ART JOURNAL 1
01/27/2020
This week, please post the visual poem and the 10 things that you listed for your teaching philosophy on the blog.
Please write down your answers to the following questions:
• What were your art teaching/learning perspectives before
• What were your art teaching/learning perspectives now
• How do you want to teach art in the future
“Standardization, testing, and conformity are all aspects of our educational system, although they do not necessarily have to be, I would also suggest that, in one form or another, they are attributes of most institutions and, in fact, of many societies—leading to marginalization and a loss of voice.” This quote expresses the misuse of diversity among human beings. Variety, the differences in our skill sets, and the existence of multiple intelligences, holds the opportunity to be our greatest strength (as a society), but is often used as a reason to marginalize those that don’t embody the same characteristics of those in power.
When asked to create a three-part visual poem that expressed our teaching/learning perspectives before, now, and in the future, I created a visual timeline that reflected past student projects that I created as an art student, and projects that I had my students create once I began teaching. These projects reflected their development as art students, and my developing understanding of what is important as a facilitator of art.
I put a ‘grade’ on each visual poem, as a symbol to reflect what was being evaluated and valued in each phase of their student learning, and as a means to tie each piece together visually.
In regards to my visual poem I created a collage of expressive artwork that reflected abstract subject matter, vibrant colors, patter, and emphasis on the intrinsic value of art making. This was to represent the creative potential of young children, and how art making through mark making is a cognitive experience for these young children to develop motor skills and coordination. However, on top of this collage of expressive marks, I plastered a stereotypical Halloween scene that you might find in an elementary art class. As a beginning teacher I fed into this practice of having my first and second grade class create artworks themed around the holidays. However, these holidays only reflected western cultures and was not inclusive or sensitive to the other children of diverse backgrounds. This practice reflected my experience as a student growing up, and is something I have since corrected as I have advanced in my coursework at CSU.
For my second piece, I sought to reflect that adolescence is a time of vulnerability and environmental change. This notion leads to conformity, and coincides with their cognitive development and desire to start creating artwork that is realistic in nature. In the middle grades in particular, choices students are making will largely determine their future, and this time in their lives may be their last experience making art as they begin to lock into various fields moving forward. It is easy to see, that with this taken into consideration, it is vital for art teachers in the middle grades to approach their lessons with emphasis on the development, and the avocation of the arts. As well as the mindfulness to equip students with a positive perception and creative problem solving skills that can transfer into other aspects of their lives.
Through my visual poem I aimed to reflect my past mistakes as a student and beginning art teacher to over-value realism, and practice it almost exclusively as an artist. I did so, as a means to receive good grades in my art coursework as a student, which looking back, reflects short-comings in my past education. My experience as an artist and as a teacher needs to promote diverse forms of art making, and creative exploration. Focusing on realism, is a trap most students fall into, and can deter many from choosing to identify as an artist if they don’t fit that mold, which ultimately limits their development and creative freedom moving forward.
The final visual poem I created represents where I am now as an art education student, and the direction I am trying to go. I will look to verify that my mannerisms as a teacher cultivate student trust, promote confidence, develop task orientation, and create cognitive and perceptual understanding of the arts. I am mindful of student vulnerability and classroom diversity, as well as the importance of personal connection and a sense of relevance to the pressures of society. To promote student development adolescences need to acquire durable self-esteem, flexible and inquiring habits of the mind, reliable and relatively close human relationships, a sense of belonging in a valuable group, and a sense of usefulness in some way beyond self.
For the final image, I created a collage of artworks from diverse mediums and cultures. Almost all forms of art are represented, from fibers, to sculpture, photography, fashion design, painting, drawing, realism, symbolism, and abstraction. For the grade I placed an infinity sign at center to represent that creative thinking has infinite applications, and can be developed indefinitely. I will look to cultivate a classroom environment where creative thinking and avocation for the arts opens infinite avenues of thought and problem solving for my students, with the hope these skills can improve their lives, the community, and transfer to other endeavors they pursue in their lifetime.
In reflecting on all that I have learned, I have identified five essential components that interplay with one another and dramatically improve Art Education when implemented appropriately. They are advocacy of art, mindfulness of student needs, transfer of skills, empowering marginalized groups, and engagement with the community.
I then broke these elements down further, into 10 ideals, which ultimately represent my teaching philosophy:
Please write down your answers to the following questions:
• What were your art teaching/learning perspectives before
• What were your art teaching/learning perspectives now
• How do you want to teach art in the future
“Standardization, testing, and conformity are all aspects of our educational system, although they do not necessarily have to be, I would also suggest that, in one form or another, they are attributes of most institutions and, in fact, of many societies—leading to marginalization and a loss of voice.” This quote expresses the misuse of diversity among human beings. Variety, the differences in our skill sets, and the existence of multiple intelligences, holds the opportunity to be our greatest strength (as a society), but is often used as a reason to marginalize those that don’t embody the same characteristics of those in power.
