Category Archives: Blog Posts

The University of Oregon and its Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art offer 6 months of high quality professional development designed to integrate instruction in visual literacy and argument writing.

Professional development activities:

• A Kickoff workshop at the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art January 20, 2018
• Training, coaching, and mentoring in the use of Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS)
• Strategies for teaching reasoned argumentation and argument writing aligned with CCSS
• Twice-monthly presentations, workshops, and collaboration opportunities in Second Life
• Interactive discussions on key ideas from related books & articles

Additional FREE opportunities:

• Field trip to the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art
• Access to the VTS online Image Library
• Class projects with teaching artists from Lane Regional Arts Council
• School visits from Artie the Art Bus of Imagination International
• Earn PDUs

Participate in research (optional):

• Help us continue to develop and evaluate the project
• Complete surveys, test of visual literacy, brief quarterly reflections, eLogs
• $1000 stipend upon completion of the research activities

To learn more:

• Contact Peggy Marconi, Project Coordinator, with questions.
• Email: pmarconi@uoregon.edu
• Telephone: 541-505-6987; Fax: 541-346-2565

STELLAR is honored to be featured in the fall quarterly newsletter of Arts in Education. Check the link here, or read the full text below!

Every other Wednesday evening, teachers from across Oregon get together to learn new skills, plan lessons, and break into small groups for discussions and presentations, and provide each other with feedback, and they can do all this in their pajamas. No, Oregon schools haven’t dropped their dress codes; instead, these teachers are participants in the STELLAR project, a 2014 PDAE grant. Teachers from grades K-12 meet and interact through their personal avatars in Second Life, an immersive virtual reality environment. According to Dr. Lynne Anderson, project director, using this technology has helped make professional development more accessible, especially for teachers working in remote school districts. “The Second Life platform has been instrumental to the success of our project,” reported Anderson. “Teachers are busy professionals, and it’s particularly challenging for teachers in rural areas to get together for ongoing professional development with their peers. Second Life creates such an immersive, all-encompassing experience that teachers feel like they are in the same room with each other, even though they may be hundreds of miles apart. The same technology allows us to provide professional development to teachers from multiple rural districts at the same time, and bring in guest speakers from all over the world.”

A main focus of these virtual sessions is providing instruction on Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS), a student-centered approach to visual arts education. Through VTS, students are asked to interpret a piece of art, and then support their interpretations using evidence from the artwork itself; you can read more about VTS in our feature article. In the STELLAR Project teachers are taught how to use three very specific questions to engage students in the process of orally responding to specific works of art: (a) What’s going on in this picture?; (b) What do you see that makes you say that?; and (c) What more can you find? “The goal of VTS is to get students thinking,” explained Anderson. “And we are finding that VTS is an excellent way to integrate visual arts with writing because both involve making a claim, and then learning how to back up that claim in a thoughtful, reasoned way.” For many marginalized students, such as English language learners or those with learning disabilities, writing can be intimidating, but responding to a work of art orally is nonthreatening and more engaging. “Students respond to art in different ways, and they want to share that reactions with others. VTS helps students channel this impulse in a way that mirrors the process for argument writing – a form of academic writing that is foundational to success in school.” A teacher echoed this point in a written reflection on her experience when she observed that “during VTS, students of all abilities show an increase in confidence; all students show an eagerness to share their viewpoint.”

The STELLAR Project’s professional development model is designed to help teachers learn how to use VTS to encourage students’ enthusiasm for art and draw connections between art criticism and other forms of expressive thought. The project begins with an in-person, two-day kickoff workshop, during which teachers are introduced to VTS’ approach for teaching students how to interpret visual art. The kick-off workshop also introduces teachers to Second Life, where they meet virtually every other Wednesday evening at 8 PM for the remainder of the 9-month program. “The follow up session in Second Life offer teachers the chance to learn new instructional skills, construct VTS lessons together, and engage in small group discussions to share successes or solve challenges they are experiencing in their classrooms,” said Anderson. “Everything you can do during a face-to-face professional development session, we can do in Second Life; what’s more, we can schedule these sessions on weekday evenings, which works better for most teachers’ schedules.” In addition to their semi-weekly virtual sessions, teachers get feedback from in-person classroom observations two times per year. In their reflections, several teachers commented that the combination of virtual meetings and in-person visits helped them integrate VTS in their teaching practice. For example, one teacher observed “It was the regular reminders throughout the year at our online meetings, hearing other teachers’ experiences, and seeing VTS implemented in different ways that made it a way of practice for me.“

The STELLAR project also provides for teachers to bring their students to the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art (JSMA) located on the campus of the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. During the field trip, students have an opportunity to engage with art work up close. “For many of the students, the trip to JSMA is the first time they have interacted with art in a museum setting. It makes the experience come alive for them,” said Anderson. The field trip is also an opportunity for teachers to get a new perspective on VTS. “We do teacher observations at the museum, so teachers get feedback on their use of VTS in a new and authentic context.”

