This week’s input where based on the visual arts and music. Once again, this week I was able to consider the importance of the Expressive Arts within education and the vitalness that I continue to develop theological and performance knowledge.
During the visual arts input we explored primary education and the arts in Lapland. It was rather insightful as Lapland a significant amount of outdoor learning takes place all year round, in spite of having extremely bad weather during winter months. Within the Scottish education system outdoor learning is increasing emerging due to the wealth of learning opportunities the outdoors can provide in relation to children academic and social development. Using outdoor space can be a great way of engaging the children in their learning, there are many Expressive Arts Activities that can be taught outdoors for example;
• Opportunity to explore different types of art media such as chalk.
• Provide space for large-scale painting projects
• Engaging children with nature and seasons, this can be used as stimuli for art work, such as using leaves to create an image.
• Using outdoor space as a setting for drama.
• Children will be able to use their sense to discover new knowledge
• The outdoors can be used to teach music the different sounds and rhythms for nature.
(Thornton and Brunton, 2013)
Also during this week’s visual arts input all student had the opportunity to discuss their placement experience in regards to the Expressive Arts and what form of the arts are being taught. I am fortunate within the school I am currently placed I see a significant amount of the arts being excellently taught. So far, I have seen every form of the Expressive Arts being taught, it is great to see all children are fully engaged, get excited and seem to enjoy the arts. The class teacher is proficient utilising inter-disciplinary learning, for instance in the visual arts the children had to design a house using only three shapes (square, triangles and rectangles). I believe the main aim of this lesson was to develop children creative skills and process in particularly problem solving. Placement tasks will be posted later and will looking in-depth as the expressive arts I have fortunate enough to observe.
Moreover, the central point of this week’s music input was to develop sound, rhythm and notations. Initially I did not have understanding of notations and what each individual note value was, but over the course of the session I was able to acquire a greater understand and increased confidence. During the input was used drum sticks to mick playing drums and what hand movement would be required. We were giving a notation and had to play in rhythm with the backing track, which aided myself in following along with the notations. I found this input to rather enjoyable and was able to take a lot of learning experience with me. Over the music inputs I have most certainly become more self-assured in my ability to teach music skills to children in the future, it is important that I believe in my abilities and do not get nervous when to teach music, as this will most definitely impact on children learning within the arts (Jaap, 2009). It is imperative that I seek advice from arts specialist and engaged with career development within the art, when I am qualified teacher in order to support my skill development and increase the effectiveness of my teaching within the arts (Wilson et.al, 2008).
Connecting both input together there is a clear coloration that using the visual arts as a source for outdoor learning can complement music likewise as children can engaged with the nature scenery and related sounds.
References
Thornton, L and Brunton, P. (2013) Making the most of Outdoor Learning. 1st ed. London: Bloomsbury Publications.
Wilson, G, MacDonald, R, Byrne, C, Ewing, S, and Sheridan, M. (2008) Dread and Passion: primary and secondary teachers’ views on teaching the arts’. curriculum journal. [Abstract Online] Vol 19 (1) pp. 37-53. Available: http://www.research.ed.ac.uk/portal/files/16586710/Wilson_et_al_Curr_Journal_revised_submission.pdf [Accessed 20 November 2017]
Jaap, A. (2009) A Little Music Class. [Online] Available: https://www.gla.ac.uk/media/media_434179_en.pdf [Accessed 20 November 2017].
Tallis, T. (2013) Tallis Habits Pedagogy Wheel. [Online] Available: http://www.thomastallisschool.com/tallis-pedagogy-wheel-guide.html. [ Accessed on 20 November 2017]
Tag: art
Cognitive Development of Children’s Art Work
The focus of this week’s integrated arts input was the cognitive development of children’s art work, as they progressed through their primary education.
Initially, Elliot Eisner 10 Lessons the Arts Teach was imparted during the lecture, what I gathered was this publication should be at the centre of any creative teaching, as it abridges the exposition for the arts in education (Hall and Thomson, 2017). Likewise, the arts can aid attainment throughout the curriculum, but Eisner publication makes it his nucleus that the arts are more about understanding the world completely and the influence that creativity can have on our world (Hall and Thomson, 2017).
The pre-readings required for the lecture where very insightful, which explored art and design in primary education and the art developments of children through nursery and primary.
- The Arts in Education, Fleming 2012
- Teaching Art and Design 3-11, McAuliffe 2007
These reading encouraged me to consider the varying elements of creativity and how this can influence the mark makings, drawings and paintings of a range of ages and was able to use this knowledge when introduced to the archive of children’s art work.
