Helping to foster a students sense of self-identity is something that is important not only to the students self identity but also their identity in their artwork. That is something I think some art teachers forget to teach sometimes, that the work itself must have meaning to the student. I've known a lot of students in middle school, high school and sometimes college who still haven't figured out that art must have an identity or be dynamic in some way. Some students can't see past the point of being able to draw something realistic, and as an art teacher we have to be able to help the student realize a broader view of their work.
As art teachers we will be one of the first adults to expect students to speak openly about their identity. Many teachers and adults just expect students to absorb knowledge without having a response to anything. The art room can be a place where students come to just relax and let their minds open up. Getting students to think about things that have actual meaning to them can be very empowering. Some students don't even realize they have an opinion until you force them to think about things. Other students already have their identity carved out and know they can use art to express their thoughts. It is at this point when teachers have to find a middle ground between fostering that sense of identity and also making sure the student can express themselves without fear or judgment. I keep thinking about classroom management and how to keep a positive sense of community in your classroom. I think the same ideas apply to helping a student develop their identity through their artwork and to their peers.
Many of these things could be achieved by having open discussions about contemporary artists and the reasons behind why they created art the way they did. Having students see examples of artists whose work is genuine can help them understand similar situations when they encounter them in their lives.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Collaborative Project
I would want to create a collaborative project that every student involved would feel invested in. Sometimes I feel like collaborative projects can frustrate some people because the more forcful, extroverted artists tend to take charge and the shier artists don't get as much of an input. I think if it were a project that made the student create something completely on their own and then assemble them with the other students work in the end.
I know I talk about photography a lot, but it might be interesting to see each student involved create photographs that are entirely their own and bring them all together in the end to see the final concept. I kind of touched on this idea in my first lesson plan, but it could easily be changed to be a collaborate project since in my lesson it kind of already is. You could scale the lesson down and make it so every school in a district would contribute their work (such as a series of photographs) and display the work at each school. It could be paired down even more to say a few students from each class, or many classes combine their work into this same model.
Digital photography would be a fairly easy collaborative project to display because students work could be shown as a slideshow or displayed digitally without printing on paper. If students did print images then they could still be displayed in each school in the district or in the main hallway if just one school is involved. If photography isn't the medium and say each student did a painting or sculpture each piece could be photographed and displayed digitally just as easily.
I know I talk about photography a lot, but it might be interesting to see each student involved create photographs that are entirely their own and bring them all together in the end to see the final concept. I kind of touched on this idea in my first lesson plan, but it could easily be changed to be a collaborate project since in my lesson it kind of already is. You could scale the lesson down and make it so every school in a district would contribute their work (such as a series of photographs) and display the work at each school. It could be paired down even more to say a few students from each class, or many classes combine their work into this same model.
Digital photography would be a fairly easy collaborative project to display because students work could be shown as a slideshow or displayed digitally without printing on paper. If students did print images then they could still be displayed in each school in the district or in the main hallway if just one school is involved. If photography isn't the medium and say each student did a painting or sculpture each piece could be photographed and displayed digitally just as easily.
Monday, March 29, 2010
27 a. James Van der Zee
American Legioneer, District of Columbia, 1937This is a James Van Der Zee photograph depicting a decorated soldier, and perhaps it is an image of a relative who was also in the service that he is looking at in the photograph. This image conveys pride for the man who serves for a cause he believes in. When you look at the photograph the viewer sees the positive side of war; pride, fighting for a cause and striving for peace.
Boy with a Toy Grenade (1962). This image by Diane Arbus shows the dirty, corrupt side of war. This young boy at first glance looks goofy and innocent, but only after you look more closely, you see he is holding a grenade. War might be fought to bring peace, but the people it affects may be too young to understand the gravity of what war really means.
Art Advocacy
Art Advocacy was something I wish had been considered more when I was in high school. At my school, if you wanted to take an art class, it was because you were the one who took the initiative. My art teachers were football and soccer coaches who let the kooky artistic kids do their own thing while they prepared for that day's practice. That being said, I really had to teach myself what Art Advocacy really meant, and also decide that I was going to be radically different than my own art teachers.
In my own district as an art teacher I want to show the entire student body that the work that art students produce should be just as recognized as any sports event. Instead of shelving work that my students produce, I want them to display it in the school for everyone to see. If displaying artwork isn't an option in my district I think it would be interesting to hold "art shows" maybe on a bi-monthly basis that would showcase student work even in my classroom. I think it would be fun for my students to be able hand out a leaflet to their peers like a show opening that would invite them to come see student work during passing time or a free period. What I would love even more would be to do something similar to the trimester art show we saw the previous school do.
