Week 10: Read and Reflect "Uhl's Chapter 3" (4-4-15)

Relationships with our Minds
Many of my past teachers have conveyed the message “The only dumb question is the question not asked” and it is a phrase that I share with my students, too. Even as a teacher, I find myself seeking information, reflecting on things compulsively, and constantly asking why (a lifelong learners philosophy, I suppose). I’d like for my students to do the same. Just as Uhl, stated, I find that “curiosity acts as a fountain of youth providing life and energy—a healing elixir….” (Uhl, pg. 75). The issue that many educators face is that students are often fearful of answering a question and being embarrassed if it isn’t answered “correctly.” With so many standardized tests, it is easy to see how this concept and fear has become chiseled into the minds of our students. The other challenge is that underachieving students often lack in confidence and feel that school is not for them. The wall of defiance may already be there before the student even walks into the classroom. However, as students find relevance in what we teach, they begin to open up. Through the learning process, my hope is that students can begin to form a relationship with their mind.
When intrigued, students can find passion and break out of what they may feel is a bleak future ahead. Take for instance, the boys from the movie and book “October Sky” which is based on a true story. In the film a group of students from a poor, rural coal mining community begin to thirst for more information pertaining to rockets due to an influential teacher.  At some point the star of the movie, Homer, is asked what do you want to know about rockets and he responds by saying “everything.” Later on in movie, the boys set off to figure out how to shoot a rocket on their own. However, it results in a fire and the inability to find the missing rocket. In order to trace and find out where it has landed, they have to use scientific method, hypotheses, trigonometry, and self-guided inquiry. They ponder “What did we do wrong?” Then Homer questions, “Was there wind that day?” Honing their analysis to include the wind leads them to the rocket, taking part in a science fair, and eventually into careers that were much more promising then what the coal mines had to offer.  All of the students went on to attend college which was not common in the home town they grew up in. And…spoiler alert…Homer even goes on to become a scientist with NASA! One impactful class taught by one invigorating teacher led students to connect to an authentic learning experience, which lead them to ask questions and be truth seekers. From that point on, their lives were changed. So how can we lead students to be independent learners that ask their own questions, and that thirst for knowledge?
I think there are many ways we can find opportunities to guide students into more philosophical inquiry. Echoing Uhl, I think there is importance in asking the “how and why” questions as opposed to “yes or no” questions.  I’ll start by sharing an article called “The Futility of Trying to Teach Everything of Importance” by Grant Wiggins. This article has been helpful to me and I feel it contains useful information pertaining to the topic of questioning in the classroom. Wiggins states, “Students cannot possibly learn everything of value by the time they leave school, but we can instill in them the desire to keep questioning throughout their lives” and I couldn’t agree more! Here’s the link to the journal/text that Wiggins’ wrote: http://www.ascd.org/ASCD/pdf/journals/ed_lead/el_198911_wiggins.pdf

“Why” Questioning Lesson Idea:

Rough outline: I would like to try holding a Socratic seminar in my classroom. Students would observe a work of art that is rich with context, one that holds unclear meaning (I’m thinking Wyeth’s “Christina’s World?”). I would next use a big idea to start discussion (possibly one from Adler’s list of 103 great ideas http://www.thegreatideas.org/gi103.html). I would like to focus on the big idea of “courage.” I am asking myself the following questions:
1) Why does this big idea or issue have value in my classroom?I want my students to have strength and courage when times get tough. I want them to understand that life comes with struggles, but it doesn’t mean that they have to give up. Also, I want them to become less afraid of the “unknowns” in this world.
2) What multiple viewpoints or opinions could possibly stem from the investigation of this big idea? If I pose the question “What does courage mean?”, I expect that I will get various responses from students. Courage means different things to different people. It should make for an interesting conversation.
3) Why is this topic interesting to me and how might it strike curiosity in my students? Many of my students deal with anxiety, physical limitations, bullying, etc. I think the topic of courage is intriguing because I feel that through the use of art, we can find ways to persevere and become brave individuals despite any obstacles that may stand in our way. I think students will enjoy seeing how various artists have used courage as a big idea or theme in their work (for ex. we may even explore the film the Wizard of Oz or Norman Rockwell’s image of Ruby Bridges?) Ultimately, I believe it is a topic that they can relate to.

Discussion ideas for my students as they view “Christina’s World:”

*After looking at the artwork, please rank these pairs of emotions according to their relevance to the work: Courage v. Despair, Love v. Fear, and Respect v. Pity.”

*Answer the following questions:

Why is Christina laying in an open field?

How would you describe this woman’s posture and body language?

