Pimp My School

Arts Education

2009-08-27T10:10:00.001+12:00

Through suggestions from another site I have been reading material about and by Elliot W. Eisner. I have included links in the 'links of interest' to the right, which give more information and further reading. Below is 'Ten lessons The Arts Teach'.

The arts teach children to make good judgments about qualitative relationships. Unlike much of the curriculum in which correct answers and rules prevail, in the arts, it is judgment rather than rules that prevail.
The arts teach children that problems can have more than one solution and that questions can have more than one answer.
The arts celebrate multiple perspectives. One of their large lessons is that there are many ways to see and interpret the world.
The arts teach children that in complex forms of problem-solving purposes are seldom fixed, but change with circumstance and opportunity. Learning in the arts requires the ability and willingness to surrender to the unanticipated possibilities of the work as it unfolds.
The arts make vivid the fact that words do not, in their literal form or number, exhaust what we can know. The limits of our language do not define the limits of our cognition.
The arts teach students that small differences can have large effects. The arts traffic in subtleties.
The arts teach students to think through and within a material. All art forms employ some means through which images become real.
The arts help children learn to say what cannot be said. When children are invited to disclose what a work of art helps them feel, they must reach into their poetic capacities to find the words that will do the job.
The arts enable us to have experience we can have from no other source and through such experience to discover the range and variety of what we are capable of feeling.
The arts' position in the school curriculum symbolizes to the young what adults believe is important.

Elliott Eisner, in Beyond Creating: The Place for Art in America's Schools. Getty Center for Education in the Arts. 1985 p. 69.

Exhibition Photographs 4

2009-08-24T12:42:00.002+12:00

Exhibition Photographs 3

2009-08-24T12:07:00.002+12:00

Exhibition Photographs 2

2009-08-24T11:58:00.001+12:00

Exhibition Photographs

2009-08-24T11:48:00.002+12:00

Exhibition

2009-08-24T11:41:00.002+12:00

We have just finished putting up, well when we left it was still up, the display of the students work in town. The McKay Family kindly donated the use of an empty shop, so we could display some of the work and lots of photographs from the ten week project.

It was good opportunity to go over what the students have done and get printed some of the many 1000's of photographs printed. When the exhibition is finished the students will get to keep the photographs of their work and we will also start putting up their work in sites around the school.

Dargaville High School Colour Charts

2009-08-20T18:06:00.002+12:00

Update

2009-08-20T17:03:00.002+12:00

Over past few weeks I have been going through the students projects and getting work finished or looking for further funding to complete their projects.

We have been kindly given the use of an empty shop in town for a week. So we are going to put all the students stenciled bags on display as well as photographs over showing their work. I will post some pictures when the show has been put up.

I have also been doing work with some of the 1000's of photographs we took over the 10 weeks and I will add these as I complete them.

The Big Idea

2009-07-29T15:40:00.002+12:00

The Big Idea has just done an article on The Artists in Schools project which you can read here.

Work on finishing projects is carrying on and we are continuing to develop ideas which have come from the initial 10 weeks project. Over the following weeks and months I will continue to update the blog with images and news as ideas come to fruition. One project is for the Graffiti Boys to work on painting the wall of a gallery which might be opening here in Dargaville. It is early days but they have completed some initial designs, one of which is above.

One More Media Studies Documentary

2009-07-24T15:23:00.003+12:00

Library Windows

2009-07-20T21:28:00.002+12:00

Media Studies Film 2

2009-07-20T15:35:00.003+12:00

This is Nick's short documentary on the project.

Media studies Films

2009-07-15T19:27:00.003+12:00

During the ten weeks of the project Year 10, media studies students, have been making short documentaries about the work going on. I am going to upload some examples as they give an overview of the project and it is from the students point of view.

Freya's Mural

2009-07-06T14:28:00.002+12:00

School of Silly Walks

2009-07-06T14:26:00.003+12:00

Duke's Winning Designs

2009-07-06T12:17:00.004+12:00

Pimp My... Competition

2009-07-06T12:12:00.002+12:00

Duke Nathan won the Pimp My... Competition, congratulations Duke. Jasmine and Katie with Duke will next term be pimping the cleaners cart and we will post the photographs when it is done. In the meantime here are Duke's winning designs.

Finished! For Now.

