January 2018 – Megan Baines UWS ITE ePDP

Learning in and through the process of Print Making

This week’s input focused on learning through the process of print. Prior to the input, I decided to research print making in further detail to enhance my knowledge and understanding ahead of the session. I was able to find that print making is “the form and process of applying a work of art to another surface” (Science Leadership, 2017). I was intrigued to discover the various materials that can be used to create your print, ranging from paper, fabric, plastic, polystyrene and card. It is important to remember that in print making, there is more than one version of it’s original made. Reflecting on our ‘Integrated Arts’ module I remember creating our own prints based on the painting ‘Windows in the West’ (1993) by Avril Paton. And from this, I recall using a variety of materials and there being various steps before we had our finished product. I was interested to discover the affect print making had on various artists, it was suggested that print making was revolutionary because it was another way to be creative through art. Through this research, I found that the roots of print making ran far back and since then has collectively grown with more types of printing. This type of art had also made it possible to capture moments of history from centuries ago (Science Leadership, 2017).

Whilst researching, I discovered a lino print of a portrait of a woman by Nancy Bradley. This piece of art really interested and captivated me as I noticed, very quickly, the unique facial expression that the artist managed to capture in the woman’s face. I detected that the expression was one of a bold manner, as if the woman is of a high prestige to others or it could be that she is looking down on others. My interpretation of the woman is that she is strong minded, independent and high achieving. Whilst looking at the piece of art, various thoughts ran through my head such as: I wonder what the woman was thinking in the picture, why did the artist decided to create a woman of this manner, what was the artist thinking when they decided to create the facial expression on the woman’s face. I enjoyed and appreciated the fact that the colors were kept simple, with just black and white, as the value of colors helped me to see where the light was captured on the woman’s face. I think the colors that were used provided a sense of mystery with the painting and provided a good design for the painting. .

Lino Print- Portrait of a Woman by Nancy Bradley.

I felt that with my prior research and experience with print making, I had an adequate amount of knowledge, understanding and skills ahead of this session. During the session, we were all given the opportunity to further develop our knowledge and understanding of printmaking through reading a document by Yorkshire Sculpture Park called ‘Exploring Printmaking’. provides teachers with input on how to use printmaking in the classroom. This document outlines the purposes of printmaking, how it can be used for cross curricular lesson and gives examples of the practical elements of printmaking like how to set up a classroom and keep it tidy. Through reading this document it highlighted to me the significant opportunities that print making can give children, of all ages, as they are able to experiment and explore visual art.

As a student teacher, it is a brilliant opportunity to be introduced to various resources that will help us along our journey of becoming a future educator. A resource like ‘Exploring Printmaking’ allows me to develop my knowledge and understanding of this concept and in turn increase my own confidence and self-esteem in teaching printmaking and using it within the curriculum guidelines. I appreciate the various skills that print making provides for a child such as encouraging them to problem solve, have creative discussions and work effectively with others.

During today’s session we also had the opportunity to begin our artwork for our evocative object. Our evocative objects were to inspire us to create our own concrete poetry. Concrete poetry “creatively operates with space as an additional expressive category by arranging words in non-linear patterns across the page.” (Poetry beyond text, 2018). Therefore, this session gave us the time and assistance to begin our concrete poetry and we were to use this time to express our thoughts and feelings through design. At the start of this session, I didn’t know where to begin or how I wanted to express my evocative object and the feelings attached to it on a piece of paper. As my evocative object was my ‘You Matter Always’ (YMA) card I decided to begin with drawing the YMA symbol. The YMA symbol holds a special place in my heart as I have the symbol tattooed on my ankle to signify the strength of my mum and how she has suffered trauma throughout her life and still has the strength to continue in her life. It also reminds me that I matter always, that my thoughts, feelings and emotions are of value and I should never forget that.

