Week 12: Drama

Before attending our drama seminar on Tuesday the 9th of December we were advised to read ‘Connecting drama and Writing: seizing the moment to write’ by Teresa Cremin.Throughout the article it is explained that children are becoming more and more disengaged in class and that drama should be used to enhance learning as it will make it more fun and enjoyable. At the beginning of the seminar we did some warm up games. It was explained to us by the lecturer that when she goes in to schools to teach drama, all the pupils’ are slumped over their desks bored so to get them energised she will carry out some warm up games.

Cremin et al (2006) explains that drama is and should be used as a way ‘to facilitate creativity and imagination in all subject areas.‘ Throughout the seminar we focused on the subject of sustainable development. The lecturer brought in a painting that she felt we could relate to which was the ‘Glasgow Crest’.

The crest consists of a bird that never flew, a tree that never grew, a bell that never rang and a fish that never swam. We were split in to four groups and each given a drawing that related to to the themes of the crest. The picture my group were given related to the fish that couldn’t swim. The painting was by Monet however Bansky had put his own original twist on to it to highlight the modern day river we can see.

Our lecturer asked each group to analyse their painting and come up with a piece of drama that related to it. Our group came up with many ideas and it was interesting to hear each persons’ view. We came to the decision that this scene would be most associated with drunk and careless individuals who would think it would be a ‘good laugh’ to steal trollies and throw them in the river which would not only pollute the river put destroy the scenery. According to Cremin et al (2006) if children are acting they are having more fun which would overall make the learning more fruitful. My group enjoyed practising our piece of drama and when watching the other groups perform it really helped us understand all the different issues that can be linked to the economy regarding pollution, recycling, deforestation and destruction of wildlife. By taking part in this piece of drama enabled us to understand more about sustainable development as we now know that by acting carelessly can have bigger repercussions than we think. I believe that drama should be implemented in to all areas of the curriculum as it would allow children to delve deeper in to the subject area. A topic such as sustainable development can be quite difficult to grasp, however by using drama to enhance the learning can help pupils understand it more as they are physically acting situations out using their imaginations and creativity which makes the learning more enjoyable.

Before coming to this lecture I had always felt nervous about the prospect of teaching drama, however, after attending this lecture my confidence has grown. I now realise that when teaching drama and the other areas within the  Integrated Arts, the pupils creativity development is at the forefront and we as the teachers must encourage and prompt them.

Cremin, T., Goouch, K., Blakemore, L., Goff, E., & Macdonald, R. (2006) Connecting drama and writing: Seizing the moment to write. Research in Drama Education: The Journal of Applied Theatre and Performance, 11(3), 273 – 291. Taylor and Francis

Week 11: art and music

Throughout our integrated arts lecture on the 2nd of December we looked at an event held my the University of the West of Scotland in 2008 to promote walking and drawing. They invited primary pupils from the local area to ‘take a walk’ from their school to the university. They asked them to act like scientists as they walked and collect natural found objects on the ground. When arriving at the university, they brought all the objects together and asked themselves how they could analyse each object to its finest detail.They decided to draw the objects by enlarging them under the overhead projector and tracing their reflection on to paper. This allowed the children to see how these objects were formed and by drawing them enabled them to look at the objects in a way they had never done before.

Throughout our seminar we too went outside for a walk, where our sensory systems were able to work at their full capacities. We were asked to hold our attention for ten minutes on a natural object that we would normally just walk past or if we did feel drawn to it we would capture the moment by taking a picture of it and move on.

According to Ingold (2008) we have turned so readily to the camera. We no longer look at objects for the way they are formed so therefore we cannot really capture the true moment being experienced. We were given a pencil and a piece of paper and proceeded to draw the object or scene in detail. It enabled us to have attentiveness to detail and felt great pleasure with my finished product. I felt like the exercise has enabled me to delve inside the object and build up my own ideas of its formation.