2009-07-06T11:57:00.002+12:00

$60 of chips in 5 minutes marked the end of the project and the end of term. I say end but really there are a number of bits to finish off and plenty of work still to do in making sure that the impact of Artists in Schools continues after the 10 weeks.

I will be adding more information about the individual projects in the weeks to come, the final report and progress reports on how work has developed.

Alan And His Magic Can

2009-07-01T22:33:00.002+12:00

2 Monsters

2009-07-01T22:29:00.001+12:00

Mural on the Art Room Wall Finished

2009-07-01T22:23:00.002+12:00

More...

2009-07-01T22:18:00.003+12:00

More Photographs

2009-07-01T22:11:00.002+12:00

Bag

2009-07-01T22:03:00.002+12:00

We got a hundred of these bags and each of the students have made a stencil and customised their own bag. They will form part of the final exhibition later in the year.

Working Hard

2009-07-01T21:55:00.001+12:00

Spot the Gnome

2009-07-01T21:46:00.001+12:00

Week 10. The End Is Near

2009-07-01T21:41:00.002+12:00

It's the final week and everyone is winding down for the end of term and the end of the project. I will put in more details of the projects in the weeks to come as I sort out their projects and make sure it is all documented. Then there is a final report to write and work on projects to be sorted out for next term, until then here are some more photographs of the students work.

Even more.....

2009-06-26T22:40:00.001+12:00

More week 9 Photographs

2009-06-26T22:31:00.002+12:00

Is It a Bird?

2009-06-26T22:19:00.002+12:00

The Truth is Out There or Down There

2009-06-26T17:50:00.004+12:00

More Photographs

2009-06-26T17:34:00.002+12:00

Some Week 9 Photographs

2009-06-26T16:31:00.003+12:00

Week 9 Is Over

2009-06-26T16:13:00.004+12:00

Another busy week is over. Everyone is working to get their projects completed before the end of next week, when officially we stop. Some projects will need to be finished over the next term and hopefully there will be time to get most of the work completed and up.

The final exhibition of work will also be next term as it will give me time to review everything they have produced, it will also be better for not being rushed. I will also have time to review the students work with them, as we have not had anytime to sit back and reflect on the large amount of work they have produced over the past term.

It is all a little ironic that funding has been axed by The Government when here is an initiative which is delivering many aspects of the new curriculum, or certainly having a go at putting them into practice. But this will not be the last government that feels that the arts are an easy target when the economy fails, but who needs forward thing, innovative and creative young people anyway?

I realise there is not much written about the projects, so you may well ask what have alien footprints and gnomes have to do with the new curriculum? So ask away. But I will over the next week or so start writing a bit about each project, but on the other hand it may be worth asking the students to do it.

Some of Top's Drum Project

2009-06-24T21:36:00.001+12:00

Some more bags

2009-06-24T21:34:00.001+12:00

Somethings A Foot

2009-06-24T21:25:00.003+12:00

Sascha with her work

2009-06-24T21:23:00.001+12:00

2009-06-22T21:00:00.001+12:00

Monday Morning

2009-06-22T20:39:00.003+12:00

2009-06-21T19:32:00.001+12:00

Sacha Morrison's Project

2009-06-21T19:18:00.002+12:00

Sacha has been bribing students with chocolate fish, a New Zealand delicacy, to have their photographs taken. Sacha took about 100 portraits and then photocopied them all, attached them to card and then to the windows at the front of the school. This has all been done secretly and we will now wait until Monday morning to see the reaction of the staff and students. Hopefully I will get some pictures as they arrive in the morning.

Skateboarders

2009-06-19T22:07:00.002+12:00

As part of my time at the school, I have also been working with some of the students who are skateboarders and who are allowed to skateboard on Wednesdays and Fridays, good old school rules. We are planning to make a film and also produce a magazine, which I will help them make an application for funding.

Skateboard Photographs

2009-06-19T21:53:00.003+12:00

Even More

2009-06-19T21:50:00.002+12:00

2009-06-19T21:46:00.000+12:00

More Week 8 Photographs

2009-06-19T21:34:00.001+12:00

Week 8 Photographs

2009-06-19T20:17:00.003+12:00

I Think Its Week 8

2009-06-19T19:59:00.003+12:00

A bit confused about what week of the project it is, but because we are all busy getting work completed a little confusion is expected. Some students have taken their work as far as they can, and it is up to me to get the final bits sorted out, so they can get their work on the walls or onto whatever site they have chosen.

