Friday, October 22, 2010
AESTHETIC EXPERIENCES FOR YOUNG CHILDREN
According to Hurwitz & Madeja(1977), "Art appreciation should not have a mystique. It should be something that both student and teacher realize can enhance the general quality of their life as well as their appreciation of the power of works of art. It should also supply an important dimension in their lives, in terms of a descriptive language that can apply not only to works of art, but also to things in everyday life. The transfer effects of the teaching of art appreciation can be made tangible in the personal life style of the students, the homes they furnish, and the community and environment in which they will live. These are potentially real and meaningful outcomes for the society as a whole and very functional outcomes for every student involved. But if vision is to become a truly joyous affair, it will be the informed teacher who must be prepared to stand at the juncture between the world of the artist and that of the child" (p.274). As a teacher, what will you do in your classroom to make a connection between your children and the world of artists? Please provide specific examples.
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to be the "juncture between the world of the artist and that of the child" i will attempt to make art and the creation of it real for the child through projects that enable the children to replicate works they see on the wall. Thereby making him or her an artist. Children have their own style and that indivisuality should be nurtured. However, when a child sees a piece in a museum, i feel that it seems out of their reach and too far away from what they feel their abilities are. The "paint in a bag" project, for example, is a good way to show a child how to create a work of art like Jackson Pollock. After creating that piece of art, that looks so similar to the art on the walls professionally framed and viewed by all, they will begin to take more chances and have more confidence in their abilities. Lack of confidence stifles creativity.
ReplyDeleteAnd i will also tell the children something about famous art that will help them get an idea of what types of things inspire great artists. So after discovering that gougan painted the things he found beautiful during his voyages to other countries, or that van gough thought that wheat fields were beautiful and chose to paint those. they will not think it silly to paint their school buses or their morning cerial bowls because they will know that inspiration can come from anywhere. those are some things that i will practice in my classroom to bring art closer to the child and nurture the young artists within them.
It is important for young children to appreciate art, and it is even more important that the understand the works of art. There are many things teachers can do in their classrooms to help children appreciate art. One thing we did in our classroom was to talk about Jackson Pollock painting. In the article “Can Young Children be Art Critics” by Liz Cole, it is stated to have young children “look carefully” at the painting. We did this when examining the painting in our classroom. We described what we smelled, how the painting looked, how it made us feel. I think it is important for children to look at paintings in this way and not just as colors on a piece of paper. They can describe the way the painting makes them feel, or how it sounds, or how it smells so they can truly understand these works of art. As stated in “Looking at Art with Toddlers” by Eyestone, any pictures displayed in the classroom must be at eye level, and be of interest to the child. I also think that a trip to the art museum would be such an enriching experience for the children. There are so many art experiences that can be done. I really liked what we did last week when we made the paintings come to life. My favorite one was the art experience we did at the Water Lillies by Monet painting, because for kids, it really makes them feel like they are a part of the painting. The way that this experience was set up was in a game-like fashion which, as Liz Cole writes, is consistent with the early childhood education practices.
ReplyDeleteAs previously stated, the best way in my opinion to bridge the gap between children and artists would be a trip to a museum. This would give children an opportunity to see works in a variety of styles that appeal to them. And most importantly, it shows the child that there are other ways of representing something than realism. I think the more a child is exposed to abstract ideas, the better the child will be at understanding broader abstract concepts that apply to other fields like math and science. To have the opportunity to explore concepts of rendering other than realism will also give the child the chance to tap into the inner self, heightening self awareness.
ReplyDeleteLooking over the past few experiences in class, I think several ways have been shown to make this connection. children can explore where sand would be found at while playing with it. I would love to take children on nature walks in several areas. What children may find in their neighborhood may be different from whats at the park.Then as we are on the walk I think a multitude of things can be pointed out. For example, In a park children may see different trees than whats around their houses or school. This would be something that I would point out. Some parks have waterfalls or fountains, I would ask the children to examine it.
