Making Connections: Readings Takeaways

Zander, M. J. (2007). Tell me a story: The power of narrative in the practice of teaching art. Studies in Art Education, 48(2), 189–203.

This reading feels particularly pertinent to the topics that we have explored in our class thus far. Zander writes about the importance of narratives, and how human beings intrinsically utilize personal storytelling to connect with one another. This "autobiographical impulse" is especially important when building rapport not only between students, but also between students and teachers. I, along with many other members of the TC community, believe in the idea that our pedagogy should be student-centered and teacher-facilitated, so that ultimately, those who are receiving instruction can be satisfied and take the most out of their lessons. With the new media that we explored thus far, there has been an emphasis on storytelling through each of our projects, as well as the artists who have been spotlighted. Our research on Sound as a medium comes to mind for me first, as my own sound project took a narrative form despite using no words to tell my story. 

Sarrazin, N. (2016). Chapter 2: Music: Fundamentals and educational roots in the U.S. In Music and the child. Milne Publishing.

This chapter has challenged me as I have approached Sound art in this course as a new medium, but sound has been around probably the longest of all art forms. The language around sound and music as Sarrazin explains it is so intriguing. I appreciate how he begins this chapter with a discussion of how music has been defined so many different ways from culture to culture and time to time. My fascination with music and sound has always been one of bewilderment because, unlike the visual arts, it feel like there is nowhere to start with sound, yet it is such an ancient practice universal to nearly all cultures and creeds. I wonder if my music education in my childhood was framed like this if I would approach this medium with much less fear and uncertainty. My music classes in elementary school consisted of learning about rhythm, identifying different instruments, and preparing for the spring and winter concerts. In my extracurriculars, I joined church chorus and just barely learned how singing worked, and I joined band in fifth grade. Even in band, where I learned how to read notes and sheet music, I did not have the education to transfer these skills with me beyond middle school. This reading is one of my favorites of this course as it has challenged my preconceived notions of music and sound. 

Digital Storytelling in the Elementary Classroom. Youtube Video, 5 min. June 13, 2011, Oregon Writing Project at University of Oregon.

In this video, a class of young students utilized technology tell a story. The students used elements that we have studied in this course like sound, video, photography, and aspects digital collage in conjunction with traditional means of creating like writing scripts to share a narrative. What struck me most about this video was how long ago it was created. At the time that this video was created, I was around the same age as these students and did not have nearly as much experience with digital creation in the classroom as they did. These students are already exhibiting a great depth of knowledge amd understanding of digital tools and functions like editing, "splitting," rearranging clips, cropping images, inserting sound effects, and so much more. It is very indicative of the fact that integrating technology into classrooms, even and especially at the elementary level, sets students up for future success, granting them these useful skills at a young age. Having access to even simple software in the classroom, where they may not have access to it anywhere else is paramount to a student's development and confidence in utilizing these tools in the future.

TEDx Talk. Emily Bailin, 2014, 17 min: The Power of Digital Storytelling

This Ted Talk is extremely relevant to what we have discussed in our coursework, especially because the speaker herself is a Teachers College alum. Bailin emphasizes the utmost importance of allowing students not only to have a voice in their work, but also the importance of giving them the resources and platforms to do so. Her poem at the onset of her talk takes new form as she places it in the context of video and sound. She has taken a medium, spoken word, and transformed it in such a way that can be even more resonant and meaningful to the audience through the integration of new media and new forms.