Journal Entry #23

Blog 23: Reflect on the experience of making a work of art with others.

I like to collaborate a lot. I think the idea of brainstorming, of bringing ideas together and each person adding something on is a very valuable experience. This is a very fun way to use everybody’s talent, because everybody is talented in some very different ways. I like that everyone is doing their own balloon for our installation, and yet still collaborating to make the piece together. It was really fun to do our balloons together, bouncing ideas off each other and giving feedback, but still ending up with an individual balloon.

The idea of collaboration was most present in our floor mural (not sure what to call it?) of the world. Everyone had a different notion of what the child’s world was like, but everyone collaborated to put this together into one giant piece of artwork. This world is like the real world in that it has many different neighbourhoods and they are all beautiful in their own way.

Collaborating with this class was great because everyone is so easy-going and creative. We all enjoyed making this project together. Everyone was respectful and attentive to everyone else, and this is probably the most important aspect to collaboration.

Journal Entry #22

Blog 22: Discuss your experiences in Art 307. What have they contributed to your understanding of Art? of the Role of Art in Leaning? of what the relationship between education and learning is? of the role of the teacher in this process?

I’ve found that I’ve learned quite a bit about art in this class. I am a much better painter, in particular, than when I walked through the door. I’ve realized that I am an abstract artist and to let go of my drawing anxiety. I have a new appreciation for my own artistic development and I am proud of what I’ve learned.

I found the Dewey readings we did particularly helpful. I find myself thinking of Dewey’s philosophy and repeating the tactics we learned whenever I think about teaching or even running summer camp. I’m trying to keep in mind that we, as instructors, should be aware of what the children are learning and what their experience is. Dewey’s philosophies are a huge part of the reason that my view of the child has changed.

I’ve learned a lot about what the teacher’s role is in the classroom, especially with regards to the holistic development of each child. I feel more confident that I am capable teaching art because I have a better notion of art as its own separate subject. Art is a subject that can reach children on every level of development, and it is important to see this.

With regards to projects, the peer teaching was helpful because it taught us to go through the planning of a lesson. It was fun to do projects with adults instead of children because they (our peers) gave helpful and encouraging feedback. The child workshop was a great project because it was really helpful to do artwork with only one child. It was great to focus on the documentation and on that child’s individual development.

Journal Entry #21

Blog 21: What has this experience of working collaboratively added to your understanding of what one learns through art?

The theatre is a very collaborative and artistic place to work. Everyone needs to collaborate in the theatre or else the production falls apart. Because of my experience in theatre, I’m already aware that art is a very collaborative process. I liked that we were all able to teach each other through this project. I enjoyed the process of creating art with peers.

I gave a lot of thought throughout this project to the place the learner occupies in the classroom. I tried to think of what this would be like if we were working in a classroom. With this project, I learned that to maximize the potential for learning to occur, you need to be very organized (as an instructor). The more time children can spend creating their art, the better the art will be. If they spend their class time working out details of the project, they won’t get as much time to explore the potential of their artwork.

This project helped me revitalize my notions of art as a collaborative process. I was reminded not to have drawing (or painting) anxiety. Although I still think there is therapeutic value in spending time with your artwork, your thoughts, and nothing else, this exercise was very fun and added to my understanding of art as a collaborative process.

Journal Entry #20

Blog 20: Where do our notions of visual art as a solitary activity come from? What are the benefits and limitations of engaging in collaborative works of art?

I don’t know where our notions of art as solitary come from. Personally, I like to create art on my own sometime because if I mess up, no one else has to see. This is probably more a self-confidence thing than anything else. But I also find some types of art more therapeutic if they are done individually, like painting. I find it very self-reflective to spend my time painting alone. Sometimes it’s better to create on your own, with only your own thoughts for company.

There are limitations with collaboration in that there is always compromise. Sometimes, a fantastic idea gets lost in the clutter of everyone’s collaboration. It’s important to be sure that in a collaborative situation, everyone’s voice is heard, not just the person with the loudest voice. Collaboration can be great if it’s done properly, but it’s important to remember that everyone has something to contribute.

Art is something that is up for interpretation and it’s helpful to ask other people’s opinions and get their input. It’s great to bounce ideas off other people and to all add something to the process of making that artwork. There is value in asking for advice and interpretation from others, especially from people whose opinion you trust.

There’s a lot of collaboration with art in the theatre. I find myself asking for other people’s opinions and sometimes creating art by sitting down with someone else and creating it together. Oftentimes, I find myself asking people if they like what I’ve done, and adding or taking away color to get the look that everyone wants, not just that I want.

Journal Entry #19

Blog 19: Reflect on your time with the child you worked with. What succeeded and why - refer to Dewey and other readings? What did not succeed and why not - again, try to find a reason based on the readings you have done for this class. If you could work with this child again, what would you like to do next time to develop what you today's experience?

I found it a challenge working with one child as opposed to a classroom full of children. For example, the color chart was kind of boring with one child, whereas with a group it would have it would have been a collaborative effort. With only one child, the activity went very quickly and smoothly. This was great, but it’s also fun to have a large group of children questioning and giving input, keeping you on your toes.

