Art – UWS BA ePDPs

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Visual Art and Music 14/11/17

This week’s input where based on the visual arts and music. Once again, this week I was able to consider the importance of the Expressive Arts within education and the vitalness that I continue to develop theological and performance knowledge.
During the visual arts input we explored primary education and the arts in Lapland. It was rather insightful as Lapland a significant amount of outdoor learning takes place all year round, in spite of having extremely bad weather during winter months. Within the Scottish education system outdoor learning is increasing emerging due to the wealth of learning opportunities the outdoors can provide in relation to children academic and social development. Using outdoor space can be a great way of engaging the children in their learning, there are many Expressive Arts Activities that can be taught outdoors for example;
• Opportunity to explore different types of art media such as chalk.
• Provide space for large-scale painting projects
• Engaging children with nature and seasons, this can be used as stimuli for art work, such as using leaves to create an image.
• Using outdoor space as a setting for drama.
• Children will be able to use their sense to discover new knowledge
• The outdoors can be used to teach music the different sounds and rhythms for nature.
(Thornton and Brunton, 2013)
Also during this week’s visual arts input all student had the opportunity to discuss their placement experience in regards to the Expressive Arts and what form of the arts are being taught. I am fortunate within the school I am currently placed I see a significant amount of the arts being excellently taught. So far, I have seen every form of the Expressive Arts being taught, it is great to see all children are fully engaged, get excited and seem to enjoy the arts. The class teacher is proficient utilising inter-disciplinary learning, for instance in the visual arts the children had to design a house using only three shapes (square, triangles and rectangles). I believe the main aim of this lesson was to develop children creative skills and process in particularly problem solving. Placement tasks will be posted later and will looking in-depth as the expressive arts I have fortunate enough to observe.
Moreover, the central point of this week’s music input was to develop sound, rhythm and notations. Initially I did not have understanding of notations and what each individual note value was, but over the course of the session I was able to acquire a greater understand and increased confidence. During the input was used drum sticks to mick playing drums and what hand movement would be required. We were giving a notation and had to play in rhythm with the backing track, which aided myself in following along with the notations. I found this input to rather enjoyable and was able to take a lot of learning experience with me. Over the music inputs I have most certainly become more self-assured in my ability to teach music skills to children in the future, it is important that I believe in my abilities and do not get nervous when to teach music, as this will most definitely impact on children learning within the arts (Jaap, 2009). It is imperative that I seek advice from arts specialist and engaged with career development within the art, when I am qualified teacher in order to support my skill development and increase the effectiveness of my teaching within the arts (Wilson et.al, 2008).
Connecting both input together there is a clear coloration that using the visual arts as a source for outdoor learning can complement music likewise as children can engaged with the nature scenery and related sounds.
References
Thornton, L and Brunton, P. (2013) Making the most of Outdoor Learning. 1st ed. London: Bloomsbury Publications.
Wilson, G, MacDonald, R, Byrne, C, Ewing, S, and Sheridan, M. (2008) Dread and Passion: primary and secondary teachers’ views on teaching the arts’. curriculum journal. [Abstract Online] Vol 19 (1) pp. 37-53. Available: http://www.research.ed.ac.uk/portal/files/16586710/Wilson_et_al_Curr_Journal_revised_submission.pdf [Accessed 20 November 2017]
Jaap, A. (2009) A Little Music Class. [Online] Available: https://www.gla.ac.uk/media/media_434179_en.pdf [Accessed 20 November 2017].
Tallis, T. (2013) Tallis Habits Pedagogy Wheel. [Online] Available: http://www.thomastallisschool.com/tallis-pedagogy-wheel-guide.html. [ Accessed on 20 November 2017]

Print in the making

The arts can be integrated into multiple areas of the curriculum and this was made evident during the seminars I attended on the 3rd of October 2017. The visual arts section focused on the painting; Windows in the West (1993) by Avril Paton. This painting was created using watercolours and paper. Paton (2017) took inspiration from a personal memory […]