I believe this exercise would be beneficial and worthwhile for children as they should be able to truly experience what is around them. From undisciplined walking about, children will receive a huge sensory education. The walk is exposure, which is taking us out of the norm which will enable our creative minds to run wild. The world is continuously changing and children should be able to experience them in true detail and comprehension.
Throughout our music seminar we finished our videos on GarageBand from week nine. I am extremely happy with the finished product. There is a link below:

Www.dropbox.com/s/ew6cwohlaki7w98/Animation%20for%20Blog.mov?dl=0

References:

Ingold, T. (2008) Up, across and along. In, Tim Ingold, Lines A Brief History, London: Routledge

Week 10: Art and music

According to Bloomfields and Childs (2002) ‘ The knowledge, skills and understanding of the arts within the national curriculum 2000 include participation, repertoire and critical and contextual skills’

We started our art seminar on the 25th of November by analysing different pieces of art work. We worked in small groups and used the ‘Hands on’ resource to deconstruct the image being portrayed by the artist. Before delving in to this exercise we talked about how we might record our information. We came to the conclusion, that with schools becoming more and more technical we should video record our response. I believe the use of video recording should be used within classrooms with exercises like this aw it is relevant and we can literally see our pupils responses and achievements within the learning outcome. The hands on resource goes through four basic steps to looking at paintings: describing the picture, interpreting our own idea of the representation, our initial response and researching more about the painting, i.e. ‘Who is the artist?’ I really enjoyed this exercise. It is not often that I fully deconstruct an image and form ideas for myself. It was interesting to hear the real meaning of the painting after as it was completely different to mine. Bloomfield and Childs (2002) discuss that children should form their own feelings, thoughts and attitudes when developing artistic understanding. This would show children that although we have our own idea when creating a piece of artwork others can get something completely different out of it. We are all individuals in our thinking. Below is a link to my interpretation of the painting and the four step process:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/6uyllekbvia39tm/Video%2025-11-2014%2014%2001%2002.mov?dl=0

We went on to discuss the importance of drawing and when we draw things we have a completely different sense of knowing. We discussed how technological advancements are completely taking over the world. An example of this would be satellite navigation. We no longer have a sense of how we actually get to places as we do not see and experience the world around us. However by drawing and planning out a journey we would actually get a real sense of how the environment is set out around the destination as the formation of objects would be inscribed in our minds. According to Eisner (2002) ‘In the process of creation, the arts stabilise  what would soon pass out of sight or memory. The arts allow us to inscribe a semi permanence’ We were instructed to draw a spool of thread on the walls of the classroom. By drawing it we could see the way it had been constructed and has left a lasting impression on my mind. I really enjoyed the experience of being up and out of my chair using my whole body to engage with the drawing. Nowadays pupils are slumped over their desks and are in my opinion bored. However by getting them out of their chairs and drawing encourages them to be active which overall energises them which will enhance learning. Below is a link to a video of me drawing the spool of thread. You can really feel the energy in the classroom.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/b5x3xlk3uhkcaej/Video%2025-11-2014%2014%2030%2007.mov?dl=0

According to GTC Scotland ‘Your most important tool is your voice, you need it to direct, focus and encourage pupils and to explain, discipline and manage the classroom’

Throughout our music seminar we considered why the teacher’s voice is an effective learning tool and how it helps enhance children’s learning. We as teachers use our voices six hours a day, five days a week to control a class and communicate with pupils and other professionals. Our voice is imperative to the success of our careers. The voice gives pupils the chance to express themselves and allows them to feel secure within their learning environment.We discussed how children don’t all  learn the same way and according to Howard Gardiner there are 8 different ‘learning styles’, e.g. kinesthetically, logically, mathematically and musically. If a child is not learning the way you’re teaching then you must be willing to adapt your teaching methods. Gardiner suggests that we must change our voices to suit the needs of a child who is musical but shows little logical understanding. The pupil would perhaps feel more comfortable if they could incorporate musical rhythms in to maths instead of being ‘bombarded’ by numbers alone. According to GTC ‘We should warm up our voices before prolonged usage by humming gently or doing some warm up exercises’. We did some exercises throughout the seminar that help look after our voices and were encouraged to come up with our own ideas that could be implemented in to the classroom to help our pupils prepare their voices too. Such as ‘The lips, the teeth, the tip of the tongue…’ which helps warm up every aspect of our vocal instrument.

