Angela Natrasevschi

Professors Dudley and Schmer

Educ 340 Recitation
12-1-15
Case Study and Reflection
All teachers are teachers of reading
Throughout this course, what I have learned about literacy in the classroom has
significantly shifted my preconceptions of literacy in the art content area I am pursuing. While
content is the information that is taught, literacy strategies can often be how they are taught and
incorporated to aid comprehension in the content area, as well as develop students broader
literacy skills. Art is a visual and tactile language, and while there is a large focus of teaching
artistic techniques and processes in the art content area, literacy has a role as well. I think it
important for students to be able to use reading and writing to think critically and communicate
in their own art, as well as being able to use literacy to analyze the artwork of others and art
related texts.
I experienced how content and literacy strategies are a catalyst for students engagement
and comprehension during my weekly labs in Dudley and Deckers team-taught English
classroom. During an activity where students turned elements of plot structure into posters, they
had to describe theirs using a visual aspect, a definition, and example. This experience was a real
break through for me on the possibilities of how literacy strategies can connect literacy to
content, but also can engage students to access different ways of thinking about materials so they
are making new connections with the content, that would not have happened otherwise. My
group made a poster about the rising action element of plot structure. The first breakthrough I
observed was the students finding inter-textual connections, they identified the falling action in
other books they had read like the Harry Potter series, Hatchet, in addition to the text they had

been reading in class. This exemplifies critical thinking that is just as important in an art. Being
able to identify a concept in a broad amount of artworks is important in the art content area, as
students need to able to recognize formal elements of art in any piece. The group was also very
creative with their visual aspects in the poster; they found original ways to represent the rising
action, and were so excited about drawing that they found ways to include more drawings on
borders and inside different letters in the poster. Observing their creative instincts being accessed
by a heavily literacy based activity was what sparked a definite shift in my perspective of the
connections literacy can have to the art content area. These students were able to use
sophisticated creative processes, like instinctually finding inspiration from shapes to find ideas
for drawings as well as some elements of making a composition in their poster.
For these reasons I strongly resonate with the idea that literacy should be a part of every
classroom and that all teachers are teachers of reading. Observing how the blending of literacy
strategies and content can activate student learning. As well as facilitate new connections they
may not have made without the structure of literacy strategy has shown me the value developing
literacy skills in every classroom can have for students. The benefits are not limited to the crosscontent connections students make. In our world today advanced literacy skills are vital for
personal and professional life. Students need to develop these communication skills at every
opportunity. I now believe that literacy can be a noteworthy tool for comprehension in any
content area, and it certainly will be in my future classroom.

Literacy Strategies in Art

Cornell Notes:
I would use the Cornell notes when teaching a heavily chronological based artistic
process, like aspects of wheel throwing. While I am demonstrating the process I would have
students fill in the pre-formatted worksheet of what they see me doing step by step, while I
would be verbally and visually explaining in the demonstration, but I would also review after
steps, so students can make sure they have all the important information for each section of the
worksheet. I would have students tape this worksheet into their pottery sketchbooks and have
them use it as a resource to refer to as they are trying these new artistic processes, or for
reference if they are working in the studio outside of class and I am not their to answer their
questions immediately. It can also be a helpful resource if they forget how to do something later
on in the semester. They will have a record to follow of the step-by-step process, and it will be
written in their own words, rather than a jargoned handout that explains it to them. Also, the act
of writing the steps will aid their comprehension and memory of the process.
Give One Get One:
In a painting class, I would include this activity as a starting point to a new unit of study for the
students. The leading questions would help students generate varying ideas for their paintings.
After they develop ideas for their portion of the worksheet, they can discuss them with
classmates, and record what other students are thinking about. This way they might be inspired
by other students ideas or they might even get a few suggestions. This activity would be a good
idea generator, to at least start the wheels turning about what they want to paint, or are interested
in focusing on for the project.

Quick Write:
This could transition into a quickwrite activity. Where the students are prompted to
briefly explain a concept they might want to try to pursue, now that hey have generated several
ideas and received some feedback and inspiration from their peers. The students can transform
the broad or varied ideas they got from idea generating of the give one get one into an
explanation of their potential concept. This also adds a sense of practice how to explain their
concept. The quickwrite and the give one get one activity together help introduce a new unit, and
get the students excited about it, as they start generating ideas right away, instead of unstructured
idea generating where students are left to come up with ideas on their own, without the leading
questions and prompts or feedback and inspiration from their peers, they may draw a blank, or
not evaluate their ides for their concepts fully.

