…and ALL teachers teach literacy!

Literacy is about understanding the meaning of human codes. Meaning can be conveyed through words, signs or symbols.

In the arts, these codes can be written, aural or visual. Literacy in the arts is evident in the way students use the English language to talk, read and write about their own and other artist’s works. Literacy in the arts is also evident when students use and understand symbols, images, movement, sound and artistic conventions.

Student literacy can be developed both in and through the arts by:

1. Focused reading and writing activities that address specific skills identified in English outcomes e.g. grammar, spelling, comprehension

2. The use of appropriate text scaffolds, such as narrative, response, review and procedure to develop skills in talking, listening, reading and writing

3. Focusing on arts content and pedagogy that enhances literacy learning, including integrated practices of making and appreciating, experiential learning, specific strategies such as side coaching, hot seating, specific texts such as artist statements, citations, journal

4. Focusing on literacies particular to the arts: visual literacy, aural literacy, kinaesthetic literacy, critical literacy, social and cultural literacies     (Source)
 
 
 

Apps and Ideas

 


 
WordFrame uses a word as an overlay for an image. You choose the picture and play around with the style to create bold combinations. Once you’ve saved these images to your Photos ou can use them in blog posts as buttons or titles, add them to posters or surround students with key words and terminology by putting them up around the classroom.
 
 
 


 
The Visual Poetry app merges words with colour and shape to produce visual imagery. You can create shape poetry, explain concepts with visual devices and add emphasis to words by using size and proximity. It’s a great tool for teaching and learning.
 

 
 

An iPad Art Room favourite app, Cloudart allows you to present your collections of vocabulary words in a creative format.

* Introduce subject specific vocabulary, art terminology, etc.
* Collect key words about artists, movements, etc.
* Collate student ideas
* Produce a record of responses or reflections
* Group describing words, stimulus ideas or similar subjects

One of the great features of this app is that you can use a URL to generate a cloud straight off a website.  

 
From the classroom…
Created using CloudArt, this resource contains an extensive record of student-generated vocabulary for ‘talking about art’.  Students generated this list in a lesson as a response to a reading and viewing task.  It was shared at the completion of the activity as a visual record of the learning and a resource for further activities.

 
 

Describing imagery using the Elements of Art

 
 

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