Personalized Learning at a Fine Arts School of Choice

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Personalized Learning at a Fine Arts School of
Choice
John Churchley, EdDAssistant Superintendent
Human ResourcesSchool District 73
(Kamloops/Thompson)Barb Hamblett,
METPrincipal, Beattie School of the Arts
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Context
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Research Context

• Societal and economic demand for 21st Century
  skills
• (the Knowledge Society)
• creativity
• flexibility
• problem-solving
• ingenuity
• collective intelligence
• professional trust
• risk-taking
• continuous improvement
• (Hargreaves, 2003)

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Research Context
The arts do not have a monopoly on
creativity. However, they can be leveraged to
teach this skill by teaching through the arts.
The need for creativity is not new, nor is
approaching it through the arts - Sir Ken
Robinson, a major scholar in creativity in the
context of 21st Century skills, was writing about
learning through drama as early as 1977. -
Herbert Read suggested learning through art in
1958.
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Beatties philosophy (K-12)

• Integration of the arts with all subject areas
  and development of skills in the arts
• WHY?
• The arts are important
• The arts make learning deeper, meaningful, and
  sustained
• WHAT?
• We learn the arts (arts skills)
• We learn through the arts (arts integration)

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Beatties motto
learn through the arts
learn the arts
LOVE the arts!
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Learning through the arts(Arts integration) is

• crossing the boundaries of subject areas
• different ways of knowing, understanding, and
  expressing
• both processes and products

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Arts integration is
Learning about mathematics through art (3 way
symmetry)
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Arts integration is
Learning about the circulatory system through
creative movement Expressing comprehension of a
novel study by creating dramatic tableaux
Learning about the digestive system through a
play (Mom, I get to play a spleen!!) Learning
phonemic awareness through songs and chants .
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Arts integration is

• Learning about World War I by writing letters
  from the Front and building them into a play
• Learning about wave diffraction through creative
  movement
• Practicing oral French through role-plays
• Learning about the Industrial Revolution through
  dramatic tableaux

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The goal for Beattie graduates

• life-long learners that are well-rounded in all
  aspects of the curriculum, and especially skilled
  in the visual performing arts
• students that have the skills for the 21st
  Century
• creativity, ingenuity
• collaboration - working in teams and networks
• problem solving, risk-taking
• able to thrive in highly changing environments
• communication technical, relational, and
  aesthetic
  
  (Hargreaves, 2003)
• citizens who will embrace diversity in a global
  world
• citizens who will enjoy and support the arts for
  a lifetime
• students that have enjoyed coming to school!

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The goal for Beattie graduates

• Our students will have experienced learning
  through the arts
• Our students will have a wide variety of arts
  skills
• therefore, our students will be able to do their
  own arts integration.

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Beatties structure

• Elementary pods
• Grouped by grade levels
• Each pod has a specialist in each arts discipline
• Pod teachers meet weekly to collaboratively plan
• Each pod develops themes from which to integrate
  curricula
• Secondary structure
• More traditional secondary structure
• Evolving to pod structure (Jrs and Srs)
• Arts integration happens in individual classes
  and in school-wide projects

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Beatties Structure

• Elementary
• regular learning with the classroom/subject
  teacher
• integrated learning with the classroom/subject
  teacher based on pod themes
• integrated and skill learning in each of the
  arts with the other teachers from the pod during
  arts rotations based on pod themes
• Secondary
• a major program with minor arts electives
• integrated learning in non-arts subject areas
• Juried Portfolio as exit course

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so what makes Beattie different from other
schools?

• Elementary
• arts integration in all subject areas
• dedicated arts studios (visual art, music,
  drama, dance)
• specialized qualifications for all teachers
  (teacher-artists)
• specialized instruction in all arts disciplines
• Secondary
• a variety of arts electives including new media,
  film and video,
• World music, audio recording, etc.
• - opportunity to major in an arts discipline
  (including
• dance)

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Pedagogical Approach
Arts Integration
Constructivist (learner-centred) approach
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Pedagogical Approach

• Theme-based Curriculum Integration requires and
  promotes
• A shift from didactic to constructivist teaching
• Pro-d in constructivist pedagogy
• Professional learning communities
• Skill development in facilitating small group
  learning
• Physical management of experiential learning
• Authentic assessment strategies
• Resourcing and support from Central Office
• Communication to parents/community about the
  pedagogy
• Systemic reform of teacher training,
  certification assessment
• (Loepp, 1999, p. 24-25)

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Pedagogical Approach

• In practice, curriculum integration begins
  with the identification of organizing themes or
  centers for learning experiences the themes are
  drawn from real-life concerns, such as conflict
  living in the future cultures and identities
  jobs, money, and careers or the environment. In
  some cases the themes are identified by teachers
  in the most sophisticated instances, they emerge
  from collaborative planning with young people.
  
