Powerpoint for VAEA presentation "Best Intentions Missing the Mark; Improving Classroom Multicultural Education" by Dorie Mishael and Angelica Bigsby.

1. Best Intentions
Missing the Mark
Improving Classroom Multicultural Education
VAEA 2014. Dorie Mishael and Angelica Bigsby

2. Dorie Mishael
● Alabama, California, Texas
● Recently graduated from the University of
North Texas
● Visual Studies Major BFA
● Currently teaching art at a STEM Elementary
school in Alexandria

3. Angelica Bigsby
● Texas Native
● Recently graduated from the University of
North Texas
● Visual Studies Major BFA
○ Minors in Counseling and Psychology
● Currently 1st graduate student at George
Washington University for Art Therapy

4. Itinerary
● About Us
● Objective
● Background
● Best Intentions
● Missing the Mark
● Example: Dream Catchers Done Right
● Everyday Solutions
● When in Doubt, Keep it Contemporary
● Questions

5. Objective
I can...
● Implement culturally enriching and inclusive
strategies in my classroom with confidence.
● Enhancing authentic connections to promote
student engagement.

6. Background
Cultural Appropriation
the adoption of elements of one culture by members of a different cultural
group, specifically used by cultural outsiders of a minority, oppressed culture's
symbols, or other cultural elements.
● ideas
● symbols
● artifacts
● image
● sound objects
● forms
● styles from other cultures

7. Subtle
● Indian giver
● Indian Style
● Getto
● Sold down the river
● Uppity
● Gyp
● Rule of thumb
● Peanut Galleries
● Hip Hip Hooray
● Cowboys and Indians

8. Blatant

9. Ohio University STARS students teaching about racism in
Society
http://www.ohio.edu/orgs/stars/home.html

11. racism on racism

12. What is being taught?

13. Explicit Instruction

15. Best Intentions
● Learn about and connect with cultures that
are different from your own.
● History lesson to understand the past to
better create the future.
● Making a medium based lesson more rich
with meaning.
Question: What are your best
intentions?

16. Missing the Mark
● Finishing the art is more important than
learning the history.
● Hesitation from depth in lesson because of
lack of knowledge.
● Assuming you do have all the knowledge
without doing in depth research.
● Focusing on Elements and Principles.
Question: What are your experience
with educators “missing the Mark?”

17. Using disrespectful materials
● Unsanitary
Toilet paper rolls - germs
Food - wasteful
● Irreverent
These are usually sacred
items. Make sure there is
thought and meaning put into
the materials.

18. Losing sight of the Big Idea
● Focus on the Big Idea and culture. Not the
Elements and Principles.
● It might turn into a beautiful artwork, but what is it teaching the students
about appropriating other cultures in the future?

19. Religion in the classroom
● Othering non-christian
students.
● Imposing beliefs

20. But it’s Canon!

21. Don’t Miss an Opportunity
● Disability
● Depression
● LGBTQIAP+
● Race
● Class
● Gender

22. Teaching by Omission
● Technical skills valued over
content.
● Not dealing with or exploring the
imagery.
Kara Walker

23. Dream Catchers Done Right?
● Research
○ Ojibwe tribe or known as Chippewa
○ Canada and United States
○ Second largest population among 1st nations
○ Fourth largest population in US

24. Bawaajige Nagwaagan (Dream Snare)
● Inanimate word for spider
● Handmade object based on a willow hoop that is woven,
beads and feathers are added as extra details
● Was adopted by other neighboring tribes through
marriage.
● Universal image of peace or symbol of
commercialization and generalisation of the Native
American people.

25. Origins Story
Storytellers speak of the Spider Woman, known as Asibikaashi; she took care
of the children and the people on the land. Eventually, the Ojibwe Nation
spread to the corners of North America and it became difficult for Asibikaashi to
reach all the children. So the mothers and grandmothers would weave magical
webs for the children, using willow hoops and sinew, or cordage made from
plants. The dreamcatchers would filter out all bad dreams and only allow good
thoughts to enter our mind. Once the sun rises, all bad dreams just disappear.[4]
American ethnographer Frances Densmore writes in her book Chippewa
Customs (1929, republished 1979, pg. 113):

26. Themes / Big Idea
● storytelling
● nature
● dreams
● Items of comfort

27. Everyday Solutions
● Display pictures of
the artists being
studied.
● With the artists
name

28. Everyday Solutions
Focus on the Big Idea
What is the meaning behind the
ritual or object? How can we
relate?

29. Don’t Exoticz
● Find the
things you
have in
common.
● Make the
authentic
connection

30. Dark is Beautiful
● Reinforce that dark colors are beautiful
and wanted.
● Never call black and brown muddy
mistakes.

31. Multicultural Supplies

32. Tie it back to the Present
● What are artists
from these
cultures doing
today?
● What
controversies
surround these
artists? Nadia Myre

33. Videos of Artists
Artists speaking about their work.

34. Keep it Contemporary
Art is living
Artists are alive
Students can have agency and affect change in
the art world.

35. Kehinde Wiley

39. Do Ho Suh

40. Yowayowa

41. Toshiko Horiuchi

42. R*dskin is a slur
Proud to be
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mR-tbOxlhvE

43. Actions for the better.
● Incorporating contemporary artist in lessons,
and around classroom
● Researching basic information about people,
objects, culture
● looking at the demographics of your class -
ethnicity, religion, disability,
Question: How can you
implement what you have
learned in your classroom?

44. November is native american month
http://www.nmai.si.edu/
native american museum
http://www.usa.gov/Government/Tribal.shtml
http://www.native-languages.org/kids.htm
wikipedia
, "Nativetech.org", Lyn Dearborn,November 1, 1995, accessed September 26, 2013.

45. The End
Questions?
Dorie Mishael: Dorie.Mishael@acps.k12.va.us
Doriemishael.com
Angelica Bigsby: angelicabigsby@gmail.com
http://angelicabigsby.wix.com/angelicabigsby
This presentaion lives at http://doriemishae9.wix.com/applejuiceteaparty