A most authentic integration

'Tying it all together' was the theme of our last tutorial with Maureen and Gerard, emphasizing the importance of staying awake to the generating, realizing and responding elements in art sessions. A great demonstration was experienced through the use of a pretext to integrate various learning areas in the arts.

Pretext: A launching pad, sets in motion the learning/inquiry, rings up the curtain by framing the participants.

The activity began with Maureen narrating the Irish folk-tale, The seal wife (pretext).
From the gaps in the story, we (in groups) shared  freeze frame moments with the class, discussing what they saw and what our moment was. From this freeze Drama we then chose a piece of music and composed a dance that began before the freeze moment, led through it and continued after it. In less than an hour we had experienced literacy (generalizing with the pretext), Drama (realizing through freeze moments), music and dance (responding). This activity could then be extended by writing up the stories the different groups had realized, through drawing or painting these interpretations or include the use of multimedia to document the moments. There really is no limit and it was the perfect example of using the two levels of integrating that Lina spoke of earlier: inside (combine two or more types of arts together), and outside (integrate the arts within other learning areas).

If you can foster the arts in your classroom, you will be fostering a supportive community and a positive place to work, teach and learn within.  

It is all Art, even if the form changes

“Making art requires students to develop deep understandings in order to represent their ideas to others through the art” (Sinclair, Jeanneret et.al p.197)... Sometimes it is easier to communicate this understanding through Art because Art isn't subject to the limitations or manipulations of vocabulary and language. “A Vocabulary need not be only words_ images, sounds, and experiences may also be important.” (p.200)

In class last week half of our class responded or interpreted a painting of Edvard Munch called 'The Scream'.

“...The scream is silent, which is probably a good thing, because it would be a terrifying sound. It's a scream emitted, not only by the figure of this man with his mouth open as he stands on a bridge, but the scream sounds through all of nature. I remember the livid sky and the turbulent water behind the bridge. And the sound, which we now think of as sort of primal scream, a scream which liberates instinct.” (Jill Kitson, Lingua Franca, ABC National)

At its heart, Art is about expression. Arguably the Arts more than any subject embrace diversity and diverse expression. I don't think I could have represented Munches 'Scream' in music, even with the help of the other students, I think I would have interpreted it differently, high-pitched and wobbly sounding and I would not have had the musical skills to make that sound I wanted (another argument for art partnerships and residencies). Sinclair et al chapter 11 talk about 'Creative frustration'- “working with others…need to tolerate uncertainty and ambiguity as they bring new artistic, practical, and personal elements to bear in unique ways for each new project.” I imagine integrating the art forms is a great way to support exploration of an individuals 'preferred' ways to express ideas, thoughts and feelings. As teachers we are advised to aspire to “…create lots of opportunities and entry points for all individuals to be involved with eachother” (Sue Wong ,cited in Sinclair et.al, 2009, p196).

“Creative insights often occur when existing ideas are combined or reinterpreted in unexpected ways or when they are applied in areas with which they are not normally associated. Often this arises by making unusual connections, seeing analogies and relationships between ideas or objects that have not previously been related” (Robinson, 1999, p32 cited in sinclair et al, p200).

I think the advantage in taking the draft curriculum approach that we have been taking to teaching the arts, organised around - generating, realising and responding, is the opportunity the framework provides for children to engage with chosen arts practices, from a pretext that integrates artforms, to produce meaningful expression (BUT see a scathing criticism of this idea and another viewpoint is given in The Weekend Australian , August 27-28, 2011, The Nation, p9).

Lina, Bill, the text.. all talk about making sure the connection between art forms is authentic, so I get that the point is obviously important... but I don't see how integrating the artforms can be inauthentic ??

The artist within the general classroom teacher

I think this point that Lina has made encompasses our arts unit, and perhaps the whole idea around introducing the five arts into the curriculum. A really great article that maureen gave us "The arts and the inner lives of teachers" by Mary Clare Powell, talks about using arts throughout the curriculum but through an inspired teacher that has been awakened to a fearless and uninhibited use of the arts.

"The arts can feed the inner lives of teachers, and the whole education enterprise depends on the quality of those inner lives"......"Teachers draw from their inner resources (creative imagination, inspiration, and intuition). "Education is an art because it relies upon that combination of know-how and inspiration, of enthusiasm and dedication, of ability and restraint, which the artist has and which is awakened in the artist-teacher'.  