Integrated Arts Week 3

Integrated Arts week 3 Music: Today we looked at the figure notes system of reading music. Julie explained how the system was developed in Finland as an educational tool that creates a more inclusive way of learning to play an instrument. The symbols and colours are used to identify individual notes. Using this simple yet …

Continue reading “Integrated Arts Week 3”

Cognitive Development of Children’s Art Work

The focus of this week’s integrated arts input was the cognitive development of children’s art work, as they progressed through their primary education. Initially, Elliot Eisner 10 Lessons the Arts Teach was imparted during the lecture, what I gathered was this publication should be at the centre of any creative teaching, as it abridges the … Continue reading Cognitive Development of Children’s Art Work

The focus of this week’s integrated arts input was the cognitive development of children’s art work, as they progressed through their primary education.

Initially, Elliot Eisner 10 Lessons the Arts Teach was imparted during the lecture, what I gathered was this publication should be at the centre of any creative teaching, as it abridges the exposition for the arts in education (Hall and Thomson, 2017). Likewise, the arts can aid attainment throughout the curriculum, but Eisner publication makes it his nucleus that the arts are more about understanding the world completely and the influence that creativity can have on our world (Hall and Thomson, 2017).

The pre-readings required for the lecture where very insightful, which explored art and design in primary education and the art developments of children through nursery and primary.

The Arts in Education, Fleming 2012
Teaching Art and Design 3-11, McAuliffe 2007

These reading encouraged me to consider the varying elements of creativity and how this can influence the mark makings, drawings and paintings of a range of ages and was able to use this knowledge when introduced to the archive of children’s art work.

McAuliffe (2007) encapsulates the different art and design stages that children develop, McAuliffe makes reference to the theories of Lowenfeld and Brittain (1997) which they alluded the following model of art development:

Stage 2-4 years- Scribbling stage
Stage 4- 7 years- pre-schematic stage
Stage 7-9 years- schematic stage
Stage 9- 12 years- gang stage

McAuliffe, D. (2007)

However, presently teachers no longer make reference to this theory as a means of art assessments due to cognitive advancements. (McAuliffe, 2007).

This a created by a child who was four years old, this is known as the pre-schematic stage (McAuliffe, 2007, P.26). At this age children can draw anything relevant from their imagination. Initially I though child’s drawing was of a birthday cake, however a description on the back made by their teacher said in fact the child drew a dog under a washing machine. The child’s teacher exhibited good practise by listening and making a note of what the child drew.

This painting was a produced by a child (aged 7- 9 years) during the schematic stage. As art ability is progressing children begin to add more details and features to their work, they are understanding the importance of proportion and placement of objects and the importance of colours (McAuliffe, 2007). However, there is a conversion in learning styles as at early level creation is more “child- based activity” and when they go into first level creation is “adult- based learning” (McAuliffe, 2007, P.28). Art work in the primary school becomes more unified and is centred around the lesson plans of the teacher and their creation and imagination rather than the spontaneous imagination of the children.

The final stage of art development in primary education is the “gang stage” (aged 9-12 years). At this stage children are able to make precise drawings of features, likewise children are becoming increasingly conscious of their art work and their ability as skills required become more demanding (McAuliffe, 2007). Also children in this stage add more detail to their work but will become more discontented and will use pencil in order to rub their errors out until perfect.

The lecturer introduced an excellent way to incorporate art and literacy, this can be done by giving children one page of a book or article which they read, instead highlighting key points, they would draw their response on the page given.

This week I have been able to expand my knowledge of children development through art and design, this allowed me to consider methods in which I can adopted in order to ensure children have the opportunity to employ their own unique imagination and creativity into their art work.

References

McAuliffe, D. (2007) Foundation and Primary Settings. In Teaching Art and Design 3-11. London: Continuum.

Hall, C. Thomson, P. (2017) Inspiring School Change: Transforming Education Through the Creative Arts. 1^st ed. Oxon: Routledge.

Eisner, E. (2002) The Arts and the Creation of the Mind. Chapter 4, What the Arts Teach.