The risks in art advocacy are that art in itself can be controversial. Displaying work publicly is something that has to be carefully considered. I think asking your students to consider their audience before choosing what artwork should be displayed would be an good way to keep things calm between the arts and other communities in the school system.
One thing I have thought about quite a bit lately are ways to tie in my lessons in art with other things students might be learning in their own classes. I know growing up I always found it helpful when I was learning about something in one class, and talking about similar yet opposing views of the same topic in another class. So I think it would be interesting to join forces with other teachers by asking what lessons they are teaching and if they would like to tie their lessons with a project my students might be doing in their art class. For example, if a history class was discussing a period that generated some poignant artwork, I could talk about those pieces in class and then create a project that would tie in with what they were learning in that class. Those are thing that I think help students absorb information, when they can associate something they learned with something they themselves created. Plus it wouldn't be a bad idea to show other teachers that I want to include their thoughts and opinions in my lessons.
In my own district as an art teacher I want to show the entire student body that the work that art students produce should be just as recognized as any sports event. Instead of shelving work that my students produce, I want them to display it in the school for everyone to see. If displaying artwork isn't an option in my district I think it would be interesting to hold "art shows" maybe on a bi-monthly basis that would showcase student work even in my classroom. I think it would be fun for my students to be able hand out a leaflet to their peers like a show opening that would invite them to come see student work during passing time or a free period. What I would love even more would be to do something similar to the trimester art show we saw the previous school do.
The risks in art advocacy are that art in itself can be controversial. Displaying work publicly is something that has to be carefully considered. I think asking your students to consider their audience before choosing what artwork should be displayed would be an good way to keep things calm between the arts and other communities in the school system.
One thing I have thought about quite a bit lately are ways to tie in my lessons in art with other things students might be learning in their own classes. I know growing up I always found it helpful when I was learning about something in one class, and talking about similar yet opposing views of the same topic in another class. So I think it would be interesting to join forces with other teachers by asking what lessons they are teaching and if they would like to tie their lessons with a project my students might be doing in their art class. For example, if a history class was discussing a period that generated some poignant artwork, I could talk about those pieces in class and then create a project that would tie in with what they were learning in that class. Those are thing that I think help students absorb information, when they can associate something they learned with something they themselves created. Plus it wouldn't be a bad idea to show other teachers that I want to include their thoughts and opinions in my lessons.
Monday, March 8, 2010
"Guess who's comin' to town. 'Santa?' No! The Harlem Globetrotters!"
When I was younger, my Mom worked at a pharmacy that mostly dealt with Nursing Homes. Patient's medications were packaged in little refillable boxes called "cassettes". I remember having to clean these out every once and while when things got busy. While it was easy to do, I was easily bored. Not too long after I remember doing that, my Mom's pharmacy hired a man named Charles to clean all of the pharmacy's cassettes. It turned out that Charles had a disability, and while I'm not entirely sure what it is, I know it is a defect in one or more of his chromosomes. While Charles does have many health problems, he is a very dedicated worker, and he made friends with every single person in that pharmacy, especially my Mom. Charles and my Mom instantly became buddies and to this day calls our house at least twice a week just to chit chat. Unfortunately Charles has no other family living near-by to care for him, and his Mother's health is fading quickly. He talks about where he might have to live when his Mother dies, but he has a strong community around him to make sure he his happy wherever he might end up. His sense of humor is his best quality and his idle threats of "making you go sit on the roof" or "calling the authorities on you" is his funny way of letting you know you are special to him.
To be completely honest I really don't know very much about how to specifically teach someone with disabilities. I do know however, how I interact with Charles and it is amazing how many things he knows and does, he always has something interesting to talk about. So I can imagine sitting down and getting to know a student with disabilities just like I would get to know any other student in my class. Once I got a handle of what skills the student was capable of, and what things they wanted to accomplish, I know that student could get along in my art room just fine.
The title of this post is one of Charles' funniest quotes (he has many)
To be completely honest I really don't know very much about how to specifically teach someone with disabilities. I do know however, how I interact with Charles and it is amazing how many things he knows and does, he always has something interesting to talk about. So I can imagine sitting down and getting to know a student with disabilities just like I would get to know any other student in my class. Once I got a handle of what skills the student was capable of, and what things they wanted to accomplish, I know that student could get along in my art room just fine.
