Independence with Support

Hello readers, old and new! A few weeks ago I was inspired by an amazing form that Jessica DaSilva Garrett shared (see image below and check out the link she generously share on the Teaching for Artistic Behavior Facebook page). I love how she took the four categories of work I created and made them so easy to see as students choose what to do.

I’ve used my Studio Planning Form, which is a branching Google form, to teach the four categories for work and to ask students to really think through ideas. However, I’ve been looking for ways to reduce technology use and increase person to person interaction. I decided to make a printable planning form for each type of work I offer in my classroom.

The “explore” planning form asks students to think about what they want to explore, to describe their idea, to think about what the goal of their work is and to think about how they might go about the actual exploring.

The “formal artwork” planning form guides students in designing a “finished and polished” artwork. It asks them to envision the finished piece, think about their goals for the work and describe the planning process they will use.

These are very different types of work and they are both equally valuable. My goal in offering different types of work is to teach and scaffold choice-making.

Both forms ask students to share their ideas with me before they get started. This step is helpful because it gives me a chance to check for understanding, provide support and make sure students are setting goals that are attainable, challenging, and important to them. It also gives students the opportunity to ask questions and get immediate feedback. Conferences like this are how I individualize learning and build relationships.

Look out for the other two planning forms soon!