Through doing this unit I really feel as though it has fed my inner life as a teacher.

Integrated media arts need two levels of integration--inside as well as outside

I believe that art education is a very important learning area in the general curriculum. First I consider that art is a coherent body rather than the distinct component within the curriculum; second, it also contributes to the goals of general education.  In the tutorial, it is mentioned that there are two layers in the integration of arts. The first layer is to combine two or more types of arts together, and the second layer is to integrate the arts within other learning areas.  

I found a good definition of arts integration--“is interdisciplinary work in the arts that enables students to identify and apply authentic connection between two or more disciplines and to understand essential concepts that transcend individual disciplines” (as cited National Arts Education Association, 2002).

The reason I support the arts integration is that I view the arts integration as another opportunity for students to learn in their academic areas. I consider arts integration can help students to learn more effectively with greater motivation. It is also believed that with promoting arts integration can lead to asserting that a non-artistic gain in students’ achievement can be made by the use of the artistic means (Hixson, 2007).  

These two pictures were drawn in terms of integrating the music into the visual arts. I enjoy it. I think bringing music into visual arts provides a different angle for me to understand both arts forms.  It also pushes me to use all my senses to feel the music.  Without needing to process all this information in my head, what I feel can be expressed freshly on the paper! I think combining arts would decrease students’ anxious feelings.  It allows personal interpretation of the original arts as well as their own works.  I feel I am liberated and relaxed when I am drawing as I can “see” the music and express it in my own way.

References

Hixson, A. R. (2007). A study of the effect of co-equal arts integration on student achievement in music and writing with fourth and fifth grade students. Shenandoah University. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, Retrieved from http://ezproxy.utas.edu.au/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/304719730?accountid=14245

    

Stop animation tute

An example of what to do and what not to do. This is what my group and I came up with in about  a 45minute session. Not bad but obvious things like keeping hands out of frames (one I am sure is mine) and actually completing the clip with credits and a nice ending are important points to teach students. The music is a sample of what I do when not at uni :)

Action...Reaction

Media Arts

...You left cogdogroo out Bri (It was a particularly helpful one you gave me that I recall because it lists 50 storytools)

I am not as accomplished as Bri at using media BUT I totally recognise the importance of it. When I am a teacher I have decided that I will get Bri or another media artist to be my class artist in residence, so that I don't fail my students with my own ineptitude. Like Ken Robinson said, way back in the first week lecture, something like '80% of the jobs available to kids in 20 years time have not been invented yet'. I would reckon a lot of those jobs will involve media. I recall a report on ABC national about the importance of teaching kids computer programming skills, I have been trying to find it to post the link, no joy...but it has not been to no avail because the search has turned up abundant reports about media arts and education... http://www.abc.net.au/rn/lifematters/stories/2006/1575955.htm

Do it yourself computer games: an education story It is my understanding that these important skills and more are learnt through 'inanimate alice' which is why I was keen to use this free digital literacy, education pack (Bri has already provided the link) on prac. Problems I encountered had to do with getting tech people to enable the sound on the computers and when it was enabled the cacophonous distraction 'n disorder of everyones different soundtrack because they were moving through the story at their own pace.

n.b to self...Setting up the classroom seems to be a recurrent problem I have faced with visual and media arts.

Lina talks about teachers using media technology as an instructional tool, I think when they do this they are modelling technological skill. Grade one students I noticed take great interest in the workings of the interactive whiteboard or smartboard, I recall them watching/learning the teachers steps in finding websites. The smartboard wasn’t working on that latest prac, alas. So i suppose there is something in what Lina is saying about the problem of access.

I was on a road trip a while back and was conducting a visual conversation with my family, who were in Hobart. We were sending pictures and short videos to each other to mark my progress on the road, with text interspersed, on my cheap mobile. Mobile phones are media tools most kids have access to, I would like to explore  doing this in the classroom- short photo stories and videos using this medium...if only I knew how to get the photos off the phone and into one of those programs like 'moviemaker' ...I probably need to find out what bluetooth means too!

I got this timely email from inanimate alice the other day...

