Cover Sheet

Salutation: Mrs.
Last Name: Constantine Middle Initial: Anne
First Name: Holly Preferred First Name or Nickname: Holly

Home Address: 84 Indian Field Rd Job Title: Visual Art & Design Teacher
City: Hebron Number of Years Teaching: 16
State: Connecticut
Zip: 06248

Primary Phone: 860-463-9935 (Personal Mobile) Alternate Phone: 860-228-5206 (Home)

Primary Email: constantineh@glastonburyus.org (Work) Alternate Email: holly-c@comcast.net (Personal)

School Name: Glastonbury High School School Type: Public School

School Classification: High School District: Glastonbury Public Schools

School Address: 330 Hubbard Street School Phone: 860-652-7200

City: Glastonbury School Fax: 860-652-7267
State: Connecticut Principal Name: Nancy Bean
Zip: 06033 Principal Email: BeanN@glastonburyus.org

Current Teaching Assignments: Visual Arts

Current Grade Level: 9 - 12th Grade
Subject Area of Project Activity: Visual/Performing Arts
Estimated Dates of Fellowship: 07/11/2019 - 07/28/2019

Brief Description of Proposed Fellowship: Experiencing art around the world is a necessity for the 21st-century classroom. I propose
to travel to Italy and Greece to take Virtual Reality 360º images and Videos of major art sites to further student learning in the Visual
Arts. I also will research and document the work of Da Vinci in order to create a STEAM Unit on Social Innovation Design.

I've previously been awarded a Fund for Teachers grant: No

 Proposal

Brief Description of Fellowship

Experiencing art around the world is a necessity for the 21st-century classroom. I propose to travel to Italy
and Greece to take Virtual Reality 360º images and Videos of major art sites to further student learning in the
Visual Arts. I also will research and document the work of Da Vinci in order to create a STEAM Unit on Social
Innovation Design.

Fellowship Rationale and Purpose

Artists throughout time have studied by traveling to experience art around the world. Yet art studied in
schools tends to be in a vacuum. Through digital or printed images, presentations, and reproductions,
teachers try to bring the artwork into the classroom for students to experience, but often the proxy loses
much in translation. Flat posters and common presentation techniques alone cannot convey the staggering
height of the David or the feeling of being enveloped by the sgraffito tiles in the Palazzo di Medici Riccardi. Art
is meant to be experienced. The viewer is intended to self-direct through the artwork, absorbing the
knowledge at their own pace, applying their process of discovery, experiencing all that the art has to offer.
This experience is lost in traditional teaching practices dues to the inherent limitations of the classroom.

With the invention of Virtual Reality (VR), now there is the ability to offer students a more accurate, real-
world art experience right in the classroom. Luckily, the school in which I work has two VR systems in the Art
Department, though neither are utilized currently. To address this, I wrote a thesis studying the potential of
VR technology in the high school art classroom, specifically looking at how the use of this technology can
improve student motivation and achievement.

My preliminary research led to a better understanding of my high school students. I found that though we
were in an affluent socio-economic school (DRG B), most students surveyed reported limited cultural and art
experiences. Students reported never going to an art gallery or museum and that their art experience was
limited to the grade 5 art field trip and the mandatory K-5 art classes. Some students admitted they did not
remember their prior art experiences even though the district offers a strong curriculum through grade 5. I
realized there was a significant gap in student appreciation and exposure that needed to be filled to truly
educate students about the power of art and the benefit of its study. Some of the students who now sit in
front of me I had once taught in elementary and middle school. I realized there must have been a missing
element in my practice that was responsible for this disconnect. Our district and students focus on college
preparatory classes, and therefore most students take art to fill the mandatory fine art elective credit rather
than as a field of future study. I want students to understand the benefit art adds to a person’s knowledge of
self and their world. I also want students to realize that art is not just a hobby but that it has the power to
define societies and change the world.

To address this need in my practice, the school culture, and to better reach the students, I tested the theory
that VR technology could be more motivating and add to the student’s achievement in art. To test this theory,
I created a virtual gallery tour of the two local museums. I designed this VR “field trip” in which students
could experience near-360º images of the museums' gallery spaces. The VR gave students a more accurate
experience of viewing an art exhibit. The VR learning activity put the students in the active role of searching
the galleries at their own pace. A student survey and a student focus group showed that the students who
used the VR technology felt it was a positive learning experience and more “fun” than traditional
presentations. I also noted that the students were more engaged and spent longer exploring the VR galleries
than they would have spent listening to a teacher-lead presentation. Students requested to use VR again in
the next unit of study, but I was unable to find the precise online resources for sgraffito tiles to make the VR
learning activity authentic. I then realized the need for a shared gallery of VR resources.

