Unit Paper 1
Identity is an example of a big idea, we are able to raise questions as to who we are as a person and we are able to find meaning deep within us. Walker (2001) states that by allowing students to drift away from the usual artmaking and letting students use their technical skills and their abilities to build a connection to their art they are able to become more freethinkers rather than a follower of a mentor’s work. The ability to develop one’s own idea or thought rather than constantly follow a teacher’s plan is known as constructivism. According to Parsons (2004) “art education is scattered… The result is that many different practices go by the name of integrated curriculum and there are many names of the similar practices” (775-776). This gives me the impression that students may be getting mixed information based
As previously mentioned, identity is an example of a big idea that helps us understand who we are and what we like. The idea of a self-portrait is an example of a person having the ability to portray themselves in a manner that somebody else might not see them. However there are many methods to creating a self-portrait. When somebody thinks of self-portrait they might think of an image of themselves, but one of my favorite methods to creating a self-portrait is by creating a work of art that uses things that I like rather than creating an image of myself. By using this method we are able to use many ways of creating a self-portrait, whether it be collage, photographs, literal drawings, etc. In some cases it is difficult for a person to make a literal self-portrait and it might discourage them from attempting it and it might feel like it’s not a real self-portrait that they identify with.
Walker, S. (2001). Teaching meaning in artmaking. Worchester, MA: Davis.
Parsons, M. (2004). Art and integrated curriculum. In E. W. Eisner & M. D. Day (Eds.),
Handbook of research and policy in art education (pp. 775-794). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence
Erlbaum Associates
As previously mentioned, identity is an example of a big idea that helps us understand who we are and what we like. The idea of a self-portrait is an example of a person having the ability to portray themselves in a manner that somebody else might not see them. However there are many methods to creating a self-portrait. When somebody thinks of self-portrait they might think of an image of themselves, but one of my favorite methods to creating a self-portrait is by creating a work of art that uses things that I like rather than creating an image of myself. By using this method we are able to use many ways of creating a self-portrait, whether it be collage, photographs, literal drawings, etc. In some cases it is difficult for a person to make a literal self-portrait and it might discourage them from attempting it and it might feel like it’s not a real self-portrait that they identify with.
Walker, S. (2001). Teaching meaning in artmaking. Worchester, MA: Davis.
Parsons, M. (2004). Art and integrated curriculum. In E. W. Eisner & M. D. Day (Eds.),
Handbook of research and policy in art education (pp. 775-794). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence
Erlbaum Associates
Unit Paper 2
In this unit power is the main idea used to describe visual culture. Power can take many forms in visual culture, whether it is political, commercial power, or any other kind; visual culture tends to abuse this power to its fullest potential and sometimes we may not realize what we are being sold. Hurwitz & Day (2007) state the following, “images projected for their consumption can be so influential… teenagers will view thousands of often negative ideas about how they should look, act, think, and feel…” (pp. 282). They emphasize my thoughts on the idea that visual culture tends to have this power and tends to wave it around, by influencing youth to change based off this appeal t-hat visual culture gives. But visual culture is does not always influence an audience in a negative way. In some cases it could be used in an educating manner. Terry Barrett of Interpreting Visual Culture (2003) uses an example of children learning to use visual culture to judge what is marketed towards them and what might be marketed towards adults.
There are many methods that we could learn about visual culture and how it affects us, but it is entirely up to us to judge the way we perceive it. In Hurwitz & Day’s piece they talk about three different ways of applying knowledge into visual culture. Radical change from Art Education to Visual Culture Education, Applied Artist and Their Art, and Comprehensive Art Education: Visual Culture in the Art Curriculum. Among these three methods, Applied Artist and Their Art speak to me the most because it talks about allowing the student to re-apply and rework their view on a previous artist’s work. In this section they talk about reimagining their favorite CD cover. This allows the students to tell a message in their own image that they might get from a song or the album as a whole.
Barrett, T. (2003). Interpreting visual culture. Art Education, 56(2), 6-12.
Hurwitz, A., & Day, M. (2007). Children and their art: Methods for the elementary school, (8th
ed.). Thompson Wadsworth.
There are many methods that we could learn about visual culture and how it affects us, but it is entirely up to us to judge the way we perceive it. In Hurwitz & Day’s piece they talk about three different ways of applying knowledge into visual culture. Radical change from Art Education to Visual Culture Education, Applied Artist and Their Art, and Comprehensive Art Education: Visual Culture in the Art Curriculum. Among these three methods, Applied Artist and Their Art speak to me the most because it talks about allowing the student to re-apply and rework their view on a previous artist’s work. In this section they talk about reimagining their favorite CD cover. This allows the students to tell a message in their own image that they might get from a song or the album as a whole.
Barrett, T. (2003). Interpreting visual culture. Art Education, 56(2), 6-12.
Hurwitz, A., & Day, M. (2007). Children and their art: Methods for the elementary school, (8th
ed.). Thompson Wadsworth.