"Inanimate Alice.  We have just launched a refreshed website as well as a partnership with the whiteboard company Promethean Planet. 

http://www.inanimatealice.com/
http://www.prometheanplanet.com/

One of the most exciting features of these developments is the use of one of Alice's gadgets. We have pulled the gadget out of an episode and have brought it to life.  You will see it in the upper left hand corner of Alice's home page. Once you have registered as a member on Planet (it’s free) a click will take you directly to Alice's User Group page where you can interact first-hand with the gadget itself. 

From the gadget on Planet, you will be able to access a wealth of free new resources related to the series.  These resources include a trailer, a teacher’s guide, a literacy resource pack, a mind map ideas pack, a university schools of education pack, a whiteboard guide, introduction to and showcase for user generated content and whiteboard friendly lessons. "

The importance of media arts

teaching outside the box

Media literacy and body image

The media awareness network (link in toolkit) has some great lessons on this subject.

Applying Media arts with limited devices

I also found the tutorial very inspiring! I believe the activities we did today could be used in very underprivileged schools successfully. I really enjoyed the stop animation my group made with a paper skeleton, a big old TV and a cheap video recorder. This activity could also work with a digital still camera if video was unavailable. I believe you would be rather hard pressed to find a school that did not have access to a computer these days. I studied media at university and have always planned to integrate it heavily into my curriculum teaching. Making films in poor isolated indigenous communities is what inspired me to become a teacher. You can pick up a high definition video camera for as little as $250 and it's a great way to get kids enthusiastic about areas of the curriculum they may find uninspiring (integrating link in toolkit). Also by using 'in camera editing' techniques you can remove the need for a computer. As Daniel Greenwood (2003) explains "students are excited by video projects and immerse themselves in the experience and talk about them long after they are over"(p.1). He further points out that video requires "students to understand subject matter both on an emotional and intellectual level because video relates mood, tone, intensity and feeling in addition to information" (2003, p.1). Because students work so intimately with the material they do not soon forget it!

If there really isn't any equipment around, there is still a great need to teach students how to be media literate and this can simply be done with images or looking at text. Today's lesson on deconstructing pictures from third generation crops was fantastic and I will certainly be using it in class as soon as I get a chance!

Reference:

Greenwood, D. (2003). Action! in the classroom : a guide to student produced digital video in K-12 education. Lanham, Md. : Rowman & Littlefield Education.

Chapter one of this reference 'Video projects for the classroom' is a great resource.

Media arts--amazing presenting, but too middle class! How will I apply it in the school with less devices?--Lina

For today’s young children, encounters with media and technology are familiar experiences in daily life. Most people regard that young children only experience technology as end-users rather than as media producers (Peppler & Kafai, 2008). In addition, many teachers still use media as an instructional tool simply from trying to get students' attention and interest in learning.  They use newspaper articles, film, or video clips as tuning in to start discussion, analysis, writing, or media production activities to encourage critical inquiry (Flood, Lapp, & Bayles-Martin, 2000).

However, I think the most important thing of teaching media arts is to help the children to develop the technology skill, so that they can take an active role in using media as a tool to achieve other goals.  Media arts tools can be used to enhance and encourage young children’s creativity and imagination as well (Lin, 2011).

Teachers should guide children through the details which require teachers to be familiarly with the technologies that they want to teach.  By studying the media arts, children can gain valuable insights into the world around them as well as themselves as media make strong impressions on children.  

For me the aim of teaching media arts is to motivate students' interest in the subject, promote communication and critical thinking skills, encourage political awareness, and improve personal and social development (Hobbs, 2004).  I am seeking to develop students' creativity and authentic self-expression when work on media arts. As I regard it as the new way of communication, I will also explore economic, political, cultural, and social issues in contemporary society while implement the media arts.

As conclusion, I learn from the tutorial is that teacher should not see students simply as the end user of media, but also the active participators in producing media arts. Although it would be challenge for a teacher to cope with types of technology skills, I would try my best to cooperate it the class.  Media arts also provide a good opportunities for teachers to bland other subjects or issues in art class.    

My concern is if the school is lack of technology devices, do I still insist on teach media arts? Moreover, in the already crowded curriculum, how much time we can put into working on media arts without rush?

P.S: I prefer the simple way to produce media arts. Here I find a really good personal website, which applies media arts amazingly. I am the fan of this 14 years old “designer”!  The good lesson idea is that introduces my students to the blog and be a follower of the blog. My students will asked to apply the computer drawing skills and photo making skills to produce their own “blog” to express their feeling and ideas (or interested things that happen today).  This activity is more like media literacy with include drawing and photos.

