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Throughout the course of ART 325, there were a lot readings of rhetorical and teaching theory. It was course that taught me a lot, not only about teaching, but also my personal identity. We had some amazing discussions that were very relevant to our teaching experiences that we were all engaging in. And it also, taught me a lot about how my fellow classmates felt about certain readings and how it pertained to their personal experiences. The first paper that we wrote was talking about personal early art experience. And I feel like my art experiences differ from a lot of people. But, through that experience, I was able to see how there were actually a lot of similarities with my fellow classmates. 

            This course touches on many different theories, but I am going to touch on the few that taught me the most. And that is Studio art, teaching all students, early childhood and community art. 

 

            The first thing I want to talk about is Studio Art, and how students use process in their artwork. Marilyn Zurmuehlen wrote Studio Art Praxis, Symbol, Presence, and the author talks a lot of process and symbolism. She writes about the story of her nephew, and how he is painting, and when the authors sister asks her son what he is making he says “it’s orange”( p. 5). The author goes on to talk about how the child focus more on the process of making, rather than the content of the work. And I think this is important to remember, that it does not matter as much of the outcome of the work, but the process of the art making. This is something that I try to implement a lot in my teaching, is for my students to be encourage about the process of their art work. And how the things they learned throughout the problem solving and difficulties of the art making. Another thing that I took from this article, is that Art as symbol, and Suzanne Langer talks about how “symbol making as one of the basic need of people (p.15).” and I think this can be very true, symbols are what we can put memories and events to a certain symbol and then when we see that symbol again we will remember that memory. Symbols are everywhere, and I think it especially important in early childhood and how students will benefit from symbol making. 

            The second category that is important, and was influential in my learning throughout this class was Teaching for All Students.I think this is huge and an extremely important topic for me. When teaching in the service learning portion, It showed how if you make certain accommodations for your students, and learn more about what they need to be successful, it can go a long way. In the article, Fine Arts for All- A Quick Reference for Students with Special Needs, In this article I learned about different techniques and tricks on how to helps students with different needs. Especially for student who are auditory, or visual, and students who are struggling with behavioral difficulties.  If you make certain accommodations that can even be small like have a safe space for students to go to, can go a long way. 

            The third category is Early Childhood education. I found this category the most interesting. Ronda Kellog, studied young child and how over time their drawings and art making develops. I think this is so beneficial for art teachers, because it helps you as a teaching make sure that your students are growing and developing at the right pace. Kellog studied many students and found out that there is 20 different types of scribbles. I think that is so fascinating. And how this also ties back in to the process of art making, and how repetition is so prevalent in young children’s art work. I think it is amazing to see how in young children, they are so willing to explore many different materials, and be experimental. It is not until about middle school age that the student feels like there is a certain way that the art work needs to look like. 

The fourth and last category is Community Art, and I think this is very important for any teacher to have in their classroom. As a artist and student, I have seen the benefits of involving the community into your practice. I did a sculpture that was made out of plastic grocery bags, and I asked everyone I knew to donate their plastic bags to my creation. It was a amazing experiences, I reduced and reused some plastic but I also involved the local community into my creation. Jana Napoli, is an artist that values community and she started a program called YA YA, it brings students from a local high school, and teaches and guides them to create. She brought in students to create things for some local businesses, and then after they would finish they would have a gallery opening and would invite all those local business owners. Not only did the kids benefit from the galley opening, but the business owners got to meet the students that were part of their community. For a teacher, I think it Is important to involve the community in a lot of the art work. With my service learning portion, I would with a program called Artistic Abilities, it is a local program based out of Fort Collins, Colorado. And during the winter holidays, they participate in a local art market. The program sells some of the students work that they created in the past semester, and have cards and other prints of the paintings that they made. It gets the community aware of the type of the amazing program that is happening, and also lets students work be part of the community. 

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In conclusion, this class has taught me a lot, including ways to teach, the role as a teacher, and the process and importance of art. It has been an amazing experience, and I am excited how I will use all these techniques that I learn fo