Urban Sprawl and Its Impact on Farming: A Message in Embroidery by Lana Caywood, Children's Embroidery projects, and Rethinking Our Classrooms, pp. 1-4

The main website for this week's blog will be Urban Sprawl and Its Impact on Farming: A Message in Embroidery by Lana Caywood, a recent graduate of TTU's Master's in Art Education program. The website you will visit contains all the material Lana presented at her Master's thesis defense (which she passed with flying colors). The Visual Studies faculty are very proud of her and the fine work she did as a student in our program. I hope you enjoy it too.

When you go to Lana's website, use the horizontal grey menu bar near the top of the screen to navigate to the different sections. First, read the Introduction. It is extremely important to read the Introduction to grasp the full significance of Lana's research.

In the Research section you will find a text of Lana's Master's thesis. You do not have to read this. Next, click on "Art Process" and read about Embroidery as an Art Form. Here is briefly discusses her reasons for choosing to work with specific materials such as feed sacks and red thread. None of these choices were random. They are deeply embedded in history and historic social movements such as Abolition.

In the "Embroidery Transfers" section, Caywood explains how the embroidery transfers she created for this project relate to contemporary issues of land conservation, farming and (sub)urban sprawl. She shows how her work relates back to the hot iron transfers made in earlier times.

Question/Activity #1
Select one of Lana's transfers and explain how the symbolism relates to land issues facing contemporary farmers in Wisconsin and throughout the country. 

Question #2
Go to the "Embroidery Gallery" section of Lana's website and click on the images for a closer look. You will notice a quote that continues from towel to towel. Read the whole quote from beginning to end. What will be the last crop grown on America's farmland?

Question #3
Now go to the section, "Three Generations of Embroidery" and read about the embroidered tea towels in Lana's family. Notice the research she did on each set, including her own experience learning to embroidery as a young girl. At the end of the first paragraph on this page, Lana writes, "I didn't understand what the message, 'But I can cook,' implied." What did it imply?

Question #4
In the "Links" section, you will find a link to the American Farmland Trust organization. What is the mission of this organization? How many acres of fertile farmland is Texas losing to sub/urban sprawl each year?

*****

The next two websites for you to visit this week are to show you how embroidery can be done with children. The images from the classroom of Agulha Nao Pica show embroidery on paper by young children, while the page from Mary Corbet's Needle 'N' Thread website, "Children's Embroidery Project: Butterfly Towel," features work from children between the ages of 7-10. As you can see, there is quite a difference in skill level and development.

*****

Question #5
Finally, for this week I'd like you to read the Introduction, pp. 1-4, of Rethinking Our Classrooms: Teaching for Equity and Justice, Vol. 2. In these first pages, the editors (Bill Bigelow, Brenda Harvey, Stan Karp and Larry Miller) argue that to be truly successful, "school reform must be guided by democratic social goals and values that provide a deeper context for more traditional academic objectives" (p. 1). Using the elements of good classroom practice outlined in this introduction, explain how Lana Caywood's thesis project inspires critical thinking, social justice, experiential learning, etc. 

Please consider how Lana's project could be adapted to the elementary school classroom! 

River of Words

This week we're going to explore the website for the nonprofit educational organization, River of Words: Teaching Ecoliteracy Through Poetry and Art. I'm sure that you are aware of the importance of teaching literacy across the curriculum. When we teach across the curriculum, we give students of different cultural backgrounds and learning styles a variety of ways to understand the content we are teaching.

River of Words focuses on the intersections of art, writing and environmental awareness. The literacy emphasis is on poetry, which some children may find less stressful than rule-bound narrative writing. Like art, poetry gives children (and adults) an opportunity to use different parts of the brain. As we know, there are "left brained" and "right brained" people, so we should not be surprised that some of our students will excel in art & poetry but struggle in their other subjects. Arts education (and arts-based approaches to teaching other subjects) is important for this reason: for highly creative, nontraditional learners, the arts are their only reason for staying in school!!! 

I hope you will fully explore the River of Words website and some of the other websites to which it is linked. Here are some questions I'd like you to consider and respond to as your search:

Question #1


At the top of the River of Words webpage, a dark blue horizontal bar helps visitors navigate the sections of the website. Please go to the "What We Do" section and read about "One Square Block." Would you like to do something like "One Square Block" for our next art project in this class? If so, how would you want to document the people, animals, plants, architecture, neighborhoods, weather and/or water sources in the immediate vicinity around Texas Tech University? You could use your cell phones for taking pictures and writing notes, or if you'd rather go low-tech you could use a notebook and pencil. A combination of both would work too. Let me know!

Question #2

In the "Art and Poetry" section, check out the 2010 art winners and select a favorite artwork. Tell us the name of the student-artist, artist's age and grade level, the name of the artwork and the name of the student-artist's teacher. Also mention where the artist is from.

