swift& 1& the&reconceptualization&of&a&high&school...

Swift&&1&

&&&THE&RECONCEPTUALIZATION&OF&A&HIGH&SCHOOL&PHOTOGRAPHY&CURRICULUM&THAT&IS&

INFORMED&BY&CONTEMPORARY&ART&PRACTICES,&SHAPED&BY&EMERGING&ART&EDUCATION&APPROACHES,&AND&RELEVANT&TO&THE&LIVES&OF&STUDENTS&

&&&&By&&&&&

MELISSA&SWIFT&&&&&&&&

A&CAPSTONE&PROJECT&PRESENTED&TO&THE&COLLEGE&OF&FINE&ARTS&OF&THE&UNIVERSITY&OF&FLORIDA&IN&PARTIAL&FULFILLMENT&OF&THE&REQUIREMENTS&FOR&THE&DEGREE&OF&

MASTER&OF&ARTS&&

UNIVERSITY&OF&FLORIDA&2013&

& &

Melissa Swift Monday, August 5, 2013 9:44:32 AM Eastern Daylight Time c8:2a:14:26:1b:b1

Swift&&2&

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

©2013&Melissa&Swift&& &


Swift&&3&

Acknowledgements//

This&Capstone&project&would&not&have&been&possible&without&the&love,&support&and&

encouragements&I&received&from&my&parents,&my&sister,&and&my&husband.&&I&do&not&have&

words&to&adequately&describe&my&deep&gratitude&for&all&that&you&have&provided&me,&though&I&

hope&to&show&it&in&the&years&to&come.&&I&have&benefitted&greatly&from&the&mentoring&of&

Babette&Coon&Witherspoon.&&I&studied&art&because&of&what&she&saw&in&me&and&am&a&teacher&

because&she&believed&in&me.&&The&shared&insights&and&knowledge&I&received&from&Dr.&Jodi&

Kushins&and&Dr.&Elizabeth&Delacruz&have&made&me&a&better&student&and&teacher.&&I&began&

this&journey&with&Elizabeth&and&I&am&finishing&it&because&of&the&time&she&invested&in&me,&and&

for&that&I&will&always&be&grateful.&

& &


Swift&&4&

ABSTRACT&OF&CAPSTONE&PROJECT&PRESENTED&TO&THE&COLLEGE&OF&FINE&ARTS&OF&THE&UNIVERSITY&OF&FLORIDA&IN&PARTIAL&FULFILLMENT&OF&THE&REQUIREMENTS&FOR&THE&

DEGREE&OF&MASTER&OF&ARTS&&

THE&RECONCEPTUALIZATION&OF&A&HIGH&SCHOOL&PHOTOGRAPHY&CURRICULUM&THAT&IS&INFORMED&BY&CONTEMPORARY&ART&PRACTICES,&SHAPED&BY&EMERGING&ART&EDUCATION&APPROACHES,&AND&RELEVANT&TO&THE&LIVES&OF&STUDENTS&

By&&&

Melissa&Swift&&&

July&8,&2013&&&&

Chair:&&Elizabeth&Delacruz&Committee&Member:&&Jodi&Kushins&Major:&&Art&Education&&

Abstract//

& My&Capstone&paper&describes&my&research&process,&findings,&and&recommendations&

in&my&endeavor&to&re]conceptualize&my&high&school&photography&curriculum.&&Three&units&

of&study&in&Photography&are&given&in&this&paper&and&serve&as&examples&of&my&

reconceptualization&process.&I&begin&this&paper&by&defining&the&importance&of&developing&a&

high&school&photography&curriculum,&as&relevant&to&the&needs&of&students,&informed&by&

contemporary&art&thinking,&and&through&the&adaptation&of&visual&arts&standards.&&I&

document&my&research,&sharing&insights&and&making&decisions&regarding&what&is&important&

in&curriculum&development.&&I&also&share&my&findings&through&social&media&platforms&

including&Pinterest&and&Instagram.&These&social&media&sites&serve&as&resources,&inspiration&

and&idea]sharing&venues&with&both&my&students&and&the&public.&&My&personal&reflections&are&

shared&on&my&blog&and&my&final&units&of&study&are&summarized&on&my&website.&&I&conclude&

this&Capstone&paper&with&final&insights&that&are&intended&to&serve&as&a&resource&to&enhance&


Swift&&5&

my&own&personal&best&teaching&practices,&and&as&advice&to&teachers&of&similar&teaching&

experience.


Swift&&6&

Table/of/Contents/

Title&Page&………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………1&

UF&Copyright&page&………………………………………………………………………………………………………….2&

Acknowledgements&………………………………………………………………………………………………………..3&

UF&Formatted&Abstract&…………………………………………………………………………………………………...4&

Table&of&Contents&…………………………………………………………………………………………………………...6&

A&Photography&Teacher’s&Train&of&Thought&……………………………………………………………………..8&

& Statement&of&the&Problem,&Purpose&of&the&Study,&Research&Questions,&&

& and&Assumptions&…………………………………………………………….……………………………….….9&

& Definitions&of&Terms&………………………………………………………………………………………….12/

Literature&Review&………………………………………………………………………………………………………...14&

Methodology&………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..19&

& Curriculum&Research&and&Development&Procedures&………………..………………………….20&

& Limitations&………………………………………………………………………………………………………..21&

Findings&………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………21&

& Insights&and&Approaches&Informing&my&Curricular&Development…..………………….….22&

& Contemporary&Art&……………………………………………………………………………….….23&

& Technology&as&Tools&……………………………………………………………………………..…23&

& Three&Units&of&Study&………………………………………………………………………………………….24&

& & Immigration:&The&Story&of&You&………………………………………………………………...24&

& & Nature&in&Portraiture&………………………………………………………………………………25&

& & From&Your&Perspective&:&The&Art&of&Perception&………………………………………...26&

Discussion&…………………………………………………….……………………………………………………………..27&


Swift&&7&

&

& Final&Thoughts&and&Recommendations&……………………………………………………………….30&

References&…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...32&

Figure&1:&My&personal&Blog&…………………………………………………………………………………………...35&

Figure&2:&My&Flicker&site&……………………………………………………………………………………………….36&

Figure&3:&My&Instagram&page&………………………………………………………………………………………...37&

Figure&4:&My&Pinterest&page&………………………………………………………………………………………….38&

Figure&5:&My&professional&website&………………………………………………………………………………..39&

List&of&Figures&and&Figure&Captions&………………………………………………………………………………40&

Author&Biography&………………………………………………………………………………………………………..41&

& &


Swift&&8&

A/Photography/Teacher’s/Train/of/Thought/

I&write&this&introduction&from&a&coffee&shop&in&the&middle&of&a&shopping&mall.&&Years&

ago&I&never&would&have&thought&this&possible,&but&technology&has&made&it&a&given,&and&to&

some&extent,&a&requirement&for&a&business&or&educational&enterprise&to&be&successful.&&

Technology&surrounds&our&lives&and&while&some&may&view&it&as&a&negative&contributor&to&

human&expression&of&ideas,&behaviors,&and&knowledge&development,&our&news,&

entertainment&and&educational&futures&depend&on&emerging&electronic&(digital)&

technologies.&&Digital&technologies&enable&news&to&be&recorded&and&broadcast&live;&movies,&

music&and&games&are&developed&and&created&using&digital&graphics&programs;&and&

information&is&available&through&the&conveniences&of&our&personal&cellular&telephones&and&

tablets.&&If&technology&is&so&tightly&incorporated&in&our&personal&and&professional&lives,&then&

why&is&it&so&absent&in&our&educational&institutions?&As&a&high&school&visual&arts&teacher,&I&

have&been&constantly&challenged&with&balancing&the&combination&of&teaching&traditional&

art]making&methods&and&digital&media.&&"The&preparation&that&goes&into&a&lesson&plan&

includes&research,&development&of&instructional&models&and&resources,&and&actual&teaching&

practice.&&In&order&to&be&an&effective&teacher,&I&must&remain&fully&immersed&in&the&most&

relevant&of&technological&advancements&and&apply&them&into&my&teaching&curriculum.&

