As Rendon wraps up her book I was moved by her poem "Who Am I" ( I apologize for not being able to figure out how to type it in its original language). It reminds me of the "I Am From" assignment we give all our students, grad and undergrad. If you have not been in a class that was started this way it simply a matter of beginning each sentence with the words "I am from". It is about food, places, people, memories. So mine might read:
I am from barbed wire fences and guard dogs
I am from a tribe of vagabonds in uniforms
I am from a West Texas beauty who never believe in herself
I am from an East Texas football player that flew beyond his dreams
and so on...
After responding to the two last chapters share your "I am from" thoughts. If you have already done one, remember this is a new time and you have grown or there is a new aspect of your being you can share. A minimum of 25 lines.
Think about the new (maybe old) ways of learning that have been represented in this book. Consider your sensing and thinking...go beyond the obvious.
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Melissa Hidalgo - My Love, Our Public Lands
This first semester of the MAE program has been inspiring due to the readings we have had. These readings have felt personal and heartfelt....
( chap. 2 & 3) Rendon is nicely building a legitimate foundation to this passion of reorganizing education. I reflected back to my own education finding high school the start of my lifelong love with learning. I find it interesting that only two educators had stayed in my memory after 3o years. Undergrad brought forth a few more to add to the list and now my current graduate education at TTU has gone beyond my minds image of what graduate school programs stereotypically are. -The relationships that developed alongside learning will impact me the rest of my life. I will be honest, I had a wonderful education and went to top schools but my success as a student was based on those/the relationships rooted together with the education. I am in agreeance with Rendon that education has gotten itself in a rut and is becoming worse as it perpetually stays in its agreements.
ReplyDelete1. I enjoy the teachings of Native American history and add to my lessons music of the Native American Indians to further enhance the experience. Besides being peaceful and relaxing, I have observed my students connect on a deeper level allowing music to be part of the learning experience.
2. There is a photo of me standing next to a painting during my freshman year of college. The painting is mine. It is of a heart and star- silly to think that I would have painted something so kitschy but the symbols had meaning to me. My professor in this painting 1 class never gave me a hard time nor encouraged me to press further into some darker realm using more mysterious symbols but pushed me to think outside the box with something so kitschy. I had a fear of painting. I let the paint become larger than me because I had never failed. I carefully navigated my art to stay safe so it wouldn’t hurt me. What I didn’t realize was that art can’t damage you but people can and I was not strong enough to not care what people thought about my art. He spent a lot of time developing a strong foundation of the medium- a knowledge to understand. Then he taught me to break that foundation and stretch my mind with paint in ways I was too afraid to do at such a young age. As much as I loved art and art making I was letting it handicap me from really owning it due to my fear- he taught me to be free in creating. The photo is of me next to my painting that won best of show. The university bought the painting and hangs in their library. The award and title was a nice surprise but I would love to have the painting back to remember, to touch the paint that scared me so, and to encourage me when I feel stuck with my current art making.
great story
Delete3. a. The image of my graduate degree would be represented by a mind opening or shakra in art education. Although I have loved being an elementary art teacher and find value in its place in education my soul is reaching to learn more and discover a new art home. I am not sure what that may be but I am ready for the journey. So this is what my graduate education is about: a new journey.
ReplyDeleteb. My father and late step mother actually encouraged my return to school since the day I graduated with my bachelors. ‘I never can find the time’, so I said…I learned there never would be time waiting for me.. just jump in feet first and go! Little did I know my step mother set aside some money to pay for my graduate degree and it was on her list of final requests before she passed away. Thank you Cheryl Harris O’Neal.
c. My personal goal would be to rediscover art and art making with the wisdom I have gained after my experiences in public art education, personal growth, changes in thought processes, and observances in the world around me.
d. My personal strengths would be my enjoyment in making relationships with my students, peers, and colleagues. Weaknesses/limitations in my eyes are many- I have much room to grow as a person, artist, and teacher. If I had to bring one to light would be balancing everyday life so that I could be artist/teacher I want to be.
e. The difference I hope to make is still unknown. I feel I have made a difference in my students’ lives over the years though I feel I am not finished yet. I am not entirely positive what lies ahead for me and whom I might influence/make a difference but I feel encouraged to be optimistic for the future.
Sarah- Your comments about becoming a better artist would help you be a better teacher caused me to rethink how my teaching possibly would be better, easier, more relaxed if I myself were a better artist. As a teacher, I find little time to work on my own art and some days barely any time to pick up a pencil. I seek to be better for my students. This is something I will be reflecting on as I grow as a teacher and artist.
Chris- playing music does have a positive effect on their creating of art. Sometimes I forget to play and my students will ask me, “where is our music?” Love it!
I know when I first entered a classroom as the teacher I relayed on my art making...I knew I could do certain things well and I knew a bunch of great art history facts plus I had a number of living breathing art making friends that loved sending me slides of their work to share with my students. I had to constantly remind myself that is was an ART class.
DeleteWhat an insightful step mother. One reason I wanted to get my masters, is similar to you. I wanted an excuse to make time to make more art. Your relationships with students makes a huge impact on their love for art.
