Exploring Poetry and Art

Poetry is something I'd like to eventually incorporate into my teaching at the middle school. In my graduate class, we explored the idea of poetry and the arts, looking at contemporary poets and were given several choices as to the type of poem we could construct.

In looking at contemporary poet and essayist Lyn Hejinian, I find the passages in her landmark piece called "My Life" reminded me of the journals I used to keep about 10 years ago. I had read a book (I believe it may have been Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way, but I’m not positive) that provided strategies for eliminating creative blocks in your life. Each night, before I’d go to bed, I’d sit in my studio and faithfully write a minimum of three pages before going to sleep. I never had a preconceived idea of what I would write about, only that I would write. Some nights, words came easy, while others were torture. Looking back on some of my writing, I’m struck by the rawness, the sadness, the vividness of memory and also the randomness. It is those “random” writings that are most interesting and sometimes humorous – you could tell that it was when I was beginning to relax and almost fall asleep while writing – some passages would flit from one subject to another and then inject phrases or sentences that were sometimes seemed meaningless or unintelligible. Someone reading and not knowing me would most certainly have thought I was on some kind of hallucinogen.

We were asked to construct a poem in the style of Hejinian, creating a line for each year of our age.

In my interpretation of Hejinian’s style of writing, I attempt to retain some of the random or “stream of consciousness-styled” thinking I find myself absorbed in. (In 46 lines)

That Incessant Itch

Sitting in front of the television as a toddler, I had the most entertaining babysitter around. Hours and hours I’d sit….mesmerized…at least until the “Sewing Lady” came on… a signal to get dad to change the channel. I never liked her. Soon I was old enough to go outside and play in the grass. Cool, damp blades tickled my bare toes. I’d wiggle around and dig deeper, until tiny ants began marching up my ankle, making me jump and squeal. Birds chirping in the background…as an adult I can distinguish certain species, naming them as I hear their distinct songs. I’ve always loved nature – humans are just a miniscule piece of a much larger puzzle. Surroundings envelop us, sheltering us from the many ills of the world – there’s so much out there to know and understand; never enough time to do so. Why are we so small? Where are our voices? My voice has been stifled for a long time. Stoicism runs deep in my blood…I was brought up to conceal feelings, keep things inside and never show weakness. Elements like that are used to create impenetrable brick walls – protection from harm’s way. No one is ever truly protected. Even the best parents cannot protect their child from all the problems of the world. Why is everything in the world so muddy? Mud is essentially dirt moistened to a pudding-like substance, slushing between your toes as you walk through a puddle. But mud eventually dries, leaving a crusty shell on the skin– like that chocolate stuff you put on ice cream… just not as tasty. The shell cracks off when touched, making me itch. Always an itch to scratch – creativity is one of those itches; persistent and ever present. Right now, the painting behind me beckons, begging for my attention- to contribute, to pour my soul out on canvas. The pain of being vulnerable on canvas for me is much greater than talking about my troubles. I’ve always thought of art as a child…something birthed from deep inside, bringing the best and worst to the light of day for all to see. What is seen? Does it matter? Should I care? I’m comfortable in my solitude; yet crave the presence of others to keep me grounded. The ground is solid, but sometimes my legs are weak. There’s that “weakness” thing again. Why does it taunt me? What is it about weakness that’s so hard to deal with? I’ve learned to accept my faults and embrace my strengths. To not blame myself for everything. Does this make me a better person? I think my family sees me as kind of a black sheep – probably similar to my grandmother, who at 19, married a US Army medic and left her home in England for America. My grandfather came home first…she followed…..months later on a ship with other war brides. How long were her travels? I should’ve asked more about her journey while she was still alive. Did she regret leaving her country? After she died, I discovered she’d won a scholarship to go to art school, but turned it down. Did she regret not going? She never said….she instead got married to the man she spent the rest of her life with. Love was greater than the itch of artistic creation, apparently. Did she ever feel that itch? She was far too wise to say.

Celebrating the Positives

It's ironic that in my graduate coursework, we've been spending time focusing on the practice of teaching. Recently, I made it through my first formal classroom observation with one of our building principals. It's kind of funny how things sometimes happen at the perfect time, isn't it?

Our district has adopted the Danielson Method for teacher evaluation and we’re still navigating the process, so things are still pretty new for everyone. As a first-year teacher, it was a little stressful, but in my post-observation meeting, I found myself feeling refreshed and energized in ways I’d not felt in a long time.

