Report by Joan Porcaro

Introduction

In September 2003, plans began for the piloting of The Picture Book Curriculum by Molly Barker, to be used as a tool for helping incarcerated youth at the Rikers Island Correctional Facility develop and/or improve their literacy skills.

The plan was for faculty members to volunteer to use the curriculum either as part of their regular subject area curriculum, or as a special project for student to participate in on a weekly basis.

What follows is an overview of the curriculum; a summary of the planning sessions; and reflections of the faculty, students and observers. This report also includes samples of students’ work, as well as teachers’ lessons plans. (See attachments.)

What is the Picture Book Curriculum?

NYS Visual Arts Standard 1 states: Students create artworks in which they use and evaluate different kinds of mediums, themes, symbols, metaphors and images.

NYS English Language Arts Standard 2 states: Students will write pieces in a variety of literary forms, correctly using the conventions of the genre and using structure and vocabulary to achieve an effect.

It was felt that making picture books with definite rubrics and guidelines would give students new ways of thinking and approaching, not only their academic subjects, but also their sense of self, purpose, and aspirations for the future.

The course is designed to allow each student to find his or her own best methods of working. The activities in each lesson give students tools for exploring their own knowledge and experience, acquiring new expertise, and constructing their own story. It is a 10 week curriculum, with each week having a specific theme and tasks that take the students step-by-step toward the creation of their books. (A copy of the curriculum is attached.)

Getting Ready

1/13/04 A group of faculty members interested in trying the curriculum met with the project coordinators from The Waterways Project of Ten Penny Players, Inc. several of these teachers were already using visual arts in their teaching methods, and all of them were hoping that this project would help motivate students and give them a way of expressing their thoughts, especially since many of the students at Rikers are deficient in language skills such as reading and vocabulary. It was also hoped that having the students see their work actually published in a book they could show to others would increase their sense of self worth and be a source of encouragement.

Some of the outcomes from this workshop/meeting were:

h Discussion of the purpose for the project, and the importance of keeping some type of record of the proceedings.

h A timetable for working on the project was set. It was agreed that the group would meet weekly in a workshop to discuss problems, techniques, and submit work as it was ready for publication.

h The Picture Book Curriculum project would begin of 2/24/04.

1/28/04 Discussion included:

h Specifics about the Picture Book Curriculum itself. It was noted that NYS Education has made it a “best practice” for teaching Arts and Literacy.

h Letting students decide if they wanted to start with the drawing or writing first. Some students might prefer to visual their story and then put it into words, other might prefer the reverse.

h EMTC was chosen as the school to pilot the project because of the stability of its population.

h Teachers were encouraged to take their own particular teaching style into consideration and adapt the curriculum accordingly. Customization is key to the success of the project.

h How were the participating students to be chosen? Would they volunteer to commit to the 10 weeks? Would teachers prefer to involve the whole class and use the curriculum as part of their regular teaching method? Would teachers prefer to use the curriculum as a special, once a week activity for students? (Each teacher would choose their own preference.)

h The question of supplies and reimbursement for out-of pocket-expenses was dealt with.

h Teachers were asked to give some form of feedback each week so that a comprehensive evaluation of the curriculum could be determined. (Teachers were given a questionnaire for fill out each week. See attachments)

h Did we want to measure the affect, if any, of visual art on students’ test scores? It was decided that we were not so interested in numbers, but rather changes in student attitudes and motivation, as well as day-to-day improvement in the quality of their work.

In the weekly meetings that followed, it became apparent that while the project might have met with a little student resistance in some cases, once the first set of books were published, student enthusiasm increased.

Teachers continued to discuss their adaptations of the curriculum, but most of the time they were sharing stories about students who suddenly “came to life,” or how the students showed off their published books to their classmates, or who couldn’t wait to show them to their family and friends on the “outside.”

The teachers said it was hard work, and time consuming, but as one teacher said, “When I received the books I couldn’t wait until the next day. I had to excuse myself from the workshop, just so I could give the students their books. It’s a moment that I couldn’t wait to happen…to see the excitement on the student’s face.”

Reflections from the Sidelines

As the research gatherer/observer, I had the chance to talk with many of the participants in this project, as well as collate their responses to the various narrative questionnaires they completed. There are several significant things that stand out for me.

First, the amount of out-of-school time the teachers invested in preparing for these lessons. This included adapting the lessons to their specific course material, making models for students to use, finding and/or purchasing books for examples or materials for the students to use.

