AC

Alphacrucis College

Details for Creative Arts

Quick Info

  • Currently offered by Alphacrucis: Yes
  • Course code: EDU421
  • Credit points: 9

Prerequisites

EDU401 Foundations in Christian Teaching and Learning, and EDU402 Human Society in the Environment: Platforms and Perspectives for the Christian Educator

The unit Creative Arts is part of the subject area Education and is offered as a part of the following Awards: Master of Teaching (Primary) (Alphacrucis College (NSW Dept. of Education)).

Unit Content

Curriculum Objective

This unit is designed to provide Pre-service Teachers with a range of philosophies and approaches to the teaching of the Creative Arts, which they can adapt for different contexts of Christian schooling. The content targets the primary children age group’s development and equips the Pre-service Teacher with the knowledge and methodologies used in the NSW Creative Arts K-6 syllabus. Students will develop their own skills in the teaching methodology and assessment for the Arts forms and substrands of Dance, Drama, Visual Arts and Music. Students will investigate how each form is connected with society and culture, and in particular looking at the Australian heritage of artists. Students will develop their own criteria for the analysis of appropriate selection of a variety of artworks (visual and performing) from a contemporary and historical context. They will develop a Creative Arts vocabulary using the specific elements and principles of each form of Creative Arts, to be able to discuss and write about their own aspirations for the teaching of Creative Arts in a Christian school setting where there is a range of worldviews. The use of the Creative Arts in the student’s own spiritual journey will be explored as well as its application for children’s creative and spiritual development. Strategies for classroom management, the exhibition of artworks and performance for a variety of audiences, community arts projects, and school productions will be developed. It is expected that EDU400 Professional Practice in school experiences will provide valuable resources, stimulation and opportunities to trial the Pre-service Teachers’ developing expertise in the Creative Arts.

Subject Content

Dance

Internationally famous dances through history, current Australian dance phenomenon

Dance experiences e.g. Folk, Ethnic, Indigenous, Cultural Dance, jazz and contemporary dance, square dance routines, music, rhythm and beat. Relationship with Physical Education syllabus

Drama

Visual Arts

Music

·         Impact of Digital and technological advances   e.g. modern devices – mp3/mp4 players and ethical/copyright issues (downloading music/movies from the Internet)

·         Innovative and best practice in music teaching in the early years

·         Music through the bible (David, psalms, angelic hosts, songs and poetry)

This course may be offered in the following formats

The Creative Arts benefits from the 5 day intensive workshop being planned by the experts jointly. In this way whilst skills and knowledge are taught in practical hands on ways over the week, efficiencies will occur where integration and common understandings about the arts, classroom organization and management etc will be brought together. The teaching and learning experiences are designed to model best practice and will be supplemented by recommendations to school visits where different aspects of the arts may be effectively being delivered to different stages children and in diverse cultural and racial contexts. The assessments are quite a heavy load for this unit in comparison with the others. This unit falls in the third semester where Pre-service Teachers will have had opportunity to build foundational skills in classroom management and organization and focus on the rich and challenging learning experiences embedded within the assignment tasks.

Distance learning will be integrated using web-based on-line discussion, course materials and readings forwarded throughout the semester, and assignments. Pre-service Teachers will be directed to websites and organizations and resources to build what they will need once they go out teaching. Pre-service Teachers interested in technology and the arts and in particular the use of digital portfolios (see Graeme Salter) whilst being introduced in the intensive, will provide further support and training on-line during the semester.

Please consult your course prospectus or enquire about how and when this course will be offered next at Alphacrucis College.

Assessment Methods

All four (4) assessments must be completed.

Wherever possible in this module, students are encouraged to thematically integrate their Creative Arts forms e.g. Music, Drama, Dance and the Visual Arts.

Assembly Manager Portfolio (25%) Due Week 13

In your practicum placement or self arranged setting you will be required to act as Class Manager for a Primary Assembly performance integrated with the native Australian animals, or Indigenous Dreamtime theme (see Australian Stamps Series Assignment).  This may be a co-management position with other class teachers or external organizations. You are to be involved in the planning, rehearsals, management, multi-media, e.g. sound tracks, sound effects, screen images, resources e.g. costumes, props, basic set requirements and efficient running of the production or event (in the event of this opportunity not presenting itself, students may include a separate event with a Church or Youth Group).

Your assessment piece will include:

(1) A portfolio which should include most of the following:

Timelines, draft versions, useful sites, resource people, quotes, class auditioning and casting procedures, annotated script, running sheet rehearsal schedules, basic stage directions, lighting and sound specifications, class communications e.g. class parent letter, rehearsal permission letters, promotional material, e.g. school posters, class flyers, school newsletter notice and a brief summary from the assembly production as well as a follow up article with annotated photographs of the class event for newsletter.