I am going in at the weekend to work with one of the students who is putting up a temporary installation ready for Monday morning, so students and staff will be in for a surprise.

I did an interview for the Arts on Sunday programme on Radio New Zealand National, about the axing of the funding for Artists in Schools, which should be broadcast on Sunday. Others are looking at ways of raising funding or getting a reversal on the cut, but this is unlikely, they need the money to pay for the $35m extra funding the private education sector is getting over the next 4 years.

One More

2009-06-17T21:33:00.001+12:00

More Week 7 Photographs

2009-06-17T21:25:00.002+12:00

More Light Graffiti Photos from the Hostel

2009-06-15T10:11:00.001+12:00

No More Artists in Schools

2009-06-14T12:58:00.002+12:00

Failed to mention that the funding for the Artists in Schools Programme has been axed. As you can see from the range of work the students have produced and the potential for ongoing development and cross curricular links are huge, all from a small initial investment of $10,000.

The short term view of many politicians and governments never fails to astound me, and given that here in New Zealand schools are looking for ways to implement the new curriculum in innovative and exciting ways. What better way than through the arts?

This is at best a missed opportunity and at worse bullying, by picking on areas such as the arts, who in the minds of the politicians are hobby subjects, they feel they can get away with axing funding and with out much fuss being made. Some of the blame can be laid at the feet of those in the arts world, who at times are virtually invisible when it comes to protesting funding cuts etc. Artists need to show how important the arts are to all aspects of our lives.

When being creative is seen as important, and that the creative arts lead the curriculum across all subjects, then we will of made progress. Until then we need to make sure that the arts in schools and in our communities are given the recognition that they are crucial to our schools and communities development, not an added extra.

Sorry for the rant, I shall get back to my hobby now.

2009-06-14T12:56:00.000+12:00

Week 7 Photographs

2009-06-13T14:28:00.003+12:00

Week 7 Update

2009-06-13T11:52:00.003+12:00

As we get towards the end of the project, everyone is sorting out their work and ideas. Some have started and others are waiting on materials and some will be completed later in the year. The frustrations of working on projects such as these are the short lessons and many other interruptions and disruptions which are part of school life. Next week as well as finishing their projects we will begin stenciling the paper bags, which will form part of the final exhibition.

I also hope to make time before the end of the project to get everyone together to review what they have done over the past 10 weeks. I think many of them will of forgotten what we did early on and the amount of work they have done.

Few More Photographs

2009-06-05T22:59:00.003+12:00

More Photographs

2009-06-05T22:45:00.003+12:00

Week 6 More Photographs

2009-06-05T22:40:00.003+12:00

Week 6 Update

2009-06-05T22:12:00.004+12:00

Students still working hard on ideas, some have started on their final designs and others are waiting on materials. Next week I will be working with small groups to help finish designs and work with others on using Photoshop. It will also allow time to get all the vast amount of work and photographs they have taken sorted out.

Week 5 Photographs

2009-05-30T22:02:00.003+12:00

Week 5 Update

2009-05-30T21:54:00.002+12:00

Everyone has worked hard on getting their designs and ideas sorted out for mid-project exhibition, the work will be on display in the school library. There will also be opportunities for other students to get involved as well as participating in the 'Pimp My...' competition. This is a project by two of the students to involve the school in 'pimping' the cleaners cart, a calculator and rubbish bin, the win gets an ipod and the chance to pimp the three objects.

2009-05-23T10:04:00.002+12:00

2009-05-23T10:00:00.001+12:00

Week 4 Photographs

2009-05-23T09:29:00.003+12:00

Week 4

2009-05-23T09:24:00.003+12:00

Work continues and students are getting their ideas sorted out for the exhibition next week. The intention of the exhibition is to show staff and the rest of the students what we have been doing and to give everyone the opportunity to have some input into the project. Some of the groups are ready to start getting their work onto walls and others continue to develop their projects. After the exhibition we hope to have permission to start on getting those who are ready started on their work in their chosen site.

