Reading Notes

Reading this article provided me newfound confidence in getting kids to draw in middle school. It was something that I avoided for awhile because of the overwhelming feeling the class gets when they have to draw. As Dr. Burton described, its palpable the air of anxiety, stress and discomfort with seeing something and the inability to create what we see perfectly. This strive for perfection while at the most chaotic, chasmic clash of independence, dependence, insecurity, and rebellion makes drawing nonsensical in the past. Kids would be melting.  But I have more encouragement and more things to say now. So, for this quarter, my goal is to get them away from the computer. I want them making things.  We will do 2-3 weeks of observational drawings, 1-2 weeks on memory drawing and close-out the quarter with memory drawing.  The buckets are: Create and Connect I want them to connect with themselves and their communities. The people, places an...

 In Search of Memories - Eric R. Kandel The conversation on cognitive awareness of self in relation to objects is genuine. It reiterates that we all perceive the world in our own way and there is not one truth. I appreciated the connections he made to psycholanalysts, behaviorist, psychologists, and theorists. It further enlightens that we all need to interact and make connections in order to have a more informed synthesis of the world, perception, and self.  Questions:  I would like to further learn about how depth, motion, form, and color are studied. I am interested in understanding how scientists are able to know how animals and humans use these "features" of the world in order to inform their cognitive awareness.  Are there examinations that could give me a clearer understanding of children's "mastery" or abilities with these features? Beyond having children do more observational drawings, what should I look for in order to evaluate if children how a high a...

  Egan, K. (1988).  Chapter 6, The origins of imagination and the curriculum.  In, K. Egan & D. Nadaner (Eds.),  Imagination and Education ,  New York: Teachers College Press. I'd first like to reflect that the end of the article (the conclusion almost) was a perfect bow-tie to a length and challenging conversation about imagination, culture, literacy, and our binary experiences in this world. I appreciate Egan's statements:  Language is the first disruptor of the infant's intimate participation in the natural world: Language creates distance between the self and the object...That unique consciousness of reality, which is the birthright of each of us, can seem hopelessly lost if language becomes a purely conventionalizing instrument, which persuades the child that its uniqueness was merely an illusion and that one is simply a socialized unit among others who are the same.  Art can provide ways of accounting for our experiences in the...

  Gilmour, J. (1985). Chapter 4 The Artist and the Visible World. In,  Picturing the world. Physical Notes

Questions: Should I promote students, during this age/phase to detail the subject and the setting? When is it appropriate to ask students to explain their work?  If a student only draws one person, does that meant that they can only focus on that one person and not other objects or subjects? Should I prompt them to consider relationships?  Does height matter ie the child's height? Does it play a role in perception and schema?  Who determines what an exaggeration is? What if there are such basic objects or routine occurrences that no longer are a focal of the child? How do we determine if they know to include those objects in their artwork? Are there baselines in Lascaux drawings? The idea of "storytelling" happening on one page makes me wonder if it happens due to the fact that children are only given one piece of paper?  Are rough drafts or edits considered when thinking about the schema and growth of a child's artwork?  How do I determine the difference betwee...

  Questions: In the text, Professor Burton points out that "children at this age are thought to be at the height of their curiosity and imaginative powers," yet "stereotypic imagery, paucity of imaginative content, even disenchantment with the whole enterprise of creating art often emerges during this time." Why does that happen? How do these phases of artistic development relate to Art Therapy and its practices? Do therapists use the phases as a way to evaluate clients? How do the phases and need for therapy connect? Does the art show evidence of emotional phases children are in and does it offer tools for regulation that help with emotional needs and artistic development? Noticings: Professor Burton points out how materials guide what is being shown or the message. I wonder if that's the tactic of adult artists as well. Are there artists that showcase and express through material mostly?  Phases seem to go from "scribbles," to directionality, to encl...

  Gilmour, J. (1986). Expression and feeling. In,  Picturing the World . Physical Notes

  Franklin, M.  (1973, November). Non-verbal representations in young children.  Physical Notes

  Burton, J.M. (1980, October). Developing minds: The first visual symbols. School Arts. Physical Notes