At the same time, some things worked better because she was only one kid. Particularly, the documentation was a lot easier. It also made her feel important to be receiving so much individual attention. There were a lot of aspects to this project, particularly the blending of colors for the background, that were successful because I was able to pay so much attention to Tianna.

With regards to Dewey, I think this was a very successful project. Dewey talks about taking the child’s experience into account, and this is something I feel I excelled at with Tianna. I am very aware of the situation she lives in with a single parent family where two of the three children are special needs. I used this knowledge to make the activity engaging for her and exciting in terms of the individual attention she received. I was also aware of what instruction she needed. Because Tianna is artistically gifted, she did not need much instruction, so I let her do the project without weighing her down with needless information.

This project was a success. The only thing I might have done differently was the color chart, and I’m not sure how to do that different with only one child. If I worked with Tianna again, I would try to do an activity where her painting skills could be advanced. This project worked with chalk pastels, a new material for Tianna, but her favorite medium is paint and it would be great to further develop that with her.

Journal Entry #18

Blog 18: How does learning in, through or about art change when we begin to look at moving beyond a standard, Western European based, middle class curriculum? What to these “special” cases reveal to us about the central issues for our practice as art educators?

The special cases we talked about teach us a lot about thinking outside the box. They also remind us to have a holistic approach to learning and treat each learner as an individual.

I focused on learners with cognitive disabilities and delay. They are generally more kinesthetic and sensory learners. They often stay in the manipulative stage longer than other learners. They are more objective than subjective and are often somewhat detached. As a teacher, it is important to have patience with a learner who takes longer to grasp concepts. It is important to engage the child at their own appropriate level, while still engaging the rest of the class. It is a challenge to approach learners individually and still be inclusive. We decided that it would be best to have the learner in a regular classroom context, because that would help them develop appropriate social skills with kids at their own age level. These children should not be held back in elementary school because they may never reach the appropriate level of learning. At this age, their social development is more important.

When discussing the content of their art classes, we decided that the developmentally delayed child could do art at the same level as their peers. They are generally good at expressing emotion and art is a useful tool for expressing emotion. The learner can also use physical manipulation, which is good because they are generally kinesthetic learners.

We also discussed gifted kids and how hard it is to find content appropriate for their level. It is often difficult to integrate this child into the classroom context because they are so far above the other children. They do not understand that extra work is a reward, not a punishment, and this often has the potential to socially isolate them from their peers. It is often a better idea to have this child in their own gifted classroom. We also discussed the multicultural child, and how important it is to acknowledge their history and differing viewpoint.

Basically, the most important part of looking beyond the standard classroom is remembering that every child is different and that having a holistic approach to a classroom means treating each child as individual. Keeping in mind the different levels and backgrounds of the learners in your classroom is essential to having a positive learning environment and a classroom where children feel safe and comfortable.

Journal Entry #17

Blog 17: What does learning in a community-based setting afford children? What are they able to learn in a community-based setting that they would not be able to learn in a school setting? What does teaching in a community-based setting afford the educator? What can one do in a community-based setting that one could not do in a school?

A community based approach can be really important. As an instructor, you can take on a different role than the one you take in the classroom as a teacher. For example, I work with a children’s theatre, stage managing and assistant directing. Often, in a classroom, I would be more concerned with what the kids are learning. In this setting, I am often more concerned with the songs or the choreography the kids are doing, and it results in the kids learning differently than they might in a classroom setting.

I also find that in a community-based setting, kids feel that they are able to talk to you and share more with you than they do when they see you as a teacher. Kids feel that since you are spending time with them outside of school, although you are still something of an authority figure, you are someone they can talk to.

As an instructor, you can specialize more to the specific activity that you are teaching, instead of integrating the lesson into the curriculum for that level. For example, with the children’s theatre, I can work with the kids on music, dance, and acting instead of trying to keep it consistent with what their curriculum is. I probably don’t even know what they’re learning in school; sometimes I don’t know what grade the child is in. This has the potential to make that particular part of their learning even above their grade level, if the child is capable, and that is awesome.

This teaching helps me see a wider age and ability range of kids than I might get to in the classroom. It also is good practice for running an extra-curricular program. I think it’s a great experience to get to know different levels and ages of children through community-based learning experiences not only for the instructor, but also for the kids.

Journal Entry #16

Blog 16: Describe your most meaningful learning experience in a museum or art gallery. What elements made it so. Relate this experience to Dewey’s notion of a “good” experience.

My most meaningful gallery experience happened this past summer when I took the kids of the camp I was running to the Barr Colony Museum in Lloydminster. The Barr Colony is a small museum, but the two other instructors and I took the kids there for a tour. The tour guide was excited to teach a large group of kids about local art.

In terms of Dewey’s criteria, the kids were given structure but were still allowed to experiment. We allowed the kids to have free time to look around at paintings by a local artist after the museum tour guide had given them a short history lesson. The kids loved this part of the experience because they found that they were able to apply their own interpretation to the art. The other instructors and I wandered with the kids, going from group to group and pointing out things that they may not have noticed (color scheme, shadow, etc.).