& This&Capstone&Research&Project&documents&my&personal&experience&with&the&

development&of&my&current&high&school&photography&curriculum&as&I&integrated&digital&

media&into&my&photography&courses&and&revised&how&these&courses&might&be&taught.&I&

wanted&a&curriculum&inspired&by&contemporary&art,&informed&by&current&thinking&in&

education&and&art&making,&that&engaged&digital&media&creatively&and&purposefully,&and&was&

adapted&for&the&students&of&today.&&My&research&documented&the&trials&and&tribulations,&


Swift&&9&

first]hand,&from&a&teacher&determined&to&develop&creative&thinking&through&the&

development&of&best&practices&in&photography&education,&and&as&it&included&digital&media&as&

one&of&many&forms&of&creative&artistic&expression.1&&

Statement/of/the/Problem,/Goals/of/the/Study,/Research/Questions,/and/Assumptions/

In&curriculum&development,&educators&rarely&have&time&to&re]evaluate&their&process&

of&curriculum&design,&let&alone&document&the&step]by]step&process&of&curriculum&revision.&&

Much&can&be&learned&from&critical&analysis&of&a&firsthand&account&of&the&preparation,&

delivery&and&reflection&of&an&active&teacher&in&today’s&visual&arts&classroom.&&It&is&not&only&

other&educators,&both&in&technology&and&visual&arts&education,&but&primarily&myself&and&my&

students&that&benefit&from&documentation&of&my&research&and&development&of&the&

reconceptualization&of&units&of&study&in&my&photography&program.&&&

I&have&redeveloped&specific&projects&to&make&my&high&school&photography&

curriculum&more&relevant&to&the&changing&needs&of&students&through&creative&inclusion&of&

digital&media.&&As&I&created&and&resourced&these&units&of&study&I&documented&my&process&of&

researching&contemporary&artists,&photography&and&digital&media&practices,&along&with&my&

development&of&lesson&plans&and&instructional&materials&for&the&students.&My&curriculum&

thinking&has&been&informed&by&the&“big&ideas”&approach&articulated&in&the&Backward&Design&

curriculum&model&developed&by&Wiggins&and&McTighe.&By&shaping&units&of&study&through&

adaptations&of&the&Backward&Design&model&to&my&own&parameters,&I&decided&what&was&

really&important,&what&students&should&learn,&and&what&resources&and&activities&best&suited&

these&goals.&My&lesson&plans&were&balanced&and&informed&by&current&creative&practices,&

with&the&essential&questions&and&key&concepts&guiding&my&intentions&for&student&learning.&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&1&Although&not&explicitly&discussed&in&this&paper,&my&curriculum&also&aligns&with&state&and&emerging&national&visual&arts&standards.&


Swift&&10&

In&addition&to&this&paper,&my&capstone&research&project&resulted&in&a&public&

companion&website&for&my&school’s&learning&management&system&

(http://theswiftteacher.weebly.com),&a&reflective&teacher’s&blog&

(http://m2swift.blogspot.com),&an&annotated&Pinterest&collection&of&resource&images&

(http://pinterest.com/missprofessor/),&and&an&exploration&and&utilization&of&Instagram&

(http://instagram.com/missprofessor)&as&another&venue&for&students&to&share&and&connect&

around&the&photography&images&created&in&my&class.&These&social&media]based&resources&

were&included&in&the&development&of&three&major&projects:&(a)&a&complete&re]design&of&a&

failed&project,&(b)&a&re]design&of&a&marginally&successful&project,&and&(c)&a&brand&new&art&

project&that&stemmed&from&inspiration&from&research,&influenced&by&contemporary&art,&and&

guided&by&evolved&consideration&to&the&contributing&components.&&The&availability&of&these&

materials&and&the&discoveries&I&made&along&the&way&may&prove&to&be&beneficial&to&other&

teachers,&researchers&or&technology&developers;&however,&I&primarily&viewed&this&project&as&

an&opportunity&to&make&myself&a&better&teacher.&

Through&this&study,&I&attempted&to&answer&some&of&the&following&questions.&&I&hoped&

to&create&more&finely&tuned&photography&projects&that&fully&implemented&the&best&practices&

of&instruction&and&inclusion&of&technology&that&enhanced&the&learning&of&my&students.&

1. What&does&an&art&curriculum&preparation&process&look&like?&&

2. How&can&I&develop&a&specific&curriculum&that&integrates&current&educational&

thinking&with&good&art]making&practices,&and&that&aligns&these&considerations&

with&what&is&relevant&to&student&learning?&&&

3. How&can&I&more&effectively&utilize&emerging&technologies&in&my&photography&

projects?&&


Swift&&11&

4. How&can&I&convey&what&is&really&important&and&teach&my&students&to&envision&the&

big&idea&through&their&own&art&creations?&&&

& It&seems&to&me&that&educators&spend&a&vast&amount&of&time&planning&what&their&

individual&courses&will&look&like&over&the&duration&of&the&year,&as&such&planning&certainly&is&

part&of&my&own&professional&work.&&Some&educators&rely&on&utilizing&assignments&from&

previous&years&without&considering&new&students’&interests&and&contributions.&&Under&such&

conditions,&course&instruction&then&becomes&rote,&and&lessons&become&cookie&cutter&and&

less&engaging.&&In&the&same&breath,&educators&complain&that&there&seem&to&be&fewer&students&

who&actually&want&to&learn.&&&

It&is&my&assumption,&and&my&argument,&that&when&teachers&examine&contemporary&

practices&in&their&own&subject&areas,&recognize&what&is&important&to&students,&and&combine&

that&knowledge&with&the&technology&and&social&media&currently&infiltrating&our&students’&

lives,&the&resulting&student&learning&can&be&more&impactful&than&previously&anticipated.&&I&

have&assumed,&perhaps&inaccurately,&that&the&current&generations&of&students&are&familiar&

with&technologies&and&online&communities&like&Pinterest,&Instagram,&Facebook,&Twitter&and&

other&social&media&sites.&&In&addition&to&an&assumed&familiarity&of&these&interfaces,&I&assume&

the&same&knowledge&in&regards&to&the&benefits&these&sources&can&provide"to&their&users.&&

However,&my&experience&also&tells&me&otherwise,&that&is,&that&students&may&not&be&adept&at&

using&these&kinds&of&social&media&sites&as&one&would&hope.&&&

&

&

Definitions/of/Terms/


Swift&&12&

Learning"Management"Solutions"or"Learning"Management"Systems"(LMS).""My&school&

uses&a&Learning&Management&System&as&a&platform&for&instructional&delivery&and&support.&&

As&Edudemic.com&defines&a&Learning&Management&System,&as&“tools&you&can&use&to&deliver&

courses&and&training&programs&in&your&school,”&there&are&hundreds&of&LMS&solutions&

available.&&They&are&typically&purchased&and&implemented&through&schools&individually,&as&

the&case&with&private&schools,&or&through&the&greater&school&district,&as&the&case&is&within&

the&public&school&sector.&

Backward"Curriculum"Design"Model.2//I&adapted&a&Backward&Design&model&in&my&

curriculum&planning&for&this&capstone&project.&&By&adapted,&I&mean&that&I&used&the&parts&of&

this&model&that&best&fit&my&own&philosophy,&school&culture&and&instructional&needs.&&The&

Backward&Curriculum&Design&model,&developed&by&Wiggins&and&McTighe&in&Understanding"

by"Design&(1998),&centers&on&the&idea&that&the&course&and&activity&design&process&should&

begin&with&identifying&desired&learning&results&and&then&working&backwards&to&develop&

assessments,&instruction,&and&content.&&This&approach&differs&from&a&traditional&curriculum&

design&approach&that&begins&with&defining&the&topics&to&be&covered.&&The&Backward&

Curriculum&Design&model&involves&three&main&stages:&identifying&desired&outcomes&and&

results,&determining&what&constitutes&acceptable&evidence&of&competency&in&the&outcomes&

and&results&(assessments),&and&planning&learning&experiences&and&instruction.&

& Blog.3//(http://m2swift.blogspot.com).//I&updated&my&blog&about&my&ideas&as&they&

developed.&&(See&Figure&1.)&&Simply&speaking,&a&blog&is&a&website&that&allows&the&individual&

owner&to&publish&his&own&thoughts,&commentary,&or&writing,&to&name&a&few.&&There&are&a&

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&2&Wiggins,&G.&(1989).&&The&futility&of&trying&to&teach&everything&of&importance.&&Educational"

