Allison McGinnis

EDUC340
Lab Case Study
1 May 2014
Case Study
All teachers are teachers of reading
All teachers are teachers of reading. No matter what subject you teach, literacy is crucial
to a students understanding of a subject. Literacy doesnt necessarily have to be using words,
you can use numbers to communicate, body language, pictures and many other things. When I
first started this class, I had a hard time figuring out ways to link literacy and art. The reason I
had such a hard time was because I never noticed literacy in my art classes growing up or that
literacy was never used in my art classes. I strongly believe that literacy is the foundation of
learning but I am still not completely convinced that it is necessary in all content areas all the
time. I felt like the activities that I did with my students this semester were forced and that the
students were not totally engaged. As an art teacher, I dont think that I would use literacy in
my class every day. I think it would be important when you are introducing new projects or
artists but I think that a students literacy is conveyed through a final piece of art. Students
communicate by their artwork. You can tell a lot about an artwork by the way a student creates
it, the subject matter they choose, the colors they use, and many other factors. By adding a
reading aspect to an art class, I think that many students would lose interest. The electives in
schools are often the classes that students choose to escape from their core classes. If students
are forced to do readings in an art class I do not think that students would enjoy it as much.
Although I may not be convinced that literacy is the basis of art, I am persuaded that it can be
used to help students communicate with each other and express themselves. One example that
comes to my mind is that when the students in my class were working on a project, many of
them talk between their tables and socialize during their studio time. One Hispanic child
though never talked to anyone but was surrounded by five talking classmates. He would never
initiate a conversation but the students around him would strike a conversation with him based
on what he was drawing or choices he made in artwork. In his free time he would draw the
Denver Bronco on his folder and the boy next to him started talking to him about the super
bowl after seeing what he was drawing. There was no talking necessary for the student to know
that they both had the Broncos in common. Another example would have been when the
students were creating postcards. The students were assigned to pick a famous artist and
artwork and then recreate it on a postcard. Students who chose the same artwork or artist
were able to connect and compare with each other.
Art can be a very useful tool when trying to communicate with students that are shy,
have a disability, or are ELL students. No matter the student, art gives students an opportunity
to express themselves. Their message can always remain unknown or abstract. According to
author, Luis Camnitzer, One tends to speak of art as a language. In some cases it is even
described as a universal language, a kind of Esperanto capable of transcending all national
borderlines. As a universal languageart serves the interests of colonization and the expansion
of an art market (Camnitzer). I cannot stress how true this statement is. Art is universal. No
matter what language you speak, you can read art. Along with art being universal, symbols,
colors and other artistic moves are also universal. Author, Rebecca Alber, explains literacy
perfectly. She says, Content is what we teach, but there is also the how, and this is where
literacy instruction comes in. There are an endless number of engaging, effective strategies to
get students to think about, write about, read about, and talk about the content you teach. The
ultimate goal of literacy instruction is to build the students comprehension, writing skills, and
overall skills in communicating (Alber). This statement makes me realize that even though I
sometimes have a hard time understanding why literacy should be incorporated into art, I
understand that I need to incorporate literacy for the good of the childs overall literacy
development. Especially in the world we live in today, students do not get a lot of opportunities
to talk to peers because of all the technology we have in our world.
Applying what I have learned to an art classroom
I have come up with several great ideas to incorporate literacy into an art classroom.
The first example I thought of was using the visual concept mapping or compare and contrast
visuals. There are many artworks out there that are similar. I could start each class off with an
activity like this where each table is given two artworks and a certain time to write down as
many things that they see that are similar or different. At the end of the time they can share
with either their table or aloud with the class. I could do this to introduce a new assignment or
just to get their brains going when they start class. Another example I could use in an art
classroom that I really enjoyed was the RAFT model. The raft could be used as a reflection
strategy after completing a project. Once students finish an art project they could be assigned
to write a RAFT about their project. I have two ideas about how to go about this. The students
could take on the role of the teacher and write a letter to themselves about the good things
they did in their piece and the things that they need work on. The other option could be taking
on the role of the artwork and writing to the teacher about what the artwork likes about itself
and what the artwork doesnt like about itself. Either option, the students are getting a chance
to reflect on their artwork and notice their successes while also noting what they need to work
on. Another strategy that I think I will use is a vocabulary game. Depending on the age, I could
use vocabulary words or artworks. For a younger group, we could discuss the elements and
principles of art throughout the year but start and end the year by playing the game where you
tape a vocabulary word on the students back and have to describe the word to the student.
We can do this activity at the beginning to assess their knowledge and then again at the end to
see how much they learned throughout the year. With an older group, or an art history class, I
could tape artworks on the students backs and have them name the artwork, artist, date, or
location. This would make a great review game for older students. Another good project to
incorporate literacy may be to work with the English teachers. Often times, students go through
a poetry unit or they learn to write a book. Those illustrations could be incorporated into an art
class and can connect with their English class. If I am going to be introducing a new project that
is based on a famous artist, I could use character mapping. I used this strategy with my students
this semester and the students seemed to respond well to the assignment. I had the students
put Pablo Picasso in the middle of the map and then had them read a short biography on
Picasso. After reading the article they were able to place information into different boxes on
the character map. There was a section for important events in Picassos life, another box about
the techniques and methods he used to create his artworks, and then I included two artworks
that students would be able to make inferences based on what they read. Although some of the
students responses were not spot on, they did raise questions about the artwork and allowed
students to communicate with each other and discuss certain pieces. Yet another way I could
incorporate literacy could be through artist research. If the students are older, Ithey can be
assigned to research an artist and write a paragraph about the artist. They could have this
prepared for very Monday class and then they can share with the group what they found. I did
this in one of my college classes and it was extremely beneficial to be able to put modern artists
and their artwork on your radar and be able to know artists by name which is something I
believe has been lost In this generation. One more example of how I could include literacy into
an art classroom would be making connections. At the beginning of the class, I could spend five
to ten minutes putting an artwork up on the screen and having the students simply write about
the artwork. They can write about connections they have, what the artwork reminds you of,
why you think the artist did something, etc. If anyone has something worth sharing, they can
share with the class or with their table. After sharing, I could explain what the artwork is about
according to the artist itself and see how their views align.





Works Cited
Camnitzer, L. (2008). Art and Literacy. Retrieved from efflux.com on April 19, 2014.
Alber, R. (2010, August 4). How Important Teaching Literacy is in all Content Areas. Retrieved
from edutopia.org on April 19, 2014.