ED477906 2003-06-00 Teaching

Artistically Able Students with

Exceptionalities. ERIC Digest.

ERIC Development Team

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Teaching Artistically Able Students with Exceptionalities. ERIC Digest.. 1

SUBGROUPS OF STUDENTS WITH DUAL EXCEPTIONALITIES... 2

METHODS OF TEACHING STUDENTS WITH DUAL

EXCEPTIONALITIES..................................................... 3

METHODS OF TEACHING STUDENTS WITH SPECIFIC

DISABILITIES.............................................................. 5

REFERENCES AND ERIC RESOURCES..................................6

ERIC Identifier: ED477906

Publication Date: 2003-06-00

Author: Johnson, Robin

Source: ERIC Clearinghouse for Social Studies/Social Science Education Bloomington

IN.

Teaching Artistically Able Students with

Exceptionalities. ERIC Digest.

THIS DIGEST WAS CREATED BY ERIC, THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES

INFORMATION CENTER. FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT ERIC, CONTACT

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Creating differentiated art curricula to accommodate artistically talented students'

ED477906 2003-06-00 Teaching Artistically Able Students with Exceptionalities. ERIC

Digest.

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individual needs may enhance student performance and program outcomes. This

Digest discusses (1) individual education plans for artistically able students with

exceptionalities, (2) subgroups of students with dual exceptionalities, (3) methods of

teaching students with dual exceptionalities, and (4) methods of teaching students with

specific disabilities.

INDIVIDUALIZED EDUCATION PROGRAMS (IEPs).

Since the passage of The Education for All Handicapped Children Act in 1975 and the

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in 1990, the landscape of art

education has changed dramatically. Students with exceptional educational needs

(EEN) are mainstreamed with their peers to fulfill the requirement that they be

"educated in their least restrictive environment (LRE)" (Individuals with Disabilities

Education Act of 1997). Although students with EEN are frequently supported in

academic subjects by special instructors or instructional assistants, this often is not the

case in areas considered less academic, such as art, music, technology, and physical

education. These students have adaptations written into their IEPs by teams that

include professionals, social workers, and parents, but rarely art teachers. Because of

this, IEPs for mainstreamed students with EEN are often inappropriate in an art

education context. Art teachers are finding that specialized adaptations for students with

EEN beyond those constructed by regular classroom teachers and special education

teachers are necessary (Hillert 1997).

Also, art teachers must work with students of all ability levels with little classroom

support. In addition to frequently being left out of the IEP development process, they

often are unaware of the variety of disabilities affecting their students. To individualize

their curricula to accommodate the varying needs, interests, and abilities of special

populations in their classes, art teachers need to request copies of any learning

modifications that may be called for by a student's IEP (Yong and McIntyre 1992). There

are many ways to describe and categorize characteristics of students with talent in the

visual arts (Clark and Zimmerman 1992). An important challenge that many art teachers

face is differentiating curricula for students who simultaneously demonstrate artistic

talent and exceptionalities in other areas. For these students, artistic expression may be

a means of demonstrating their capabilities.

SUBGROUPS OF STUDENTS WITH DUAL

EXCEPTIONALITIES.

Students with dual exceptionalities have both high ability and learning disabilities.

Generally, they can be divided into three subgroups.

The first subgroup includes students not identified as having an EEN (Beckley 1998).

These students may use their abilities to compensate for disabilities that do not surface

in a regular classroom. An art teacher often may discover that a student needs to be

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referred for assessment.

The second subgroup of students has been identified as having an EEN, but the

strengths of their academic and art abilities may go unrecognized (Beckley 1998).

These students often face problems in the art room that revolve around disabilities and

low self-image. Students with dual exceptionalities often blame themselves for their

failures and do not recognize their successes. A challenge to all teachers is to

emphasize student success and reinforce it in concrete ways (Vaidya 1993).

The third subgroup of students with dual exceptionalities includes those who

demonstrate ability, yet have difficulty performing tasks required in school. This

becomes evident in art classes when students have difficulty completing work or

maintaining a level of quality in their work consistent with their art abilities. Students

need assistance in their areas of weakness, but they also need to recognize and

develop their gifts (Beckley 1998). In working with all students who have potential or

exhibit art talent, it is as important to consider their working processes as well as their

final products and outcomes (Clark and Zimmerman 1992). Note that these groups are

not discrete and may overlap.

