Mapping

For a while, my artwork has been about maps, so I always get excited when students decide to draw or make a map.  A few months ago, one class decided to make a colorful map that would show people how to get around their classroom.  They realized that maps are made up of lines and shapes, something they knew a lot about.  When the map was finished, they rolled it up, just like how a real treasure map might.
 

Bright and colorful map using paint and sticky vinyl.

I was reminded of this project the other day, when I came across a blog post by Bakers and Astronauts about mapping sounds in her classroom.  I would have loved to see what else the above class might have been able to map.  It seems as though "mapping" in a general sense could be used to explore many different interests in preschool classrooms.  Below is the list of suggestions with links (via Bakers and Astronauts):

• Use an mp3 Recorder to explore your home or community.  Upload your sounds to the MoMA sound map, or create your own version of a sound map, translating the sounds into visual images.
• Go for a community walk, and pay attention to what is most salient to the children on that walk: are they noticing sounds? Smells?  Textures?  Start with the visual, and create a different map each time you go for a walk.
• Encourage parents to download a recording app like AudioBoo for their iPhone or Android and let their child choose sounds to record in their world, and create a way to share those with the classroom and school community.
• Create a mapping prompt in the classroom, allowing children to use maps in their art: drawing on maps, or making landmarks out of clay, for example.
• Add large maps to the areas where children do their dramatic play, either hanging them on wall or having folded maps available.
• Provide masking tape that children can use to create roadways on the floor.
• Explore your community on Google Earth.

Also, here is a link to the This American Life podcast about maps that Bakers and Astronauts mentioned as her inspiration.

What might your students be able to map in your classroom?

Tips for Integration

I thought this post would be very timely, considering a number of us are probably thinking of, sticking to and perhaps even breaking resolutions. While reading The Journal of the National Art Education Association, I came across an Instructional Resource that was written in a way that I had never seen an IR written.  This particular article was written as a permission to streamline everyday practice including a person's creative and pedagogical tasks--in other words, thinking about what you do everyday as a teacher and as a creative person in a new way.  The author, even notes that this could apply to non-art teachers too! The following "Tips for Integration" were made by the artist Alberto Aguilar:

How might your streamline your everyday--both pedagogical and creative tasks?

Inspired by the Little Things

As I prepare to write my thesis, I realized, my research has been inspired by the little things, gestures, blurry photographs and the sometimes hard to capture moments and interactions with students.  I will post more on this later, but in the mean time, here are some lovely and rather painterly, blurry photographs. I've been keeping a collection of these and will eventually weave them into my thesis research. For now, they are metaphors for the "little things" that I mentioned above. And perhaps the little things aren't so little.

Supplies!

Who would order a three-foot high box of cornstarch packing peanuts? A preschool teacher.

Giant bin of sculpture 'Nuudles'

The field of early childhood education often requires the use of unique materials. We've found ourselves scouring the internet looking for bottlecaps, large boxes of googly eyes, even guitar picks for various art lessons. So, where do we find these unique materials? The answer comes with time and some creative thinking. For the most basic needs at the best prices, we've found we can rely on the following companies:

Dick Blick  has a variety of art materials that can be inexpensively purchased and delivered.  Additionally, this website has many art lessons available for download with great instructions and a list of supplies--very cool inspirations.

School Specialty which also as an affiliate, Sax are a great place to purchase supplies because they have materials that are specialized for young children.

If you are looking for a more non-traditional route, recycling bins and used paper have many uses in the classroom.  Zero Landfill is another local organization that collects old interior design supplies (think carpet squares and wallpaper samples) and then opens its doors to teachers to dig through the found treasures.

Where have you found unique materials?

(Disclaimer: This is not an advertisement for the above companies, it is just a helpful resource for teachers.)   

Interventions

I have been thinking lately about how my 2 days (or rather 2 hours) of time with the students can be most beneficial to their learning.  The answer, of course, came from some recent classroom visits and interactions with the students.  When entering the classrooms and having conversations with the students, the projects that we end up making, usually spark new ideas or new areas of interest, which is not all together a bad thing.  However, I wanted to make my visits more seamless, not starting something new, but perhaps shedding light on something that was already happening in the classroom--an intervention, perhaps.

A few weeks ago, as I entered a classroom, the teacher (and some of the students) filled me in on the newest area of interest for the students--they were creating a grocery store! After knowing this, I was able to guide both the AM and PM classes to thinking about their grocery store and also what we could make for it; what we could add.  For me, this seemed like a breakthrough for my teaching.  Adding to and following some of the interests that were active in the classroom already seemed to be a beneficial experience for myself, the students and the teacher.  The projects therefore had some meaning and purpose within their classroom community.  Although I am a visitor, I could become the "intervention"--helping students and teachers discover a new perspective on their current projects. The resulting art projects that I work with the students on, could then make their learning visible in the classroom. 

The example that I mentioned about the grocery store, resulted in a shopping cart (with wheels!) and also doors that looked like they were made out of glass, because many students mentioned walking through big glass doors when they go to the grocery store.  While working on these, we also looked at an artwork from the museum's collection, Food City by Richard Estes.  This artwork is a photo-realistic image of a busy grocery store.  For more information on this brightly colored image or other works in the museum's collection, visit www.AkronArtMuseum.org/collection

Food City, 1967, Richard Estes. Oil, acrylic and graphite on fiberboard. Purchased, by exchange, with funds raised by the Masked Ball 1955-1963. 1981.13

Who, from your community, could you invite to your classroom to serve as an intervention? How can a new perspective alter and enhance the learning that is already taking place?