Why do you think Wyeth chose to use this type of perspective (spatial illusion)? How could that be representative of a bigger idea?

What kind of day is this….does it create a mood?
How might items, objects, and surroundings, tell us about Christina’s life?

*Form a hypothesis about this artwork

*What other things are worth discussing?

Week 9: Initial Blog Responses (3-22-15)

Shirley-
My peers and I dealt with so many labels and stereotypes growing up that I can’t even imagine what it is like now for kids. With technology providing a veil for students to hide behind and cyber bullying, many of our students are struggling to find self-confidence. I keep trying to think about ways that I might be able to help students with these issues that they face. Communication about this topic can help to break ground into solving problems. I really liked the project that Livey had us do during the “empathy” presentation in Dr. Unrath’s class. Once I figured out how I could use it with my students, I embraced it even more. So what if we had students think about some of those hurtful labels, or stereotypes that bother them and then led them into a project where they turned these negative “titles” into more positive ones using imagery? What types of meaningful art activities do you think could provide ways for our students to “drop the labels?”

Clayton-

I try to provide honest feedback in my classes, too. Like you, I do tread lightly as being too blunt can cause a student to shut down and put a wall up. One time an AP Collegeboard student of mine became very upset with me because I told her that the readers/judges wanted images that were less trite in nature (no hearts, mushrooms, unicorns, etc.). Sometimes students are very sensitive and can take things to heart even when we are trying to give them constructive criticism. On the other hand, I suppose some of this may help to prepare them for college courses where critiques can be pretty rough!

I also try to avoid blanket statements when giving praise. Saying things like “that’s good”, “I like your artwork”, and “great job” do not help the growing artist. I try to be specific so that the student understands that their work is seen an individualized/specialized way. For instance, I might instead say something like... “I really enjoy the symbol that you included in the corner of the page, the way you have cropped it adds intriguing mystery as the viewer is compelled to investigate it further.”

Week 9: Read and Reflect (Uhl's Prologue and Ch.5) 3-21-15

Reading Summary
I would venture to say that most teachers at some point in their career pause for a moment as they begin to re-evaluate their job, their students, themselves, and the world in general. Sometimes these reflections happen when a loss of desire for the daily workplace sets in. Other times, these ponderings occur as we think about our passion to change the educational setting that our students are immersed in. Shifts in thinking often transpire as our pursuits to succeed become more enlivened as well. Periodically this contemplation ensues as we are asked thought provoking questions that strike a chord within us. For the author of “Teaching as if Life Matters” there were many inquiries that led him to further examine his teaching philosophy. For instance he dug to find the answers to the following questions: When have you experienced genuine learning in your life? Who or what have been your teachers? How have these things influenced your work as a teacher? As a result of his investigation, he began to envision and formulate transformative learning strategies that help teachers and students better understand the importance of relationships in life.

One hand tied behind your back! Ahhh, we’ve all heard this saying before right? What does it mean? It signifies that we can do something easily and independently without any help. However, this idiom means something completely different to the students in Mr. Uhl’s class! In the chapter five section “Cultivating Classroom Kinship”, the author talks about how his students learn that working as a team is crucial in developing “relational consciousness.” In other words, he stresses how vital it is to work together in an interconnected way in order to improve our way of life. Uhl’s goal is to encourage a shift away from the new worldly focus of humans as “separate encapsulated egos.” He goes on to list the ways in which separation occurs: Dualism, Labels and Judgments, Blaming and Complaining, and Fear.

Reflection

1. Here’s a list of words that comes to my mind when I hear the word teacher:
Instructor
Helper

Mediator
Nurturer

Sage

Confidant

Entertainer

Philosopher

Psychologist

Juggler
Creator

“Teacher” is a label and it can sometimes be viewed in a positive light, but can also bring more authoritative contexts depending on who is considering the meaning behind the word. I’d love to see what kind of lists high school students might conjure up! I’m sure you’ve seen the meme (posted above) before, but I find that it’s relevant in looking at all the viewpoints and perspectives that people may have about teachers and what it is that they do. To dig in even deeper I began to consider previous labels I’ve been faced with. How about “non-certified, first-year, or apprentice” teacher? I remember these past titles and feeling so diminished b/c I felt like everyone would treat me like the newbie in school. It has become very clear to me that the length in years in which a person has taught does not always result in quality of teaching. Therefore, it is undermining to beginning teachers to form a type of hierarchy.  I also have contemplated the title “art teacher.” How are people viewing this title? It upsets me to think that others may feel that I simply paint rainbows and unicorns all day! It’s a serious label that is highly underrated at times. (FYI: I really enjoyed that Uhl dubbed himself as the “healer.”)