DeleteThis is for Chapters 4 & 5:
ReplyDeleteAfter getting into chapter 4 I immediately thought about the movie called "Stand and Deliver". If you haven't seen it, it definitely goes with the topic for this chapter. My father showed it to me a while back so I had to google it to make sure that I was thinking about the same movie. It's basically about this teacher who sees potential in his class of students who are classified as "undeserved" students by other faculty members. He was the only one in the school that believed in them. He taught them about "ganas", "ganas" means "desire" or "motivation". At the beginning of the movie, none of those kids had any of that and all it took was for someone to believe in them and work with them because it's not always just as simple as believing in your students I think. They need a little bit of a push. I currently have a student who's really smart and talented but is scared of trying to mediums or genres of art because he's scared they're not good enough. I've set him aside and talk to him that no one starts out good and that he has a great eye for composition he just needs to keep trying and trying until he gets a piece of artwork that he likes. With experience and work you'll get better. Building relationships with our students is highly asked from us at school and I agree that it should. It's a great way to get to know them and their interests because they'll learn better if they are learning something they are interested in. I really loved the name writing activity in Jaffe's class. I think I will use that in the beginning of the year and make a drawing to go a long with it. I actually have a one point perspective assignment with their names that I could easily attached that to. Perfect! I love getting ideas for my class through this class!
1. The only time I think I've felt invalidated in an art class was a Photo II class I took at UNT. I didn't feel invalidated by the teacher by anything she said (she's great, I have nothing against her) but how I felt about my artwork compared to other students in that class. Their work was more contemporary than mine was and I felt out of place. I guess it goes back to the saying, "you are your own worst critic". I remind my students that struggle with being proud of what they've created. Even if I tell them that it's good, they'll remind me and tell me that they don't think so.
2. I know I've said it before but my high school art teacher would have to be that person that helped me with my self confidence. It was so bad that I didn't even sign up for art class in high school because I didn't think I was good enough. He ended up seeing my work and encouraged me to put it in VASE. I ended up going to state with it and if it wasn't for him, I probably would have given up photography at some point. Not only that, but I probably wouldn't have become a teacher myself.
Melissa, Stand and Deliver was certainly a movie that motivated my desire to help aspiring students. Also the movie Teachers was inspirational to me. They made teachers seem like warriors who didn’t sacrifice themselves, but who were willing to risk themselves for others. In my life, I have been a teacher and a soldier. I found many parallels in the two endeavors, but teachers have the added charge of always caring for others and striving to do no harm... a hefty, critical calling.
DeleteThe last two chapters were very good at bringing the concepts together and emphasizing the author’s belief in the new pedagogy. I thought that the understanding that not everyone would want, or be able to undertake the sentipensante methodology was valuable. I liked the emphasis being placed on classroom relationships, multi-culturalism and social action. It seems in an educational reality permeated with diversity, such tenets would help bring academic knowledge and purposeful personal growth to students.
ReplyDeleteJames,
DeleteI think you made a good point here. That a classroom relationships is important for the writer and that was a great part of the methodology.
In fact, I think that the idea of relationship was a key factor in sentipensante teaching and in the whole book. In chapters six and seven, the writer talks about the concept of unity and a non-dual approach to the nature of different things and I think that such concepts are ideas related to creating a particular relationship that leads to union, and integration.
46
ReplyDeleteI am from old, simple faces
I am from ignorant superstition
I am from life held behind
I am from brown beans and cornbread
I am from lost spaces and hidden times
I am from blackened eyes and stolen kisses
I am from car wrecks and toxic, fuming perms
I am from busy hands and breathless hopes
I am from silence and sitcom
I am from missing and stagnated wonder
I am from two, who were four
I am from cotton and cedar
I am from hill and river
I am from muddy water and thorny vine
I am from four, who should have been five, who sometimes were seven, but were always alone
I am from anger, confused with shame
I am from loneliness, which struck out in spite
I am from touch that placed its own blame
I am from eyes looking down to the ground
I am from failure too lost to try
I am from 3rd grade… the beginning of life
I am from giant red ants and stories too big to be tall
I am from rock’n’roll spinning black and fine
I am from bullet, a pocket knife forged in friendship
I am from strength, brash protector of mine
I am from mold and careful craft
I am from hate and intolerance
I am from resentment and graft
I am from conspiracy
I am from a listless void
I am from silent searching
I am from ignorant aspiration
I am from passive aggression
I am from façade and evasion
I am from accepted regret
I am from determination and gall
I am from patient breath
I am from reflection and the weighing of face
I am from subversion
I am from deep, deep down
I am from love
I am from hope
I am from belief and tolerant sweat
I am from dreams long left for dead
I am from words lost to numb ears
I am from life too bold for tears
James, thought provoking.
Deletebeautiful and sad and real...thank you
DeleteGreat "I am from", insightful without the obvious. I am curious, did this roll out like therapy or did you contemplate for hours?
DeleteIt rolled pretty fluidly. I did one edit, but it was not really for content. Actually, when I first started writing, I didn't think I would have much to say. I was very mistaken and could have written much more.
DeleteGood...that is exactly how I hope you react/feel
DeleteMy biggest takeaway, among with a lot of other things, is what all a teacher has to be in order to successfully implement Sentipensante. That is probably the scariest part, can I be all of these things??? I do like that she acknowledges that fulfilling this calling may not be for everyone, but I would want to get a part of the way there. A big mountain to climb.
