Reflection #5

            In the article “Chairs, Cars, and Bridges” Robin Vande Zande discusses how everyday objects can be used to teach aesthetics to students in grades K-12. She suggests that because most manmade objects we encounter were designed for a specific use and appearance, based upon what our society appreciates and values, they can be used to study the components of aesthetics. Zande says that “Design function and the integration of aesthetic factors enrich life; they support the values of a community or and individual by making tangible examples of ideas and beliefs of the community or individual.” In other words, by teaching about aesthetics in our daily lives, we can also teach students about what is valued by our society and community, as well as ourselves. Could we use the principles of aesthetics to study objects from other times or cultures to learn about what was valued in societis besides our own? I think that this would be a great way to teach students about aesthetics, because it allows students to understand the importance of design, and to relate it to their own experience and the things that surround them. Students could later use these techniques of analyzing objects that surround them and apply these techniques to works of art in order to better understand artistic expression.  By studying artistic expression, can we help our student learn to better express their own identity and recognize the identities of others?

            Zande mentions the “Seven Components of Design” in her article. She says these are the components that we should look at to evaluate the aesthetics of a certain object. I have four wooden folding chairs in my apartment, for example, which can be examined using these components. The use is “How the designed item works when used as a tool, communication, symbol, or a combination of these.” The use for my chairs is to provide a comfortable place to sit while eating at a table. The method is “the techniques, tools, materials, and processes needed to make a product.” My chairs are made of wood, and are varnished with a clear coat, and held together with screws. The wood needs to be cut, assembled, and varnished in a way that makes them stable and comfortable. The need is “What is required to survive, to express identity, or to reach a goal.” A chair needs to be durable and long lasting, as well as attractive to look at. The hard wood makes the chair able to survive, and the simple slats on the back and seat allow it to express its identity, but also be simple enough that it will not go out of style. My chairs also need to be able to fold, so that they do not take up a lot of room in my small apartment. The standards are “The expectations a culture has for a product.” Our culture expects that a chair is comfortable, will support the individuals back while sitting, and will not break easily. My chairs have a back that is slightly curved, which makes them comfortable and allows back support. They also have legs that are slanted slightly, to make them stronger. The association is the “Deep-seated drives that are part of being a person and their reactions that reveal these drives.” The wooden material of my chairs is associated with nature, while the upright shape is associated with the upright posture of a human being. The Milieu is “A reflection of the times and conditions from which the design emerged.” My chairs are economical, because they can be folded and put away. This may be a reflection of the decrease in families that eat together, or a decrease in the size of many homes. The aesthetics are “The use of shapes and colors that create and object that moves us, delights us, enhances life, and/or gives meaning.” The rounded corners and back of my chairs make them pleasing too look at, as does the symmetrical balance, and the shining varnish. 

Reflection #4

In Amy Shultz’s article, “The Sweet Role of Art in Literacy,” she discusses how teachers can us are and literature in conjunction to provide visual learners with an access point that can help them learn to write. She suggests that students create story collages that they can edit, discuss, and perform for their teachers and classmates. In this project, students are encouraged to use both images and text to express their ideas, because this provides them with a way make their ideas visible, even if writing is still a struggle.

Here is an Example of a Main Lesson Book from Whole.org

I am very interested in Shultz’s method of teaching literacy, and I think to some extent, this was used in my elementary schooling. I can remember creating “Main Lesson Books” in grades 1-8 in which I was required to copy stories of my own composition into an artistic book, and accompany them with visual representations and drawings of important events within each story. It is very important that teachers avoid creating an environment where students become frustrated that they cannot read or write. If we give our visual students an outlet to express their ideas through art, we can alleviate some of those frustrations. The only challenge with teaching literacy in this way would be gradually shifting from visual representation to written literacy with struggling students in order to prepare them for the rigid assessment requirements often present in public schools for evaluating literacy. How can we support our visual learners while still meeting mandated test requirements? Is there a way to change assessment methods in order to evaluate students based on knowledge and ideas, instead of their ability to write those ideas on paper?

Reflection #3

In elementary school, the home environment most often influences students. They see how their parents dress and present themselves, and how the home is decorated. Parents influence what children wear, and what they look like in public. Although elementary students begin to choose their own clothes, hairstyles, and accessories that reflect the way they want to be perceived, these choices are largely build on the visual models provided by their family. Student may also see images in magazines and on television that influence their personal identity. They see people they admire in a TV show or movie, and sometimes choose to dress like them. Haven’t you ever seen students with a batman backpack or a hello kitty t-shirt? These are products of what students see in the media. Sometimes, school and friendships in school also help shape children’s identities. The clubs they belong to, the sports they play, and the students they become friend with may also have a significant role in a student’s self-image. How can we encourage the students to break away from replicating the role models that surround them, and allow them to choose their own identity more freely?

Artist Trading Card

Comfortable and Relaxed

“Artist Trading Cards”, as described by Roland are a way for students to express their identity through art. They can use many different mediums, allowing for all students to work with what inspires them and makes them feel comfortable. By trading these cards, students would be able to share with their classmates the way that they would like to be represented. This also gives students an opportunity to see how other children see themselves, and perhaps build a stronger image of self-identity. This method allows for more expression, and enables students to think beyond the visual models that they encounter in their home life and in the media.

Artist Trading Card

Free and Beautiful

How I Want Others to Perceive Me

Reflection #2

In the article “Autism-The Way I See It” Temple Grandin describes the different ways people with autism think. She says that although all people with Autism are detail-oriented, they tend to have visual thinking, music and math thinking, or verbal logic thinking. By recognizing these different learning styles, Grandin suggests that we can use student’s strengths to increase the amount they are able to learn. Although I think Grandin makes some valid arguments, I believe that everyone learns differently, and that this cannot be limited or contained to people with autism, or to any three ways of thinking. I think that learning occurs in such a variety of ways that we need to teach in the hopes of making learning possible for as many students as possible.

I love taking pictures, maybe I'm a visual learner too!

            Donna Williams provides statistics that show how visual thinking is not exclusive to people with autism, and she disputes Grandin in her article “Not Thinking In Pictures,” by claiming that many people with autism do not think in pictures. She says that there are all kinds of learners. Some people use kinesthetic thinking, some use aural/musical thinking, and others use logical/mathematical thinking. Williams uses her own experience to express the struggles she encountered as a person with autism trying to learn to how to process language. She eventually discovered that using gesture as a tool to understand the world helped her overcome many of the learning barriers she faced. Although she seems to feel very strongly that Grandin’s theory of visual thinking is close-minded and incorrect, both authors make similar points, even if the details of their arguments are slightly different: Everyone learns and thinks in different ways, and we need to try to understand these differences and find ways to break through learning barriers and support students who learn in a variety of ways.  But can we create a classroom where all learning styles are valued? Can we provide a high enough level of differentiation so support every student, or will someone always be left out? It seems that with such a wide variety of learners, encompassing every learning style into one lesson could be quite a challenge.

One of my summer camp students,
she seems like a kinesthetic learner, at least at the moment!