Question #3


In the "Art and Poetry" section, look at the 2010 One Square Block winners. This is a combination of visual art and poetry. Read the poems "My Neighborhood Story" by Alondra Cervantes (age 11, San Francisco, CA) and "I Am..." by Sean FitzHoward (age 14, San Francisco, CA). The first poem describes the poet's home neighborhood in precise, condensed language and a minimum of words. The second poem is a self-portrait in metaphorical language. Using one of these two examples as a guide, try your hand at poetry*.

* You do not have to post your poem if it discloses information you want to keep private. You can email me your poem  or bring it with you to class next Wednesday.

* None of us are poets, and all of us feel self-conscious, so unless your poem reveals something you can't share with others, please post your poem and comment on other's poems that you like.

The Girl With the Brown Crayon by Vivian Gussin Paley

This week we will pause from our website assignments to discuss Paley's book, The Girl With the Brown Crayon. You should read the entire book from start to finish before posting comments on this blog. Please note that if you want me to believe you read the book, your responses must be detailed and firmly based in the text. Quoting directly from the text and giving your interpretation or analysis of the author's words is one way to show that you read the book and understand its content. Avoid writing generic, vague, unfocused and/or minimalist responses.

Respond to at least 2 of the following questions:

1. Paley wrote this book primarily for teachers. What is Paley trying to teach us?

2.  What is the relationship of art, literacy and education in this book?

3. How do the children work through complex problems in their own lives and in the stories of Leo Lionni?

4. What does Paley's term, "the uninvented classroom," mean?

5. How does the book address gender roles and stereotypes?

As always, if you have questions about this assignment, please feel free to email me or post your question here on the blog. There are no stupid questions!

Good luck and happy reading!

The Private Eye & Solaris at Ebert School

Here I am again, back from the abyss! I am doing much better now and want to thank everyone who sent me emails wishing me a quick recovery. You are such a great group of students, I feel very fortunate to have you in my class.

I hope you are still working on your crochet. I was going to show you a new stitch last Wednesday, and I was also going to tell you about an art-science project I am currently working on that uses crochet (& it's not about coral reefs). That will have to wait until next Wednesday. In the meantime, we cannot let time pass without practicing. It's too easy to forget what you've learned.  In case you need a refresher, here is the instructional video we watched in class last week:   http://youtu.be/eqca00LdmAc

We started learning the Double Crochet Stitch last week, but I didn't get to tell you everything you needed to know. Here is a video with more complete information:     http://youtu.be/875obcDOLgY

Please go ahead and practice your stitches before we meet next week! Thank you.

**********************************************************************

This week's blog assignment is to visit one website - Looking/Thinking by Analogy: The Private Eye - and watch one video on the Art-Science Project: Solaris at Ebert Elementary School in Denver. You have already experienced The Private Eye, but I think that as future teachers, you should be familiar with the website, teaching materials available on the website, articles and other media related to this amazingly successful curriculum. Although "Solaris" at Ebert School was not a Private Eye-based project, it set out to accomplish many of the same goals using similar strategies, with some key differences. I thought these two would go together well for this week's blog.

Question #1: Looking/Thinking by Analogy: The Private Eye website

One of the first things you will notice on The Private Eye website (besides the bright colors) are the words "Breaking News" and a link to story that aired last November on National Public Radio. I'l like you to click on that link. Do not click on the arrow in the big red block that says "Listen," (it will take you to whatever is currently playing on the radio station). Instead, scroll down the page. Past the picture of students with loupes, under the heading, "'Private Eye' Makes Connections in World, Brains," finally in small green letters you'll see "Click here to listen to the story." That will take you to the audio file. Click on it and listen, or you may choose just to read the transcript. 

(a) The "Private Eye" works by reinforcing the brain's natural capacity for thinking in metaphors and analogies - by making mental connections between things. Do educators believe this helps build critical thinking and high order reasoning skills? If so, how do they explain it?  

(b) Go back to the "Private Eye" home page and scroll down a little more. You will find a video titled "The Private Eye Training-the-Trainers." Watch this video. What kind of student learning outcomes have elementary school teachers seen when using "The Private Eye" curriculum? 

(c) Go back to the home page and read the text under the "Training the Trainers" video. Who is "training the trainers" in Texas? 

Question 2: Art-Science Project: Solaris at Ebert School

Watch the entire video on Youtube and answer the following questions: 

(a) How is the Solaris Project different from The Private Eye? 

(b) The Solaris Project lasted two years. Did the emphasis of the project change in its second year? 

(c) Would you like to teach in a school that tries out new and different ways of learning like Solaris at Ebert School or The Private Eye? How might you get a principal or superintendent to consider trying out a curriculum like The Private Eye?

Those are your questions for this week. Your blog responses have been excellent so far and I am very proud of all of you for the time and attention you have given to this work. Thank you!

carolyn

Krochet Kids International & Amnesty International for Educators

This week's websites build on the foundation of last week's "Miniature World" video. In your responses to last week's websites, many of you indicated a desire to connect U.S. children with children in others parts of the world. We are fortunate to have the technological tools to facilitate this process. Now, we need to deepen our understanding of the issues faced by a large percentage of the world's children. Only by knowing the issues, and developing a strong sense of empathy and passion, can we become effective educational leaders in our own communities and beyond.