The next part of the tour was a taxidermy wing. Again, this was not a very structured activity, but the kids loved it. They were so excited to see different animals (and, of course, the boys were psyched about insects). They had a lot of fun learning about how large the animals were (particularly bears and cougars). This was successful in terms of Dewey because we used our insight into what the kids were interested in to help them learn things about animals and about how this was art.

The last part of the tour was a wing on the local history of the settlers who had come to Lloydminster as pioneers. The kids were split into groups with an instructor to each group and led around the wing. The tour guide explained to them the history of the pioneers and the technical aspects of a few of the more foreign objects (for example, an iron lung). The kids had a lot of fun exploring the artifacts and asking questions about the history of the city they lived in. There was a lot of collaborating, where one kid would ask a question and another would try to answer it. Since one instructor stayed with each group, the experience was led by the instructors but allowed the kids to make discoveries on their own.

Jounral Entry #15

Blog 15: What issues arose as you tested your lesson plans? Why did these issues arise? Can you ever fully anticipate every detail of the situation you will be working in? What role does planning play in a responsive teaching approach?

I missed class the day we tested out our lesson plans and did not get to test mine. However, I had already run the lesson plan by the parent and I also had done some preliminary work with the child.

You can never anticipate every detail of the situation you will be working in. Planning plays a very important role in keep the lesson running smoothly. It should be an open enough plan that the child can collaborate, but of course the teacher should control it. I’ve found lesson planning to be vital over my years teaching swimming lessons, running summer camp, etc. Without a plan for the lesson, I would be completely lost. I find that even the best laid plans are subject to changes when you deal with children. They tend to keep you on your toes.

I find test-driving better with kids than with adults. Adults don’t have the same reactions or the same problems with materials as children do. If it’s possible to test-drive your lesson with other children, even if it’s a smaller number of children that you will really be teaching, this is the best way to test-drive. Kids see problems or have issues with materials, concepts, etc. that adults simply do not have. If you can’t test-drive your lesson with kids, it’s a great idea to test-drive it with either a parent or someone with a lot of experience with children. I like to run lesson plans by people I know with children, because they have enough experience and insight to have some idea of what may cause problems.

Journal Entry #14: Part Two

Write out the questions you will ask your parent about his/her child's learning characteristics (based on readings you have done); the programme they are working on; areas the parent might like you to explore with his/her child.

What is your art experience?

She is very artistically experienced. She showed me a mask she made at school with clay and kilne. She showed me a portrait she drew of her mom. She showed me examples of pictures she’d drawn and talked about different crafts.

I asked different questions to figure out what type of learner she is.

She is mostly an auditory and kinesthetic learner.

I asked her about extra-curricular activities.

She likes gymnastics. She likes to paint and draw, etc. She is also into music and drama. She plays in the bell choir (which is really cool). She is really into recycling; she and her friends even have a recycling website.

What Paula (the parent) wants her to learn?

Well, she told me she wanted Tianna to be the next Picasso, but I hope she was joking. She said it might be fun if Tianna worked with clay a little bit. She’s pretty easy going. Mostly, she just wanted for Tianna and I to make artwork together, because she is very interested in encouraging Tianna’s artistic development.

Journal Entry #14: Part One

Blog 14: What is your drawing history? Where have your notions of the role of drawing in art come from? How do you manage your “drawing anxiety?” After reading Kalin’s chapter, describe how you might mentor an anxious draw-er into the joy of mark-making.

I do not have much drawing history, but I sure have a lot of drawing anxiety. I’m learning that I am a very abstract artist more than a realistic one. As a younger person, throughout elementary and high school, I thought this meant I was not artistic at all, because when I looked at the other kid’s pictures and my pictures, mine weren’t as good. For example, I cannot draw a straight line to save my life, but I am very good at drawing abstract pictures, particularly at mixing colors and making backgrounds. I’ve learned to manage my drawing anxiety in two ways. Firstly, I have practiced drawing enough that I feel confident that I am a decent artist. Secondly, I have realized that I, like everyone, have strengths and weaknesses, and that being better at abstractism than realism does not make me a bad artist.

I think this knowledge is something I could express to children who think they aren’t good artists. Everyone is good at some aspect of art, it’s just that some of us aren’t good at realistic art and therefore have to look a little harder to find what we’re good at. I hope that I could use a holistic approach to discover what a child who is an anxious draw-er is good at, and help them to become more developed in that area of art, whatever it may be.

Journal Entry #13

Blog 13: What were the benefits of the peer teaching events? How would you incorporate peer teaching in an elementary classroom?

The peer teaching project was really hard for me but it was beneficial in terms of feedback. It’s better to get feedback from your peers, who are knowledgeable, than from children.

It would be cool to let kids peer teach in an elementary classroom because they would be able to give each other advice and feedback. The instructor would have to be sure that the criticism stayed constructive and never became cruel or destructive. Depending on what developmental level they’re at, children have lots of new ideas. They can often relate these ideas to their peers more easily than to an adult. They can help each other in their own language, which is great.

