This week, we focused on visual arts and how they can be used to communicate thoughts, ideas and emotions.
When considering my previous experience with visual arts, I mostly think of my time in high school, where I had the most expressive freedoms. When I recall the lessons I received in primary school, they were often repetitive and over-structured. I assume now that this was due to time constraints as the access to quality art materials never held equal value to English and Maths in my timetables.
We discussed how art could be used to convey information in the same way that the written or spoken word could. In future practice, especially with older pupils, I would like to put visual essays into use in the classroom. They are a fun and creative way to organise and present information.
Using such methods gives pupils more freedom of choice as they can present their work in a way they feel more comfortable. Additionally, in the case of pupils that are learning English or have English as a second language, images can be used where they may not know the words in English to explain their point.