The title of this post is one of Charles' funniest quotes (he has many)
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Alter Ego
Self and Alter Ego 3k
My alter ego's name is Alice, I am tall, thin and I have long dark hair. My mother grew up on an Apache reservation, and my father was born in Austria. He moved to New Mexico when he was in his twenties where he met my mother. They married and moved to Albuquerque, where I was born in 1985. Although my father is Jewish, my spiritual beliefs are more similar to my mother's, who still practices common Native American beliefs. My spirit animal is a silver fox. I am a photographer who mainly photographs for National Geographic. I just returned from a 4 month stint where I was photographing the Australian Aboriginal people. Unfortunately many jobs don't pay well so I work as a celebrity/portrait photographer when I need to pay the rent. I am a very independent person who doesn't like being tied down to one place or another, so I travel frequently. I fall in love easily but the guys I fall for are never strong enough for me, so now I date whoever I want with no expectations.
The qualities that best describe me are: assertive, idiosyncratic, playful, solemn, truthful, courageous, constant, arrogant, proud, daring, progressive, opinionated, humorous, bossy, maverick, cynic, believer, realist, bold, enlightened, ethical, ambitious, ruthless, stimulating, passive, determined, casual, altruistic, relaxed, stoic, energetic.
My alter ego's name is Alice, I am tall, thin and I have long dark hair. My mother grew up on an Apache reservation, and my father was born in Austria. He moved to New Mexico when he was in his twenties where he met my mother. They married and moved to Albuquerque, where I was born in 1985. Although my father is Jewish, my spiritual beliefs are more similar to my mother's, who still practices common Native American beliefs. My spirit animal is a silver fox. I am a photographer who mainly photographs for National Geographic. I just returned from a 4 month stint where I was photographing the Australian Aboriginal people. Unfortunately many jobs don't pay well so I work as a celebrity/portrait photographer when I need to pay the rent. I am a very independent person who doesn't like being tied down to one place or another, so I travel frequently. I fall in love easily but the guys I fall for are never strong enough for me, so now I date whoever I want with no expectations.
The qualities that best describe me are: assertive, idiosyncratic, playful, solemn, truthful, courageous, constant, arrogant, proud, daring, progressive, opinionated, humorous, bossy, maverick, cynic, believer, realist, bold, enlightened, ethical, ambitious, ruthless, stimulating, passive, determined, casual, altruistic, relaxed, stoic, energetic.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
GLBT, whew I'm glad they abbreviated it...
So, GLBT was a term I learned today, among many things I read in ch. 7 of Adolescents at School. I kind of had to step back a bit because this was a huge subject I hadn't really considered before. How would I handle it, if one of my students came out to me? I know how I handle it personally when I meet people who have a different sexual orientation than myself, but this would be a student who was looking for guidance. I suppose I would initially ask if they would like to talk about things, and preferably in private so they would feel more comfortable. I would just sit down with the student comfortably so they can open up and tell me what they need to say. I wouldn't make any judgments about what I heard and I would try to understand what they were feeling. If they hadn't come out to their family and friends I would first ask if they would want to, and if they did, how would they feel about it? Would it be accepted, or would it be difficult to do? These are all things I would let them explain to me, but primarily letting them speak and get it off of their chest. I can remember being that age and even now, just eager for someone to talk to, someone who could potentially help you. After we would be on the same page, I would try to gather information from counselors, and also see if this was a discussion the student should be having with someone more qualified than me. However I feel that if a student "came out" to me specifically I would do everything in my power to help them feel better about their situation. I would never pass off another student to someone else, I would always be there for the student in any capacity I could.
I suppose if the student and I regularly met I would be able to show them ways to feel proud about who they were, that a person can be gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered and also be just a person. Their sexual identity has nothing to do with the person within, who they are at the very core can is what is important. Once they feel comfortable with themselves, they can find a way to do whatever makes them happy. Even if it is being a doctor, lawyer or business executive. (If any of you Weeds fans caught that sentence up above, please understand this was a very deep subject so I had to throw a little levity in there). Being an art teacher, I do think it would be appropriate to signify specific artists who were GLBT, to show the student that we remember these great artists for the things they made and did with their lives, not their sexual orientation. Just a handful of artists I would mention would be Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Salvador Dali, Keith Haring, Andy Warhol and Frida Khalo. These are all great artists who are in turn great examples for those dealing with the struggle of identifying their sexuality.
One thing I read in Adolescents at School, and what I am going to remember and do first thing for my classroom will be to post a "Safe Space" sticker on my door to let students who know what that means, feel comfortable in my classroom.