When I was in the sixth grade, we did peer teaching with a math unit. It was a helpful way to learn because my friend and I could help each other with things that we didn’t understand. By that age we were developmentally capable of attempting the things we didn’t understand and it was easier because there were two of us to work through the difficult stuff.

I think peer teaching in an art class could be extremely beneficial. It would be fun to let the kids give each other feedback, as long as the teacher mediated the discussion. I especially think this could be a useful practice in a drama class. Often, kids see aspects of other kids’ skits (or plays, scenes, etc.) that adults don’t see because we focus on the bigger picture. The only risk with kids giving feedback is that sometimes kids can be pretty nasty to each other. However, if as a teacher, you set clear guidelines, I think it could be a very valuable exercise.

Journal Entry #12

Blog 12: Discuss the importance of documentation to teaching and to a child's learning. What are the challenges of documentation to the classroom teacher? What are some strategies that would help address these challenges?

Documentation helps the kids and the parents see that you are paying attention. It reminds us as instructors to listen to the students. It puts more emphasis on the process than the product. I think to document well, you need to have a good idea of what you want to achieve.

I like the idea of keeping notes. It doesn’t take that long to scribble down a bit of information on what the kids are doing. I like the digital camera idea, but with small children, that could go wrong quickly. Particularly if the camera is on a tripod, it could get damaged quite easily. The audio idea (a tape recorder) is a good one, but it limits you to only audio information. If the camera can be kept safe, video recording would be the best way to go.

I like the idea of child artifacts; keeping their work to document from it. Especially as a teacher, this would be a good way to evaluate and mark the project, and then give it back to the child. I think getting another person to document is probably the best idea of all. If there is a teacher’s aide or parent helper, that would be the best way to document because they could take pictures or video, there would be no risk to the equipment.

Journal Entry #6

Journal 6: Discuss the importance of teaching art as a core subject. Why is it important to ensure that there is time set aside in the curriculum, resources (teachers with art background, supplies, community resources), and space provided for art as a separate subject?

It’s very important for children to be subjected to different artists so that they can gain some artistic preference. If children have some knowledge of famous artists and art history, they can appreciate art education in a more full way. The article talks about children having favorite artists by Grades 5-8, and this is an opportunity I didn’t have but wish I did.

One topic that was discussed is the fact that art gives us skills in every area of our lives. The author writes about how children with an art program will discuss the nature of art as well as the business of buying and selling art, which will give them quite a well-rounded picture. Art encompasses everything. Children work their motor skills, hand-eye co-ordination, and learn kinesthetically. Of course they also work their emotional learning. But art includes language skills (to communicate what the art is, means, etc) and it uses math and science skills (measuring the picture, seeing what sizes will work with what, how much paint to mix). Art can be used to encompass every single skill any person could ever need.

Essentially, this is why it is so vital for art education to be mandatory in the curriculum. Artistic learning gives children and adolescents skills in every area of their life. If adequate instruction, space, and materials are given, art classes during school can become an extremely helpful developmental tool for children. Art instructors are able to incorporate many different aspects of learning into their projects and the children develop intellectually. Art education also improves confidence in children and can be very therapeutic.

Journal Entry #11

Journal 11: What are the benefits and limitations of integrating the arts throughout the elementary school curriculum? What issues are you encountering as you plan your unit? How do you think these issues might present themselves in the classroom situation? How are you addressing these issues now? How will you address them in the classroom?

There are a lot of benefits to integrating arts throughout the elementary school curriculum. In this chapter, it mentions that drawing, like any other skill, is something that should be practiced daily. As we’ve discussed in class and through other readings, there are different types of intelligences. A child who is not smart at math may be able to grasp concepts more easily if the math is explained to him or her in the form of an art activity.

Artistic intelligence has been overlooked in academic circles for a very long time. Even now, doctors and lawyers are considered more solid careers than painters or actors. However, holistic learning is changing this viewpoint in the classroom. It’s a fantastic idea to have children artistically engaged in social studies, science, language arts, math…The more opportunity children have to explore the way they learn, the better they will understand their learning processes as adults.

It is easy as an instructor to become consumed with one aspect of the assignment, whether it be the artistic or the educational. It’s hard to get the right mix. If it’s difficult for instructors, it’s even more difficult for the kids.

It’s hard to give equal attention to both aspects of the assignment. I feel a bit like the academic aspect is the boring, lecture-y part, and the art project is the “fun part”. This would be even harder to overcome in a classroom setting, because you would be essentially lecturing or giving notes on the academic aspect and then letting the kids have fun painting, sculpting, or whatever. As an instructor, you would have to be extremely enthusiastic and find a fun way to present the academic aspect of the project.

Journal Entry #10

Journal 10: Discuss the relationship between popular culture and art. Why is it important to provide children with a range of media from traditional/historic media to contemporary/popular art media?

