Reflection #9

In her article “Graphic Novels in the Classroom,” which is written in a graphic novel format, Gene Yang describes the benefits of using graphic novels as a tool to teach students. He says that graphic novels can “bridge the gap” between image and text, and permanent images allow students to move along the page as quickly or slowly as necessary, repeat any content they cannot understand. The combination of images and text on the page also makes graphic novels easier for struggling readers to understand, and supports visual learners. At the end of the article, Gene Yang provides resources and graphic novel recommendations that teachers can use to incorporate graphic novels into their curriculum. His blog also provides information about contests and lectures, advice to artists, and examples of his work as a graphic novelist. 

Just a little graphic I found about using graphic novels in the classroom...

I think that graphic novels would be a great way to engage students and get their attention, especially in a society that is constantly bombarding children with images and information, where it is hard for many students to focus. I also like the idea of permanent images that allow students to go back over material, and read at their own pace. Although graphic novels were never used in my elementary or high school education, I always found that visual representations of a lesson were extremely helpful. Graphic novels could definitely benefit struggling and visual learners, but I think they would be very difficult and time consuming for teachers to create. How can teachers use graphic novels without expending unnecessary amounts of time and energy creating them? I think one option would be to use books that have already been created, such as the ones recommended by Gene Yang. Another option, perhaps, would be to use graphic novels in the classroom less frequently, perhaps once a week as a break from other methods of teaching. I think that using graphic novels in the classroom, even on an infrequent basis, would be successful in teaching and engaging students. 

Reflection #8

The Article “Islamic Art and Design: Activities for Learning” created by The Metropolitan Museum of Art provides instructions for teachers wishing to teach their students about Islamic Art. The article gives tips to teachers about how to engage students in creating their own versions of Islamic art, and describes the first basic property of Islamic art as being “made up of a small number of repeated geometric elements” where are based off of the circle, the square, and the straight line. The second property is that Islamic art is “two dimensional” and has a “background and a foreground pattern.” The background and foreground can be highly contrasted or very difficult to distinguish, but they do not attempt to create depth, but rather are appreciated for their flat, two-dimensional qualities. Islamic art is “not designed to fit within a frame,” according to the third element described but The Metropolitan Museum of Art, but instead Islamic art has the freedom to be “indefinitely expandable.” Many of the methods described in this article for teaching Islamic art suggest that students learn by tracing and replicating patterns that have already been created. Is this technical approach to art still allowing students to express their own creativity? If we were to provide students with the basic tools for geometric shapes, and then focus more of the lesson on allowing student to create their own design, they might find a deeper, more personal connection to Islamic art.  As an elementary student, I was often asked to replicate drawings and patterns. I was fascinated by many of the pictures I was given, but wanted to replicate them exactly, rather than use my own creative talents to change the artworks and make them my own. I never learned about Islamic art specifically, but I did learn about creating and illustrating with geometric patterns in an artistic way as part of the Waldorf School curriculum.

Variation of a Six Pointed Star From a 6th Grade Main Lesson Book

Variation of a Five Pointed Star From a 6th Grade Main Lesson Book

Variation of a Square From a 6th Grade Main Lesson Book

Variation of a Twelve Pointed Star From a 6th Grade Main Lesson Book

Variation of a Six Pointed Star From a 6th Grade Main Lesson Book

Variation of a Six Pointed Star From a 6th Grade Main Lesson Book

The curriculum at Hawthorne Valley Waldorf School where I went for grades 2-8 also included some teaching of Islam. We learned about Mohammed and about the Qur’an, however, we did not learn about many of the artistic and geometric aspects of the book itself as is was discussed in Fayeq S. Oweis’s article “Islamic Art as an Educational Tool About the Teaching of Islam” Oweis described the complex ways that Arabic calligraphy is incorporated into the artwork. The lettering is created with carefully constructed geometric proportions that enhance the Islamic artwork. The article described six common forms of Arabic calligraphy the “Kufic,” the “Thuluth,” the “Nasakh”, the “Ta’liq,” the “Deewani,” and the “Riq’a.” All forms of writing were though to have been taught to human beings by God, and this made them sacred to the Islamic people. The Qur’an itself, according to Oweis is beautifully decorated with geometric and floral patterns that inspire Islamic art. When students were asked to complete activities where they created their own versions of Islamic art, they became interested with the culture of Islam, and were willing to learn more, despite many of the stereotypes and stigmatisms many Americans place on Islamic culture after the tragedy of Nine Eleven. Can art help to eliminate cultural prejudice? Because students were able to move past the cultural barriers created by the society in which they live and become interested in a foreign culture, I think art has potential to help students realize the beauty and importance of other cultures such as that of Islam.