ReplyDeleteI would find a variety of pictures for the children to examine. For example, an autumn picture will have a change of leaves, bare trees, children may be playing in the leaves, collecting the leaves; I would ask the children to use their senses to create that picture. For example, what does fall smell like, feel like, when the leaves are touched~how do they feel, etc.
So looking at an array of ideas and activities I would expose children to natural events and ask them to relate. In addition, I would provide examples and relate them to myself before asking the children to do the activity, by modeling.I would do this by seasons, by providing pictures and details, or by letting the children experience it first hand.
The first thing that comes to mind is to present children with various images of animals, since children seem to have a natural affinity for animals (especially talking ones). This is a fact corporate entities have seized upon such as Disney's use of talking animals as their iconic figures. Although, as Katherina pointed out, children respond well to human faces, using a theme about animals I think would open up more accessible avenues to inspire a good aesthetic and visual discrimination experience.
ReplyDeleteFor example, I could resort to using the Mass Media icons i.e. Disney characters, as a way to simply spark interest in a particular animal. But this would strictly be for enticing purposes. After their interest was captured, I would then be able to transition that attention onto various of images and works of art depicting that particular animal.
This may sound like a cheap ruse to use, and maybe it is, but if it could possibly help to facilitate an active and critical dialogue about the images; a deep aesthetic analysis, then I don't see any harm in using Mass Media icons just as a familiarity point from which to draw their attention from and towards an appreciation of a genuine work of art.
For example, I might find more success inspiring a dialogue that the child will be interested in i.e. the Cat in the Hat, than if I were to start from a place of less familiarity. It seems easier from there, to begin asking questions like, "What's different about the two cats? Does the cat in this art piece look like the Cat in the Hat? Why or why not?" Which in turn could be used to then transition to a dialogue about the environments in which the different cats are presented. This would lead to questions like "What's the environment like between the two images? What's the animal's natural home?" which would move their focus then onto an attentiveness of the background and context of the animal in the work of art.
I suppose this exercise could be carried out in any number of ways, but it might be even more stimulating if I were to use technology in some way to try to bring the art experience TO the child, rather than bringing children TO the art museum. One simple way would be to make a slid show presentation. If Powerpoint is good for anything, it's an easy and accessible way to show images on a larger-than-usual scale; a good way to present just images.
Also, in order to make the experience more interactive, I could actually bring in the particular animal that corresponds to the theme I've chosen. It seems like there are any number of small animals to choose from that are feasible to bring into a classroom setting, and there are certainly no short supply of Mass Media animal icons to choose from to use as a familiarity point to lure their interest.
There are many things that teachers can do in the classroom to make a connection between children and the world of artists. As Hurwitz and Madeja stated this is so important because art in general contributes to an overall improved quality of life. One thing that I plan to do to help make this connection is to take my class on a field trip to the art museum. This may intrigue some students and other may not be so interested but this trip would only be the foundation. I would then showcase one piece of art that we had seen in the museum each month. It would be placed at eye level with some brief description and other related resources that the children could view in allotted time. After they have had a couple of weeks with a piece of art we would make it a point to discuss the artwork using Feldman’s four stages that are part of the critical process which consist of description, analysis, interpretation and judgment. We may not hit each and every one but whichever one that we do touch on will enable the children and myself to clarify the meaning of the art and to share individual discoveries as well.
ReplyDeleteI believe it is important for children to appreciate art, whether they like to paint, create their own artwork, look at artwork, go to the art museum or look at art pieces hanging up around the classroom. I also think it is important to understand the works of art and the meaning behind painting at the art museum or specific paintings the teacher brings in. You, as a teacher, can do many things in the classroom to make the connection between artist, paintings and children. Hurwitz and Madeja stated “ this is important because art in general contributes to an overall improved quality of life.” I believe that is a true statement. It makes you think outside of the box and become creative. One thing I would like to do once I have my own classroom is take a trip to a nearby art museum and just let the children explore artwork and use their imagination and creativity. Also, I would like to be able to do the little projects that we did last week in the art museum. Doing those creative projects would make children feel like they are part of the artwork. I would also like to have a display corner or area in my classroom that I would switch pieces of art out every month so the children are learning about different types of art, artists and becoming more enlightened about art in general. I want the children to be able to explore, be creative, discover new appreciation for art in my classroom.
