Art, Pedagogy and Dyslexia

Abstract

This article presents exploratory research examining the strategies employed by art teachers who identify as dyslexic. The study originated out of the personal interest of the researchers better to understand the strategies for learning used by teachers with dyslexia and the potential influence it has on their pedagogy. The question that this interest generates is 'What learning strategies, used by art teachers with dyslexia, can be used as pedagogical tools?' To help answer this question, three art teachers were chosen to participate in the research; this was a purposeful choice, based on their self-identification as having 'severe' dyslexia. The research consisted of informal interviews and classroom observations. However, we found that autobiographical details, augmented by reflections their individual teaching and learning experiences were particularly useful. We focused on whether strategies used as learners were now informing their teaching. Although small in scale, the study connects several positive attributes often associated with dyslexia (such as visual spatial awareness) to classroom practices, in addition to empathy with struggling students. Keywords

Teachers with disabilities: a systematic review of the international literature

“…Numerosi articoli tra quelli selezionati (Burns & Bell, 2010;Compton, 1997;Ferri, Keefe, & Gregg, 2001;Ferri et al, 2005;Gerber, 1992;Glazzard & Dale, 2015;Hickman & Brens, 2014;Lamichhane, 2016;Roald, 2002;Smith, 2017;Smith & Ramsey, 2004;Sutton-Spence & Ramsey, 2010;Valle et al, 2004;Vogel & Sharoni, 2011) riportano una condizione di vantaggio psicologico nei docenti con disabilità/DSA, dovuta alla loro esperienza personale che li rende capaci di comprendere direttamente ed empaticamente il mondo psicologico, affettivo e culturale degli alunni, specie se con la loro stessa disabilità/DSA (insider status), nonché di creare una base comunicativa e relazionale con tutti gli allievi piuttosto positiva.…”

“…Tra gli approcci didattici riportati in particolare dagli insegnanti con DSA, è interessante osservare come essi abbiano puntato sul coinvolgimento attivo degli allievi nei diversi compiti (ad esempio, verifica congiunta insegnante-studente dell'ortografia dei testi prodotti), privilegiato il feedback orale/con codice colore piuttosto che quello scritto e pianificato lavori in piccoli gruppi. Riferiscono, inoltre, un forte investimento su linguaggi diversi, attività pratiche e input visivi (ad esempio figure, acronimi o video per illustrare l'argomento discusso), nonché sull'uso di checklist/calendari per un'organizzazione accurata e autoregolata di tempi e materiali (Burns & Bell, 2011;Burns, Poikkeus, & Aro, 2013;Gerber, 1992;Glazzard & Dale, 2015;Hickman & Brens, 2014;Smith, 2017;Vogel & Sharoni, 2011).…”

“…Un'altra possibilità interessante è rappresentata dalla attuazione di strategie personalizzate, tra cui tecniche mnemoniche e di visualizzazione, utili ad esempio a rievocare i diversi passaggi e contenuti delle lezioni, e dallo sviluppo di una forte resilienza (Burns et al, 2013;Glazzard & Dale, 2015;Hickman & Brens, 2014;Smith & Ramsey, 2004;Vogel & Sharoni, 2011).…”

Visuo-Spatial Skills in Atypical Readers

“…; Hickman & Brens, 2014;Schneps et al, 2011), these findings are largely anecdotal reports or self-report surveys, and there is a paucity of experimental studies of good design in this area (Taylor et al, 2003;Wolff et al, 2002). In contrast, other reports (Fink, 2002;Finucci, Gottfredson, & Childs, 1985;Gottfredson, Finucci, & Childs, 1984) show that people with RD choose fields that are considered more "verbal" (nursing, business, law).…”

Augmented reality reading support in higher education: Exploring effects on perceived motivation and confidence in comprehension for struggling readers in higher education

“…Hickman and Brens (2014) also pointed out that, according to the Equality Challenge Unit (2012), part of the UK effort to assure equality of higher education, a higher percentage of art and design students declared disabilities compared to students enrolled in any other subject (Hickman & Brens 2014). Among students declaring disabilities, the highest percent (14.7%) was declared by students studying Art and Design, while disabilities were declared by only 4.6% of students studying business and administrative studies (Equality Challenge Unit, 2012…”