.

“How can I show understanding of the different cultural aspects of other countries where they speak a language other than English?” High school Spanish students observed a variety of masks from different regions of Mexico, then created their own papier maché and paper clay masks.