Monday, November 1, 2010

Claytastic


Clay can be a wonderful,and forgiving medium for discovery. Last week Abby and I saw the initial structural challenges that students faced with clay building techniques and wanted to help them problem solve and accomplish their goals more this week. We tried to bring them all together again by providing a more collaborative demo. This was to get some students caught up with the help of those who were mastering clay. We saw growth and improvement along with complete disinterest. Ginger went from making a tiny solid form to a hallow fox with a realistic face. While Emerson danced and drew in the corner out of complete boredom. He made a cougar without a head. Also, there wasn't time for alterations or texture. Abby and I were too busy running around trying to help students patch holes and attach heads. I think this was a case where a base assessment would have helped us establish more appropriate goals. However, I feel like the high bar and hands on attention helped students learn a lot. Overall the theme of transformation didn't lie in the conceptual aspects but in the manipulation of the material. This is evident to us and some of the students, but not to others. Abby and I want to use the next to weeks to pull together all of the aspects of transformation and alteration and get everyone on the same page. What could be a lesson that makes multiple connections with self-transformation, animal transformation, and humans transforming the environment? What is the best way to start concluding Saturday School?

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