Graffiti Boys

2009-05-15T21:02:00.002+12:00

Week Three Photographs

2009-05-15T21:00:00.002+12:00

Week Three

2009-05-15T20:52:00.002+12:00

End of week three and we are starting to get ideas sorted out ready for the mid-project exhibition. The light graffiti photographs where down with the students who stay in the hostel during the week. The Graffiti Boys have started practicing with spray cans and when we can get permission and some more spray cans, we can let them loose on some of the big empty walls around school. I will post some of the other projects photographs next week.

Even More Task Photographs From The First Two Weeks

2009-05-10T17:32:00.002+12:00

More Task Photographs From The First Two Weeks

2009-05-10T17:22:00.002+12:00

Task Photographs From The First Two Weeks

2009-05-10T17:15:00.003+12:00

Mr Whippy Trip Photos

2009-05-10T14:42:00.001+12:00

Mr Whippy Trip Photos

2009-05-10T14:33:00.001+12:00

Mr Whippy Trip

2009-05-10T14:17:00.002+12:00

By a stroke of luck I saw a request for a car or van, that the owners would be happy to have painted by The TMD Crew. I had a picture of the old school van, which the students call Mr Whippy, I sent it in and it was chosen.

The whole event was to promote the opening of Alterego, a documentary on graffiti art at the Academy Cinema in Auckland. 15 students where taken down in the bus, watched it being painted, talk to the artists and see the film.

It was a great night and opportunity to see first hand how the artists worked was really useful, so the students could see the dedication and skill that went into the painting.

Colour Task

2009-05-09T15:45:00.003+12:00

ABC Task

2009-05-08T21:52:00.002+12:00

Stage One

2009-05-08T19:47:00.004+12:00

The first stage of the project has been completed with the three classes (60 students) taking over 2000 photographs. These were taken as part of a series of tasks set to look at their school environment in a number of different ways. Each class where given a task, for example, take one photograph for each letter of the alphabet. The only rule being that it each photograph was from a different site. This was so they didn't stay in the car park and take all the letters from the number plates. But I needn't of worried as all the groups rose to the challenge, and this was true of all the groups, for all of the tasks.

The only problem was processing all the photographs and getting them sorted into folders. But as most lessons were not back to back, it allowed me time to sort them out ready for the next class to use the cameras.

I have posted some examples of the photographs from the different tasks to give an idea of the range respones that the students came up with.

All Words

2009-03-26T15:04:00.001+13:00

The above word cloud is made up of all the words written in preparation for the project.

Project Plan Visualisation

2009-03-19T13:55:00.002+13:00

Interpretations

2009-03-17T14:01:00.002+13:00

The images below are some ways available on the Internet to interrupt words. You can click on the image to get a larger version. I am just looking at ways words can be visualised and if it can help in the thought process in developing ideas for the project. You can try out your own versions by going to neoformix and as well as the examples here there are a number other ways of visualising information and links to other sites.

Visual Interpretations

2009-03-17T13:55:00.002+13:00

Project Application as Word Cloud

2009-03-16T13:13:00.002+13:00

Project Application

2009-03-03T10:03:00.000+13:00

A Brief description of the school:
Dargaville High School is a decile 3 school with students from Years 9 to 13. There are approximately 500 students with 40% identifying themselves as Maori and 60% NZ European; there are a small number of students who identify themselves as Pacific Islanders and Asian. Student intake is from Dargaville and the surrounding rural areas, and they predominantly come from homes where the average income is below the national average.

What are you proposing to do and how?
The project will look at how the visual arts can be used to improve areas of the school environment and produce dynamic and exciting work to engage with the whole school and wider community. Working with students to develop a creative and innovative approach to the project, to look at and develop practical applications of the key competencies outlined in the new curriculum.

Using a variety of methods including: drawing, painting, time based media and sound, students will produce a variety of maps of the school, which will form the initial information gathering stage. From this collected material students will develop more detailed studies of various areas of the school, which will be made into completed designs.

At this stage using the information gathered would form part of the consultation process, this will allow for comments and input from those using the school. It will also allow other students not working directly with the project to be involved, so that interesting ideas and suggestions can be incorporated into the final designs.

The scope of the project is wide, so after the final designs have been developed; work will begin on producing a selection of these images and concepts in the school. It is envisaged that the project will continue to run after the artist has completed their time in school, so that staff and students can develop and maintain the project further.

