LAST FEW GROUP MEETINGS - DACA WORKSHOP DAY

TIDYING UP THE DAY PLAN, GETTING MATERIALS SORTED AND FINAL DECISIONS

Before the workshop at DACA our group had a few meetings to discuss and mainly finalise decisions. 

We made finalised what materials we all would need to bring to create the mark makers and also for our subject group work. Also, we thought about how we would get the materials there on the day and thankfully we had two members (Dani and Celine) in our group who came forward and said they would take the materials in their car because they will be driving there on the day. Also we did a little play ourselves as a last practice with the final plan we made for the day. 

(Image above) List of materials we already have and need to buy.

(Image above) Loading one of the cars up with some of the materials on the friday before the workshop.

(Image above) Final plan for the workshop at DACA.

These meetings were the best plan we made as a group because it was good to double check everything and go through the plan once more so we can overcome any problems but thankfully there were no problems while going through it, this gave us some confidence before the workshop day.

DRY RUN OF DACA WORKSHOP

DELIVERING HALF PLANNED WORKSHOP AND MUCH NEEDED FEEDBACK

In this session both of the groups had to present a 'dry run' of their workshop to to each others group so we can see the high and weak points to be worked on and more importantly Anna and Claire could see how far we have come in terms of planning for the workshop at DACA.

By this session our group had already made a plan and edited it to produce (what we thought to be) a better plan and as far as the group knew we were going to follow that plan (image on the right hand side) for this dry run. 

(Image Above) Before (left side) and after (right side) plan as of this date.

We started off well following the plan and doing what we were assigned to do and for the first hour or two of the plan it was going well an then when the break was given and we came back we had a few glitches with how to put everything out because we hadn't planned that deeply into it and we started to form huddles to discuss while we were doing the dry run but we overcame it after a short while and proceeded with the run, just then one of the students started making up new activities that were not on the plan without warning and so the rest of the group felt confused during that time, these moments happened quite a few times during this dry run and by the same student and I think by this time the audience were able to see that the other students didn't know what was going on and were slightly confused. 

After we had finished our dry run and sat down for feedback we found out that it was very obvious most of us looked confused and so we got quite a lot of feedback as to how we can improve (as shown in the notes below).

(Image above) Notes of the feedback our group got for the dry run.

In this session our group got a sort of 'reality check' and we realised we still have quite a bit of work to do before we carry this out in DACA. We also cleared with that group member that we all must work together and stick to the plan made mutually only then we can achieve the best we can from this workshop.

KEY BLOG POST #2

COLLABORATIVE ASPECTS, CREATIVE RESPONSES, KEY DEVELOPMENTS, IMPACTS

Although I was already very comfortable with the students on Unit X, now that a few more weeks had passed I was becoming a lot more confident with the students. We made Facebook groups to give out messages and put up notifications and there was instant feedback on the groups which was great for development as of this point we were able to work together even after some 'hiccups' with a few students we still managed to carry on in a good manner taking everyones views into consideration.

During this unit we have had a lot of opportunities to collaborate with students from different disciplines and also in the same disciplinary. Since being at the school for the placement we have two events we need to plan for as a team. This on one side (planning for workshop at DACA) is proving a lot more difficult and on the other side (planning for showcase event) a bit more easier. 

When it came to collaborating for the workshop at DACA my group had some problems at first because one of the members kept changing aspects we had all planned together and make it to fit their ideas which started to cause stress for other members of the group. However, when we all came together to plan for the showcase event, things ran more smoothly and even after all of us giving in our suggestions we got good results without a lot of stress.

Having said this, during these weeks I have gained a lot of knowledge about working collaboratively and how to handle different situations with different people and I think this will help me plan more carefully with the group later on in the project. However, I feel as though if there are changes constantly being made by one member it will become a lot more difficult to execute a full day of workshops and so we must stick to what is being planned as a group.

One of the skills that I have developed during this course was using different materials to make art. During this project without realising I have used a lot of plasticine to make simple 2D objects to semi 3D objects and I started to really enjoy this because I was able to make quick designs and also put more time in and make something more than 2D designs, I have given thought to use clay and ceramics in my practice as working with plasticine has led me to wanting to try a different approach to art making.

(Images above) All artwork made by using plasticine.

The aspects that interest me most about collaborating was that there were always a lot more ideas. If at some point one didn't have ideas (which did happen at some points) another would whiz out another idea very quickly and I thought this way we had a lot of ideas to work with. However, although we had a lot of ideas it was difficult to decide which ones to actually go with and that's when we started to disagree with some aspects. So working in a team is always very rewarding but patience is really the key. 

In Fine Art I had heard and seen a lot of performance art but I didn't pay as much attention because I have always been into either painting or  paper cutting art however, from the research and meetings with students from other areas of art especially Interactive Arts I have started to build an interest of performance art and I would want to incorporate some aspects of performance art in my practice as I think being a Fine Ar student this could be another leap to a better understanding of art. I definitely know that this unit has made me appreciate contextual side to art because in this unit I found myself reading up a lot of things that I tend not to do such as performance art and fashion shows and I really enjoy it because it different and new to me.

After these very eventful and informative weeks I think the only way is to carry on planning meetings and arrange all of us to meet together and get ideas down together and go from there this way we will all be informed about what is going on and we can give in our input. Other than this we have a Facebook group which is proving to be good in terms of people responding so that is another option. But I think meeting as a group to finalise decisions is more needed.