Anyway, as I was researching artists I found some great images, so I thought I would post them. ;-)
I suppose if the student and I regularly met I would be able to show them ways to feel proud about who they were, that a person can be gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered and also be just a person. Their sexual identity has nothing to do with the person within, who they are at the very core can is what is important. Once they feel comfortable with themselves, they can find a way to do whatever makes them happy. Even if it is being a doctor, lawyer or business executive. (If any of you Weeds fans caught that sentence up above, please understand this was a very deep subject so I had to throw a little levity in there). Being an art teacher, I do think it would be appropriate to signify specific artists who were GLBT, to show the student that we remember these great artists for the things they made and did with their lives, not their sexual orientation. Just a handful of artists I would mention would be Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Salvador Dali, Keith Haring, Andy Warhol and Frida Khalo. These are all great artists who are in turn great examples for those dealing with the struggle of identifying their sexuality.
One thing I read in Adolescents at School, and what I am going to remember and do first thing for my classroom will be to post a "Safe Space" sticker on my door to let students who know what that means, feel comfortable in my classroom.
Anyway, as I was researching artists I found some great images, so I thought I would post them. ;-)
Monday, February 15, 2010
Life is better Blonde
I'm 5 foot and a half, blonde, very girly and yes I drive a truck. I'm sure people are surprised and/or laugh when they see lil' ol' me jump down from the drivers seat. People always seem shocked when I drive through the parking lot and they see some blonde chick behind the wheel. Even one of my classmates stared at me wide-eyed the other day while asking if I drove a pickup truck. My reaction is always to laugh, I'm sure it is a funny sight to see. The sad fact is however that the way I look makes people call into question my ability to drive a larger than normal vehicle. Funnily enough my truck isn't even all that large compared to most other trucks. It is just the fact that girls who look and act like me don't usually drive that type of vehicle, which is sad because driving a truck can be really fun. I like to think that this is one of the many things that makes me unique and even though I am being discriminated against, I know that I can drive that truck and I can drive it well. I enjoy cars, my dad always took me around cars when I was a little girl and I like to drive interesting cars. So when I had the chance to get his old truck I pounced on it because I knew I would love it. So maybe I don't look like I the normal type of person who would drive a truck, but I do like driving it, so people can just stare and gawk all they want, I know I look funny, but I'm having fun. ;-)
I discriminate people all the time. It is one of my biggest flaws, one of which I am working very hard to get better about. One time in particular I can remember, is when I discriminated against one of my classmates who would later become one of my closest friends. I was sitting in the back of my darkened art history class at Kirkwood, huffing and puffing because I was late, like always (yes yet another flaw I am working on) when I saw the back of the blondest hair I had ever seen. "Who was that girl?" I thought. "Shes blonde, pretty, she dresses nice, I bet she is super-stuck up." She was always very intelligent about the classwork though, and she and I seemed to talk a lot about the same subjects. Then one day I saw her outside of school at Target and she smiled at me so I thought "hey she might not be as bad as I think." After that we both transferred to the University of Iowa and we became fast friends who happened to have a strange amount of similarities. Who was I talking about? If shes reading this, she knows who she is, eh Art of Blogging? hehe. Anyway my first judgment about her was way off and that is just one of many examples of why I am working on discriminating less and getting to know the individual more.
In my classroom I think respect and not making irrational judgments will be key. Just like in making judgments about art you must understand the story behind something before you can make a judgment about it. You wouldn't judge a painting without trying to figure out what it meant or the story behind why it was painted. Just like you shouldn't make judgments about why someone looks or acts a certain way. I think putting concepts like these into normal discussions in the classroom can help students understand it on a personal level.
I discriminate people all the time. It is one of my biggest flaws, one of which I am working very hard to get better about. One time in particular I can remember, is when I discriminated against one of my classmates who would later become one of my closest friends. I was sitting in the back of my darkened art history class at Kirkwood, huffing and puffing because I was late, like always (yes yet another flaw I am working on) when I saw the back of the blondest hair I had ever seen. "Who was that girl?" I thought. "Shes blonde, pretty, she dresses nice, I bet she is super-stuck up." She was always very intelligent about the classwork though, and she and I seemed to talk a lot about the same subjects. Then one day I saw her outside of school at Target and she smiled at me so I thought "hey she might not be as bad as I think." After that we both transferred to the University of Iowa and we became fast friends who happened to have a strange amount of similarities. Who was I talking about? If shes reading this, she knows who she is, eh Art of Blogging? hehe. Anyway my first judgment about her was way off and that is just one of many examples of why I am working on discriminating less and getting to know the individual more.