References:

Bloomfiels, A & Childs, J. (2002) Teaching Integrated Arts in the Primary School. London: David Fulton Publishers

Eisner, E. W. (2002) The Arts and the Creation of Mind. London:Yale University Press

Gardiner, H. (n.d.) Multiple Intelligence Theory [Online] Available: http://www.multipleintelligencetheory.co.uk/            [Accessed: 3/12/2014]

GTCScotland. (n.d.) Voice Management [Online] Available:http://www.in2teaching.org.uk/hints-and-tips/View/952.aspx [Accessed: 3/12/2014]

Week 9: Music and Art

Before attending our integrated arts lecture on Tuesday the 18th of November we were encouraged to read Claire Gibbs article on ‘Room 13’ The question that was raised throughout the article was ‘What age can you start becoming an artist?’ Room 13 is a student organised art studio where by the children are seen as artists and intellectual equals. Nowadays within schools, it is all about working through textbooks and enduring endless test which really does not inspire children with a passion towards education as it is boring.

However Room 13 defies this idea by encouraging individuals to discover their unique potential and provides them with a space where achievement and fulfillment of education does not just lie in the future but is a continuous journey throughout their lives.

Throughout our art seminar we worked in groups to collectively respond to pieces of art work in the book ‘Power drawing lines of Enquiry’ by Eileen Adams (2005). Throughout the book, ‘self’ drawing is discussed. according to Adams (2005) when we are drawing ourselves we are ‘not influenced just by the image in the mirror or the memory, but by mood and personal history’ Throughout the book there was lots of examples of continuous line drawings. 

We decided as a group to design a piece of continuous artwork that represented our individual moods and how these emotions come together throughout friendship. Instead of drawing ourselves we decided to draw the person opposite us as it would enable us to see how others interpret us. Before delving in to our piece we decided what materials would be best to use and came to the agreement that black crayons on white paper would work as a basis before adding colour later. When we started to draw we decided to interlink all the portraits together so it became one. To reflect the theme of different moods and personalities that come together throughout friendship we used a range of different colours and splashed them over the portraits. Our piece was called ‘The Human Salad’

We believe that this piece of artwork could link in with health and wellbeing. According to Education Scotland (n.d.) ‘Children should understand how relationships are formed and that likes, dislikes, special qualities and needs can influence relationships. Just like the children in ‘Room 13’ we were given complete freedom on what we read to inspire us, what we created and what materials we used. I believe that Room 13 should be implemented in to all schools as pupils are in complete control of their own learning development. It is a place where they can have fun, express themselves, build confidence and voice their own opinion.

According to Scottish Government (n.d.) ‘ICT is a tool which needs to be embraced with enthusiasm and urgency given its potential to enhance learning in all art forms whilst increasing both learner enjoyment and attainment’

Throughout our music seminar we talked about the importance of music technology within the school environment. Our lecturer showed us different pieces of music software that we can use with our pupils. We looked at the website ‘sameprimaryresources.weebly.com’ There were lots of different music programmes that I believe would be beneficial to use within the classroom such as ‘Incredibox’ which uses cartoon figures with different outfits to represent the different styles of music.

Children can combine the different sounds in whichever order to create a tune. They can enjoy being creative and being free to make their own music. I believe that a piece of software like this would help develop confidence within music as children do not need to be able to play a conventional instrument or sing but can still compose a piece of music. The world is increasing changing but I believe, by encouraging pupils to use musical technology their learning will remain updated and relevant to them.Throughout the session we were given the chance to work with Garage Band which is a software that allows users to create music by mixing different sound effects and tunes.