The purpose of this fellowship would be to offer virtual learning environment to all my students across the art
curriculum that I teach (Ceramics, Sculpture, Video Arts, Drawing, Painting, Design, and Contemporary Crafts).
The second purpose of this fellowship is to develop a shared resource of the VR videos which can lead to
interdisciplinary collaboration. A final purpose is to design a STEAM Unit which will focus on Social Innovation
Design. Social Innovation Design uses collaboration to design a solution to an environmental or social
problem in the world. To do this, I propose to travel through Italy and Greece to record a variety of VR 360º
videos of art and historic locations (including Leonardo Da Vinci’s sketchbooks) and to create a VR gallery
archive. This gallery would be a great asset not only to my students but also to the other teachers in our
district and be a necessary component of the STEAM Unit design.

I chose Italy and Greece for many reasons. First, these locations had the most significant alignment with our
district’s art curriculum specifically at the high school level. Secondly, it is an area of the world in which I could
not find the precise pre-existing resources online. I felt that by traveling through these important art hubs, I
could get multiple resources in one trip. Third, this proposed fellowship would offer professional
development to enhance my knowledge of sculpture, painting, ceramics, and crafts. Though I studied art at a
major Art Institution, most of my formal education focused on Design and Advertising. This proposed
fellowship would round out my education to better enhance my depth of knowledge in the diverse subjects
that I teach. The proposed fellowship would also benefit my classroom by stoking my passion for art and
creating, a passion that will be passed onto my students, motivating them to engage in the art process.
Finally, Italy will allow me the opportunity to research and document Leonardo Da Vinci’s works and life for
the STEAM Unit design.

My learning goals are to record and learn about: Leonardo Da Vinci’s interdisciplinary work in science,
technology, engineering, art, and math (Italy); glass blowing and jewelry making as a craft (Venice); sgraffito
ceramics works (Florence, Greece); sculpture and architecture (Italy, Greece); historic painting techniques like
fresco and egg-tempera (Italy, Greece). An equally crucial personal learning goal is to spend time in the role of
student and creator of art to better relate to my students. The key question that will guide my professional
learning comes directly from the National Core Art Standards: How can my experiences and the VR resources
help students better answer these questions: How does know the contexts histories, & traditions of art forms
help us and inspire us to create works of art & design? How does art help us understand the lives of people of
different times, places, and cultures? How is art used to impact the views of society? How does art preserve
aspects of life? How does seeing and experiencing the history and art of locations around the world inspire
artists?

The successful test of VR technology in my classroom led me to this fellowship idea. The technology offered a
unique learning experience that the students embraced. I saw great potential in the power of this new
teaching practices to better reach our students. I am excited to explore how VR can give students in my
district opportunities and experiences they may never get otherwise. I also see this project as a catalyst for
designing and implementing a STEAM Unit on Social Innovation Design which will benefit my students far into
their lives after school.

Project Description

My proposed fellowship would offer multiple Virtual art experiences to my students to enhance the
curriculum. It will also enable a library of these VR experiences to be shared for use across the district. My
thesis suggested that VR technology, being second nature to this generation of students, is more engaging
than power points and posters. VR technology gives the students a real-world experience right in the
classroom, expanding the classroom past the four walls inside our school. To do so, I propose to travel
through Italy and Greece to record VR 360º videos that document exploring art in person. I will then create a
VR gallery archive open to all. These virtual experiences will enable students to answer the learning question:
How does seeing and experiencing the history and art of locations around the world inspire artists?

Not only did my previously mentioned action research support the idea that a VR gallery would help motivate
students and add to their learning enjoyment, but also many other scholarly studies corroborated the theory.
My students, when asked about the VR gallery’s effect on their motivation and pleasure, agreed it was
beneficial. My findings correlated to the research I had conducted which stated that VR and AR technology
had higher levels of motivation (Enyedy, Danish & DeLiema 2016; Di Serio, 2013; Prokopenko, 2017; Sliusar,
2017; Smith, 2016), achievement (Chiang et al., 2013; Prokopenko, 2017; Sliusar, 2017; Solak & Cakir, 2015),
novelty and engagement due to its problem solving, exploration, and socialization components (Tobar-
Muñoz, Baldiris, & Fabregat , 2017), opportunities to explore information at their own pace (Di Serio et al.,
2013), and opportunities for individualized training, adaptations for different intelligences preferences, and
flexibility which allow for distance learning, or a variety of environments, or a variety of levels and disciplines
(Fabregat, 2012).

