UNIT 2: RELATIONSHIPS
Popplet
ARTIST: MARY CASSATT
- PORTRAITURE: PRINTMAKING
ARTIST: RENE MAGRITTE
- SURREAL JOURNEY POSTCARDS: COLLAGE
ARTIST: DO HO SUH
- POP-UP HOMES AND HABITATS: MIXED MEDIA
UNIT 2: RELATIONSHIPS REFLECTION
Relationships are a vital part of life. They carry great meaning between people, places, and things. As Pink (2006) expresses the importance of relationship in the context of empathy, he says it “is an ethic for living. It's a means of understanding other human beings...a universal language that connects us beyond country or culture. Empathy makes us human. Empathy brings us joy...Empathy is an essential part of living a life of meaning" (p. 165). When we are empathetic, we can better be in relationship with those around us. The studio of Portraiture Making revealed my relationship with my young Peruvian sisters. Remembering their love and playfulness brought to light many wonderful and challenging memories of life with them. Surreal Journey Postcards: Collage allowed for us as a class to make connections with the pictures chosen without plan. This also brought in the relationship between peers, each (unknowingly) lending a piece of our thinking as we helped construct others’ postcards. Writing a letter on the reverse side related the end product to a story or person in which it could be sent. Finally, Pop-up Homes and Habitats: Mixed Media encouraged me to tap into my memory of the entryway of my home in Peru, as I recall walking in and immediately seeing these flowers. I realized I have multiple homes, and it is a wonderful thing to reminiscence on the one I may never see again.
Understanding these concepts of relationships is far more than simply telling students the meaning of the term. They must tap into their own lives and experiences to fully comprehend and relate to this Big Idea. James Paul Gee, a professor at the University of Wisconsin, states: "Learning isn't about memorizing isolated facts. It's about connecting and manipulating them" (as quoted in Pink, 2006, p. 193). In my future classroom, I hope to “connect” and “manipulate” these ideas into studios similar to the ones that I experienced. Making a portraiture of some sort would allow my students to relate to their art directly, as it is a form that includes them personally in relationship to someone or something. They could draw or bring in a photo of their pet or siblings or favorite stuffed animal. I can imagine excitement spreading throughout the classroom as they share these important people or objects to their peers. A pop-up is a fun way to incorporate 3-dimensional objects. I would encourage my students to make an envelope or box and leave encouraging notes to their fellow classmates. All these activities would be done with the intent for my students to truly learn relationships.
Pink, D. H. (2006). A Whole New Mind. New York: Penguin Group.
Understanding these concepts of relationships is far more than simply telling students the meaning of the term. They must tap into their own lives and experiences to fully comprehend and relate to this Big Idea. James Paul Gee, a professor at the University of Wisconsin, states: "Learning isn't about memorizing isolated facts. It's about connecting and manipulating them" (as quoted in Pink, 2006, p. 193). In my future classroom, I hope to “connect” and “manipulate” these ideas into studios similar to the ones that I experienced. Making a portraiture of some sort would allow my students to relate to their art directly, as it is a form that includes them personally in relationship to someone or something. They could draw or bring in a photo of their pet or siblings or favorite stuffed animal. I can imagine excitement spreading throughout the classroom as they share these important people or objects to their peers. A pop-up is a fun way to incorporate 3-dimensional objects. I would encourage my students to make an envelope or box and leave encouraging notes to their fellow classmates. All these activities would be done with the intent for my students to truly learn relationships.
Pink, D. H. (2006). A Whole New Mind. New York: Penguin Group.