When creating my symbol, I found it very difficult to get the size and scale of the symbol correct. I decided to stick with the same color scheme that my mum went with, I love the colour purple as it signifies ambition, strength, power, peace and independence. It reminds me to continue making goals throughout my life, to be independent and to be strong and not let my worries get me down or stop me from achieving my goals. I began my creation, using oil pastels however I quickly realised that oil pastels can be difficult when trying to merge two colors together. As the symbols colours range from light to dark purple and then some white, to reflect the dark and light within the symbol I wanted to convey this in my drawing. On reflection, it was clear that the oil pastels did not work and therefore I decided to draw the symbol again and this time use chalk. I decided to use chalk as I wanted to feel the colours blend and form together.

Looking at the start of my creative poetry I am not entirely pleased with it and therefore I want to reflect this week on what it is I don’t like about my creation so far and what it is I would like to change. I want to ensure that I make my creative poetry meaningful and convey the message of ‘You Matter Always’ therefore it is vital that I get this correct before this module finishes.

On reflection I feel that this session was of great value. It allowed me to develop my knowledge, understanding and skills of print making. It also gave me the opportunity to use my thoughts and emotions related to my evocative object and express them through visual art which is something I feel should be encouraged in the classroom. When considering using printmaking within the classroom, two things came to my mind and that is that in order to make something more engaging, the work should be more personal or have a connection to something else, a real life connection or purpose. Printmaking can fit into both of these options therefore furthering the chances that I will use it for a future lesson.

References:

Bourn Creative, (2011). Color Meaning: Meaning of the Color Purple. [Online] Available: https://www.bourncreative.com/meaning-of-the-color-purple/ [Accessed: 28th January 2018]

Science Leadership Academy, (2017). Printmaking. [Online] Available: https://scienceleadership.org/blog/printmaking-11 [Accessed: 28th January 2018]

Art Grab, (2016). This is Nancy Brandley’s lino print portrait of a woman. [Online] Available: http://art-grab.tumblr.com/post/140696690555/this-is-nancy-brandleys-lino-print-portrait-of-a [Accessed: 28th January 2018]

Poetry Beyond Text. (2018) Concrete Poetry. [Online] Available: http://www.poetrybeyondtext.org/concrete-poetry.html [Accessed: 28th January 2018]

Yorkshire Sculpture Park, (n.d.) Exploring Printmaking. [Online] Available: file:///C:/Users/Suzanne/Downloads/ignite-teacher-resource-printmaking%20(1).pdf [Accessed 28th January 2018]

Learning through Animation

This week’s input focused on learning through animation. I was able to develop my knowledge, understanding and skills in relation to animation and the various ways it can be used within the arts and within education. Animation can be described in numerous different ways, the main one being “the process of making films in which drawings or puppets appear to move” (Collins Dictionary, 2018).

I was very amazed and interested to find that some of the first discoveries of animation were traced back to the Egyptian times, where there were sequences of images used to decorate the walls of Egyptian tombs. Since then, capturing motion has been a main search and theme for artistic endeavor and with the advancement in technology it has allowed for animation to become diverse. Animation can range from motion pictures and games to medicine and scientific stimulation. As a child, some of my earliest and favorite movies were created through the form of animation, Walt Disney and Dreamworks are some of the twentieth-first century animators that created animated film cartoons such as Mickey Mouse, Shrek, Donald Duck and the Jungle Book. From my own experiences with animation, I enjoyed the fact that it gave life to the characters, it allows you to explore your own imagination and experience a different form of art.

Through my own research and discussion in class, I was interested to discover the ways in which animation can have a positive effect in education. I was able to find that animation gives pupils the opportunity to develop their literacy and visual literacy skills, build problem-solving skills, discriminate and interpret action and images, encourage critical thinking (e.g. which looks better, why does that one look better) and encourage collaboration and co-operation with their peers. As a student teacher, it is vital to appreciate how relevant and important it is to teach children about animation. I believe it should be used across the curriculum as a creative resource for pupils to explore and stimulate a wide range of themes and ideas and create their own animations.