To date, two cohorts of teachers have participated in the STELLAR Project, and results from the project evaluation are promising. According to Anderson, the project developed the STELLAR Test of Visual Literacy to measure changes in teachers’ visual literacy before and after participation in the project’s professional development. The test consists of 20 open-ended questions, all aligned with one of five anchor standards of the National Core Arts Standards for Visual Arts. Results showed statistically significant gains on all tested anchor standards in the visual arts. In addition, teachers’ responses on the STELLAR Survey of Critical Thinking and Argument Writing revealed significant increases in teachers’ knowledge of how to teach critical thinking and argument writing.

Game Day with the Oregon Ducks, by Robert Young, is an insider’s look at a UO football game. Although written for kids, this book is for curious Duck fans of all ages. Rich with photos, the book is packed with details about the games at Autzen. Did you know that 2,000 people work on a game day? Or, that the band practices about ten hours for their half-time show that last 6-8 minutes? Or, that the Ducks players wear GPS units in their shoulder pads to gather important information during games? You do now, and you’ll find out much more when you read the book.

Keep the book for yourself, or add it to your classroom library. You can also make it part of your curriculum by using the Common Core-based activities (including VTS suggestions). You’ll find them under the Resource tab on Robert’s website (www.realwriting.us).

But wait, it gets better. The publisher has agreed to offer TEACHERS a special promo for a limited time. If you order from their website gamedaywiththeoregonducks.com and enter the promo code TEACH on the checkout page, you’ll get 25% off the retail price.

Check out the book trailer: https://youtu.be/5COvLOf8pl8

The STELLAR team kicked off its third cohort August 18-19 with a two-day workshop held at the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art. New STELLAR teachers learned about the project, Second Life, and Visual Thinking Strategies.

Mirka Jablonski works with Cohort 3

Meanwhile, the mentor teachers attended trainings to further their knowledge and prepare to support their Cohort 3 colleagues in the upcoming year. Mirka Jablonski and Yoon Kang O’Higgins, both of VTS, worked with the teachers and mentors in an intensive training and practice session on Friday, August 19.

Cohort 3 practices VTS in the JSMA galleries

The STELLAR and OWP team welcomes Cohort 3! We are excited to work with you in the upcoming year.

OWP collaborator and author Robert Young is releasing a new book September 3. From Robert’s Facebook page: 

SOMETHING AWESOME THIS WAY COMES…

Koke Next Generation, Inc. has partnered with QSL Print Communications to publish and print GAME DAY with the OREGON DUCKS – An Insider’s Look at a UO Football Game. Written by Robert Young with photography by Jack Liu, this 40-page book takes you behind the scenes of a UO home game at Autzen Stadium.

Written for all ages, this photo-heavy account of GAME DAY depicts how a small army of dedicated individuals works together to bring you the ultimate Duck fan experience. From the security personnel to the food vendors to the equipment managers and everyone in between, this book is the ultimate backstage pass for curious Duck fans everywhere.

GAME DAY with the OREGON DUCKS – An Insider’s Look at a UO Football Game will be available for purchase at The Duck Store just in time for the Ducks season opener against UC Davis on Saturday, September 3rd or order online at GameDaywiththeOregonDucks.com. Retail price $16.95.

Three STELLAR students were honored at a reception for the artists featured in the New Art Northwest Kids exhibit at the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art on Saturday. Kyla Wilder, Gage Burton, and Melissa Rouska of Oakridge High School were all present at the reception, which was held in honor of the 44 artists whose work was selected out of hundreds of submissions from across the state of Oregon.

Kyla Wilder.

Melissa Rouska.

Gage Burton and family.

After the official welcome by JSMA staff, the artists and their guests were offered refreshments and the opportunity to tour the museum and take advantage of the attached studio. The reception immediately preceded JSMA’s biannual Family Day, which offered numerous activities including visits from Artie the Art Bus, Ballet Fantastique, and manga artist Marianne Walker.

The STELLAR team would like to send Melissa, Kyla, and Gage our best wishes and a hearty congratulations for their accomplishments. Well done!

Artie the Art Bus

Artie is back at it! This time, the mural-covered mobile art classroom from Imagination International, Inc. (III) is visiting Oakridge School District. The bus brings arts education to schools throughout Lane County, seating 22 students at a time. In the last few months, Artie has also visited Creswell and Lowell as part of the STELLAR Project.

Artie is currently on the second of five weekly visits to Oakridge. According to III Community Program Instructor Nori Rice, Artie is keeping busy in Oakridge, hosting 4 to 5 sessions per day each Wednesday when the bus rolls into town. Oakridge art teacher and STELLAR participant Bev Isacksen said that students from all grade levels K-12 were participating in the Artie sessions, and that response from teachers and students has been outstanding. “Kids have loved it!”

Jose Ramirez drives Artie the Art Bus.

At Oakridge, the Artie staff have been joined by comic artist Matt Brundage, whose work has appeared in the Vertigo Comics series Art Ops. Mr. Brundage worked with the students while also creating his own work—up to one complete character per hour! Mr. Brundage’s work can be seen at his Facebook page.

