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]

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Report a Glow concern
Cookie policy  Privacy policy

Glow Blogs uses cookies to enhance your experience on our service. By using this service or closing this message you consent to our use of those cookies. Please read our Cookie Policy.