I will pursue key art attractions in each of the areas I travel to in Italy and Greece. The major stops will be
Rome, Florence, Venice, and Athens. In Rome, I will document using a VR 360º camera the Vatican City
including the Sistine Chapel (supporting the Painting curriculum), Trevi Fountain, the Colosseum, and the
Duomo (supporting Sculpture curriculum). The next stop will be Florence in which I will focus on recording
360º VR video of Da Vinci Museum exhibit of his sketchbooks and work (supporting the STEAM Unit) the
sgraffito tiles in the Palazzo di Medici Riccardi (supporting Ceramics curriculum), Ghiberti's "Gates of
Paradise" (supporting Ceramics and Sculpture curriculum), the Uffizi and the Academy of Florence Art Gallery
to experience Michelangelo's David and Botticelli's Birth of Venus (supporting Painting and Sculpture
curriculum). In Venice, I will document the contemporary craft of Venetian glass blowing (supporting
Contemporary Crafts curriculum). In Athens I will document the National Archaeological Museum showing the
Sculptures of Zeus, Athena (supporting Sculpture curriculum)., Greek pottery (supporting Ceramics
curriculum)., and finally the Acropolis (supporting Sculpture curriculum and by making the connection to real-
world art historical site). By students using and analyzing the artwork via VR, they can answer the questions:
How does knowing the contexts histories, & traditions of art forms help us and inspire us to create works of
art & design? How does art help us understand the lives of people of different times, places, and cultures?
How does art preserve aspects of life? How does seeing and experiencing the history and art of locations
around the world inspire artists?

Teacher Growth and Learning

As mentioned above, the fellowship will enhance my knowledge of sculpture, painting, ceramics, and crafts
since most of my formal education were focused on Design and Advertising. Through my art education, I
learned through black and white reproductions in books and slideshows. Though adequate it cannot allow for
experiencing the art. Students today are learning in very similar methods with the same downfalls. There is no
substitute for experiencing how large or small the art is, how it is positioned in its surroundings, how the
artist brush strokes look, how a sculpture in the round looks when you view it from the back. These are the
experience that I look forward to having as a means of personal growth as a teacher and as a means of
bringing them to the classroom to enhance student learning.

It is also the perfect time in my 16-year career for this proposed fellowship. This is my second year teaching at
the high school level. During these two years, I became versed in and wrote much of the high school art
curriculum. This means I am knowledgeable of the areas that could gain from improvement, one of which
being a STEAM Unit. I understand the Units of study that students might need a stronger sell or buy in and
these are the units I will focus on getting the VR experiences. I will film as much as possible, but I will be sure
to record specific art pieces which align with our curriculum.

My personal learning goals are to learn about: Da Vinci’s genius and process (Italy), glass blowing as a craft
form (Venice), sgraffito ceramics works (Florence, Greece), sculpture and architecture (Italy, Greece),
historical painting techniques like fresco and egg-tempera (Italy, Greece). The time I spend in Italy and Greece
will be composed of museum tours and historical art locations. This will allow me to experience and study the
art first hand and the guided tours will add deeper learning. An equally crucial personal learning goal is to
spend time in the role of student and creator of art to better relate to my students and to re-engage in myself
as an artist. To do this, I plan to not only rely on VR technology to record the trip but to carry a sketchbook to
record the journey with my art. This will benefit my instructional practice because sketching is a fundamental
part of the creative process and my sketchbooks will be motivational for the students to see. They will also
parallel Da Vinci’s focus on sketching and documenting, and help me articulate my process of sketching to
inform student practice. I aim to have my sketchbooks answer the key questions that will guide my
professional learning. One page might reflect on the art and location and answer: How does art help us
understand the lives of people of different times, places, and cultures? The next page can echo Da Vinci’s
observation sketches. This will be a great asset to guide the students and discuss the trip.

