Unusual Art

Unusual art was never something that I even heard about before starting this project. Honestly I only chose to create an unusual art piece because it sounded like a challenge, and I had a ton of empty pop cans lying around just waiting to be recycled.

I personally believe that unusual art is perfect for the classroom because, although I don't advise cutting up pop cans with children, it's a great way to get students to think about the materials around them in a different way than before. So many children get caught up in having to use the right paint or clay or paper to make their art be exactly perfect; I really like the idea of challenging students to use what they have around them to create something new and unique.

"No Exit"

My unusual art project turned out to be a house, specifically a haunted house because I couldn't get all of the hot glue off the aluminum, but the cans could have been used in many different ways, such as classic trucks and Mario. Also, there are endless ways to create unusual art. It really is just taking something that isn't usually used as art, and making art with it, for example feather paintings, cracker clocks, and leaf hedgehogs.

TARDIS

My first art project this semester was sculpture. I have always loved sculpture, and my father spent years doing wood carvings when I was a child. Therefore, I chose to try my hand at it.

I immediately decided to combine my love for sculpture with my love for the tv show Doctor Who. After brief consideration, I realized that, with the time I had available to me, my best chance of finishing lied in my carving a model TARDIS.

I was very worried that I wouldn't have the time or talent to carve a TARDIS of which I could actually be proud. I chose to push on anyway, and was pleasantly surprised with the end result.

What I learned from this project was the importance of having faith in myself and my ability. Even if it hadn't turned out as well as it did (if I do say so myself), I truly feel that it is the effort that really matters. That is what's so important, as well as the decision to try. The ambition to attempt something that seems impossible is, in my opinion, what really stops most people from starting at all.

Teaching Through Art

One of the things that really struck me in the first few classes this semester was the idea of teaching through art. It's not something I think I've ever really thought about because my experiences have always involved only using art as an addition to learning. I had never considered that students could actually learn something through the actual process of creating art.

This is my watercolor painting depicting the different parts of a flower. When I was painting it I, quit frankly, felt that the whole thing was kind of a waste of time. I didn't see any connection between what I was doing and how to use it in the classroom. However, since then I have realized how truly valuable an activity such as this one can be for a student who is struggling.

I've always been an advocate of giving students more than one way to express their knowledge; this is an excellent example of that principle. In a world where the use of worksheets and the assigning of research papers to who are still struggling to read fluently has become more and more prevalent, it is vital that students feel that have another way to demonstrate their understanding.

I think that this is a creative and, more importantly, meaningful way to integrate the arts into the classroom.

A great resource on the subject of integrating the arts is the blog Teaching Through The Arts. Check it out for more information and ideas.

Expositional Humdrum

Hello! Firstly, I'd like to introduce myself. I'm Lyndsey, an elementary education major taking classes about how to integrate the arts and social studies into the everyday happenings of my classroom. The purpose of this blog is to record my progress towards this end and reflect on the what I am learning, both in my classes and my field classroom.

It is likely that I will, at some point, branch out and away from this purpose, but I promise to keep myself focused as best as I can.

I look forward to sharing my own thoughts in the weeks ahead; however, I am continually in search or feedback and discussion, so comments are more than welcome.

So, now that I've gotten the housekeeping out of the way, onto the rising action!

P.S. All the images on this blog were taken by me, unless other credit is given.