I have a four-year-old cousin who gave me a perfect example yesterday of the relationship between children, pop culture, and art. My cousin wanted to do a craft. Of course, I was extremely excited about this. I had a few ideas, which I suggested. But instead of going for these, he went on the computer and found some online crafts based on television shows. We ended up printing off some pages to color and then fold into a fan.

It seems to me that the relationship between pop culture and art is a lot stronger than it was when we were growing up. This has the potential to be a good thing. It is great that a four-year-old knows how to search out crafts on the computer. There were some pretty neat crafts on the website. He also was listening to music from the same website and this is a positive influence on his artistic development.

However, there are many educational experiences children miss when their artistic experience is computer-based. It is extremely important to provide children with a range of media. Popular culture is thrown at children these days through a variety of media so much wider than what we had as children. They have television, internet, computer games, books, magazines, as well as a variety of different video gaming systems. This has the potential to help children learn, but I find that it is shortening their attention span and encouraging them to be more concerned with television characters than any other kind of media.

With the children we will teach in our classrooms, I think it is of utmost importance to provide them with a range of media. It would be a very interesting lesson to connect a character or characters from their favorite television show to a traditional media figure. For example, if drawing portraits, you could have them draw one contemporary figure and one traditional figure (Hannah Montana and the Mona Lisa…). That way, the kids can feel engaged in the assignment but you still have the opportunity to teach them something new.

Journal Entry #9

Journal 9: In Kalin’s chapter, we are given some suggestions for creating a safe (physically, emotionally, and socially) environment in which children can learn in, through and about art. Look at the guidelines on p. 154-55. Describe how you might address each of these guidelines with the child you will be working with.

I found this chapter very interesting because it talks about safety with elementary students in a classroom setting. It’s much easier to make a safe environment with only two kids (like in our workshop) than twenty kids (like in a classroom).

I’ve found it’s a really good thing to set limits at the beginning and to be very strict with warnings throughout the activity. If you are lenient with the kids before and during the activity, accidents can happen, but if the guidelines and safety rules are clear, children are more likely to be careful. If the rules and instructions are clear at the beginning, kids are also less prone to accidents and confusion

It’s important to have rules, for example kids putting their hands up and not talking while others (especially you, the instructor) are talking. I found the section on letting the kids help you set the rules very interesting. This is something that would absolutely work with only two kids, but probably wouldn’t work with twenty. I’ve found that if you as an instructor are clear with your rules, the kids will be clear with the rules. If you let the kids help you determine the rules, especially twenty kids, the rules are more likely to change or be a bit transient. The last thing I want to do when I only have an hour to teach an art project is spend half an hour arguing with kids over whether or not they can run with scissors. If the kids have questions, it’s better to explain and talk about the rules than let them have input into what they are. For example, it would be great to have each kid tell you a rule they think should be incorporated, but you as an instructor should have veto power and should have a list of predetermined rules you will be following, whether or not the kids agree.

Dealing with any misbehavior right away is also really important. If a child is repetitively rude or disrespectful and they are not dealt with, not only will they not take you seriously, but also other members of the class will think this behavior is acceptable. Personally, I think addressing the individual with both discipline and praise is important. Whether the child is misbehaving to get attention or not, he or she is likely to respond better to individual attention. The same goes for giving a child praise. If a child sees that you are praising their individual artwork, they will feel confident and happy. If you praise the general classroom, as Kalin suggests, children will feel better but like their individual artwork is not as important as their good behavior as a class.

Journal Entry #8

Journal 8: Reflect on the studio work you have done this semester. Which experiences did you find the most successful, in terms of Dewey's criteria of a "good" experience, and why? Which experiences did you find least successful, again according to Dewey's criteria, and why? What have you learned about art and learning? What would you still like to learn? How does the art educator respond to the individual needs of the learner while ensuring the continuity of experience?

I found Kristy’s workshop extremely successful, in terms of Dewey’s criteria. She made sure that she was aware of what the students were learning and what our attitudes were. In particular, I didn’t know very much about painting, but she used her own experience to help me learn. She took into account my experience with art, as Dewey writes about taking the child’s life experience into account. It was a good lesson because although we all had fun painting, the lesson also had enough structure that we got our work done and learned something.

Vince’s lesson was moderately successful with regards to Dewey’s criteria. I didn’t feel that he used his insight to help organize us, rather that he let us figure things out on our own (how to use the wire and plastercine). This was an interesting teaching tactic, but it doesn’t comply with Dewey’s principles. He gave fantastic feedback, which shows that he knew what our attitudes and strengths were.

My lesson was moderately successful in terms of these criteria. I think that it applied to the criteria of education, leading the students in the right direction. However, I didn’t have a very good idea of what instruction the students needed. Since the students in this case were adults, they were very independent in their work. If I had been doing this project with children, I would have had to be more aware of the instructions that were needed. I thought it would be fun for the lesson to involve experimentation with the shadows and camera angles instead of the instructor telling everyone what to do. But Dewey has a good point that children need structure in their lesson, and I’m not sure I gave as much structure as I could have.

