Content and instructions
For this week, I recommend that you first do
your required Week Three reading, and then watch the lecture and Teaching Tips videos.
The purpose of the Teaching Tips videos is to give insight into how
MoMA educators introduce modern and contemporary works of art to students
highlighting the types of conversations they have in the galleries. There
is no Quiz for this week.
Big Ideas For Week Three: Activities as Inquiry
Week Three Components:
·
READING (see below)
·
EDUCATOR VIDEOS:
We have selected the following videos as
they highlight artworks and ideas that can be challenging for students. You are welcome to view all of
the Teaching Tip videos showcased on the MoMA Learning site.
Selected Videos
Teaching Tips: Marcel Duchamp. Bicycle Wheel. 1951. with MoMA educator Jackie
Delamatre
Teaching Tips: Jasper Johns. Map. 1961. with MoMA
educator Mark Epstein
Teaching Tips: Sol LeWitt. Wall Drawing #1144, Broken Bands of Color in Four
Directions. 2004. with MoMA educator Lisa Libicki
Required Reading:
Required Discussion Forum
Question:
Using the artwork you posted last week in the discussion forum,
ask a friend or family member to help you practice leading an inquiry-based
conversation around it, and talk about it in the forum: Describe your
experience. What was easy? What did you find challenging?
This week…
… Felt really challenging it
was very strange to take forth an activity from this MOOC with a friend and
really see what worked – and why – or why not…
This post is about IBL:
discussing a photograph with a friend in a way that models future practice. I
have also summarised some ‘activities as inquiry’ from Hubard and some
excellent suggestions for practice taken from the Forum. Many of those are from
primary age tutors – but still relevant for my University staff and students –
especially I think the ‘jump up and wriggle time’!! Absolutely…
Working class hero – discussion of Billingsgate Fish
Market
Last week I chose Bill
Brandt’s (c1938) ‘Billingsgate Fish Market’ as my artwork. It is a B&W
photograph of a scene at the Fish Market – with three men in the background
about their business and one man in the foreground gazing at the camera – or
though the camera at us the onlookers.
Discussing Billingsgate with my friend
I asked my friend to look at
the photograph and to take the time to respond to my questions – as himself,
not imagining himself to be a student or anything, just he himself… though
obviously one thing he knows about me is that I do teach and I did say that I
was asking him questions that I might ask a group of students at some point.
I sat my friend down in front
of my laptop to look at the photograph – and asked him to say what he literally
saw in the picture … and to make any observations that he wanted… I then waited
and waited.
After quite some time had passed – with me wondering all the while
whether I had made the supplementary statement too soon – he said, ‘Okay.’ Another silence... I then asked for his response:
He: Possibly Billingsgate Fish Market – one man in a white coat – a porter
because a basket on his head; one man with boxes on his head – a punter - customer
– though unusual because you don’t normally see them carrying … One man with
paper in his hand – a tally? The Tally man… Is this a hierarchy? One man is
looking at the camera – is this a staged picture? There’s a big fish in the
basket which is unusual as we don’t eat big fish nowadays… is it a shark?
There’s JE on a box - jellied eels? It’s a cramped busy place. There’s a
chopping block – is that fish or meat – it’s a big part of the picture… But
they don’t do that kind of thing in a fish market… I don’t like it! I don’t
know why. Too ambiguous? What’s it for? Don’t know what’s going on… Wouldn’t
have looked twice at it – it doesn’t give me enough…
Me: My next question would
have been, What attracts you to or repels you in the picture … It seems like it
repels you? And it’s not the subject matter?
He: Yes. It’s the composition – it’s cramped – I can’t see the point of it…
I can see it’s night time – and all the different packaging – laughs – could use it with Logistics
students…
Me: I might have asked
students whether that was documentary or art or whether that mattered?
He: (No real response – kept
looking at the picture.)
Me: When do you think that
picture was taken?
He: That’s why it’s so frustrating that it’s such a cramped picture. There
are wheels there – it could be 1910, 1920? If I could see the wheels… if I could get a better look…
Me: Perhaps the cramped nature
of the picture is part of the point?
He (more looking – positive
noises)
Me: It was taken circa 1938… Though
the clothes could be anywhere up to 1960s?
