AED 401

What surprised you?         While observing at the W gallery, I was surprised at the varying sizes of the artworks and the detail put into the smaller ones. Some of the smaller pieces even included other parts so small that several could fit into the palm of a persons hand. It was interesting to see the materials used and designs given to these portions since I believed there was usage of clay slabs to symbolize books while multi-colored cloths emphasizing different subjects of book. Along with this, the chairs that were crafted appeared to play a role across multiple artworks as they were shown in different arrangements and various states of quality. To me, these items symbolize the students in our education system and their stages of quality stand for the kind of education that is given to them. This idea was most likely intentional from the artist's perspective since the exhibition discusses the inequality of our system towards non-Whites and those of lower ...

What surprised you?         While observing at school "D", I was surprised to see how involved the students were both with each other and with the school at large. Student interaction appeared more genuine and tight nit which in part may be due to how the school is operated. According to the art teacher, D school is known as a Democratic School, which means that students play an active role in the school government and can speak up on certain matters. Students also participate in community service projects. It's interesting to see the change in interactions between student and teachers when students are given more power to speak up since it is both the same but also different. The similarity can be found in that expectations of what a teacher and what a student do are still played out except in a more informal way. Interaction between all parties was not as structured and the teacher appeared to be learning alongside their students so that comradery and trust coul...

What surprised you?           During this observation, I was mainly surprised to learn that the teacher recorded videos on how to create two-point perspective for their students. It was an interesting way of teaching as it allowed students who weren't in class that day or who may work at a slower pace the opportunity to re-watch these videos at their own leisure. The teacher also noted that this method of teaching, for at least introducing the lesson, was more sustainable than doing multiple demonstrations repeatedly and inevitably being pulled multiple ways. Additionally, these videos were often short, thoroughly explained, and demonstrated every step of the way so that the foundations for every student could be assured. I find all of this to be fascinating because it allows for a common base to be established online where student can learn in the classroom and at home and which can be curated over years of teaching. This also makes the teacher's job a bit eas...

What surprised you?           While observing the classroom, I was surprised to see students using Chromebooks to help get examples for the concepts they were learning. My graduating year was the last one to not have these in our schools before the district implemented them into both my middle and high school so seeing these items in action was a reminder of the growing role of technology in the classroom and in children's learning. Now students may not need to go to the school's computer lab to find art references but can instead do so form the comfort of the classroom and with the teacher being even closer to assist. What did you learn?           Some things I learned over my brief time in this classroom included: The integration and normalization of Chromebooks in a classroom setting Student interests played a key role in what they were drawn to draw (One boy was into Fortnite and thus drew poses from the game while a anoth...