Teaching Systematically And Purposefully

By Author: Jordon
Total Articles: 91
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Teacher Mark Petersen (pseudonym) models the gradual release of responsibility in his Studio Arts class. His students are engaged in a unit of study on techniques for creating graphic novels. He knows these are popular among his students who have read visual narratives for years. Sometimes mistaken for comic books, graphic novels are self-contained narratives that utilize many of the principles of both prose text and visual arts. Once Mr. Petersen gains students' attention and reviews the day's agenda and the standards posted for this unit, as well as Tag Heuer Replica Watches the questions they'll answer later in class, he switches on the document camera and displays a page from Frank Miller's classic graphic novel Batman: The Dark Knight Returns. "I know most of you have read this a thousand times," he begins. The students nod in agreement. They know that this landmark graphic novel describes the events that brought Bruce Wayne out of retirement.

"I'm going to talk you through one page because I want to tell you what I see as an artist when I look at Miller's work and his ability ...
... to tell a story visually." Mr. Petersen displays the page where the main character recalls his parents' murder outside a theater and his helplessness and terror as a child witnessing this tragedy. Mr. Petersen describes the artist's use of color, the repeating image of a strand of pearls being torn from the mother's neck, and the choice of a series of narrow panels to simulate the pounding heartbeat of the boy. This type of modeling taps into his disciplinary expertise and provides his students with an example of thinking like an art critic.

After modeling his instruction about these artistic techniques, Mr. Petersen divides the class in half. "I'm going to meet with each group separately and guide you through an analysis of these techniques in other graphic novels," he explains. "While I'm doing guided instruction with one group, I'd like the other half of the class to take a look at the materials I've prepared for you. There's a reading by Will Eisner on techniques for visual narratives. Please work in partners to read and discuss the questions I've posted on the board."

Mr. Petersen spends about 10 minutes with each of the groups in guided instruction while the rest of the class engages in partner reading and talking about the questions. After finishing his guided instruction and Cartier Replica Watches quickly reviewing the questions answered by the partner groups, he moves the students into independent work. "We're going into studio time now. You'll have thirty minutes to create a storyboard of a vivid memory from your childhood, using at least two of the techniques we've examined today." As his students settle in to work, Mr. Petersen meets with individual students. He's confident of their success in this task because he knows he has constructed a carefully designed learning experience that is purposeful and systematic.