He: Yes - looking at it – it’s not the cliché jolly cockney pictures … Good…
He (more looking – positive
noises)
Me: You noticed one person
looking out – at us… I just did another course – Dorothea Lange took
documentary pictures in the US
– had one, ‘Angel of the Breadline’? With just that – one person looking –
inviting us to comment - to be a chorus perhaps… On that hierarchy you were
noticing?
He: – it’s … class… Not the jolly chatty cockneys – you don’t see working
men like that - in that picture – closed – working… Not laughing and joking… It’s good – a good
thing…
He: I’m glad I looked now, yes…
Coda
We then discussed his quite
strong reaction against the picture. We also discussed that he only felt able to share his initial negative reaction to the picture because of our trust relationship. He thought that saying he did not like the picture
would have pulled forth a lecture on why he should
like it – and what makes it good. And even though we have trust, he was
surprised that he did not get that lecture but was ‘allowed’ to continue to
explore the picture and his reaction to it – until he came at last to his final
(in this encounter) reaction. He did have a positive reaction – but not because
he felt he had to be positive – or that he had to pretend to be positive… He
realized that once he overcame his own resistance (and the feeling that it was
all a trick – that he was about to be talked down to and condescended…) he
actually did respect and like the picture – for his own reasons.
Reflection
This brief encounter of no
more than twenty minutes at most was a revelation. Naively, I did not
think that the mere showing of a photograph would evoke so much emotional and
cultural baggage – nor such negative educational or academic baggage.
In this episode, I can see all
the weight of a content-based, hierarchical, elitist and measurement-obsessed
system. In this brief encounter there was resistance, confusion, frustration, irritation,
anger, self-doubt, a tendency not to trust the ‘teacher’ or the teaching scenario; a
belief that your own thoughts and feelings will be deemed inappropriate, bad,
irrelevant… just plain WRONG. I can see the expectation that
students are expected to swallow their pride and lose all of themselves – do as
they are told – think what they are told to think…
That this one small and quite
beautiful picture evoked such a strong response in a grown up ... What on earth
are we doing to our young?
I am lucky that there was
trust in this friendship, otherwise I would never have been allowed to see all
this. Now how to remember it – not just in this MOOC and in my final project –
but in all my teaching!
Activities an inquiry and learnig: Notes on the Reading – suggestions for practice:
Activities
that frame encounters with artworks:
- Introduce key concepts e.g.
modelling a partner to test out resistance in material – which will bring
fresh insight to sculpture
- Hook people in with a riddle
- Record encounters with
artworks tip: make the sketchbook first (see www.accessart.org.uk )
- Reflect by drawing most
powerful moment on a postcard
Activities
that deepen and enrich encounters:
- Foster close observation:
use a viewfinder; bend a piece of wire; describe to another; tear off
paper and produce mini-collage
- Access an immediate response:
say the first word or draw the gesture that come to mind
- Elicit an embodied response:
become the artwork; write a letter *from * the landscape
- Access the emotional tone:
write a poem or prose piece in response to; create a soundtrack for…
Activities
that connect the artwork to other realms of learning, creation, experience:
- From artwork to own world –
e.g. discussing cultural icons – ask students to offer suggestions and
descriptions of icons of their own – and to follow up in social studies
- Developing non-art ‘skills’
– generate nouns/adjectives from an artwork and use in sentences (!)
- Inspiring artistic creation
– expressing an artwork through the medium of dance – seeding own work…
- Guiding the honing of specific
art skills – drawing sculptures to improve draftsmanship.
Useful teaching notes from a Forum
Discussion Thread
I have my students keep a 'cuaderno personal', ( a
composition book) that they write reflections in on a regular basis and are
provided feedback in. Maybe at the closing of class discussion, you could have
them reflect/expand on the discussion in their book (or in a class wiki), then
you as the teacher can read the entries and give them feedback, or have them
peer review it, getting feed back from a classmate. It does take a lot of time
to read all of them and to provide feedback, but watching them read the
comments when they pick up their notebooks will give you goosebumps. Just a few
words on the reader's part makes them re-digest the discussion. Hope this
helps.
In my experience, allowing the free flow of conversation
(as adults would handle it when talking about a piece) comes with practice.