Studio Projects

Journal Entries for the Studio Projects

Kristen: Painting and Drawing

For this project, we did a meditation and then painted trees. I wasn’t too sure about the whole meditation part. The idea is great, but she told us that when she practiced the meditation with her sisters, they laughed and did not take it seriously. I feel that a classroom of children would have a similar reaction. Maybe if she rephrased the whole meditation it would work. I loved the painting of the trees. We were instructed very well. I felt that, as a non-art student, I was able to learn a lot about paint through this lesson.

Vince: Sculpture

I love the idea of mythical creatures. The crawling around the room idea was cool to get an idea of movement, but I’m not sure this would really work in a classroom with twenty kids, instead of four adults. Kids would goof around and with all the wandering, I would be worried about safety.

The wire part of the sculpture was frustrating. I didn’t feel that the tools or the wire were very safe for kids 10-12, because I kept poking myself. Safety glasses would have to be used if this project were done with children. I wasn’t as clear with this project as I was with painting and drawing. I haven’t done much sculpture, not being an art student. It was interesting to learn about division of weight and how much plastercine to use, but I had a lot of trouble getting my sculpture to stand up.

Me (Keeley): Digital Artwork

This studio project was quite an experience. I think, in hindsight (which is always 20/20) I would have done pretty much everything differently. Firstly, instead of providing books for them to read, I made hand-outs. However, I still should have set out the books I used, so that everyone could take a look. Books are more tangible than hand-outs.

Finger puppets were fun, for a warm up, but I think in general not the best idea. I really wanted to take pictures of things that would be 3D. I think, if I were to do this again, it would be interesting to make marionette puppets. I love the idea of the children learning about their heritage through making puppets of their families. However, marionettes would present more of a challenge and would still allow the 3D photography aspect I was concerned about.

I got everyone to take their photographs individually, but this didn’t work out very well. If I were to do this again, I would have them go in partners. I love Allison’s idea of the whole white photo booth-type thing. I thought it would be fun to let everyone experiment with light and shadows, but doing this individually was extremely difficult. It was also hard working on such a small scale. The results would be much more artistic using marionettes and a booth.

If I were to do the PowerPoint part of the lesson again, I would give more direction with regards to layout and artistry. I felt that the artistic experience in this project could have been a lot stronger than it was.

Journal Entry #7

Journal 7: Why do we assess learning in art? How can learning to self-assess in art transfer to other subject areas? Life endeavors?

We assess learning in art because students need to have some idea of their areas of strength and the areas that need improvement in their learning. Students, especially young students, have to see what they are good at and what they need to work at. Assessing art in any form (visual art, drama, dance, creative writing…) is a very difficult task for any teacher because it is inevitably a subjective practice. We all have our own opinions and preferences for everything in life and whether it is conscious or subconscious, these affect the way we view art.

I enjoyed the part of the article that talked about criterion referencing. It’s hard not to compare Child A’s painting to Child B’s painting, especially when they are painting the same picture. With all that we learned about holistic approaches, though, it is important to remember that all children are at different levels with their learning. All children are strong at certain things and weak at other things. It’s crucial to remember to have a holistic approach towards the assessment of children’s artwork.

This assessment theory can apply to much more than just artistic assessment. It’s important to remember in math, science, language arts, physical education, etc. that all children develop and learn at different paces. If we compare Child A’s ability to play soccer to Child B’s, then we are not taking into account the individuality of each student. It’s also good as a teacher to remember that whether it is intentional or not, we bring our own opinions and preferences to the table when we mark any type of activity (not just art). It is important to attempt objectivity as a teacher, but no one is ever completely objective.

These principles are important to remember in everyday life as well. Everyone, children and adults, learn at different rates and we all have weaknesses and strengths. Whether we like it or not, we give a subjective opinion when we see the rates of learning, the weaknesses, and the strengths of the people around us. I think that once we are aware of these things, we can give greater attention to our own behavior. We can be more patient with the slow learners or those who are good at different things. This is a great practice to apply not only to our classrooms but the people in our lives.

Journal Entry #5

Journal 5: Choose one of the scenarios described in the reading and answer questions embedded in the text of that scenario.

I chose “A Spooky Tale”, which is about four art teachers realizing the downfalls of an art curriculum being centered on the holidays. The scenario talked about the dissatisfaction of these teachers with the crafts that occupy art lessons around the holidays. They solved this problem with some very creative art projects about Halloween. My favorites were the project with an adult giving a make-up demonstration and the discussion about why art, television, movies, etc. are “scary” and what makes us feel fear while watching, listening, etc. to “scary” media.

What are the possible drawbacks with an art curriculum centered on the holidays?

It gives very little to no education about other cultures. Often, crafts focused on the holidays end up being more about the commercial side of the holiday than the religious or cultural (eg. Witches, black cats, Santa Claus, the Easter bunny). It is also very difficult to integrate art education into a craft about the holidays. How can you teach Van Gogh and Santa Claus at the same time? Teaching art is much more difficult if you occupy class time with crafts about the media’s portrayal of the holidays.

Why were the art teachers dissatisfied?