The web link: http://chibird.tumblr.com/

References:

Flood, J., Lapp, D., & Bayles-Marlin, D. (2000). Vision possible: The role of visual media in literacy education. In M. Gallego & S. Hollingsworth (Eds.), What counts as literacy: Challenging the school standard (pp. 62-84). New York: Teachers College Press.

Lin, R. L. (2011). A Study of Mixed Media Art Creation for Children¡¯s Picture Books. Advanced Materials Research, 213, 172-176.

Peppler, K. A., & Kafai, Y. B. (2008). Youth as media art designers: workshops for creative coding.

Hobbs, R. (2004). A Review of School-Based Initiatives in Media Literacy Education. The American Behavioral Scientist, 48(1), 42-59.  Retrieved August 17, 2011, from ABI/INFORM Global. (Document ID: 686488611).

Dance in the general classroom

Lina and Niki you made some great points about dance/movement. An interesting activity I got out of the tute, and one that could be done in between subjects or before/after lunch etc. was this one:

All stand in a circle, pick someone to form a position in the middle then pick another to attach themselves to the first; do this up to 6 people. Ask another person to walk around and one by one tap the 'statues' on the shoulder so that the remaining individuals are left telling a visual story. Discuss/interpret.

The workshops we did for k-8 are posted on the 'lesson ideas' page under 'Fiona Reilly's dance workshops'.

Dance, the other form of play! Lina

Just like music, it is nature for people move their body with the rhythm of the music.  Frankly, I regard this body movement as a type of the dance. Many people are afraid of dance and always say that they can’t dance.  One reason I hear quite often is that they concern too much about their body shapes……

I consider dance as the other form of play which is also a part of social movements! For anthropologist Johan Huizinga (1955), play is anything but serious (p. 5). It is a space for joy, freedom and liberty.  So most of time, dance involves doing something that is not exactly “real.” it is “double edged, ambiguous, moving in several directions simultaneously,” ( Shepard, 2001, p 4 ).  Dance should be described as the state of being “busily engaged,” to “leap for joy, rejoice.”  I aim to use dance to free my student's body!  As the dance itself is the way to “carry out or perform (an action) in all types of way to express certain emotion.  “It is a mood, an activity, an eruption, of liberty,” Schrechner explains (p. 79).  So the dance is an extension of movement which can provide students opportunities to interpret ideas, feelings, and impressions through body.  Through dance students can both shape their own dance expressions and learn through using the body to explore, create, and perform.  Dance can also build a kinaesthetic awareness and sensibility.  Moreover, it facilitates students to make connection with and appreciate of dance from other times and cultures.

However, in many public schools, the curriculums are more stressing on dance making and the terms of movement which neglect the essential part of dance that is creativity.  Most teachers spend time on training students to remember the movements and sequence of the dance.  This limitation makes dancing boring to students.  Moreover, it also falls to meet to apply dance to enrich students’ understanding (understanding of encompasses feeling and empathy, understanding of human experience), enhance their ability to resilient and facilitate their ability on creating works with aesthetic features (Bergmann-Drewe, & Brown, 1999). 

   

So what can we do as non-specialist primary teacher to teach high quality dance in my class?

1. Teach to a theme and bring the music on as a background. In this way, teaching is focused on creativity, rather than recalling the movement. 

2. Fit dance into a cross-curriculum so that students will have a meaningful and relevant context and knowledge with which they can develop from their dance.

3. Give children a chance to develop their physical and movement skills, to choreograph their own routines and to perform.

References:

Huizinga, J. (1955). Homo ludens; a study of the play-element in culture. Boston: Beacon Press.

Shepard, B. (2001). If I Can’t Dance: Play, Creativity, and Social Movements. New York: City University of New York

Bergmann-Drewe, S., & Brown, A. K. (1999). Creative dance inspirations: Facilitating expression.     Alberta Journal of Educational Research, 45(3), 324-324-327. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.utas.edu.au/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/228632102?accountid=14245

Australian Culture

It is not that we lack culture (although this is what initially crossed my mind), we are such a multicultural country that we simply get confused and find it difficult to define 'one' specific culture. This is why the Australian landscape is such a prominent theme in the art, because it is the one thing that is shared and understood by all that grew up here. Our culture is the bush rangers and gold mining, it is the red dusty desert and the long stretchers of white sandy beaches. If you are an Aborigine then the survival of your culture requires that you pass on what is known of the traditional Aboriginal art forms from your country, and there are many different ones across Australia. For many of us it is shearers and cattle, plowing the land... oh and the various cultures of the countries our ancestors came from.  