We were given the chance to explore all the different sounds to compose a song. When writing a piece of music using a conventional instrument it can be difficult if you do not have the understanding of compositional structure. However, the use of Garage Band defies this idea, as it provides us with many samples of music whereby you can listen and cut and paste on to a blank page where you can build up your composition. It is a platform where all students can produce their musical creations. According to Pro Music (2014) Music technology such as Garage Band ‘encourages critical thinking skills, raises self-esteem, develops creativity and enables us to make independent choices within music production’ Throughout the seminar everyone was very positive and even the students who were not experienced playing a musical instrument were able to create something completely individual to them. I think that by using software like this within the classroom would enhance learning which would overall increase motivation levels.

References:

Adams, E. (2005) Power drawing lines of enquiry. Enfield:Campaign For Drawing

Education Scotland. (n.d.) My experiences and Outcomes:Relationships [Online] Available:http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/myexperiencesandoutcomes/responsibilityofall/healthandwellbeing/relationships/index.asp [Accessed:23/11/14]

Gibb, C. (2012), Room 13: The Movement and International Network. International Journal of Art & Design Education, 31: 237–244. doi: 10.1111/j.1476-8070.2012.01762.x

Pro Music. (2014) The benefits of Music Technology within the Classroom [Online] Available:http://www.promusicldn.co.uk/blog/4584154857/The-Benefits-of-Music-Technology-in-the-Classroom/8727145 Accessed [23/11/14]

Scottish Government. (n.d.) Expressive Arts Excellence Group Report [Online] Available:http://www.scotland.gov.uk/resource/doc/91982/0114473.pdf [Accessed: 23/11/14]

Week 8: Art and Dance

Before attending our seminars on the 11th of November we were encouraged to read Gunther Kress’s article ‘You’ve just got to learn how too see’ (2001) Through reading the text I now understand that the theory ‘Multimodality’ looks at the many different modes that people use to communicate with each other and to express themselves. Within communication we have become so used to the written and spoken word. According to Kress (2001) we need to use a range of modes to get the true message across when communicating. For example the use of gestures can be used to enhance the communication which make it more engaging for the message sender and receiver as it is easier to express and comprehend. Throughout our dance seminar we looked at using visual aids as a stimulus for creating dance. Such as:

We worked in groups of six and each came up with a dance move that we felt best represented the picture we had in front of us. Without showing the other groups our picture we had to communicate our movement to them and they had to decide what it represented. All the four beat movements were portrayed and guessed correctly without using the written or spoken word. We combined all of our dance moves that each group had created and used it as the main body for our dance. This is an activity that can be used as a whole class with everyone being able to participate. I believe that children would enjoy doing this as it would allow them to be creative and express themselves in a unique way. It is an easy way to deliver a dance lesson as the pupils make up the bulk of the choreography. According to Rhodes (2006) ‘The task of rigorously teaching a subject that one lacks training in can feel overwhelming’ I am not a confident dancer and lack knowledge within the subject. However after attending the session I believe that an activity like this will enable teachers without extensive dance knowledge and expertise to confidently deliver a dance lesson through the use of visual aids.  Here is a link to our video:

http s://www.dropbox.com/s/3p8jfuoxt5qhpq8/dance.mp4?dl=0

‘Curriculum For excellence recognises that films are texts through which ideas, experiences, opinions and information can be communicated’ Throughout our art seminar on Tuesday the 11th of November we were asked to respond to a stimulus our lecturer gave us and produce a short film from it. The stimulus we were given was a Jewish child taken by the Natzi soldiers from their bed to a concentration camp. This was to commemorate Remembrance day when the first world war ended.

