Working with Side X Side reinforced my belief in the importance of strong art
programs in our public school systems. Visiting Ocean Avenue Elementary and
working with Artist Pamela Moulton provided me with a broader perspective as to how schools can fulfill 21st century aspirations of supporting academic achievement with art practices
in order to strengthen learning through emotional and social development.
Ocean Elementary is a state of the art learning environment that provides special
advantages to students with diverse backgrounds and learning styles. These
observations bring to mind that these educational attributes along with relevant
academic goals can attract diverse and highly motivated teachers, while
strengthening communities that may be struggling in our challenging economies to
improve educational outcomes.
As I walked the crowded hallways at first bell, I reflected that teachers are what
makes a school special. Every educator needs to explore what makes him or her
unique. What do each of us have to offer that will make a difference? The Photos
above of Ocean are seamless depictions from the architectural firm's website. They
depict an ideal environment with ample natural light source and thoughtful
configuration of classroom resources. In visiting the school in session, one witnesses
the messy business of teaching and learning. Schools are a sea of adult personalities
and students navigating their way through complex dynamic emotional and social
situations. Every teacher needs to find a way to differentiate themselves in order to
improve and contribute to the overall culture of the school as they work to create the
best outcomes in student achievement. Thus, teachers depend on
professional development opportunities and enrichment experiences to be effective
teachers, as students need opportunities to connect in meaningful ways to the culture
that surrounds them in order to enhance learning.
Ocean Avenue Elementary's mission includes; "empowering every learner to make
a difference in the world", and to help children,"develop into independent and
creative thinkers". Located in the Back Cove neighborhood of Portland Maine,
Ocean's 4 goals are to facilitate; meaningful parent engagement, a peaceful school
climate, increased student achievement in reading and math, and to become a fully
titled International Baccalaureate World School Primary Year Program (I.B. and
P.Y.P.).
Ocean's mission statement reflects the philosophy that parent outreach and
involvement along with a safe learning environment are necessary for achievement in
academics. We will see how these goals are given backbone through ambitious
undertakings with sideXside and achievement of I.B. and P.Y.P. accrediting.
Ocean's aspirations are further supported by its' state of the art educational
facility. The front landscaping is alive with vibrant kinetic sculpture. The classrooms
and the hallways feel open and changeable to different learning approaches. There
are windows and sky lights offering views of woodlands and its' Back Cove
neighborhood. The spaces feel intimate and child friendly in scale, yet open and
flexible for supervised as well as self directed learning opportunities.
Ocean's landscaping consists of sustainable irrigation systems that include a
10,000 square foot roof garden. Children were engaged in the process of planting on
the school grounds which feature trees, grasses and fern that reflect local geology.
The message to students that sustainable design matters is delivered through
educational presentations and related activities with the design firms. There was also
extensive community input for design aspirations throughout the project. Use of local
and recycled materials along with solar efficiency design elements continues to
message to students the aesthetic virtues of and earth friendly environment.
High School degree attainment in in back cove is 62%, a little under Portland's
52%. Community and global resources are sought after to improve those statistics.
Keeping kids in school and wanting to learn is a 21st century challenge that requires
schools to incentivise children to achieve through social, cultural and self awareness.
In my issues paper on the importance of art Education, it is emphasised that learning
needs to be contextualized in emotional and social frameworks for students to
achieve.
Ocean Elementary is applying to join 4,000 schools world wide in becoming a
member of the IB: PYP ( International Baccalaureate: Primary Years Program.)
This title gives the access to curriculum designs that are geared toward developing
the child as a whole socially, academically and, emotionally. The mission
statement for Primary Year Program under an International Baccalaureate title
includes: Curriculum designed to Prepare students to become active, caring , lifelong
learners who demonstrate respect for themselves and others" Schools undergo a
three year process of applications and professional development to acquire title.
Curriculum is designed around: who are we, where we are in place and time, how we
express ourselves, how the world works , how we organize ourselves and , sharing
the planet.
Ocean's involvement with Side X Side supports these objectives with a mission
includes: "comprehensive arts integration, bringing critical thinking and innovation
into the classroom through arts based programs." Collaborative by way of;
"community partnerships with the University of Southern Maine, the Portland public
school system and local artists." They, "integrate science, technology, literacy and
the humanities with the arts to enhance school curricula."
Side by Side Visiting Artist, Pamela Moultin, describes her art as exploring
"memory and play". Her work "invites the child in each of us to explore
environments that often incorporate sound, scent and performance". She describes
her process as cultivating; "community through partnerships with local schools and
organizations. Pamela is a practicing textile and installation artist from Pennsylvania
presently living with her family in Portland. She has worked as a set designer and art
director in N.Y. and lived abroad in France for 23 years receiving where she earned
her MFA.
Side X Side Program integrates art practices with academic subjects inside the
regular classroom. Art based instruction is tied to Maine Learning Results and
Common core standards. It emphasises the cultivation 21st century skills including
collaboration, critical thinking and decision making.
Important aspects of Pamela's Land Forms:
Child Directed Forms
Raw Recycled Materials to Manipulate and Form 3D Compositions
Collaborative: 4 Children per group each supervised by a Student Teacher.
Culture and Geography
Global Narrative
Experimentation
Visualization of an end result
Dynamic Scale and Abstract Features Crystallizing as they Become more Defined
Drawing and Additive processes for Building Form
Mapping Procedures
Pamela creates an imaginary island that has vanished from the earth. Geologists
are trying to figure out what forces in nature caused its' submergence back into the
ocean. A mysterious professor of geology is summoning the children to replicate land
forms from photo imagery of landscapes around the world. He has sent a map to
guide the children in puzzling the land masses together.