In my classroom I think respect and not making irrational judgments will be key. Just like in making judgments about art you must understand the story behind something before you can make a judgment about it. You wouldn't judge a painting without trying to figure out what it meant or the story behind why it was painted. Just like you shouldn't make judgments about why someone looks or acts a certain way. I think putting concepts like these into normal discussions in the classroom can help students understand it on a personal level.
Monday, February 1, 2010
Fourth Blog
Whew, its good to have my computer back. I had to reinstall my OS and I didn't have a computer for a week, so its nice to be sitting in front of my own computer again. Let the blogging begin...
It is strange to think about myself as a high school-er compared to myself now. I felt just as strongly then about things as I do now. The only difference between 18 and 24 is that now I realize I don't have everything figured out. At 18 I thought I knew what I wanted and what I thought was right, but the older version of myself realizes I'm just beginning to figure out what life is about. My identity has always more or less been the same. Short, blonde, goofy, dorky, creative, driven, etc. My identity hasn't changed, just the circumstances I'm surrounded by change. My artwork has grown with each new skill set I've acquired and although I still struggle to create new pieces of artwork, my ability to tap into my creativity has gotten stronger. As I have learned more about art through college and seeing other artists work I have gotten a better understanding of how to productive creatively. I try to grab a pen and paper as soon as possible now to try to and keep my ideas fresh so I can tap into them when I want to create a project I feel passionate about.
Artistic Self
3 a. Self Identification Personal
The thing that makes me feel guilty is loving and buying expensive clothes (I'm addicted to Juicy Couture). Actually making artwork I am proud of makes me feel worthy of being called an artist. People being completely honest make me laugh. Being late embarrasses me. My mother infuriates me. Driving fast thrills me. Playing outside on a warm day comforts me. Remembering my kitty makes me sad.
3 b. Self Identification Personality
The concept of peace is very important to me, and not just the hippie "peace, man" meaning of the word peace. To me it is a state of mind I would love to have one day, but as of today I am learning to become a peaceful person. All of the colors used to represent me and this concept should be strong and bold. All colors on the spectrum can be included for this idea.
3 c. Self Identification Transpersonal.
The object that conveys my most interesting public trait would be my identity of photographer. It has been a while since I have done true work as a photographer, but I always have my hand in it somehow. I think it will always be a part of my identity even as I become a teacher because photography was the first thing I fell in love with.
It is strange to think about myself as a high school-er compared to myself now. I felt just as strongly then about things as I do now. The only difference between 18 and 24 is that now I realize I don't have everything figured out. At 18 I thought I knew what I wanted and what I thought was right, but the older version of myself realizes I'm just beginning to figure out what life is about. My identity has always more or less been the same. Short, blonde, goofy, dorky, creative, driven, etc. My identity hasn't changed, just the circumstances I'm surrounded by change. My artwork has grown with each new skill set I've acquired and although I still struggle to create new pieces of artwork, my ability to tap into my creativity has gotten stronger. As I have learned more about art through college and seeing other artists work I have gotten a better understanding of how to productive creatively. I try to grab a pen and paper as soon as possible now to try to and keep my ideas fresh so I can tap into them when I want to create a project I feel passionate about.
Artistic Self
3 a. Self Identification Personal
The thing that makes me feel guilty is loving and buying expensive clothes (I'm addicted to Juicy Couture). Actually making artwork I am proud of makes me feel worthy of being called an artist. People being completely honest make me laugh. Being late embarrasses me. My mother infuriates me. Driving fast thrills me. Playing outside on a warm day comforts me. Remembering my kitty makes me sad.
3 b. Self Identification Personality
The concept of peace is very important to me, and not just the hippie "peace, man" meaning of the word peace. To me it is a state of mind I would love to have one day, but as of today I am learning to become a peaceful person. All of the colors used to represent me and this concept should be strong and bold. All colors on the spectrum can be included for this idea.
3 c. Self Identification Transpersonal.
