Week of 4/5 Collaborations

Some types of collaborations I have engaged in as a student are collages, murals and puppet shows. One specific activity I remember doing was making handprints in second grade. Each student would dip his or her hand into different color paints and then would press it on a large banner of paper that was hung in the classroom. The final piece of our collaborated artwork gave our second grade class a sense of unity and spirit. Another project was creating a tower made of toothpicks and marshmallows. Competing towards a common goal made the students in the class closer to each other and really challenged us to think critically and listen to others opinions/strategies. In my sorority at USD, we made a collaboration together for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer office in San Diego. Each member decorated an index card saying something motivational on it, such as “Fight like a girl,” or “Just Believe.” When everyone was done, we connected all the index cards together with ribbon. The mix of different techniques and styles made the final product look great.
The experience of being on a team can teach students how to make thoughtful decisions, work together and execute a plan. Students are able to learn different styles, techniques and ideas from each other. Some students have different strengths they can contribute to the project. By communicating with one another, they learn how to compromise and develop interpersonal skills. During collaborative activities students can express their creativity by combining different media types into learning aspects, just like we did in class when making urban, suburban and rural maps.
Being a part of one of the groups that worked on a map of a suburban area affected my learning experience by teaching me how to organize and work cooperatively with my group. We first had to decide what types of buildings, stores, parks, etc. we wanted to include in our map and had to decide who would draw which things. As a team we had to work together to discuss how we would combine our different artworks together. Members of the group thought of things I would have never thought of to put in a suburban area that made our artwork more thorough and detailed. You could use collaboration in the classroom to teach citizenship by dividing groups to design different steps of becoming a citizen through artwork. When the groups are finished they can hang their artwork in order on the wall and see the steps in order to become a citizen visually. The members should think about all the details involving the steps required to be a citizen and portray those details in their artwork. In difficult social situations, members of the group might have different beliefs or views. In order to compromise when working together on a project, they must respectfully challenge each other by asking questions or using accurate information to prove their points. However, each member of the team must make a contribution to the artwork and not be excluded.

Week of 3/22

The New Children’s Art Museum was very unique, artistic and I would love to take my children there some day. In my opinion, they have successfully integrated new media into art that is appropriate. Some of the examples demonstrating how types of new media are transformed into art that I saw there were the sounds of the rain on the roof in the house and the videos in the bench area. Not only do I believe there is educational value and entertainment at the children’s museum, but it also sparks imagination and creativity in children. Children are able to participate in artwork that they would not normally do in their homes, such as painting on walls, which lets them express their own creativity and individualism without limits. At the museum, there is also educational benefits that help children's learning abilities. They are able to respond to music, which enhances their senses, such as in the barn dance and inside the house with the rain. In the videos in the bench area, they are able to visually see themselves, which gives them understanding of perspectives and mirror images at an early stage. They become aware of new understandings and are able to develop critical thinking skills. For example, when trying to move the chariot forward, the students have to figure out on their own what works and what doesn’t work. They are able to learn from practice and experience. There are also activities for entertainment such as the rainbow circular blow up toy. A lot of the activities are hands on which also makes the art projects more interactive and effective than just visually looking at a piece of art.

Week of 3/8

The role of new media today is influenced greatly by modern technology. Artists are able to accomplish much more due to new inventions such as printmaking and computer generated images. Artists are also using materials in new and interesting ways. For example, impressionists developed a painting based style by creating mood with little detail, whereas Cubists manipulated real world art into abstract creations. Photographers today change their photos by distorting images, altering colors or making double or triple images. One of my favorite examples was Cindy Sherman’s artwork in which she transformed herself into a different person by dressing in different costumes and then took photographs of herself.
There are many ways the students can use photography and video in a classroom that is educational and involves communication. One way the children could use photography and video would be identifying themselves as characters in a book/play by dressing up in certain clothes and choosing a different setting for the background and taking pictures of or videotaping themselves. Children could also use their communication skills to discuss pictures of different faces in magazines and the mood and feelings those faces express. In this activity students could also discuss the differences between ordinary photos and what is qualified as artwork. Using a video camera, students could create their own commercials, role-play various social settings involving their school and home experiences, or act as an art teacher by demonstrating a simple process.

Activity: Question #8 on page 180
First Artist: HA Schult uses trash to create people and sculptures in the world’s most major cities.
http://img.weburbanist.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/trash-art-people.jpg

Second Artist: John T Unger uses bottle caps to create pieces of art.

http://johntunger.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341c4fdf53ef01348651474b970c-pi

Students could make mosaics by using clippings of recycled materials such as old magazines, newspapers or flyers to create a recognizable image, such as an animal or another object. They could also collect trash around their neighborhood and create sculptures just like the artists did above. The main idea is for students to create an artwork using the part to whole process in which they use small various parts to create a whole object or image.