Leadership"47(3),&p.&44]48,&57]59.&3&Blog.&(n.d.)&In&Blogger&online.&&Retrieved&from&https://www.blogger.com/tour_start.g.&


Swift&&13&

variety&of&blog&host&sites,&and&they&all&provide&the&opportunity&to&share&the&author’s&voice&

from&a&more&private&compilation&of&his&or&her&own&thoughts,&to&a&commanding&audience.&

& Flickr.4/(http://www.flickr.com/photos/art_in]flight/).&I&posted&my&own&images&and&

created&collections&as&resources&for&my&instructional&methods.&(See&Figure&2.)&Flickr&is&an&

online&photo]sharing&community&that&allows&users&to&make&their&images&available&to&

specific&people&or&more&generally&public.&&One&of&the&greatest&tools&of&Flickr&is&the&ability&to&

group&and&organize&imagery&through&options&like&sets&and&collections.&&Additionally,&Flickr&

allows&your&followers&to&help&organize&your&photos&and&add&hashtags&and&comments.&

/ Instagram.5//(http://instagram.com/missprofessor).&I&used&Instagram&as&a&method&

of&both&creating&as&well&as&publicly&sharing&the&photographs&I&took.&&It&provided&a&venue&to&

follow&other&artist,&teacher,&and&collaborative&groups’&photographs,&resulting&in&an&

additional&inspirational&resource&for&my&instructional&practices.&(See&Figure&3.)&&Instagram&

is&a&self]described&“fun&and&quirky&way&to&share&your&life&with&friends&though&a&series&of&

pictures.”&&Additionally,&Instagram&provides&users&the&ability&to&work&with&cell&phone&

cameras&and&their&specially&designed&filters&to&increase&the&quality&of&the&photograph.&&By&

allowing&users&to&share&on&a&photo]to]photo&basis&to&Flickr,&Facebook&and&Twitter,&images&

can&reach&a&wider&range&of&people&almost&instantly.&

/ Pinterest.6&&(http://pinterest.com/missprofessor/).&&I&used&Pinterest&as&a&means&of&

collecting&and&organizing&groups&of&images&as&sources&of&inspiration.&&These&collections&are&

available&for&others&to&view&and&save&as&inspiration&of&their&own.&&Pinterest&identifies&itself&

through&characteristics&such&as&“a&tool&for&collecting&and&organizing&things&you&love;&

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&4&Flickr.&(n.d.)&&In&Flickr&online.&&Retrieved&from&http://www.flickr.com/about/.&5&Instagram.&&(n.d.)&In&Instagram&online.&&Retrieved&from&http://instagram.com/about/faq/.&6&Pinterest&(n.d.)&&In&Pinterest&online.&&Retrieved&from&http://about.pinterest.com.&


Swift&&14&

millions&of&people&use&Pinterest&in&their&lives&and&work;&no&matter&what&your&interested&in,&

there’s&a&place&for&it&here.”&(See&Figure&4.)&

Literature/Review/

Researchers&and&educators&have&recognized&the&importance&of&including&technology&

in&instruction,&for&much&longer&than&many&others&may&even&realize.&&In&the&early&days&of&

computer]based&education,&students&were&dependent&upon&extensive&preparation&from&

teachers,&to&learn&the&capabilities&of&emerging&technologies&(Hubbard,&19).&&The&results&of&

early&case&studies&showed&the&importance&behind&well]developed&plans,&rich&with&

instructional&content,&as&supportive&components&to&the&inclusion&of&technology&in&the&

classroom&(Means&&&Olson,&5).&&Now,&however,&technology&is&advancing&at&such&a&high&rate,&

that&it&is&growing&exceedingly&more&difficult&for&educators&to&stay&on&the&frontline&of&

technological&knowledge.&&More&so,&it&would&be&easy&to&say&that&there&is&much&a&teacher&

could&learn&from&his&student,&with&regard&to&technology&capabilities.&&Fortunately,&the&

resources&available&to&teachers&involving&the&inclusion&of&technology&is&staggering,&though&

what&proves&to&be&an&added&challenge&is&implementing&good&art]making&practices&through&

emerging&technologies.&&Research&fellow&Trebor&Scholz&acknowledges&“for&media&artists,&

collaboration&and&consultation&are&inevitable,&as&technology]based&artwork&requires&

deepening&levels&of&specialization&to&bring&together&technological&and&conceptual&

components”&(2005,&p.&95).&So&how&can&student&interest&and&natural&ability&to&explore&

emerging&technologies,&contribute&to&an&educational&learning&environment?&&

For&educators,&it&is&a&bigger&challenge&to&bring&these&two&components&together&in&a&

constructive&learning&environment.&&&Not&much&has&changed&since&early&days&of&technology&

development&as&it&relates&to&the&need&for&people&to&learn&how&it&impacts&their&work,&the&


Swift&&15&

economy,&and&society.&&&Where&it&differs&now,&in&its&ability&to&teach&routine&skills,&simulate&

experiences,&test,&and&track&the&progress&of&students.&That&being&said,&“we&postulate&that&

using&digital&technologies&in&the&21st]century&classrooms&does&not&impede&creativity,&but&

instead&allows&and&encourages&users&to&access&their&creative&selves”&(Black&&&Browning,&

2011,&p.&20).&&Ultimately,&creativity&is&no&longer&necessarily&constrained&by&expensive&

equipment&or&lengthy&periods&of&time.&&Technology&has&made&it&even&easier&for&everyone&to&

create&and&find&imagery&that&is&inspirational&to&them.&&Students&benefit&from&this,&as&they&

have&become&accustomed&to&a&world&of&instant&capabilities,&and,&in&turn,&become&more&

engaged&in&the&creative&process.&&Art&educator&and&author,&Dr.&Craig&Roland&(2010),&has&

compiled&an&extensive&list&of&ideas,&tools&and&resources&for&teaching&art&and&design&in&a&

post]digital&age.&&&Among&the&list&are&social&media&sites&like&blogs,&Instagram,&Pinterest,&and&

Flickr;&sites&that&allow&individuals&to&post,&tag,&and&annotate&photographs&and&include&art&in&

every&day&practices.&&Digital&media&director,&Constance&Yowell&candidly&states&“digital&

technology&is&here,&kids&are&using&it&in&incredible&ways,&and&we&need&to&understand&its&

impact,&for&good&or&bad”&(as&cited&in&Trei,&2006,&para.&6).&&

&Acclaimed&curriculum&designer&Olivia&Gude&notes&“the&essential&contribution&that&

arts&education&can&make&to&our&students&and&to&our&communities&is&to&teach&skills&and&

concepts&while&creating&opportunities&to&investigate&and&represent&one’s&own&experiences&–

generating&personal&and&shared&meaning”&(2007,&p.&6).&&Carefully&planned&curriculum&

allows&the&teacher&to&focus&on&encouraging&the&creative&process.&&What&does&the&creative&

process&look&like&in&the&classroom?&&“Psychologist&Carl&Rogers&(1962)&describes&a&condition&

of&creativity&to&be&the&ability&to&play&spontaneously&with&ideas,&colours,&shapes,&

relationships—to&juggle&elements&into&impossible&juxtapositions,&to&shape&wild&hypotheses,&


Swift&&16&

to&make&the&given&problematic,&to&express&the&ridiculous,&to&translate&from&one&form&to&

another,&to&transform&into&improbable&equivalents”&(as&cited&in&Black&&&Browning,&2011,&p.&

21).&&Clearly&then,&lack&of&direction,&rigid&lessons,&and&projects&without&relevant&learning&

activities&develop&uncertainty&in&students’&ability&to&act&creatively.&&This&type&of&ambiguity&

can&result&in&hesitation&and&drive&the&desire&for&students&to&create&imagery&that&is&satisfies&

the&teacher&or&the&project&requirements.&&Balancing&skills&and&concepts&with&the&freedom&of&

playful&exploration&and&creative&interpretation,&encourages&their&creative&process&to&be&

more&reflective&of&inner&experiences.&(Gude,&2010).&"