2. Ways truthspeaking is present in my classroom:
-I share unrehearsed personal life stories with my students that are relevant to our current lesson.
-I tell my students to try to rid our classroom of negativity by using artwork as an outlet in which to express emotion (I demonstrate ways that this can be executed)
-Students are taught how to talk about artwork in a tactful, non-hurtful way so as not to diminish self-esteem (I model this in the classroom)

-I give positive feedback (avoiding “blanket statements”) to my students as they are working to nurture the growing artist

Ways truthspeaking is present among co-workers:

-I eat lunch with other teachers and as we share stories about our day we give honest, constructive advice
-We try to commend fellow teachers on any recent success stories

-As a community of teachers we share thoughts, ideas, images, and information that might be helpful to our classrooms through personal learning networks (Again, we try to communicate and show support for one another)
-To make learning more authentic we talk about the ways we might connect our lessons through interdisciplinary research (valuing each other’s subject areas)

3.Mission statement: 

“We will develop a nurturing artistic community in which communication becomes an important part of the creative process!”

Truthfully, I wrote this statement before I read chapter five. However, I did tweak/change it some. I chose it because it embodies my philosophy in the art classroom and it filters in many of Uhl’s beliefs as well. Nurturing one another is vital in building relationships. The more we can communicate in a constructive way the better chance we have to expand artistic growth, confidence, open-mindedness, and trust in one another. The art classroom should provide a positive climate where participants work as a team and everyone’s voice is valued and appreciated.

4. My consciousness has changed a lot since the beginning of the course. I want to take a closer look at how my teaching affects my students. Recent note-taking and video recording has helped me to evaluate this a little bit closer. What I’ve noticed is that students need to be more actively involved as groups in class so that they can build a more collaborative relationship. They are still really focused on being “separate encapsulated egos.” I’ve also noticed that VTS strategies may help to improve the art critiques that take place in my classroom.

My goal(s) is to improve interconnectedness and trust by integrating some/all of the following techniques:

Get students more physically involved/active in class

Incorporate more game-like strategies

Engage students in VTS “art talks”

5. “Teaching as if Life Matters” is my favorite book of the semester! I finally have a name for my indecisiveness and will now call it “nondualism.” Also, to ping back to Dr. Unrath’s Curriculum class, I’d say that this idea of seeing how everything is not “black and white” is tied to symphonic understanding. It’s important to see the connection and interrelatedness of seemingly unrelated things…

Week 8: Initial Blog Responses (3-15-15)

Jon-
I enjoyed seeing all of the process pictures as you worked and changed your ideas. That really helps the viewer to understand all the stops and turns you took along the way. Also, I am a fan of Realism and can appreciate the attention to detail that you were applying as you developed your portrait. The wide range of values that you applied helps to create a lot of contrast and variety. I am curious though about the underlying meanings that might be tied to your work (maybe even subconsciously). For instance, I think a lot can be said about your decision making to use an older portrait of yourself instead of a current one.
I think when artists choose materials that can oftentimes help to create a contextual story. Think about how the meaning could have completely been changed or altered had you chosen to use a “collective” of things that maybe tied into the identity of who you are (ping back to Do Huh Suh). Also, I am curious about where you see this vision of yourself reflected in your teaching or future teaching self. Since your picture is literal as opposed to metaphorical, I’m wondering what the links between your approach to art might be in relation to the classroom.

Clayton-
As I was reading your explanation/reflection of your work, I felt like I could relate to your reasoning. I, too, always feel my teacher self. Even while working as an artist, I often get this notion to alter my work using a taught technique or style. Although I have to say, it is nice sometimes to simply push that nagging voice out of my head and just go for it using some of Gude’s liberating suggestions (or ones similar to hers).
Teaching changes us so much and it’s neat to think about all of those tiny little morsels of symbolic imagery that could be tied to that transformation. For instance, all of the things we choose to teach in our classes ultimately can have an effect on our students and how they form viewpoints about art and themselves. I like that you spoke about how your traditional natured teaching is tied into your work. I did notice many familiar fragments of work collaged into the background (I have been collecting my demo images for awhile and have been trying to develop something with these fragments as well). It makes me wonder how much we are influenced by all those foundational studies that we filter into our everyday lectures/demos.
I enjoyed your use of color and expressionistic painting style. I also found all of the imagery, juxtaposed within your composition to be intriguing and creative. Your portrait speaks to me as it is both symbolic and aesthetically pleasing. I love your attention to detail and context!

