27th September 2016
Dance
Today, we looked at the human body and labelled the different parts we use daily. We discussed how important it is to warm these parts up whilst using them in physical activities.
This is our representation of the human body.
You can use these simple steps and give them to children to be creative and think of their own version of a jump/spin etc. An activity that you can create is by writing down a sequence of numbers next to the 10 steps and they must perform their own dance routine to the set of numbers given. e.g. 1-jump, 2- kick, 6- spin.
Here is a video of myself performing my teams routine which incorporated the 10 basic steps.
It is crucial for teachers and educators to have an open mind when it comes to the arts and give the children these rich, long lasting learning experiences that encourage positive, creative thinking as the arts is so much more than the ‘creative corner’ in the classroom. (Craft, 2007) If a child sees the educator participating, enjoying themselves then they will be more inclined to join in and take part- maybe discover a skill they never knew they had, maybe find out they are really good working in a team or they are a good leader. These are all factors that make up a child flourishing to their fullest potential.
Future Teacher
“As professionals we re-establish our creative capacity, revitalize our personal engagement and remind ourselves that teaching is an art form, a creative endeavor.” Grainger (2003) This quote highlights to the reader that it is highly important that we as educators ensure that we ourselves have a go and take part, as if we are show the children we are participating and its an enjoyable experience- giving one hundred percent the children we are teaching will have richer learning experiences.
For example:- interdisciplinary learning the topic of Scotland, you can approach this in many ways : get the children dancing freely then when you call a number they then have to carry out a specific action e.g. 1- make the Scottish flag with your arms. This can be made more complex as you can get the children to go into groups of threes, fours, etc. Another aspect of the curriculum that can be incorporated is mathematics, an example of this would be to have the children dancing and then you can say a sum and they would have to arrange themselves into groups of the answers e.g. 10 divided by 2 = 5, then the children arrange themselves into groups of 5. There are many creative ideas that you can use dance for and it has removed many barriers for children to learning.
References
Grainger, T. (2003) Creative teachers and the language arts: Possibilities and potential, Education 3-13: International Journal of Primary, Elementary and Early Years Education. pp. 43[Online] Available: http://moodle.uws.ac.uk/pluginfile.php/715674/mod_resource/content/4/creative%20teachers%20language%20arts.pdf
[Accessed: 27/09/2016]
Craft, A. (2007) Creativity and possibility in the Early Years [Online] Available at: http://moodle.uws.ac.uk/pluginfile.php/864770/mod_resource/content/4/Creativity%20and%20Possibility%20in%20the%20Early%20Years.pdf
[Accessed: 27/09/2016]
Art
Art Session
In this session we took art to a very basic level, in the sense that we were not picture making or creating with a specific goal in mind. We simply began to mark make on a blank piece of paper. We initially used black paint and squeezed it out onto our work surface, we then used a roller to spread the paint out evenly. We then used no tools but only our hands to make our own marks.
This was a very messy activity, especially if you were carrying this articular learning experience with younger children. I feel when engaging in this type of activity, it is so important to be covered with the appropriate materials e.g. an apron – to allow yourself to fully engage and interact with the experience so you will get the most out of it and therefore your pupils will too. I really enjoyed this part of the session as it allowed us to be truly free to our creative mind.
This is how my page turned out.
After making many random marks, I was able to look at the marks I had made and use my imagination to create images from them. This was done by me turning the page in different directions and asking myself ‘what could it be?’. I really loved this activity and it showed me that art does not have to be picture driven or influenced by someone or something around me, it just has to be one simple mark and with the power of my imagination I can make it into something.
This related to the Curriculum for Excellence outcome: ‘I have the freedom to discover and choose ways to create images and objects using a variety of materials. EXA 0-02a’.
My favourite creation was this – see picture below. I created this by using the side of my fingers and then taking a felt tip to create the final image.
Future Teacher
This relates to the Creative Process which encompasses five main points: imagine, explore, create, reflect and share. This is the route I would take whilst carrying out this activity. When the children are imaging, they are creating original pieces of work that are unique to them that can express how they are feeling. (Silverstein and Layne, 2010)
Reflections
I feel by giving children indelible pens/ink is more effective in this activity as there is no going back on it, sometimes, it feels if you give a child a pencil the image they are ‘creating’ is never good enough and they keep rubbing it out which almost takes away the creative, spontaneous, imaginative side to the learning experience. I feel that it is so important as a student teacher on my journey of life long learning, to look back, reflect and consider other perspectives- this activity showed me how easy it is to do and how important it is.
References
Silverstein, L.B. and Layne, S. (2010). Defining Arts Integration. [p.5.]. The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. [Last Accessed: 06/10/2016]
Education Scotland. (2010). Curriculum for Excellence: Expressive Arts Experiences and Outcomes. [Online] Available at: http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/Images/expressive_arts_experiences_outcomes_tcm4-539863.pdf [Last Accessed: 06/10/2016]