Variation of a Twenty-Four Pointed Star From a 6th Grade Main Lesson Book

Variation of a Six Pointed Star From a 6th Grade Main Lesson Book

Reflection #7

How can we inspire our students to think critically about the process of creating art? In his article “Rube Goldberg-Inspired Drawings of How Art is Made,” Thomas A. Oakley describes an assignment he presented to his students at the beginning of the school year. Oakley asked his students to create a drawing that illustrated the process of creating art. Some students struggled, and were not confident in completing the project. When our students struggle with their artwork, how can we help them complete the task without influencing the creative process? Oakley mentioned asking his students to illustrate how art is made as if they were explaining the process to a small child. This project invited his students to think critically about art, and also to reflect on their own learning styles and ways of thinking. Without much guidance, Oakley’s students were able to create original projects that reflected a deeper understanding about what art meant to each of the students. Oakley’s project sprang out of an inspiration provided by Rube Goldberg, who’s work is defined on his website as “a comically involved, complicated invention, laboriously contrived to perform a simple operation.” Many Goldberg’s comics show a complicated machine used to complete a simple task, such as an eight part orange juice making invention involving an “Albanian ook” and a “jumping jack band leader.” Goldberg’s drawings are meticulously thought through, creative, and comical. His website also features many opportunities for students to enter into artistic contests where they can express their own mechanical and artistic creativity.

I think the assignment used by Oakley proves students with a way to think more critically about the process of creating art, and encourages creativity. It also allowed Oakley, as a teacher, to see how his students learn best and how they create, so that he could incorporate that knowledge into his teaching of material throughout the year. If I were to draw a picture describing how I create art, it would start with several images that inspire me. For example, one thing I like to do is knit. I start with a general idea of something I want to make, a blanket, for example. Then I find yarn that I am drawn too. Usually I choose the yarn based on the thickness, softness, and the colors. Once I have a yarn to work with, I choose a pattern (or invent one). I begin working on the blanket, following a set pattern, and sometimes going back and fixing mistakes or changing the pattern until I find something that works for me functionally and that seems balances and aesthetically pleasing as well.

Reflection #6

In a classroom environment that is increasingly focused on literacy, math, science, and social studies, students can become frustrated and begin to feel overwhelmed. Students with disabilities often feel particularly frustrated when they are not given the tools to succeed in these subjects. How can we provide these students with an opportunity to feel accomplished? According to Wilson in her article “Art and Self Expression for Children with Special Needs,” “Creating art is a precious part of early childhood” which can be a form of self-expression, a cure for boredom, a release from stress, or an opportunity for a child to feel proud of their accomplishments. If art is such a positive influence for children, why should it be more important for student with disabilities? Students who are labeled with a disability often struggle in many subject areas, and undergo frequent testing which can be difficult and stressful. Allowing these students to have a fun, safe, and interesting way to express themselves to others can provide relaxation and a chance for these students to feel proud of their work.

Riding is what I do to de-stress

A CD holder I made

Here is the inside

Cooking is another artistic thing I enjoy

I don’t think that art is just important for students. I think every individual, young or old, should have a form of expression to take them out of their everyday routine. Even though I am now closer to being an adult than I child, I still find that when I become over scheduled and overworked I need to find relax and relieve stress. Sometimes I do this by cooking, sometimes watching movies, running or riding horses. Other times I do this by knitting, drawing, or making gifts.  These physical, hands-on activities give me an opportunity to express myself, and to feel successful at something. 

A bracelet for my mother

Photography, another art form I enjoy! (There are so many!)