Week 7: Initial Blog Responses (3-7-15)

Anna-
I felt myself nodding a lot when reading your reflection blog, this week. You are not alone in dealing with the nagging voice in the back of your head that says traditional is the tried and true method. One of the many difficult obstacles we face in teaching art is explaining or validating to others why conceptual art is so important. Another difficulty lies in grading or assessing work that is based on pure creativity. And to top it off simply motivating students into being more experimental can be trying, too.
I empathized with you as you discussed your struggle with ambiguity as well. I came from a background in Housing & Design. When I was in Undergraduate school, drafting and residential design classes allowed for inventive concepts. However, we were almost always developing plans that could be potentially built by construction teams. Our blueprints had to be to scale or it could mess things up for the person who might end up building our creations. We always had strict project guidelines and yet we were told to be innovative at the same time. It wasn’t until I started taking some Undergrad studio art classes that I began to kind of break out of my shell. However, once I did, I loved the freedom. I really enjoyed not being confined to a box. I still have issues sometimes with open-ended assignments. However, once the anxiety of the “blank canvas” has passed, I find it liberating.

LaVonna-

Yes, I think you are right about the postmodern curriculum being relevant for all subjects. As contemporary classrooms encourage the use of interdisciplinary overlaps it seems that these concepts would be vital to the framework. I also think that no matter what class or subject is being taught there are ways to implement more conceptual lesson plans. I’m hoping that I can include more projects that focus on topics such as identity, culture, and social justice. Like you, I feel that studying the past and present is important. This is how students can begin to see where influences and inspirations come from. These studies can become a jumping off point in which students can begin to make meaningful learning connections.

Week Eight: Post Modern Portrait (3-6-15)

Title: “Grounding”
Media: Pencil, Watercolor Paint, Pen & Ink
Dimensions: 9”x 12”

There are so many things in life that can bring us down, make us feel terrible, give us anxiety, and this is a problem. This isn’t just a problem for students; it is an issue for teachers. How many of us bite off more than we can chew, pull all nighters, run endlessly around the school before/in between classes, worry about things that are going on with our students, and on top of it all we are faced with the challenge of making on an impact on future generations? So, it’s heavy, right? The checklist never really ends up crossed out…it just keeps getting bigger. In my own life, I’ve have found that I have to find ways to reflect, mediate, and push negativity out of my mind. After six years of teaching, I have felt the repercussions of classroom burnout. By working through this I have found that peace of mind has been vital to my own growth and stamina as an educator and as an artist. 

My artwork is based around the things that have helped me to form a positive outlook. I should probably start by telling you about my profound love for nature and how most of my artwork is somehow centered on this concept. In my most recent efforts to get back to my optimistic self, I have been looking for things to help me rejuvenate. One of my favorite things to do when the weather is cooperative is to practice grounding. When grounding, I lie on the earth (or stand barefoot), and begin to feel the coolness of the grass and the warmth from the sun. But it’s more than that, I’m soaking up the natural energy that surrounds me and I’m understanding that the core of myself is tied to something bigger than me. My portrait is reflecting me in a “grounded” state of mind.

While creating my artwork, I decided to listen to music as it is another therapeutic technique that I use to get into a contemplative state of mind. I divided sections of my hair and used a Zentangle technique to fill in shapes or doodle into those spaces. As a result, my mood and meditative state transferred into my mark making. I played atmospheric songs by Ellie Goulding, Bon Iver, Hozier, and The Cure to really help stimulate my inner senses. Later I added warm colors that I felt would help to communicate the intensity that came pouring out of my head as I produced my patterns. During this entire process I think I was adopting the Gude principles within my art without even realizing it. For instance, I used “recontextualization” (symbols sprouting from my head) and “representin’” (using personal history and music to direct my work) to express myself.

I think the idea of “play” really helped me to let loose while creating. And as I was drinking from my juice box, I immediately had the sensation that I should use my drinking straw and work with the background of my artwork. Gude echoed Carl Roger’s sentiments when she stated that “Creative individuals develop a deeply rooted trust in their own capacity to generate surprising solutions. Even as they experience the anxiety of creative exploration, they are grounded in a realistic belief (based in personal experience) that surrender to the creative process may produce surprising, useful, stimulating results.” (Gude, 2010). That is exactly what I did as I chose to begin blowing green paint (which symbolizes re-birth) around on my composition page. Ironically, the designs that were produced appeared to be very root-like. I went with this idea and further encouraged this metaphor of being firmly connected by drawing fibrous lines with my ink pen.

It is my opinion that we cannot fully understand or teach something that we ourselves do not practice. Artistic freedom can serve as an outlet for expression and emotion. Activities that help us to free our minds and form an internal locus run so much deeper than ones that focus on mere elements and principles. This portrait activity is significant because it allows “a creative maker to foster awareness of the intertwining of the outer world and inner consciousness.” (Gude, 2010). In the future, I hope to continue to implement lesson plans that motivate my students and guide them into authentic projects that help them become self-expressive, creative individuals.