ReplyDeleteChris, I think that I have many of the same questions and concerns about the reading as you. It is very challenging for me to change my work and relationship paradigms. I am very willing to try new methodologies that seem logical and meaningful, but when they go against my long, strongly held beliefs I struggle. I came face to face with this scenario last year and was not able to meet the challenge. Consequentially, I had another negative school year with a student who has experienced little success in my classroom during the previous two years. I am determined that this year will be different and to make this a reality I am having to step way out of my comfort zone. Many of the things I’m trying go against what I believe is the right way to nurture and teach a “successful” student, but others in our school have conditioned this student to work under such methods. So far this year, I am hanging in there and searching for a balance point that will be beneficial for both the student’s learning and my teaching. I see a faint light in the distance and am slowly meeting its warmth. Ultimately, in this case and with some of the methods in the sentipensante pedagogy, I am willing to soften my selfish ideals and seek successful ways of achieving what I feel is the real goal of my work, which is to foster a love of creation and learning in my students. My fingers are crossed for this year. I’ve realized that sometimes I will have to step out of my view of myself and my role as an educator to be successful for my students. This is definitely a new road for me. Sorry, not sure where that came from, but I thank you for the moment of clarity 😁.
DeleteAt times I feel like I am imposter, holding the title but with no new information to share. No answers to offer. No more stories. Then at these exact times I find a classroom or an online blog filled with students who have the new information, the answers and lots of stories to share. Thank you one and all for being in this class/blog.
DeleteI feel the same way. I also get that Sentipensante isn't for everyone. Hopefully, I can implement enough to make a difference for some. I also worry about offending some students with social and political issues. Listening to “This American Life” podcast this morning. One high school student realized she was the token minority all the other students wrote about in a college essay. Her feelings were hurt, when the others thought she would appreciate their stories. Once again, I am reminded, I cannot imagine what others experience or feel. My take away is to expose students through visiting artists, media, and other research anticipating they can openly express their feelings and gain empathy for each other.
DeleteI'm not so sure it's for me in its entirety, but I think that the points it makes about the importance of human interaction are spot-on, and I have been trying for two years to create a classroom where students feel comfortable and safe approaching me. To me that's the biggest takeaway, the one thing every reader should remember--the common humanity. I think it's okay of a teacher wants to implement all of this, or part of it, or none of it; it's a theory, one of thousands (probably), and perhaps the best part of that is the nuggets of wisdom we can take from it. Imagine taking all that wisdom, from all kinds of different theories, and integrating it into a teaching method that works best for you, your student body, and the curriculum you teach. I think that's what the best teachers do.
DeleteExactly...take what you can, what you are comfortable with
DeleteI am from...
ReplyDelete-a moving van crisscrossing the United States
-frozen tv dinners warmed up in an oven
-two adopted brothers
-a fiscally-conservative upper-middle class family
-a father who travelled a lot and a mother who drank a lot
-women having "traditional" family roles
-a family history of mental illness
I am from...
-a party sorority at a party university
-a fear of my own art
-an engineer for a husband
-three grown children
-raising a special-needs child into an adult who also deals
with bi-polar issues
-the loneliness of my own depression
-an unending Zoloft prescription
I am from....
-a passion inside to inspire children in art
-a desire to see the best in everyone
-a desire to want the best for everyone
-a nice, cold beer
-an older, more mature perspective on life
-once caring about how others thought of me , to now not
giving much of a flip
-a school where I teach where I see the value in a single-
sex education
-graduate school classes where my art has made a greater
connection to me.
I am from...
ReplyDelete-a loud laugh and booming voice
I love it....I would call your voice YOUR voice...a powerful expression of desire
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI am from loyalty, persistence, and vitality.
ReplyDeleteFitness, competition, repetition, and endurance.
Equal opportunities and empowering women.
Acceptance, and empathy, but not necessarily effortlessly.
Lessons learned from resolving conflict.
Aging parents who continue to be my biggest fans.
I am from mountains, streams, and cool evenings,
Horses, dogs, cats, and birds.
Self judging from imperfections.
Clones of the suburbs, unaware of differences.
I am from Adventures, excitement and celebrations.
Unity, and unconditional love.
Laughter, stories, and music.
Over-reacting and putting out fires.
One who lost choices and self -destructed.
I am from pumpjacks, mesquite, thorns and sunsets.
Jackrabbits, rattlesnakes, and coyotes.
Flat, dust, heat and often unbearable wind.
I am from sharing, caring, loving and spiritually grounded pillars.
Problem makers and problem solvers.
Rational, optimistic and reliable team players.
2 adult daughters who ask advice, but don’t want it.
I am from a house full of sentiment I cannot bear to relinquish.
Disorganized paperwork, spoiled milk and doghair.
Anticipation of grandbaby visits.
Running shoes, repetitive miles in the dark, and racing goals as rewards.
I am from lost love.
I am from self-imposed pressure to be strong, independent, and positive.
I am from many closed doors of hidden emotions.
I am from undetermined destinations seeking art in new and unusual ways.