When Artie visited Lundy Elementary School in Lowell, the lessons focused on basic art skills and knowledge like using a color wheel. In the higher grade levels at Creswell and Oakridge, III teachers introduce the Creatures of Amalthea curriculum. The program teaches young artists how to develop creature designs and concept art for fantastical beasts. Developed by acclaimed creature designer Terryl Whitlatch—who has worked on films such as Men in Black, Jumanji, and Star Wars—the curriculum takes a research- and science-based approach to concept art, highlighting the importance of anatomy in creating believable creatures.

“Since classes only get 1-2 visits, the entire Creatures of Amalthea curriculum could not be included.  It is at least a week long or (5 session minimum) program,” Ms. Rice said. However, the curriculum can be downloaded for free at the III website. You can find out more about Creatures of Amalthea, including teaching manuals and videos, at https://imaginationinternationalinc.com/creatures-of-amalthea/.

School administrators who are interested in scheduling a visit from Artie can find more information, including how to contact the River Road Park and Recreation District at www.rrpark.org. To learn more about the STELLAR Project, visit owp.uoregon.edu.

The STELLAR Project is delighted to be featured in the April 16 edition of the Creswell Chronicle. Click here to read the full text of the article as plain text.

Click on the picture to expand.

Click on the picture to expand.

Three students from Oakridge School District have been selected to display their artwork at the 2016 NewArt Northwest Kids exhibition at the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art (JSMA). The art in the exhibit was selected via a juried competition, which received 247 submissions united by the theme, “The Road Not Taken.” Kyla Wilder, Gage Burton, and Melissa Rouska submitted their work at the urging of their art teacher, Bev Isacksen.

Rainbow Road by Kyla Wilder

Wilder described her submission, Rainbow Road, as a self-portrait on a cloud. “Each cloud represents an experience that influenced my art,” she said. From early drawings and video games to her tight-knit friendships, the clouds surround and support the central figure of the artist.

Keep Portland Weird by Melissa Rouska

Rouska, who moved to Oakridge from Portland three months ago, expressed her love for her former home in her piece Keep Portland Weird. “You can’t see that many stars in Portland,” she said, “but I drew it the way I like to imagine it.”

Contrast by Gage Burton

Burton shows the dichotomy between urban and rural in Contrast. Drawn entirely in black, the city skyline and streets morph into trees and mountains.  “I do all my art in black,” said Burton. “I just prefer it that way.”

STELLAR is proud to congratulate these three young people on receiving recognition for their excellent work. Rouska, Burton, and Wilder, along with the 44 other young artists selected for the exhibition, will be honored at a reception at JSMA on May 21.

For more information about NewArt Northwest Kids, visit jsma.uoregon.edu/NANK2016.

Top image L-R: Kyla Wilder, Gage Burton, and Melissa Rouska

It’s 3 PM on a Wednesday, and the Imagination Bus is packed with eager second-graders.  The bus, covered in eye-catching murals and dubbed “Artie,” has made its way to the rural town of Lowell, Oregon for the second in a series of five visits to Lundy Elementary School. A collaboration between Imagination International, Inc. and the River Road Park and Recreation District, Artie the Imagination Bus is on a mission. The rolling classroom, with room for 22 students at a time, brings arts education to schools throughout Lane County.

Artie the Imagination Bus

Students in the program learn basic skills while doing fun art projects, according to Lundy Principal Kay Graham. “We have had very positive feedback from the students and staff.  It is great to have an art class on wheels.”

Lundy teacher Jessica Edgerton agreed. “It is so neat to hear about all the creativity that is coming out of this experience.  The first few weeks, the students thought were really tough. They weren’t fully understanding the color wheel.  But now that they have been putting it to use and coloring, drawing, they are very excited.”

Imagination International staff teaching Lundy students

Imagination International generously donated the visits to schools participating in the STELLAR Project at the University of Oregon’s Center for Advanced Technology in Education. Additional funding for the Lundy visit was provided by Philip and Sandra Piele.

Community Program Instructor Nori Rice explained that while Imagination International has numerous educational programs, they only have one art bus, and Artie’s schedule is filling up. “It goes out to Kelly Middle School twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays and comes out to Lundy for two classes on Wednesdays. So it’s three times a week now, but during the summer it’ll be five times a week,” Ms. Rice said.

The art bus program was launched in October with the goal of bringing art education to the community. This mission is especially valuable to rural districts where arts funding has been reduced or eliminated entirely.  At Lundy, the bus is so popular that there isn’t enough room for all the students who want to participate this time, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be other opportunities. “We hope to have the bus return for summer classes as well as during the 2016-2017 school year,” said Principal Graham. “This is a great partnership and we are thrilled with the opportunity provided to Lundy Elementary School.”

A young artist hard at work

School administrators who are interested in scheduling a visit from Artie can find more information, including how to contact the River Road Park and Recreation District at www.rrpark.org. To learn more about the STELLAR Project, visit owp.uoregon.edu.

Photo credit: © 2016 Rachel Cameron. Used with permission.