8th Grade Student Self-Reflection Example

As we ask students to take a more active role in their own learning it is essential that they have opportunities to engage in reflection on learning itself and who they are as learners. At HMS, Mr. Purnell has included the opportunity for his students to develop Artist Statements. Here, students reflect on their artistic creations, as well as their creative process.  They acknowledge the challenges they faced in the learning process and note how they worked to overcome these challenges. The focus is solely on the student's thinking, problem-solving, planning, and recognizing things about themselves as learners. Take a look at one of the reflections below:

                               Will Staszak - Artist Statement
                        Abstract Illustrator / Photoshop Combo

             I think the main reason that I automatically chose to make a space-themed project is that I've always been interested in that kind of stuff. Not that I would ever actually go there, because that would be terrifying, but I've always liked the look. I think it's mostly the infinite stars and galaxies and planets all together in a randomly generated mesh that is just so intriguing. Anyways, typically space-themed projects are pretty simple. I mean, usually, you have a planet, some stars, and maybe a galaxy, but this project was different.

            Instead of viewing space from a realistic standpoint, I got to re-shape space into something that isn't real; something that couldn't exist in real life, but sure looks cool hung up on the fridge. I think that's why I enjoyed this project more than some of the other ones we've done in this class. Rather than just stealing a specific amount of images or coloring in shapes, I had the freedom to do basically whatever I wanted, as long as it met the requirements. But, other than having to add a radial gradient and some shapes from Adobe Illustrator, I was free to make whatever I wanted. This time, I felt more in control of the piece, and therefore I felt that I could make something that I haven't made before.

            However, before growth, there's typically struggle. For some parts of the project, it was hard to find places to add extra objects or fit specific things. But my main problem came with the radial gradient. I had a somewhat difficult time finding a place for my radial gradient to fit into the piece. Because of my background, I couldn't have it above the astronaut, so I needed to put it somewhere else. I eventually decided to put the gradient onto the planet thing I have on the top right of the image. It's kind of hard to see, but I promise it's there.

        Overall, this project definitely helped me expand my skills with Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. As I tried out things that I haven't done before (both image-wise and technique-wise), I learned a lot about my own art style, as well as the limitless possibilities of making art with Adobe.       

*Shared with permission from both teacher and student