I am from inspirational faculty, classmates, friends, family, and students.
I am from a new chapter.
Chapter 6 raised my blood pressure and stress thinking about how I am going to incorporate more “multihuman curriculum” into my lesson planning. I understand the reasoning and believe in it, but time and risk is a big constraint. She hit the nail on the head when Rendon states, “It is very easy to be overwhelmed when we attempt to do things differently.”
Questions going through my head:
Am I ready for more risk-taking as an educator?
Do I have the time and resources to educate my students on more social issues?
Am I capable to deal with uprising tension?
Can I create more collaborative assignments?
Chapter 7 and the Appendix put me back at ease as she referred to change taking time and often the answers came to her, she didn’t seek them. From Nepo (2000), “The goal is to mix our hands in the earth, not to stay clean,” and her response, “I sincerely hope that we will trust our intuitive sense, that oftentimes messiness, chaos, and heart-break are ways the earth asks us to revel in its dirt so that cleansing may occur,” sucked me back in to take the challenge. And I, like Rendon will continue to become a “gentler, wiser, humbler and more loving person.”
In the Appendix, her research method from Moustakeas (1990) and the phases, was a pleasure to read and a starting place for more research within my own wholeness.
Yes...the pace and the techniques are yours...the ones you feel before you share.
DeleteAs you say she describes in chapter 7, I think this is not meant to be a stressful technique; not all educators will respond to her ideas the same way, and they will (and should) be integrated naturally to each educator's strengths. I think, with these delicate issues, people worry a lot about being perfect. But, rather than being about trying to do everything right, it's about creating a place where everyone feels comfortable in their own skin. I have always thought that the best way to create a welcoming environment for all is to treat everyone as equals and give each student their chance to have their voices heard. In the best classrooms I've been in, the teachers did this. They respected everyone's experience and input, and the environment was relaxed, friendly, and fun. By all means, we should integrate social issues into lesson plans as we see fit--but I think the most important thing is to make sure the room is as relaxed and safe as possible so real learning can take place.
DeleteI really liked what you said: "Self judging from imperfections." I was thinking about a similar feeling but I couldn't put my thought into words...well done...
DeleteI see a lot of you in your "I am from" statements.....
DeleteI am from
ReplyDelete-La Isla del Encanto Puerto Rico.
-Where my roots are deep and our foundation is strong.
-A culture that everyone is family to all…even strangers.
-A country that is prideful of where we are from.
I am from
-A family that left the beautiful island for a better life in the U.S.
-A family that will longer fall apart later in my life.
-A father that walked away, and wanted nothing to deal with me.
-A father who made me believes that I wasn’t good enough.
I am from
-A mother who gave up so much just to give my sisters and I everything.
-A mother who played both mom and dad.
-A mother who was the only one that understood my corks.
-A mother who forms the young woman I am today.
I am from
-Hardworking, struggling to make it to that perfect dream of mine.
-Schools and educators that lead me to believe I couldn’t do it.
-I couldn’t read or understand.
-A high school art teacher that helped me learned visually.
-University of North Texas where I discover many young art educators just like me
I am from
-A Learning disabilities that help me discover my artistic side.
-My creativity expression was my only way of learning.
-I breathe in and exhale art.
-A passion to help other understand their artist ability.
-A drive to encourage other to create.
I am Keisha Casiano
Keisha... your mother must be very strong, and she raised a strong woman.
DeleteFirst if I have not said it before I hope any family still in Puerto Rico are safe and I wish a full recovery for your beautiful island. I have been there only twice for art events. Both times the everyone was kind/helpful/ and full of joy. The art was amazing and the various museums a wonderful surprise. Fell in love with the blue bricks of San Juan.
DeleteYou I am glad you did not give up on yourself. Thank you for sharing.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteReading these chapters, I considered an article I read a year or two back that lamented grade inflation and the fact that 40% of students are now getting A’s. As I understand this may be an issue if students who don’t EARN A’s are getting them for the sake of ease, in my own students I see a group that genuinely deserves them. The issue with the grade system is the idea that everyone’s success should be measured relative to their peers’, when that level of success is SO dependent on the tenor of the group. I’m not saying that the grading system should be done away with, but it I have always thought it was too subjective and far from perfect. What would an educational system in which we only grade yes/no exams, and let creative portfolios do the talking, be like?
ReplyDeleteI will defend the Western pedagogy to a point. It teaches discipline and respect, which are important for making it in the work world. However, as I’ve said, I’ve never liked the forced-impersonal relationships between faculty and students (although I understand why it’s seen as important, and maintain those boundaries with mine)—in fact, that system has caused me a lot of pain over the years. My summer ice cream job is an example of what can happen if you don’t maintain those artificial boundaries, and let a relationship grow naturally—that’s where some of the best mentoring relationships can come in. Rendon has touched on this topic largely throughout the book, because it impedes the learning process by hindering trust.
