Amy Chou
AA 192SL
March 08, 2007
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
My mental alarm goes off at 6:00 AM and as I am about to get out of bed, I realized there was no class today. As the students go on their two-month break, I need to figure out a way in which I can still interact with the students. I am meeting with Sonja next weekend to discuss over our plans for the next unit--
• Fundraising ideas (i.e. t-shirts, calendar, cups)
• Future lesson plans
• Continuation of mural
• Possible projects during break
Sonja and I had spoke before about having some of the students come in and work on the mural over break, which would be wonderful way for the students to engage in a productive environment.
Thursday, March 8, 2007
Monday, March 5, 2007
MY PICASSOS
Amy Chou
AA192SL
Entry 6
March 01, 2007
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
QUESTION: How do you run three things at once?
MURAL: We began our mural last week and the class had to print their waves onto the walls today. The issue that arises is that we cannot have all the students painting at once, so what are some of my options? I decided to hold a workshop for the students who weren’t painting or who had already painted.
PICASSO FACES WORKSHOP: Originally, I wanted to split the class in half—one working on the mural, while the other did the workshop. The groups would later switch, however, Ms. Williams suggested that I taught the lesson to the entire class and she would individually pull students out to print to avoid chaos in the hallway. Turned out it did not take as long to print as I had anticipated. The workshop was a little hectic since students were going in and out, but I think they really enjoyed it and the results were AMAZING.
FIXATIVE: The class created “Chalk on Glue” drawings from the previous weeks, but we did not have fixative to withhold the chalk. Fortunately, the mural and the workshop ended a little early so we had time to spray fixative over their pieces.
To top it all off, it was the last day of the unit (the students go on a two-month break) and we were being filmed for ArtsBridge. The students all pitched in and purchased a Carver Middle School sweatshirt for me (which I’ve been wearing for the past 3 days)! I was so touched I almost wanted to cry. While all this was going on, the camera crew caught it all on tape. What a wonderful way to end the unit and I cannot wait till I start the second unit!
_________________________________
FUNDRAISING
Ms. Williams wanted to created mugs, calendars, postcards, etc of the students work and fundraise for a class trip to Costa Rica to volunteer. I suggested creating a montage of the students’ works and printing it on t-shirts. What are some other ways to fundraise? Who should we sell them to (i.e. Carver M.S., UCLA)? Are there copyrights laws to consider?
AA192SL
Entry 6
March 01, 2007
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
QUESTION: How do you run three things at once?
MURAL: We began our mural last week and the class had to print their waves onto the walls today. The issue that arises is that we cannot have all the students painting at once, so what are some of my options? I decided to hold a workshop for the students who weren’t painting or who had already painted.
PICASSO FACES WORKSHOP: Originally, I wanted to split the class in half—one working on the mural, while the other did the workshop. The groups would later switch, however, Ms. Williams suggested that I taught the lesson to the entire class and she would individually pull students out to print to avoid chaos in the hallway. Turned out it did not take as long to print as I had anticipated. The workshop was a little hectic since students were going in and out, but I think they really enjoyed it and the results were AMAZING.
FIXATIVE: The class created “Chalk on Glue” drawings from the previous weeks, but we did not have fixative to withhold the chalk. Fortunately, the mural and the workshop ended a little early so we had time to spray fixative over their pieces.
To top it all off, it was the last day of the unit (the students go on a two-month break) and we were being filmed for ArtsBridge. The students all pitched in and purchased a Carver Middle School sweatshirt for me (which I’ve been wearing for the past 3 days)! I was so touched I almost wanted to cry. While all this was going on, the camera crew caught it all on tape. What a wonderful way to end the unit and I cannot wait till I start the second unit!
_________________________________
FUNDRAISING
Ms. Williams wanted to created mugs, calendars, postcards, etc of the students work and fundraise for a class trip to Costa Rica to volunteer. I suggested creating a montage of the students’ works and printing it on t-shirts. What are some other ways to fundraise? Who should we sell them to (i.e. Carver M.S., UCLA)? Are there copyrights laws to consider?