When I teach my students how to do Socratic seminar, there are some weeks of
hand-holding and oodles of modeling on my part. We have a facilitator for each
seminar, and for the first couple of weeks, it's me! This way, the students,
who will all get a chance at being facilitator can see a model of how to
redirect a conversation that might be going off of the deep end. It's rough at
first, but with each new piece, there's more ownership on the part of the
students and a better understanding of how to practice being reflective when
thinking about a piece.
I tend to use a lot of literary works and poems, so I have the kids do
annotations (a lesson during Orientation week) and come up with critical
thinking questions (another lesson). We also review expectations for seminar
each time we engage in it (which is weekly) and I'd be more than willing to
share these. It's a poster I simply made in PowerPoint that hangs up in my
classroom. The students are also aware that they're being assessed throughout
the process from annotations to participation, from grace and courtesy to eye
contact. If you practice it enough, it becomes second nature!
The 2 minute silence and focus becomes a
"group effort". It encourages students to work together...to be aware
of movement and sound around them (a non-interactive group activity). This
prepares them for "circle" (an interactive group activity) where they
each get a few moments to share their awesome thoughts and ideas....it's always
a wonderful experience (as a teacher) to hear what ideas and thoughts they
have. Sometimes, they are PROFOUND!
This technique has been used with kids from ages preschool
thru high school. The initial focus was ACTUALLY more about finding time
management solutions which led to patience, self & group awareness, then,
focus on art. I kept finding that I (the teacher) was "commanding and directing"
the use of time in the classroom (which goes against my teaching
methods/beliefs) when ultimately, students must understand (at some point in
their lives) how to utilize "time" efficiently on their own (it's the
real world, right?). And much of their time management is structured/controlled/directed
by parents... waking them up, getting them dressed, driving them to school,
etc. etc. There isn't a lot of autonomy…I found myself using SO much of my own
energy dictating time and completing state guidelined activities rather than
encouraging the learning process and one day, I just thought, "WHY am I
doing this? THEY are perfectly capable of accomplishing this...if they can take
responsibility for time management, I can focus more on the curriculum and
teaching pieces... When the students became responsible for their own time
and tasks, things took a dramatic change in the classroom. I would place an
easel in front of the class and list the 4 stations they needed to work
through. Students each had a journal page with those 4 tasks (for example) and
when they moved through each station, it would be checked off (yes, even for
preschoolers). I had my own personal station that would be more in depth than
the others. Preschoolers were introduced to time as well and instructed that
they had until the big hand landed on the 5 (25) to get everything completed
(for example). SO, it sounds absolutely crazy, doesn't it? Well, it was...a
complete mess in the beginning...but then, something remarkable happened (it
took about 3 weeks before things started to catch on)....kids would notice the
clock (with excitement and giggles to get everything done) and watch the hand
move, which began the process of understanding "time", they
would nudge their other classmates as the big hand moved...and at times, if I
looked around and saw unmarked charts, I might "suggest" that they
look at the clock as well...with time, these kids became very responsible for
their time and tasks for the day. It was quite remarkable, actually (this
spilled over into other classes and their home life as well). Even for the
preschoolers! When "Looking Time" was integrated, toddlers through
5th grade were limited to 2 minutes (5 minutes for the older kids)....and we'd
take turns talking...much like our instructor does with her museum visitors. My
only rule was that we allow everyone the opportunity to speak without
interruption (because there are some VERY important things being said, everyone
deserves the opportunity to share their ideas and if everyone is talking, we won't
be able to hear them! :) I've never had to limit the time because the kids
already know the first 15 min are for circle and looking time (free time at the
end...if not enough time, no free time)...they're watching the clock (not
me)...lol! I don't know if this would work for others, I can only tell you that
it worked for me and I've used the same concept for light years. By
making students responsible for their own time, you free up more time for you
the teacher) to engage in other areas (taking those extra minutes to re-explain
a concept to a student or coming up with a new side activity for the next day,
etc. etc.) I should also note that another teacher in the same building adopted
a similar approach and it worked beautifully in his room as well. :) So, maybe
give it a go and see what happens! I would love to hear the responses! Good
luck to all!