During my tenure at the museum, I was formally observed just ONE TIME in almost 8 ½ years, which is both frustrating and frankly, deplorable. For four years, I didn’t even have a boss. To some, this might seem liberating (and maybe in some ways it was), but it wasn’t a good environment for professional (or personal) growth. Fortunately, my Type "A" personality pushes me to work hard and just keep going, otherwise I'd have been incredibly stagnant.

Sitting down with my principal the other day was a little intimidating at first, but as we talked, I found myself feeling better and better about what I’ve been doing in the classroom. In reading Eisner's "The Arts and the Creation of Mind", he discusses the importance of feedback for teachers and how it can help them understand what is outstanding in their teaching. There are so many tasks that are traversed through a single class period, it’s difficult for us to notice them all.

If we think about in relation to our art, it’s like working on a painting for months and feeling as though there has been little to no progress. We are often too close to our work to truly understand and recognize what’s going right. It’s all too easy to pick out all of the perceived “wrongs”.

By regularly spending time focusing on what's going right in the classroom, we not only celebrate those things which are going right, but we also learn to use those strengths in ways to affect our weaknesses. It feels so nice to have that driving force behind me nudging me along and encouraging me to keep motoring on.

What the Arts Don't Teach

This week was spent delving into Chapter 4 of  Eisner's book "The Arts and the Creation of Mind" for my graduate coursework. In our discussion of what the arts teach students, we were challenged to express our thoughts in an alternate format other than our usual forum posting format.

My choice was to write a poem that expressed my thoughts and ideas on what the arts DO NOT teach us. I spent some time experimenting and exploring several different audio recording programs, and included below is the final result.

"On Being a Robot"

Cultivating Emotional Intelligence

“Emotional intelligence (EI) is the area of cognitive ability involving traits and social skills that facilitate interpersonal behavior. Intelligence can be broadly defined as the capacity for goal-oriented adaptive behavior; emotional intelligence focuses on the aspects of intelligence that govern self-knowledge and social adaptation.” Psychologist Daniel Goleman builds on Howard Gardner’s model of multiple intelligences, unpacking what Gardner calls the “intrapersonal” and “interpersonal” intelligences – specifically defining self-awareness and self-regulation as the intrapersonal abilities and empathy and social skill the interpersonal. Professors Peter Salovey and John D. Mayer popularized Goleman’s theories of emotional intelligence.

In looking at the area of emotional intelligence, I feel that an individual who has a high emotional quotient (EQ) can definitely excel in other arenas. Intellect and emotional intelligence are two very different things. Intellect entails having the cognitive abilities to synthesize and analyze data – to problem-solve and make assumptions based on the information at hand. Emotional intelligence is a set of innate and learned skills which serve to facilitate relationships and enable a person to negotiate more easily through all areas of life.

I’m a strong proponent that schools should be incorporating strategies to nurture emotional intelligence in our children. Having a strong EQ sets a solid foundation for all other areas of learning. Being in tune and in control of emotions paves the way for advancement of other areas of learning. When an individual lacks mental flexibility, he/she faces a challenge when approaching a new experience – if something doesn’t go as planned, he/she may get frustrated and give up. Cultivating a sense of perseverance in our children is important and nurtures their ability to “follow through” on a task.

Intellect is an area that is typically measures through standardized testing, but with EQ, there is no formalized mode of measurement. Instead of measuring, EQ is assessed by looking at the various elements that make up emotional intelligence – it’s actually pretty obvious to tell if someone has a high EQ. An individual’s IQ remains somewhat constant throughout a person’s life, but EQ can be nurtured and developed.

I think it would be interesting to see how developing emotional intelligence prepares (if at all) a student to become a more engaged citizen, and how it plays into the idea of 21^st century skills, which are actively sought in today’s workforce.

Understanding this concept may help in the development of educational programming that directly addresses the Susquehanna Art Museum’s core values, specifically the areas of collaboration, creativity, and human connectedness.  Here's an article outlining The 12 Elements of Emotional Intelligence.

This is an area I’ve followed for a few years now; in the Daniel Goleman video included in this week’s presentation, he cites a study that shows that as our students continue to show improvement with regards to their IQ, their EQ continues to decrease, which should be cause for alarm. I can’t help wondering how today’s technology is negatively impacting our children. Until we develop curricular content that cultivates EQ, we continue to run the risk of setting our students up for failure in their future. Cultivating EQ not only helps develop life-long learning skills, it helps individuals become healthier, better adjusted and more engaged citizens.

