Alanna Gaylord's Art Education Portfolio

Description:

            Art is one of the only educational subjects that has the capacity to engage all students, regardless of their physical, emotional, or developmental abilities. An individual with a disability is defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) as a person who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activity. English-language learners (ELL), on the other hand, are students who are unable to communicate fluently or learn effectively in English, who often come from non-English-speaking homes and backgrounds, and who typically require specialized or modified instruction in both the English language and in their academic courses. Regardless of a student’s disability or difficulty, whether it be physical, mental, or linguistic, every student deserves the equal opportunity at educationally benefiting from the art classroom.

 

Analysis:

            There are many ways to insure that a student with a disability has a successful education in the art classroom. To start, it is very important for teachers to have high expectations for their students in order to encourage them to reach their full potential. In some cases, it is easy for students with disabilities to fall into “learned helplessness” when they feel unacknowledged, therefore it is important for the teacher to show appreciation for the student’s potential for achievement. In addition, it is essential that a student actively participates in his or her own work, therefore it is important to communicate with a student’s aid to be sure that they allow their student to do their artwork on their own. In terms of instruction, it is vital that the art teacher provides education that is diverse in instruction. Disability or not, all students learn in different ways and deserve the opportunity to learn in the way that is best for them. Similarly, it is important for the art teacher to provide open-ended art lessons in order to allow students to find their own solution to the assignment. In terms of classroom alterations, tools, art materials, and learning space may need to be altered in order to provide a proficient learning experience. Specifically, the teacher may need to rearrange the classroom in order to provide an environment that best provides for the student’s learning style; some examples include raising or lowering tables, providing lap boards, and having larger handles for pencils and paintbrushes. Most importantly, art is empowering and it provides students with a chance to feel capable. Regardless of a student’s disability, every student deserves the freedom, enthusiasm, and individuality that art education provides.

            Similar to the education of students with disabilities, there are many methods to insure that students who are English Language Learners also have a successful education in the art classroom. As the art teacher, it is important to remember that ELL students are equally as intelligent as their peers; it is just that they simply cannot express their intellect in the English language. Because art can enhance literary development by allowing an alternative method of portraying concepts and ideas, it is a way for ELL students to nonverbally connect with the people around them The artwork that ELL students create can later be utilized as a means for building language skills. Similar to students with disabilities, it also becomes very important that the art teacher provides instruction in a diverse ways. In terms of instruction alterations to benefit ELL students, there are many approaches that the art teacher can take. Some methods include simple changes such as displaying labels in multiple languages throughout the classroom, while other methods can involve providing lessons that are culturally relevant so that students can build upon their prior knowledge and experiences in order to make new connections and build new knowledge and concepts. Despite disabilities and language barriers, the art classroom has the potential to be an avenue for sophisticated comprehension for all students and all students deserve this opportunity.

 

Reflection:

            In my experiences teaching in the art classroom, I have found that art is one of the only educational subjects that is capable of engaging all students, regardless of their physical, emotional, developmental abilities or language barriers. I have found that there are many ways to insure that a student with a disability has a successful education in the art classroom. What I have found to be most important is to simply know your students and their abilities, strengths, and challenges. Just by being aware of these factors allows the teacher the ability to plan instruction accordingly. Similarly, I have found that there are many methods to insure that English language learners are successful in the art classroom. The most important method I have experienced is to not only teach in a variety of ways but also to especially teach visually as often as possible. In addition, I have also found that translating instructions and information is very helpful. However, sometimes translations don’t always match up as well as intended. Regardless of how the teacher plans to accommodate instruction and lessons for their students with disabilities and ELL students, it is important to remember that it will always be worth the extra time and effort when every student has the ability to be successful in their classroom.