Howard Zinn's essay, "We Take Nothing by Conquest, Thank God," alludes to the "romance" of recruiting posters in the U.S.-Mexican War of 1846-48 (see p. 57). This week, I'd like to draw attention to the persuasive power of war posters and other mass-circulated images that present a particular view of a political/ideological issue. Since we're in an election season, it's not hard to find examples of the latter. Most political advertising falls into this category.
Use the web resources below to design an art project for your students. If you are not teaching at this time, design an art project for the students in this class.
"War Propaganda Posters from Around the World" -
http://creativefan.com/war-propaganda-posters/
"11 Best U.S. Presidential Campaign Posters of All Time"-
http://www.thedailybeast.com/galleries/2012/05/25/11-best-u-s-presidential-campaign-posters-of-all-time.html#viewAll
"Posters from the United States of America Mexican-American War" -
http://www.war-stories.com/war-posters-mexican-war-posters.htm
The aims of this project will be to: a) promote critical visual literacy of images designed to persuade, b) develop student insight into the significance of historical events (especially the U.S.-Mexican War) and their continuing relevance today, c) teach design elements of persuasive visual images, d) encourage students to explore, communicate and debate their own position on current issues such as Mexican immigration, border violence and economic exploitation of undocumented workers, and e) provide an opportunity for students to represent their views in a visual image designed to persuade and win over skeptics.
This should be an art project you can use. As part of the assignment, you might design your own poster to share with the class! If you do, please send me the image and I will post it to the blog.
This assignment is due next Sunday at midnight. I've noticed that many of you are not posting by the scheduled deadline. Please do not let this continue. It could have an effect on your final grade.
Steven Graham
Gail Stouffer
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
"The Line Between Us" by Bill Bigelow, pp. 1-39 Discussion questions & topics
This week we are moving on to what I believe may be the most challenging text of this class. The challenge lies not in the book's content - U.S. - Mexican border issues - but in the author's point of view. Yet Bigelow is one of our nation's most highly respected educators and scholars of critical pedagogy. In his books, he explores classroom strategies and practices from a first-person standpoint and critically assesses his own teaching. In this way he models the ever-unfolding learning process that goes with the territory of teaching.
In the first 39 pages, Bigelow takes us through a very ambitious curriculum unit he designed for his students in an Oregon public high school. He makes his own position on border/immigration issues very clear, and makes no apology for the fact that he wants to move students beyond the familiar "us" vs. "them" dichotomy that prevails in America today. At the same time, he seems unaware that his left-of-center position is a minority view that for many Americans, would seem to defy common sense.
Did he miss an opportunity to engage his students in a critical inquiry of how and why certain views become accepted as common sense and why other positions are rejected as false? Does he underestimate the power of ideas and assumptions that students already hold to be true, and try too hard to get them to accept a position that runs counter to popular beliefs?
Bigelow takes on highly contested issues in his teaching. He passionately believes in human rights, and supports the work of activists who organize against environmental and economic injustice. Like many true believers, he has trouble understanding why other people do not share his point of view. Inevitably, he feels frustrated by his inability to win students over. Can you relate to him? Do you hold passionate views on a controversial topic? If so, would you attempt to directly tackle this topic in your teaching or would you rather avoid it?
On p. 33, Bigelow mentions a pre-writing strategy he calls "metaphorical drawing" or "thinking in pictures." Although his border/immigration curricular unit incorporates role-play, improvisation and writing, this appears to be the only use of visual art. How might you turn this around so that writing plays a minor role in a challenging unit that approaches a controversial topic primarily through the visual arts? To answer this question, you may find it helpful to identify an issue on which you have strong (if not passionately held) views, and at least one artist whose work deals directly with the issue.
Let me know if you have questions regarding any part of this reading or blog assignment. Best of luck and happy reading!
carolyn
In the first 39 pages, Bigelow takes us through a very ambitious curriculum unit he designed for his students in an Oregon public high school. He makes his own position on border/immigration issues very clear, and makes no apology for the fact that he wants to move students beyond the familiar "us" vs. "them" dichotomy that prevails in America today. At the same time, he seems unaware that his left-of-center position is a minority view that for many Americans, would seem to defy common sense.
Did he miss an opportunity to engage his students in a critical inquiry of how and why certain views become accepted as common sense and why other positions are rejected as false? Does he underestimate the power of ideas and assumptions that students already hold to be true, and try too hard to get them to accept a position that runs counter to popular beliefs?
Bigelow takes on highly contested issues in his teaching. He passionately believes in human rights, and supports the work of activists who organize against environmental and economic injustice. Like many true believers, he has trouble understanding why other people do not share his point of view. Inevitably, he feels frustrated by his inability to win students over. Can you relate to him? Do you hold passionate views on a controversial topic? If so, would you attempt to directly tackle this topic in your teaching or would you rather avoid it?
On p. 33, Bigelow mentions a pre-writing strategy he calls "metaphorical drawing" or "thinking in pictures." Although his border/immigration curricular unit incorporates role-play, improvisation and writing, this appears to be the only use of visual art. How might you turn this around so that writing plays a minor role in a challenging unit that approaches a controversial topic primarily through the visual arts? To answer this question, you may find it helpful to identify an issue on which you have strong (if not passionately held) views, and at least one artist whose work deals directly with the issue.