Reflecting on Teacher Assessment, Cognitive Development and Multiple Intelligences

During weeks 7-9 of my graduate course in educational psychology, we spent time looking at the topics of teacher assessment, cognitive development and multiple intelligences. My reflections on these topics are included here:

Teacher Assessment

I’ve found that as a museum educator, the process of teacher assessment can be somewhat different. Looking at the Danielson model of assessment, I discovered that there are a number of areas where it would be difficult for me to be assessed as a museum educator. With that in mind, I began searching for assessment models specifically geared towards museum educators. As museum professionals, our “go to” organization is the American Alliance of Museums (AAM), which represents thousands of museums of all kinds throughout the US. What I found is that because of the variety of different types of museums (science, history, art, etc.) and physical settings, it is somewhat difficult to develop measures that could be considered comprehensive. AAM does produce a publication called “Museum Education Principles and Standards”, which outlines the expectations for museum educators in their profession.

In my initial research, I began formulating a comparative between the Danielson model and AAM’s “Museum Education Principles and Standards”. My goal for the future is to develop a model for assessment that enmeshes both approaches. The primary area of difference is in classroom environment – museums are non-traditional learning environments – places where we interact with visitors of all ages. Because interactions with museum visitors are short, goals must be clear, concise and direct. As my work as a museum educator progresses, I hope to develop an assessment process for the museum that is relevant, thoughtful and comprehensive.

Cognitive Development

Teachers have the ability to guide learning experiences that assist in moving learners into a higher cognitive stage. As a museum educator, the nature of my work prevents me from seeing the “fruits of my labor” in this regard. I therefore have to keep things in perspective and provide support for classroom teachers in their efforts to provide effective learning experiences.

A blog article from Science Blogs recently caught my attention. It discusses a documentary called I Remember Better When I Paint, which shows how the arts positively impact the cognitive functions of patients with memory loss or Alzheimer’s. In relating this to the topic of cognitive development, I begin to question whether the concepts and ideas we use in developing a child’s cognitive learning could assist aging individuals retain cognitive functioning. Leading neurologists have found evidence of the transformative power of hands-on art learning, music and visiting museums that show how parts of the brain relating to emotion and creativity are largely spared by the disease. This alone inspires me to explore program opportunities that cater to older visitors with memory-related conditions.

I’m always fascinated watching how visitors connect to works of art in a museum; it would be incredibly interesting to see how works of art spark emotions or evokes memories that may have been thought long gone. Having facilitated countless tours and workshops, I can see how this theory can be true. I love listening to stories visitors share about something that relates to the work or art or how it sparked a thought or idea that brought forth a memory. By igniting a connection on a personal level, we provide a foundation where transfer of knowledge takes place.

http://scienceblogs.com/startswithabang/2013/01/12/weekend-diversion-combatting-alzheimers-with-art/

Multiple Intelligences

Emotional intelligence (EI) is defined as the area of cognitive ability involving traits and social skills that facilitative interpersonal behavior. EI focuses specifically on the aspects of a person’s intelligence that govern self-knowledge and social adaptation. Psychologist Daniel Goleman builds on Howard Gardner’s model of multiple intelligences, unpacking what Gardner calls the intrapersonal and interpersonal intelligences – specifically defining self- awareness and self-regulation as intrapersonal abilities and empathy and social skill the interpersonal.

In looking at EI, I feel strongly that an individual who has a high emotional quotient (EQ) can definitely excel in multiple arenas. Intellect and emotional intelligence are two very different things. Intellect entails having the cognitive abilities to synthesize and analyze data (problem-solving skills), which EI is a set of innate and learned skills which serve to facilitate relationships and enable a person to negotiate more easily through life.

Schools should be incorporating strategies to nurture EI in all children. Having a strong EQ provides a strong foundation for other areas of learning. Cultivating a sense of perseverance in our children is important and nurtures their ability to try and follow through on the task at hand. When mental flexibility is lacking, an individual may become frustrated and simply give up.

Intellect is an area that is typically measured through standardized testing, but with EQ, there is no formalized mode of measurement. I think it would be interesting to see how developing emotional intelligence prepares (if at all) a student to become a more engaged citizen, and how it plays into the idea of 21^st century skills, which are actively sought in today’s workforce.

This is an area I’ve followed for a few years now; in the Daniel Goleman video included in this week’s presentation, he cites a study that shows that as our students continue to show improvement with regards to their IQ, their EQ continues to decrease, which should be cause for alarm. I can’t help wondering how today’s technology is negatively impacting our children. Until we develop curricular content that cultivates EQ, we continue to run the risk of setting our students up for failure in their future. Cultivating EQ not only helps develop life-long learning skills, it helps individuals become healthier, better adjusted and more engaged citizens.

