ART AND DIVERSITYUTILIZING ART TO CREATE A MULTICULTURAL CLASSROOM COMMUNITY

Caroline Donoghue

M333 Visual Pedagogy Project

My Interest In This Topic…

Belding Elementary School

The Importance of a Classroom Community

For Students Every student deserves a classroom

where they feel like they belong, they feel respected, supported, special, and encouraged to be who they want to be.

Especially in culturally diverse classrooms, a strong classroom community encourages students to be proud of the things that make them different. “A classroom community provides each child

with space to develop specific capabilities and to experience a sense of inner balance and wholeness in a community with others.” ( Haley Lyn David)

“Within a classroom community, students can develop the skills needed to live and work constructively and peacefully with others. When they feel valued in their classroom communities, they are empowered to live as whole individuals with the skills to create positive social change.” (Tiffany J. Hunter)

For Teachers Can improve the academic

achievement of the students. “Exploring Diversity All Around the Classroom.”

“…building a caring classroom community and strong interpersonal relationships can make all the difference between a functional and dysfunctional classroom.”

“PERSPECTIVES ON CARING IN THE CLASSROOM: DO THEY VARY ACCORDING TO ETHNICITY OR GRADE LEVEL?” Tracey Garrett, Jason Barr, and Terri Rot

Creating a strong classroom community is a great way for “…teachers to develop environments that are emotionally and physically safer for all

students…” Check-”Pink Scissors”

Why Art?

In Every Classroom: Encourages student creativity, individuality, uniqueness,

and positive self-expression. Visual and hands-on representation of teamwork,

cooperation, and the creation of a classroom community. Even though a school is low-income, it does not mean

that students cannot experience art.

In Multicultural Classrooms: Art is a universal form of communication no matter how

many different languages are spoken in your classroom. Art is a wonderful way for students from other

countries/cultures to talk about their heritage, their families, and the culture that they come from.

Activity #1: “Our Classroom Family Tree”

Great activity for the beginning of the year.

The tree would not be as beautiful if every hand looked the same and every hand was the same color.

Each color of the rainbow is unique and special in its own beautiful way.

Materials: Paper, Water Colors, Hands

“Students should develop a process of understanding, sharing, compassion and

empathy. The classroom should be referred to as ‘our classroom’ rather than

‘my classroom’.” (Hunter)

Activity #2: “Our Classroom Diversity Flag”

Description: Work together as a class to

come up with 4 important words for the members of the class to abide by.

After, put class into 4 different groups, and give each group one rectangular piece of paper (each rectangle represents 1 word/1part of the flag).

Have each group work together as a group to design their portion of the flag.

Purpose: Teamwork, Classroom

Unity, Togetherness, Classroom/Behavior Management.

Materials: Crayons/Colored Pencils/Oil Pastels/Watercolors, 4 Pieces of Rectangular

Paper, Glue or Tape.

Activity #3: “Our Classroom Puzzle”Part 1: “All About Me”

Each student will receive a blank puzzle piece.

For homework, they will take these puzzle pieces home and decorate and design them.

Attached to the puzzle piece will be an explanation of the assignment for the parents/guardians to learn what we are doing.

Part 2: Put the Puzzle Together After all students have brought

back their decorated puzzle pieces , have all of the students work together to put their classroom puzzle together.

GOAL: Teach students to be proud of the

things that make them unique and different.

Increase communication between parent/guardian and school

Showing students that without every single piece, our classroom puzzle would not be complete.

Materials: Large Poster Paper, Markers (or any decorating material), Scissors

Connection to Readings

“Art Integration: A Methodology for Learning”--Goldberg "Art is a mirror of life" or "art imitates life" are common notions of the function of art in

experience.” “Making art and creating what I refer to as representations or "metaphors for

understanding”. “Art cannot be divorced from culture; it grows from individuals interacting or reacting

to their world. So, too, education and culture cannot be separated from one another because both relate to the actions and continuation of a people.”

Art can be a metaphor for understanding of cultural awareness, diversity, and multicultural education. Very important to incorporate culture into classroom art activities.

“Artistic Choices: A Study of Teachers Who Use Art in the Classroom” --Oreck“Given the low priority and lack of resources for the arts in many schools we might conclude that teachers who employ artistic approaches are simply highly unusual people driven by their personal passions.”

ART CAN BE USED BY ANY TEACHER!

“Jump Starting Visual Literacy”--Yenawine“ If presented with a range of styles and themes, beginning viewers become aware of

subjects, values, and appearances beyond the viewer's own experience or biases.” Through observing other classmates art, students can become more culturally aware of the world around them.

Some Final Thoughts:

Art is a simple and practical way to visually represent the importance of classroom unity.

These activities can be used in any type of classroom!

Art does not have to be expensive to be just as beautiful

Resources

Class Readings: “A Study of Teachers Who Use Art In The Classroom” -Oreck “Pink Scissors” -Check “Art Integration: A Methodology for Learning” –Goldberg “Jump Starting Visual Literacy”--Yenawine

Exploring Diversity All Around the Classroom. (2000). Early Childhood Today, 15(3), 64.

Hunter, T. J. (2008). Creating a Culture of Peace in the Elementary Classroom. Education Digest, 74(1), 54-58.

Garrett, T., Barr, J., & Rothman, T. (2009). PERSPECTIVES ON CARING IN THE CLASSROOM: DO THEY VARY ACCORDING TO ETHNICITY OR GRADE LEVEL?. Adolescence, 44(175), 505-521.

David, H., & Capraro, R. M. (2001). STRATEGIES FOR TEACHING IN HETEROGENEOUS ENVIRONMENTS WHILE BUILDING A CLASSROOM COMMUNITY. Education, 122(1), 80.