A l'il comment about that

Visual Arts

O dear… is it an ugly emergent Nationalism that finds me searching for the images that reflect Australian cultural themes on a Saturday afternoon? Check out some Sidney Nolan paintings Lina... a copyright dilemma prevents a cut 'n 'paste! http://www.pictureaustralia.org/nolan/
I recall doing art projects in primary school that used his paintings as a pretext and linked to history and studies of bushrangers and the gold rush. Nolan reckons ‘sunlight ‘ was one of his main ingredients. His art is pretty replicable for budding young artists. The Australian landscape is a common theme in Australian art and poetry, aboriginals and white fellas share this. There is a lot of collage potential which could involve using natural materials, like red dirt…

The other Nolan image that springs to mind is of Ned Kelly’s trial, there is certainly a collage lesson in that for primary school artists.This link to the National Gallery of Australia should set the matter of cultural links straight…note the Asian art section...n.b this is not meant to sound brash.

 I really like your girl collage..clever! how old were you when you did that ?
I talked to my wife about what you said about Australian art lacking history and cultural themes and she surprised me by agreeing with you! Saying something poetic like, “ I mean we do lack culture here, it's not in the food we eat nor the plates we eat from “. I think it's in Australian movies too.

Culture education in Chinese arts class

All the picutres that I fond and posted on my last article were created be the students at Grade 4-6. I start to learn Chinese ink painting when I was at Grade one. In the class, the teacher will show the difference between the colour of Chinese ink and the colour of westen or todays paint.

 The colour of Watercolour

                                                                                        

The Colour of Chinese Traditional inks

                

It can be found that Chinese colours are not that bright and complex.  Moreover, some Chinese painters only use ink as colour!  We also have Chinese art paper to draw. students will learn how our ancestor made the ink and manufactured the paper. 

As Chinese traditional drawing is more about spiritual expression, so the artist pay less attention to external aspects such as light ans shade (Shen, 2006).  So it also the good practice for students to have the deep insight looking at one objects'  inner nature and characters.  This helps students to avoid judging thing from its appearance.  During drawing, I feel my mind is cultivated, as I won't worried too much about the photographic likeness.  Many students do not like drawing because what they paint on the paper do not like the object.  I think Chinese ink paint will reduce this tension, and help students to express their feeling of the object on the paper rather than focus on copying. 

I really enjoy this type of arts.  As it reflects the value of our culture, I will pass it to my children. I hope I would  have a chance to introduce Chinese drawing into Australia classroom.  I hope I can bring students a new direction of looking at arts from the other culture.  However, I still need to be aware of that there is no superior or inferior in cultures ( I would not say my culture it the best!) 

The following pictures are the Chinese ink paints are created by the students from age 5-10 

References:

Shen, H.L. (2006).  Writing Brush and Chinese Landscape Drawing. Sichuan, China: Southwestern     University Press. 

Visual Arts and culture awareness

When we did some arts activities, such as drawing without seeing, colour wheel and so on, I thought about what I learned about visual arts in China.   I clearly remember that we learn about Chinese arts history. I still have some drawings that were done at that time. We see all kinds of different types of drawing from different dynasties.  We learn to copy them and then after a whole year, we would create our own history display.  My point is that, arts help me learn more about my culture and history. It let me to be aware of Chinese culture though working on arts.  It offer great opportunities for me to understand why people appearances are different in different types of pictures.


However, when I am in Australia primary school, I was surprised to find that there is less culture themes are involved in the arts.  Only when certain from of arts are mentioned such as Aboriginal dots paint, culture differences are introduced.  There are less connection between arts and culture ( I mean their own culture).

As we are educated that all types of arts are important parts of our culture and history, I feel I have obligation to know it well and pass it to the next generation.  Moreover, I also doubt that as most western school can access well prepared tools and paint, they lost great opportunity to discover the natural  materials that can be used as paint to draw pictures.  In my primary school, we use egg shells, sands, leaves and pencil crumbs to design pictures. I feel it is waste when lot of paint and other materials are threw away after each arts class.....