The children in their classes were not getting an art education. They were getting to do crafts about holidays. It would be very professionally dissatisfying to feel like you were not teaching to your full potential. These art teachers did a great job of solving this problem and integrating art into crafts about the holidays.

Wouldn’t it be easier to continue the old way?

Of course it would be easier to continue the old way. A good teacher does what is best and most beneficial to the children whether it is easy or difficult. In the end, the teachers were happier and more satisfied and the children were better educated and probably had more fun.

Puzzles

Journal Entries for Puzzles

Puzzling #1: I love puzzles! However, I am not very good at them. I’m not sure what it is, as I am a very visual person. Perhaps it is that I often learn through repetition, and there is not repetition in puzzles. Once you fit that piece, you fit that piece.

Our puzzle is beautiful, but very complicated. Today we worked on starting the frame.

Puzzling #2: Today seemed like we were starting to get somewhere. The frame is probably about halfway there. It helped that all 4 of our group members were there today. I think it’s really helpful when we each tackle a section of the puzzle and then work on that particular section. It’s really fun going through all the many pieces and seeing, “Oh, that’s my piece…wait, that’s his…that one goes over there…” instead of just being overwhelmed by how many pieces they are. So, already a life lesson from the puzzles: when you break things down and deal with them piece by piece (and as a team, if possible), they are no longer overwhelming.

Puzzling #3: We moved our puzzle to a different table today because we realized that the board we were working with was too small for our puzzle. I’ve never seen such a big puzzle! Today we started to color code our pieces into plastic bags so that we can get the puzzle done faster. Hopefully this will help us to be efficient. It’s starting to feel a bit hopeless, like we’ll never get done.

Puzzling #4: Our puzzle was particularly frustrating today. We have finished the border, but that is all. Even with four of us splitting the work into sections, it is incredibly difficult to find the pieces you need for your part of the puzzle. I’m trying to be optimistic in that when some members of the other group come to help us, the work will go faster.

Puzzling #5: Color-coding was and remains to be the best idea anyone has ever had and I use it in every area of my life, whenever and wherever possible. It is the best idea for this puzzle ever. If I need a piece of a fish, I look in the fish bag. If I need some ocean, I look in the ocean bag. Color-coding made my day today.

Puzzling #6: Biggest puzzle ever, most frustrating project ever, best idea for improving teamwork in a group of people I ever imagined could exist. Seriously, it creates conversation and just forces us to work together as a team. We don’t have a choice. It’s wonderful. Families should do this when they go for counseling.

Puzzling #7: I think the ocean in our puzzle is bigger than the real ocean.

Puzzling #8: Today, it was just Kristen and I puzzling and it was quite wonderful. It’s a bit easier with less people, because we’re not all in each other’s way. Someone else was also giving us a hand with our puzzle after I left on Monday, and it’s starting to come together. Maybe the real ocean is bigger than our puzzle. Maybe.

Puzzling #9: So, we took a pretty long break from puzzling. The next important thing that happened was: Chenelle finished our puzzle! She is the best. Seriously, I am so psyched that this puzzle we’ve spent the entire semester doing is finally finished. This makes me so happy.

Puzzling #10: We’re doing an installation with our puzzles. Here’s the thing: we spent SUCH a long time doing that puzzle. Seriously, I had nightmares about it. And now we’re tearing it up? I’m not sure I like this…but maybe we will be able to collaborate to find a creative solution.

Puzzling #11: Yay! We decided as a group to keep our puzzles at least partially together. This makes me happy. I like the idea that we have to use everyone’s puzzle on our balloon, because that stresses the collaborative part of this project.

Journal Entry #4

Journal 4: How will I create a holistic portrait of the learners in my classes? What will I need to know about them and how will I apply my knowledge?

Creating a holistic portrait of learners in my classes is going to be an incredibly difficult task. A lot of it will be getting to know each learner individually. It’s getting to know how these particular children individually develop cognitively, emotionally, socially, physically, aesthetically, and linguistically. That’s a long list, but it’s worth it to get to know each child’s level of development in each area because I believe that a holistic approach is very important.

When I gain this knowledge about each child I will apply it to make each child’s learning journey a good one. I remember what it’s like being taught math in a “different language” than I speak. If I understand that one child is a kinesthetic learner and another is a verbal learner, I can use that knowledge to be a better teacher to those children.

I found the section on adolescence particularly interesting because I am very interested in working with adolescents in the area of art therapy. The mention of a higher suicide rate in adolescents was hard to read, but inspiring, because perhaps I can help to lower those numbers. However, I’d never looked at it from a holistic perspective. I’d never taken all the factors that go into a young person’s development and realized that I can use every one of those factors to help that young person.

Why do I think the knowledge of holistic development is important in providing appropriate instruction for my students?

As it says in the article, it is very important to get an overall portrait of the learners in our class. It was really helpful to read this article and get such a full picture of every stage of development. It is important to have a grasp of the capabilities of the children you are working with. You would never you tame tigers without adequate training. To go into a classroom without knowledge of children is almost the same thing. You need to understand what you’re dealing with. It’s so important because without it, not only can we not understand the students to teach them, but we also won’t be able to understand why one child is good at math and another is good at drama. It is very helpful to be reminded that everyone learns differently.