Barbara&Henriksen&Andrews&recognizes&that&students&generate&ideas,&view&the&

teacher&as&a&“helpful&advisor”,&and&explore&topics&and&techniques&that&truly&excite&them&as&

opposed&to&simple&completion&of&designated&assignments.&(2010).&Engagement&is&critical&to&

development&of&these&types&of&creative&processes,&and&can&be&demonstrated&by&students&

asking&questions&and&assisting&their&peers.&&Identifying&the&teacher&as&a&resource&as&opposed&

to&a&lecturer,&encourages&collaborative&brainstorming&and&inspires&more&creative&

alternatives&(Bryant,&2010).&&The&notion&of&“motivation”&for&students&is&more&individually&

determined&by&what&produces&a&strong,&internal&reaction&in&the&student.&&Most&research&

suggests&that&student&engagement&can&be&created&through&the&assignment&planning&by&the&

teacher.&&Effective&teaching&strategies,&student&responsibility,&projects&with&purpose&are&all&

teacher]driven&methods&that&research&deems&the&keys&to&success&(Andrews,&2001,&Grimm,&

2011,&Stephens,&2007).&&The&development&of&a&perfect&curriculum&is&certainly&a&critical&

component&to&the&solution&of&educational&motivation&problems.&&

Once&teachers&are&“able&to&state&with&clarity&what&the&student&should&understand&

and&be&able&to&do&as&a&result&of&any&plan&and&irrespective&of&any&constraints&we&face,”&


Swift&&17&

Backward&Design&can&be&implemented&(Wiggins,&1998,&p.&14).&&So&what&does&Backward&

Design&look&like&in&effective&curriculum&design?&&Plainly&speaking,&it&looks&like&an&inverted&

pyramid:&the&biggest&question&on&top:&What&relevant&goals&(e.g.,&content&standards,&

course/program&objectives)&will&this&design&address?&&Beginning&with&a&large&general&

question,&all&further&questions&frame&a&more&concise&vision&of&the&learning&experience.&&In&

the&classroom,&it&looks&like&all&students&being&able&to&answer&questions&about&the&

purposefulness&of&the&learning&activities.&&Students&are&actively&engaged&in&learning&and&are&

able&to&answer&questions&like:&What&are&you&doing?&Why&are&you&being&asked&to&do&it?&What&

will&it&help&you&do?&&From&the&teacher’s&perspective,&the&Backward&Design&model&looks&like&

more&constructive&lesson&plans,&more&thoughtful&learning&activities,&and&more&efficient&

assessment&tools.&&Additionally,&teachers&are&then&the&“coaches&of&their&ability&to&play&the&

“game”&of&performing&with&understanding,&not&tellers&of&our&understanding&to&them&on&the&

sidelines”&(Wiggins,&1998,&p.&17).&

& This&type&of&stimulation&creates&heightened&levels&of&engagement&that&will&result&in&a&

deeper&understanding&and&reflection.&&Gude’s&thoughts&on&explorative&questions&have&an&

unspoken&common&denominator:&individuality.&&Questions&posed&result&in&inquiries&that&

vary&based&on&the&individual.&&This&form&of&learning&allows&educators&to&“teach&skills&and&

concepts&while&creating&opportunities&to&investigate&and&represent&one’s&own&experiences”&

(Bolin,&1996,&6).&Teaching&then&becomes&more&personal&thus&cultivating&a&desire&to&learn.&&

Students&begin&to&recognize&their&own&potential&and&value&their&personal&contributions&

towards&society&and&culture.&

Awakening&this&responsibility&for&one’s&own&learning&through&questions&is&a&belief&

firmly&supported&by&Grant&Wiggins’s&article&“The&Futility&of&Trying&to&Teach&Everything&of&


Swift&&18&

Importance”&(1989).&&Wiggins&deduces&that&“educational&progress&would&thus&be&measured&

as&the&ability&to&deepen&and&broaden&one’s&command&of&essential&questions&by&marshaling&

knowledge&and&arguments&to&address&them”&(Wiggins,&1989,&p.&46).&&This&theory&then&

supports&the&notion&that&curriculum&needs&to&be&reorganized&around&thoughtful&inquiry&as&

opposed&to&centered&around&textbooks&and&standardized&tests.&&When&curriculum&is&

governed&by&“important&concepts”&constrained&by&the&boundaries&of&a&text,&everything&that&

actually&is&important&loses&its&credibility.&&Teachers&must&use&the&text&as&a&guiding&resource&

for&students&to&keep&questioning.&&Only&then&will&students&develop&“the&passion&to&question,&

without&the&fear&of&looking&foolish,&and&with&the&knowledge&to&learn&where&and&how&the&

facts&can&be&found”&(Wiggins,&1989,&p.&57).&

Identifying&key&concepts&and&enduring&ideas&is&governed&by&identifying&specific&

desired&results&as&they&relate&to&content&standards,&curriculum&expectations&and&

understanding"as&a&framework&derived&from&questions.&&Backward&Design&provides&a&

skeleton&format&to&assist&teachers&in&identifying&what&is&really&important&in&their&lessons.&&It&

includes&the&implementation&of&“WHERETO”&criteria&(Wiggins,&1989,&p.&22):&

W=&Where&the&unit&is&going;&What&is&expected;&Where&are&the&students&

& coming&from&(prior&knowledge,&interests).&

H=&&Hook&all&students;&Hold&their&interest&

E=&&Equip&students;&Experience&key&ideas;&Explore&the&issues&

R=&&Rethink;&Revise&

E=&&Evaluate&their&work&and&its&implications&

T=&&Tailor&to&the&different&needs,&interests,&and&abilities&of&learners&

O=&&Organize&to&maximize&initial&and&sustained&engagement&

These&concepts&are&easily&adaptable&for&the&curriculum&needs&of&all&classes,&and&of&all&types&

of&teachers.&Questions&posed&by&Transforming&Education&Through&the&Arts&Challenge&


Swift&&19&

[TETAC]&(Stewart&&&Walker,&2005,&&p.&85)&provide&useful&questions&for&art&educators&

wishing&to&develop&curriculum&through&a&Backward&Design&framework,&&“Do&activities&and&

questions&provide&substantive&engagement&for&students?&Does&the&unit&address&sufficiently,&

all&the&knowledge&and&skills&that&need&to&be&taught&in&order&for&students&to&achieve&the&unit&

goals&and&objectives?&Are&there&opportunities&for&students&to&ask&questions?&&Do&enduring&

ideas,&key&concepts&and&essential&questions&provide&cohesiveness&and&focus&throughout&the&

unit?”&&

Methodology/

My&research&methodology&was&primarily&curriculum&research&and&design,&as&

informed&by&the&Backward&Design&model.&&I&created&an&autobiographical&self]study&of&my&

own&thinking&and&adaptations&of&the&Backward&Design&model&in&the&creation&of&lessons&and&

selection&of&resources&for&my&high&school&photography&classes.&&I&utilized&extensive&

journaling,&reflection,&and&analysis&of&my&thinking&and&shaping&of&lessons.&&As&this&is&a&study&

that&focused&on&my&planning,&thinking&and&research&as&a&teacher,&some&of&my&journaling&I&

shared&through&blogging;&other&journaling&remained&private&as&a&way&to&explore&my&ideas.&&I&

shared&blog&insights&and&emerging&findings&as&a&result&of&the&conducted&research.&This&

autobiographical&self]study&part&of&my&research&took&place&over&the&span&of&approximately&

four&weeks,&as&I&prepared&the&curriculum&for&the&upcoming&school&year.&

/

Curriculum/Research/and/Development/Procedures//

For&my&capstone&research&project,&I&studied&my&curriculum&development&for&the&

photography&course&I&teach&in&a&private&elite&high&school,&currently&populated&with&9th]11th&

grade&students,&and&adding&a&graduating&12th&grade&class&in&the&2013]2014&school&year.&&The&


Swift&&20&

school&is&located&in&a&major&metropolitan&area&in&the&southeast;&comprised&of&highly&

ethnically&diverse&areas,&in&which&students&speak&multiple&languages,&though&a&primarily&

affluent&area.&&

I&conducted&searches&for&contemporary&photographers,&using&online&databases,&as&

well&as&consulting&museum&and&gallery&websites,&and&artists’&webpages.&&I&also&utilized&

online&resources&such&as&Flickr,&Instagram,&Pinterest&and&collaborative&blogs&such&as&

www.thisiscolossal.com,&to&identify&trending&artists&as&inspiration&for&my&photography&

projects.&&As&I&found&imagery&that&lent&itself&towards&the&big&ideas&and&key&concepts&of&plans&

adapted&from&the&Backward&Design&model,&I&bookmarked,&annotated&and&tagged&images&in&