Integrated Arts- Week One

During my time at primary school I thoroughly enjoyed the arts, and was involved in the school’s drama productions and was member of the school’s choir, by participating in these extra-curricular activities I increased my confidence and self-assurance. However, when I went to secondary school I gradually fell away from the arts related subjects and … Continue reading Integrated Arts- Week One

The thought of teaching the arts makes me considerable apprehensive, due to the little knowledge I have in regards to the arts. But during the first week of the Integrated Arts module I have learnt a sufficient amount, which has made me feel more confident and relaxed about the prospect of teaching the arts.

The focal points of the lecture and workshops where art and music. During the art inputs, we explored the importance of children’s creativity, which children can illustrate from a very young age. What I acquired from this was, as a prospective teacher it important when planning art lesson to allow children the chance to exhibit their own imagination and creativity.

“Planning, teaching and supporting learning art it is important that you consider the aspects of creativity so that children have the opportunity to respond their own creativity€ (Edwards, 2013, P.11)

In addition to this, it foremost to value and merit children’s art work, this can be done by asking them to explain their art work to you. In art, it significant to bear in mind that there is no wrong method or way, but any piece is correct and worthy.

During the music input we explored music appreciation, similarly to art it is important to create a creative learning environment, were mistakes are allowed and praised. Also during this input, we investigate the significance that music can have on other curricular areas such as numeracy and literacy. Using music and literacy in groups we constructed a story board, this was completed my listening to a seven-minute-long track that did not have any lyrics. By doing this we were able to listen and erect our own thoughts on the track and brought our ideas together to create a story. This can also be done using digital literacy (sound and visual) and can be an effective and creative lesson to engage children with music and literacy.

The initial week of integrated art I feel I have been able to amplify my universal arts knowledge and look forward to the coming inputs.

Reference

Edwards, J. (2013) Teaching primary art. 1^st ed. Oxon: Routledge

Session 11 – 6/12/11

Todays lecture was focussed on using alternative approaches to art education. Specifically concentrating on Room 13 which is an art studio in a school where children are permitted to lead their own learning and let their imagination run free while creating their artwork with a teacher there only for assistance when needed. We were shown a video explaining what Room 13 is and hearing the pupils opinions on the initiative and how it had benefitted them. This was very insightful as it showed the positive impact that allowing children to be creative has on them.

Art

In todays art class we were continuing to consider room 13. Again, we discussed the benefits this project has on children such as increased independence and confidence in their ability to produce art. We were shown various pieces of work that has came from room 13 and analysed them thinking about the inspiration behind them etc.

I think that the room 13 project is very beneficial and something I will continue to consider.

Music

Today we were introduced to the use of figure notes. This is when sheet music with musical notes is replaced by colours and shapes representing a note. Using this resulted in it being far easier to play a musical piece as the barrier of being able to read the music notes was removed. This showed how music can be taught in a simpler form for those who would struggle reading sheet music and provides quicker results for them and increasing their confidence with their ability to play music.

We had the opportunity to use figure notes for ourselves by playing tunes such as jingle bells and twinkle twinkle on the keyboard, glockenspiel and guitar.

I think figure notes is very useful and I will definitely use it throughout my career.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/8579853.stm

Session 9 – 15/11/16

Today we had inputs on Art and Music. Art In todays class we were introduced to the painting entitled ‘Windows in the West’ by Avril Paton. Considering this piece of artwork we were prompted to develop our analytical thinking into the story behind it. See below the video describing the painting in fuller detail: We […]

Today we had inputs on Art and Music.

Art

In todays class we were introduced to the painting entitled ‘Windows in the West’ by Avril Paton. Considering this piece of artwork we were prompted to develop our analytical thinking into the story behind it. See below the video describing the painting in fuller detail:

We were given a copy of this painting and bits of polystyrene and told to choose a segment of the painting to draw ourselves. Once completing this we covered the polystyrene in green paint and printed it onto a piece of red paper. This was useful as it showed a different activity to do with children and one that will encourage them to remember famous pieces of art work by creating their own representation of the piece.