  (Beane, 1995)

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Some Pod Themes

• Rain Forest
• Water
• Bridges
• Carnival
• Africa
• Historica (Student-generated projects)
• World Hunger (Student-generated theme)
• Project 2053 (Secondary)

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Research Results

• Formal Research
• empowerment of all learners, especially those at
  risk (Churchley, 2009)
• improvement of engagement, behaviour,
  visualization of learning (and its impact on
  writing skills) for boys (especially those at
  risk) (Swan, Tate, in progress)
• Anecdotal observations
• students (including at risk) happy to come to
  school
• students generally are comfortable taking risks
• group work collaboration
• creative processes
• involvement in arts-based strategies (creative
  movement, role plays, etc.)

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Research Results

• The Creative Partnerships program in the UK found
  that schools using various models of
  arts-integrated learning reported
• A rejection of the rational mode of curriculum
  in which the teacher is deliverer and the
  students are passive learners.
• The adoption of an approach in which the teacher
  is facilitator and students are unique
  individuals who are encouraged to learn through
  problem-solving, collaborative work and
  extensions of their own experiences and
  interests.
• (reported in Sefton-Green Thomson, 2011)
• These results were echoed in a US study
• (Deasy Stevenson, 2005)

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Results

• Challenges
• teaching students how to be constructivist
  learners
• the balance between student autonomy and need
  for teacher direction
• staff turnover individual differences
  sometimes creates forced collaboration
• Successes
• Pedagogy is ALWAYS at the forefront of
  everything
• Student 21st Century skill development
• creativity
• collaboration
• communication
• problem-solving
• self-confidence

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Results

• Implications for other schools
• DOESNT need to be a Fine Arts School
• Science (Bert Edwards School of Science
  Technology)
• Technology (laptop projects)
• individual classrooms
• requires a supportive culture (school
  district)
• is sustainable over time (Abbotsford School of
  Integrated Arts)

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• Other arts-focus schools in BC

School Status Grades District
Beattie School of the Arts school of choice K-12 Kamloops/Thompson
Blacklock Fine Arts Elementary school of choice K-5 Langley
Crystal View Elementary fine arts focus school K-6 Sooke
David Brankin Elementary dual track school of choice K-7 Surrey
Dover Bay Secondary school within a school 8-12 Nanaimo
Ecole Central Elem School of the Arts school of choice w/ French immersion K-6 Peace River North
F G Leary Elementary school of choice K-7 Chilliwack
G W Graham Middle/Secondary middle school integrated arts 7-12 Chilliwack
Gulf Islands School of Performing Arts school within a school 9-12 Gulf Islands
Langley Fine Arts School school of choice 1-12 Langley
Lord Byng Secondary school within a school 8-12 Vancouver
Nootka Elementary school within a school K-7 Vancouver
Abbotsford School of Integrated Arts school of choice K-12 Abbotsford
White Rock Elementary school of choice w/ French immersion K-7 Surrey
Windermere Secondary school within a school 8-12 Vancouver
List accurate as of 2007
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References
Beane, J. (1995). Curriculum integration and the
disciplines of knowledge. Phi Delta Kappan,
76(8), 616-623. Churchley, J. (2009). Aesthetic
experiences at an arts school A practitioner
research inquiry Unpublished doctoral
dissertation, University of Nottingham. Hargreave
s, A. (2003). Teaching in the knowledge society
Education in the age of insecurity. Maidenhead
Open University Press. Loepp, F.L. et al.
(1999). Models of curriculum integration.
Journal of Technology Studies, 25 (2)
21-25. Read, H. (1958). Education through art.
London Faber and Faber. Robinson, K. (1977).
Learning Through Drama Report of The Schools
Council Drama Teaching Project. London
Heinemann. Swan, J. (in progress) Masters
thesis, Thompson Rivers University. Tate, T. (in
progress) Masters thesis, Thompson Rivers
University. Stevenson, L.M. and Deasy, R.J.
(2005). Third space When learning matters.
Washington Arts Education Partnership. Thomson,
P. and Sefton-Green, J. (2011). Researching
Creative Learning. Milton Park Routledge.
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Contact Information
Dr. John Churchley Assistant Superintendent
Human Resources School District 73
(Kamloops/Thompson) 250-374-0679 jchurchley_at_sd73.b
c.ca Ms. Barb Hamblett Principal Beattie School
of the Arts 250-374-3200 bahamblett_at_sd73.bc.ca