I’ve included a link to an article that outlines the (12) different areas of Emotional Intelligence: http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/marcia-sirota/emotional-intelligence_b_994141.html

 

Reflections on Social Contexts, Sociocultural Diversity and Learners with Special Needs

As a museum educator, I need to be prepared for anything and everything – I never truly know the groups I will be working with until they are at the museum. During weeks 4-6 of my Educational Psychology graduate course, we discussed a variety of issues that impact the ways we work with students. Enclosed are my reflections on the subjects of social contexts, sociocultural diversity and strategies for learners with special needs.

Social Contexts:

As a museum educator, I work with students from a variety of backgrounds, ages, and class settings, which can be challenging at times. Part of the preparatory work before a tour is to be a “detective” of sorts, gathering as much information as I can about a group so I can adequately prepare for their visit.

Museums are social settings, especially when dealing with tour groups. Being able to use scaffolding in my tour delivery – asking probing questions allows me to make better assessments on student comprehension and learning. In tour settings, the objective is for me not to do all of the talking – I will sometimes ask an older or more advanced student to be my “assistant” – helping read exhibit labels or in describing the medium or content in a work of art. This often inspires other students to speak up which ultimately enlivens our discussion. As SAM develops tour procedures for the new museum space, my goal is to incorporate some kind of “badge” that the assistant could wear during a tour – most likely, this will be some kind of sticker that the student can wear all day - and hopefully until they return home where they will share their museum experience with family.

Another strategy for cultivating social experiences is by offering culminating activity worksheets. This allows pairs or teams of students to work together, solving scavenger hunt-type problems that draw from exhibition content. Although I allow them to freely choose their partner or team, I ask students who finish early split up and help another group who may still be working. Having students help one another, especially in a museum setting, works very well and gives them something positive to reflect on and discuss on their trip back to school. In the new museum space, I want to have a “teacher’s packet” that will have reflective questions and activities that can be discussed during the bus ride back to school.

Sociocultural Diversity:

Audience awareness is critically important for museums to understand. If we don’t actively address the needs of our core audiences, why should they visit the museum in the first place?

According to the report “Museums & Society 2034: Trends and Potential Futures” by Elizabeth Merritt, it is expected that minorities will comprise just under half the population by the year 2034. It is reported that four states already have populations where minorities are now the majority, with five more states projected to reach that level in the next ten years. Among student populations, the majority will be minorities within 15 years.

Most museum visitors have distinct recollections of museum experiences between the ages of 5-9, so cultivating an environment that encourages museum visitation, especially for elementary school students is extremely important. The US Census also projects that the number of Caucasian 7-yr olds will decline 4% over the next 25 years, while the number of blacks of the same age will increase 5%, Asians by 49%, mixed race children by 72% and Hispanics by 73%. This data is extremely important for museums to understand and address (Merritt, 2008).

                                                                                                                                                                           

By providing experiences that appeal to elementary-aged students (especially in that critical 5-9 age group), museums (and art teachers in classrooms) can work to increase the odds that these students will grow up to become future museum goers and inspire their own children to do the same (Merritt, 2008). Providing, promoting and encouraging museum experiences are the very best ways to ensure the health of museums and to provide these critical life-shaping experiences for children.  We are quickly heading towards a cultural shift in our country and it’s important for us all to remain abreast of these changes so that we can adapt and change our strategies to best address them for the sake of our students and their future.

Learners with Special Needs:

According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), approximately 14% of all children ages 3-12 in the United States (during the 2006-7 school year) received some form of special education or related services. Learning disabilities can impact learning that involves the understanding of – or use of spoken or written language. Difficulties in learning can manifest themselves through listening, thinking, reading and spelling. As museum educators, we often don’t know who these students are unless a school contact requests specific accommodation prior to a school visit. With that in mind, how do we ensure that we are actively involving all children, regardless of ability or disability?

All museums face challenges with dealing with issues of accessibility and accommodation. Making a public space open and available for all types of audiences is not only part of a museum’s mission, it’s mandated by law. Presently, the Susquehanna Art Museum (SAM) does not have formal policies/procedures in place to address services for visitors with special needs. Much of what we’ve done in the past has been ad hoc. In order to truly function as a 21^st century museum, SAM must address these kinds of accommodations and develop policies and procedures that can be referenced when dealing with inquiries for such services.

