Research - 500-700 words

Throughout the last 3 weeks since the Educator started I feel that my thoughts towards the education process whether it was in a school for example setting up workshops for a range of abilities, educating any age group or just outside of the school environment, they have changed. 

The talks that both Elle and Clair have done introducing me to different opinions and facts about education have been so eye opening, along with my own research. One example is Ken Robinson on talking on the subject of do schools kill creativity, one thing that stuck with me on this is he said "all children are born artists, we are educated out of it." This resonated with me because I have a better understanding of my education and how little the creative subject were valued. The video motivated me to want to do something about this as creative subject do so much for young children let alone young adults. Another piece of research was Jack Ma's video at the World Economic Forum in 2018 Jack says that education needs a big change, the way we teach our children is all knowledge biased and we cannot compete with the machine they can do it better. This video just backed up my feeling of annoyance about the system because many people can see these problems but very little is being done. These videos also made me realize that there was a problem with the academic system, I agree that things need to change, education cannot be something we recite, not everyone learns that way, it has to be something that we will learn and will stay with us throughout lives.

I have also come across a video of a kinder garden school in Tokyo (Refer: research post, 14.03). This video was so eye opening because the architecture of the school was made solely with the children in mind and they looked at how children are and how they behave in certain spaces. Also it put the point across more about letting the children learn on their own but also the areas in which they learn can aid the child in learning, for example in the video Takaharu talks about the lack of boundaries in the classroom spaces and how the openness brings the children together.

Also during this time I have participated in some workshops that have been held in the Educator group and have taught and showed me many different things. In particular (refer: mini workshop, 14.03). What I had taken from that day was to always question what you’re measuring something against, for example, we did a failure workshop and at first we were told to make the item we were given EXACTLY out of wire “impossible”. Then we were asked to draw the wire pieces in many ways; in different hands and different amounts of time “easy”. Finally we have to make 3 drawings out of wire “easy”. I won with the majority vote of ‘the worst’. It made me feel sad and a little uncomfortable but then I realized it didn’t look like it to start with and I was happy with my final outcomes. My peers were then asked why has it fail and the replies where it looks nothing like the object ect. the reply from Elle was but what are you classing as a fail, Elle gave no parameters or notion towards what was a fail, everyone had assumed.  

I have also done my own workshops while I have been on this unit (refer:1^st workshop) and the more I have learnt about how to create and structure a workshop and the education process itself, it has changed how I think of activities for the children to do, for example, instead of having paint everywhere to get messy, I need small and easy 10 minute ish activities that the child can get enjoyment out of and potentially get adults involved too. After the health and safety lecture I have needed to think about that side of my workshops differently, even though I have to parents there, there was more to consider than I thought. It has made me more worried but work aware that I need to save my own back for example if I need to wash a child’s hands I make sure the child’s parent is present or know.

One thing that has surprised me during this research is how much art can actually help people. It is frustrating to see that many people think very little of creative subjects when my research has shown it does so much. I knew that people can become art therapists but when I went to the Arc centre in Stockport and had a guest speaker who had been working in the arts for health sector for years, when these people spoke about the people they have helped it is just amazing to hear how they have helped people, the different disabilities, illnesses and mental illness. It made me appreciate art a lot more knowing it doesn’t have to be a personal skill.

Mini Workshop

So i have been set the task of setting up a 10 minute workshop to give to half the class. my immediate thoughts were my practice and fabrics. This is my plan

I actually forgot about this and started panicking. I was at home with nothing prepared, the weather was shocking and my nervous were increasing. I wrote  " Im so nervous about tomorrows 10 minute workshop, i know im not very prepared but i know what im doing. Its so unpredictable what people will say and do. Ill have to be on my toes but i feel i need more to do. I dont think it will take 10 minutes."

That night i didn't sleep very well so i think next time i shall prep more and do it with more than a day to go. I did not make the whole day with traffic but had sent an email to the tutors explaining the situation and i had thought of how i could still teach the lesson without being there but it wasn't possible without the equipment. Things happen out of my control with i do need to take into account looking into the future. Have a back up, in this case i would have needed to have a power point to send in about something similar but it would not have been the same. 

I have now run my idea past a couple of peers in my Interactive Art class and feel better about the idea but the nerves will still be there when it comes to presenting.

