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What spoke to me:
The idea that schools don't seem to intentionally make space for visual thinking and interpretation, even though it is a powerful tool for critical thinking, problem solving and analyzing. By not nurturing visual thinking, we as teachers are not helping develop an important skill.
Ideas it gave me:
As an teacher of an extended learning program, I have more latitude than grade level teachers, yet I still don't take full advantage of nurturing visual thinking and art integration. I want to intentionally make space for both. It's like traveling the scenic route vs the main highway. Both roads end at the same destination, but travelers on the scenic route have experienced more diversity in terms local culture and scenery; it's that increasing exposure to give students a broader base.
An example of how I currently integrate art:
(I hope this is an example of integration and not enhancement...) At a certain juncture during the reading of The Tale of Despereaux with 2nd graders they will collectively sketch a giant size (7 ft) tall Despereaux (we discuss and practice scale models, as we add features and details). Once he is sketched and colored in, students add "fur", using pencil first, then brown marker, around the outline of his body by writing the wow words (or phrases) they've extracted from the story that describe Despereaux's character best, on that body outline. Up close it looks like words, but at a distance, it resembles jagged fur. They write this string of words with no punctuation, and very little spacing; words such as despair, litter, disappointment, music like deep purple falling over sleepy garden walls, ears soft as velvet, etc. This undertaking helps with the goal of getting to know the character, and putting oneself in the character's shoes. Lots of conversation, reasoning, and decision-making happens around this process of creating "their" mouse and so defining him.
Other reactions:
Somewhere in either the reading or the video, they talked about how kids metabolize their learning more effectively when they experience it with and through art, that learning this way sticks with them. This resonated with me, as images and hands-on involvement helps me as a learner connect with, and remember my learning better.
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