It is important to respond and adapt to world events going on out with the classroom as it engages pupils within society and learning is not just restricted to classroom events. In our group we delegated jobs, including, actors, camera men, music production and light technicians. We discussed the importance of each individual role. For example the light and shade produced by the light technician helps create form and an appropriate atmosphere. At the end of the class we discussed the world wars and all said we felt truly immersed within the time period of the stimulus. It was all very relevant and helped us to empathise with what today means for people. Gunther Kress (2001) informs us that multimodality is crucial when looking at literacy. It is important to consider other forms of communication and expression and not be restricted to the written and spoken word. It is imperative that children are aware of these modes and are encouraged to explore these. Therefore, acting out the scenario was a way of communicating a situation using gestures and sounds as opposed to simply reading words about it. Here is a link to the short film we produced:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEwZnz61-0c&feature=youtu.be

References:

Kress, G. (2011) ‘You’ve Just Got to Learn How to See’:Curriculum Subjects, Young People and Schooled Engagement with the World. Melbourne: Acer Press

Rhodes, A. (2006) Dance in Interdisciplinary Teaching and Learning. Dance Education. Vol. 6(2), pp.48-56

Week 7: Music and Art

Before attending our lecture on Tuesday the 4th of November, we were asked to read ‘Creativity across learning 3-18’ Throughout the article it was shown that ‘creativity enables us to lead work well with others’. Throughout our music seminar we worked in small groups to play jingle bells by using a variety of instruments.

Two students were competent music players whereas myself and another student had limited knowledge of this subject. We were both encouraged by the other members of our team with timing and rhythm which helped us grasp this festive tune. The use of figure notes also helped us greatly.

The finished piece was a huge success and reaffirmed to me the importance of team work and communication. According to Bloomfield and Childs ‘Performance and presentational work develops a close working relationships within the peer group’ I came away from the session feeling positive and felt I had built a strong rapport with my fellow students. Here is a link to our ‘jingle’:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/qausvw0tpy97xuk/Video%2004-11-2014%2011%2011%2051%20%281%29.mov?dl=0

Throughout our art seminar we discussed Tim Rollins and the ‘Kids of Survival’ 1981.He was asked to develop a curriculum that incorporated art making with reading and writing lessons for students classified as academically of emotionally ‘at risk’. He developed a collaborative strategy that combined lessons in reading and writing with the production of works of art. Throughout our lecture we put one of his lessons in to practice. We passed a book around the classroom and ripped out the first page we came to. We were asked to find a metaphor throughout the text and then produce a work of art that symbolised the meaning, however obscure it may be. The metaphor that I found was ‘living room like a sixties photograph except for four enormous brown speakers ranged in the corners like bodyguards’ This is the picture I produced:

By pasting the page on to my artwork it really brought the whole piece to life. It showed me how we can open up and access a piece of literacy in many different ways. According to Creativity Across learning 3-18 creative teaching is ‘described approaches and activities, developed and delivered by those who lead learning, which are usually exciting innovative and often use unexpected techniques to engage learners’ This exercise has certainly excited me and given me a different perspective on literacy and how we can express ourselves in different ways. I am sure I will read each page of a book differently now and I will endeavour to use lessons like this with my pupils so there is an element of surprise and therefore encouraging creativity.

References:

Bloomfield, A & Childs. J. (2002) Teaching Integrated Arts in the primary school. London: David Fulton Publishers.

Education Scotland. (2013) Creativity Across Learning 3-18

Week 6: Music and Dance

“One of the most powerful experiences dance educators can offer children is the opportunity to create a dance that reflects their ideas’ (Cone, 2009, pp)

Throughout our dance seminar on Tuesday the 28th of October we worked in groups to choreograph a dance routine. Before starting we constructed a dance analysis and discussed areas such as theme, music and actions. After much deliberation we came up with the idea of animals and the African planes. We decided up the ‘Circle of life’ from Disney’s ‘The lion King’.