RESEARCH AND EVALUATION TALK

KATE DUNSTONE TALK AND PLANNING FOR SHOWCASE EVENT

In this session we had a talk from Kate Dunstone about the evaluation side of this project and how we will show this. We started planning how and what we will do and present at Federation House in Manchester as an exhibition. 

(Image above) Notes from the talk by Kate.

After the talk from Kate about what we will have to do as evaluation, we were left as group to decide what we wanted to do on the day with our artwork that will be generated from the workshop at DACA.

(Images above) Mind map of ideas and some decisions.

At this point it was decided we knew what we wanted to do, we were going to display the boiler suits (from workshop on the day) and the shirts from the colour 'fight' along with some photographs in the exhibition and have a place where people can come an share what they enjoyed about Unit X also. 

(Image above) Notes of ideas for the event.

Overall, this session went very well, we all heard gave in our input to what we would like in the exhibition and worked around ideas which are best suited for everybody. It gave us a chance to work as a team and make decisions without having a tutor around. 

DELIVERING INDIVIDUAL MICRO TEACHING SESSION

MY MICRO TEACHING SESSION AND PARTICIPATING IN OTHER SESSIONS

I did my micro teaching session on paper cutting art which is what I am working on in my practical in Fine Art. I planned to tell the students in the workshop about where paper cutting art came from, learn the rule of it and finally cut out a paper cut of geometrical shapes. 

(Image above) Shots of the powerpoint presentation I made for the session.

Even though I had made a presentation for this session on the day because I had arrived a few minutes late I wasn't able to check it before I started and so when I came to use it the font had changed due to it not being a common font and all the words were everywhere and so it made it quite difficult to talk about the things I had put on the presentation. Although the presentation didn't quite work out as well as I wanted the rest of the task went quite well the practical side was appreciated and to an extent achieved. 

(Image above) One of the students of Unit X in the process of cutting into the template provided. Photograph taken by Kristian Bird.

While planning for the session I realised I forgot to fill out a lesson plan and this was a major point that I had missed and I feel this may have caused confusion with the students. 

(Images above) Making all the cutouts by hand and making list of what is to be included/done.

(Images above) A few feedback forms filled out by the participants.

Other Sessions

This session also gave us unit X students learn more about each others practice. We all participated in each others sessions and made art related to each others disciplines. 

(Images above) What I had made in the sessions and group work we all did. Photographs taken by Kristian Bird.

During this session I learnt a lot of things about hosting a teaching session. This session didn't go exactly as I had planned it although the learning outcomes were met to some extent I definitely feel as though if I prepared a little more the outcome would have been more better. Having said this if I were to do this workshop again I would really consider firstly getting to the place on time, having a pre made lesson plan, checking if the presentation is running well and also most importantly I would rehearse a lot more before the actual session. After reading some of the feedback I realised if I did plan a little more I would have been able to achieve what I initially planned. But this session has made me become more aware of these pointers for next time. Also, it was also very informative as we were able to find out a lot more about our work out of unit X. I really enjoyed this time to try out different types of art making.

MICRO TEACHING BRIEF AND INTRO

MICRO TEACHING TRIAL

In this session Anna (tutor) gave us some information about our micro teaching session that we will be doing. A micro teaching session is when we do a workshop about our practice on the other Unit X students but for 10 minutes only.

So as a practice, Anna told us to pair up and work with someone to do a very simple one using plasticine. Where we would plan to what we going to do and then make each others made objects. I made a simple flower (images below) and planned it to be 5 minutes long which was short and easy. Soniya (working partner) made the 3D flower piece. 

(Images above) The flowers made by me and Soniya.

The reason why there are three of each object is because we both first made one as an object we were going to show, the second was made to demonstrate to each other how to make it and third is the outcome from trying to make each others objects. We also had a go at making a plan for the short session we did in pairs and then we gave feedback to each other using the feedback forms.

(Images above) Plan for the short making session and feedback from Soniya on making the object I showed.

Overall, this session was good to get us started for the bigger workshop we were going to do and I feel I took some good tips from this short practice and I will be able to apply this to my micro teaching session.

CURRICULUM LEADER TALK & "FAKE IT TILL YOU MAKE IT"

JANE MCFADDEN TALK AND AFTERNOON PLANNING

Morning Session
We had a talk by the curriculum leader Jane McFadden, she spoke to us about her experiences in schools and how they carried out activities and what they took into consideration while doing them. She gave us quite a lot of points to look at and take into consideration for when we do our workshop with the students at DACA. I really liked this talk because it led us into see how it would be like being a teacher and organising activities and also the responsibility behind it all. 

(Images above) Notes from the talk by Jane McFadden.

Afternoon Session

In this session we got more points to think about when we present at DACA. It was a lot about confidence and how we put ourselves across to the students and this is an important aspect of teaching.

(Image above) The class was trying out a sitting position known to de-stress when doing other activities.

During this amusing session I learnt a few tips on how I can put myself forward when in front of a class. Claire (our tutor)  showed us all a video clip of Amy Cuddy an American social psychologist, the video was called Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are. It was a very interesting video I think it got the class a little more excited for the workshop coming ahead. I think it was a great way to boost our energy and at the same time tell us how to get through the nerves and from the video is where we got "fake it till you make it" to "fake it till you become it" said by Amy Cuddy. 

(Image above) Notes from the afternoon session.

Overall, this session was interesting and informative for me because it was a way of knowing how to deal with nervous points while teaching and how to overcome it in front of a class. I learnt a lot from this session in terms of teaching and I think these tips will help me now and in the future which is really good. The highlight was the quote I got from the video of Amy Cuddy which was "fake it till you make/become it" I feel as though that will stay with me through all teaching events I do.