Pinterest,&creating&a&searchable&online&database&I&can&use&in&instruction.&By&working&

through&a&revised&Backward&Design&model,&I&was&able&to&ensure&that&the&projects&did&not&

merely&center&on&skills&and&technical&processes,&but&rather,&focused&on&what&was&truly&

important&for&student&learning.7&

& I&created&and&shared&my&teaching&materials&through&a&website&

(http://theswiftteacher.weebly.com)&with&an&embedded&blog&

(http://m2swift.blogspot.com),&and&links&to&Instagram&

((http://instagram.com/missprofessor),&Pinterest&(http://pinterest.com/missprofessor/),&

and&Flickr&(http://www.flickr.com/photos/art_in]flight/)&sites.&&By&tagging&and&annotating&

images&and&self]created&resources,&my&materials&are&easily&searchable&and&organized&for&

public&access.&&Additionally,&through&the&use&of&social&media&sites,&I&was&able&to&create&online&

communities&for&my&students&to&discuss&imagery&that&they&find&or&create,&with&their&peers.&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&7&Although&not&specifically&discussed&in&this&paper,&utilizing&information&regarding&future&changes&in&state&and&national&standards,&I&also&examined&emerging&National&Visual&Arts&Standards to make sure my work aligns with this vision of art education (see www.arteducators.org/news/NCCAS_Brochure_lo-res.pdf and www.arteducators.org/nccas). &


Swift&&21&

Limitations&

While&still&valuable,&my&capstone&research&project&did&include&student&reflections,&

suggestions&or&commentary.&&Additionally,&it&did&include&guided&instruction&on&how&to&use&

the&tools&and&features&of&the&social&media&sites&used&as&a&platform&for&my&research&and&

implementation.&&This&study&did&not&attempt&to&analyze&or&observe&student&behavior,&nor&

will&it&include&images&of&them,&as&this&was&an&independent&teacher&research&and&curriculum&

development&self]study.&&Additionally,&I&am&in&no&way&saying&that&this&was&the&only&way&one&

can&conduct&a&study&of&teaching.&&Due&to&the&nature&of&a&self]study,&I&did&not&claim&that&my&

findings&could&be&generalized&to&other&teachers.&&Furthermore,&my&findings&were&limited&to&

what&could&be&ascertained&in&the&time&span&given.&Finally,&my&own&knowledge&and&use&of&

these&sites&and&tools&as&technological&resources&for&creative&art]making&and&sharing,&what&I&

take&for&granted&about&my&own&technological&prowess,&may&have&limited&the&kind&of&

information&I&included&in&this&discussion&of&the&development&of&my&curriculum.&

Findings&

& My&Capstone&project&research&was&intended&to&develop&good&high&school&art&

teaching&practices&for&the&coming&year,&document&my&preparation&process,&and&shape&units&

of&study&inspired&by&contemporary&art,&informed&by&contemporary&art&thinking,&and&

relevant&to&the&needs&of&students.&&Throughout&this&study,&I&examined&my&curriculum&

preparation&process,&with&particular&interest&in&the&inclusion&of&emerging&standards&and&

adaptations&of&the&Backward&Design&model.&&I&paid&careful&attention&to&identifying&how&I&

conveyed&what&was&really&important&and&how&my&students&could&envision&the&big&ideas&

through&their&art&creations.&

Insights/and/Approaches/informing/my/Curricular/Development//


Swift&&22&

/ In&this&section,&I&describe&three&units&of&study&that&I&developed&in&this&research&

project./I&found&that&each&project&I&created&began&with&a&focus&around&different&variables.&&In&

the&first&unit&of&study&developed&in&this&research&project,&I&decided&to&take&a&previously&

failed&project&and&completely&re]design&it&after&careful&study&of&the&original&lesson&plans.&&In&

this&case,&I&chose&a&unit&on&Immigration,&as&I&found&the&foundation&for&the&original&project&

centered&on&what&I&had&envisioned&as&a&final&product.&&I&noted&that&all&learning&activities&

were&skill]driven&and&there&were&few&inclusions&of&emerging&technologies.&&The&second&unit&

I&worked&on&for&this&research&project&was&a&minor&redesign&of&a&marginally&successful&

project&on&Nature&and&Portraiture.&&I&found&that&my&original&plan&was&focused&on&state&and&

national&standards,&but&again&lacked&inclusion&of&technology.&&The&third&project&I&worked&on&

in&this&research&project&was&a&completely&new&project&on&Perspective&and&Perception.&&This&

project&centered&around&big&ideas&and&essential&questions,&as&guided&by&the&Backward&

Design&model.&&&

& Each&of&the&aforementioned&curriculum&development&projects&involved&a&slightly&

different&focus.&Ultimately,&I&found&that&each&type&of&focus&yielded&its&own&problem&for&my&

development&process&and&that&I&needed&to&adapt&the&Backward&Design&model.&&I&found&by&

creating&curricular&units&inspired&by&contemporary&art,&that&utilized&emerging&standards&as&

big&ideas&and&essential&questions,&I&had&a&wider&range&of&research&with&which&to&develop&

learning&activities.&&By&establishing&these&aspects&first,&I&found&that&I&was&then&able&to&

incorporate&technology&in&a&more&meaningful&way.&&By&looking&at&the&project&from&a&well]

rounded&perspective,&I&found&my&curricular&units&to&be&more&richly&developed.&&Two&

additional&areas&of&concern,&mentioned&below,&also&guided&my&process./


Swift&&23&

" Contemporary"Art./I&found&that&as&I&designed&each&project,&the&more&I&researched&

contemporary&art,&the&more&options&became&available&for&integration&within&my&curricular&

units.&&Instead&of&limiting&my&research&to&one&particular&artist&that&satisfied&the&example&I&

was&looking&for,&I&found&myself&looking&for&artists&and&ideas&that&inspired&that"particular&

artist.&&My&research&led&me&to&a&chain&of&photographers&that&may&have&once&worked&

together,&taught&one&another,&or&inquired&about&the&philosophy&of&each&other.&&I&found&that&

contemporary&artists&are&not&only&sources&of&inspiration,&but&resources&for&things&like&

processes&and&technique,&location,&and&experience,&and&many&are&willing&to&share&their&

knowledge.&&In&this&discovery,&I&found&the&importance&behind&including&that&type&of&

professional&communication&and&dialogue&into&my&curricular&units&of&study;&if&I&could&

benefit&from&online&discussions&with&practicing&photographers,&then&my&students&most&

certainly&would&as&well.&&In&addition,&I&found&that&contemporary&art&and&photographers&do&

not&always&need&to&be&used&as&inspiration&for&art]making,&but&can&serve&as&sources&of&

discussion&or&comparative&analysis.&&The&learning&opportunities&available&through&the&

sharing&of&opinions,&observations&and&reflections,&further&enhance&the&quality&of&the&

curricular&unit./

" Technology"as"a"Tool."As&I&focused&on&the&inclusion&of&emerging&technologies&like&

Instagram,&Twitter,&and&Pinterest,&in&my&curricular&units&of&study,&I&found&that&I&originally&

used&them&as&means&of&sharing&final&imagery.&&As&I&furthered&my&study&of&my&development&

processes,&I&found&myself&integrating&them&into&units&as&research&tools&as&well.&&Ultimately,&I&

ended&up&utilizing&them&to&conduct&most&of&my&own&research&for&each&project.&&For&example,&

while&researching&contemporary&art&for&the&Nature&and&Portraiture&project,&I&found&a&

photographer&on&Instagram&that&really&embodied&the&qualities&of&nature&I&value.&&Through&


Swift&&24&

Instagram,&I&was&able&to&find&his&Twitter&account&and&professional&blog,&all&of&which&

contained&additional&information&about&the&work&he&does&and&his&artistic&philosophy.&&In&the&

following&days,&Twitter&sent&me&an&email&with&a&list&of&people&similar&to&the&photographer&I&

had&previously&searched.&&My&research&led&to&more&extensive&research&and&ultimately&

exposed&me&to&artists&that&would&have&otherwise&gone&unnoted.&&Additionally,&I&found&as&I&

conducted&research&on&contemporary&art,&I&found&more&than&I&was&expecting&on&those&

venues.&&In&some&instances&I&thought&my&search&would&result&in&a&limited&number&of&images&

or&sources,&but&found&that&to&be&highly&inaccurate.&&I&also&found&myself&using&these&research&

tools&in&my&spare&time,&where&perhaps&previously,&I&would&have&searched&more&

apathetically&or&randomly.&&As&I&utilized&emerging&technologies&as&research&tools&as&well&as&

learning&activities&in&my&curricular&units,&I&found&these&resources&also&triggered&connections&

to&former&students’&work.&&This&realization&left&me&compiling&lists&of&artists,&blogs,&and&

websites&to&share&with&students,&as&I&found&them&pertinent&to&their&choice&of&study."