Music

Today we were exploring the musical online resource ‘Charanga’ – http://www.charangascotland.co.uk/site/

This is an amazing resource as it is full of fun ways to teach music. We were looking at all of the sites different features and trying out the various activities. This was very beneficial as it gave us inspiration on what we could use with our own classes in the future and something i will definitely use more of in the next few years.

Session 5 – 18/10/16

In todays lecture we were lucky enough to have guest speaker Isobel Laird from South Lanarkshire council who spoke about teaching the primary art & design curriculum. Isobel discussed her own experiences with teaching Art in primary schools and showed us various pieces of art from pupils. Our inputs today were Art and Drama. Art […]

Art

Our art input today was led by guest speaker Isobel Laird. She took us through various different stages of producing a piece of artwork. Firstly, we were given the task of drawing a washing line with pieces of clothing without lifting our pen from the paper. This activity is engaging from the outset as it straight away poses a challenge and as a student teacher I can clearly see how pupils would enjoy this.

We then used watercolour to give colour to the clothes we had drawn on the washing line before cutting it out.

On separate piece of paper we painted a brick wall and were given the freedom to create the bricks to look whatever way we wanted them too.

Lastly, we used watercolours again to paint a sunset for the background of our picture, once this had dried we ripped this piece of paper in strips in order to stick them back down in a different order to give a wave like effect and put our brick wall with our washing line on top. Each piece of work had originality which was great.

This was an extremely beneficial lesson as it filled me with ideas on how to make a lesson interesting. Instead of simply painting a picture straight onto one piece of paper there are various ways to make it more unique and enjoyable.

Drama

In todays drama input we were progressing from the prior session by looking more in depth at drama in the curriculum and the dramatic conventions.

We also covered improvisation coming up with our own drama skits continuing on from a story about a man who was returning to his hometown from jail. This showed how pupils can have the freedom to be imaginative and come up with their own ideas to continue a story.

Session 4 – 11/10/16

Today our lecture was focussing on using stimulus as inspiration for creation-child centred approach. We had Art and Dance inputs. Art In todays art input we were painting with primary colours using unconventional paintbrushes. At first, I thought that painting using paintbrushes that weren’t the type I was used to would not turn out well. […]

Today our lecture was focussing on using stimulus as inspiration for creation-child centred approach. We had Art and Dance inputs.

Art

In todays art input we were painting with primary colours using unconventional paintbrushes. At first, I thought that painting using paintbrushes that weren’t the type I was used to would not turn out well. However, i could clearly see the benefit of doing this with a class of children as everyones brush was different which meant that it was understandable when each piece of work looked a different way. This would result in children not feeling under as much pressure to produce a piece of work that they felt was as good as their peers. It teaches children that they can paint with anything, if they do not have a traditional paintbrush they can make one out of materials they do have. It also made the lesson more unique and interesting which promoted enjoyment.

Using only the primary colours yellow, blue and red was also beneficial as it meant that you were forced to create your own colours by mixing them together which encourages creativity.

Our lecturer read us a story detailing a scene with various different attributes. We then interpreted this story into our own painting. This was a very good method as each painting was different by each individual imagining the scene differently. It means that each piece of work is on the same topic yet has its own individual creative touch.

Dance

Today in our dance input we were progressing from our work last week. Each group presented the dance moves they came up with relating to the different halloween themed pictures and they were then all put together to form a part of the dance routine. We also put together our group routines that were formed from the 10 skills of dance and added on new moves. These new moves were made up as we were given a list of dance terms which we had to guess the meaning of. This was good as we weren’t confined to doing the proper dance moves and were allowed to be create and make up our own versions of what we thought they were. All of this was put together into a class routine to the song ‘Ghostbusters’. This highlighted how the pupils can be the ones to come up with the routine instead of the teacher which would make the experience more enjoyable for them as they would feel more control and creativity.

“One of the most powerful experiences dance educators can offer is the opportunity to create a dance that reflects their ideas.” (Cone, 2009).