Rainbow Ashton
ART/MAKER Teacher
PHILOSOPHY
Languages
ENGLISH-FLUENT
SPANISH-CONVERSATIONAL
GERMAN- CONVERSTAIONAL
FRENCH - LEARNING
I strongly believe that the classroom should incorporate many different ideas, philosophies and cultures by valuing the students and communities who compose it. The classroom should be a place where students are free to work creatively both individually and together in an environment that promotes fairness, cooperation and responsibility. Multiple resources, materials, and technologies should be explored and developed to maximize student and teacher understanding of subject matter. I firmly believe that school should not only promote academic growth but also prepare students for life, by equipping students with critical thinking skills as well as hands on skills.
ART
I taught middle school Art in Fairfield, California for seven years, and in Santa Rosa for 2 1/2 years. I taught both introductory studio art and advanced art classes to 6th -8th grade students. I feel that my students learned more than was expected of them and will possibly do better in their other classes by using the skills they learned in art. Students left my class with an understanding of artistic perception, creative expression, aesthetic valuing, historical and cultural context, and applications. I used a variety of different mediums and styles to address all students learning styles as well as assess what the students learned. The class population was extremely diverse including students with physical disabilities, learning disabilities, little or no English skills, behavioral problems, and academic students. All lesson plans and rubrics are adapted to fit each individual to maximize learning. I also work closely with the Science, English, and Math teachers in providing additional support to lessons with the use of art.
MAKER
I have a supplementary teaching credential for Industrial Technology and I completed the Maker Educator Certificate program at Sonoma State University. In college I studied Drafting, Auto CAD, basic Electronics, Woodworking, Computer graphics, and both 2D and 3D Art.
A Maker class allows students to explore real world connections to Math, Science, and Art and use project based learning and critical thinking to problem solve. It will also teach them how to use basic hand tools, various materials and learn computer programing. Students will also have a greater understanding of their environment and the materials around them as we will create up cycled projects using common throw away materials. In the near future I would like to incorporate more technology into the classroom including Laser cutters, Vinyl cutters, 3D Printers, and Robotics. The class will be very open ended where there is always more then one way to solve a problem. Students are graded according to specific rubrics for each assignment.