Entry #9

Being an advocate is important for art programs, and I will make sure art is seen and heard about by posting art shows for the community to see as well as show up to meetings and get arts voice out there. If it works with the school and other circumstances I will arrange service learning projects where students can partake in a community mural or event that involves art and their skills. There are risks involved, it could take time away from actual cirriculum as well as cost money. Sometimes there might not be a positive response and seem like a waste of time to others. I think that balance is a key point, the school will appreciate and notice the advocacy, but it could cause friction such as stepping on toes or creating other subjects to feel left out or something on that order, I also think that there can be too much at once and cause me to become overloaded, which would be bad and not have a balance. I think I would need to learn the community as well and gain an understanding of the proper way to advocate without being overpowering or annoying.

Entry # 8

I think students get more involved and realize how art takes a role in the environment, community and world around them when they are involved with collaborative art making. I also think students who work together bounce ideas off eachother and expand eachothers creativity much better. When teachers are involved with their students work and creating along with them, they are viewed on a different level from the students. I think this begins a new type of relationship between the teacher and students. Service learning projects can be incorportated in curriculum mulitple ways, whether its for a community event, and the students create flyers or t shirts, etc. Or students actually get together and work on a mural, a window painting for the community or whatever it may be as long as the students are creating art that involves the community or gets their art out there and seen by the community it will impact their experience in art and help broaden their view of art. I helped paint a little boy and girl's room for habitat for hummanity for an art class. We designed murals on their walls as a group and split up drew the images up and transferred them to the walls, and then painted them for the kids. We based the designs off their interests. This was an amazing experience, I felt like I was going to impact their life, and it was impacting mine at the same time. Very positive experience. I also was involved in a community mural, we took areas of the town that were victim to graffti and created a mural that would activate the space and catch community members eyes as well as incorportate their culture. This was very rewarding as well, and I felt important for being a part of this. I think a project of this type would be fun and interesting for students to do. There would be certain days we went as a class to work during class time and others there would be certain days that they could come like a saturday from this time to this time and work to make more progress. It would be a lot of fun, and we could invite members of the community to come work along with us.

Entry #7

An experience I have had with a student or child who has had a disability was in high school when I was coaching softball, a young girl was on the team I coached. She was born with deformed legs, she had braces to help correct them and shortly just got them off. She could run and walk, just differently than others and not as fast as some of the other girls on the team. I always had all of the girls run 2 laps around the field to get warmed up before practice. One of the days a girl who is normally done within the top 5, yelled at this other young girl and told her she was too slow and several other things. Which obviously made the little girl upset and embarrassed. I took each one aside and talked to them separately about the situation. I explained to the young girl who yelled at the other girl that this wasn't her place to tell other girls what to do and especially this particular girl, she can't help it and she is trying her best. I continued to discuss that this isn't going to happen again. I pulled the other young girl aside and asked her how she felt, and if she was doing ok? I then told her she had nothing to worry about, I can tell she is trying her best and this isn't a race, I want her to have fun and play the best she can. I understand her disability but that doesn't make her any less or any more than anyone else on the team. Everyone will get the same playing time and treated the same. I told her if she had any other problems she needed to tell me and I will help her. I then addressed both girls and expected an apology from one young lady to the other. I also talked to the whole team about bossing others and being rude. Everyone is equal and is going to be played the same amount of time. I want everyone to have fun and play the best they can that's all I ask of them. After that practice the young lady with the disability came up to me and thanked me for telling the other girls that because they make fun of her a lot and after that comment she didn't want to play anymore, but since I told her I wanted her on the team and she was going to play the same and that I just wanted her to have fun helped her change her mind and give it another shot. This made me feel so good, that I helped her confidence and I encouraged her to stick it out and play. This changed my mind about teaching because I knew from that moment I can include everyone and it means a lot, and I can make a difference. I really enjoy all students/ kids because you learn so much from them. I also think I will be able to control my classroom and include all my students and provide positive encouragement. I know not every time is going to be a success but I will always do my best to create a positive situation for all students, and help open and expand their minds and opinions of others and the world as a whole. It may seem kind of demanding but if we don't at least try then how can we expect our students to except each other?

Richard Wawro- an artist who has autism, he was well known for his landscapes with wax oil crayon/pastels. Richard didn't learn to speak before the age of 11 and later he had eye surgery to remove cataracts, which left him with sufficiently poor eyesight to be classed as legally blind.He had his first exhibition at age 17.

Entry #6

When addressing students work and cultural icons I think it is a very touchy subject. Many students see artworks that involve cultural styles and icons. They want to create art like that and involve meaning in their own work. It's hard to steer students away from something like that, you don't want to cut down their ideas. I think its best to have them research that culture and learn about the culture and their values. Then have the student think about what that means to them, or how they could relate that to their life or compare similarities. Then have the student create a sketch or design based off their interpretation and personal meaning. I would explain to students that we can't copy their ideas just as you shouldn't copy other peoples exact ideas, we have to make it our own somehow. It is also very important to explain why its not correct to copy their cultural icons, because that means something to them, and some cultures take it as an insult or sign of disrespect. If the student likes the design or artwork that much, then encourage them to incorporate it somehow into their artwork, break down the parts they like the most and use part of it, instead of the whole icon or design.
Students are interested in art and other cultures, it's interesting to them because it's different from their culture. They may not understand the exact meaning, but like the way it looks, and sometimes their portrayal of the object is disrespectful without meaning for it to be. So I think it's important for the student to research it to find the meaning, then have the student create an image based on the cultural icon, but create it with meaning to their life or their culture, to make it theirs but not to copy. Some students create cultural icons from their culture and don't understand the meaning or portray it disrespectfully by accident as well. This is why it's important to stress to students to make all their artwork personal to them, create meaning for themselves. As for inappropriate images from different cultures, it needs to be addressed immediately and discuss with the student, or even the class as a whole. There will be an appropriateness level/rule in the classroom already it would be wise to review this rule and state why it's important and going to be followed. Explain to the students, if you draw this at home that's your parents and your choice, but there is a school appropriateness and we need to follow this. This is not appropriate, I'm glad you are willing to work and think outside of the box but this isn't appropriate and you need to find another image that is appropriate or you need to find someway to portray your meaning and expression in an appropriate manner.
Like I said before this could get very touchy, but it's just a matter of sticking to your rules and explaining to students right away, and reminding them why we can't copy cultural icons, and explain that we need to create our own personal meaning in to their artworks. Other cultures have their icons and we don't want to disrespect that. It's ok to research their icon and style of that culture and then pick what we like and create it in our own way, but we shouldn't copy exactly. Same with the appropriate level, it needs to be reminded and explained what is and isn't appropriate, as well as how they can relate their idea or meaning to something that is appropriate.