Application of Learning to Instructional Practice

The short term plan for ensuring a successful outcome is the collection of multiple 360º VR experiences from
different locations to enhance the high school art curriculum. The short term goal is achievable as it has clear
steps. First to collect the VR experiences during the fellowship, then to organize, archive and use these virtual
resources in the classroom to help the students grow a greater appreciation for the art and cultures around
the world. The VR experiences will also enhance student learning by allowing for analysis of art through close
observation of the art. Offering student-centered, enhanced lessons to interact with the art will enhance the
district curriculum. Students will be more motivated and excited about the art because they are experiencing
it in an authentic way. As their teacher, I can share my passion for what I learned which will add to their
enthusiasm for the subject. I will use the VR experiences at the beginning of the Sgraffito Unit and the Greek
and Roman Pottery Unit in Ceramics, and for the Fused Glass Unit and Jewelry Design Unit in Contemporary
Crafts. I plan to be cognizant during my travels of other opportunities that can lead to enhancing current of
future lesson designs to improve the curriculum. At our high school, we have the benefit of the two VR
systems and one-to-one tablets for the students; ensuring that all the students can use the VR 360º
experiences not just at the introduction of the units but during their learning as well.

Student learning can be assessed through pre and post-tests for the achievement of specific art content,
formative assessments such as class discussions or reflections of their VR art analysis. Synthesizing of
concepts into their artwork can also be assessed to gauge student learning. Learning can be documented in
their planning/process sketchbooks or digital/verbal/written reflections. Assessment of student learning in
the form of opinion/qualitative data can be acquired to assess student perception of improved motivation by
the VR experiences.

I look forward to offering this improved access to the art we study. While we always have the traditional
presentation methods I know these enhanced means of VR will make the art experience more real for my
students and that will generate more excitement and engagement.

A long term goal, and a more courageous one, of this proposed fellowship, is to design an entirely new unit
which is STEAM based. The Unit I am suggesting is to put student teams in the role of Social Innovator
Designers. This would have students research a problem in the world and use cross-curricular collaboration to
design the most impactful solution to the problem. It would also take them through the practical business
proposal process which is beneficial to make a real-world connection. Currently, our district is STEM-focused,
but I feel this fellowship offers an excellent opportunity to bring art into the equation and enhance student
learning. This new STEAM learning experience will benefit both the students and the teaching community by
allowing for greater understanding and collaboration between disciplines. I plan to use the visit to the Da
Vinci Museum to explore the potential for this collaborative interdisciplinary unit. The Da Vinci sketchbooks
will be on display during my proposed fellowship, and I see this as an excellent opportunity to bring back
information and VR resources to help collaborate with science, technology, engineering, and math teachers
to enhance student learning in a way that makes the students socially responsible. Traditional STEAM
practices which can be enhanced by the VR 360º videos of Da Vinci’s sketchbooks include close observation,
layering of science and art, iteration of prototypes/models/ideas, and documenting and communicating
about the creative process. All of these STEAM processes are exemplified in Da Vinci’s sketchbooks. Not only
the process but the social innovation responsibility is pertinent to Da Vinci’s work, as he grappled himself with
the social benefits of his designs.

The success of this long term goal will require teacher buy-in, extracurricular collaboration time and
administrative support. All of which I feel strongly will be achieved in our high school community. A final need
is to integrate and perhaps house one of the art department VR systems in a common location for all
teachers. Ideally, it would be in the STEM lab at the high school. This location will allow the opportunity to
introduce the other teachers to the VR resource library that I will be accruing for the district.

Student learning can be assessed not only through the rubric which will evaluate the STEAM project goals for
learning but also by written or verbal student reflections on their growth, process, and motivation through
the STEAM learning experience. This STEAM/Social Innovation Design project will not only enhance each
curriculum, but it will also meet our high school learning expectations of inspiring curiosity, cultivating
learning and empowering students to shape their life and our world.

Student Growth and Learning

Students will actively benefit in the classroom by having the opportunity to experience a more authentic art
experience offered through the VR technology. Students will also benefit from my professional development
in the disciplines in which I teach. The fellowship will not only add to my knowledge but will reignite my
passion for the art I am presenting to the students. Passion is the key to inspiring students, and in-depth
knowledge is the key to challenging them and adding rigor to their creative explorations. I believe that the
most significant benefit for the students will be the use of the VR experiences to spark a desire for life long
exploration of art and cultures around the world. I believe this proposed fellowship will break down the walls
of the classroom and make students understand how their learning in school is routed in the world around
them. Students will have the chance to virtually travel and see in 3D what amazing art and cultures they have
in their world.