When and where will the project happen?
The project will take place at Dargaville High School and will be starting in Term 2. The project will be over 10 weeks with time set aside at the start for introductory workshops for students, staff and the wider community. The core work will take place over 8 weeks and again time set aside at the end to complete and present work and document the project.

How many students will be involved, and at what year level?
Initially 3 classes of Year 10 students, about 60 in all will work on the project. Opportunities will be developed for students and staff, from the rest of school, to contribute ideas and designs through a series of workshops run by Year 10 students. As the project is looking at the whole school environment, it is important that those using the school have an opportunity to be involved and comment on designs and ideas, which come up during the duration of the 10 weeks.

How will students benefit?
This project will allow students to work collaboratively, use creative problem solving, show and discuss their work with fellow students and staff through the design consultation process using visual imagery and signs to create an environment which all those using the school can contribute to and enjoy.

Use of digital ITC, Photoshop and other computer programmes will be explored throughout the project, along with other internet based tools such as websites, blogs and social networking sites. These will be used to communicate information about the project with others locally, nationally and globally.

How will teachers benefit?
The work the students will undertake for the project will not only have an impact on the Arts but also offer opportunities for cross curricular and departmental collaboration. Teachers from different departments will have the opportunity to contribute and participate throughout the project. For example in the initial stage of the project, data and information will be gathered from around the school; measurements taken, maps, plans and designs drawn up.

Collaboration with the Maths and Social Science departments can help in producing the information in a number of forms, such as combining statistical, geographical and visual information in ways that may not of been explored before. Students in Media Studies will record and document the project throughout and develop through interviews and video diaries various ways to present the information. Maori Studies will look at how maps have been used throughout their history of exploration and how this can be related to exploring the school.

The project will also allow teachers to see and experience other ways of working with the new curriculum document; these include inter departmental cooperation, opportunities to work beyond their specialist areas, work outside of the classroom and flexibility with project outcomes when students raise new ideas.

How will the project be incorporated into the school’s curriculum planning?
The realignment of learning programmes to meet new curriculum guidelines and integrate Key Competencies is a major focus for Dargaville High School’s planning and targets for 2009. The philosophy behind this project would support the idea of creating a learning culture where students see the results of their participation in the education process.
The project will directly involve students in implementing this new curriculum by encouraging enquiry, problem solving, cooperative and social skills. The potential cross curricular pathways will also bring a new dimension to the ideas of visual literacy and will enable students to encounter the work of artists in a relevant context. It is anticipated that this project will trigger creative and critical thinking from both students and staff to encourage shifts in educational practice.

Dargaville High School is a participant in the Te Kotahitanga project and has a strong commitment to both Maori achievement and community participation. This lies at the heart of all curriculum planning at the school. The project will further support the school’s initiatives by encouraging collaboration with local iwi and whanau groups who are linked to the school and inturn encourage students to consider the needs of society and the local economy.

Finally, by integrating the Arts, Media Studies, ICT and other departments the project will further develop the literacy demands of the new curriculum, which Dargaville High School maintains as an ongoing target to support individual student learning and engagement.

How will the project engage with the spirit of the New Zealand Curriculum (2007)?
The project will engage with the New Zealand Curriculum in a number of ways. Starting with the idea of developing students to be “confident, connected, actively involved and lifelong learners.” The project will give students the opportunity to be active in developing ideas for their school environment, giving them a say in how they envisage their learning environment will look, and being fully involved in the planning, design and implementation process

The project will develop with other departments in the school, opportunities to contribute and collaborate on cross-curricular activities across the Learning Areas.
They will, throughout the project, use the values set out in the NZ Curriculum as a guide to all aspects of their work. Using the values to underpin the work will enable them to see how they work in a practical way. The Key Competencies, alongside The Principles, will underpin our work on the project, help us monitor our progress and make sure that we are all contributing to our full potential.

Welcome

2009-02-26T13:31:00.000+13:00

Pimp My School is a blog about an arts project I am working on with Dargaville High School, a small town on the North Island of New Zealand.

The project aims to look at ways of improving the school environment by involving the students in the research and design process. The ideas generated over the 10 week project will form the basis for a major consultation process, with the staff, students and wider community, leading to work being made for the School.