Instructional Strategies

Fine arts curricula aligned with the TEKS enable students to learn sequential course content and make applications using hands-on experiences. Through creative and critical thinking and artistic problem solving, students interpret and internalize meaning, interact with others, and produce original works. Classes alternate between teacher instruction and independent work, which enables students to grow and develop at their own rates. For some, progress is rapid; for others, progress is more deliberate. In an atmosphere that encourages experimentation and discovery, teachers use instructional strategies to address the whole group as well as to individualize lessons in order to meet the needs of each student.

When effectively aligned with strong curricula, the strategies presented in these pages help learners successfully demonstrate the Fine Arts TEKS. While this section contains useful ideas and plans for fine arts teachers, the information is neither prescriptive nor exhaustive. Teachers can best determine the most effective means of helping their students demonstrate the TEKS.

Motivation

Ultimately, a fine arts education encourages students to become lifelong learners who are motivated by internal drives to know, do, and accomplish. While extrinsic motivators—grades and other motivating strategies that do not directly communicate how and why art is valuable—can be useful teaching aids, they can be over-used and draw students’ attention away from the lasting benefits of creating artistic works. The use of intrinsic motivators—motivation techniques that cultivate belief in the integral value of learning—is central to fostering a student’s self-direction in art.

The following instructional strategies are intended to help fine arts teachers cultivate intrinsic motivation in their students. Make art personally relevant:

• Incorporate students’ personal experiences, social concerns, and cultures into lessons. Also, relate content identified in the Fine Arts TEKS to life beyond the classroom.

• Discuss the reasons for activities with the class, explaining how specific tasks fit into the structure of the discipline as a whole. Make connections to previous learning experiences in art.

• Share experiences with students that show how and why the fine arts are personally meaningful to you.

Foster creative thinking and learning and utilize students’ curiosity:

• Ask questions and propose problems that encourage diverse approaches to artistic problem solving and that stimulate creative thinking.

• Introduce new and challenging materials in class and encourage experimentation.

• Design activities that have unpredictable outcomes.

Teach independence, responsibility, and self-direction:

• Give students choices of what and how they learn. Involve students in the process of planning when appropriate.

• Create arts environments that give students responsibility for their own learning. Address the many different learning styles of students to provide equitable opportunities for success.

• Scaffold knowledge and skills to build students’ confidence. Scaffolded instruction enables students to build on previous skills in order to face increasingly difficult learning experiences. Set challenging, achievable goals to encourage success and increase the challenges as students’ confidence and trust grow.

Practice constructive assessment:

• Help students recognize quality work in the fine arts by using evaluation criteria developed over time and by modeling the application of criteria to a variety of projects.

• Give specific feedback to help students recognize their own strengths and needs. Consider students’ learning over a period of time. Encourage students to reflect on their processes and products and search for ways to improve their art production.

• Ensure close alignment between assessment and the instructional sequence, teaching practices, and course content.

Recognize and document student achievement:

• Encourage to keep journals, sketchbooks, or portfolios of their ideas, projects, and achievements. This is a good way to document student growth.

• Organize exhibits of student work in the classroom, school, and community.

Critical Thinking and Problem Solving

Achievement in the fine arts requires many different kinds of thinking. Students learn to attend to details while maintaining a holistic outlook. They learn to unify diverse elements into cohesive works of art. They become adept at applying the tools of critical thinking and learn to solve problems in multiple ways.

The following teaching strategies can assist in the process of building students’ skills of critical thinking and problem solving in the fine arts.

• Emphasize that problem solving in the fine arts, as in many other areas of life, is a process of developing individual solutions to complex problems.

• Challenge students to think beyond the basics by initiating serious discussions about what makes one piece distinct. Ask “why,” “how,” and “what if” questions when discussing characteristics of specific works.

• Discuss with students the purposes of different types of questions, e.g., application, synthesis, opinion. Talk about the power of each type of question to get students thinking about the processes of critical and creative thinking and problem solving.

• Ask individuals or small groups of students to define problems and suggest solutions. Use student-generated problems/questions in class activities.

• Use sketching, mapping, or writing exercises to help students generate or clarify their thoughts before, during, and after class discussions and activities.

• Compare opposing critiques of a work and ask probing questions about the sources of any difference of opinion.