Luz Chung’s presentation on the connection between social justice and education was very insightful. I thought it was interesting that she compared the connection between history and today’s culture which influences what is taught in schools. In the video clip, it talked about how school’s standards in the U.S. are primarily based from Texas’s control over information in textbooks. For example, Oscar Romero spoke out against poverty and social injustice and the Texas administration does not want him to be included in textbooks. Freire discusses how there is no “neutral education process.” I think he means that teaching is controlled by biased opinions, which relates to the discussion of how Oscar Romero won’t be included in textbooks because of people with different political views.
I think you can use arts in a classroom in creating a common ground among students with different backgrounds by learning about important figures or activists such as Oscar Romero in various cultures. You could also make the curriculum inclusive by having students express and draw a picture of who they believe is their hero. The hero could be a family member, someone from their historical or cultural background, etc. The students would discuss topics we learned in class such as the idea of “What makes a Hero?” The students would discuss the aspects of a hero- possessions, clothing, situation, position, or actions taken? Students would also describe how people are determined as a hero or the traits that a hero possesses. Teachers should state how everyone has different heroes for different reasons that are important to them. Each student should respect their peer’s heroes. The teacher could also ask students to share their heroes and explain why they believe why their person is a hero. Students will be able to express their opinions and beliefs freely with the respect of their classmates.

SDMA- week of 3/1

I thought the visit to SDMA was fun and knowledgeable. I liked how our tour guide involved teaching with artwork. It was fun to look at the similarities and differences of artwork and how you could incorporate artwork into a teaching lesson that involves math or science. I think museums like SDMA are viable and accessible resources to mostly secondary students or students in the third grade and up in elementary school because I don’t know if young students have the patience to stand that long and pay attention. I feel like it would be better for the older students who have probably developed more analytical skills. Also, the younger students might touch the artwork, make noise or run around which would be a distraction to other people in the museum.

my headdress

Process with sculptural headdress

My inspiration to creating my headdress was from a Cinderella Book. The Cinderella book showed stories and pictures of Cinderellas across the globe. I got my inspiration from the Polish Cinderella who in the book was wearing a headdress that was like a cap on top but had long pieces that flowed in the back and had flowers all over it. I thought it was really elegant and feminine. At first, I made the cap using paper tissue. Then I cut long strips of tissue and attached it to the cap. To make the flowers, I scrunched pieces of tissue and put them in cupcake holders. I placed the flowers at the end of the strips and around the cap.
You could use this project in a second grade class by introducing different stories of Cinderella around the world and their perspectives of Cinderella. Then the students could try to imitate one of the cultural headdresses worn by Cinderella in another country. The students would be able to learn about the country’s culture and use their creativity.

According to the California Content Standards for second graders:
Key Ideas and Detail:
-Ask and answer such questions as who, what, where, when, why, and how to demonstrate understanding of key details in a text.
-Recount stories, including fables and folktales from diverse cultures, and determine their central message, lesson, or moral.
-Describe how characters in a story respond to major events and challenges.

Craft and Structure:
- Describe the overall structure of a story, including describing how the beginning introduces the story and the ending concludes the action.
- Explain major differences between books that tell stories and books that give information, drawing on a wide reading of a range of text types (first grade)

Integration of knowledge and Ideas:
-Use information gained from the illustrations and
words in a print or digital text to demonstrate
understanding of its characters, setting, or plot.
-Compare and contrast two or more versions of the same story (e.g., Cinderella stories) by different authors or from different cultures.

Visual Thinking Strategies

Facilitating a discussion about works of art with young students helps those students find meaning in works of art, which enhances their thinking skills. Visual Thinking Strategies encourages participation, self-confidence and a personal connection to art from diverse cultures, times and places. Through visual images, students are able to develop opinions and express them. Students are also able to think independently, but also are able to reflect on the viewpoints of others and work in a group setting where students speculate, argue, debate and build off each others ideas to come to a conclusion. VTS also develops thinking and communication skills. When students develop a connection to art they also develop cognitive skills that are helpful in other aspects of learning.

