Caroline Donoghue - Visual pedagogy project for M333 "Art Experiences for Elementary Generalists", Spring 2012 at Indiana University Bloomington. Instructor Hallie DeCatherine Jones.

1. ART AND DIVERSITY
UTILIZING ART TO CREATE A MULTICULTURAL CLASSROOM
COMMUNITY
Caroline
Donoghue
M333 Visual Pedagogy Project

2. My Interest In This Topic…
Belding Elementary School

3. The Importance of a Classroom
Community
For Students For Teachers
 Every student deserves a classroom  Can improve the academic
where they feel like they belong, they feel achievement of the students.
respected, supported, special, and “Exploring Diversity All Around the
encouraged to be who they want to be. Classroom.”
 Especially in culturally diverse  “…building a caring classroom
classrooms, a strong classroom community and strong
community encourages students to be interpersonal relationships can
proud of the things that make them make all the difference between a
different. functional and dysfunctional
 “A classroom community provides each child classroom.”
with space to develop specific capabilities and
“PERSPECTIVES ON CARING IN THE
to experience a sense of inner balance and
CLASSROOM: DO THEY VARY
wholeness in a community with others.” ( Haley
ACCORDING TO ETHNICITY OR GRADE
Lyn David)
LEVEL?” Tracey Garrett, Jason Barr, and
 “Within a classroom community, students can Terri Rot
develop the skills needed to live and work
constructively and peacefully with others.
When they feel valued in their classroom
communities, they are empowered to live as
whole individuals with the skills to create
positive social change.” (Tiffany J. Hunter)
Creating a strong classroom community is a great way for “…teachers to develop
environments that are emotionally and physically safer for all students…” Check-”Pink

4. Why Art?
In Every Classroom:
 Encourages student creativity, individuality, uniqueness, and
positive self-expression.
 Visual and hands-on representation of teamwork,
cooperation, and the creation of a classroom community.
 Even though a school is low-income, it does not mean that
students cannot experience art.
In Multicultural Classrooms:
 Art is a universal form of communication no matter how many
different languages are spoken in your classroom.
 Art is a wonderful way for students from other
countries/cultures to talk about their heritage, their families,
and the culture that they come from.

5. Activity #1: “Our Classroom Family Tree”
 Great activity for the
beginning of the year.
 The tree would not be as
beautiful if every hand
looked the same and
every hand was the
same color.
 Each color of the
rainbow is unique and
specialshouldits own of
“Students in develop a process
understanding, sharing, compassion and
beautiful way.
empathy. The classroom should be referred to
as „our classroom‟ rather than „my classroom‟.”
Materials: Paper, Water Colors, Hands (Hunter)

6. Activity #2: “Our Classroom Diversity Flag”
Description:
 Work together as a class to
come up with 4 important
words for the members of
the class to abide by.
 After, put class into 4
different groups, and give
each group one
rectangular piece of paper
(each rectangle represents
1 word/1part of the flag).
 Have each group work
together as a group to
design their portion of the
flag.
Purpose:
 Teamwork, Classroom
Unity, Togetherness, Cla
Materials: Crayons/Colored Pencils/Oil ssroom/Behavior
Pastels/Watercolors, 4 Pieces of Rectangular Management.
Paper, Glue or Tape.

7. Activity #3: “Our Classroom Puzzle”
Part 1: “All About Me”
 Each student will receive a blank
puzzle piece.
 For homework, they will take
these puzzle pieces home and
decorate and design them.
 Attached to the puzzle piece will
be an explanation of the
assignment for the
parents/guardians to learn what
we are doing.
Part 2: Put the Puzzle Together
 After all students have brought
back their decorated puzzle
pieces , have all of the students
work together to put their
classroom puzzle together.
GOAL:
 Teach students to be proud of the
things that make them unique and
different.
 Increase communication between
Materials: Large Poster Paper, Markers (or any parent/guardian and school
decorating material), Scissors  Showing students that without
every single piece, our classroom
puzzle would not be complete.

8. Connection to Readings
“Art Integration: A Methodology for Learning”--Goldberg
 "Art is a mirror of life" or "art imitates life" are common notions of the function of art in
experience.”
 “Making art and creating what I refer to as representations or "metaphors for
understanding”.
 “Art cannot be divorced from culture; it grows from individuals interacting or reacting to
their world. So, too, education and culture cannot be separated from one another
because both relate to the actions and continuation of a people.”
 Art can be a metaphor for understanding of cultural awareness, diversity, and multicultural education.
 Very important to incorporate culture into classroom art activities.
“Artistic Choices: A Study of Teachers Who Use Art in the Classroom” --Oreck
“Given the low priority and lack of resources for the arts in many schools we might
conclude that teachers who employ artistic approaches are simply highly unusual people
driven by their personal passions.”
ART CAN BE USED BY ANY TEACHER!
“Jump Starting Visual Literacy”--Yenawine
“ If presented with a range of styles and themes, beginning viewers become aware of
subjects, values, and appearances beyond the viewer's own experience or biases.”

9. Some Final Thoughts:
 Art is a simple and practical way to
visually represent the importance of
classroom unity.
 These activities can be used in any type of
classroom!
 Art does not have to be expensive to be
just as beautiful 

10. Resources
 Class Readings:
 “A Study of Teachers Who Use Art In The Classroom” -Oreck
 “Pink Scissors” -Check
 “Art Integration: A Methodology for Learning” –Goldberg
 “Jump Starting Visual Literacy”--Yenawine
 Exploring Diversity All Around the Classroom. (2000). Early Childhood
Today, 15(3), 64.
 Hunter, T. J. (2008). Creating a Culture of Peace in the Elementary
Classroom. Education Digest, 74(1), 54-58.
 Garrett, T., Barr, J., & Rothman, T. (2009). PERSPECTIVES ON CARING
IN THE CLASSROOM: DO THEY VARY ACCORDING TO ETHNICITY OR
GRADE LEVEL?. Adolescence, 44(175), 505-521.
 David, H., & Capraro, R. M. (2001). STRATEGIES FOR TEACHING IN
HETEROGENEOUS ENVIRONMENTS WHILE BUILDING A CLASSROOM
COMMUNITY. Education, 122(1), 80.