(***Progressive stages of design.)

Week 7: Read and Reflect (3-5-15)

“Playing, Creativity, and Possibility” reading summary and reflection:

In Playing, Creativity, and Possibility, Olivia Gude discusses the importance of a curriculum that supports experimentation, innovation, and individualism. She reveals the ways that standardized teaching places constraints on problem solving skills. She explains how teachers often opt for a more traditional framework at times due to certain setbacks such as student anxiety and resistance. Students are often afraid to open up and share their ideas for fear of peer rejection. They are also sometimes resistant to creative practices because they are afraid of how they will be assessed or judged by teachers. Gude states that many students are used to conforming to societal norms and that this can affect how students engage in artistic practices. She describes how to cultivate creativity through opening up discussions and interpretations about art. And through her Spiral Workshop studies she expands upon Surrealist methods of “seeing into” explorations. Gude warns teachers to re-consider the ways we set criteria and guidelines within experimental play. She says that stringent rules can “impinge on a student’s intuitive choice-making.” (Gude, 2010).

Through creative play, investigations, and interpretation we are allowing our students to begin to make “nuanced observations of inner experiences as they engage in creative work”. (Gude, 2010).  Internalized activities are important as students begin to form self and create an inner locus of evaluation. For some students, this means that issues or emotions that are deeply personal or complex may emerge.  A nurturing artistic community can provide students with a support system in which communication becomes an important part of the creative process.

“Postmodern Principles” reading summary and reflection:

Along with aesthetic theory, comes the long talked about topic based on the elements and principles of art. Gude opens her article Postmodern Principles by highlighting the ways traditional strong holds are still apparent in classrooms despite the need for students to form meaningful connections in art. The author explains that formal ways of analyzing and making art should not be the main emphasis of a curriculum design. Gude describes the ways that the 7+7 method is not conducive to producing an authentic or motivating learning experience for students of the 21^st century. She proposes that now that 100 years has passed, it is now time for a new set of principles to be utilized that can lead to more conceptual art studies.  Her teaching strategies tie in the categories of: Appropriation, Juxtaposition, Recontextualization, Layering, Hybridity, Interaction of Text & Image, Gazing, and Representin’.

Perhaps, it is time that teachers consider what is important for their students to learn and match those objectives with the lessons that they teach. “According to a recent NAEA survey, teaching understanding of the elements and principles of design is the major curriculum goal (emphasis added) for art teachers at the beginning of the 21st century” (School Arts, 2001). I feel it is important for student artists of the 21st century to learn about art within various cultures (past and current). I also feel we should help to invigorate students so that they may begin to develop their own individuality and creativity. Though, I think it is great to teach students about the elements and principles of art, I think we should also help students think more conceptually about why the production of art is so important. Teaching the “why” behind art making is just as important as the “how to."

My proposed art activity based on Gude’s postmodern curriculum:

I think that the encouragement of creativity begins with teaching artistic inquiry. A lesson that I think could build upon this would be one based on Surrealism and Synectics. Students would be introduced to a book that is filled with artwork and synectic statements (ex. “If” by Sarah Perry).  The book “If” unfolds by examining “if caterpillars were toothpaste” and “if cats could fly” and it closes with an open ended “If…” At this point, the learners would be asked to extend the book by illustrating new innovative ideas into a composition. They could develop, decorate, and exaggerate their story pages by using Surrealism as an inspiration for metaphorical visuals. The activity would be closed with a pair-share and reflection.

Week Seven Questions:

When do you notice “discomfort” when you are teaching?

-when students respond to an art piece in a way that catches me off guard or that might even seem somewhat inappropriate to others.

-when I grade students I want to support their creativity, but I admit that I have a more difficult time assessing works of art based on “play.”

-when students do not want to engage in a project because they are so worried about what the person next to them thinks.

What (if anything) inhibits your creative development?

-Idea generation can cause me to buckle under pressure. It is comparable to writer’s block. Sometimes I just have to rid myself of that fear that comes with the “blank canvas.”
-Technology gets in my way at times. I find that it can distract me from my work. I just want to be a hermit sometimes and get away from emails, videos, and social media.

-Sometimes I want to research certain topics, but then feel persuaded to look at other artist’s work. I think Pinterest and Google images are great resources, but I don’t want them to pull me away from my natural instincts or creative abilities.  I feel original ideas are best so I am constantly trying not to fall into the “pretty picture” trap.