The object that conveys my most interesting public trait would be my identity of photographer. It has been a while since I have done true work as a photographer, but I always have my hand in it somehow. I think it will always be a part of my identity even as I become a teacher because photography was the first thing I fell in love with.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
First Day at the high school
Well yesterday was the first day working at the high school and I'm still on the fence about how confident I feel about it. I went into the day feeling pretty strong and prepared to talk to these kids. Then when they all had gotten to the class I got a chance to look at their faces and I wasn't sure how to interpret what I saw. Many students looked disinterested, others looked curious. Some looked downright bored too. It was kind of a scramble at first picking people to work with. I think the idea was that the groups the students had formed the day before would pick what people they wanted to work with from the university. The kids really didn't jump to pick who they wanted because they had no idea who we were. So we had to mill around and figure out who needed us. As my group got started we were informed that two of the four students were absent that day and that the two students who were there had to brainstorm and formulate an idea for the entire group. There were a girl and a boy in the group and two other girls that would be there for our next meeting. They both looked tired and bored, the boy more than the girl. I think she realized that we were having to do this for our education so she went along with it even though she knew what she was doing. She had some art knowledge already. The boy didn't speak much at all, and at some point the girl threw her pen at him because he had fallen asleep. I tried to pull him into the conversation several times, asking him what he was interested in, what he did for entertainment, stuff that might get him to have a opinion on something. He really just didn't care, that was kind of upsetting, but we muddled through. After some coaxing the girl had some great ideas and with the help of use three university students they came up with a pretty good idea. The only problem with that however is that the two absent students needed to have a say, and jobs needed to be assigned to complete the assignment. So the idea is that the two missing girls would be back today (Wednesday) and that on Thursday (suprise, we are going Thursday too) they would be prepared and have a better more concrete idea about what they were going to do. Also my group was told to have one of us sit on either side of the boy to make sure he is alert and also to keep him from ditching class (which he has been known to do). Whew, we will see what happens on Thursday, I feel like I might need to have some more authority over the boy in the group. The first day was kind of spent getting our feet wet, and now I will try to enforce some more authority to get him to participate equally.
Chapter 2 of Fires in the Bathroom was pretty much summarizing everything I have been thinking about prior to beginning my education classes. I had been thinking a lot about respect and how important it is to have in a classroom, especially ones with students who are nearly adults. They want to be treated fairly, and that they have a chance to do something significant in the class. This includes knowing the material I am teaching them. I have to be able to remember details and be able to troubleshoot if things don't go as planned. I also have to remember that each student is a complex being and I shouldn't make judgments about them until I have gotten to know them personally. A major point for me is the not showing favoritism. I used to teach Sunday school art classes to preschoolers, and it was really hard for me to not show my preference to one little girl in specific. She was just like me when I was little, and she always needed hugs from me throughout the day. In fact many of the kids, girls and boys wanted hugs, but she was always the first to dive for me. I felt really bad one day because I had made a project for the kids and I saved one task for her because I knew she would like doing that. I really hope the other kids in the class didn't realize I had done that. But even at the age of 4-5 I'm sure they could understand the concept of favoritism. I still feel really awful about it to this day and I regret ever making any of my students feel less important. Ugh, that feels good to get off my chest though. At any rate the ideas and quotes from students in chapter two were all things I had thought about before and I'm glad that my opinions about how a teacher should interact with students were similar to those in the text. Chapter two of From Ordinary to Extraordinary was interesting, it was nice to see some actual examples of classroom activities. I tried to think of ways I could incorporate some of those projects into one that would be best suited to my teaching and what I hoped to teach my students. So anyway, I guess I'm a little nervous for Thursday, but I have to try to pique the interest of these kids so they don't think we are entirely lame. :-P
Chapter 2 of Fires in the Bathroom was pretty much summarizing everything I have been thinking about prior to beginning my education classes. I had been thinking a lot about respect and how important it is to have in a classroom, especially ones with students who are nearly adults. They want to be treated fairly, and that they have a chance to do something significant in the class. This includes knowing the material I am teaching them. I have to be able to remember details and be able to troubleshoot if things don't go as planned. I also have to remember that each student is a complex being and I shouldn't make judgments about them until I have gotten to know them personally. A major point for me is the not showing favoritism. I used to teach Sunday school art classes to preschoolers, and it was really hard for me to not show my preference to one little girl in specific. She was just like me when I was little, and she always needed hugs from me throughout the day. In fact many of the kids, girls and boys wanted hugs, but she was always the first to dive for me. I felt really bad one day because I had made a project for the kids and I saved one task for her because I knew she would like doing that. I really hope the other kids in the class didn't realize I had done that. But even at the age of 4-5 I'm sure they could understand the concept of favoritism. I still feel really awful about it to this day and I regret ever making any of my students feel less important. Ugh, that feels good to get off my chest though. At any rate the ideas and quotes from students in chapter two were all things I had thought about before and I'm glad that my opinions about how a teacher should interact with students were similar to those in the text. Chapter two of From Ordinary to Extraordinary was interesting, it was nice to see some actual examples of classroom activities. I tried to think of ways I could incorporate some of those projects into one that would be best suited to my teaching and what I hoped to teach my students. So anyway, I guess I'm a little nervous for Thursday, but I have to try to pique the interest of these kids so they don't think we are entirely lame. :-P
Monday, January 25, 2010
Second Blog
Scoping an Audience:
I decided to read about Gillian Wearing for this blog. She works as a photographer documenting a world not many people get to see. Wearing works to discover the secrets ordinary people carry with them and hide from others. Her photo series Signs that say what you want them to say and not signs that say what someone else wants you to say allowed average people to say what they really felt, no judgments made, just a way to confess their troubles. I loved this idea, and have had friends do similar things.
