Room 13 International

Wednesday 24th March
During this week's session we looked at Room 13 - at what it is and what it does.  Room 13 started off:  "Slowly and organically, Room 13 has gone on to establish a network of creative studios and a thriving community of young artists and entrepreneurial thinkers that stretches around the globe" (Room 13 International 2012). 
 in 1994 as a photography class in Caol Primary school near Fort William in Scotland, which the pupils called the Caol Camera Club which the artist in residence Rob Fairley taught reluctantly.  However when his residency came to an end the pupils did not want him to leave so began raising funds with their photography to pay him if he stayed.  Unable to accept the money he had them buy their own camera instead and the project grew from there into their own art room, room 13 of the school and into other areas of art.

Room 13 - South Africa

The four cornerstones of the project are:

1. Business Practice - which is the most important,
2. Philosophical Enquiry - to develop a culture of curiosity,
3. Recriprocal Learning - which is about exploring and learning together, and
4. Creative Freedom - which most people who are just discovering the project think is their key cornerstone, however without the above three the fourth would be impossible to put in place.

"The Room 13 network offers a forum through which artists and young people can engage with different sectors of society, gain experience that enhances their curriculum learning and benefit from international relationships and cultural exchange" (Room 13 International 2012).  Therefore it is a cross-curricular project that enables pupils to develop a wide range of skills and I believe that more schools should be incorporating Room 13 International's aims and methodologies in their art and enterprise programs.

As a student teacher I feel that I could use the basic ideas and aims of the project and incorporate them into lessons not just art based but across the curriculum due to the business focus of the project: "maintaining accounts, ordering and organising materials, arranging and fulfilling commitments, negotiating, planning, problem solving, corresponding, sharing life experiences..." (Gibb 2012) as well as creative independence.  Thus allowing the pupils to experiment with materials to create their own artwork rather than a version of an artwork that already exists.  From previous experience with teaching a design lesson I feel that pupils would need to be eased into the creative freedom aspect and given ideas and lessons on how certain resources and materials could be used before they begin experimenting with new ways that works well for them.

Overall I believe that Room 13 International is highly inspirational project that more schools should be a part of.

Examples of Room 13 Artwork

Bengal - Room 13

Lochyside - Room 13

Lucy MacGillivray - Everything I have thought of in Eight Years

References
Gibb, C. (2012). Room 13: The Movement and International Network. International Journal of Art & Design Education 31.3 (2012): 237-244.

Room 13 International (2012).  Available at:  http://room13international.org/ [Accessed 25th April 2013]

Art Therapy

Wednesday 17th April 
This week's session was about animation.  The class was divided into groups and were to create an animation using the materials they were given.  One group created a flip book animation, another created a sand art animation and the last group created a charcoal drawing animation, all of which could be easily used with a class of children as the materials are all easy to use.

I however was absent from this session due to illness so instead of reflecting on my experience I will examine the view of using art as a form of therapy for ill children as it has been an aspect of art that I have been interested in learning more about.

"Art Therapy is usually a very effective way of working with children who may be going through a difficult time. This may be due to specific changes in the child’s life, for example, divorce, bereavement, trauma, bullying, arrival of a new sibling etc. What may be difficult to put into words, or even unknown in spoken language, can be expressed through the artwork or sandtray" (London Art Therapy Centre 2013).  It is usually carried out by outside agencies who have had specific training in art, child psychology and therapy, however teachers and other adults in the child's life can also use art therapy.  However Callaway and Kear (1999) states that: "If a child seems to display inappropriate behaviour...during an art-making session, the teacher's duty is to refer to an appropriate agency, not to try to provide classroom therapy."  

Art therapy is used to help children with not just emotional difficulties but with barriers to learning such as Dyslexia and Autism who struggle to express themselves, therefore I feel that it is something that more teachers/ schools should be including this in their support programs.  A client from the Mental Health Services had this to say about art therapy:  "Art therapy has been very good for me because I am Dyslexic.  I found it hard to write things down, doing art has helped me to explain things better.  It has given me more time to try and understand my feelings past, present and future" (British Association of Art Therapists 2011).  Teachers can begin to incorporate art therapy into their Heath and Wellbeing lessons through creative artwork and discussion to cover the outcomes:

