Art
Today’s workshop was all about using our imagination to be creative. We began by printing black ink from our hands onto white paper and then took our pens and created what we thought we could see from the marks.
From the prints I made, I used my imagination to help created a spider and a bee.
I think this would be an excellent activity to do in the classroom as it is reasonable simple and as children have incredible imaginations; this type of creative work will encourage and further this. Children learn best when they are engaged in their learning, when this matters to them, when it is contextualised in meaningful ways and when they have a sense of ownership and agency” (Taylor, 2013, n.p).
We then used shapes such as Lego, to print onto paper and create new images from these. These shapes allowed for pattern and texture within the picture, allowing for even more creativity to be drawn from the children. I think that this activity would be suitable for all age groups however, particularly good for upper school pupils who may be learning art techniques.
Dance
I was looking forward to dance as I used to take part in dance classes so I felt confident. I believe it is important to teach dance within the curriculum as it allows children to express themselves and it had both positive mental and physical benefits. “One of the most powerful experiences dance educators can offer children is the opportunity to create a dance that reflects their ideas” (Cone, 2009).
We began by learning many games and activities that can be done in school when teaching dance. The lecturer emphasised to all, that dance is not only beneficial for keeping us fit and healthy but also allows for team work, creativity and problem solving. During the session, everyone was having fun. This is important to me as when I teach pupils, I believe they will learn the best if they are enjoying themselves in a positive and safe environment.
Later, we discussed the importance of warming up the body before exercise. The most important reason for doing a warm up is to prevent injury during exercise; keeping the muscles warm will prevent acute injuries such as hamstring strains and will stave off overuse injuries by allowing the body to prepare steadily and safely (Medicine, no date). We went into groups and outlined one member of the team and wrote down where we thought some of the muscles, organs and bones are in the body.
This involves discussion and analysis- which I believe to be important in the classroom when learning as it develops deeper understanding. It will also allow the children to become aware how their bodies are moving and the importance of warming up.
References
Cone, Purcell, T. (2009). Following Their Lead Supporting Children’s Ideas for creating Dances. London: Routledge.
Medicine, S. (no date) Importance of warming up before sport – sports injury prevention. [Online] Available: http://www.nsmi.org.uk/articles/injury-prevention/warming-up.html [Accessed: 7 January 2017].
Taylor, T. (2013) Children learn best when they use their imagination. [Online] Available: http://www.theguardian.com/teacher-network/teacher-blog/2013/feb/05/imaginative-inquiry-teaching-classroom. [Accessed: 8 October 2016].