Research

https://www.ted.com/talks/takaharu_tezuka_the_best_kindergarten_you_ve_ever_seen

This video is so eye opening.
Not only does it add to what I am learning about in regards to letting the children learn on their own but also the areas in which they learn can aid the child in learning. The achitexture was made with that in mind and they looked at how children are and how they behave to construct this space.

This makes me so much more passionate about this unit and my idea to because a teacher because it shows that there are individuals with the right ideas to change the education process and the education spaces to aid the learner. I have not yet seen this on a higher education level but things are being set in motion in different areas of the world.  These spaces need the right people and I hope that I can be apart of that process or even bring my ideas and perception to this later on in life. Change is possible.

Research

In one of Jack Ma's videos at the World Economic Forum in 2018 he spoke about his views about the current economy and his views for the future. One thing that stuck with me was what he said about education. He said that education need a big change, the way we teach our children is all knowledge basic and we cannot compete with the machine they can do that better. He says children should be tough sports, music, painting and art.
I agree that things need to change, education cannot be something we resight, it has to be something that we will learn and will stay with us through out lives.

The next video is Ken Robbinson talking on the subject of do school kill creativity. One thing that stuck with me on this is he said "all children are born artists, we are educated out of it."
https://www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity?utm_campaign=tedspread&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=tedcomshare
I feel that this is so true. The education process values have changed they only want children concentrating on "academic" subjects. This is just so wrong, in most "acedemic" subjects children are not given the freedom to explore in the same way creative subjects allow you to. For example maths and english have a little creativity in the way to solve the problem or right a story but there are always restrictions, science id say is most creative however not as creative as the arts.  The arts you are able to really express what you are and what in may media's with minimal restrictions.

Mini Workshops

1st Workshop

This is my evaluation of how my 1st art and craft workshop went.

Today I held my first workshop at Phillips Park with the first one being cancelled two weeks ago. I was a bit nervous about this as I couldn’t get hold of one of the helpers so I help wrote my mum into helping out thankfully she didn’t mind but I need a better way toMake sure that the helpers can help out much sooner or get in touch with them much sooner than the day before to doublecheck. All in all after laying out the tables and waiting for people to turn up even though I had to get someone from the park Rob To go and recruit people that were playing in the park on the site to see if they would be interested and they were I had for lots of children with their parents sadly the parents didn’t join in on less they got younger ones that weren’t really capable or too messy. I would like the adults to join in however I don’t think it’s going to be easy for them to let go and go back to a child like state and play. It’s been a very good experience and I’ve learnt quite a lot I don’t know I need someone other than me because I need someone to engage with the children someone to greet people and maybe someone to talk to the adults are the kids are painting to being creative. Feel likeTo activities are the way forward one on one table one another and maybe have a table for some adults to sit outside the not surround the children because it was a little awkward not knowing what to say to the adults when I’m trying to engage with the children. One of the mum to activities are the way forward one on one table one another and maybe have a table for some adults to sit outside the not said around the children because it was a little awkward not knowing what to say to the adults when I’m trying to engage with the children. One of the mums Who came to the workshop today had said that they haven’t seen it advertised anywhere in unmentioned press which mums net.I have messaged them in the past so I do need to go back over the emails and maybe see if they can advertise it again if we did to start with and just advertise it better for the next one. I’m pleased that the children did enjoy it there was one child that didn’t really want to join in but I soon as his sister dead and then his mum and myself join then it soon wanted to create a parachute and at the end of it he was very happy and said that he was going to try it from the climbing frame.  

Day 2

Day 2

At the moment we are having lectures and there isn't much to talk about theres just notes of whats happened and information I need for the rest of the course. 

After the child protection lecture I was more worried about my actions and the consequences they could have because there are so many tricky scenarios and I as an education at this stage cannot attempt to give information or take action which would be instinct. This I feel is going to be difficult in future scenarios. 

Start of Unit X

Day 1

The last 2 photos are what myself and 5 others did not like in school, this was to go towards our do not manifesto for this unit. 

 Even though I did not originally choose to go onto this option and I wanted to go into a school on placement I do think that this is the better way as I am learning all the ins and outs of teaching instead of being told to do small jobs here and there.