• I am aware of and able to express my feelings and am developing the ability to talk about them.  HWB 1-01a
• I know that we all experience a variety of thoughts and emotions that affect how we feel and behave and I am learning ways of managing them.  HWB 1-02a
• I understand that there are people I can talk to and that there are a number of ways in which I can gain access to practical and emotional support to help me and others in a range of circumstances.  HWB 1-03a
• I understand that my feelings and reactions can change depending upon what is happening within and around me. This helps me to understand my own behaviour and the way others behave.  HWB 1-04a
• I understand the importance of mental wellbeing and that this can be fostered and strengthened through personal coping skills and positive relationships. I know that it is not always possible to enjoy good mental health and that if this happens there is support available.  HWB 1-06a
• I am learning skills and strategies which will support me in challenging times, particularly in relation to change and loss.  HWB 1-07a
• I understand that people can feel alone and can be misunderstood and left out by others. I am learning how to give appropriate support.  HWB 1-08a (Education Scotland 2010).

Therefore I believe that art therapy is an area of art that could benefit a range of children in a range of circumstances and that it is something that teachers can begin to include in their lessons which links the two curricular areas of art and Health and Wellbeing, as well as others.


References
British Association of Art Therapists (2011).  Available at: http://www.baat.org/media.html.  [Accessed 18th April 2013]

Callaway, G. and Kear, M. (1999).  Teaching Art and Design in the Primary School.  Oxon: David Fulton Publishers.

Education Scotland (2010).  My Experiences and Outcomes.  Available at: http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/myexperiencesandoutcomes/healthandwellbeing/mentalemotionalsocialphysical/index.asp.  [Accessed 18th April 2013]

London Art Therapy Centre (2013).  Art Therapy With Children.  Available at:
http://arttherapycentre.com/what-is-art-therapy/art-therapy-with-children/. [Accessed 18th April 2013]

Seth Castell - Underwater Dog Photography

"Award-winning photographer Seth Casteel, also known as "The Underwater Dog Guy", has been featured in NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC, The New York Times, TIME Magazine and on GOOD MORNING AMERICA, EXTRA, CNN WORLD REPORT, THE TODAY SHOW and JEOPARDY! As one of the most published pet photographers in the world, his work can be seen in hundreds of magazines, calendars, posters, books and TV shows.

Casteel’s business, Little Friends Photo, based in Los Angeles and Chicago, specializes in lifestyle pet photography, embracing the at-ease mentality of pets on-location in their natural surroundings. The results are spontaneous, priceless moments of your pet's unique personality captured in photographs that will last forever.

Seth is super duper excited about the release of his first book, "Underwater Dogs", to be released October 23, 2012 through Little, Brown." [decaturarts.org]

He was inspired by seeing a dog that loved jumping into a pool to retrieve a ball. “As I watched him, I wondered, ‘What does he look like under there?’” he says.

“I love the connection that dogs have with water,” says Seth. “It gives me the opportunity to explore their wild instincts and allows their amazing range of expressions to shine through.”

I was drawn to these images not just because of my love of dogs but also because of the humour of them in the form of the dogs facial expressions.  I feel that children of all ages could engage with them and develop an interesting discussion on their thoughts and opinions of them and that it would spark their creativity to capture their own images.  The images could also be part of a topic such as emotions as each captures a facial expression that we recognise.  Therefore overall I feel that Seth Casteel's would be a great photographer to study with children.


References
 Available at: http://www.decaturarts.org/components/biography/527/.  [Accessed 15th April 2013]

Drawing Vs Photography

Wednesday 10th April
This week's focus was on drawing and how it is a form of looking.  So we made the most of the nice day outside to draw one of the trees on campus.  I began by drawing the base of the tree focusing on the different lines I could see and the spaces between the lines.  During our sketching time we were posed the question of the difference between drawing and photography.

The dictionary definition of drawing is "the act of making pictures or designs with a pen, pencil, or other writing tool" and the definition for photography is "the art or practice of taking and making photographs"  (Wordsmyth 2013).

According to Sedgwick and Sedgwick (1993) cited in Callaway and Kear (1999): "Drawing is an attitude of mind, a form of enquiry; not
an end in itself so much as a way of understanding, of seeing potential, or of using.  Drawing deepens understanding through involvement, by utilising an intensity of looking, selecting, organising...".  Cox and Watts (2007) agrees with this idea that drawing is a type of thinking process which enable children to observe, analyse and respond to the world around them.  Children need to "learn how to hold drawing tools correctly, to explore the range of marks that can be made with them, to experience working on a variety of scales and to develop an awareness of the potential of different materials for future use" (Cox and Watts 2007 p.34).  Therefore drawing is a skill that can be partly taught and should be taught by all Primary school teachers as it develops skills in:

• "looking, responding, analysing and coordination of mind, hand and eye;
• gathering of essential data and information and the processes of researching, working out and thinking through ideas;
• solving problems in response to design briefs in relation to meeting a whole range of human needs;
• communicating ideas to others through use of sketches, plans, designs, diagrams, scribbles, doodles and so on" (Callaway and Kear 1999 p.18).