Three/Units/of/Study/

/ In&the&following&descriptions,&I&provide&a&short&synopsis&of&three&units&of&study&that&

exemplify&my&curriculum&revision&approach.&&Each&if&these&units&are&further&articulated&on&

my&website,&resourced&in&my&Pinterest&page,&and&my&thinking&in&developing&these&units&is&

shared&on&my&blog.&

" Immigration:"The"story"of"you."(See&Figure&5.)"For&my&first&curricular&unit,&I&chose&to&

design&a&lesson&with&the&subject&of&immigration.&&I&wanted&my&students&to&learn&to&create&

imagery&that&tells&stories&and&creates&awareness,&while&exploring&their&own&story&and&

thought&processes.&&Beginning&with&basic&photography,&I&planned&for&students&to&work&

collaboratively&in&small&groups,&to&write&definitions&for&particular&concepts.&&Upon,&learning&


Swift&&25&

the&terminology,&I&then&asked&students&to&create&Pinterest&

(http://pinterest.com/missprofessor/depth]of]field/)&boards&that&illustrate&the&technique.&&

I&planned&to&utilize&Instagram&to&search&for&further&examples,&as&well&as&to&find&

photographers&who&successfully&use&photography&techniques,&to&follow,&subsequently&

posting&their&usernames&onto&our&LMS&discussion&thread&to&share&with&classmates.&&The&

next&learning&activity&looked&at&the&work&of&three&current&travel&photographers&through&

their&professional&websites&and&the&blogs&of&their&documented&experiences.&&I&created&

opportunities&for&discussion&and&for&their&exchange&of&questions&with&the&photographers.&&

Tying&in&cultural&differences&noted&in&the&travel&photographers&stories&and&current&events&

regarding&immigrant’&status&in&the&United&States,&I&posed&several&controversial&questions&

and&asked&students&to&share&their&opinions&on&our&LMS.&&With&the&concept&of&immigration&

and&the&struggles&and&benefits&associated&with&it,&I&planned&for&students&to&find&a&subject&

with&an&immigration&story&to&share.&&Students&would&prepare&appropriate&interview&

questions&to&learn&their&story&prior&to&photographing&them,&and&share&their&findings&

through&in]class&presentations.&&Using&imagery&ideas&spawned&from&class&feedback&of&their&

interviews,&students&would&then&photograph&their&subject;&working&collaboratively&through&

sharing&ideas&to&portray&their&subject,&and&their&subject’s&story,&accurately.&&After&sharing&

their&imagery&with&the&class,&as&a&Pinterest&board,&and&in&a&Flickr&album,&I&planned&for&

students&to&participate&in&a&self]reflective&activity,&asking&questions&like:&&“How&can&this&

experience&create&deeper&meaning&in&your&photographs?”,&“How&would&you&describe&the&

album&you&created?”,&&and&“Did&this&inspire&you&to&know&more&about&your&own&heritage;&

what&would&the&research&process&look&like?”&&The&final&assessment&rubric&included&criteria&


Swift&&26&

from&photography&technique&and&skill&demonstration&to&imagery&rich&with&meaning&and&

purpose.&

" Nature"in"Portraiture.""For&my&second&curricular&unit,&I&chose&to&develop&a&project&

with&the&subjects&of&nature&and&symbolism.&&I&wanted&my&students&to&integrate&curiosity,&

range&of&interests,&attentiveness,&and&artistic&intention&in&their&creative&process.&&I&began&

with&using&Flickr;&students&would&search&portrait&photography,&and&pose&comments&and&

questions&to&the&authors&of&their&chosen&images.&&Then,&students&would&create&Pinterest&

(http://pinterest.com/missprofessor/nature/)&boards&illustrating&nature&and&sharing&with&

them&with&classmates.&Upon&conclusion&of&discussion&regarding&the&common&practice&of&

using&nature&as&symbolic&elements,&students&would&read&an&excerpt&taken&from&the&

Metropolitan&Museum&of&Art&and&participate&in&an&online&game&from&the&Smithsonian&

Museum.&&I&then&developed&learning&activities&the&focused&on&researching&several&

photographers&and&posed&several&critical&thinking&questions&regarding&their&imagery.&&As&a&

follow&up&activity,&I&planned&for&students&to&find&similar&artists,&follow&them&on&Twitter,&and&

share&their&findings&through&our&LMS.&&After&producing&a&portfolio&of&five&images&that&

combined&symbolism,&nature&and&portraiture,&I&planned&for&students&to&upload&an&image&of&

their&choosing,&to&Instagram,&and&the&portfolio&to&an&album&in&Flickr.&&A&final&self]reflection&

would&provide&students&with&the&opportunity&to&answer&questions&like:&“How&can&this&

experience&influence&future&image&ideas?”,&“How&would&you&describe&the&concept&of&double&

exposure,&as&it&relates&to&creating&a&deeper&meaning&in&your&imagery?”,&and&“How&does&

knowing&more&about&your&subject,&allow&you&to&push&creative&boundaries?”&&The&final&

assessment&rubric&included&criteria&from&photography&technique&and&skill&demonstration&

to&imagery&rich&with&creativity&and&curiosity.&


Swift&&27&

" From"Your"Perspective:"The"Art"of"Perception.""For&my&third&curricular&unit,&I&focused&

on&the&subjects&of&perspective&and&perception.&&I&wanted&my&students&to&analyze&how&visual&

information&is&developed,&and&demonstrate&flexibility&and&adaptability&through&the&

innovation&process.&&I&began&with&a&research&unit&focused&on&two&artists,&substantiated&with&

questions&pertaining&to&observation&and&viewer&response,&and&completed&with&sharing&and&

discussing&their&findings&on&our&LMS.&&Then,&I&planned&to&have&students&follow&a&particular&

blogger,&to&adapt&one&of&his&methods&to&an&activity&they&could&do&and&share&their&imagery&on&

Instagram.&&I&took&this&project&one&step&further,&when&I&found&a&smartphone&application&that&

mimics&Photoshop&adjustments,&by&having&students&download&the&application&and&use&

particular&features&to&take&a&series&of&five&to&ten&images.&&After&sharing&that&album&on&Flickr,&

I&returned&to&one&of&the&original&artists&and&presented&them&with&an&alternative&inspiration&

for&a&final&portfolio&of&5&additional&images.&&Students&would&then&be&asked&to&upload&those&

images&to&Instagram,&using&proper&annotations&and&hashtags.&&A&final&self]reflective&

assessment&would&provide&students&with&the&opportunity&to&answer&questions&like:&“How&

does&this&project&change&your&understanding&of&how&people&perceive&photography?”,&“How&

would&you&describe&the&series&of&images&you&created?”,&and&“Did&this&project&change&the&

way&you&view&images&you&previously&liked&or&disliked?&How?”&&The&final&assessment&rubric&

included&criteria&from&photography&technique&and&skill&demonstration&to&imagery&rich&with&

challenges&of&perception&and&perspective.&

Discussion/

The&goal&of&my&capstone&research&project&was&to&reshape&units&of&study&in&my&high&

school&photography&program.&&I&wanted&to&describe&my&own&professional&developmental&

process&and&classroom&instructional&strategies&in&my&effort&to&develop&best&practices&for&