The questions I'm responding to are from the user's manual and relate to documenting past events and the truth that lies within the piece of art.
A) Art as a repository for collective memory essentially documents works that have been deemed important to a global society. Whatever message the art conveys, reflects the beliefs and conceptions of a society. Prior to the invention of photography any work of art could be seen as subjective, especially if one's opinion might lean towards realism and facts. It was the artist's decisions as well as abilities that influenced their work and until photography came about, what they felt should be included in their work became the only source of visual information. When photography came on the scene, this new technology allowed a moment to be captured permanently, therefore any question raised could be answered factually with a photograph. Photography in the common era can obviously be reproduced as well. So as opposed to having only one painting to show the world, you can reproduce the image and anyone who wants to could hold the work in their hands. Photography allows the collective memory of art to represent actual moments in time and the truth will be evident to anyone who sees the photograph.
B) To say that the Third of May, 1808 by Francisco Goya is a memorial is fairly obvious. It is a memory/story of the French retaliation against the Spanish who ambushed Napoleon's soldiers the day before. The French fought back by executing Spanish citizens, and the execution is illustrated in this painting. However I would not go so far as to call it an official memorial because it is Goya's interpretation of the story. There is no doubt that this incident took place, but the facts and details of what happened shouldn't be taken from this painting. The way the men are arranged, the expressions on their faces were Goya's influence, and he meant to encourage empathy for the Spanish peasants through this painting. It seems as though this painting could be seen as propoganda to enrage and empower the Spanish people. This would be a case where photographic evidence would show the truth and the reality of the scene might be more powerful than a painted memorial. An example of photographic evidence might be the famous vietnam headshot photograph...
Sometimes a photograph is just more powerful, and I am reminded why I have a passion for photography.
So on to happier things! :-) I think my practice of searching for new inspiration and things that pique my interest will help me give my students ideas on how to find their own intrests and passions that will help guide them as artists. I think that is what is most essential to being an artist, the ability to find inspiration if you know how to go looking for it. Artists spend a great deal of time working and re-working and this helps create patience which is very important when it comes to teaching others how to create on their own. I will use my artwork to show my background and abilities, but I want my students to see a wider range of artwork, including working artists in the community and around the world. I plan on continuing my art education throughout my life. I want to travel and see how different artists work and their ideas so I can bring that back to my own artwork as well as influencing my student's work. I think it is incredibly important to continue learning about art especially if you are a teacher. The concept of art changes over time and with the rapid pace of technology the methods of art could change drastically in the time I will be teaching in.
I think the realtionship between teaching and art making is that they both go hand in hand. To make any kind of art a skill must be taught and new ideas introduced by others could be considered teaching. Growing up, I taught myself how to draw, making and learning about the art are very similar if not the same.
I will most likely be working with technology most of the time when I am a teacher. Hopefully I will be able to teach photography classes at some point so I will need to constantly be learning new technologies to keep up with the fast pace of photography. There is a way to maintain creativity even if students are working mostly with technology. If you give a student enough training on a certain program they will find a way to make it their own. Technology doesn't mean lumping students all in the same barrel, it is allowing them to take control and make decisions for themselves.
I decided to read about Gillian Wearing for this blog. She works as a photographer documenting a world not many people get to see. Wearing works to discover the secrets ordinary people carry with them and hide from others. Her photo series Signs that say what you want them to say and not signs that say what someone else wants you to say allowed average people to say what they really felt, no judgments made, just a way to confess their troubles. I loved this idea, and have had friends do similar things.
The questions I'm responding to are from the user's manual and relate to documenting past events and the truth that lies within the piece of art.
