The thoughts from a tired mind on Eisner, Freedman, and
Learning in the Visual age.
Our experience directly shapes another. What a powerful
phrase to have to think about (even more so after dealing with a day like
today) in the thoughts of life much less art education. How true is it in the
purest sense? It feels fairly true when I think about my own life looking back
on it. It’s hard to believe that if something slightly different would have
happened I would still be exactly where I am today. I don’t mean a difference as
drastic like butterfly theory (crush a butterfly in China and a twister happens
in Oklahoma) but the principal remains the same, every experience I have had
throughout my life has shaped me into who I am this moment. At the same time I
am doing this to others at the also and we are all consentingly facing new
experiences because of how we affect the world. The shear thought is almost
mind blowing in its own right when/if you choose to think of the vastness of
what everything means.
However what does this one phrase mean to me in a practical
sense when it comes to education?
The first is the most obvious. My experiences directly
affect my students and help or hurt their own growth in this visual culture.
The flip side is that by interacting with students I will just be equally
affected by them in learning what they already know of visual cultural, what
remains relevant, and just growing by being around different unique
individuals. Then year to year will change even more so! A new year will mean
more knowledge has been gained but just as much will need to be learned all
over again.
BOOM (or Ping feels more like a boom)
There went my mind being blow away again because I just made
a connection. I couldn’t help but think after re-watching Ken Robinsons talk on
individualized education plans. Everyone is given a unique plan for success in
an alternative school. This is what my students will need because they are all
coming from unique experiences that are still being shaped by myself. In a lot of
ways its easiest to think of everything as kind of a work in progress that is
never truly done. We won’t ever stop gaining new experiences and you won’t
honestly meet the a student you had five years ago that is EXACTLY like the one
you had now. Therefore my own curriculum must be able to change for my
students, the times, and also myself. Otherwise
I am doing a disservice to all.
Questions:
How does one know if what they aren’t doing isn’t enough? At
times its obvious but others not so much.
What does one do to improve themselves if they are possibly at
the front of a movement? Its far easier to look back and see what someone else
has done and follow then it is to blaze a new trail.
Imagination First:
Rewrite History
How fittingly how this one stood out of the rest this
evening after all the other previous readings.
To start it might be fun to recount a well know historical
event ex: The American Civil War. Now force the students to think what would
have happened if the Confederate States had won, but more than geographically and
on a complete scale. What would people wear? Eat? How different would be
artwork be? Would we have everything we have today? Would we have had more or
something new?
It would be fun to have them explore any avenue in this new
universe (or any other type of alternate universe if they wish) from designing
clothes based on certain goods origin to how ones diets might change. I think
every student would truly come up with something different and most likely each
would also create a different universe from everyone elses.
Great lesson spark! You had me pondering how the world would be had the Confederacy won...definitely a Twilight Zone kind of feeling. This activity would definitely involve valid arts integration, you can't imagine an alternative unless you have knowledge of the reality.
ReplyDeleteI agree about Imagination first stood out among the other read. It seems to be the most profound and thought provoking. It makes you imagine...irony
ReplyDeleteThe TED Talk really resinated with me. I have been thinking about his comment on alternative education and have been trying to figure out how to turn my classroom into a needs based class. It is funny you mention rewriting history and looking at what might be different if the Civil War would have been won by the Confederacy. A student in one of my classes created a block print of the confederate flag. It was amazing so naturally I hung it up in the students art exhibition. A few days passed after the show and the flag had been removed from the wall. I at first though "oh it must have fallen down" but upon further investigation I realized that it had been taken down by the administration because it was deemed offensive. OUTRAGED!
ReplyDeletePardon my rant- but it is often over looked that the our nations civil war was fought over states having the right to govern themselves... and states rights lost! Yes I agree slavery was an atrocious part of our history but our students have been brain washed into thinking the Confederate army was evil.