I am from a mother whose progressivism is at odds with her pragmatism
DeleteI am from a father whose conservatism is at odds with his paternal instinct
I am from a family of histrionics and despair
I am from grandparents who wanted to see God
And I am from sisters who came seven years too late
I am from a small farm town near a northern border
I am from ponderosa pines and fresh mountain waters
I am from a semi with a ship on its logo
I am from a troubled classmate who saw an outlet
And I am from a teacher who pretended not to see
I am from a sixties house with too many windows
I am from rainwater we tried to swallow
I am from more plastic toys than the bins could hold
I am from a silly club under a table
And I am from one person who saw good in me
I am from a cafe with bright red tables
I am from a teacher who couldn’t quite make it
I am from torches and brushes and needles
I am from a scandal-happy clique with a rainbow sign
And I am from a man who couldn’t draw the line
I am from a shack that served the city’s best desserts
I am from a school that could not see truth in craft
I am from a city that searched for something more
I am from a man who depended far too much
And I am from a woman who gave me courage to say goodbye
Sarah,
DeleteI liked your words here and I think that they carry an interesting dark humor...
What a wonderful way to "grade"! I like the concept of credit/ no credit, understanding that the act of grading sets up a false sense of superiority and establishes an environment of competition.
DeleteLove your line "a school that could not see truth in craft", I face that everyday.
Yep. Sadly pretty common. And thank you!
DeleteI am from a family that I love the most
ReplyDeleteI am from, Tehran, the city that yearns for hope
I am from a place with bright sun, and cold nights
I am from a place with a Mount called Damavand
I am from noise and pollution
I am from smoke and dirt
I am from being always a student
I am from contradictions
I am from not belonging
I am from places I left behind
I am from the people who come and go
I am from color and poetry
I am from silence and music
I am from where I constantly fall on its ground and stand up again
I am from the nights I still awake
I am from my doubts and confusions
I am from asking, questioning, and searching
I am from strange loves
I am from my sweat and bitter dreams
I am from fearing and not be afraid of
I am from a love for learning and sharing what I learn
I am from changing and becoming
I am from a desire for change
I am from the path that I am taking alone
Beautiful. Thank you for sharing your truth.
DeleteChapters 2,3
ReplyDeleteI liked these chapters because I could see Rendon’s teaching philosophy taking shape in different individuals’ vision and experience, but also in the results they had when applying these methods. I also liked the fact that she considered herself a coresearcher, admitting that although the book carries her personal imprint, it is actually the result of a collective effort toward implementing these practices. There is a number of personal beliefs that I have and found echoed in this part of the book. One is that the students are more confident, motivated, and open when they perceive the teacher not as an imposing walking statue whose place is eventually on a pedestal, but as a real, approachable person, with problems, preferences, opinions etc. A second belief is that teaching is a sincere and to a great extent personal experience; “I teach the way I wish I had been taught and the way I know I can learn” says Kristin B. Valentine (58), while at page 54 it is said “all good teaching flows from the identity and integrity of the teacher, and the teachers teach who they are”. I think this is very true and there is great responsibility coming with this. Another idea I value is that good teaching starts with “the caring and the nurturing of the other” and I really liked how Candance Kay expressed her thoughts in regard to “the thouness of the other human being that you are working with and the respect and reciprocity of being in the same room with them” (60). Another thread that echoed my thoughts was the distinction Rendon makes between knowledge and wisdom and the way she insisted on the latter as being more important; I always thought that knowledge itself is not of much value if it’s not filtered and assimilated at a deeper level through introspection, in addition to being effectively transmitted and put at good use; this complements very well with the need for compassionate, “humanitarian” teachers (63), but also with the importance of having and transmitting a sense of belonging and connection to others. “A person is a person because of the people” (67) synthetizes this in a very beautiful way. I found the contemplative practices very inspirational, and particularly Pulido’s cajitas, which I would like to integrate in a different form in my future teaching. I don’t know yet what form this will take, but I will put some serious thought in it. Finally, I want to refer to one of the stated values at Richard College – Joy: “We value laughter, play, love, kindness, celebration, and joy in our learning and work” (54). I really think that if both educators and students would always keep this in mind, world would be a better place for us all.
I never have understood why it is assumed that great creativity has to come from pain and sadness. Or great teaching from anger and superiority.
DeleteIt can but it can also come from great joy. Any strong emotion, really. My entire portfolio that got me into school here came from the strong and inspiring love I felt for my mentor (who I've mentioned).
DeleteChapters 2,3 cont.
