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.