Let me know if you have questions regarding any part of this reading or blog assignment. Best of luck and happy reading!
carolyn
Thursday, October 18, 2012
"Grave of the Fireflies" (1988), Isao Takahata
All,
This week please watch the classic 1988 Japanese anime feature film, "Grave of the Fireflies" by director Isao Takahata. Watch the English dub version on Youtube -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpeHc7h7CaE
As Gail mentioned, this film depicts a tragedy. I watched it with my middle school Life Skills students while they were learning about WWII in their Social Studies and English classes (the school did not offer history). Because it's an animated film, the students expected a Disney plot. However, it is not a Disney production. The students were therefore shocked. However, they appreciated the unsugar-coated quality of the film and the fact that a teacher thought they could handle it. After this film we watched more by the same director and several by Hayao Miyazaki, Takahata's famous student.
Here are some questions we can answer or discuss after viewing "Grave of the Fireflies."
- How might this film help American students who are learning about WWII consider issues, problems or possibilities that are outside the standard (state and federally-mandated) curriculum?
- How might you use this film as the basis of an art project? How might this art project help students think critically about history and the way histories are written?
- Another topic of your choice.
As always, I look forward to hearing your ideas and reading your responses!
carolyn
This week please watch the classic 1988 Japanese anime feature film, "Grave of the Fireflies" by director Isao Takahata. Watch the English dub version on Youtube -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpeHc7h7CaE
As Gail mentioned, this film depicts a tragedy. I watched it with my middle school Life Skills students while they were learning about WWII in their Social Studies and English classes (the school did not offer history). Because it's an animated film, the students expected a Disney plot. However, it is not a Disney production. The students were therefore shocked. However, they appreciated the unsugar-coated quality of the film and the fact that a teacher thought they could handle it. After this film we watched more by the same director and several by Hayao Miyazaki, Takahata's famous student.
Here are some questions we can answer or discuss after viewing "Grave of the Fireflies."
- How might this film help American students who are learning about WWII consider issues, problems or possibilities that are outside the standard (state and federally-mandated) curriculum?
- How might you use this film as the basis of an art project? How might this art project help students think critically about history and the way histories are written?
- Another topic of your choice.
As always, I look forward to hearing your ideas and reading your responses!
carolyn
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Mid-Term Update
Hello All,
It’s Mid-Term time again! For those of you who have taken my classes before, you know that I take a unique approach to the Mid-Term and Final. I call the blog assignments that we do at these magic moments “updates” or “challenges.” I don’t call them papers. Rather, they are working documents that are designed to help you think through and integrate ideas from the class readings into your (newly evolving) thesis idea.
Yes, I realize that some of you are new in the program and have barely begun to think about a thesis. As you know, the MAE program at TTU offers three different thesis options. These options are, 1) traditional (research-based) thesis, 2) professional project paper, and, 3) an exhibition of your artwork and short exhibition paper explaining the work.
With these options in mind, please use the Mid-Term Challenge to flesh out your particular aims and interests in relation to critical pedagogy. The pedagogical issues we have discussed so far in this class encompass a range of school- and community-based initiatives and issues facing teachers of art, media and critical thinking. Please integrate your reading of Rethinking Popular Culture
& Media pp. 201-213, 226-234, 247-252 into your Mid-term response.
The Mid-Term Update asks you to consider and specify your interests in critical pedagogy in relation to the readings we have covered so far. I do not expect you to have a clear picture of how these interests may or may not influence your thesis. I do recommend that you think about your longterm goals in the MAE program and how particular readings, activities and discussion threads align with your goals.
You can write this in about 3 paragraphs. The first paragraph will explain the issues that interest you the most in the field of Art Education. You may not know what you're going to do for a thesis, but this paragraph will give you a chance to start thinking and writing about it. If you have more than one idea and can't decide which way to go, write them all down. The group will offer you guidance!
The second paragraph will address specific discussion topics or threads from our readings. Explain why they resonate. If nothing has resonated, explain why/why not.
In the third paragraph, state how the ideas in paragraph 2 might inform or eventually lead to a thesis (i.e., traditional, professional project or exhibition paper) dealing with a specific issue or topic. The aim of this assignment is to twofold: 1) For you to clarify what interests you about critical pedagogy, and 2) For you to integrate ideas from this class into your longer-range plans.
You may post your Mid-term Updates right here on the blog. If you want to include a work of visual art, video performance or poetry, you may send me the file via email. Let me know if you want to share it with the class.
I expect and welcome your questions about this assignment. Please, feel free to post your questions here. If you are uncertain about something – anything! - chances are that someone else in the class feels the same way. So don’t be self-conscious. (If you are self-conscious and can’t help it, you can email me.)
Since I am posting this assignment one day late, you have until next week Tuesday at midnight to complete your Update. Best of luck with your Mid-Term Update. I can’t wait to read what you come up with!
Sunday, October 7, 2012
Rethinking Popular Culture & Media, pp. 120-128, 138-146 & 163-171
Question writers, please post your questions in the response area below. You are not required to answer your own question - only the questions written by other students.
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