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| Z ARTS WORKSHOP |
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| Z ARTS WORKSHOP |
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| DACA WORKSHOP |
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| UNIT X WORKSHOP |
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| POP UP POM POM'S WORKSHOP |
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| POM POM GIRLS UNIT X TEAM |
New experiences I have come across in this unit for me was
the collaboration aspect of working together as a group, in your own practices
your quite isolated but yet surrounded by others of who you don’t exactly
collaborate with. Another new experience was the placement- I openly admit I
was not the most enthusiastic pupil and tended to stray away from school of
which I could never dream of wanting to step back in one, but in that placement
I realised that I would enjoy it- during that 4 week placement I saw different
teaching styles to different year groups.. I realised how different teaching is
now to when I was at school, the technology used now was way different to what
I used and even the students are different to how I was, when I got talking to
the students I had to remind them how lucky they were in this generation as I
was so jealous that at the age of 12 onwards that they could use MACs, Photoshop,
Pinterest, sewing machines, graphics, art history, photography, textiles and
even have the experience of them having university students in the school. What
I took away from the school is the passion both students and staff had for all
of their futures and that subject taught. Each teacher I saw brought their own
personality to the table, they teach in the way they found comfortable, they
teach on how they learn. Whilst observing they reminded me of Amy Cuddys power
poses of the stance and the volume of voices. What I can take away from this
unit is the motivation and enjoyment of the area I specialise in and use my
knowledge and the technology around me to learn something new. On the teaching
side I’m still a bit wary if that could be me when I graduate, I do not want to
rule it out but it definitely is something I would consider and having the
placement on my CV will bring light to a job as well as having links to the
school of even visiting the school again to do more.
My engagement through this unit has been throughout, I have
learnt something new every day... of having talk about special needs to talks
about programmes available at university and then talks on different kinds of
ice breakers to get the workshops going to then the many ways of feedback and
how to benefit from constructive feedback. All these quick sessions have given
me new ways to look into my practice and develop it more especially the
feedback side of how I can ask for specific feedback I’m wanting and different
ways to give feedback in a formal and informal way.
I was given the opportunity to produce 3 workshops for very
different ages.
Z arts I had most interaction in as being placed in a
smaller group, I felt I had more interaction and more involvement on taking it
upon myself to have visual imagery for the group to see the workshop in context
as well as sharing our responsibility of buying the materials together- for the
z arts work shop I would of changed to just using paint and not ink as we had
very talented and hyper children that day where ink was on their hands which
stained a little, other than that I felt that the activity was suitable for the
age group.
Daca being the second placement now, I did have interaction
during the idea process as I really went for it bringing ideas to the table of
having visual imagery to go by, and once broke down again I had very strong
ideas of bike wheels etc. (ambitious?) but when the idea was decided I was relatively
happy with the workshop but I felt distracted with it being a continuous talk
about what we were doing as others got confused with what the outcome was going
to be etc.. so towards the planning stages I wasn’t very interactive or as
involved as well as the actual time planning sheet though I volunteered to the
dye station as I know about Brusho dyes as I work with them a lot so I would be
more helpful with that station than any other but when we had to give each
others jobs of when to talk through things I felt left out as it was always the
same people talking and not letting anyone else have ago at it, then the same
people talking over each other- so I guess I did sit back towards the end, and
if I had the opportunity to the workshop again I would of argued the case of
having a responsibility of talking. Most of all the group overcame a situation
during the upcoming days for the workshop, due to another workshop being cancelled
so we had to take on the other group, at first it was a strain as members didn’t
want to join the group as they felt bad for us doing all the work so far, and
then we as the original group felt more of a strain of having to include them,
from how we already had our job roles sorted- once we included the group some
members really did take part and came to the group talks whereas two other members
really did not want to be part of it and did not respond to any messages.. so
as a group we had to discuss where they will be placed in the workshop, what their
job roles would be on the day as just TA’s or just taking pictures- so from
that hiccup I feel that as a group we became stronger and realised that things don’t
always go to plan and you have to negotiate with each other and move forward.
For all the workshops I have faced, it has to be the pop up Pom Pom’s that has really been the most overwhelming and enjoyable experience
for me. The girls worked so hard to create a fun workshop. Generally all the
group had felt more confident as we had tackled the most difficult workshops- I
preferred Unit X workshop for it being catered to adults. I found it much
easier to adapt to my surroundings in this workshop, As well as I understood
the outcome and I had fun in the process- I introduced the contemporary and the
product side to the workshop, which I don’t normally do in my practice until
the end, but I found it much easier to work knowing what was producing so I
will be taking that forward with me especially during this last year of uni as
we are needing to think more of context.
Reflecting back
through this unit I have completed 3 workshops in the space of 7-8 weeks. &
it all was/is a great experience to have.
I have learnt so much
from this unit:
- Child
protection
- How to plan a
workshop
- Lesson planning
- How to work with
people with special needs
- Working with Edlab
- Ways to give and receive
feedback
- A workshop for
young children (primary age)
- Charities and
organisations to gain experience with and from
- Body language
- A short 10 minute
micro teach
- Placement
- Workshop for
secondary school children
- Workshop for adults
(UNIT X)
And all that learning
has given me the confidence and awareness of how to work collaboratively and
confidently as a team. I had a mix response on my first day of the unit as I
was so happy to have a break from my course, I didn't need to do any designs,
no boards to show the tutor but it was being placed in a group throughout the
whole unit - That was the wary bit, but I overcame my feelings and was pushed out of my comfort zone, which now I'm grateful and glad that I had the opportunity for that.
The new discoveries I
have personally learnt from myself is how controlled I was working in a group-
it was independent as well as collaborative and I liked how I found stain-ability in my group of the importance of gaining a voice and always trying
to be involved, from working collaboratively I’ve realised that an idea is
never too small or too big as a group you can always work it out, planning time and making time together allows you to enjoy the work your producing collaboratively.