Swift&&28&

incorporating&contemporary&art&thinking,&emerging&approaches&in&curriculum&design,&and&

digital&technologies.&Most&of&all,&I&wanted&to&design&projects&that&would&be&relevant&and&

interesting&to&my&students.&This&study&included&documentation&of&my&thought&processes&

throughout&my&curriculum&development&phases,&by&means&of&reflections&on&both&successful&

as&well&as&failed&lessons&taught&in&the&past.&&It&was&through&this&type&of&personal&study&and&

reflection&that&I&was&able&to&provide&the&insight&into&the&development&of&a&contemporary&

photography&curriculum&utilizing&the&inclusion&of&technology&within&my&art&classroom.&

& By&combining&Jeanette&Veatch’s&(1960)&concept&that&motivation&comes&from&a&strong&

internal&reaction,&and&Olivia&Gude’s&(2010)&recognition&of&the&importance&behind&creating&

investigative&opportunities,&teachers&are&able&create&quality&curricular&units.&&When&

enhanced&by&emerging&social&media&tools,&Kathy&Browning&and&Joanna&Black&(2011)&found&

individuals&were&allowed&access&to&their&creative&selves.&&As&this&study&focused&on&the&

autobiographical&self]study&of&my&own&development&of&photography&curriculum&units,&I&

sought&to&identify&what&art&curriculum&preparation&looked&like,&with&attention&to&including&

emerging&standards&and&effectively&using&social&media&technologies,&to&teach&students&to&

envision&the&big&idea&through&creative&art&making.&&I&found&through&planning&with&the&bigger&

picture&in&mind,&more&outcomes&were&possible&and&richer&units&of&study&were&developed.&&

The&remainder&of&this&section&will&share&my&interpretation&and&significance&of&my&findings,&

as&well&as&my&recommendations&for&how&research&will&shape&my&professional&practices.&&

& In&examining&my&past&curriculum&more&closely&through&this&research&project,&I&found&

my&original&projects&had&been&very&skill&and&technique]based,&leaving&little&room&for&

student&relevance&or&creative&exploration.&&Contemporary&art&influences&were&very&limited&

and&utilized&the&photographers’&works’&merely&as&examples&of&what&the&final&student&


Swift&&29&

product&should&look&like.&&Emerging&technologies&were&barely&utilized,&or&simply&utilized&as&

tools&to&complete&a&task&as&opposed&to&resources"to&creative&expression.&&&

& As&I&re]designed&my&curricular&units,&I&tried&to&keep&an&open&mind&about&what&my&

curriculum&research&and&revision&would&yield,&as&it&was&more&important&to&me&that&projects&

conveyed&what&was&truly&important.&&Being&open]minded&left&me&more&willing&to&change&

direction&mid]project&design,&or&include&a&wider&variety&of&explorative&activities&within&the&

unit.&&As&I&researched&contemporary&art&through&the&use&of&emerging&technologies,&I&found&

that&I&was&excited&and&could&easily&spend&hours&investigating&my&discoveries.&&In&the&end,&I&

found&my&new&projects&were&overall&more&organized,&inclusive&of&investigative&

technologies,&and&relevant&to&the&lives&of&my&students.&&

/ I&now&remind&myself&of&several&things&as&I&move&forward&with&these&units&of&study&in&

the&coming&year.//I&must&carefully&consider&the&difficulties&connected&to&designing&a&

curriculum&and&developing&lesson&plans,&but&the&additional&element&of&incorporating&

technology&creates&a&new&focus&within&the&art&classroom.&&I&must&look&at&lessons&from&two&

perspectives:&teaching&through&technology&and&learning&through&technology.&&Knowing&the&

potential&problems&my&students&may&encounter,&leads&to&better&preparation&and&a&personal&

understanding&of&their&potential&frustration&with&the&creative&process.&&At&the&same&time,&

too&much&trouble]shooting&can&hinder&the&opportunity&for&student&self]discovery&and&

problem]solving&exploration.&Additionally,&students&need&the&freedom&to&develop&their&

creativity&as&well&as&the&knowledge&of&basic&practical&skills;&therefore,&learning&activities&

must&teach&the&use&of&artistic&media&but&not&overpower&the&potential&of&the&student.&&

Overall,&I&believe&we,&as&art&educators,&should&not&be&afraid&to&reinvent&failed&projects.&&As&


Swift&&30&

we&study&why&the&project&failed,&we&learn&more&about&how&we&can&be&better&teachers,&and&

are&more&easily&able&to&identify&our&best&teaching&practices.&&&

Final/Thoughts/and/Recommendations&

As&an&art&educator,&I&can&feel&the&energy&intensify&in&my&classroom,&when&my&

students&are&engaged&in&work&that&is&substantial&and&creative.&&I&want&that&feeling&to&remain&

constant&through&each&project,&but&sometimes&it&falls,&and&I&know&it&is&sometimes&because&

there&are&elements&missing&from&the&curriculum&I&designed.&&I&know&I&am&not&the&only&

teacher&that&experiences&these&moments,&but&it&is&what&we&do&with&this&awareness&that&

makes&us&better&teachers.&&I&recommend&that&art&educators&make&the&time&to&review&their&

own&curricular&units.&&Do&not&cast&away&a&failed&project,&but&rather&take&the&time&to&identify&

why&it&failed&and&re]design&it&in&a&way&that&supports&what&you&believe&is&most&important.&&&

I&recommend&that&teachers&embrace&technology.&&If&we&are&using&it&in&our&own&

personal&lives,&you&know&our&students&are&using&it&too&–&just&more&frequently,&and&probably&

more&extensively.&&By&including&it&in&your&development&of&curricular&units,&you&are&

encouraging&students&to&use&tools&they&are&interested&in,&in&a&different&manner.&&Using&social&

media&tools&like&Pinterest&and&Instagram,&I&was&also&more&in&tune&with&how&my&students&

were&spending&their&time.&

After&completing&this&study,&I&would&recommend&future&research&that&focuses&on&

collaborative&opportunities&for&art&educators&to&share&failed"projects.&&So&often&there&are&

workshop&and&collaborative&opportunities&for&sharing&our&best&projects&and&best&practices&

that&we&leave&feeling&overwhelmed&and&fail&to&use&the&work&we&have&gathered.&&However,&if&

we&have&the&opportunity&to&revise&our&own&material,&I&believe&educators&will&most&likely&use&


Swift&&31&

it,&as&well&as&go&back&and&review&other&projects.&&That&type&of&research&could&result&in&newly&

identified&best&practices&that&could&be&useful&to&many.&

Additionally,&I&would&reinforce&the&need&to&find&out&what&is&relevant&to&your&

students.&&I&have&found&that&my&students&thrive&on&the&concept&of&instant&gratification&–&so&

much&so,&that&they&can&often&be&found&inquiring&about&the&grade&they&received&on&a&project&

submitted&only&minutes&prior.&&There&is&a&great&emphasis&placed&on&the&number&of&“likes”&

one&of&their&Instagram&photos&received,&or&how&many&followers&they&have&on&Twitter.&&They&

want&to&be&on&the&front&line&of&the&biggest&story&and&the&cutting&edge&of&the&newest&gadget,&

and&with&the&advancements&of&technology,&they&are&able&to&do&all&of&these&things&through&

their&cell&phones&or&tablets.&&If&I&can&utilize&these&tools&and&teach&through"them,&students&are&

more&likely&to&engage&in&the&activities&I&plan.&&Knowing&what&is&really&important&to&students,&

using&contemporary&art&as&inspiration,&and&utilizing&what&technology&has&made&available&

has&the&potential&to&shape&a&great&curriculum.&&Being&aware&of&what&does&not&work&so&well&

in&the&classroom&(which&means&paying&close&attention&to&students),&not&being&afraid&to&find&

out&why,&engaging&in&self]reflection&on&ones’&own&teaching,&and&investing&in&curriculum&

analysis&and&revitalization&is&what&makes&a&great&teacher.&

& &


Swift&&32&

References&

Andrews,&B.&H.&(2001).&&Art&and&ideas:&reaching&nontraditional&art&students.&&Art"Education,"

54(5),&33]36.&

Black,&J.&&&Browning,&K.&(2011).&&Creativity&in&digital&art&education&teaching&practices.&&Art"

Education"64(5),&19]24,&33]34.&

Bolin,&P.&E.&&(1996).&&We&are&what&we&ask.&&Art"Education"49(5),&p.&6]10.&

Bryant,&C.&(2010).&&A&21st]century&art&room:&the&remix&of&creativity&and&technology.&&Art"