ReplyDelete1&2
I think I can address both these assignments by describing a work I did recently. I have several photos from my childhood that show me dressed in the communist pioneer uniform and part of different smaller or larger groups involved in patriotic activities. Starting from that I created a work titled The Golden Age of Mass Ornament. The mass ornament refers here to large groups of people forming patterns during the “cultural artistic” manifestations which celebrated Romanian socialist politics and the leader of the country, Nicolae Ceausescu. These ornaments made of people were a powerful symbol of what the communists named the Golden Age of Romania. The largest and most impressive displays of the mass ornament were occasioned by national holidays such as 1 Mai or 23 August, but were also present at Nicolae’s Ceausescu visits throughout the country. Participation was massive and obligatory. People were using their bodies to write slogans (like “Long live Comrade Nicolae Ceausescu! Long Live the Romanian Communist Party!”), to recreate communist and national symbols (the Romanian flag or the hammer and sickle), or to display the image of the leader and of his wife, Elena Ceausescu. My work attempted to reimagine instances of mass ornaments in communism while answering the question: once part of the mass ornament does the individual reacquire independence or does s/he remain partially or fully conditioned by the mechanics of the system? The work made use of an empty TV case which reminded that television was the most important medium involved in the dissemination of communist propaganda; however, the propaganda system being broken, the TV screen didn’t display the figure of “the most beloved son of Romania” anymore, but the image of an individual recreated from bits of photographs of mass ornaments and communist symbols. While assembling the individual, I used my own memory and emotions as guidance, since as a child I was part of the mass ornament myself. For this reason, the image resulted reflected my own perceptions and frustrations, including the memories of what can be considered a different type of mass ornament in striking opposition with the lavish celebrations, namely the daily queues in front of the food stores, or the impact that the first image of a Western mass ornament (Friedrichstadtpalast Ballett) had on me after the 1989 revolution. The work was meant to be seen while hearing a soundtrack that I made. The soundtrack alternated original patriotic songs that Romanians were frequently asked to learn and interpret, with audio recordings featuring people whom I asked to sing patriotic songs relying exclusively on their memory. I also recorded myself singing the beginning of the Romanian communist national anthem.
Responses
Niloofar: “I liked her choice of instructors in which diversity was a key”.
I also liked this aspect and thought is important for the purpose of the book; I think people tend to consider that teaching STEM classes must be a dry endeavor where only facts are relevant as opposed to spiritual or psychological aspects of existence. Some of the professors Rendon talked to clearly contradicts this assumption.
Keisha: 1
I love your collaborative idea and I think you should definitely put it in practice. It is a wonderful way of making the kids realize that when art is made, people respond to different stimuli around them, but also of developing their creative imagination.
As you were describing your ornament I kept seeing the opening ceremonies for the Olympics. I know it is not the same especially in relation to everyday life but it is the only reference I have for such an amazing human work of art.
DeleteAs a side note..I worked (with a local middle school) on a STEM project which was about low rider bikes (as in bicycle) which was anything but boring.
Chapters 4,5
ReplyDeleteWhat I appreciated most in chapter 4 was the discussion around the concept of “teaching with soft eyes” and the way Rendon suggested how focusing on a very simple, but personal thing, could have profound consequences. Sometimes I am worried that since I am an international student, my descent will translate in distance between me and the students; that I will not know enough about their culture in order to make their experience truly relevant. But then I tell myself that people are not so different after all, that we will find a way to teach each other, and that the will to do good and make a difference will eventually prove fruitful.
While reading chapter 4, I felt that Rendon made a great show of zeal and that the agreements she associated with traditional learning were too stiff, even exaggerated, written exclusively to prove her point, and ultimately unfair to many teachers who saw a true call in teaching and genuinely cared about their students, helping them to be successful. Also, the book was published in 2009, at a time when issues such as art in a sociopolitical context, high art vs low art, art and gender etc. were more or less increasingly being addressed in both scholarship and classroom. Overall, with a few exceptions, I found this chapter dry, repetitive, and unconvincing. That’s why, Chapter 5 came as a relief, since it offered a very realistic and detailed depiction of the difficulties that one teacher encounters while trying to implement a new pedagogical model. Resistance to new ideas is practically as old as the world, but in this particular case, the practical forms that pedagogical dissidence take were of great interest to me.
Interesting insight to chapter 4, I would suggest those same issues are still being addressed. If anything there has been a very traditional black lash and a return to conventional styles/subjects.
DeleteChapters 4,5 cont.
ReplyDeleteQ1. No. First of all, I haven’t took many art classes so far. I came at this PhD program in Fine Arts with a BA in Journalism and a MA in Area Studies, aiming to focus on critical studies. As a matter of course, my plans slightly changed during the last year. I have now more creative projects done and I also have the desire to do more in the future. Although I’ve never been in the situation of feeling invalidated in an art class, I had in the past several experiences with classes and teachers putting limitations on my creativity, and even if I was not necessarily very impacted by it, it occasionally made me feel demotivated.
Q2. In the past I was eagerly searching for self-confidence boosters, but now I feel that I partially came at terms with myself and managed to rise considerably my level of self-confidence. One person who constantly supports me when self-confidence issues surface is my husband. Another one is my mother. And then, there are several professors whom I met along the way, including here at Tech, who proved to be very open minded, supportive, and always offered me constructive feedback.
Q3. Interestingly, I have never thought about my work strictly from the angle of social justice. I think that the answer to this question is that social justice is not necessarily a part or a goal of my work, but it definitively influence it. It is mostly my written work that relates to social justice. For example, my master thesis dealt with representations in film of an often discriminated minority, while an article I published last year focused on representations of Syrian refugees in media and film.
Q4. An artist who works with social issues and I admire a lot is Ai Weiwei, whom I mentioned here before. “Sunflower Seeds” and “So Sorry” are two works that I find truly inspirational in terms of art connected with social change. I also admire the work of those who are part of an anonymous Syrian film collective known as Abounaddara. This group of self-taught filmmakers based in Damascus, launched the concept of emergency cinema and, starting with 2011, uploaded every week a film on social platforms (Facebook, Twitter, and Vimeo). Their purpose is to represent Syrians in a just and dignified way by offering a different narrative to those of Assad’s regime and (inter)national media. While the films are supposed to make the viewer look at reality differently and demand for justice, the message is intended to be open to interpretation.