We worked together in groups to design movements that we thought resembled animals, however we found it difficult to be original. We seeked advice from our dance co-ordinator and she was very positive towards our dance moves, however, gave us extra ideas to make our routine less literate and more symbolic. When allowing children to run free with their ideas whilst creating a dance, we as educators need to step back and allow these ideas to come to the surface. According to Cone (2009) ‘Dance educators need to support children’s ideas and trust the pupils creative process especially when the educator may not agree with the meaning of the dance, content or structure’. After the session my spirits felt lifted as it allowed my group to gel together and create a unique dance routine through a fun and meaningful experience. As a future educator, I shall endeavour to use the importance of creative dance in my class to give children the opportunity to express their own ideas and individuality. Here is a link to the video my group and I created:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/c9q9gldzk0czzg7/Video%20%281%29.MOV?dl=0

Throughout our music seminar, we discussed how the ukulele is being used more and more within schools due to its low cost.

We learned about the different strings on the instrument and grasped an understanding that they don’t go in a continuous scale, but are a mix of high and low notes.I enjoyed learning about and playing the ukulele.I think it is an unusual instrument and I had never thought of implementing it in to music lessons. However, according to Bloomfield and Childs, ‘Providing children with access to a broad spectrum of instruments will extend their aural vocabulary and foster the thrill of sound, especially through combinations’ The use of the ukulele with children is good as it is an inexpensive resource, it is child friendly and it is small which is easier for them to handle. Pupils will find it interesting to play a variety of both well known instruments and the unusual. As a future educator I will endeavour to implement musical instruments such as the ukulele in to musical lessons as I do believe this will help pupils who are musical to develop their knowledge further and will give those pupils who do not have the knowledge to learn something new.

Before finishing our seminar we were shown the video ‘The Axis of Awesome’. The video portrays the idea that we only ever need the same four chords to play a pop song on an instrument. I was surprised by this as me being unmusical, I never thought I would be able to create a piece of music, however, I now know that this is possible. I hope to share this with my students as I believe it will give them the confidence to pick up an instrument and create their own musical masterpiece. Here is the link to the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOlDewpCfZQ

References:

Bloomfield, A & Childs. J. (2002) Teaching Integrated Arts in the Primary School. London: David Fulton Publishers.

Cone, T. (2009) Following Their Lead:Supporting Children’s Ideas for Creating Dances, Journal of Dance Education. [Online] Vol.9(3), pp.89. Available: Taylor & Francis [Accessed: 23/11/2014].

Week 5: Music and Dance

Within our integrated art module on Tuesday the 21st of October we were introduced to the East Ayrshire dance co-ordinator. Throughout the seminar we broke down the initial barriers children may face when participating in a dance class, for example, they many not have the confidence to stand up and express their feelings through movement. We were shown a few icebreakers that I believe would help eliminate these feelings. An example would be the shape game. Everyone moves around the room together dancing, skipping, turning. The teacher then calls out an object that the children can relate to, e.g. a Scottish salmon. The children have to interpret their idea of a salmon through dance. An icebreaker like this can help children open up and express themselves without being thrown in to the limelight. The dance co-ordinator went through the different muscles we have in our body and stressed the importance of doing this with primary school pupils as it gets them thinking about the biology of their body.

We should also stress the importance of doing a cardiovascular warm up before stretching as it raises our heart rates which gets blood pumping round the body. We went on to discuss how dance is cross curricular. An example is the link with literacy and our interpretation of different words. We were split into groups and were each given a list of random words.

