http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/how-to-end-homework-for-moms/2014/06/28/ead8793c-fcbd-11e3-8176-f2c941cf35f1_story.html
This blog is my response to the above referenced newspaper article which condemns posters as assignments and the journalist's daughter's Tootsie Roll log cabin project.
Before you read my somewhat snotty letter - I acknowledge it does have a "tone", but come on - really??? All posters are not useful assignments and there aren't strategies for avoiding having moms and the care-givers do the work? PLEASE!!??!!
I promise to teach you how to teach your students to do cut letters from construction paper in a vblog giving credit to my instructor - Laurie, a teacher buddy from my first five years of teaching, who is the goddess of teaching and art. OMG - it is so much fun and everyone can do it. In fact, I will vblog a whole thing about making bulletin boards easy. I taught my students and volunteer parent helpers to do the cut letters and drew rough sketches of what I wanted for my bulletin boards and voila - I got a lot of help keeping my classroom looking - well, classy.
Dear Mr. Mathews:
Assignments where posters do not serve specific purposes as
visual aids, aren't taught as authentic graphic representations of researched
material or marketing strategies and
materials aren't provided to prevent
inequity because of economic differences do create problems and are ineffective
as valid assignments. Gardner’s multiple
intelligence is a valid argument for having students use artistic skills to
share their knowledge, but a greater argument is providing skill sets that will
set students apart and allow them to pursue better careers when they are older.
I am providing two web sites that list the top ten skills employers are looking
for: communication and public speaking make
part of the top ten. I visited many more sites to confirm my thinking, so these
are two of many.
I would ask that you call posters visual aids or graphic
presentations. Teachers need to understand that they place their students at a
disadvantage if they aren’t media savvy.
This means ensuring that they have a good grasp of visual production
skills - both low and high tech and their important relationship to oral
presentation skills. In my language arts/English classes, students received
instruction in how to make and use visual aids to enhance their oral
presentations. They also received instruction in giving effective oral
presentations.
I had a karaoke machine in my room with a mike and made a
video of their performances that they could review privately. After retiring, I subbed in many high school classrooms
where I saw little evidence that teachers had received training in how to teach
these skills to their students. Displays
of students’ work were not framed, named or located in any organized fashion
for the observer to understand the purpose of the work. Often, only one small section of a huge piece
of poster board was used.
Cost can be an issue, to prevent that –I provided materials in
the classroom in the form of donated magazines (local library), newspaper, free
books from a local used book store, glue sticks, bulletin board backing paper
or newsprint to replace poster board, construction paper and multi-colored markers
stored in a storage bin with several drawers.
I got the bin at a big box store. The markers and construction paper
from the dollar store if the school wasn’t providing construction paper that
year.
Usually bulletin board backing paper is a much better choice
than poster board because it can be easily transported and stored. It can be rolled
and paper clipped at each end. Students can store materials they have cut out
in gallon size zip-lock baggies and keep them in their binders. I also used my digital camera, if needed, to
print photos students wanted to add for personal touches and to document their
work for their portfolios. Teachers have
to monitor use of clip art to be sure there is no copyright infringement.
Because I started teaching in the 70’s and started in
elementary school, I had to teach art and every subject to my sixth-grade students.
I learned how to cut out block letters from construction paper and the mechanics
of proper artistic layout. These were skills
I continued to teach to middle school students and high school students as I changed
schools and grade levels - because what if something goes wrong with your high
tech presentation? Will you be prepared to hold the attention of your audience?
One last comment, I just spent some time trying to find some
well-researched knock-out punch reference about the halo effect of displaying
student work in an appropriate fashion. I
know it’s out there, because when I taught in Fairfax County, we had an
in-service on the topic – in the 80’s I think.
However, I did run across something even more intriguing. Effective
teachers know how to use graphics to enhance their instruction: http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/106006/chapters/The-Case-for-Classroom-Assessment.aspx . Hmm, what's good for teachers might also be useful for students. So properly taught, specifically purposed visual aids have a place in the classroom.
Sincerely,
Jane Jones