ReplyDeleteRegardless of the age level I end up teaching, I want to provide my students with an area of classroom that is designated for their “extra” work and another area that resembles the idea of a war room. For the “extra” section, I want students to be proud of their art experiences outside my classroom. This will enable them to post what they have done creatively for fun or even for another class. I feel this will not only showcase their abilities but also give them an opportunity to see other’s works. The idea of a war room comes from my studies as a graphic designer. I learned that it is a place on a wall where one surrounds themselves with images or information. I plan to have my students help collect images of well known and less known artists. My hopes are that we can together cover a wall of the classroom, or at least a really large portion of it. These are just a few of the many things I plan to implement into my classroom to bridge the connections the students have.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I am a Early Childhood major, I very well can bring art into the classroom. Growing up I had the art class to go to for 50 minutes once a week but, by the time I get a teaching job-the school may not be fortunate enough to have a art class. There is a chance that I very well could be teaching my students art. I would bring art into my classroom by showing pieces that I myself have seen in a Museum or even online. Just like the environment project, my students very well could talk about a piece of art and go with what they believe it is. We could easily tie a lesson on a piece of work either indoor or outdoor. On page 3, they stated "Drawing is a way that young children can communicate their ideas, especially if they have limited verbal vocabulary. These drawings can enable children to construct knowledge and convey meaning through visual images." Although I do not know what age group I will be teaching, imagination is at any age. Its not hard to look at a painting and each student see something different. "Making art draws on various ways of learning, most immediately through the acts of organizing, reflecting, judging, discriminating, selecting, and representing the raw material of the world. These thought functions are crucial to constructing meaning in every area of learning."( Engel, 2002,p.4)
ReplyDeleteThere are a lot of possibilities to open up the line between art and artist. One thing that I always loved in school was artist of the day. Every day we had a 5 min slideshow and presentation about an artist, and most of the time it wasn’t about famous or well known artists. And that really opened up art to us and gave us information on styles, and periods which provided for an educational experience far more comprehensive than most. It also gave us ideas towards what was considered art, and going along with what other classmates have said, gives us confidence and allowed us to think that things other than attempted realism were okay. Frequent Museum trips would be a dream come true for almost any teacher. If that’s not possible then I would assign things such as group docent hunts for children to explore the internet, and find virtual tours of museums, and things of that nature. I feel that a lot of the aesthetic experiences we’ve encountered in this class will also benefit me in my future classroom. I think the Jell-O and glue Pollack painting was sweet!
ReplyDeleteThere are several things I plan to do in my classroom to connect my children to the world of artists and art appreciation. I feel that art appreciation is a crucial part of an art classroom. I plan on doing things very similar to what we did in the last class with the trip to the museum. I want to take my students to the museum as often as possible, and hopefully be able to do small games and activities while we're there. By doing games and activities, the students are unknowingly being taught to look very closely at an artwork and appreciate all the little parts of it. Students will look much longer at the works of art than they would normally on their own. I also want to incorporate famous works into our everyday classroom, and have classroom discussion on them. I want my students to learn about all the different mediums, different artists, different jobs that involve art, etc. I want to connect my students as much as possible to the art world, and really help them develop a strong appreciation for it. Depending on what age group I teach, I will incorporate different kinds of activities into my classroom. If I'm in a classroom with older students, such as middle to high school, we can play games such as Jeopardy, with artists, famous works, techniques, vocabulary, and so on as the categories. We can also do more in depth studies on artworks or artists that each individual student finds interesting. In a younger classroom, I will definitely do the art experiences we've done in class, and relate them to respective artists (ex: James Pollock with the Jell-O painting, etc.) I also will play the games we played in the museum next week, and hopefully will develop several of my own as my knowledge of my students grows.
