Lesson Plan Ideas/Reflection

My partner, Nick and I have been trying to conjure an idea based off our "Representations of Home" presentation that we gave to our class a few weeks ago. We focused on the amazing art of Pepon Osorio and Gregory Crewdson and talked about how they represent a feeling of home in their works. Osorio usually uses concepts linked to nationality and feelings of displacement. Whether this be having to live in a culture different from one's own, or having to move out due to a fire... his themes of displacement can be reckoned (as seen below in "Tina's House").

Pepon Osorio's "Tina's House"

On the other hand, Gregory Crewdon's work has a dramatic and cinematic view of everyday American small towns. He photographs images on a huge large-scale set that he plans out very carefully to capture the desired image.

Gregory Crewdon's "Ophelia"

 
After briefly discussing what the feeling of "home" could mean without being in a space of continuous living, we got the feeling that this would be a great idea for a lesson. By talking about what the "home" feeling is to some students, we could translate that same feeling into a different space.
We were originally going to use a mixed media/collage/drawing on a flat sheet of paper... but this idea was pretty lame and after discussing it with our teacher, he challenged us to make it 3-d. What we ended up making was a small 3-d box with a writing exercise that got the students' juices flowing. By having them write about the feeling and memories they have of this place, students can easily reference their writing to compose a meaningful 3-d box. It was really hard to think of something that could be done in 45 minutes, but in the end, the students really had fun with it.

Here is Rachel D.'s example...

I even enjoyed making the teacher examples, which is always a good sign.

I think the lesson itself went pretty well. Though Nick and I planned what each of us was gonna say, I found myself unable to get a word in. After I finished what I was explaining, Nick would take over and just kinda keep talking. I know this isn't really his fault... and it wasn't on purpose... but our teaching styles are just too different which makes it hard to teach in pairs. I figure when it comes time to student teach, I should be able to really take control of my classroom (or let's hope).

Popplet Outline for my Narrative

New Video Project

So, I was originally going to do some sort of mash-up with the Hobbits from LOTR with added dub from gay movies portraying Frodo and Samwise in love. Though quite obviously meant for humor, i don't think this really gives any message. Also, it's been done. I came across this video which i found very inspirational. I can't wait to take part in this on our print club field trip Thursday.

Jones & Fox: PEW Interenet and American Life Project

This article was interesting to read. It compared the different generations in relation to the use of the internet. I think it rings true that the older generations are more prone to using e-mail than their younger predecessors. Not only did it take e-mail into account, but it also compared things like gaming, social networking, broadband use, online shopping and banking, between the different generations. The article was covered in charts and graphs that clearly displayed the percentages of generational internet use. While the younger generations generally dominated in overall usage, email and searching the internet for health information was found more common in older generations. When I read that, I though of how my mother and father like to email me things often, but since I usually only check my school email, I never get their messages. I usually rely on Facebook and text messaging/phone class for contact and information. While both my parents have Facebooks, I know my dad prides himself on have 30 friends and my mom checks hers often. They were behind the times in signing up for the social network and I wonder if they'll continue with whatever social network surfaces as inferior after the reign of Facebook.

We Make Money Not Art

While browsing we-make-money-not-art.com, I found it difficult to chose a piece of work that represtend a "New Media Literacy."  I came across an interactive ball that was trapped in the gallery space and would create charcoal squiggles on the white walls it bounced off of. Though I thought the process was the most interesting part of the exhibit, I realized it did not exactly display any certain NML... After re-reading the article, and checking out www.newmedialiteracies.org, I revisited we-make-money-not-art.com and came across a better example of artwork portraying a NML.

Thinking about Play as a New Media Literacy, I cam upon an awesome art exhibit from Hasselt, Belgium. The Numan / For Use exhibit at the House for Contemporary Art Z33 is an exhibit consisting of multiple layers of flexible nets that are suspended in mid-air. It forms a sort of floating landscape that visitors of the exhibit are encouraged to climb on and explore. The artwork explores ideas of "instability, levitation and regression." It reminds me of a net that hung in a room at my brother's MIT fraternity which was said to once hold over 26 people!!
Read more about the exhibit here!

Show & Tell Website: Artsonia

I wanted to post a link to this website for my show & tell before I forget about it. This is a great resource for art educators. With this website, teachers can create an online "Kids Museum" and upload pictures for every student. My art teacher used it during high school, it was a great way for parents to see what their kids have made over the full year. I remember a friend of mine's parents ordered some items as Christmas gifts with Katie's artwork on it! It's really good source for looking at the projects from previous years as examples in the classroom. I hopefully plan on using it in the future. Thanks, Mrs. Reustle!

Artsonia!

 

 

Accordion Book Alterations

Materials: Watercolors Brushes White Paper Colored papers Colored Pencils cardboard cover Mini secret envelope scissors, glue, pencil & erasers Postmodern Principles: Layering, Text & Image Exploring ideas of : narrative, illustration,  pattern, repetition,

Step 1 : Write one or two sentence about a recent dream. Plan out where each part of the story you tell will occur on your book. This story should incorporate a dream that you remember well. Step 2: Draw a patterned background with the watercolors. Remember that a pattern is anything that repeats itself throughout the image. So simple shapes like lines, circles, triangles or squares can be easily made into a pattern. The pattern must be repeated throughout the book. Incorporating your setting into the patterned background Step 3: While this dries, cut 4 or 5 shapes on your choice of
paper. Draw 20 more of that shape  in many varieties of size and
form. Cut these shapes out of the paper. Arrange these shapes
throughout the image and talk about how it can create movement,
repetition, and the picture. a world that can only exist in this
dream. Repetition and

Step 4:Use colored pencils to add any missing elements.
Step 5: Create your character somewhere in the picture. He/she/
only needs to be draw once, but more than that is encouraged.

Step 6: Glue a small envelope to the back cover of the book and
place the two sentences that inspired this work inside.
Step 7: Finish the piece by completing an about me page that
displays your knowledge of pattern, repetition and movement.