The long term goal of a STEAM unit will benefit the students who find it hard to understand the place of art in
their future. Visual Art and Design are not just electives but a creative problem-solving discipline which is
crucial to learn and apply in all fields. This STEAM Unit will begin to break down the compartmentalized
misconceptions the students might have about their learning in school and help them understand that all
learning enhances their success. The unit will also help the students make a real-world connection and see
how they can improve their world by engaging and acting on their ideas and being socially responsible.

Benefits to School Community

The benefits to the school community from this proposed fellowship would be great. The biggest benefit I see
is collaboration. On one hand, the VR 360º resources can be organized into a shared library which can be used
to enhance many disciplines. That is a direct short term benefit to the school community. The bigger long
term benefit to the community is that the potential for a STEAM Unit collaboration will lead to a greater
understanding between teachers of different disciplines and offer better-designed learning activities thus
enhancing both the teachers, the students, and potentially the greater community.

A final benefit to the community will be the fact that by our having planted the seed of cultural awareness
through art, travel, and social responsibility, we will be graduating students who will enter society with a
broader understanding of the world that they live in. We will spark a passion for future exploration of ideas
and cultures around the world. Leonardo da Vinci said, “Knowledge of the past and of the places of the earth
is the ornament and food of the mind of man.” This proposed fellowship brings the past, places, people, and
cultures around the world into the classroom, thus offering a rich diet to ensure that our students' minds
truly expand.

Budget Narrative

The proposed budget reflects research of a variety of itineraries and presents the most economical path. The
trip would be 8/11/19-8/28/19. The flight is through Air Canada from Hartford to Rome with a layover in
Toronto. returning Venice to Hartford - same layover. This layover option allowed for a reduction in price to
$1,500. I estimate a taxi budget including hotels-airports transfer of $200 dollars. I propose one economy
room for three nights in Rome at the Nazionale Hotel for $145 per night ($435 total). In Rome - a guided tour
of the Vatican Museums for $65, Colosseum combined visit undergrounds/Belvedere $45, Duomo Tour $69.
The train to Florence for $44, then an economy hotel in Florence for three nights at the Laurus al Duomo
Hotel for $130 ($390). In Florence - a Uffizi guided tour for $44; Guided tour Galleria dell'Accademia $53.
Then a train to Venice $52. The Hotel Ai Due Principi Hotel in Venice for two nights for $160 ($360). A guided
tour of St. Mark’s Basilica $65 and a glassblowing tour $11. As for the Greece portion of the trip, I will stay
with family to continue my fellowship without hotel costs. In Greece, purchases will include Acropolis skip the
line tour $33 and entrance to the National Archaeological Museum of Athens $12.

I would also need to budget for food costs which would be $50 a day ($850). The locations in Italy and Greece
are major cities and tourist meccas which adds to the food cost as does the Euro’s exchange rate currently at
1.14 US dollars.

I propose to purchase a Ricoh Theta SC 360° Video and Still Camera with accessories. This will cost $404. I
used a different camera in my action research test but it only took low-resolution images. It also was not a
true 360º camera, missing the information above and below the main view. The students commented that
this was a distraction in their experience. I picked this particular brand after research and questioning other
teachers in different districts who use teach using 360º VR images. This camera was the most suggested for
ease of use and success in their filming.

I propose other items to differentiate instruction and inspire student curiosity (books, reproductions, and/or
videos). As I am new to the high school I do not have many examples. I allot $300 for such purchases.
Preliminary researched of potential purchases include: Da Vinci machines poster $11 and books each $29. In
Venice: Murano jewelry or Venetian Glass. In Italy or Greece: replicas of sgraffito ceramics. In Florence: books
and replicas of Michelangelo. Finally I propose $50 in sketchbook and travel art supplies.
 Itemized Budget

Length of Fellowship (days): 17

Destination(s):

City: State/Province: Country: Continent:

Rome, Florence, Venice Italy Europe
Athens Greece Europe

Transportation Type: Airplane, Other, Train Amount: $1,800.00

Lodging Type: Hotel Amount: $1,185.00

Food Allowance Amount: Amount: $850.00

Participation Type: Museum Fees, Tour Fees Amount: $400.00

Material Type: Books, Reference Materials Amount: $300.00

Equipment Type: Cameras, Other Amount: $454.00

Other Fees Type: Amount: $0.00

Total Proposed Cost of Fellowship: Amount: $4,989.00

At Applicant's Expense: Amount: $0.00

Total Requesting from FFT*: Amount: $4,989.00

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