I believe that photography can also develop children's skills in some of the above aspects such as looking and responding as in order to take a photograph you need to look and choose what you want to photograph.  "It is well known that children recognise photographs before they can understand the written word" (Jayhem and Walton 1987 cited in Callaway and Kear 1999 p.84).  Therefore photography can be used with Primary pupils of all ages.  "Photography may be a process of learning with the new experiences and mistakes from the past events. I strongly believe Photography is an medium for staging of the truth and for communication that expresses and to explain without any linguistic hurdle...Photography creates a connection between people through interests, cultures, locations" [whatisphotography.net].

Photographer David Hum said: "Photography is just a tool, a vehicle, for expressing or transmittal a passion in one thing else" [whatisphotography.net].  So photography is a form of communication and expression that can enable children to share their interests and discover aspects of the environment they live in.

Overall I believe drawing and photography are similar in the skills they enable children to develop and what they can express however they are also different.  Both of which I believe should be taught in Primary schools.


References
Cox, S., Watts, R. and Contributors (2007).  Teaching Art and Design 3-11: Reaching the Standard Series.  New York: Continuum International Publishing Group.

Callaway, G. and Kear, M. (1999).  Teaching Art and Design in the Primary School.  Oxon: David Fulton Publishers.

Wordsmyth (2013).  Available at: http://www.wordsmyth.net/ [Accessed 11th April 2013]

Available at: http://www.whatisphotography.net/ [Accessed 11th April 2013]

Finding Nemo 3D - Independent Study

Wednesday 3rd April
This week's session was an independent study day where I took part in self-directed activities that contributed to the learning outcomes of this module.  Those learning outcomes are:

• Demonstrate a critical understanding of how art and visual culture through creativity, aesthetics and value judgement develops cognitive ability.
• Understand the complex relationship between art, design and visual culture and the wider school curriculum.
• Demonstrate an ability to plan for learning based on understanding of pedagogy and policy.
• Engage at an advanced level with art and design materials.

The activity I took part in was watching Finding Nemo in 3D at the cinema and this links to the first and second learning outcomes due to the animation aspect of the film and also the dynamic visuals that are incorporated throughout.

Many schools are now taking part in Moving Image Education which aims to help "young people to question, analyse, explore and understand the meaning of what they’re watching and hearing" (Creative Scotland & D Fie Foe 2009).  Their website is full of ideas and resources for teachers to use with their class to create their own moving images or films [http://www.movingimageeducation.org/] all of which are highly useful.

I feel that films like Finding Nemo that has a simple storyline could be used as an inspiration for a class to make their own films.  So pupils could make a film about someone trying to find their lost loved one but with their own characters, settings and styles of animation.  I believe that it would be a worthwhile project for any class at any stage because it can be easily differentiated through the type of animation, the length of the film, the materials they use, etc.

Finding Nemo can be used not just as an inspiration for animation but also for other types of artwork due to the breathtaking visuals and the setting of the ocean.  Children could recreate their own ocean pictures using a range of media and also use the ocean as design inspiration to create a piece of jewellery, clothing, etc.  From this particular film there are so many avenues to develop learning not just in the Art and Design curricular area as it could inspire writing, P.E activities, music, drama.

Therefore from this self-directed activity I have gained the understanding of how films that the children know and enjoy watching can inspire so many areas of skill and knowledge development.

Moss (2006) states: "Film can provide a visual image and a sensory experience that cannot be generated with the same magnitude elsewhere. Film can give life and dramatize a specific idea or activity that otherwise might go unnoticed... Film can be a catalyst for class discussions and debate. Film links disciplinary perspectives and can serve specific courses or units in conjunction with other media... Teachers who use film to supplement their teaching can reach students who may find other media inaccessible or difficult. With preparation and careful attention, film can be an intellectually stimulating and emotionally meaningful tool in an educator’s belt."


References
Creative Scotland & D Fie Foe (2009).  Moving Image Education.  Available at:
http://www.movingimageeducation.org/ [Accessed 3rd April 2013]

Moss, S. (2006).  Effectively Using Film in the Classroom.  Available at:
http://cmi.byu.edu/Articles/FilmClassroom.html. [Accessed 3rd April 2013]