Skip to main content

Developing Minds: Representing Experiences: Ideas in Search of Forms

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 and things are a part of our community. Now its time to acknowledge and celebrate with our tools of the dying media - pencil and paper. 

I'll sprinkle in some Literature for Arts Integration. 

Students can find or make poems or writings to connect with their artwork. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Bronx new school: Weaving assessment into the fabric of teaching and learning.

  Darling-Hammond, L., Ancess, J., & Falk, B. (1995). The Bronx new school: Weaving assessment into the fabric of teaching and learning. In,  Authentic Assessment in Action: Studies of Schools and Students at Work.   NY: Teachers College Press. Noticings: - The best curriculums are built around student interests, needs, and experiences.  - Comprehensive assessments have to be designed in order to guarantee quality education.  - Children are at the center of learning when we have plenty of opportunities to look closely at their thoughts, strategies, and skills.  Questions: - Why do our schools NOT pay closer attention to students' developmental milestones and phases? I truly only see that type of investigation and thoroughness with students with IEPs.  - What are the opportunities I possess as an educator coming into an already structured system that does not fully match my beliefs of pedagogical advances and meeting children's needs? - How can you design an assessment witho
Post a Comment
Read more

Burton, J.M. Preface. Ch. 9. Early Adolescence: Ideas in search of forms

  Burton, J.M. Preface. Ch. 9. Early Adolescence: Ideas in search of forms This chapter gave a mixed assessment of children between the ages of 10-14 years old. My major take-away was how this period is an investigation of truth. Children are asking questions about themselves and the world around them. They are asking "serious" questions about life, connections, and hypocrisy. Due to the investigative mode (mindset) comic strips and doodling prove to be excellent forms of expression for thinking about topics, questions, streams of consciousness. Burton states that it is the "Stage of Reasoning" highlighted by Lowenfeld that is flanked by a shaky foundation of truth/reality and the need to use/relate to the culture and conditions of their circumstance.  The realization of multiple truths led me to my current unit for 8th grade. We are discussing topics such as race, privilege, (I don't know if "class" exists currently), and spirituality/religion. All to
Post a Comment
Read more