(2) Show clear evidence of collaboration with classroom students for script writing and input, including from Student with Special Needs where appropriate. Include brainstorming ideas, curriculum links to class topic and script with your submission

(3) Overall Program (using the Russell-Bowie Programming Proforma)

(4) All Class lesson plans and Drama assessment rubrics of the Creative Arts Outcomes (NSW K-6 Creative Arts Syllabus)

(5) Include evidence of collaboration with other staff or helpers or specialists

(6) Include a generated visual art vocabulary and arts techniques list for the project

(7) Multi-media evidence of performance such as annotated digital photographs showing the students in costume, student groups pose for each scene of assembly, the set appearance or a digital recording of event in the form of a CD Rom, and artefacts suitable for School Records and reporting.

Note: Pre-Service Teachers will be assessed on their written communication skills to parents, as well as their specific attention to all aspects of Duty of Care and communication with parents.

Australian Stamp Series Portfolio (25%) Due Week 6

In your practicum placement or self arranged setting, you will be required to act as a Visual Arts Teacher for a Primary Class or classes’ creation of an Australian Stamp Series, based on Native Australian Animals, specifically those featured in Indigenous Dreamtime stories and legends (integrate with the Assembly Manager Portfolio Assignment where possible). You must provide an appropriate choice of artist and or art history movement to study in support of your chosen studio area. The completed stamp series can be exhibited in a digital format either as a class art exhibition linked to a curriculum area of study, e.g. HSiE, English, as school or community library display for Indigenous literature or as poster illustrations for a collection of class narratives or digital class “book”. This may be a visual series that is run in support of another class’s curriculum unit of work e.g. a younger class. You are to be involved in the planning, teaching and exhibition presentation of the students’ completed artwork.

Note: This module should be thematically integrated across the NSW Creative Arts Syllabus e.g. Drama, Dance and the Visual Arts, including English and another KLA (e.g. HSiE)

Your piece for Assessment will be marked using the Integrated Unit of Work making key (see Academic Program Handbook) and should include:

(1) Visual drawing resources such as museum animals, coloured posters and illustrated books, useful sites, resource people and organizations, e.g. Catholic Education Department Indigenous Environmental Officers, CALM, Zoo or Wildlife Sanctuary etc. arts media to be used e.g. drawing media oil pastels, wax resist crayons, chalk pastels, painting media and tools, e.g. edicol inks, acrylic paints, water colours, drawing papers or background materials, promotional material e.g. school posters, school newsletter notice of the exhibition as well as a follow up article with annotated photographs of the event for newsletter.

(2) Show clear evidence of collaboration with classroom students for class choice of project type and feature animals chosen. Include brainstorming ideas of the project’s final presentation and specific details if a stamp series e.g. title, individual stamp details, feature text and font styles, prices and curriculum links to chosen class topic

(3) Show evidence of planning for groups which are multi-staged and with diverse learning styles

(4) Overall Program (using the Russell-Bowie Programming Proforma)

(5) All class lesson plans and visual arts assessment rubrics of the Arts Outcomes (NSW K-6 Creative Arts Syllabus) including a range of ICT-based assessment tasks.

(6) Work samples of your own visual arts works and experiments (used for student demonstration purposes) for the project and references to all other visual arts resources used

(7) A rationale for your choice of feature artist or art movement (Arts in Society) for the project and the relative student task.

(8) Include a generated visual art vocabulary (glossary) and arts techniques list for the project

(9) Multi-media evidence of creative work such as annotated digital photographs showing the students artworks in progress and the final exhibition of the class work in digital format.

(10) Reflection on your role as a team member with other school or organization personnel, supported by literature on working as a team.

Dance Project (25%) Due Week 9

Select One (1) topic from the following around which to design a unit of work (4-5 lessons)

OR

Part A: Develop a Unit of work (using the Russell-Bowie Programming Proforma) to result in a Dance performance

Follow a series of 4-5 lessons (50-60 mins) showing a progression through the skills and concepts required for appreciating, composing and performing.

Part B: Teach the lessons to a class from Stage 1-3 (or a small group of 6-8 students in the Primary age group) of your choice.

Part C:- Digital Portfolio

Submit a Digital Portfolio showing the following:-

Music Assessment Critique (25%) Due Week 3

This assignment is designed to familiarize the prospective teacher with a range of assessment tasks for assessing and reporting in Music. The task is to collect a range of music assessment tasks (minimum of 12) representing Stages 1-3. The student should draw from commercial and teacher-made assessments, including some of their own assessments if they have been used with students (maximum of 4). Using the Teaching and Learning Principles and NSW pedagogy model underpinning the Course (See EDU401 Foundations in Christian Teaching and Learning) develop a criteria matrix from which to compare and critique each assessment task.

Assignment submission should include: 12 assessment pieces for Music, a matrix indicating which criteria each assessment piece has been aligned with, a paragraph explaining the selection of the criteria with reference to key writers in music education and learning.

Prescribed Text


Representative References

Dance

Drama

Visual Arts

Music

Websites