A) Art as a repository for collective memory essentially documents works that have been deemed important to a global society. Whatever message the art conveys, reflects the beliefs and conceptions of a society. Prior to the invention of photography any work of art could be seen as subjective, especially if one's opinion might lean towards realism and facts. It was the artist's decisions as well as abilities that influenced their work and until photography came about, what they felt should be included in their work became the only source of visual information. When photography came on the scene, this new technology allowed a moment to be captured permanently, therefore any question raised could be answered factually with a photograph. Photography in the common era can obviously be reproduced as well. So as opposed to having only one painting to show the world, you can reproduce the image and anyone who wants to could hold the work in their hands. Photography allows the collective memory of art to represent actual moments in time and the truth will be evident to anyone who sees the photograph.
B) To say that the Third of May, 1808 by Francisco Goya is a memorial is fairly obvious. It is a memory/story of the French retaliation against the Spanish who ambushed Napoleon's soldiers the day before. The French fought back by executing Spanish citizens, and the execution is illustrated in this painting. However I would not go so far as to call it an official memorial because it is Goya's interpretation of the story. There is no doubt that this incident took place, but the facts and details of what happened shouldn't be taken from this painting. The way the men are arranged, the expressions on their faces were Goya's influence, and he meant to encourage empathy for the Spanish peasants through this painting. It seems as though this painting could be seen as propoganda to enrage and empower the Spanish people. This would be a case where photographic evidence would show the truth and the reality of the scene might be more powerful than a painted memorial. An example of photographic evidence might be the famous vietnam headshot photograph...
Sometimes a photograph is just more powerful, and I am reminded why I have a passion for photography.
So on to happier things! :-) I think my practice of searching for new inspiration and things that pique my interest will help me give my students ideas on how to find their own intrests and passions that will help guide them as artists. I think that is what is most essential to being an artist, the ability to find inspiration if you know how to go looking for it. Artists spend a great deal of time working and re-working and this helps create patience which is very important when it comes to teaching others how to create on their own. I will use my artwork to show my background and abilities, but I want my students to see a wider range of artwork, including working artists in the community and around the world. I plan on continuing my art education throughout my life. I want to travel and see how different artists work and their ideas so I can bring that back to my own artwork as well as influencing my student's work. I think it is incredibly important to continue learning about art especially if you are a teacher. The concept of art changes over time and with the rapid pace of technology the methods of art could change drastically in the time I will be teaching in.
I think the realtionship between teaching and art making is that they both go hand in hand. To make any kind of art a skill must be taught and new ideas introduced by others could be considered teaching. Growing up, I taught myself how to draw, making and learning about the art are very similar if not the same.
I will most likely be working with technology most of the time when I am a teacher. Hopefully I will be able to teach photography classes at some point so I will need to constantly be learning new technologies to keep up with the fast pace of photography. There is a way to maintain creativity even if students are working mostly with technology. If you give a student enough training on a certain program they will find a way to make it their own. Technology doesn't mean lumping students all in the same barrel, it is allowing them to take control and make decisions for themselves.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
First Blog
The name of my blog is a nod to my favorite t.v. show Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Into every generation a Slayer is born...) hehe. Ah, on to the purpose of this blog. As for my experiences in high school, I probably wasn't an average student. My freshman and sophomore years were pretty much just me learning to exist in high school and not blend into the wall. My Junior and Senior years however were spent working on different projects. I was the only photographer for the yearbook for quite a while, so much of those two years were spent in the darkroom or at school events . It was nice to feel like I had a purpose those last two years. I went to Kirkwood Community College my senior year too so I was pretty busy. It was nice to feel important even if it was just for the yearbook and newspaper. I feel like most high school students now feel like they want a purpose too. Just going to classes and doing what you're told kind of gets boring at that age. To have an additional responsibility or something to work on (art for example) really helps keep the creative juices flowing and it doesn't feel like just creating artwork because its required.
I worry that I will end up talking "down" to the high school students, even when I know I don't want to. I know students are smarter than most people give them credit for. My personal goal is to talk to these students as if they were legitimate artists (which they are). I want to be straightforward and discuss things with them as if they were an adult. If you think about it high school is just practicing to go out into the real world, so I think practicing acting like an artist would be beneficial to their development.
I have a feeling I will learn to let the students go at their own pace. I keep thinking I want to steer them towards being great artists, but I don't want to push too hard and have them end up disliking art. So I guess I will go for a gentle nudge of art appreciation.
I am most excited about seeing what kind of art students are doing these days. I haven't had high school art classes for close to eight years now, so I'm wondering what has changed, if anything. I'm also excited to get used to talking about art to students, if the student is eager then it will be easier, but we will see...
The above photograph is one of my photos from when I went to the Professional Photography program at Hawkeye.
One more thing. Does anyone remember "Bob Lawblaw's Law Blog" from Arrested Development? Making this blog reminded me of it, haha.
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