#3 Creative Arts

What is the value of using children's picture book illustrators as an entrance to both understanding and making art?

I believe the arts are important in beginning learners because it is what makes sense to them. A child can see an illustration and build on that illustration much easier than trying to learn about a subject or maybe even a story. We discussed in class about how a child can learn more from an illustration to begin with than trying to learn a story and then apply the illustration to the story. Illustrators are important for those beginner readers because the pictures tell the stoy that is being read. If a child can see the picture they will understan what is being said in the story and the reading will make more sense to them. They will also be able to see what the art is speaking to them. Minds will be opened, learning will begin more easily.

So What can I do to effectively prepare to teach about artists and their techniques/styles?

I think a child can be taught the same way we learned in class. A picture has many different elements that make up what is seen on the paper. Showing students art and helping them to understand what it contains in it will help them to begin to understand art with all it's different forms and techiniques used to create it. I need to learn more about art myself. If I familiarized myself with many different pieces of art, I will be better prepared to show those techniques to my future students.

Now What - Why will that be important to me and to my students?

It will be important in many different ways, first I will learn Art along with it's techniques. If I learn the Art I will learn the artist from one piece to the next one. I will learn and broaden my way of thinking about my world. So in essence, the more that I know the more my future students will know. Art is something that is shared, so the more I have to share about art the more my students will learn about it. I am excited to learn more about how we cann incorporate art into the classroom, because I really do want to use it as a learning tool in the classroom.

Reflection #2 Creative Arts

What? We learned about Creative Arts in class. I really had no idea about much of what what was said prior to class. This is going to be the case for many things we do because I am so clueless on all of art and anything to do with it. I was able to see the difference in elements and how they are involved in a painting, the same with the principles of visual art. It is interesting to learn how an artist makes a plain piece of paper look like something, and how they can do it with all the things we are learning in class.

So what? What does this mean to me as a teacher? I would say that I can at least explain to my students what the elements are in a picture. If a person can recognze what makes the painting come alive then the art means so much more to them. if I am able to help my students see the importance of art in their lives they will be much more cognitive learner. The arts are important to students and I should be able to teach them how to make art important to themselves. It is interesting how children can be drawn into an imaginary world by the surroundings they see. Imagine what it would be like if that imaginary world came out of the painting and helped them to learn and grow in other ways in a lifetime.

Now what? How will I prepare to effectively teach my future students? Well I would be more prepared because I would have a basis of teaching the arts to them. With a basis the rest comes easier for them. How has my perspective changed? I think that I have always wanted to show art to my students in some way, but I just did not know how. I would like to take some extra time and learn more about what has been taught. I think art can be fun to learn in a classroom, I think it would be fun to learn how to teach with it in the classroom. How will this change the way I teach my future students? By learning the visual aspect of art I will be able to show many different art pieces and understand why someone did what they did. i can't do that now, but I hope that soemday my students can learn from what I am going to learn which will help them appreciate art more in their lives.

Arts and Me

What? I do not remember any teacher integrating the arts into my classroom as a student. I remember when we would do the normal art projects for the Holidays. We had art class too, but the teacher did not use it to teach a specific topic or help me better understand a topic. All I remember is my fifth grade teacher taught me to draw a box in three dimensions.

So What? I don't really remember much of what was taught to me concerning the arts. None of the teachers thought it was important in the classroom. I wish I would have learned more when I was an Elementary Student because I could have gained a better interest in The Arts. Throughout my lifetime I really had no desire to have art be part of my life. I did have a Music Class my freshman year here at UVU. It has been over ten years ago, but since that class I have been able to get interested in some of The Arts. I was required to go to some different things for the class. In the meantime I got married and learned that women like to go to shows and plays. I have even learned to enjoy watching dance. I think anything besides a movie all the time will help impress the ladies. My wife and I enjoy going to Musicals occasionally.
so, I wish that I could say I had more to incorporate to my career as a teacher. I know I need to know more to help the classroom be integrated with the great things in life. I am excited to learn more about The Arts in this class.

Now what? I want to and know that I am going to learn much about art. I enjoyed the first class, it really got me thinking about what I can do with art in the classroom. Another class this semester helped out the thought process by teaching that all students learn differently, some need to see things in a different way in order to learn. I know that I will use those things I will be learning in class this semester for the future classroom. I need the arts in my classroom. In the interview for entry into The Program, the question was asked, "Do you believe that Arts should be in our schools with the amazing technological advanced we are seeing in schools today?" I answered with a resounding yes, this is what makes the students minds open to the many possibilities that await them. I need to learn how to do just that, and I will learn all the things to help me be the best teacher I can be.