All lessons and artifacts created to align with the standards of practice for the teaching profession. These frameworks include: Commitment to Students and Student Learning, Professional Knowledge, Professional Practice, Leadership in Learning Communities and ongoing professional learning.
Click on the title of each project to see the artifact in full
Un-grading the Classroom
Un-grading the classroom qualitative research. Learning should be of the utmost importance in the classroom; NOT grades. This places focus on gaining students input of whether they prefer numerical / letter grades or ongoing feedback.
Applying the use of curated portfolios to showcase their work and progress Limiting evaluation, instead of increasing feedback and re-submissions Heavily exercising the use of evidence records for class participation and hosting exit interviews rather than tests.
Independent Learning Lesson, WW2’s Influence on Fashion
Students will learn about various social and historical factors that affected the fashion industry and trends during the Second World War. In light of the current pandemic, the cumulative task allows students to inquire how social distancing, quarantining, working from home, personal protective equipment, and mandates to wear masks in public will effect style and fashion? Students will apply research skills when investigating aspects of COVID-19 to create two pandemic influenced fashion designs.
Visual Rubric
Although this rubric was created with senior art classes in mind, this form of rubric could be applied to all subject matter. The visual form caters to differentiated learning styles and assists the student in self- assessment practices.
Reconciliation Mural Rendering
I was born and raised in Brantford Ontario. For some, this town may recall memories of tight-knit friendship, a close community, and simple small-town life. But for others, this town evokes trauma, assimilation, abuse, and a haunting past. Brantford is home to the first Residential School in Canada; The Mohawk Institute which closed its doors only in 1970. I wanted to depicted this in the mural as I work through critical self reflection, ally-ship, and disrupting settler colonialism.
Overall, “ educational” systems in Canada have generated irreversible impacts on Indigenous culture and well being in the past and years to come. While entering the profession of education, I am continuously questioning how can I ensure that my prospective students will not add to this continuous cycle of oppression, and learn to challenge colonialism? How can I instill a duty for my students to listen and respect the land and diverse peoples within this country?
Street Art for Social Change PowerPoint
Art has the power to serve as a catalyst for dialogue,
awareness and confrontation; and an artist has the unique opportunity to create a platform to share
perspectives and social discourse. This line of thought and ability to take action is expansive, and a tool
students can carry with them outside of the classroom. By the end of the lesson students will be able to
critically analyze street art, begin to create reactive pieces to issues in community to spread awareness and
or consider solutions.
Lets Paint!
The question “what makes an artwork effective?” is something that many individuals in society may feel inadequate to answer
as they may be ill-equipped with analytical and practical skills in this subject matter. Within this unit I aim to cover
fundamental skills used in artistic practice for students to not only create a successful final painting, but to be able to also
understand how to foster a critical eye towards work. This Intermediate Visual Art Unit Plan adheres to the Ontario Curriculum standards.
Permaculture Experiential Learning Design
Deforestation is occurring, polar ice caps are melting, the global climate is rising destructively. This experiential learning experience allows students to inquire how to minimize these damaging effects through stewardship. In this Experiential Learning project, students in grade 9 Biology will visit various restorative gardens, engage in tending the grounds learning firsthand how ecosystems function, then collaboratively design and implement an ecologically conscious garden at their school.
Professional Learning Communities Learning Chart
Documentation of ongoing professional practice and learning.
Street Art for Social Change Lesson Plan
Throughout this lesson I aim for students to develop their social awareness and criticality when considering
injustice. With the use of ongoing discussion, representation of various street art, and informative videos,
this lesson will demonstrate how art can be used to facilitate change.
Community Arts Education Mural to be Created on University of Ottawa Campus
Designed by Isabella Di Stefano
The intent behind this piece stems from the lack of representation throughout various realms and pivoting to emphasize inclusion. The panel highlights women’s power and presence in science with the double helix and microscope. The artwork rids the heteronormative perspective by embracing ‘The Progress Flag’ as another symbol for the community. The flag includes black and brown stripes to represent intersectional LGBTQ+ communities of colour. It includes the colours pink, light blue and white, which are representative of the Transgender Flag. Alongside the purple circle within the yellow triangle; symbolic of intersex.
The closed fist is a long-standing symbol of fighting oppression and uplifting the voices of marginalized communities. In this context, the fist serves as a symbol for the fight to re-conceptualize colonial-based educational systems and offer opportunities for cross-cultural learning by honouring Indigenous ways of knowing. This places mass emphasis on our role as educators and facilitators in the sect of minimizing climate change effects. Ultimately this draws a connection to the earth poster, as we could learn from Indigenous environmental pedagogy to reverse the human imprint.
What community arts education stands for is an overall drive to be inclusive of the expansive breadth of identity within the community with notions of : sustainability, ecological awareness, and activism.
Isabella Di Stefano 