Reflection #4

 Tuesday's class was the most fun I've had in a class all semester! I think I'll have way more fun in a classroom setting than my students will. I learned a lot of great ideas through the mirroring, machines, and interactive story time. The mirroring was great because it gives students both the opportunity to be a leader and a follower and it enables them to come out of their shell a little bit. They can feel comfortable in expressing themselves because it is a class activity. I learned I like being a leader when my partner tries to do crazy and quick movements and also because I like to be the one using movement to express myself. It was also nice being the follower because it was very soothing and relaxing. It was neat to try and mimmick movements using only peripheral vision as well. My favorite activity was the machines. I will definitely use this in my classroom. I could think of a machine to be right off the bat and picture it in my brain. I also loved being able to add on to the machine and work together in a class. That would be a great activity to use to create class unity and for children to explore their imagination. I would also use a lot of the interactive storytelling techniques used in class. I really love the idea of sound effects in the background and using lighting to change the mood or setting of the story. Decision alley was also really fun and it really encourages the children to think and become a part of the story. Drama is a very important element to implement into the classroom. I enjoy having students act out stories and getting to know their characters. I would definitely use the talk show idea for getting to know characters and understanding perspectives in different texts.

 Children need creative drama because it is a way for them to get to know themselves and express themselves. It is also a great way to create unity in a classroom and encourage cooperative learning. It can also increase critical thinking skills as well as perspective-taking skills. The benefits of incorporating drama into a classroom are many and when you are using drama in other areas of curriculum they are developing these skills as well. The skill set they obtain from effective creative drama carries over to other areas of study like math and reading and writing.

Reflection #3

I really liked the pieces of artwork that were brought into the class to be able to see examples of  the principles of art. My favorite piece was "Ladder for Booker T. Washington." This piece was a great example of rhythm and emphasis to me. The rhythm of the picture was constant but distracting at the same time because of the crookedness of the ladder. It was constant because it continually led upward toward the sky. The emphasis was definitely the ladder because the backdrop to the ladder was a dark, drab, monotonous color. Through the other pieces I learned about proportion and keeping a balance in art. I never realized how many aspects there were to think about when creating art. Unity and variety is also a factor that is pleasing to the eye. 


The children's book illustrator activities was a great idea. Not only did I learn about different styles and why people illustrate the way they do but I learned about myself as an artist and my little niche. I really enjoyed being crazy and using watercolors to blend and splatter. I think this would help children get to know themselves as an artist and find out what they really enjoy and are good at doing, I'm not a very good freehand artist but I thought I did well at a couple other ways of expressing my art. Sometimes art for students can be intimidating for them. Each child has their own abilities and come from different backgrounds that influences their art. When you can introduce them to many different styles they can see that they can find where they fit in and immediately be connected to an illustrator and using that to validate and be proud of their own artwork making them more comfortable with themselves as an artist. 


To effectively prepare to teach about artists and illustrators I will do my research on more of them. I need to become more familiar with different types of art before I can teach it effectively. I would like to have a variety of books from different illustrators in the classroom so the children can discover who they are drawn to or whose art techniques they like most. It would be great to do a similar activity in class that we did in our groups. This will be important because they will be able to discover their creativity and where they feel the most comfortable expressing it. It is also a fun way to for them to learn the principles and elements of art.







 

Reflection #2

This week's hands on activity and the reading have really helped me gain a deeper understanding about the visual arts. The activities in class were my favorite part. I really liked being able to apply the different aspects of visual arts with the reading because I am a hands on person. I realized that everyone in my group had different strengths in different areas. Christina was really good at drawing the different lines. Jentry did a great job with using construction paper and colored pencils to exhibit spacing. Allan was really good at creating textures. I feel like I was the best at the science side of art like tinting and shading. I found that very interesting because I've never thought of myself as being technical in my creativity. This was a wonderful opportunity to see the different strengths of my peers and apply that to teaching the arts in the class. I was also amazed at how many different things there are to art. There's a lot to know. It isn't just am opportunity to express yourself but there's a lot of depth and technique and knowledge that can be required.

As a teacher and an individual I feel like I can apply this to a classroom by being aware of the different strengths students have and letting them use those strengths to create wonderful art pieces and being excited about art. I want to help them understand the things I now know about techniques using the elements and understanding the principles. The more they know the better artists they can become. Visual art can be complicated (I'm thinking of the color wheel in detail) but also teachable and simple to children and adults. I love the arts and the more I learn the more I appreciate it.

Reflection #1

I have had a lot of personal experience with the arts. From a young age I learned to love music and appreciate several genres. Some people even call me "Jukebox." When I got into fourth grade a woman from the church I attend had a daughter who was selling a flute. I had decided that instrument I wanted to learn. My older sister played the clarinet and I wanted a band. I took private lessons for awhile and then joined band in elementary school through high school and continue to play a little. I also love to sing and I grew up in household with my musically inclined family. I sang in choirs. I have also really enjoyed using my creativity for art projects and designing a classroom. I can't necessarily draw well but I express my creativity in other visual ways.  I had a few teachers that integrated them into classroom curriculum but for the most part it seems like after elementary school creative arts was separated as an elective and the curriculum for English, Science, and Math were strictly that. No "fluff" needed. From the chapters we've read and reviewed in class it's been nice to actually see some research to back up the benefit creative arts can have in a classroom and how there is a correlation between higher grades and creative participation in creative arts. I also really enjoyed when the book talked about how the arts engage our head, heart, and hands and help us express emotions. It's amazing how a little creative arts in a classroom can increase cognitive development and critical thinking.


Being able to experience and be a part of creative arts has really helped me in schooling. It's a break and release for me. It helps me to focus and concentrate and I've seen a difference in myself as a student when I'm not participating as much in music the way I used to. Some of my favorite teachers were my music teachers. My high school music teacher had such a passion for music and had great experience. My desire to practice and become better at playing my instrument or singing carried over to my dedication to my academic studies. Being able to have that as a young fourth grader taking flute lessons and learning discipline helped me carry those values and self discipline to school work at a young age. As a future teacher I want to be able incorporate music or encourage creativity as much as possible. In the arts you can be yourself. you can be an individual and express yourself. I want my students to feel their worth not necessarily based on academics and test score but the person they are.

I think the most important thing for me to do to incorporate the arts is to make a conscious effort. Art isn't necessarily painting or drawing. It is expressed through many ways. There are ways to use art in Science and English. Believe it or not, there are ways to use Art in Math. The more I learn and understand it as an educator the better I can make it a tool for success in the classroom.