METHODS OF TEACHING STUDENTS WITH

DUAL EXCEPTIONALITIES.

Listed below are several modifications that easily can be incorporated into a curriculum

for artistically able students with EEN without disrupting their need for differentiation.

The amount of work or size of art projects may be altered:

* Encourage students to complete assignments in small, manageable chunks. Students

beginning extensive art projects may need help organizing an individual plan for

completing the project.

* If a student easily burns out, recommend that he or she begin with smaller projects

and gradually work toward larger ones. In the case of research, for example, students

could begin by looking at artists' works for images with which they feel some

connection. They could later incorporate information about the artist, the time period

during which the art was produced, and media used by the artist, eventually completing

a written assignment.

The amount of time given to complete a project may be adjusted:

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ED477906 2003-06-00 Teaching Artistically Able Students with Exceptionalities. ERIC

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* Be alert for obsessive behavior. Gifted and talented children often obsess over tasks

and have difficulty completing tasks on time (Clark and Zimmerman 1992). If a student

has begun work on a large painting and is struggling to finish, have him or her take a

day off and try some new materials or begin another project different from the original

one.

* Set flexible time schedules. Make art assignments due over the course of several days

or even weeks. Provide a range of time during which an assignment may be turned in.

* Encourage steady work habits. Students may keep a log of the work they

accomplished in an art period or the teacher may consult with students each day to

make sure they are on task.

* Be aware of procrastination. Students with exceptional ability may spend a great deal

of time daydreaming (Willard-Holt 1999). If they are thinking about what to do for their

next project, take time to discuss their plans and use brainstorming techniques to help

them discover some possibilities. They also can look at other artists' works or do

thumbnail sketches to help them move their project forward.

Methods used by a teacher to deliver information may be modified:

* Teachers can use multimedia demonstrations that the students can easily access. To

increase student independence, teachers can demonstrate complicated techniques

such as cutting wood blocks for printmaking.

* Use verbal instructions. For example, when demonstrating how to hand-build pottery,

explain the process step by step or ask the student to explain the process to clarify his

or her understanding.

* Offer written information along with illustrations. Illustrations of a pottery demonstration

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accompanied by written directions may be useful for students who have difficulty

retaining information.

Additional methods can be used by students to complete assignments:

* Make assignments open-ended so that students have opportunities to use higher level

thinking skills. For example, when assigning a personally expressive self-portrait, allow

students to choose the media they use to complete the assignment.

* Offer options, if not for materials, then for subject matter or style, such as allowing

students to choose a topic for a critique about a specific style of art. For example, if a

student chooses to critique abstract art, he or she can do so orally, in writing, or by

creating artwork that demonstrates individual reactions to abstract art.

METHODS OF TEACHING STUDENTS WITH

SPECIFIC DISABILITIES.

Below are a few additional suggestions for teaching artistically able students with

specific disabilities:

Students with emotional disabilities may respond best to creating artwork that is

self-expressive, such as expressionistic or surrealistic images. Teachers should focus

on positive experiences, reassure students, and provide them with firm, consistent

guidelines and opportunities for interaction with other students.

Students with learning disabilities may need information explained in several ways.

Depending on the nature of the specific disability, the student may benefit from oral

instruction, written instruction, or demonstration. Students should reiterate art lesson

expectations to the teachers to be sure communication is clear.

Students with physical disabilities should be provided materials that allow for maximum

independence. The physical environment of the classroom or materials may need to be

adapted for their individual needs. Teachers should help students verbalize difficulties

they are encountering in order to help them solve art room problems.

Students with hearing impairments should be positioned in the classroom so they can

get the teacher's attention and read classmates' facial expressions. Directions should

be provided in writing and through demonstration. These students should be involved in

group activities such as collaborative art making, critiques, and historical studies of art.

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ED477906 2003-06-00 Teaching Artistically Able Students with Exceptionalities. ERIC

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Students with visual impairments require more assistance in visual arts than many of

their peers. In providing an art curriculum for these students, consider using the other

senses, providing three-dimensional models, focusing on tactile materials, and involving

students in art critiques and discussions. Teachers should show students where

materials are located and inform students if the room has been rearranged (Rodriguez

1984).

In conclusion, in every case the goal should be student success. Focusing on students'

abilities and minimizing their disabilities enhances their own learning as well as the

creative atmosphere of the entire art classroom.