Journal Entry #2

Journal 2:What preconceptions do you hold about the nature of childhood and children? How do these ideas affect your understanding of the role of the teacher and the nature of the content of art education? How did your experiences today confirm or change your pre-existing ideas?

I have a lot of preconceptions about the nature of childhood that aren’t accurate. I often fall into the bad habit of thinking that because children are innocent and often naïve, they are stupid or simple. I love that we watched James and the Giant Peach so early in the semester because it is such a fantastic reminder that children are capable of so much more than we give them credit for. I think Roald Dahl and Tim Burton have an amazing grasp of what children are capable of. My initial ideas about having a children’s movie revolve around giant spiders and other insects is negative but this movie gives so many positive messages and does not underestimate how strong and intelligent children are.

These ideas of mine, the preconceptions, have the potential to hold me back from giving interesting and challenging lessons as a teacher. This is a huge problem because children will work with what they are given. If I underestimate the children in my class and do a craft instead of an art project, they will all lose a great experience. James’ character in the movie helped me get over this misconception that children are both innocent and inadequate. Seeing a child with an imagination use his imagination the way James does is inspiring to me to be a better teacher.

Looking back at this film and this question later in the semester, I find that I am still falling into the same trap of underestimating children while I am planning my workshop. I find that I am consistently questioning whether a child will be capable of that activity or whether it will be safe for them. As adults, a lot of our preconceptions about children and what they are capable of are incorrect conceptions, and I am still striving to remedy that in my teaching skills. It is helpful to remember James and all he accomplished, and to remember that the children in my workshop and in my future classroom are just as intelligent and creative as James.

Journal Entry #3

Journal 3: How do Sylvia Kind’s ideas about children’s art relate to those you have held? How can they guide you as you approach practice?

Narrative was the learning type that interested me the most, probably because that is the type of learner I was as a child. For me, everything had to tell some kind of story. This is probably why I hated math so much. I think as instructors, it is important to keep in mind the difference between what she calls “invention” and “description” (Kind 13). The difference between a child telling his or her own experiences and a child trying to escape their circumstances by inventing experiences is crucial. I think that these two types of narrative art could be used as tools for using visual art as therapy. The way a child views their world, as shown through their artwork, can be a great jumping off point to talk with them about their lives.

Experiential was an interesting type to read about as well, because it reminded me that children are physical learners. Children like to use their hands and bodies to learn. We’ve talked in class about babies using their mouths to test out new things in their lives. As children grow, they test out new things by using their bodies. From an early age, children relate to the world by showing adults their experiences (for example, a child will imitate the bird they saw) using their bodies. It is important as instructors to remember children’s natural physicality when we are teaching art.

I found the similarities between these two learning styles interesting, again because I am characteristic of these types of learning. I like art to tell a story, whether it is a painting, a play, a movie, or a sculpture. I am also a very kinesthetic learner: I need to do something with my hands, not just see it done, in order to understand. The learning types described in this chapter apply not only to children, but to adults as well. As instructors, we need to keep in mind all the different types of learners, but we also need to play to our own strengths. Narrative and experiential learning are my strengths and are two areas in which I hope I can excel when I am instructing art.

Journal Entry #1

Journal 1: Discuss your best art experience in school. What made it so memorable? What made it such a good experience? Discuss your worst experience of art in school? What made it so memorable? What made it such a poor experience?

I found it interesting, when asked to relate my best and worst art experiences as a child, how clearly each stuck out to me. It has always been interesting to me the experiences children remember that their teachers probably do not. As adults (and future teachers), we often make an impact without realizing how large that impact will be.

My mother taught my kindergarten class because we lived in a very small town and there was only one kindergarten class to go to. I remember very clearly the day we were doing cotton ball snowmen. As per usual, we had to cut out a photocopied snowman, glue him on construction paper, and cover him with cotton balls.

However, I cut and glued much faster than the other kids, and I was bored sitting and waiting for them. Deciding to be artistic, I took my markers and drew all over the snowman, which of course was not the point of the craft. My teacher (and mom) wasn’t too upset with me, but I did have to cover all the marker drawings over with cotton balls. This is the first time I can ever remember feeling that as an artist, I was being asked to conform to what everyone else was doing. It’s intriguing that I can still remember this first instance of conformity in such clear detail.

Years later, when I was in sixth grade, we were being taught to paint. We were doing our own versions of Monet’s Bridge over a Pond of Water Lilies. The exercise was to teach us how to look at a work of art and then reproduce it ourselves. I learned a lot about art through that project. It taught me about light and reflection. I remember being proud of the painting.

It is interesting that although the second project was a project of conformity, I felt that it was a good project. There is something worthwhile about being taught the basics of art before you create yourself and learning skills that will improve your own creative process. With the snowman, I was bored and unhappy with a craft that didn’t let me express myself. In the Monet painting, I expressed myself and found my creativity improving.