Education"63(2),&43]48.&

Cummings,&L.&(1975).&&Creative&behavior&as&a&function&of&task&environment:&impact&of&

objectives,&procedures,&and&controls.&&The"Academy"of"Management"Journal"18(3),&

489]499.&

Deaton,&J.&B.&(2011).&&Do&you&need&ideal&conditions&to&do&great&work?&&Retrieved&from&

http://jbdeaton.com/2011/do]you]need]ideal]conditions]to]do]great]work/.&

Gelman,&A.&(2011).&&Do&you&need&ideal&conditions&to&do&great&work?&&Retrieved&from&

http://andrewgelman.com/2011/02/do_you_need_ide/.&

Grimm,&K.&(2011).&&Classroom&motivation&and&management.&&Retrieved&from&

http://arteducationdaily.blogspot.com/2011/06/classroom]motivation]and]

management.html.&

Gude,&O.&(2007)&Principles&of&possibility:&Considerations&for&a&21st]century&art&&&culture&

curriculum.&&Art"Education"60(1),&6]17.&

Gude,&O.&(2010).&&Playing,&creativity,&possibility.&Art"Education"63(2),&31]37.&


Swift&&33&

Homes,&E.&(2011).&&Style&as&seen&through&rose]colored&iPhone&app.&&Wall"Street"Journal"

(Online).&&Retrieved&from&

http://search.proquest.com/docview/889144805?accountid=10920.&

Hubbard,&G.,&&&Linehan,&T.&E.&(1983).&&Arcade&games,&mindstorms,&and&art&education.&&Art"

Education"36(3),&18]20.&

Johnson,&V.&B.,&&&Brockmeyer,&J.&J.&(1981).&&The&art&classroom&as&art&teacher.&&Art"Education"

34(1),&12]14.&

Marshall,&J.&(2010).&&Thinking&outside&and&on&the&box."Art"Education."63(2).&16.&&

Roberts,&L.&(1983).&&The&computer&age&comes&to&our&nation’s&classrooms.&&Theory"into"

Practice"22(4),&308]312.&

Roland,&C.&(1990).&&Our&love&affair&with&new&technology:&Is&the&honeymoon&over?.&&Art"

Education"43(3),&54]60.&

Roland,&C.&(2010).&&Preparing&art&teachers&to&teach&in&a&new&digital&landscape.&&Art"

Education,"53(1),&17]24.&

Russell,&C.&(1979).&&Modifying&creative&behaviors.&&Art"Education"32(6),&p.&20]21.&

Stephens,&P.&(2007).&&Motivating&students&to&learn&and&achieve&in&art.&&Retrieved&from&

http://www.davisart.com/Portal/SchoolArts/articles/STSG307.pdf&

Stewart,&M.&&&Walker,&S.&(2005).&&Rethinking&curriculum&in&art.&&Worcester,&MA:&Davis&

Publications.&

Susi,&F.&(1986).&&Physical&space&and&the&teaching&of&art.&Art"Education"39(2),&6]9.&

Susi,&F.&(1989).&&The&physical&environment&of&art&classrooms:&a&basis&for&effective&discipline.&&

Art"Education"42(4),&37]43.&


Swift&&34&

Trei,&L.&(Nov.&12,&2006).&&Researchers"study"how"technology"shapes"the"ways"in"which"

students"learn.""Retrieved&from&

http://news.stanford.edu/news/2006/november15/barron]

111506.html?view=print.&

U.S.&Department&of&Education.&&Office&of&Educational&Research&and&Improvement.&&

Technology’s"Role"in"Education:"Findings"from"a"National"Study"of"Innovating"Schools.&&

By&Barbara&Means&&&Kerry&Olson.&&Washington,&DC,&1995.&

http://www2.ed.gov/PDFDocs/techrole.pdf.&

Veatch,&J.&(1960).&&Art…and&the&classroom&teacher.&&Art"Education"13(9),&11]12,&21]22.&

Wiggins,&G.&(1989).&&The&futility&of&trying&to&teach&everything&of&importance.&&Educational"

Leadership"47(3),&44]48,&57]59.&

&

& &&&

& &


Swift&&35&

&

Figure"1.""My&personal&blog.&&This&figure&illustrates&my&personal&reflective&blog,&used&to&

document&discoveries&and&findings&throughout&the&course&of&this&study.&

(http://m2swift.blogspot.com)&


Swift&&36&

&&Figure"2.""My&Flickr&site.&&This&figure&illustrates&some&of&the&images&I&posted&as&I&created&

albums&for&the&curricular&units&I&designed.&

& &


Swift&&37&

&&Figure"3.""My&Instagram&page.&&This&figure&illustrates&sample&images&I&posted&while&

designing&my&curricular&units.&&(http://instagram.com/missprofessor).&

& &


Swift&&38&

&&Figure"4.&&My&Pinterest&page.&&This&figure&illustrates&sample&boards&I&created&as&resources&

for&the&curricular&units&I&developed.&&(http://pinterest.com/missprofessor/)& &


Swift&&39&

&

&&Figure"5.""My&professional&website.&&This&figure&illustrates&the&professional&website&I&created&

to&share&my&curricular&units.&&(http://theswiftteacher.weebly.com)& &


Swift&&40&

List/of/Figures/

Figure&1.&&Journaling&is&a&way&to&reflect&on&one’s&experiences;&I&chose&to&share&my&in&a&blog.&

Figure&2.&&Having&an&easily&accessible&online&portfolio&of&work&is&a&preparative&process&that&

students&would&benefit&from&the&exposure;&Flickr&provides&this&opportunity.&

Figure&3.&&More&creative&means&of&research&and&image&sharing&lead&to&more&exposure&to&

contemporary&art&and&artists;&Instagram&is&one&of&the&leading&social&media&tools.&

Figure&4.&&Image&and&idea&gathering&and&organization&by&grouping&is&how&Pinterest&

operates.&

Figure&5.&&A&website&offers&a&cohesive&place&to&share&the&curriculum&that&I&will&continue&to&

develop.&

& &


Swift&&41&

Author/Biography/

As&an&artist,&I&have&the&freedom&to&create&artwork&that&is&self]expressive&and&

inspirational.&&As&a&teacher,&I&have&the&ability&to&encourage&students&to&express&themselves&

creatively.&&I&appreciate&finding&new&ways&to&share&my&knowledge&and&passion&for&the&arts&

and&love&the&individuality&that&my&students&bring&to&the&classroom.&&

After&graduating&from&the&Ringling&College&of&Art&and&Design,&I&was&given&the&most&

amazing&opportunity&to&teach&high&school&art&in&Texas.&&After&five&years&of&teaching&Art&and&

Painting&under&the&guidance&of&my&original&high&school&art&teacher,&I&moved&to&Florida.&&I&

challenged&my&instructional&ability&by&teaching&digital&graphics&and&web&design&for&two&

years,&at&the&middle&school&level.&&I&have&since&moved&back&to&teaching&high&school&Art&and&

Photography,&this&time&in&the&private&school&sector.&&Additionally,&I&have&been&appointed&

Visual&and&Performing&Arts&Department&Chair&for&the&2013]2014&school&year.&

I&am&pleased&to&say&that&in&my&eight&years&of&teaching,&I&have&had&many&award]

winning&students&at&a&variety&of&local,&state&and&national&art&competitions.&&In&addition,&

many&of&my&students&have&since&graduated&from&college&and&are&pursuing&a&variety&of&

professional&art&careers;&among&them&are&architecture,&graphic&design,&photography,&studio&

art,&and&several&have&created&their&own&businesses.&&My&students&continue&to&inspire&me&

even&after&they&are&no&longer&under&my&care.&

When&I&am&not&teaching,&I&am&an&artist&who&loves&to&draw&and&paint.&&I&also&am&an&

avid&animal&lover;&I&rescued&my&two&lab]terrier&mixed&dogs&from&Texas&shelters.&&I&enjoy&the&

rest&of&my&time&on&the&beach,&paddle&boarding,&dancing,&and&anything&else&under&the&sun.&&I&

live&by&the&motto&“do&what&you&love&and&love&what&you&do”,&and&I&believe&it&is&why&I&am&a&

teacher.&


swift& 1& the&reconceptualization&of&a&high&school...

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