Thursday, February 22, 2007
Amy Chou
AA 192 SL
Entry #5
Wednesday, February 20, 2007
What NOT to do (next time):
• Forget masking tape
• Assume the will provide supplies
• Forget that not all the students can paint at the same time
• Purchase paint bins liners
Preparation and taking everything into consideration is key in running a lesson. Above were a few things I forgot to consider this past week, which made things a little hectic.
What to do (next time):
• Make an extensive list of supplies, run it through Sonja, and double check the list
________________________________________________________________________
.:LOVE:.
I am currently taking Barbara Kruger’s Advanced Drawing course. Our class is given a different word each week and this week’s word was, “Love.” I am interested in how the word “Love” is a socially constructed idea that altars over time, especially with age of an individual. I provided the word “Love” on a large white poster board, which I place one in Broad and another in Ms. Williams classroom. I wanted to compare what the word meant to different age groups. The students got really into the project and contributed endless photos, poems, and drawings. I was surprised in what the word “Love” meant to them and how it related to romance, sadness, humor, family, and friends.
AA 192 SL
Entry #5
Wednesday, February 20, 2007
What NOT to do (next time):
• Forget masking tape
• Assume the will provide supplies
• Forget that not all the students can paint at the same time
• Purchase paint bins liners
Preparation and taking everything into consideration is key in running a lesson. Above were a few things I forgot to consider this past week, which made things a little hectic.
What to do (next time):
• Make an extensive list of supplies, run it through Sonja, and double check the list
________________________________________________________________________
.:LOVE:.
I am currently taking Barbara Kruger’s Advanced Drawing course. Our class is given a different word each week and this week’s word was, “Love.” I am interested in how the word “Love” is a socially constructed idea that altars over time, especially with age of an individual. I provided the word “Love” on a large white poster board, which I place one in Broad and another in Ms. Williams classroom. I wanted to compare what the word meant to different age groups. The students got really into the project and contributed endless photos, poems, and drawings. I was surprised in what the word “Love” meant to them and how it related to romance, sadness, humor, family, and friends.
Monday, February 19, 2007
HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!!!
Amy Chou
AA 192SL
Entry #4
February 24, 2007
“Happy Valentine’s Day, Ms. Chou!” screamed Stephanie. The students began clearing their desks and removing the heavy chairs down to the floor. I call them my ‘core group’—they arrive to school half hour before the bell rings (7AM!) and despite the earliness, they are eager to start class. We continued last week’s project, which we decided to call “Glue with Chalk.” Ms. Williams is planning to display the works along the walls in the hallway.
Reynaldo raises his hand and asks, “Ms. Chou, what else can I do to this [picture]?” I try to stray away from ‘telling’ students what to do because I do not want to impose and interrupt their process. I have come to realize as a student, myself, I encourage and respect suggestions and comments from my professors, T.A., and peers. I worked with Reynaldo in developing his piece—adding a background, highlighting the flowers and creating a stronger foreground by adding details of grass. I could tell he appreciated my suggestions, which allowed him to think about the various possibilities of this assignment.
We began the layout of the murals and hopefully, we will be able to paint next week. The students are ecstatic to have their works displayed for the public and so am I! I think the mural will set a brighter tone in the school (versus the dull, yellow stained walls).
AA 192SL
Entry #4
February 24, 2007
“Happy Valentine’s Day, Ms. Chou!” screamed Stephanie. The students began clearing their desks and removing the heavy chairs down to the floor. I call them my ‘core group’—they arrive to school half hour before the bell rings (7AM!) and despite the earliness, they are eager to start class. We continued last week’s project, which we decided to call “Glue with Chalk.” Ms. Williams is planning to display the works along the walls in the hallway.