• Encourage abstract, non-linear thinking and approaches to problem solving to enable students to make connections among seemingly unrelated concepts.

• Emphasize the value of self-reflection in the process of growth in the fine arts. Provide numerous opportunities for students to consider the impact of their creative choices. Help them learn to examine and constructively evaluate student and professional work.

Cooperative Learning

Cooperative learning is an effective instructional strategy. Students who regularly participate in cooperative group activities tend to have higher academic test scores, higher self-esteem, stronger social skills, and greater content knowledge.

Teachers can use the following teaching strategies to ensure that tasks completed in small groups result in learning for all group members.

• Make sure the learning outcome is clear and that each individual group member understands.

• Present instructions clearly before the group effort begins.

• Make the instructions easily accessible to groups after they have begun working.

• Divide the students into heterogeneous groups.

• Remember that cooperative tasks do not need to be competitive tasks.

• Make sure there is an equal opportunity for each group to complete the task successfully.

• Structure tasks so that students must rely on one another.

• Provide easy access to resource materials.

• Allow sufficient time to complete the cooperative task.

• Hold each student accountable for individual learning.

• Provide time during and after the task for student reflection on the new knowledge and skills attained during the cooperative group activity.

Creativity

Texas fine arts teachers create environments that foster imagination and creative expression. Teachers who actively explore and develop their own ideas of what it means to be creative will model their beliefs and practices for students.

The following teaching strategies and suggestions are intended to help students develop emergent creativity. In the fine arts classroom:

• Design environments with natural light, harmonious colors, and comfortable work areas.

• Create climates that encourage risk taking and expressive freedom within the structure of the Fine Arts TEKS.

• Incorporate a variety of instructional materials into projects. Try to use inexpensive, found, or recycled materials for projects.

Creative teaching and learning:

• Provide concrete sources of inspiration.

• Include students in class decision making and give them many opportunities to form and express their own ideas.

• Allow time for students to explore, research, and complete in-depth projects. Encourage them to revisit earlier works and revise original ideas.

• Promote long-term, open-ended projects that utilize collaborative modes of work and study. Encourage students to share opinions and understand others’ perspectives.

Individualized Instruction

Fine arts classes include students with a wide range of knowledge and skill levels, especially at beginning levels. Students may exceed or fall short of a course’s general student expectations for a number of reasons, such as experiences outside of school or being new to a school’s program. The combination of different experience levels and diverse learning styles makes individualizing instruction an important teaching strategy for fine arts teachers.

Here are a few ideas on individualizing instruction in theatre:

• Individualize instruction so that students progress through the curriculum at their own pace.

• Consider diverse student needs in the design of teaching strategies and curricula. Allow advanced students to move ahead while others work on the basics.

• Explain a lesson or demonstrate a technique to small groups of students at a time.

• Use a variety of strategies to engage different learners, including contracts for independent learning, learning centers, and computer-aided instruction.

Competition

Used constructively, competition can improve a student’s enthusiasm and motivation. Competition can stimulate students; however, the thoughtfulness and quality of student work will suffer if competition is valued above all else. When using competition in the classroom, keep the emphasis on the importance of individual growth and personal goals.

Fine arts educators can ask the following questions to evaluate the appropriateness of competitions:

• Is student learning the activity’s primary goal?

• Are the rules and criteria for judging aligned with the standards outlined in the Fine Arts TEKS and with the local curriculum?

• Will the competition challenge students beyond their current range of skill and understanding, causing them to lose focus on discovery and creative development?

Ultimately, each teacher’s approach to competition determines the value of competitive experiences. Competition can be a tool for engaging students in learning if teachers choose activities and events that support the goals and skill levels of their students.

Special Considerations

Texas public schools are responsible for helping all students develop to their full potential. The content and structure of fine arts curricula provides opportunities to involve all students in the learning process, regardless of their language, cultural background, disabilities, or familiarity with course content. Classes can be structured to recognize and utilize students’ abilities, rather than emphasize their disabilities. Teachers can modify instructional methods, pacing, and materials to meet the individual needs of their students.

Special Education

Teachers of students who receive special education services should participate in the development of each student’s Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) and take part in student’s Admission, Review, and Dismissal (ARD) committee meetings. Getting involved in IEP and ARD consultations allows educators share a student’s progress and achievements with parents and other teachers.

