Week 4, Publishing

In looking through the many journals to which I might submit, I would most like to have an article in School Arts. It is not as formal as other journals and is aimed, not so much at researchers, but more at art teachers. It is art teachers, with mud up to their elbows, that I attempted to reach in my action research project and art teachers that it is all about.

I’ll be reviewing past articles to see if I can’t write something about my project that will fit.

Image of cover of School Arts Magazine

Week 3, Looking for a Place to Publish

In looking for a place to publish an article on my AR project, I looked at the art education journals. These are a few that I have found:

Power and Education

http://www.wwwords.co.uk/power/howtocontribute.asp

Call for Submissions NAEA

http://www.naea-reston.org/research/call-for-submissions

CALL FOR ARTS BASED SUBMISSIONS: Journal of Curriculum and Pedagogy
The Journal of Curriculum and Pedagogy

International Journal for Education and the Arts

http://www.ijea.org/submit.html

International Journal for Education through the Arts

http://www.atypon-link.com/INT/toc/etar/3/3

Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like any of them are particularly looking for what I have done. I think I may need to go off on a different route of looking or change my viewpoint of my project. Interesting assignment. It has really stretched my imagination.

Week 3, Project – About My AR Summary Page

Working on putting together my summary of my action research project. This has been an interesting year. I’m so glad that we did the blogs each month. It has really helped to keep me focused. I was able to take pieces and put together a summary. It also was easy to see where I needed to fill in and document more for next time.

Next time?? Yes. There will be a next time. This time reminded me of my first year of teaching. I was feeling my way forward in the dark. My students and I (many of whom are now Facebook friends) all made it to the other side of the year knowing more and able to do more than when we started. In the years after, I became more skilled in communicating with and listening to my students as well as more refined in what I wanted to impart to them. This is what I want to do with action research. Become better and more skilled and always moving forward. This is only the beginning of this journey.

That’s me at my first teaching job with one of my students, 21 years ago.

Week 3, Reading - Lighting the Spark

There are those moments of excitement for me in the art classroom. Oddly enough and funnily enough, they are not the moments when all of the children are sitting like angels, quietly and hands folded. No. The exciting moments to me are when I look around the class and see active, happy students, smiling and engaged in cutting, gluing, drawing, weaving, some tongues hanging out of mouths and other calling out to me and friends to look at what they have done . . . This is what it is all about. This is lighting a spark. To me, this is learning. It is learning the joy of creating and producing.

Students work all day in class and if they don’t get it “right” they are often chastised or told they were not “paying attention” or “following directions.” As a teacher, I have sometimes said these things myself. But when that spark is lit, we do not have to drive or force children to work; they do it enthusiastically.

These are a couple of artworks by my students.

Week 3, Response to Trisch Marcino

Trisch Marcino writes:

The International Reading Association publishes an on-line journal, books, newspaper, and many other helpful tools for teachers. I am leaning heavily towards requesting permission to submit an article for publication. They are very strict and only accept approximately 15% of submissions.

I have read many of their published articles, particularly the ones that are research-based. Several that I have read are geared towards improving literacy among students K-12 years. For those of you interested in pursuing this avenue also, the manuscripts must be APA and as I said the guidelines are stringent. I really think I have a sound research project and I have proven the strategy works, however, I am not quite so certain if I can prepare an adequate manuscript in such a short time. To my critical friends and any other classmates who would like to offer suggestions to improve my presentation, I welcome any and all critiques. I am presenting on the 27th.

I am also preparing a Keynote that I am going to request submission to our district Reading Conference. Fortunately, there is more time to prepare for it. I will have it on my web site soon and as with the article, I really would appreciate any helpful comments anyone might like to contribute. It really is getting a little scary as we are nearing completion. It has also been very exciting to be part of such an elite group.

Kerry writes:
Trisch, I agree that you should put your work out there where lots of reading teachers can see it. You have a lot to offer. I would be happy to look at your keynote presentation or your write-up for your article.

I understand that it is getting scary as we get close to completing, but honestly, it’s been kind of scary for me every month as I scramble to figure out how to do my projects or to make the deadlines, hoping that nothing goes wrong. It has been exciting and I have learned so much. And you have done it all in spite of your computer crashing and having to use other means to get your work done. You have been an inspiration.

Just let me know if there is anything that I can do to help with your presentations.

Week 3, Response to Donita Massing

Donita Massing says:

Leading

Zander discusses his concept of 'being a contribution' and 'leading from any chair' in The Art of Possibility.

Almost all of what I'm reading in this book has inspired me; even bringing me to tears at times. The concept of being a contribution is about one's call to purpose rather than personal achievement. I've been trying to practice this since I began teaching some 11 years ago. I've always thought of my career as a purpose rather than a job. This week's reading brought it into focus and has helped me understand much of the frustration I've experienced along the way.

Letting go of the idea of achievement; focusing instead on a vision of students succeeding and giving back through their own contributions.

Kerry Marquis says:

You are so right, Donita. To me, purpose is everything. When I know that my purpose, my intentions, my integrity is right, then I know that correct actions will follow. Working with you over these past months, getting to know you and watching your projects unfold, it is obvious that you are also a person with purpose. I cannot help but wish that my own daughter’s teachers were like you, caring that their students succeed.

I’m sure that your encouragement and insight give your students lessons that they take with them for the rest of their lives.

Week 2 Reading – Not Taking Myself Too Seriously

I found myself laughing a little more often this week despite the nerve-wracking pace I was trying to keep up. Several times, I caught myself taking myself and others too seriously several times. When I saw it, the seriousness immediately just blew away and I found myself smiling or even laughing.

What a beautiful book this is, inspiring us to make a difference in the lives of others, to contribute and grant others importance. I’m very appreciative that this book, The Art of Possibility, was our assigned reading this month. It is giving me life again.

I have a story about a lesson that I did with my elementary art students this month. I found a little Reading Rainbow film that read the children’s book, Regina’s Big Mistake. It’s about a little girl in an art class who can’t think of what to draw. She starts to draw what some other children are drawing and they make mean comments and her teacher won’t give her another sheet of paper when she makes a mistake. Regina makes her mistake into something wonderful. All week since, my students have been telling me how they’ve made their mistake into something wonderful. These are 6, 7 and 8 year olds. I think it’s wonderful how a writer can give us that; can offer us a new and wonderful viewpoint.