REFERENCES AND ERIC RESOURCES.

The following list of resources includes references used to prepare this Digest. The

items followed by an ED number are available in microfiche, paper, or electronic full text

from the ERIC Document Reproduction Service (EDRS). For information about prices,

contact EDRS, 7420 Fullerton Road, Suite 110, Springfield, Virginia 22152-2852; World

Wide Web <edrs.com>; telephone numbers are (703) 440-1400 and (800) 443-3742.

Entries followed by an EJ number, annotated monthly in CURRENT INDEX TO

JOURNALS IN EDUCATION (CIJE), are not available through EDRS. However, they

can be located in the journal section of larger libraries by using the bibliographic

information provided, requested through Interlibrary Loan, or ordered from commercial

reprint services.

Beckley, Dawn. GIFTED AND LEARNING DISABLED: TWICE EXCEPTIONAL

STUDENTS. Storrs, CT: University of Connecticut National Research Center on the

Gifted and Talented, 1998. ED 424 711.

Clark, Gilbert A., and Enid Zimmerman. TRANSLATIONS: FROM THEORY TO

PRACTICE 2: 1-6. Reston, VA: National Art Education Association.

Davis, Gary A., and Sylvia B. Rimm. EDUCATION OF THE GIFTED AND TALENTED.

Boston Heights, MA: Allyn and Bacon, 1994.

EDUCATION FOR ALL HANDICAPPED CHILDREN ACT OF 1975, P.L. 94-142.

Hillert, Mark S. THE PROBLEMATIC NATURE OF ART TEACHERS' EFFORTS TO

ADAPT INSTRUCTION FOR SPECIAL NEEDS STUDENTS. Ph.D. diss., St. Norbert

College, 1997. ED 446 405.

INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES EDUCATION ACT AMENDMENTS OF 1997, P.L.

105-17.

INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES EDUCATION ACT OF 1990, P.L. 101 476.

Rodriguez, Susan. THE SPECIAL ARTIST'S HANDBOOK: ART ACTIVITIES AND

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Digest.
ADAPTIVE AIDS FOR HANDICAPPED STUDENTS. Palo Alto, CA: Dale Seymour,

1984. ED 398 156.

Vaidya, Sheila R. "Gifted Children With Learning Disabilities: Theoretical Implications

and Instructional Challenge." EDUCATION 113 (Summer 1993): 568-734.

Waldron, Karen A. and Others. "Learning Disabilities and Giftedness: Identification

Based on Self-Concept, Behavior, and Academic Patterns." JOURNAL OF LEARNING

DISABILITIES 20 (Aug Sep 1987): 422 27, 432. EJ 359 435.

Willard-Holt, Colleen. DUAL EXCEPTIONALITIES. ERIC Digest. Reston, VA: ERIC

Clearinghouse for Disabilities and Gifted Education, 1999. ED 430 344.

Yong, Fung L. and John D. McIntyre. "A Comparative Study of the Learning Style

Preferences of Students with Learning Disabilities and Students Who Are Gifted."

JOURNAL OF LEARNING DISABILITIES 25 (February 1992): 124-32. EJ 442 934.

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This project has been funded at least in part with Federal funds from the U.S.

Department of Education under contract number ED-99-CO-0016. The content of this

publication does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the U.S. Department of

Education nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations

imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. ERIC Digests are in the public domain and

may be freely reproduced and disseminated.

-----

Robin A. Johnson is a visiting lecturer at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana and

DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana.

Title: Teaching Artistically Able Students with Exceptionalities. ERIC Digest.

Document Type: Information Analyses---ERIC Information Analysis Products (IAPs)

(071); Information Analyses---ERIC Digests (Selected) in Full Text (073);

Target Audience: Practitioners, Teachers

Available From: ERIC Clearinghouse for Social Studies/Social Science Education,

2805 East Tenth Street, Suite 120, Bloomington, IN 47408. Tel: 800-266-3815 (Toll

Free); Fax: 812-855-0455; e-mail: ericso@indiana.edu; Web site:

http://ericso.indiana.edu.

Descriptors: Art Education, Classroom Techniques, Disabilities, Individualized

Instruction, Special Needs Students, Teaching Methods

Identifiers: Artistic Performance, ERIC Digests

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