It is difficult to have a quiet, controlled classroom
discussion when children are excited and motivated to share their responses to
an artwork. We want the excitement, but when the
voices cancel one another out, the students' production of new thinking around
a complex idea a can dissolve in the distraction. One strategy from
the theater department has been for the teacher to clap her/his hands in a
rhythmic pattern, and have the students clap back. This always stops the
action. It is friendly and collaborative, and gives the class enough time
to catch their collective breath. Before any rambunctious discussion, let the
class know about this technique. . And speaking of ideas, a class motto that
reads "All ideas are good ideas" will establish a tone of acceptance.
I've used this technique as well and it is effective.
Another attention grabber is turning off the lights (kids know if I turn the
lights off, to freeze). Sometimes I'll do a quick "wiggle, giggle, jump up
and down" session but it really is based on the dynamics of the group.
What works for one class, might not work for others. Positive rewards are VERY
helpful as well (stickers, stickers and more stickers). :)
One strategy that worked well with my
kindergarten class was drawing names. Each student had their name on a
popsicle stick and it was in this shiny can that I decorated. I used this
when my class was not responding to my questions. I would shake the can and the
students actually would get really excited and want their name to be drawn.
This technique worked wonders and I heard many interesting responses.
One strategy that I use when teaching children in the
gallery, that may work in the classroom, is to ask the children to spend
one minute looking at the painting. I tell them that they will then turn around
so they can't see the painting and I will ask each one of them in turn
to share something that they remember about it. I have never
had the same observation twice within one group. It works well near
the beginning of a session as each student gets to stay something and be heard
and I get to praise everyone of them individually. It's not only
useful for including the quiet children - who incidentally I have
found make the most profound observations, so its great to have their
input - but its a great method for engaging even the most disruptive child.
When we turn back around to look at the painting in more depth, I have
them all hooked and eager.
In the art classroom compared to the art museum, there are
some differences of relationship to the teacher. Some of my students have been
coming to my studio for more than three years. We are all very comfortable with
each other, a learning family. I like to get student impressions after looking
at art, after making art.
If you throw the question making and asking to the students and they direct the
questions to you, or to each other students, this can produce surprising
results. The questions they come up with might be anything from sociological to
technical, they are often delicious, funny, totally irrelevant, or not, and
often insightful.
As the teacher, most of the time I do not like to be the one breathing out the
learning oxygen, being the main voice in the room will just make me the
dominant personality (not what I want to be) followed by a hierarchy of
dominant personalities. I want my quiet achievers to have a voice but that
might take a different form than through dialogue.
Mixed ability classes: Your
comment reminded me of a class I took through Coursera-MIT Global Poverty (my
favorite class offered through MOOCs) this past winter/spring. The scenario you
described above made me think of a study that Dr. Esther Duflo & Dr. Banerjee
conducted in India.
I was able to find the study (free-at least for now, so click on and save) for
you. Even though this research was completed in India, they faced a very similar
situation (further explained in the abstract portion of the paper) and I think
this analysis could provide you with some ideas and strategies. http://www.povertyactionlab.org/publication/remedying-education-evidence-two-randomized-experiments-india
On another side note, I
would also consider researching Montessori concepts and teaching
methods.....this teaching methodology encourages multiple age integration and
students helping other students........http://www.montessori.edu/maria.html
Other MOOCs to
consider: I highly recommend that
everyone taking this course, sign up for "Art
Historical Methodologies ARTH301" through Saylor University
(free and virtually all OCW/reading-not much interactive discussion there-so,
it would be nice to have some fellow classmates from here to discuss that class
with as well) saylor.org.
It examines the differences between Art History, Art Criticism, Art Aesthetics
and the different philosophical approaches/styles used. I had NO idea there
were so many different philosophies (some were established in the 1700s!)
and how these techniques are used today with presenting art and integrating it
into the public classroom (schools, museums, etc.). Take a look!
I highly recommend you take Modern and Contemporary Poetry
by Prof. Al Filreis. It's the first MOOC I took, and frankly, it spoiled me.
It's truly an inquiry-based MOOC that was organized and implemented in a manner
that kept me engaged from the first minute. Al was very invested in the course
and in the success of the participants, constantly making his presence felt and
asking open-ended questions as opposed to lecturing and giving us the answers.
Next week – our Project – good luck everybody!