Here are this week's questions. You did a wonderful job answering last week's questions, so please keep doing what you're doing!

Question #1: Krochet Kids International


What do kids actually have to do with Krochet Kids International? Explain how the project works exponentially to improve the lives of women, families and whole communities. Be sure to watch the video, "Meet Betty," and visit the shopping area. If you click on individual hats, you can read what people who bought hats wrote to the women who made them.

Note: This business model has been replicated many times. Empowering women has proven to be one of the most successful strategies in alleviating poverty and strengthening world economies.

Question #2: Amnesty International - USA, Resources for Educators


You have no doubt heard of the organization, Amnesty International. But did you know what it did? Here is your chance to learn about the world's most powerful and respected human rights organization.

a) The link will probably take you directly to the Amnesty International USA website. Be sure to scroll down the page and read the main headlines. You might be surprised to learn that the USA is the only country in the world that sentences children to life in prison. How many people in the US are currently serving life sentences (without the possibility of parole) for crimes they committed before the age of 18?

b) At the top of the Amnesty International - USA home page, you'll see a drop down menu labeled "Find Resources." Click on the arrow and select "Educators." This will take you to the resource section for educators:   http://www.amnestyusa.org/resources/educators
which contains downloadable classroom materials for children of all ages. There are film curriculum guides (for older students), curriculum guides and lesson plans. Click on "Curriculum Guides." Note all the material that is available for free. Which of these materials could be used with elementary school children?

Now, download or click on the curriculum guide, Our World, Our Rights: Teaching about Rights and Responsibilities in the Elementary School (A handbook for learning about the University Declaration of Human Rights). Read the Table of Contents on pp. v-vi (page numbers are at the bottom of each page).
You will see many hands-on activities and stories appropriate for young children. You may want to download this book for future use in the classroom.

c) I'd like you to go to page 3, "Using This Book." Read the whole page. Here it explains what the book sets out to accomplish. A primary objective is to help children develop certain skills and abilities. What are these skills and abilities and what do they have to do with creating a more peaceful world for the future?

d) On the same page (p. 3), read "some points to bear in mind" for teachers. Why does it advise teachers to include more than one area of the world when talking about human right abuses? And why does it encourage using examples of people who are challenging oppression for themselves?

As always, I want you to email me if you have questions or concerns of any kind. I respect your point of view. Please feel free to talk to me if something is weighing on your mind.

Thank you!

carolyn

Miniature Earth & Iraqi Children's Art Exchange Discussion Questions

Hello class!

I'm posting this a little early because I'd like to go over it in class tonight to answer any questions you might have.

You actually have 3 assignments this week, all due next Monday, January 30th, at midnight. These three assignments are: 1) to watch The Miniature Earth video, 2) visit the Iraqi Children's Art Exchange and read it's various sections, and 3) read pp. 1-20 in The Girl with the Brown Crayon by Vivian Gussin Paley. There is a fourth assignment, of course, which is to respond to the questions posted in this blog.

I will ask only three questions, one for each reading/viewing assignment. If you do not understand something, please feel free to email me your question or concern at c.erler@ttu.edu or post your question here.

Here are your 3 questions. Please write a minimum of three sentences in response to each question.

Question #1: Miniature Earth Video
This video promotes a sense of context and perspective on yourself as a global citizen. You might be surprised by what you learn. The facts in this video are regularly updated for accuracy. Do you think you will remember this video a year from now? If so, what will you remember?

Question #2: The Iraqi Children's Art Exchange
You may not agree with political views of the women who founded ICAE, but it would be hard to disagree with their actions. These women - Kathleen Winkworth and Claudia Lefko - practice a strong form of art education for social justice. Read the whole Vision Statement in the "What We Do" section of the website.  Can you, as a future educator, imagine yourself founding a program based on the values implicit in this statement? If you answered "yes," use your imagination to envision a program that would put these values into action. Tell us about the program you envision.

Question #3: The Girl with the Brown Crayon, pp. 1-20
Vivian Gussin Paley was a veteran kindergarten teacher when she wrote this book. It reflects years of classroom experience and the accumulated wisdom of 40+ years spent teaching and working with young children. What values do Paley, Winkworth and Lefko all have in common? How do they put their values into action? Name specific practices and strategies they use.

These questions are designed to help you think about the basic values of being a teacher and a global citizen. As an educator, you are entrusted with an awesome task: to help shape the values of future generations. Will your vision be broad and inclusive, promoting global awareness, or will it be narrow and focused on people very much like yourself? These are important questions. I hope this week's assignment will help you focus on what, exactly, it means to be a teacher in today's world.

Feel free to ask questions of your own! I am always happy to respond. In the meantime, I look forward to reading your comments. Thanks,

carolyn  

Updated Syllabus

All,

Please note that the syllabus has been updated to reflect current TTU policies.

Thanks,

carolyn