Second, the enormous pride the teachers took in their students’ work. At every workshop there was story after story of specific students who showed interest in schoolwork after weeks of apathy. They couldn’t wait to show the latest drawings or writing samples. And as for the smiles and even tears of joy when they held the finished books in their hands, knowing the effort that the students had made to produce that work, my only response was to say that these men and women are educators in the truest sense of the word; i.e. they brought forth the treasures that lay hidden in their students, rather that try to impress their student with their own brilliance.

Third, having had an opportunity to speak with several of the students who came to one of our final workshops, I had a chance to ask them what the experience of using art and literacy together meant to them. They spoke about how their teachers encouraged them; how they felt seeing their art and words in print, in a book with their names on it. They also said that even though they enjoyed the experience, they would not want to do picture books for every single subject they had. They liked the specialness of doing the single theme books. I also read the student responses to a questionnaire they filled out after the project ended. (See attachments.) They had four questions to answer:

(1) What did you learn from the Picture Book experience? “I learned that you can take anything and make it into something.” “That you can also speak your mind in a picture instead of words.” “I learned that my talent was acceptable.”

(2) What made this program enjoyable? “This program was enjoyable cause it help you focus on something other that doing time and getting into fights.” “The fact that I could see my art work published.” “Expressing your feelings in a positive way.”

(3) How did picture books ‘effect’ your writing and/or self esteem? “Porque Ms. Shaheed me enseno a escribir en Ingles.” “By making me want to learn even more and go to college.” “It helps me write better essay for my GED.”

(4) How will you continue to practice what you have learned? “Think about what I want in life and go for it.” “I will make a whole chapbook about the beauty of birds.” “By going to college.”

Was this project a success? Yes! Does it need fine tuning? Yes! Would I encourage more teachers to give it a try? Absolutely! I realize that many teachers will say that they are not art teachers, that using art in the classroom should be left to the art educators and visiting artists. I would strongly remind them that this curriculum is not about ART, but as using art to help find the words to tell the story. It’s about helping these young people find a voice for their feelings and thoughts. It’s about changing attitudes and lives.


