Final Post

I just want to say that this is my final post. Doing this blog was a great opportunity to reflect on art. I learned a lot about myself and how much I actually do enjoy the arts!

Christmas Performance

I would like to comment on the performance at the Christmas potlatch. I just wanted to say how much I enjoyed doing it. I was great to see everyone so festive and enthusiastic. I thought that we all did an awesome job, even though we forgot some of the words...its been a while! I think that our cohort set an awesome example for next year because even though we were not perfect, we committed to what we were doing and that is one of the most important parts about performing.





I had not done a performance like this in a very long time, but I found it refreshing. For the most part, the audience seemed to enjoy it, even though we had a lot of songs. And I must say that the videos were great! Rob and Mike did an awesome job. Every cohort needs guys like those two!

Art Gallery

The opportunity to go the art gallery again for another tour was great. I really enjoyed what they had planned for us. The glow in the dark art was awesome and a lot of fun. I thought that is was interesting how they incorporated art that was not typical. Painting on your hand can be art in itself even though it is not permanent. I also liked how it tied into the art display where the artist used glow in the dark paint to photograph himself. I actually found that art display quite creepy, but I enjoyed that activity that went with it. I also really enjoyed that other art display that they had with the 3D effect that the layered photos created. The art activity that went with it was also really neat. it was fun to use a picture of yourself and then place it on a background that didn't necessarily fit the picture. It created a really neat effect. I would love to try and do that with my students one day if possible. Overall, the day at the art gallery was a lot of fun and very informative. I think that it is important for teachers to be aware of what is out there for their students. The art gallery is a great resource for teachers and I can't wait to take my own class there one day!

Creative Drama versus Performance Drama

I would like to comment on the dramatic skits and pantamimes that we did the other day in class. I thought that the activity was actually quite fun and I enjoyed watching what the other groups had come up with. Everyone's presentation was different and there is definately a lot of creativity floating around.

When I initially heard what we had to do I got nervous and anxious. Drama has been a bit of a stumbling block for me over the years. I love to watch it, but doing it is a completely different story. It took me back to grade 7 when we did improv type drama in the classroom. I was incredibly shy back then and it was very hard for me to get up in front of the class and do the drama thing. Ever since that point, I have always considered myself bad at drama. It is a label which I am sure that many other students share as well. I liked the idea of not forcing participation in drama as was mentioned in the textbook. Give the audience a role to play so they are still engaged, but not every student should be forced to do improv until they are ready.

I have gotten over my fear of drama to a certain extent, but it still something that makes me uncomfortable. I hope to change that for the students that I will have. My plan is to start small and build up to more extensive drama so all students get a chance to feel comfortable expressing themselves through dramatic experiences.

Backstreet Boys!

I went to the Backstreet Boys concert that was in town over the weekend and it was a great time. It reminded me of being a young teen again and the music that I was OBSESSED with (I totally wanted to marry Brian...). I would spend hours listening to their CDs, singing along, dancing and daydreaming. I won't go into more detail because I would just end up embarassing myself. The point is the Backsteet Boys have played a huge role in my musical history as you might call it. I even remember the first time that I saw them on the TV. I was in elementary school and being babysay. The music video came on and me and my sisters and the babysitter argued over who we thought was the cutest one.

I think that as teacher to realize how big a role popular music can play in the lives of their students. It is valuable resource to tap into because it can engage the students. If one of my teachers would have mentioned anything about the Backstreet boys back in the day, I would have been all ears. I plan to use this technique in my class because it shows the students that you care about what they are interested in. I do realize that this must be done within reason as not all music is really appropriate for the classroom.

Overall I am glad that I went to the concert. I think that concerts are a great way to relax and have some fun and let go of any inhibitions that you have about singing out loud. I belted out the songs that I knew (and surprisingly I still remembered all the words) and didn't worry about what the people around me thought because everyone else was doing the same thing. I think that we should all celebrate our musical pasts, even if it might be a bit embarassing now!

Rememberance Day

Rememberance Day is an important day for teachers to recognize and discuss in their classrooms. My grandfather was a fighter pilot in World War II for the United States Air Force and was in the battle of Midway. I am proud of what he did for his country and for me. Students need to be aware of why they have freedom and that other people have given up their lives in order for us to have that freedom. They should know the meaning behind the poems that they recite and hear. I believe that war is something we should educate our children about so they are knowledgeable. As a student of history, I think that it is important to recognize the people that have made the present possible. We should honour them with that moment of silence and teach our children to do so as well.

There are several way that I might do this in my own classroom. I would love to read a story to the students that talked about soldiers and war and the experiences that they had. Also, depending on the age and maturity of the students, you could also watch a video or movie on war and then discuss it. This rememberace day I watched a couple episodes of Band of Brothers. I really enjoy that mini-series because it starts out with the actual veterans talking about their experiences which provides background information for the episode. I love the personal touch that it adds becauase it reminds the viewer that these characters were real people who actually fought and died for their country. Something like this could be used in the classroom to get disucssion going and it could be used to inspire writing or art activities as well.

I also went to see the Passchendael movie when it was released here in town. I actually remember writing a paper on that particular battle when I was in grade 11 social studies. I remembered watching a documentary on it and being horrified. I felt that this was something that we should remember because so many people suffered horrible conditions and violence for a few kilometers of muddy ground. This is the main reason that I wanted to see the movie. I really enjoyed it, and I felt that the battle scenes were very well done, although grusome. I think that it is great that Canada is finally preserving out history on film. So many American battles have been made into movies and almost nothing of our own history so I believe that this was an important step.

UNBC Art Show

I really enjoyed my experience at the Art Show. I thought that all of the displays looked great and everyone seemed to be having a good time. At first I was unsure of how I would pick the pieces for the art show becuase I did not want any students to feel left out. I considered doing it randomly or having the students vote, but at the same time I wanted the students who clearly put in the most effort to be able to go. In the end I picked the five art pieces based on the criteria that I had laid out during the lesson. I eliminated any that were not finished, any that did not use the ruler to get straight lines and any that did not outline the lines. I also took into consideration neatness and overall effort. The top five were clear at that point so I annouced the winners and the students were all happy for the chosen students. There was no negativity expressed by any of the students. During the art show, all five of the students were able to come with their parents. All of the parents expressed enthusiasm about the event. They were all happy to be there and the students were proud to have their work displayed. I think that they also enjoyed looking at other art work as well as participate in the art corner. Overall I thought that the art show was a great way to bring the community together to celebrate art.