ReplyDeleteSo far in class we have learned many ways to incorporate art and artists into the classroom. I loved the museum trip our class did the other night! I will definitely be taking my class to as many different museums as I can. I think it gives them the opportunity to see the different kind of artworks and how artists perceive things in different ways. I loved how we did activites that connected to the pieces of art we were looking at. I will also bring in artwork and have a lesson plan that revolves around it. I didn't realize how many things are possibily with just a picture. I love the idea of using postcards and having them represent art. It is a cheap way to bring the museum right to the classroom. I think nature walks and just being outdoor is crucial for kids imaginations. I am excited to integrate art into my classroom.
ReplyDeleteAs an educator, I think it is important to expose children to museums and art galleries at an early age. Their education in art appreciation should begin in preschool. Children should be exposed to great works of art and their opinions should be solicited and valued. If this exposure begins at an early age, when these children become adults they will not view museum and gallery visits as elitist activities and they will support and sponser the production and preservation of art.
ReplyDeleteAs a teacher I plan to use my knowledge of art history to relate great (and not so great) works of art to students' everyday lives so that the students will understand the relationship between art and various aspects of their lives. I also hope to inspire students on their own creative path by exposing them to various forms of art
To incorporate and or make a connection between children in the classroom and the artist world I would make sure there is an opportunity for the chidren to experience the art museum and I would take the lesson being taught and apply it to an artist work.
ReplyDeleteAn example of taking a lesson and applying it to an artist would be to say we are learning about the weather. I would have an artist painting that applies to weather displayed for the children to see and I would have the children make the painting come alive. I would have blue paper in the shape of rain, silver string for the lightening, and noises for the thunder and each child will take part in making the painting come alive. Another example would be to say we are learning about colors I would then again have an artist painting displayed. I would then have the children learn their colors by playing a game based on the painting.
As said before in order for the students to understand the artist world I feel a trip to the art musuem would help them explore and understand a connection.
I think that finding out about the artists is a very important way of connecting the art and the artist to the child. By finding out that the artists often painted and repainted a picture and even then gave up on it I feel that students will have a better appreciation for the works that they do see, while connecting on a more human level to the artists. I would encourage the students to do as the artists and draw or paint the picture many times, maybe even from different angles, with different materials, this will give them an idea of the work that goes into the pictures on the walls in a museum. Yes taking them to a museum is important, but there are so many pictures that are well known that are not available in our museum, so I would not limit myself to the ones in my area. I would start with what are referred to as the grand masters. I would allow the student to try painting the picture themselves; let them study what is in the picture so that they could attempt to recreate it themselves. By studying and recreating the picture I think that they would have a better connection not only to the individual work but to the artist themselves.
ReplyDeleteafter we worked on the environments for our class project i think it would be successful to expand on a chosen painting. the contents of art can be expanded in a variety of ways. the place in which the images take place can be researched and explored further with learning about different cultures and values in which people live by. scenery can be a way of further exploring different places. with the help of student involvement the paintings can come to life and different materials and items that are found in the art being studied. i think the best way to get the students involved is to expand the art work and have them help and add their input of their thoughts and ideas.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was in high school, I didn't have art teachers who taught us about the artist's world. I don't recall having one class where we were assigned to research a famous artist or work of art, as hard as that is to believe (and yes, I paid attention- I recieved only A's & B's and one C in high school). It wasn't until I had taken a college art course that I began to learn about famous artists and works and all about the world of an artist. A reason I want to become an art teacher is so that I can be the teacher that I wish I had back then. It is crucial to have your students see other's works (have it be at a museum or online searches). By taking students on fieldtrips to a museum, they get to witness firsthand how serious art is taken by how works are displayed. I wasn't even aware that we had a great museum in Toledo while I was in high school.
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