Over the past week we have spent some time talking about how
to approach students on both ends of the ability spectrum. Namely the special needs students and the
advanced or gifted and talented students.
It is a great challenge to make sure that the needs of all these diverse
students are met in the classroom, and it is something that I have seen
teachers struggle with personally. However,
there are ways to take a lesson and make it appropriate for multiple skill
levels. That is what we have been
challenged to do with this blog entry.
One lesson in particular that would lend itself to both
special needs and advanced students is a lesson that I taught myself at Young
Artist’s Workshop. The purpose of the
lesson was to create abstract mixed media self-portraits. I referenced Robert Rauschenberg and Jean
Michel Basquiat, with Rauschenberg as my primary example. The students were allowed to use a variety of
material, and create or appropriate any imagery they liked – so long as it was
appropriate and had some relation to their personality, history, or identity.
The broad range and loose constraints of this project made
it a great first project for a group of diverse students between the ages of 12
and 17 years old, and it would lend itself well to groups with varying ability
levels. The advanced students have the
option to create intricate drawings and paintings, complicated collages, and
intricate designs. Meanwhile, special
needs students have the options to work bolder and messier (similar to Basquiat
and Rauschenberg’s actual works), experiment with materials, and create work of
personal significance without necessarily having great technical mastery. Of course, these are broad generalizations,
and the label of “special needs” covers a wide range of conditions. Some students with social issues could work
by themselves or with groups as needed on this project, students with tactile
issues could experiment with different textured materials and mediums, students
with physical handicaps could practice mark-making and motor control, students
with visual impairments could focus on personally important colors and color
mixing, and the students with mild conditions could, in most situations, work
in the same way as other students in the class.
This project is really geared toward the individual and their needs and
interests.
Below are some examples of similar projects
from around the web.
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