Final Blog: Synthesis

Final Blog: Synthesis of Course

I have appreciated learning about different ways to integrate writing and different types of literacy into my content area. I think this class has helped broaden my vision for how to implement these ideas and has also helped me realize ways in which I already integrate literacy in art classrooms.

One characteristic I want to help my students develop is their own voice when speaking, writing and coming up with ideas. I think helping students develop their own unique perspective and approach is essential in their artwork, writing about their artwork and brainstorming ideas. Artists often do this when they write and speak about their own work.

Helping students to develop their ideas can help them respond to the world in which they live. Giving students many different kinds of opportunities to write is a great way to help them further their critical thinking skills. Free writing, writing and sketching in response to readings we’ve done as class, keeping a journal/sketchbook, writing more formal papers and writing about their opinions to different kinds of artwork. One of my lesson plans incorporated reading a novel as a class and keeping a journal/sketchbook as they read.

The digital world in which we live is also an important issue to address with students. I think giving students projects in which they can integrate digital information with their own ideas is an important opportunity. One of my classmates in Art Methods developed a project called “Mash-ups.” The students could find segments of music or conversations and link them all together to create a specific message. I think this type of project could help students integrate digital media and information with their own ideas and I think it would be great to give them the opportunity to do experiment with this sort of project.

I hope to help my students develop a critical visual literacy to the world around them and the visual information they are bombarded with on a daily basis. I also want to help them integrate art classroom knowledge with their day- to- day lives and to help them view the world through a different lens.

Typical Texts

Unless you are taking art history there are no real typical texts in art. When I'm making art I look at everything: works by other artists, museums or galleries, large glossy art books with beautiful pictures, art magazines such as Art News, Studio Arts, Paper, Surface Design Journal, American Craft, Architectural Digest and sometimes archeology books on ceramics and textiles. Really, I think I will need to establish a class library and reference many different art books. Gardners is usually the standard art history text but so much in art history that still isn't covered. Of course there are so many visual references around us such as logos and advertisements. I guess really there aren't any typical texts for a general art class.

Digital Literacy

On a daily basis, I use my cell phone to talk and text, I email and occasionally use facebook, although not always on a daily basis. I am a late user to texting and facebook. I don't have internet on my cell phone. I don't like being plugged in all the time. I don't want everyone to know almost everything about me. I'm not much of a t.v. watcher, mostly because I really don't have time. I watch specifically what I want on the internet, usually netflix late at night. I'm more attracted to foreign films and quirky independent films, things that are more subtle and require you draw your own conclusions. I'm more interested in conversations where I can hear someone's voice, tone, fluctuation, it's easier to determine their mood and overall opinions. I mainly text when I'm angry, trying to avoid someone or because they've texted me and I realize they're in a situation where they can't talk.

I look at many internet sites on the arts, an artist a day, how to utube sites, artist blogs and websites. I do think these sites could be great tools to use in class. I also think ipods and music can be used in classes as a privilege for students and in combination with art projects. They could design and illustration images for their favorite music or use music as inspiration for certain kinds of projects. We could also upload their artworks onto the school's website as a digital gallery. I would be interested in setting up a class blog with short segment videos on artists, how to use materials as a supplement for their homework and look at each others work. We could  have critiques once in a while where they could text their classmates their thoughts and ideas about their work. This type of communication could be helpful with students who are hesitant to talk in class.

I think the possibilities for using technology are endless. A lot of it can depend on school policies and getting prior approval. While I still value speaking in class, working in groups and verbally communicating, I do think technology can be integrated with the curriculum to help make things more interesting and engaging for students.

collograph & scratchboard

Collograph project: I had fun researching various different bugs on the internet. I did a lot of sketches of my findings and I decided to include my sketches from my sketchbook on my blog. I could really see kids enjoying the art making process of this particular assignment. I could also see incorporating this project with their studies in science. I think this could be a great cross-over project.

Scratchboard: I thought it would be great to incorporate cursive letters and printed letters in this piece. I know handwriting isn't always stressed as much today, I think it can depend on the teacher.  I used a paperclip, straight pin, bobby pin and hair comb to experiment with different textures. I found I liked the paperclip for forming the letters and the straight pin to give further definition. The bobby pin and hair comb were great for background texture.      

Maria Lindsay

Affective Dimensions on Reading

Currently I enjoy reading, although this wasn’t always the case. I think back to the time when I was learning to read. I guess I think back to this time because I spend a lot of time reading with my son Collin, who is learning to read. He doesn’t know this but he is already a much better reader than I was in second grade. I really didn’t learn to read until 2^nd grade. Collin really enjoys listening to me read to him. Right now we are reading the book “The Blue Comet”. I think he enjoys this story so much because it has all the elements he can relate to: a boy his age, his father, his love for trains and his struggles with the subject of math. I struggled to learn to read and didn’t like reading until about the fourth grade. Like Collin, I didn’t like reading until I could start choosing what I wanted to read. I remember enjoying book reports for this reason. Later, parts of history and reading in social studies became more interesting, mostly because of the way the story evolved. My Mother, a teacher and librarian always pushed various books before me to encourage and interest me in reading. Her persistence eventually paid off. Dry Academic reading was and still is the most challenging. I think most of us have trained ourselves for this type of reading with great discipline and focus. I think when I can visualize what I’m reading it make more sense than when I can’t. If I can’t attach a subject to a more tangible context it’s much harder. As I think about teaching and educating my son, how do you teach this skill? Only recently have I had teachers that assign reading in groups for group discussion. I do think this approach is effective for academic reading. Class discussions help, breaking the content down into manageable segments helps as well as varying the types of activities. I hope as a teacher to include these types of approaches to help make reading an enjoyable activity to facilitate learning. 

Introduction

After living in Logan for 11 years people still ask me about my southern accent. I grew up in North Carolina and received by first bachelors’ in fine arts in Virginia.  I have to admit I’ve grown to love snow, skiing and the rugged Wasatch mountains. I now feel like a true westerner: I fully embrace driving in snow and whenever I go back east during the summers, I always complain about the humidity.

My art medium and background has been in fiber and textile printing. Art making to me is a means of self -expression. I have loved the art making process in many different mediums and exploring concepts and ideas visually. The idea of developing a visual language through art making has always fascinated me. These ideas have drawn me to teaching. I have enjoyed sharing my energy and enthusiasm for art materials, concepts and other ideas exploring creative thinking with students. I often find that I become more informed as students are willing to share with me their ideas and individual perspectives.

Before I started this class I thought literacy was mostly about reading and understanding. I knew that visual understanding was in there too. I do think we live in a world of visual culture through advertising, tv and other media that have a huge influence on the way we think and our perspectives. So I do believe in a visual literacy that communicates specific ideas although not always through words. I am looking forward to exploring the literacy concept throughout this course.