I was fascinated to find the many ways to explore animation in art without the use of technology. During this input we discussed a form of moving image called flick books. It was interesting to discover that from the invention of flick books and other early animated toys, inspiration was found and gave the idea of moving pictures based on real life which in turn created the cinema. I found that flick books are an easy, enjoyable and exciting way to create a series of animations. When creating my own flick book, I decided to start with a simple idea of a stick man waving. For this all I needed was post-it notes and a pen. On reflection, I found that the post-it notes were difficult to flick and therefore in the future I would try to use index cards as they are thicker and therefore would be easier to flick.

This is my first step in my creation of a flick book.

This is my second stage in my creation of a flick book.

This is the third step in my creation of a flick book.

This is the fourth step in the creation of my flick book.

This is the final stage in my creation of a flick book.

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From having the opportunity to develop and create my own flick book, it gave me the knowledge and inspiration in creating an activity, similar to this one, throughout my placement. As an aspiring teacher, I can appreciate the difficulty in finding the resources and time to accommodate more advanced, creative activities. However, I do believe that the expressive arts is a vital subject within the curriculum and therefore should be treated with the same respect as literacy and mathematics. For this activity, I only needed some post-it notes and a pen and it took me roughly 10 minutes to create. Therefore, lessons can be created to discuss the progression that technology has had on animation and children can sketch and make their own flick book to see where animation first began, be imaginative, have fun, be creative and work alongside their peers. Through my own research, I discovered that creating an activity with animation not only correlates with the ‘Expressive Arts’ subject within the curriculum but also ‘Technologies’. I found that there are numerous experiences and outcomes that would provide the desired learning for the pupils through an activity like this one.

This input allowed me to further develop my knowledge, understanding and skills of animation through the arts. It highlighted to me the importance of providing children with creative opportunities as they find excitement, enjoyment and wonder through their own creations. I have discovered various ways to demonstrate and teach children about the progression of animation throughout the years and provide learning experiences for them to develop their own knowledge and skills of animation in the arts. I was able to reflect on my areas of strength and areas for development in creating my own flickbook, which in turn showed me that in the future if I was creating a flickbook, with children, index cards would be the most suitable resource to use.

References:

Collins Dictionary. (2018) Definition of animation. [Online] Available: https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/animation [Accessed 21st January 2018]

Fractus Learning. (2017) 5 Real Benefits of Using Animation in the Classroom. [Online] Available: https://www.fractuslearning.com/2013/12/06/animation-in-the-classroom/ [Accessed 21st January 2018]

Moving Image Education. (2018) Moving Image Education. [Online] Available: https://movingimageeducation.org/ [Accessed 21st January 2018]

Learning through evocative objects for teaching and learning

This was our first introduction to the module ‘Expressive Arts and Culture’ and it was one filled with knowledge, understanding, emotion, reflection and provided us all with an insight into what this module will entail.

This particular session focused on ‘Learning through evocative objects for teaching and learning’. Prior to this input, I had never heard or explored the term ‘evocative object’ so I was intrigued to research what this type of object was and the importance of it within the arts community. I found that the term evocative means “bringing strong images, memories, or feelings to mind.” (Oxford University Press, 2018). There is a book called “Evocative Objects”(2011) edited by Sherry Turkle, where 34 authors (scientists, scholars, artists, architects) describe their relations to evocative objects. Turkle, (2011, pg. 5) suggests that “We think with the objects we love; we love the objects we think with”. This message correlates with my own thoughts, feelings and reflections about my evocative object.

For this input, we were required to bring in our own evocative object and discuss it with our peers. I decided to bring in my ‘You Matter Always’ card which was made and given to me by my mum. This little card, of memories and messages, is a reminder of how important I am, how much I am loved and that whatever happens in my life, my thoughts, feelings, voice, story and life matters…ALWAYS.

This card holds so much meaning, purpose, hope and strength for me. It is a visual aid that I can carry with me wherever I go and access it if or when I need to. The photographs are snapshots of happy times and memorable moments in my life with the people that love me the most. The message that my mum personally wrote for me reminds me of how proud she is of me and how much she loves me. I laughed when I first seen my mum’s message as she thought she was being cool by calling me “Megan B.” It was one of those moments when your mum thinks that she is cooler than what she actually is, but I love her for it. What I appreciate most about this card is that my mum is here to give it to me personally because there were times when she was very unwell and we worried for her own safety and well-being. It means more than people could possibly understand because it brought so much light to a very dark period of time in our lives. It is a permanent reminder that we all have strengths, abilities and potential and our lives are of value. It is a creative way of letting people know how you feel about them before it is to late.

