The influence of my concept is pretty recent. After working with three kids this summer, aged five, six, and nine I was surprised by the change in entertainment since I was a kid. When I was younger and my parents date night babysitter would come and watch my older sister and I, she would always entertain us with arts and crafts. I was always content with that and so was my sister, Kylie. On days when we had nice weather we would take our art outside and that was always better. When we got exhausted with our crafts we would run around the backyard gathering sticks to decorate with googley eyes and glitter glue or leaves that we could put under our paper and trace with colorful crayons. When my sister and I were younger we would live outside in our play set if we could. To go back to the purpose and influence of my concept, the kids I babysit. To entertain the kids was a struggle. The idea of arts and crafts or being outside seemed like the end of world.
My first day on the job, I was prepared with crafts that the kids could do. When I went inside, the day’s agenda was set. I was to make breakfast, pack a lunch, limit the kid’s time on their tablets, and take them to the pool and be back by 4pm. After preparing the kids meals, I told them to get ready for the pool. Each kid broke down and threw a fit. The pool was the last place they wanted to go. They wanted to stay in bed watch Netflix or play on the family tablet that was always fought over. The power of my concept is to not eliminate technology in arts and everyday life but to be reminded of the importance of being outdoors. What I hope to explore in my concept is to find a possible common ground that different generations entertainment can agree and both enjoy.
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9/30/2017 05:42:30 am
I incorporate outdoors into my high school pottery class. Near the beginning of each year I take the students outside to collect large leaves. I demonstrate then students create a slab. The leave (vein side down) is pushed into the slab to create an imprint. The students then use an open paper-clip (important and inexpensive tool) to cut out the leaf. They smooth the edges and whala - a spoon holder, jewelry holder, family gift.
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Susanne Floyd Gunter, Ed.D.
10/3/2017 08:35:11 am
Check out the book "Last Child in the Woods: Saving our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder" by Richard Louv. It is a powerful statement about the problem and may give you some more ideas to think about to incorporate into your classes. The Fall is the best time of year to get out and about in nature. Leaf collections and displays or studying the works of Andy Goldsworthy might be a good start. Love his work! Best of luck to you on this project. I'm a country girl and landscape is never far from my sketchbook or my life.
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AuthorJunior at Penn State studying Art Education.
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