We had to use this interpretation of words to choreograph our own dance moves. One of the main point of this task was that we were able to express our ideas, creativity and imagination. According to teaching Scotland (2012) ‘Creativity through expressive movement, such as dance, can bring huge benefits to children. It can empower them, improve health and give them another way communicating and helps them gain self confidence’. Although I was nervous when performing in front of others I enjoyed myself and loved watching all the different interpretations of the words we were expressing. Here is a link to the dance routine we created and the list of random words we had to interpret:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/4ms5lk2oqfj0vnh/Video%20%282%29.MOV?dl=0

Throughout our music lecture, we learned about different musical elements such as, the difference between rhythm and beat. The beat is the steady pulse thar runs through music and the distance between each beat is always the same. When teaching children about these concepts we could use the example of our heartbeats. However, the rhythm is the pattern of longer or shorter pulses which can be irregular or regular. According to Bloomfield and Childs ‘Musical elements provide the substance of most activities and are defined within each key stage in appropriate language for the different age groups’ I believe too that by understanding each musical element in detail, it will enable children to build confidence and then go on to create mood and effect when creating a piece of music.

Throughout the lecture, we discussed the topic of improvisation and how it is the easiest way to get pupils to be creative and confident within music. Our lecturer played ‘Hit the road Jack’ on her piano and we individually used our improvisation to play along to the music using a glockenspiel. As we made our way around the students I noticed that everyone played the tune differently. Before I played, I felt nervous and unsure that I had no previous practice before hand. However as I played and hit the notes I realised that what I was playing sounded right to me and was a good interpretation of the song. According to Eisner (2002) ‘the arts enable us to be confident, stop looking over our shoulder and direct our attention towards our beliefs and natural instincts’. I therefore believe that improvisation within the arts is a great way for developing creativity and individuality within children as they can just go with it and create a piece of music that is unique to them. Here is a link to a video of two students in my class using their improvisation to play along. Both interpretations are very good but are different at the same time.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/nrghxy97yhtx7g1/Video%20%283%29.MOV?dl=0

References:

Bloomfield, A & Childs. J. (2002) Teaching Integrated Arts in the primary school. London: David Fulton Publishers.

Eisner, E. W. (2002) The Arts and the Creation of the Mind. London: Yale University Press.

Teaching Scotland. (2012) Let’s Dance [Online] Available:http://www.teachingscotland.org.uk/education-in-scotland/curriculum-for-excellence/45-lets-dance.aspx [Accessed: 23/11/2014]

Week 4: Art and Music

Throughout our art seminar on Tuesday the 14th of October, our lecturer described an image to us and we had to use our imaginations and creativity to interpret the picture being portrayed. When reading the picture to us he read it just like you would when telling a story. He described the colours in the painting, the setting and the textures used by the artist. He then encouraged us to just go for it and create the image he had described, however, make it personal and creative. We used different tools to make our marks on the paper. When children practice painting within the schooling environment, they will generally make the standardised mark with a normal paintbrush. However, the usage of other tools allow freedom of expression, personal experience and variety. We also discussed how many people are terrified of the standardised brush as it is ‘professional’ and has a need for accuracy. By working with tools that defy this idea allows us to be relaxed and lets our creativity run wild. Before starting our activity we discussed the variety of colour. For example, the sky would normally be described as blue when in actual fact it changes colour depending on the time of the day and the changing seasons and can range from red to yellow to blue including greys and purples. The same applies to every aspect of the natural world. As I started to create my own personal masterpiece, I realised that by using a variety of colours my finished artwork had more depth and meaning. Throughout my creation I became more confident and felt contented with my finished outcome. According to Eisner (2002) in his article ‘What Education can learn from the arts’ the arts teach us that ‘our built-in satisfactions matter’. We should encourage children to be free with their work with no rules or regulations as they will too feel joyed with their creations.  He also describes how variability of an outcome is okay within the arts. Throughout the process I realised that we are all individuals and our imaginations allow us to interpret instructions differently. When viewing the classes finished art pieces the subject matter was the same in that it included trees, a church, a river and swans. However, each painting was individual to its own artist.

