Brittany the artist

Key competencies

Brittany displays the key competencies of thinking, using language symbols and texts, participating, and contributing as she develops skills and puts them into practice while joining in with others to make a collaborative artwork over time. She talked about techniques she had used and decisions she made to produce the finished work. She used the language of the art-making processes. Brittany also began to understand the importance of habitat for the creatures she encountered on her camp.

How might these stories strengthen Brittany’s identity as a learner?

The teacher’s knowledge of the student, in conjunction with the expertise and knowledge of the art advisor, and a high level of support staff, made this long-term project very successful for Brittany. She began to see herself as an artist, capable of making decisions about her work (agency). She began to reflect on her own work and that of other children in her class (breadth and depth). She valued the work she had produced, as did her family (agency); this was demonstrated by their desire to take some of Brittany’s work home and frame it. She was able to sustain her interest in the project over several months (continuity and depth).

For more information on the four dimensions of agency, breadth, continuity, and depth (ABCDs), refer to Narrative assessment: a guide for teachers.

Learning areas

Level 1 the arts

Levels 1 and 2 science

Level 1 technology

This learning is mainly in visual arts but spans science, the living world, education for sustainability and technology (the use of the sewing machine). Brittany began with the overnight camp experience and the study of the sandy shore and its inhabitants. These were motivation for the visual arts project. Brittany overcame some of her anxieties about touching unusual textures, for example, the mud from the estuary, and she was able to generalise this skill and manage the paint and printers ink on her hands back in the classroom. She was able to talk to her classmates and teachers about techniques she learned and was able to use – scrafitto, inking up, and stencilling to name a few.

Effective pedagogy

What does this tell us about teaching and learning in this setting?

Brittany’s learning is supported through thoughtful, intentional, and responsive teaching.

Attention is paid to Brittany’s particular learning style – she learns best by doing things in an authentic context with naturally occurring rewards (creating a supportive learning environment). The park ranger was able to get Brittany onto the sandy shore and to show her the birds and the mud. He remembered her from earlier years and took a special interest in her. Brittany was able to make a couple of new friends at camp and to maintain her friendship with them over the rest of the school year (creating a supportive learning environment; making connections to prior learning and experience). Her beloved sister, Lauren, was able to stay overnight on camp with her. The camp was extra special for Brittany because this also helped her to develop relationships with her bunkroom mates.

The discussion about camp and the planning and implementation of the art project were all crucial in Brittany’s journey towards thinking of herself as an artist. She became aware of the valuable contributions she had to make, and decisions and choices that were her own and valued by her peers, teachers, and family (encouraging reflective thought and action).

Through the documentation of the process through photo, film, and learning stories, as well as the finished works, Brittany, her family, and classmates were able to celebrate her achievements and will be able to build on her successes in the future. She could see herself as a part of a community of learners working towards a common goal (providing sufficient opportunities to learn/encouraging reflective thought and action). The teacher and art advisor working together, without time constraints, were able to make the process of reaching the goal as important as the finished product. The length of time that was able to be devoted to this project ensured genuine choice making and child-centred learning could take place (teaching as inquiry). The good staff-to-student ratio was also critical for success and ensuring that each child could be truly valued and included (creating a supportive learning environment).

Reflective questions for the reader

“How much genuine choice making happens in my setting?”

“Are all children included in every aspect of experiences outside of the classroom (EOTC)?”

“Are there too many time-restricted, predetermined activities that prevent such a long-term project occurring?”

“Do I have time to “explore” and discover genuine art outcomes?”

“How do I tap into a student’s passion, keeping it fresh and real without overdoing it?”

“What opportunities do I need to create for my students to take total ownership?”

“What opportunities do I need to create for my students to maintain total ownership?”

“Do I have enough support staff to carry out a long-term intensive project such as this?”

“How will support staff learn about the pedagogy of offering genuine choice to students to support this?”

Useful resources

Arts online. Weblink http://arts.unitec.ac.nz. Accessed on 1 June 2009.

Hunt, J., & Lucas, R. (2004). From weta to kauri: a guide to the New Zealand forest. Auckland, N.Z.: Random House.

Ministry of Education. (1999). Guidelines for environmental education in New Zealand schools. Wellington: Learning Media.

Ministry of Education. (2002). Painting – Exploring the visual arts in years 1–6. Wellington: Learning Media.

Ministry of Education. (2002). Printmaking – Exploring the visual arts in years 1–6. Wellington: Learning Media.

Ministry of Education. (2002). Fabric and fibre – Exploring the visual arts in years 1–6. Wellington: Learning Media.

Ministry of Education. (2007). He papahuia toi Maori: Maori visual culture in visual arts education, years 1–6: Unit 1: Ngā āhua o Tāne. Wellington: Learning Media.

National visual arts exemplar level 2 – “A strip of Aotearoa”. Weblink http:www.tki.org.nz/r/assessment/exemplars/art/visarts/va_2a_e.php.

Robertson, H. A., & Heather, B. D. (2005). The hand guide to the birds of New Zealand (Rev ed.). Auckland, N.Z.: Penguin Books.