I love teaching children about famous artists, especially Picasso. Mainly because it allows them to draw something without it actually having to look like it. I find using Picasso's portraits the best way to teach children how to draw themselves at the beginning of the year. First I use a lesson from one of Cathy Hunt's amazing books www.ipadartroom.com/get-your-ipad-art-room-resources-here/ Its easy to see from these photos how much the children enjoy creating their own funny faces. The children took photos of themselves played around using Pizap and other creative apps. After this lesson, we progressed to putting these Picasso style features on their own photographs then colouring over the top with oil pastels. Finally, we were ready for the last challenge, which was to draw a side profile and front portrait together. I think because the children had played around with this style of art, they really did a great job of creating their art work. I was impressed because we had less time this session than in previous, but they all completed their art work.
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Its fair to say that I have seen how much children love being given the opportunity to create in their classroom. This year my goal is to really embrace the Maker Movement which is trending at the moment in New Zealand by introducing STEM into my classroom as much as I can.
So what is this Maker Movement and why has STEM teaching become so popular? Core Education (2014) talks about the maker movement “is all about putting the making back into learning”. Which is not a new concept if you look to theorist such a Dewey who was an advocate for hands on learning. At the heart of some of the most complex values of the New Zealand Curriculum is innovation, how do you teach children the able to come up with new ideas? A big part of this process is design thinking, critically thinking about a problem and developing a range of different solutions and selecting the best one. This is how the Maker Movement empowers children to think critically, work collaboratively and connects the digital world with the physical world. It also allows for natural integration of subjects such as science, technology, engineering and technology (STEM). Our class has visited our school Maker Space twice this term, and they love it! Its also inspired us back in class in our writing program, we are are just about to publish our "If I was...." writing. I have had children come to class with "books' they have made at home as well as various creations such as a hot air balloon. I can see the impact our Maker Space is having on our children already. This blog is going to be dedicated to my journey around integrating STEM and Maker Space into my classroom. Here is what we have done so far... |
Trudi FausettLearning in my space is now all about what the children can create with the new knowledge they have learnt. It’s about using all the tools available to showcase their understanding to a much wider audience. I find it so inspiring that I can connect children’s learning with their own unique creativity in so many more ways. Archives
December 2018
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