How do you read a book?
I feel this must be answered in multiple parts. If it is a kindle edition, I read it everywhere anytime I have a spare second. Real paper books I like to read somewhere cozy like my bed or in the corner of the room where I have stacked extra pillows and added more lamps. I would classify myself as an obsessive reader. If I love the story, I can’t stop reading I must finish the whole book in one sitting. It is a rather dangerous activity to read if I have other stuff that must get done. However, textbooks I prefer to skim and must make certain I am not too comfy while skimming or I shall doze off.
In thinking about how to teach, what is your opinion about the presence of absence of the teacher? Sugata Mitra, studies how children teach themselves. For example, by placing computers in remote villages in India, and asking the children questions, then leaving them… https://www.ted.com/talks/sugata_mitra_how_children_teach_themselves?language=en.
I believe humans are naturally curious. I think that if something is left on a table before a person, they are very likely to play with it. However, I do not like when teachers provide no structure nor information about their course. The children in India were not being graded. I believe that if a project is to be graded there must be enough structure for the student to feel like they may succeed.
How do you think about helping students become better artists? What does it mean for a child to be an artist? What does it mean for an adolescent to be an artist?
I would like to help students think conceptually about their art making. I would also like them to know that their lives experiences are significant enough to explore through art making. I also think it is important for me to be an example of a working artist. I will apply to juried shows and make sure the students have opportunities to exhibit their work.
What does it mean for anyone to be an artist? Children and adolescents are as great of artist as any adult. They should be taught skills to work with but other than that, they are already ready to be artists if they chose to classify themselves as one.
What other ideas do the authors stress in thinking about how to teach?
Establish a studio space and mentality about the classroom.
Let the students have creative freedom.
Don't get too worried about school authorities.
Remember students work isn’t about you.
Teach your students to be artists.
Steal your students ideas.
allow play in your classroom.
only make rules that are vital to the art making
There is an interesting section about process and product. In your experience and practice as an artist or teacher, how to do think about the relationship between product and process?
I wish I had been taught processes of art making in way that was relevant to the art world. I hope as a teacher to structure the class in such a way that due dates are thought of as submission deadlines and thumbnails are thought of project proposals. In my learning the teacher taught a processes, assigned a project in which we used the process, and then we moved on--never looking back at that process again. I would like to teach processes in a way where the students recognize that the process is simply a tool they may choose to (or not to) use in their artworks. I think that their products should not be a direct correlation to the processes we learned but that they should be given the skills needed so they may use any processes they want to in their product.
Classroom management is an important issue for teachers, especially beginning teachers. The authors describe 14 aspects of classroom management. Write a response to one or two of them.
"Ninety percent of a good learning and teaching environment has to do with curriculum. If your curriculum is based on engaging study of engaging material, students will be engaged"
I do wonder what you do with the other ten percent. Engaging material is vital for a student interaction with the lessons and projects. Some kids just won't care though. I wonder if it may be okay with those kids to establish a different project of the same caliber that they may work on. I could counsel with them and they can head their own art investigation.
"Make your own rules, but make as few as possible"
I am a big fan of this idea. I think that the more rules there are the more people want to push back against them. The author of the book has one rule: "Don't be a jackass." I don't think I am edgy enough to pull off this rule but I would like something along the same lines or not being rude, disrespectful, destructive, obstructive or dangerous. Perhaps I could phrase it positively rather than negatively by having our class rule "Be intelligent." Think about why you are doing something and how it will affect others.
The authors also write about artistic influence and exemplars. In the history of art education this has been a huge topic. Some theorists claim that showing students artistic models or exemplars will discourage or stunt creativity. How do you think artistic exemplars should be used?
I think that if a teacher assigns the students to do a video arts project, they should show video artists. However, I think they should show enough video artists working in a variety of ways that the students do not think that one artist is doing things "the right way." Students should be led to question each artist that is shown.
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