Throughout our music seminar we looked at the different sounds we can use when composing a song. By using inspiration from the children’s book ‘We’re all going on a bear hunt’ by Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury, we composed sound effects for the different barriers the family faced within the story. We achieved this with the aid of different percussion instruments and objects found around the house. We had to perform our in groups and it was interesting to see the different interpretations of the sounds from our peers. It shows that everyone’s perception varies, for example, we used a set of bongo drums to describe the forest noise ‘Stumble,trip’ whereas another group used the same instrument to describe the river noises ‘Splish Splosh’ We found the exercise very enjoyable and feel that it would be beneficial within the classroom environment. According to Bloomfield and Childs in their music mode article (2002,Pg,67) ‘learning should be fun, interesting and enjoyable. Musical activities naturally, have these rejuvenating qualities built into them’. We as teachers should, therefore, encourage lessons like this as pupils will react positively to them, will motivate them to join in and make the most of their musical experiences. Another reason that this lesson is useful within the classroom, is that it links music and literacy together making lessons more enjoyable and interactive. This ties in with Bloomfield and Childs (2002) idea that music is a ‘Powerful educational tool’ that links in to all areas of the curriculum. Hence why music and these activities are so important within schools. Here is a link to the video of ‘We’re all going on a bear hunt’ that my group composed:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/mg7078yxrbh3gn7/videp1.MOV?dl=0

References:

Bloomfield, A & Childs. J. (2002) Teaching Integrated Arts in the primary school. London: David Fulton Publishers.

Eisner, E. W. (2002) The Arts and the Creation of the mind. London: Yale University Press.

Week 3: Music and Art

Throughout our art seminar on the 7th of October, we examined the famous painting ‘Windows in the West’ by Avril Paton. We discussed how the painting affected our moods and how it may have been formed. We came to the conclusion that it was quite a shilling painting. However, I felt contented and drawn to it as I spent some of my childhood spent in a Glasgow tenement. By doing this exercise it allowed us to look in to the artwork and interpret it in our own way using our imaginations without being judged. According to Eisner (2002) we should encourage pupils to use their imaginations as it will allow them to perceive things in a different way than they would initially. Through my eyes I see a warm, inviting homely atmosphere. Nevertheless, I listened to my peers interpretation and realised there could be another thought process on the painting. We proceeded to create our own interpretation of a tenement building in Glasgow. We took on aspects of the building and engraved them in to a piece of polystyrene card. We made a series of prints using layers of different colours. I really enjoyed doing this exercise and feel that it would be beneficial to use within the classroom. I will ensure to use an appropriate piece of artwork that my pupils could relate to. It was discussed today that we should encourage our pupils to become curious detectives when analysing a piece of artwork. This will enable them to evaluate how the work has been created and the process behind it.

Throughout our music seminar today we discussed how we can use all sorts of symbols when composing a piece of music. When composing a piece of music we considered how it can be very overwhelming for people to learn music the conventional way. We were informed about figure notes. Figure notes is a simple system designed to grow confidence within the first steps in learning to read music. Each musical note has its own colour and symbol. With the help of stickers on the instruments, learners are able to see it, play it, and gather an understanding for it.

Throughout the sessions, we practised using figure notes whilst playing jingle bells on the glockenspiel. I had no previous experience playing this instrument, however with the help of the coloured symbols, I was able to grasp it very quickly. I think that figure notes really does demystify the first steps of learning to read music. According to Bloomfield and Child (2002) the national curriculum for music ‘calls for children to sing, play instruments, rehearse and perform, respond, create and explore, actively listen and apply knowledge with understanding’ (The Music Mode,2002,p67) I believe that figure notes will help students who have not yet grasped the ability to read music reach this goal as it is so visual and easy to learn.

Children should be told that these symbols are the same as conventional notation but they are written differently. Like Eisner (2002) says there is no right way within the arts. That is the true beauty of them. The way that most relates to us is the right way. The following picture is an example of figure notes.

References:

Bloomfield, A & Childs. J. (2002) Teaching Integrated Arts in the primary school. London: David Fulton Publishers.

Eisner, E. W. (2002) The Arts and the Creation of the mind. London: Yale University Press.