Responses:
Sarah
I really liked the logic behind your argument in relation to “validation” and “affirming”, and I think you are absolutely right about the big challenge an educator faces when trying to find a balanced, fair angle of approaching common situations that may have uncommon consequences for the children.
Keisha, Q1
It is so interesting that teachers who made mistakes in our education inspire many of us to be better teachers. I wonder if this is the norm, or by the contrary, if it also goes the other way, and they serve as examples to their former students who find themselves now in the position to perpetuate the old mistakes…
Not everyone finds a need to address social justice or social theory. I suggest that simply by being a teacher you offer opportunities for students to learn about social justice if for no other reason than history is built on social injustice.
DeleteChapters 6,7
ReplyDeleteWhat I take away from this book is a sense of optimism. During time I encountered many teachers disappointed with their students; frustrated, exasperated, or demotivated teachers, transmitting a sentiment of hopeless resignation and the idea that no matter how hard you try, there are students whom you cannot reach, who will never be interested in what you consider you must teach them. This is not true and this must not happen; there is failure, but there are also many other ways toward a fulfilling teaching, and this book eloquently speaks about some of them. Dialogue and shared construction of meaning are the examples I valued the most. For me, Sentipensante Pedagogy was primarily a reading on the psychology of change in education, one that tried to reinforce a healthier, more profound, and more positive attitude toward teaching. There is always hope in everything… and this is what I am left with after this book.
I am from a land whose beauty was massacred by greed
I am from long winters and cold apartments
I am from hopelessness in the shadow of the great bear
I am from hope following the fall of the wall.
I am from love of the common people
I am from words often thought and rarely spoken
I am from fear of compromising my family
I am from lonely tears of weirdness.
I am from my mother’s knitting
I am from my father’s recreational painting
I am from a late hippie revolution
I am from my friends’ irreverence played on electric guitars.
I am from barefoot nights in the big city
I am from late mornings and coffees bittered with shame
I am from empty stinky cinema halls
I am from crowded bars and mosh pit euphoria.
I am from confusion and transition,
I am from new beginnings and burnt cicatrices,
I am from swollen pride, patience, and dignity during deceiving times,
I am from revolt and awakening.
I am from Achilles’ heel
I am from an immigrant Phoenix
I am from the roar of Dacian Draco
I am from the smile of a Mathruska with sharp teeth.
I am from the scent of a madeleine
I am from the sound of a theremin
I am from my children’s caress
I am from concept, abstraction, and bold colors.
I am from books, articles, and news magazines
I am from features, documentaries, and experimental films
I am from long sleepless nights chasing ideas
I am from imagination, bare reality, and purgatory.
I am from fear of not saying everything I have to say
I am from acidic commentaries and misunderstood intentions
I am from invisibility in front of the vulgar obvious
I am from silence and open arms.
I am from high and low, and everything in between
I am from here, there, and sometimes nowhere.
beautifully written
DeleteFor me chapter six what a part in which she laid out many of her core ideas and methods. It introduces her philosophy of teaching, in which unity is the key point. Unity of divers people and ideas, unity of sensation and thinking, etc. However, her ideas around learning through sensation and thinking sometime were unclear for me. In fact, her definition of sensation and thinking was the part that I felt I need more explanation.
ReplyDeleteI also liked the part in which she talks about the difficulties of making changes in an educational system. I think. one challenge is that the structure of education in a society is a part of a bigger system that is connected to politics, economy, culture, etc. I think that this means that the challenge is bigger that what one expects. However, there should be a beginning point for changing something.
Changing, is something that I have been always thinking about. I am from Iran and I think the society I am from needs serious changes and reformations. As a teacher, this concerns me. Mostly, I, as an individual, feel powerless to play a role in making a change in a complicated and corrupted system that is involved with ideology, power, and money. However, I think that big transformations can come from small and gradual changes that an individual, or individuals begin.
Reading this book gave me hope and optimism about the role of an individual in developing new ideas that can change education and therefore a society.
Although you are very correct that all classes are in some way connected to politics, economy and culture, schools and/ or universities are in many ways small towns unto themselves. In public schools (not sure about private...maybe Chris can help here) the mood and direction of the school thus the classroom is set by the principal.If they are fair and equal then there is room for teachers to teach.Each school faces its own challenges: under served populations, wealthy communities with very high demands/ expectations, rural, inner city, too many students, not enough students....or a mixture of the above. Colleges and Universities face the same problems with the added pressure of professor fighting for tenure (and I do mean fighting for their lives), competing for grants and hoping the next meeting is cancelled.
DeleteI continue to hold on to the advise an elementary teacher told me "you have no idea where they are coming from or where they are going, just give them the best 45 minutes of the day".