Picture: Rembrandt:
I asked my three roommates, Kate, Elise and Cate, to look at a piece of art by an artist named Rembrandt. Kate assumed that the man in front was praying because of his figure is kneeling below another man with his head down. Kate also concluded that the men in the red robes were rich and of high class because of their colorful and luxurious clothing and the man kneeling down was poor because of his ragged clothing and lack of shoe on one foot. Then she changed her mind to think that the man kneeling was being punished or asking for forgiveness because the faces of the figures in the background looked sad and full of sorrow. Elise thought that the man kneeling in front is being blessed because his hands are placed on his back and Elise said that she has learned through her Catholic religion that when people are being touched, they are being blessed. Elise also noticed that the man kneeling seemed “dirty” that he is subservient to the other people in the room and needs to be blessed. The man kneeling is also being watched which also happens when someone is being blessed. Cate thought that the man kneeling was being punished because of the scared looks on the other faces in the background of the picture. I thought it was interesting how Elise thought the man kneeling was being blessed while Kate and Cate thought that the man was being punished, which are two different extremes.

Headdress research

Meanings and Purposes:
-Ceremonial purposes
-Symbolic meanings (ex. bravery, powerful)
-Hold positions

Materials used:
-feathers
-wooden objects
-shells
-bones

Blog Entry 2/8

The role of art in the classroom is a place where students can express their creativity and respond to artwork. Through drawing, children are able to create symbols and explore visual strategies. At my elementary school, there were art programs for each grade level. My early experiences with art were fun. I remember doing finger painting, using chalk or crayons to depict symbols and drawing cartoons to tell stories. As I got older, I started learning more challenging concepts of art such as oil painting and drawing detailed faces and form figures and creating castles. My favorite art piece that I made in elementary school was a mosaic that I made out of tiny magazine cuttings that formed a rose. All of my teachers were encouraging and enthusiastic about art, which made me feel more comfortable. They always praised my art and never made any negative comments about it, which made me feel more confident about my artwork.
There is an important relationship between art and learning. Through drawing, students are able to learn cognitive skills, such as close observation, concentration and memory. Students are able to find meaning and ideas in the objects they draw. The brain learns through multiple senses and thrives on making sense of new information. Through the learning of art, children are drawn to aesthetics, develop analytical skills and seek out real world applications.
The benefits of art integration includes a safe environment for English learners, development of communication and writing skills, active class discussions and group problem solving. Music and visual arts enhance cognitive systems as well as advance stress-response systems. It also affects emotional systems and cultural understanding. Children are also able to reflect on their experiences through drawing.
My favorite example of how art affects learning that Morgan Appel talked about was the study with medical residents. In a research study, medical residents who were immersed in visual arts improved diagnostic abilities and understanding of non-verbal cues. “Bed-side manners” such as empathy, self-regulation of emotions and stress management were also improved. This experiment proved that art cannot only help younger students achieve their highest potential of learning, but also help adults.

Focus Activity p.2

Chapter 3 Question 8 p. 66

Response: First I asked two of my good friends to draw a figure on a piece of paper in any pose. They were very enthusiastic and eager to do so. Tara Iguibashian drew both a girl and a boy both facing forward. Both of their body’s were stick-like but she made both of their faces very detailed, which I thought was interesting. She included details like eyelashes, plump lips, ears and hair. I might conclude from this drawing that Tara believes facial features are very important in distinguishing a person. Tara said she started drawing around age 3 and learned at her daycare. She says, “she’ll never quit drawing!” My other friend Katie Schlobaske also drew a figure facing forward. The figure was waving and looked happy. The figure was also a girl and almost looked cartoon-like. She drew a full body, which included clothes as well. Katie said she started drawing also when she was very young, around 3 or 4 at preschool and says she loves to draw and will always continue doing so. Lastly, I asked my roommate Cate Seago to draw a figure. At first she abruptly declined, but finally she gave in. She drew a stick figure very fast with little detail. She said she thinks she started drawing when she started school around 4 or 5 years old and insists she does not like to draw. She seemed embarrassed and shy about her drawing. I think Cate was a little embarrassed because she was not taught how to draw at an older age or was discouraged to draw in her later years of schooling.

Chapter 2 Response Question 4 p. 39

List of Works:

Multicultural Lesson Plans and Resources
http://www.cloudnet.com/~edrbsass/edmulticult.htm

Learning Resources for Students, Families and Teachers
http://www.studysphere.com/Site/Sphere_101.html

Multicultural Lesson Plans
http://www.dickblick.com/multicultural/lessonplans/

Women’s history- Teacher Resources
http://www.teachervision.fen.com/womens-history/teacher-resources/6678.html

Lesson Plans Page
http://www.lessonplanspage.com/WomensHistoryMonth.htm