I do not know what Bri and Niki learned when they were young. Is there any difference between what the students learn about arts at past and now? How do you feel about the connections between arts and culture? Do you feel that you had responsibility to pass the certain from of arts to your next generation rather than teachers? How do you think about the materials and tools that is used in the arts class?

These are the arts works I had done when I was young. Now, many schools still organise students to do it.

                                            The spring-- Beans, leaves and seeds

                                            
 Small squirrel--leaves

Cutey pig--egg shells

snack totem-- coloured pencil crumbs

 Yi girl ---Leaves
All these make me feel that arts is part of life where the creation comes.  Artist is not certain type of people, but who are real daily person and try hard to gain their ideas from ordinary life.
                                                            

Agree with Bri and Niki's idea on Arts--From Lina

I agree with what Niki and Bri's opinions on arts. I think one reason that  arts can solve the behaviour problems because it asks students to physically take part in the learning activities. High level of involvement can reduce the off task behaviours, as well as increase students' motivation on creating and producing the arts pieces.  Meanwhile, I also believe that there is no right or wrong or expected answers for  arts works.  Therefore, it reduces the stress from these lower achieved students and help them to explore themselves and discover themselves. I consider that the arts education can help students to build up their self esteem, and let them to be aware of their personal value! As the students have a sense of artist, they will be like a artist.  To be an artist is the best way to encourage the proper behaviours in the class and beyond the arts class.  Also, In China, I encourage my students to try their best to work on arts, as I will organise the little market for them to sell their works. Kids love to do that. During the selling, they try to be the best artist. They communicate with potential buyer to describe the ideas their works want to display. They ask whether the audiences like their works, and discuss how to improve their works with other "artists" and even persuade the adults to buy it.  The most naughty boy in my class try hard to explain his work in hope of selling it ( he also wanted to be understood as an artist!).  The money we get from the selling will be used to buy some stationeries. I brought my class (40 students in one class in China) to the Post office and send it to the schools in remote areas.  My students felt so excited about it. After that lots of my students always ask when they will do it again!

This unit plan enlarge the engagement as well as encourage students to participate into social activities they will do later in their adulthood.

These are the pictures I got from my friends in China (They did the same thing, exhibition then sell....The money will be used as foundlings for class, school or these schools in remote areas). I can't find mine as they are not in this laptop.

Writing Chinese traditional couplet for Spring Festival (Little bit cold outside, but kids just love it! ) 

Chinese brush writing!

I find this one web side....

Fiona's interpretive dance questions

Fiona O'Reilly posed a few questions for consideration...
Through reflecting on the readings and the videos, what unique contributions does dance make to a child’s development?

Dance contributes to the physical development of children, their motor co-ordination for instance. Dance also develops children's listening; their thinking in the process of generating ideas, and their performance skills. As with all Arts, I think dance has strong ties with emotional expression also, see the lesson plans i have included in blog folder.

The main differences in the teaching approach, as the children get older, is in the less literal and more abstract interpretations that the lessons demand of the students...right down to the music itself, where the older students don't use music with lyrics...older students could play more of a role in selecting music analogous to particular moods, feelings, objects.

The role of the teacher changes as the age group increases by becoming less proscriptive and letting the students sequence movements and develop their own more complex interpretations and expression.

So I think I can Dance!

Dance

I have borrowed the terms Generate>Present>Realise from MaryAnn Hunter’s constant reference to them as a process and framework that transcends individual art disciplines and applies to all of the forms of Arts Education.

'Generated' 'n formed from abstracting everyday moves into 'Presenting' 'n realising a group dance sequence. My 'Response' was the cumulative understanding 'n realisation that I was dancing! This activity was cloaked in terms like movement and abstraction thereby it circumvented any pre-sentiment or pre-conceived reservations I, and possibly many self-conscious students held about dance in general.

Introduction to culture - thanks Lina

Thanks for the that Lina, some really useful resources there. I can see myself using that video to introduce the culture and integrate music with SOSE in the classroom. When I click on the video to learn about the Pipa there is another instrument that is being played (guzheng??) I really enjoyed watching this one...so elegant!

The horse-head stringed instrument

It is a Mongolian folk instrument,  we also call it as horse-head fiddle (morin huur), features a wide body with a long neck on the top of which is carved a horse head. Derived from the xiqin, the horse-head string instrument became popular with the Mongolian people during the 13th century.