	Picture Book Curriculum Report EMTC – Rikers Island, New York Jan. 13, 2004 – June 17, 2004 Prepared by Joan E. Porcaro, MS Ed. Introduction In September 2003, plans began for the piloting of The Picture Book Curriculum by Molly Barker, to be used as a tool for helping incarcerated youth at the Rikers Island Correctional Facility develop and/or improve their literacy skills. The plan was for faculty members to volunteer to use the curriculum either as part of their regular subject area curriculum, or as a special project for student to participate in on a weekly basis. What follows is an overview of the curriculum; a summary of the planning sessions; and reflections of the faculty, students and observers. This report also includes samples of students’ work, as well as teachers’ lessons plans. (See attachments.) What is the Picture Book Curriculum? NYS Visual Arts Standard 1 states: Students create artworks in which they use and evaluate different kinds of mediums, themes, symbols, metaphors and images. NYS English Language Arts Standard 2 states: Students will write pieces in a variety of literary forms, correctly using the conventions of the genre and using structure and vocabulary to achieve an effect. It was felt that making picture books with definite rubrics and guidelines would give students new ways of thinking and approaching, not only their academic subjects, but also their sense of self, purpose, and aspirations for the future. The course is designed to allow each student to find his or her own best methods of working. The activities in each lesson give students tools for exploring their own knowledge and experience, acquiring new expertise, and constructing their own story. It is a 10 week curriculum, with each week having a specific theme and tasks that take the students step-by-step toward the creation of their books. (A copy of the curriculum is attached.) Getting Ready 1/13/04 A group of faculty members interested in trying the curriculum met with the project coordinators from The Waterways Project of Ten Penny Players, Inc. several of these teachers were already using visual arts in their teaching methods, and all of them were hoping that this project would help motivate students and give them a way of expressing their thoughts, especially since many of the students at Rikers are deficient in language skills such as reading and vocabulary. It was also hoped that having the students see their work actually published in a book they could show to others would increase their sense of self worth and be a source of encouragement. Some of the outcomes from this workshop/meeting were: h Discussion of the purpose for the project, and the importance of keeping some type of record of the proceedings. h A timetable for working on the project was set. It was agreed that the group would meet weekly in a workshop to discuss problems, techniques, and submit work as it was ready for publication. h The Picture Book Curriculum project would begin of 2/24/04. 1/28/04 Discussion included: h Specifics about the Picture Book Curriculum itself. It was noted that NYS Education has made it a “best practice” for teaching Arts and Literacy. h Letting students decide if they wanted to start with the drawing or writing first. Some students might prefer to visual their story and then put it into words, other might prefer the reverse. h EMTC was chosen as the school to pilot the project because of the stability of its population. h Teachers were encouraged to take their own particular teaching style into consideration and adapt the curriculum accordingly. Customization is key to the success of the project. h How were the participating students to be chosen? Would they volunteer to commit to the 10 weeks? Would teachers prefer to involve the whole class and use the curriculum as part of their regular teaching method? Would teachers prefer to use the curriculum as a special, once a week activity for students? (Each teacher would choose their own preference.) h The question of supplies and reimbursement for out-of pocket-expenses was dealt with. h Teachers were asked to give some form of feedback each week so that a comprehensive evaluation of the curriculum could be determined. (Teachers were given a questionnaire for fill out each week. See attachments) h Did we want to measure the affect, if any, of visual art on students’ test scores? It was decided that we were not so interested in numbers, but rather changes in student attitudes and motivation, as well as day-to-day improvement in the quality of their work. In the weekly meetings that followed, it became apparent that while the project might have met with a little student resistance in some cases, once the first set of books were published, student enthusiasm increased. Teachers continued to discuss their adaptations of the curriculum, but most of the time they were sharing stories about students who suddenly “came to life,” or how the students showed off their published books to their classmates, or who couldn’t wait to show them to their family and friends on the “outside.” The teachers said it was hard work, and time consuming, but as one teacher said, “When I received the books I couldn’t wait until the next day. I had to excuse myself from the workshop, just so I could give the students their books. It’s a moment that I couldn’t wait to happen…to see the excitement on the student’s face.” Reflections from the Sidelines As the research gatherer/observer, I had the chance to talk with many of the participants in this project, as well as collate their responses to the various narrative questionnaires they completed. There are several significant things that stand out for me. First, the amount of out-of-school time the teachers invested in preparing for these lessons. This included adapting the lessons to their specific course material, making models for students to use, finding and/or purchasing books for examples or materials for the students to use. Second, the enormous pride the teachers took in their students’ work. At every workshop there was story after story of specific students who showed interest in schoolwork after weeks of apathy. They couldn’t wait to show the latest drawings or writing samples. And as for the smiles and even tears of joy when they held the finished books in their hands, knowing the effort that the students had made to produce that work, my only response was to say that these men and women are educators in the truest sense of the word; i.e. they brought forth the treasures that lay hidden in their students, rather that try to impress their student with their own brilliance. Third, having had an opportunity to speak with several of the students who came to one of our final workshops, I had a chance to ask them what the experience of using art and literacy together meant to them. They spoke about how their teachers encouraged them; how they felt seeing their art and words in print, in a book with their names on it. They also said that even though they enjoyed the experience, they would not want to do picture books for every single subject they had. They liked the specialness of doing the single theme books. I also read the student responses to a questionnaire they filled out after the project ended. (See attachments.) They had four questions to answer: (1) What did you learn from the Picture Book experience? “I learned that you can take anything and make it into something.” “That you can also speak your mind in a picture instead of words.” “I learned that my talent was acceptable.” (2) What made this program enjoyable? “This program was enjoyable cause it help you focus on something other that doing time and getting into fights.” “The fact that I could see my art work published.” “Expressing your feelings in a positive way.” (3) How did picture books ‘effect’ your writing and/or self esteem? “Porque Ms. Shaheed me enseno a escribir en Ingles.” “By making me want to learn even more and go to college.” “It helps me write better essay for my GED.” (4) How will you continue to practice what you have learned? “Think about what I want in life and go for it.” “I will make a whole chapbook about the beauty of birds.” “By going to college.” Was this project a success? Yes! Does it need fine tuning? Yes! Would I encourage more teachers to give it a try? Absolutely! I realize that many teachers will say that they are not art teachers, that using art in the classroom should be left to the art educators and visiting artists. I would strongly remind them that this curriculum is not about ART, but as using art to help find the words to tell the story. It’s about helping these young people find a voice for their feelings and thoughts. It’s about changing attitudes and lives. return to research and evaluations