Art Integration
One method that I have learned to meet the challenge of multiple learning styles in a classroom is to integrate the arts. To help create a safe and understanding classroom, merging the arts and ELA can help produce an inclusive environment. While a student does not have to be an artist to benefit from art integration, I believe that using art integration throughout ELA lessons helps to bring out each student’s creativity and personal expression. I hope to use art integration in my classroom as a tool for students to personalize their learning and appreciate their own work.
Personality Poster
As a “get to know you” activity with the students during my internship, we created personality posters. The students helped me get to know them better by choosing images that best symbolize their personality and interests. The students were also asked to give their personality traits, which is a skill they have been learning to do in their class about characters they read in books. I worked through this assignment with them by creating my own example so that they would be able to know me better as well.
My Example
Some of Many Amazing Student Examples
(Students’ names have been changed to keep their identity private)
Transmediation: Comic Strip Project
One of the projects I completed in one of my MAT courses was creating a comic strip that introduces a concept taught in my discipline. I chose to focus on illustrating the difference between fantasy and science fiction literature. In ELA classes, some students have trouble deciphering the difference between the genres, especially those that are so similar. A project like this would be great for the literacies of immigrant youth. Immigrant students having to code-switch or neglect their home culture has proved to be a great issue in education. Trans-mediation allows students to use their creativity and funds of knowledge to complete their projects. It would be beneficial for immigrants that struggle with the English language. I used popular characters in my comic strip. Immigrant students will likely be familiar with these characters from pop culture, or they can use characters that they are familiar with to portray the same message. Multiliteracies in the classroom would be beneficial for immigrant literacy because the students can incorporate their funds of knowledge from both cultures. Students will have a different perspective while analyzing different modes of literacy.
Remix: Soundtrack of My Life
One of my favorite assignments from my classes in the MAT program was Remixing the Soundtrack of My Life. For this assignment, I was asked to take an assignment and remix it to how I would want to teach it in my class. For my remix, I had the students pick three significant moments in their life, think of a symbol for that moment, and explain the significance of the moment and the symbol chosen. The purpose of this assignment is for the students to express themselves and share information about themselves. It also teaches students how to present information in a different mode than they may be used to. This lesson could also be used as trasmediation for students. They can use it to analyze a text or story and present the information in a way that makes sense to them