Reynaldo raises his hand and asks, “Ms. Chou, what else can I do to this [picture]?” I try to stray away from ‘telling’ students what to do because I do not want to impose and interrupt their process. I have come to realize as a student, myself, I encourage and respect suggestions and comments from my professors, T.A., and peers. I worked with Reynaldo in developing his piece—adding a background, highlighting the flowers and creating a stronger foreground by adding details of grass. I could tell he appreciated my suggestions, which allowed him to think about the various possibilities of this assignment.
We began the layout of the murals and hopefully, we will be able to paint next week. The students are ecstatic to have their works displayed for the public and so am I! I think the mural will set a brighter tone in the school (versus the dull, yellow stained walls).
Friday, February 9, 2007
Entry #3
Amy Chou
AA192SL
February 8, 2007
Entry 3
AA192SL
February 8, 2007
Entry 3
Wednesday, February 7, 2007
Even till this day, I still feel a bit odd when a student calls me ‘Ms. Chou.’ We had a wonderful experience with printmaking last week and I was afraid that this week’s curriculum would not be as successful. This week’s topic focused on plants, particularly flowers, in which I introduced the artist, Georgia O’Keeffe. I’ve begun a trend of having the students read a quote from the artist, followed by a discussion before jumping into the activity. The students were hesitant to talk at first, but they in fact had a lot to say once the discussion began. One student explained how O’Keeffe grabs the attention of the viewer by enlarging the image and placing it in focus.
We used the same process of synthesizing realism and abstraction as O’Keeffe. While some students created a more simplified flower, others worked in detail and precision. There is a sense of accomplishment from each student whether they were interested in creating an image of a flower or not. Just the whole idea of having a completed piece of work that one had created on his/her own is meaningful in itself. As I walked around the room, I noticed some students who quickly drew a flower and I am curious in whether they were really satisfied with their work. How do I differentiate a student who may like simplicity from a student who’s just too lazy to put more effort into his/her work? I know I cannot expect every student to fall in love with art but what are some other ways can I relate art to something they’re interested in without ‘telling’ them what to do?
While we were waiting for the glue to dry, we critiqued last week’s project. I truly believe in the importance of having oral skills and articulating oneself in front of an audience. It was not so much of what they had depicted, but to practice speaking about process, purpose, and significance behind a piece. Ms. Williams and I discussed about painting a mural along the hall to ‘beautify’ the campus. Unfortunately, we only have 3 more sessions before they go off track so it will be somewhat difficult to paint a mural within that time. I suggested we use the prints we had made and create sort of montage out of them. Ms. Williams also suggested the idea of including some haikus written by the students, which I thought was absolutely brilliant (I believe in the importance of fusing different subjects such as poetry and visual arts).
Entry #2
Amy Chou
AA 192SL
February 1, 2007
Entry #2
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
We began the class with a brief history of the famous Japanese artist, Hokusai. Despite the fact that it was 7:26am, the students were very attentive and eager to create works of art. The students were assigned to create their own interpretation of a wave, incorporating their own sense of style. One student, Alex, designed a wave that transformed into a dinosaur. Another student cropped the size of her print, and overlapped them on top of one another in a diagonal direction. The decision-making in the choice of size, style, perspective, and depth are all characteristics of what defines as a creative artist. Drawn by the vibrant colors spilling over the roller, the students were ecstatic to print and reprint their etchings.
As the rest of the class participated in the workshop, a few had to sit out and complete their previous day’s homework. This brought up the issue of making sure students complete their homework—as a teacher, how does one reinforce the importance of homework and how to seek help in completing it as well. I also noticed a parent came in to speak to Ms. Williams in regards of her son’s problem in completing his homework. Ms. Williams had to ask one of the students translate for her—how important is it for a teacher to know Spanish, particularly teaching in a school made of mostly Latinos? How do teachers promote parent involvement in a student’s academic life? Many of these parents work all day or speak English, so what can the teachers, the school, the school district, and the community do to promote a stronger relationship between the parents, the students, and the schools?
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