Name ____________________________
Date________________
Class________________
Period________________
Cornell Notes
Steps

Important details in the process

1.Pull handle

2.Let handle set up (drying time)

3. Shape handle to mug

4. Apply handle to mug

5. Refine handle shape

6. Prepare for bisque

Name ____Angela Natrasevschi____

Date___12-1-15_____
Class___Pottery_____
Period__2__________
Cornell Notes
Steps

Important details in the process

1.Pull handle

Make palm sized cone of wedged clay and

let it set up until the clay is suede
consistency. Then get a bucket of water and
wet hands, begin pulling cone from pointed
tip using pointer and thumb finger in circle
position. Pull a few more handles than you
will need, as some may not make it through
the process.

2.Let handle set up (drying time)

Set pulled handles on a wooden board, the

handles are too wet to be shaped or put on
the cup now they will collapse.

3. Shape handle to mug

Before pulled handles are suede

consistency, create the shape of handle you
would like for your mug. Use fettling knife
to make angled cuts where your handle will
attach to cup. Place shaped handles on
board until suede consistency.

4. Apply handle to mug

Scratch and score the ends of handles as

well as where they will be placed. Apply
slip to ends of handles. Attach handles and
let slip set for a few minutes. Now clean
the attachment smoothing the edges of the
handle into the mug where needed.

5. Refine handle shape

Look at handle on much at eye level, and

carefully place hand on handle to simulate
what it will be like to hold it. Gently adjust
shape of hand as you see fit, be careful to
not detach it from the mug.

6. Prepare for bisque

Apply any slips or underglazes you want.

Name ____________________________
Date________________
Class________________
Period________________
Painting Concept Generator
Give One/Get One
Concept Inquiry
Personal Connection: What is
something you feel strongly
about? What can you draw
from your life to paint about?

Inspiration: List ten things that

inspire you. They can be
ANYTHING.

Subject Matter: What are ten

objects, people, places, and
things, that you might include
in your painting

Your thought/ Idea

A Peers Thought/Idea

Name ____Angela Natrasevschi____

Date___12-1-15_____
Class___Painting____
Period__3__________
Painting Concept Generator
Give One/Get One
Concept Inquiry

Your thought/ Idea

A Peers Thought/Idea

Personal Connection: What is

I have a huge connection to

Hannah is interested in

something you feel strongly

nature I love being outside,

painting about her family, she

about? What can you draw

and a lot of my favorite

has a great relationship with

from your life to paint about?

memories are in the

them and she wants to capture

mountains. I have an interest

them all together.

in environmentalism and I
Inspiration: List ten things that

could use this in my painting.

Poetry, color, music, yoga,

Some of Malcoms biggest

inspire you. They can be

nature, animals, friends,

inspirations are the ocean,

ANYTHING.

family, Studio Ghibli films,

Monet, Gustav Klimt, and the

other painters.

mountains.

Subject Matter: What are ten

Trees, grass, forest spirits,

James is also doing a nature

objects, people, places, and

deer, meadows, rivers, snow,

painting and he thought I

things, that you might include

wolves, birds.

could include moss, lichen,

in your painting

and tree stumps in mine.

Name ____________________________
Date________________
Class________________
Period________________
Quickwrite
Briefly explain a concept you might try for your next painting. You could describe your
inspirations for the piece, or personal connection, the subject matter you will paint, etc.

Name ____Angela Natrasevschi____

Date___12-1-15_____
Class___Painting____
Period__3__________
Quickwrite
Briefly explain a concept you might try for your next painting. You could describe your
inspirations for the piece, or personal connection, the subject matter you will paint, ideas from
your peers, etc.
I am inspired to try painting a woman as a forest spirit. I was influenced by a poem I read
about the death of the forests, I think painting a forest spirit experiencing emotions about this
would be an interesting painting. I am personally very connected to nature, so while I wouldnt
be painting myself, there are still elements of the painting that describe me. Subject matter I am
thinking of including other than the forest spirit are moss, lichen, tree stumps, fungi, and other
textured plant life from the forest. I talked to James about my idea and he helped me come up
with some ideas for plants I could include in the painting, hes doing a nature related painting
too.