Unit Paper 3
Visual thinking strategies and psychological safety is one of the many methods we are able to use to talk about vulnerability, we are able to use vulnerability to create a story or meaning behind an event. Vulnerabily isn’t something that is clearly visible, but as the approach describes, with VTS we could understand vulnerability better. Approaches that Housen and Yenawine describe are allow students to speak freely based on what they see, ask general questions in order for a person to elaborate on their idea, accept an idea rather than shun it, and if you perhaps disagree, again ask to elaborate on it. These are few ideas that they talk about in order for students to understand and elaborate on vulnerability.
Willcox (2017) elaborates on the fact that many high school students would attempt to step out of their creative box and try new methods, while some of these risks led to many good artworks, some led to what the studetns considered failures. While I believe it is important for an artist to steop out of their creative zone it is also important for them to find their comfort zone. This allows for the artists to become confident in their ability as artist and return back to their safe haven. For my population I would encourage students to step out of their comfort zone in order for them to find this new ability within their vulnerability, but I would deeply encourage to return back in order for them to remain comfortable until they feel prepared to step away. From personal experience I sometimes needed that voice to tell me to stay within my zone in order for me tunderstand a method better, sometimes allowing a student to become vulnerable is not always a good thing.
Housen, A., & Yenawine, P. (n.d.). Visual thinking strategies: Understanding the basics. Retrieved from http://www.vtshome.org/research/articles-other-readings
Willcox, L. (2017). Vulnerability in the art room: Explorations of visual journals and risks in the
creation of a psychologically safe environment. Art Education, 70(5), 11-1
Willcox (2017) elaborates on the fact that many high school students would attempt to step out of their creative box and try new methods, while some of these risks led to many good artworks, some led to what the studetns considered failures. While I believe it is important for an artist to steop out of their creative zone it is also important for them to find their comfort zone. This allows for the artists to become confident in their ability as artist and return back to their safe haven. For my population I would encourage students to step out of their comfort zone in order for them to find this new ability within their vulnerability, but I would deeply encourage to return back in order for them to remain comfortable until they feel prepared to step away. From personal experience I sometimes needed that voice to tell me to stay within my zone in order for me tunderstand a method better, sometimes allowing a student to become vulnerable is not always a good thing.
Housen, A., & Yenawine, P. (n.d.). Visual thinking strategies: Understanding the basics. Retrieved from http://www.vtshome.org/research/articles-other-readings
Willcox, L. (2017). Vulnerability in the art room: Explorations of visual journals and risks in the
creation of a psychologically safe environment. Art Education, 70(5), 11-1
Unit Paper 4
Including play in art and education is a valuable method to getting knowledge passed on from the teacher to the student. Students are able to learn in many ways as long as they are able to develop their own ideas by being allowed by the teacher to explore and learn with very little guidance by them; this method of being allowed to explore freely by the teacher is called Choice-Based & Learner-Directed. Douglas & Jaquith (2009) evaluate on three assessments, these assessments are made to allow the student to evolve and strengthen their art education. Collaboration is meant to allow the students to work alongside their peers and get opinions from them, evaluation points out the strengths and weaknesses in a student’s work, and exhibition allows for the students to show and recive critique from their peers as a whole. The assessments are made so the student is able to work freely and allow themselves to be shown through their artwork.
In some cases allowing a student to work freely is a very important thing to do in the class and as teachers we have the most important role by encouraging these actions. However I do believe that there should be some form of control before allowing the students to explore various media on their own. Freyermuth states “Then their questions started pouring in ‘Is it O.K. for me to use crayons and paint?... Is this right?... Is this what you want?’ their extreme eagerness to please was touching but troubling.” Because she allowed the students to explore the media on their own some felt lost and uncomfortable. It wasn’t until afterwards where the students were reassured that they had no wrong way of making their art. In some cases this might be a correct step for students in some others, it might not, and some might wish to know how some media works with others.
Douglas, K. M., & Jaquith, D. B. (2009). Engaging learners though artmaking: Choice-based
art education in the classroom. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.
Freyermuth, V. K. (2012). One art teacher’s search for a holistic approach. In L. H. Campbell &
S. Simmons III (Eds.), The heart of education: Holistic approaches (pp. 266-269).
Reston, VA: National Art Education Association.
In some cases allowing a student to work freely is a very important thing to do in the class and as teachers we have the most important role by encouraging these actions. However I do believe that there should be some form of control before allowing the students to explore various media on their own. Freyermuth states “Then their questions started pouring in ‘Is it O.K. for me to use crayons and paint?... Is this right?... Is this what you want?’ their extreme eagerness to please was touching but troubling.” Because she allowed the students to explore the media on their own some felt lost and uncomfortable. It wasn’t until afterwards where the students were reassured that they had no wrong way of making their art. In some cases this might be a correct step for students in some others, it might not, and some might wish to know how some media works with others.
Douglas, K. M., & Jaquith, D. B. (2009). Engaging learners though artmaking: Choice-based
art education in the classroom. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.
Freyermuth, V. K. (2012). One art teacher’s search for a holistic approach. In L. H. Campbell &
S. Simmons III (Eds.), The heart of education: Holistic approaches (pp. 266-269).
Reston, VA: National Art Education Association.
Unit Paper 5
4/5