The following considerations and classroom strategies can help teachers modify their instruction for special education students:

• Students who receive special education services are not a homogeneous group. Each individual has unique strengths, needs, and interests.

• Despite the presence of disabilities, all students can learn skills in fine arts classes that enable them to participate more fully in school, recreation, and career preparation.

• Students with severe disabilities require the greatest support and individual attention. Fine arts teachers may rely on or consult with special education teachers, interpreters, mobility instructors, or instructional aides.

• Students with moderate disabilities may need to have materials and activities adapted to meet their individual strengths and needs.

• Some students may have disabilities that require only slight modifications in the classroom such as special seating or assistance with reading.

Adapting teaching methods/materials to individuals

The challenge of teaching a classroom of students with diverse, individual needs may be daunting. The following suggestions should help teachers gain the full participation of every learner:

• Align the content with the developmental level of the learner.

• Give instructions through several modalities (e.g., visual, aural).

• Summarize key content points before moving to new topics.

• Ask leading questions continually to encourage self-assessment.

• Establish a buddy system so that students help each other.

• Assign appropriate roles for cooperative learning activities.

• Use adaptive devices and technology.

• Provide directions and textbooks on tape or in braille/large print as necessary.

• Adjust pacing and time requirements for work completion.

• Allow students to demonstrate proficiency using their best means of expression.

Please see the Fine Arts for All Students document for more information.

Technology provides the world with a set of powerful tools for thinking, working, and communicating. Synthesizers, drum machines, electronic instruments, and a range of recording and editing equipment can be used to compose everything from popular dance music to esoteric sound art. Technology is not the heart of fine arts education, nor are these ideas on using technology to teach the fine arts intended to direct learning. However, new technologies can support learning of the TEKS, as well as offering students the opportunity to learn new technological tools.

The introduction of technology into the classroom must be well planned, organized, and carried out comprehensively. If you are uncertain about what technology is available in your school or district, ask the school administration about your options. If technology is not an emphasis in your school or district, consider developing and implementing a new technology plan with administrators, specialists, and faculty.

The following ideas are for teachers in the process of implementing technology in fine arts programs. These thoughts and strategies are not exhaustive; they are intended to incite ideas for using technology in the fine arts.

Technology supports traditional learning goals by:

• Offering additional means for teachers to accommodate different learning styles and paces. For example, interactive technology enables students to learn at their own pace, making decisions about what and how they learn.

• Motivating students to learn in new ways. The excitement of exploring the Internet can spark new interest in learning.

• Encouraging students’ self-direction. Students can make the choices of what and how to research online, how to use technology, and how to plan and create online journals.

• Giving special-needs students more opportunities to collaborate with peers. Internet and interactive technologies can be a rich source of peer coaching and cooperation among students. Learners take on different tasks in working towards common research, production, or presentation goals.

Technology provides new learning tools in the fine arts:

• Providing students with valuable, new creative tools.

• Offering students efficient, exploratory ways to research fine arts topics and themes with the Internet’s network of library catalogs, campus information systems, directories, databases, archives, and other interactive media technology.

• Enabling students to communicate with artists, teachers, and students around the world in online discussion groups, Listservs, bulletin boards, and e-mail.

• Allowing students to document and assess their learning in a new way. Students can keep computer journals and create/save digital works.

Steps for Integrating Technology into Fine Arts Education

Schools must develop comprehensive plans for integrating technology into their curricula. An effective plan is based on the shared vision of teachers, administrators, parents, community members, and technology experts. Technology should strengthen a district’s curricula, provide new strategies for teaching the TEKS, and engage students in meaningful learning.

When a technology plan is in place, teachers might consider the following strategies for making the most of these learning tools. If a plan is not yet in place, many of these strategies can prepare teachers and students for future use of technology.

• Create an atmosphere that emphasizes collaboration.

• Develop activities that incorporate challenging, authentic tasks with technological tools to increase the value of the learning experience. The TEKS should be the primary goal; incorporation of technology should be secondary.

• Collaborate with other fine arts teachers; work in teams to design and implement technology-supported projects.

• Join students in exploring new technology that expands learning. Modeling technology use is a good way to show students positive ways to approach new learning challenges.

• Design activities so that every student has something to offer. Draw from your knowledge base of students’ strengths and needs to foster success and to bolster specific areas of learning.

• Develop assessment procedures to monitor and document each student’s progress.