June 30, 2014

Infusion Champion School George Pringle Elementary: Year Two in Review

Guest blogger Paula Scott is the Infusion Teaching Artist at George Pringle Elementary in West Kelowna, BC. George Pringle Elementary is one of the six schools in the current Infusion Cohort program. Paula shares her thoughts on completing her second year of working with students and teachers in arts integration learning experiences.

How exciting it was to successfully execute the plans we designed in Year One! The result of open, trusting, inclusive, organized and respectful collaboration. The second year began with two Pro-D days in August spent reviewing our lesson plans, double checking our supplies and confirming the schedule.

The Art of Storytelling with the two Grade 6 classes ran from September to the December break. The students explored a variety of materials and techniques.

Collage

Painting

Printmaking

Mixed Media

Learning new art processes gave them options in support of creating interesting visual 'jumping off points' and characters for storytelling. The written portion of each process covered many Language Arts PLOs.

Throughout the process, the students listened, researched, made connections, explored, expanded, cooperated, appreciated, dialogued, made choices and were encouraged to create in a voice unique to them. They assessed in reflection.

Engaged and sharing

Listening and appreciating

The students used their visual journals for many purposes including planning, expressing, designing, writing, exploring and doodling throughout the school year.

The last project with their newly acquired art skills was to plan and execute their story in a medium of their choice. It could be fact or fiction, imaginary or not. All the supplies they had experienced were available.

Along with their story, they chose another favourite art work to share at a final Art Expo. Open to the school at large, administrators and parents, they displayed and presented their work as a professional artist would. It was magic to observe.

Final words before the crowds came through

Time to share with each other...

....and with the school

Nurturing and expanding their sense of worth,
individuality and confidence by sharing.
Connecting through the Art of Storytelling.

Kindergarten and Grade 1

Primary students also had personal visual journals that were utilized through the curriculum.

Documenting the seasons, storytelling, planning and practicing skills for drawing. They expressed themselves and learned about each other through mixed media, paint, printmaking, sculpture and collage.

Even the shy children would find courage to share, standing behind their creations.

They played with balance and form...

They built upon their skill sets by learning to sew for their class Community Mural...

Brainstorming and working together, they created their local landscape...

Then they connected with the world outside themselves at the Grade 6 Art Expo...

Year Two of the Infusion Cohort was a gift.

Learn more about the Infusion Cohort program.

Read more guest blogs about Arts Integration in Action!

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