When asked to create a three-part visual poem that expressed our teaching/learning perspectives before, now, and in the future, I created a visual timeline that reflected past student projects that I created as an art student, and projects that I had my students create once I began teaching. These projects reflected their development as art students, and my developing understanding of what is important as a facilitator of art.
I put a ‘grade’ on each visual poem, as a symbol to reflect what was being evaluated and valued in each phase of their student learning, and as a means to tie each piece together visually.
In regards to my visual poem I created a collage of expressive artwork that reflected abstract subject matter, vibrant colors, patter, and emphasis on the intrinsic value of art making. This was to represent the creative potential of young children, and how art making through mark making is a cognitive experience for these young children to develop motor skills and coordination. However, on top of this collage of expressive marks, I plastered a stereotypical Halloween scene that you might find in an elementary art class. As a beginning teacher I fed into this practice of having my first and second grade class create artworks themed around the holidays. However, these holidays only reflected western cultures and was not inclusive or sensitive to the other children of diverse backgrounds. This practice reflected my experience as a student growing up, and is something I have since corrected as I have advanced in my coursework at CSU.
For my second piece, I sought to reflect that adolescence is a time of vulnerability and environmental change. This notion leads to conformity, and coincides with their cognitive development and desire to start creating artwork that is realistic in nature. In the middle grades in particular, choices students are making will largely determine their future, and this time in their lives may be their last experience making art as they begin to lock into various fields moving forward. It is easy to see, that with this taken into consideration, it is vital for art teachers in the middle grades to approach their lessons with emphasis on the development, and the avocation of the arts. As well as the mindfulness to equip students with a positive perception and creative problem solving skills that can transfer into other aspects of their lives.
Through my visual poem I aimed to reflect my past mistakes as a student and beginning art teacher to over-value realism, and practice it almost exclusively as an artist. I did so, as a means to receive good grades in my art coursework as a student, which looking back, reflects short-comings in my past education. My experience as an artist and as a teacher needs to promote diverse forms of art making, and creative exploration. Focusing on realism, is a trap most students fall into, and can deter many from choosing to identify as an artist if they don’t fit that mold, which ultimately limits their development and creative freedom moving forward.
The final visual poem I created represents where I am now as an art education student, and the direction I am trying to go. I will look to verify that my mannerisms as a teacher cultivate student trust, promote confidence, develop task orientation, and create cognitive and perceptual understanding of the arts. I am mindful of student vulnerability and classroom diversity, as well as the importance of personal connection and a sense of relevance to the pressures of society. To promote student development adolescences need to acquire durable self-esteem, flexible and inquiring habits of the mind, reliable and relatively close human relationships, a sense of belonging in a valuable group, and a sense of usefulness in some way beyond self.
For the final image, I created a collage of artworks from diverse mediums and cultures. Almost all forms of art are represented, from fibers, to sculpture, photography, fashion design, painting, drawing, realism, symbolism, and abstraction. For the grade I placed an infinity sign at center to represent that creative thinking has infinite applications, and can be developed indefinitely. I will look to cultivate a classroom environment where creative thinking and avocation for the arts opens infinite avenues of thought and problem solving for my students, with the hope these skills can improve their lives, the community, and transfer to other endeavors they pursue in their lifetime.
In reflecting on all that I have learned, I have identified five essential components that interplay with one another and dramatically improve Art Education when implemented appropriately. They are advocacy of art, mindfulness of student needs, transfer of skills, empowering marginalized groups, and engagement with the community.
I then broke these elements down further, into 10 ideals, which ultimately represent my teaching philosophy:
1. Eclectic: Students find a home in the art room among a diverse array of ideas, ways of thinking, approaches to art, cultures, and practices. These interactions help them reflect, assess, compare, incorporate, and grow.
2. Failure as a tool for success.
3. Experimentation and active involvement in learning.
4. The freedom for students to choose which areas of study interest them: (personal relevance).
5. Insight and interactions with the community, and ways that students can get their artwork out into the world NOW! (Instagram, Etsy, Deviantart... etc)
6. Creative thinking as a developed skill to impact other aspects of students' lives.
7. Avocation of the arts, art appreciation, and enjoyment of art regardless of the student identifying as an artist moving forward or not.
8. Possible career avenues available as an artist.
9. Life Long Learning: this includes my students and myself.
10. Personal Connections to students and presence as an active member in the community in non-art related areas.
2. Failure as a tool for success.
3. Experimentation and active involvement in learning.
4. The freedom for students to choose which areas of study interest them: (personal relevance).
5. Insight and interactions with the community, and ways that students can get their artwork out into the world NOW! (Instagram, Etsy, Deviantart... etc)
6. Creative thinking as a developed skill to impact other aspects of students' lives.
7. Avocation of the arts, art appreciation, and enjoyment of art regardless of the student identifying as an artist moving forward or not.
8. Possible career avenues available as an artist.
9. Life Long Learning: this includes my students and myself.
10. Personal Connections to students and presence as an active member in the community in non-art related areas.