 In my area, the Turgott style is popular in western Inner Mongolia and is characterized by a clear, bright timbre as the performer presses the strings with his finger tips. The sound of this instrument likes a wild horse neighing, or like a breeze in the grasslands.

 Traditional music instruments now in China are not as populer as western music instruments. So many people prefer to learn piano, violin or flute rather than urheen or 4- string Chinese lute. That is why may Chinese traditional music are lost. 

 Now, people try hard to collect all these lost things among people. Although I live in that area, I never consider it as a valuable cultural heritage. The traditional music instruments are those     Han music instruments such as urheen, lute and Chinese zither, as I consider them as high art. I think it is typical cultural aggression.  Many other people have the same idea that horse head string instrument is unqualified to take its place in the higher circles.

With long term of study of the history of morin huur, people find that Italian explorer Marco Polo (1254-1324) even brought a horse-head fiddle back to his native Italy, aiding in the future development of European bowed and stringed instruments. So now people pay high attention on this instrument and try to ask more people to learn so that we can keep it our next generation.


The link of play horse head stringed instrument
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GoZEOF9kGHY

Here is the other good web site which introduce all the Chinese traditional music instruments in English as well as video and audio records.  It is good to teach Culture differences as students will feel astonished when  they see the differences and similarity occur among the instruments.
 http://www.philmultic.com/home/instruments/

Teaching is the most creative occupation

I had the most inspiring class with Maureen Innes yesterday, not really wanting to go in the first place in fear I would yet again have to display my terrible lack of drawing talent, I came out proud as a peacock after, through one of Maureen's great exercises, I created this charcoal drawing.

 We were each given a black and white photocopied portrait, placed upside down in front of us. Asked not to look at the features but only at the lines, we chose either pencil or charcoal and worked from the bottom of the page up. As soon as we started thinking about drawing the person and not the lines, we were to stop working on that bit and pick some lines somewhere else. It is called Drawing with the right side of the brain, one line at a time.

The most important lesson I got from Maureen was to find my creative self and be creative with my students!

Art from within

A nice point you make Niki about artists having protection from bullying, I'm sure it's not always the case but their does seem to be a certain pattern of 'where there is art the walls of meanness are broken down'. Perhaps not so in political art, although boundaries are extended for what you can and can't say. After all, it's just art! In the case of the unselfconscious girl, this is the privilege of the performer, once in performance mode there is no fear as you are not you, you are performing. I noticed on my PE2 what an amazing place art can be for the bully himself. A year 7 student who was uncontrollable in every class, throwing furniture, mouthing off and picking on both peers and teachers. The general theme was that he had given up learning in grade 2 and we weren't to bother with him (most of his time would be spent outside the year superviser's office). Except in Art. In art he would sit most quietly, pay attention, have the odd laugh and get stuck into his work. He was a really nice person to be around. Art is a place where barriers are broken down, preconceived ideas can be thrown out the window and there is a platform from where we can healthily express our feelings, in fact, it is encouraged.

this Utube clip a peer suggested is Linked to art and feelings..Cage and Pollock

Teaching Art - i am not alone

The 'artist in residence' program @ Queenstown made me think about how explorations with artistic expression are connected to feelings.

As we move through learning about all of the art forms I am learning the relevance of this program to my teaching practice. Hence the link is here and in the toolkit...

application toolkit and information

 http://www.arts.tas.gov.au/arts@work/air_2010

In  HPE this week, there was a reading about a study in Baltimore that showed the effects of bullying to impact upon students' math and literacy performance. I wonder what bullying does to budding artists? I'm not condoning the well known notion of the suffering artist, in primary schools...I'm just wondering if developing artistic interests in children will provide them a sort of protection. Arty folk, in my own small world of primary school experiences, are afforded some privileges, made sacrosanct, well, certainly not bullied in their own art sphere...nerdy boy (who played guitar) that struggled to be picked by peers in group work was always keen to participate with conversations in music; the girl mostly absent from school with a scant friendship circle, was dramatically emboldened enough to tell the whole class that her entry in the classroom was her attempting to be 'stealthy'... I don't know if this elevation can be attributed to a change in the performer or the audience. Either...The performer engages in the art so unselfconsciously that peer appproval seems inconsequential to them OR the audience recognises artistic expression as cool and does not bully the artist.