This is the front of my own ‘You Matter Always’ card.

This is the back of my ‘You Matter Always’ card. I choose the ‘LOVE’ saying as it was the one that spoke the most to me. My mum also has cards with “TALK, HOPE, CARE, MIND, CALM and HERO”.

Whilst my evocative object is unique to me, each card can be created with a specific person and message in mind for people of all ages, genders, cultures etc. My mum designed this tool of self-management and empowerment from a place of respect, love and hope and a recognition that to often people feel that they don’t matter. To me, this is inconceivable and unacceptable because everyone has inherent strengths that can be built upon to reach their full potential in life. We as educators, can play a fundamental role in helping to build a child’s self-worth, self-esteem and confidence in their own abilities. Who they are matters!. Their thoughts, feelings, voice, story and lives matter…ALWAYS. I have attached an example of a card that was made by an 8 year old girl who attended an event that my mum was volunteering at. She desperately wants to make a difference to others and asked what she could do, so my mum said just be you. They went on to create cards and talk together, this is one of the cards that she made for her auntie who was unwell.

The ‘You Matter Always’ card created by the 8 year old girl.

I think this highlights how the smallest gesture can make the biggest difference and that encouraging children to talk more openly about their thoughts and feelings can be a positive experience. Expression can be demonstrated in a number of ways and by different means. You Matter Always is a tool that aims to complement the interventions already out there. It appreciates that you don’t have to be an artist to be creative, it is about acknowledging and celebrating your ability to be innovative and artistic. As a student teacher, I respect and value the significance of expressive arts within the curriculum and believe that it’s value could be more recognised on an individual, cultural and societal level. An author who appears to appreciate and understand the value of creativity within an educational setting is Sir Ken Robinson (2006) who states that “We are educating people out of their creative capacities…I believe this passionately, that we don’t grow into creativity, we grow out of it. Or rather, we get educated out of it.”

Exploring emotions and feelings through the arts was very intriguing and interesting to me. I thoroughly enjoyed the group discussion that centered on everyone’s evocative objects. However, I did find aspects of the discussion difficult, as I often do not like to discuss the hard times in my life and tend to put a brave face on instead of talking through my thoughts, feelings and emotions. The group discussion allowed me to fully understand what an evocative object is as I was able to see first hand an object that to me, would look like an everyday thing such as a necklace, bus pass, card or a coin. However, to that person held a deeper meaning and memory. In the next few weeks, we will have the opportunity to create our own piece of art based on the feelings and emotions from our evocative object. Expressive arts and evocative objects can allow a degree of reflection to take place as it can remind you of where you have been, what you have learned and where you are going. Additionally, it encourages us to consider the influence or impact that the person or object has had on our life choices, chances and changes. Undertaking this module, is inspiring me to research the area of ‘Expressive Arts’ further and implement it into future practice.

Furthermore, throughout this input we were able to consider exploring ‘the unknown’. The unknown, for me, is something that as an adult I often find difficult as I often want to know the end product or outcome before I begin. However, as an aspiring teacher it is crucial that I recognise the power in the unknown and encourage my pupils to be expressive through a variety of means: dance, drama, art, write and draw without knowing what the end result will be. We were all given a selection of pipe cleaners and told to create anything that came to mind. By the end of this session, everyone ended up with a different model. For me, this allowed each and every individual to be creative in their own ideas without comparing there finished work with each other in a negative way.

References:

Oxford University Press. (2008) Definition of ‘Evocative’. [Online] Available: https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/evocative [Accessed: 14th January 2018]

Turkle, S. (2011) Evocative Objects. USA: MIT Press Books

Ted Talks, (2006). Do schools kill creativity? [Online] Available: https://www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity [Accessed: 14th January 2018]