This week’s sessions included Visual Art and Music. We started off in visual art by continuing the process of printing which we worked on last week. We photocopied the prints we made and then filled in the rest of the blank paper to continue the image on the photocopy, then applied colour. I feel that this activity would be good to use in the classroom as there will always be differing levels of confidence, and by following on from an image which is already there, we are provided with the option of whether to copy aspects of the original image (which at first, learners who are not confident in the arts may decide to do) or whether to let our imaginations run wild and create something totally different. The image we used was part of a house – part of Windows in the West, by Avril Paton. The use of an image such as a house allows for people to consider how they want the rest of the picture to appear and by adding the other half to the picture they can determine the mood they want it to convey. The fact that children would have this power and are being told that there is not one correct way to draw the second half of the picture fosters a sense of the unknown and encourages curiosity as to what could potentially fill the empty paper. Curiosity is an essential part of creativity and we should do whatever we can to encourage it; valuing the inquisitive nature of young people. As discussed by Csikszentmihalyi (1996) if curiosity is not encouraged and there are not opportunities for children to experiment with possibilities, they will become less willing to take part in creative thinking and actions.

We then moved on to looking at books which children can use to colour in and to continue drawings from. I particularly like this book as there is a base on each page which triggers children to think creatively and to generate a creative response. It provides children with a starting point and with a small instructional sentence it guides their thinking and development without hindering their creativity by telling them how to complete the task; the instructions are always somewhat open to the interpretation of the child. For example, if a child is instructed to draw ‘the world’s strangest creature’ or to draw who they think is ‘riding the broom’, it is up to them to decide what the world’s strangest creature may look like and to consider what would make something out of the ordinary. It is also up to them to think about who may be riding a broom – this may be influenced by stereotypes and previous stories they have been told about witches and wizards on broom sticks, or they may choose to have a totally different character riding the broom stick. These books and the use of following on from other pieces of work provide learners with guidance as well as control over their own learning. Anne Harris (2016) discusses the need for children to have these opportunities of control and power. 

We then moved in to music where we used the garage band app to make our own eight-bar piece of music. We listened to and chose different beats and pieces played by different instruments and then put them together to create our own piece of music. We changed the tempo and pitch and added fade ins and fade outs, and experimented with sound effects.

I really enjoyed this activity and feel that it would be a fantastic way to engage children. I felt proud of the piece of music I had created and children would also get a feeling of pride from doing the same activity. We then moved on to upload an animation to the app and created music with the digital instruments and sound effects to go with the animation. Anne Harris (2016) argues that technology can act as a barrier to creativity as it provides people with an easier option than thinking for themselves. However, she also recognises that technology provides us with great tools to use to enhance creativity and Garage Band is an example of this point. By creating music to suit an animation children have to think critically about the message which they feel the animation should convey and the feelings which they want it to conjure. They are also experimenting with sounds and developing active listening skills. Apps such as Garage Band could be used to create audio books with soundtracks and sound effects to add depth, which would help learners to practice reading aloud and would also show them how their work can be displayed by means other than in writing. This is important as it is not all about teaching children for potential career prospects, but about teaching children how to appreciate the value of different forms (Smith, 2009). By asking them to consider the music and sound effects which they would deem appropriate for the piece of writing they are also developing a better contextual understanding. Teaching in this way can make a potentially boring lesson into something memorable which shows children that their work is valuable. This sense of value will hopefully encourage learners to try their best and to create something which they are truly proud of.

Overall, building up the confidence and resilience of children is extremely important. By providing them with beginning points such as brief, open instructions or a technological app with beats and pieces of individual instruments installed, we are providing children with just enough guidance to help them to find success in their own creative way.

References

Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1996) Creativity: Flow and the Psychology of Discovery and Invention. New York: Harper Collins.

Harris, A. (2016) Creativity and Education. London: Palgrave Macmillan.

Smith, F. (2009) Why Arts Education Is Crucial, and Who’s Doing It Best. [Online] Available: https://www.edutopia.org/arts-music-curriculum-child-development [Accessed: 2 October 2017].