Field trip to the MOCA

Last week my class went on a field trip to the Geffen Contemporary , located on Central Ave. in Downtown Los Angeles. It was such a powerful experience for all of my students! They learned that they could make art just by arranging everyday objects in a particular way. They were beyond excited to discuss of their observations, feelings and interpretations. At the end of the tour our educator asked the students to draw something that they themselves would like to see in the museum. Later when we came back to class I had them finish, and they had some absolutely amazing conceptions.

Brandon's art concept is very groundbreaking for a first grader. He was able to imagine an entire space or environment rather than just an object. In his installation he has sculptures and music. One sculpture is of "a guy how lossed (lost) his body." There is something in the corner that looks a little like a tree and you can see a body in the right hand corner that looks like it is jetting away? He even conceived of the music which he is adamant that it is "not scary. It's just amazing how he really designed an entire space! He also has a ramp here and there are some kinetics as indicated by his motion streaks.

Jordan wants to see this interesting room with a painting. His partner wanted to see a rainbow tunnel. I am just so impressed by their explorations into a third dimension. The students were all inspired by The Blue Room and The Chocolate Room at the MOCA Grand. Some of us also saw other painting in a black room the the Geffen Contemporary. It's a very titillating device that the students want to utilize in their own art.

Johanna wants to see "The robot that can do anything." It makes me think of something from "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Universe". What else could a rainbow colored robot be? I wonder how it works? Her partner drew a "pencil machine." I think these in particular demonstrate the sense wonder and magic that seeing the art at the MOCA inspires. THIS is how innovation begins!

Adrian's was very popular with the class. Adrian imagined having a car suspended over another car. His father is a mechanic so it seems he would like to translate something from his real world into the art world. The class had a great discussion about how a regular car could become art if presented in another place or in another way. He then started elaborating on this piece by saying that he would have it the car filled with different objects (e.g balls, school lunches, or teddy bears) each day.



What excites me the most about this is how the students are losing their preconceived notions about art and artists. Brandon, for example is a boy with very "un-fine" fine motor skills. He generally does not consider himself to be very "good" at art, but broadening the definition of art and expanding beyond just drawing or painting, he is beginning to see himself as creator and an artist.

Now I just wish that we could actualize all of this. I am feeling very motivated to have my students create an art exhibit based on their concepts. Maybe I could use one of our labs and we could invite parents and students in? I getting ideas!!! Even of the could create a 3-d Model that would be a start.

Color Exploration

Oh the colors! All the pretty colors. In our color exploration This week we explored all the colors we could make. This is so much better than having them create a color wheel, which I used to do every year. This adds an element of inquiry and exploration that is very gratifying.

One of the things I did was to limit the students for two colors at a time and white. This was extremely effective. So one day we did blue,yellow and white, and another we did blue, red and white.

It was so great when they would get excited about a color them made. The ocean green was a very popular color. It was even more impressive when the students were asking each other how they had made their colors and then trying to replicate that color. I was even able to squeeze in a mini-lesson on saturation!

The first time we explored color with tempera paint I really had to focus on getting the students to not use the paints like water colors. One of their objectives was that when they cleaned their brush they had to squeeze out the water with their fingers. They got really good at this, but I had to constantly model and reinforce this through the lesson.

The second time they got much better with cleaning the brushes, but I then I noticed some were struggling with just using the brush. I had to encourage them to apply more paint and let them know that it was okay to have the painting be textured instead of perfectly smooth. Also I had to model how to "stroke" as opposed to "smush" which is what some of them were inclined to do. I think "stroke" will be great vocabulary word for them. (I am so glad that I am reflecting on these observations so I can improve these lessons!)

Afterward I had the students place their paintings on the rug and they sat around to we could comment and talk about each others' art. We had to really work on prepositions and location words instead of saying "that one over there."

Their color explorations became so much more deliberate in the second round I can't wait to see what they do when we continue with yellow and red and then later with all of the colors.

I think it might be an interesting idea to stop them halfway through and have them reflect and verbalize what they have done and what they would like to do next. I feel a little conflicted. I don't want to tell the students what to create or paint, but is there anything wrong in this case of getting the students to work with a little more purpose?

Things to remember: Model and reinforce proper cleaning of brush, initial limitation of colors, encouragement to use more paint on paper.

Things to do: Continue with color exploration, work on "brushing" technique, and work on reflection and/or planning.

Just had to share this. The other night I decided to have an impromptu drum circle with my neighbors. Then we got even fancier and we collaboratively wrote a poem where each person built off the line of the last person. After that we recited the poem to music.

Improvisation gets easier with practice. It's fluency right. One part is the affective filter. People get nervous and clam up, but I also think that it has to do with having a repertoire of ways to make connections. I would like explore what the specific segments or skills are that allow one to be spontaneous.

According to Anne Milner improvisation is a huge factor in the success of entrepreneurs.

It was really fun and so much better than watching TV or playing video games. You have to try not to laugh when you listen to it.

Taking it Seriously and Buying Supplies

So in order to change my teaching I sincerely believe the change must come from within me. I must change myself. I must begin my own process of self-actualization. So I am going to buy an easel and paints and make it part of my own life experience to be a painter, an abstract painter. It seems a little difficult to find a bulk quantity for the right colors of acrylic pain. I know I need cadmium yellow, blue, red, white, and a darker red (not sure which one) and a ultra marine blue. Let's see what I can find.

Getting Started: Inner City Arts

So, the first thing I did was signed up for more professional development. I went to Inner City Arts today and spent an amazing day painting, dancing, singing and pounding on things. It was FANTASTIC. At the end the groups collaborated to create a performance with dance, drums and poetry to represent one of our abstract paintings. We chose the most chaotic one so I can't even begin to describe our dance only it ended with me yelling "Rock at the bottom of the ocean."

Now if only every day could be like this.

If Love is Like Oxygen Creativity is Like Water

Last Saturday I attended a Contemporary Art Start teacher workshop at the MOCA and during this workshop I realized how much I wanted to be teaching a truly innovative curriculum that fostered self-actualization and creativity.

Teaching is challenging! So much more challenging than I ever imagined before I started and I never thought the job was easy. I remember when I first decided to become a teacher I thought "Eh, I'll teach for five years or so. That's enough time to figure everything out," and here I am six years later feeling like I'm just beginning to understand. I certainly grasped the cognitive aspects early on, but it is the human factors, the motivation factors, the emotional factors and the significance factors that continue to be a challenge to me.

Creation is what gives one hope, purpose and the reason to be. It is like the rainbow that shone over Los Angeles not so many weeks ago. Rainbows are campy icons, but there was no denying the awe inspiring beauty of the psychedelic arc on that day. It made one believe that there was something more out there. There was something better was coming.

I went into teaching with the dream of cultivating a value for critical thinking, creativity, and social activism. My values have stayed the same, but my ability to actualize this, I feel is just barely blossoming. Right now I want to push myself to the next level in teaching and I feel that by documenting my professional development and personal growth in this blog, I will create a narrative of my growth that will help me make this process meaningful and fulfilling.

Also I hope to connect with others that are also interested in these topics so that through their questions and responses my understandings may grow and evolve in more complex ways.

Thank you for all of your questions, feedback and guidance on my quest.