In the meantime, learning to be proactive in making sure to ask appropriate questions prior to a school visit or group tour helps ensure that all students have an equal opportunity to make the most of their museum experience. Open and regular communication between school contacts and museum staff helps to alleviate potential challenges once students are in the museum space. Developing specific policies and procedures will provide a solid foundation for all museum staff to feel comfortable in accommodating students with special needs.

The Changing Face of Museums - My Reactions

As I’m sure I’ve articulated before, I've spent a fair amount of time at the museum these past few years doing research to develop strategies for building and expanding audiences in the new museum space. As we prepare to become part of the Midtown arts corridor in downtown Harrisburg, it’s critical that the museum address the needs of the public and make its space accessible to diverse populations. One of the most eye-opening reports I’ve read is “Museums & Society 2034: Trends and Potential Futures” by Elizabeth Merritt, founding Director for the Future of Museums, which is an initiative of the American Alliance of Museums (AAM), an organization that supports all museums by developing standards and best practices, providing resources and career development and museum advocacy.

In my comments for the week, it’s important to share some of the statistics the report provides because of the impact they have on all of us as arts educators, as well as at the museum where we are looking heavily at this data to help us move forward in a proactive manner.

The United States Census Bureau projects that the US population will reach 400 million people by the year 2034 (today’s population hovers around 300 million). While we see the overall population grow steadily, the growth rate for Caucasians is projected to grow only 4% by 2034 (not annually, but total). This is considered to be virtually zero growth (Merritt, 2008). So where is the population growing? Almost all of America’s population growth is projected to come from minority populations. By 2034, minorities will comprise just under half the population. It is reported that four states already have populations where minorities are now the majority, with five more states projected to reach that level in the next ten years. Among student populations, the majority will be minorities within 15 years (this is similar to the statistic from slide 2 in our presentation).

Most museum visitors have distinct recollections of museum experiences between the ages of 5-9. The US Census also projects that the number of Caucasian 7-yr olds will decline 4% over the next 25 years, while the number of blacks of the same age will increase 5%, Asians by 49%, mixed race children by 72% and Hispanics by 73%. This data is extremely important for museums to understand (Merritt, 2008).

Keeping this data in mind, SAM needs to reach out into the community to develop and promote better ways of integration and develop understanding across cultures. For the Harrisburg community, this issue is much more than merely being culturally sensitive – it is socially and economically critical to embrace this diversity, especially with this dramatic shift in racial composition. Harrisburg is already a community where minorities have already reached 52.4% (US Census, 2010); a community which is somewhat transient and in some areas severely poverty-stricken. A community which doesn’t have the means to support itself, much less support a museum. In order to survive and hopefully thrive, it means the museum needs to address sociocultural diversity in everything it does – in exhibits, educational programs (for all ages); special events, in museum shop offerings and in its advertising and promotional materials.

                                                                                                                                                                             

On a smaller, more immediate scale, there are ways to address sociocultural diversity in the museum’s K-12 educational programming. When curating exhibits, we look to present a diverse representation of artists, use of media, artistic styles, cultural references and subject matter; in race and in gender. The fuller the picture I’m able to present, the richer the subsequent experience will be for students. As a museum educator, there is no better feeling than to watch a student connect to an artist’s work because the artist was born in the same place as the student’s family or  that the work addresses issues and ideas directly relevant to classroom curriculum, cultural similarities, social issues that relate to the student directly. Each of these ideas works to make the museum experience both meaningful and relevant. Showcasing diversity in this manner also works to reduce bias and increase tolerance for people in ethnic groups other than their own (slide 7).

Let’s step back to the data again for a moment – while the population is already 1/3 minority (heading towards major majority), today only 9% of the core visitors are those from minorities, with only 20% of museum employees are minorities. If museums want to remain relevant, museum audiences have to look different as well. So, by providing experiences that appeal to elementary-aged students (especially in that critical 5-9 age group), museums (and art teachers in classrooms) can work to increase the odds that these students will grow up to become future museum goers and inspire their own children to do the same (Merritt, 2008). Providing, promoting and encouraging museum experiences are the very best ways to ensure the health of museums and to provide these critical life-shaping experiences for children.  We are quickly heading towards a cultural shift in our country and it’s important for us all to remain abreast of these changes so that we can adapt and change our strategies to best address them for the sake of our students and their future.

 

Sources Used:

Merritt, Elizabeth. “Museums & society 2034: trends and potential futures”, American Alliance of Museums (2008)

http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/42/4232800.html