McAuliffe (2007) encapsulates the different art and design stages that children develop, McAuliffe makes reference to the theories of Lowenfeld and Brittain (1997) which they alluded the following model of art development:
- Stage 2-4 years- Scribbling stage
- Stage 4- 7 years- pre-schematic stage
- Stage 7-9 years- schematic stage
- Stage 9- 12 years- gang stage
McAuliffe, D. (2007)
However, presently teachers no longer make reference to this theory as a means of art assessments due to cognitive advancements. (McAuliffe, 2007).
This a created by a child who was four years old, this is known as the pre-schematic stage (McAuliffe, 2007, P.26). At this age children can draw anything relevant from their imagination. Initially I though child’s drawing was of a birthday cake, however a description on the back made by their teacher said in fact the child drew a dog under a washing machine. The child’s teacher exhibited good practise by listening and making a note of what the child drew.
This painting was a produced by a child (aged 7- 9 years) during the schematic stage. As art ability is progressing children begin to add more details and features to their work, they are understanding the importance of proportion and placement of objects and the importance of colours (McAuliffe, 2007). However, there is a conversion in learning styles as at early level creation is more “child- based activity” and when they go into first level creation is “adult- based learning” (McAuliffe, 2007, P.28). Art work in the primary school becomes more unified and is centred around the lesson plans of the teacher and their creation and imagination rather than the spontaneous imagination of the children.
The final stage of art development in primary education is the “gang stage” (aged 9-12 years). At this stage children are able to make precise drawings of features, likewise children are becoming increasingly conscious of their art work and their ability as skills required become more demanding (McAuliffe, 2007). Also children in this stage add more detail to their work but will become more discontented and will use pencil in order to rub their errors out until perfect.
The lecturer introduced an excellent way to incorporate art and literacy, this can be done by giving children one page of a book or article which they read, instead highlighting key points, they would draw their response on the page given.
This week I have been able to expand my knowledge of children development through art and design, this allowed me to consider methods in which I can adopted in order to ensure children have the opportunity to employ their own unique imagination and creativity into their art work.
References
McAuliffe, D. (2007) Foundation and Primary Settings. In Teaching Art and Design 3-11. London: Continuum.
Hall, C. Thomson, P. (2017) Inspiring School Change: Transforming Education Through the Creative Arts. 1st ed. Oxon: Routledge.
Eisner, E. (2002) The Arts and the Creation of the Mind. Chapter 4, What the Arts Teach.
Integrated Arts- Week One
During my time at primary school I thoroughly enjoyed the arts, and was involved in the school’s drama productions and was member of the school’s choir, by participating in these extra-curricular activities I increased my confidence and self-assurance. However, when I went to secondary school I gradually fell away from the arts related subjects and never studied any after third year.
The thought of teaching the arts makes me considerable apprehensive, due to the little knowledge I have in regards to the arts. But during the first week of the Integrated Arts module I have learnt a sufficient amount, which has made me feel more confident and relaxed about the prospect of teaching the arts.
The focal points of the lecture and workshops where art and music. During the art inputs, we explored the importance of children’s creativity, which children can illustrate from a very young age. What I acquired from this was, as a prospective teacher it important when planning art lesson to allow children the chance to exhibit their own imagination and creativity.
“Planning, teaching and supporting learning art it is important that you consider the aspects of creativity so that children have the opportunity to respond their own creativity€ (Edwards, 2013, P.11)
In addition to this, it foremost to value and merit children’s art work, this can be done by asking them to explain their art work to you. In art, it significant to bear in mind that there is no wrong method or way, but any piece is correct and worthy.
During the music input we explored music appreciation, similarly to art it is important to create a creative learning environment, were mistakes are allowed and praised. Also during this input, we investigate the significance that music can have on other curricular areas such as numeracy and literacy. Using music and literacy in groups we constructed a story board, this was completed my listening to a seven-minute-long track that did not have any lyrics. By doing this we were able to listen and erect our own thoughts on the track and brought our ideas together to create a story. This can also be done using digital literacy (sound and visual) and can be an effective and creative lesson to engage children with music and literacy.
The initial week of integrated art I feel I have been able to amplify my universal arts knowledge and look forward to the coming inputs.
Reference
Edwards, J. (2013) Teaching primary art. 1st ed. Oxon: Routledge