(chap. 4/5)
ReplyDeleteConsidering and pondering the readings thus far has me thinking about my own school district in which I am what I consider as asset to the district as we all are to each of our districts. I put my heart and soul into teaching yet every year excited for the learning that will take place inside my colorful inspiring art room. Our district ( assuming mine is not the only one) presents an initiative to direct our focus for the year. It is the buzz word for the year and much time, effort and money is spent for the buy in for teachers. These latest and greatest trends to me have a shelf life of 187 days- the length of my contract annually. As the new school year begins, we toss out all the papers and signs replacing with the newest lastest and greatest- no word is mentioned again about the previous years focus. I wonder if public education would ever get back to basics letting the beauty of teaching take place and be the focus. A fellow educator told me, “ I chose to leave the class room and begin a new role as a GT teacher. I do not have to do 99% of what the classroom teachers have to do ( paperwork, data digs, endless RTI, SST, walk throughs, etc..). I can just teach- which is beautiful.” I truly believe all teachers have a beautiful vision of what learning is and how it would take place in the classroom- A Mr. Holland’s Opus kind of classroom. But I am also aware how touch public education is and this isn’t always possible. Hey - January is school board recognition month, a good present would be this book.. ha! Don’t you think??
You know for every new innovation there is a company that produces the worksheets/tests/training and they make very good money.
Delete1. Have I ever felt invalidated in an art class? With honesty I can say no I have not ever been invalidated. I have been lucky to have had a wonderful experience with wonderful teachers throughout my life. I have had one teacher in college that is exactly like the book describes. Only the watercolor elite survived her class. I was a nobody. Truthfully it was a miserable class. She didn’t single me out- she was this way to everyone including her masters students. She had quite the reputation. I often wondered if she felt higher up than everyone else or if she truly felt that was the way to push her students to excel. Probably both. She didn’t hurt me as an artist as she was so high on her pedestal that we rarely spoke- she did get do a number to my GPA though . There were so many positive people throughout my high school and college career that made up tenfold for her lack of real teaching. I still have wonderful memories. Where I deeply feel invalidation is with men. I have experienced chauvinism within my family and in my everyday life. Without opening a can of worms, there is still a lack of respect and invalidation to this day when it comes to women. That’s all I will say about that for now.
ReplyDelete2. Is there a person or persons that help with your self-confidence? My father has faithfully been my biggest cheerleader my whole life.. especially throughout my teaching career. What a wonderful example he is to his family. I also would mention my elementary principals- 3 amazing individuals who allowed me self-autonomy and treated me like a professional as well as believing in me as an art teacher.
3. I social justice or a particular social theory part of your creative work? Hmmm… not entirely so but I will say that as I have grown within the MAE program, my awareness in social issues relating to me or outside myself has developed and is continuing to do so.
4. Is there an artist who works with social issues that you admire? Hung Lui’s work is powerful it gives voice to women who had no voice years ago. Check her out: http://www.hungliu.com/
Paige- We, too, fight art counting towards the GPA. Currently it does not. Our AP program does not receive AP credit either. I feel as our art programs grow in depth and number hopefully this will change.
James: Kathe Kollwitz is one of my favorites as well. Doesn’t her strong mark making suggest such pain? I am very moved looking at her work. This summer, while in DC, I purchased one of her books and was engrossed for nearly an hour looking and feeling her work. Van Gogh spoke a little social justice when he painted the “potato eaters”.
I once had a painting professor who gave me a "C" because my name (Future) was like a decoupage purse. Really. Oh, and I was an art history major so there is "no way I could really paint that well"...such professionalism.
DeleteI am from strength and weakness
ReplyDeleteyelling tempers and quiet souls
honesty and lies
hurtful actions in the dark
I am from red dirt and brown clay
oil and water
hopes and shattered dreams
broken hearts and new beginnings
I am from a pew at the front of the church
Souls singing from the heart
Simple living good food and prayers every night
Chicken fried steak and mashed potatoes
I am from three people who call me mom
two little boys who call me Momo
one girl who loves me as her mom too
a family of 7
could have been 8
I am from new supplies and smiling faces
color, creativity, expression
advocating, learning, education
making a difference
I am from cell that didn’t conform
Spreading its different DNA
Tempting to claim another life
Battling, crying, fighting,
I am from The depths of life
Barely hanging on
Hope, courage, believing
Surviving
I am from the living
Soaking up the sunshine
Running barefoot
Laughing everyday
very moving...thank you
DeleteAugust 28th marked the beginning of my 3rd year of teaching. Sometimes a book crosses my path, leaving me more motivated and more enthusiastic about walking back into classroom the next day; this book was definitely one of them. Although I consider myself a forward-thinking, flexible, innovative teacher, this literature served as a mirror, helping to illuminate those things I'm already doing well and uncovering areas in which I need to improve.
ReplyDeleteIn chapter 6, I was really interested in learning about Multi-Human Curriculum. Art is universal and while there are countless disciplines, which might reasonably serve as a means to understanding culture, such as history, sociology, mathematics, and science, only art lends itself to the full range of experiential and capabilities. This is why art serves so wonderfully as a universal language, as a means toward understanding the history, culture, and values of other peoples. As human beings build virtual bridges into unknown cultural territory, learn, share dreams, and creatively work together, mankind will know itself as citizens of a rich and truly global society. And if citizens of a global society are to live in peace, goods, services, and technical information are exchanged, but values and visions, as well.
I am glad you like the book...it really is a heart felt event
Delete