Artventure: Green Educator Course

Green School has a mantra of Learning By Doing. Thus, their professional development for teachers hold the same belief. I enjoyed myself a lot as I learn at the same time. I wasn't made to feel like the presenters/ facilitators were just clocking hours. Each of them take pride in what they do and inspire us to do the same. From the food put on the table to the activities that we engaged in, there was attention to the details. As a visual learner, let me flood this post with photos:

We gather at our accommodation in a beautiful bamboo lodge upon arrival. It was easygoing on the first day as we were getting to know each other. The interns were in charge of the ice breakers and before we know it, it was lunch!

Our first stop after lunch was Kembali, a recycling centre where the community can bring in items for recycling and the proceeds goes to the scholarship for local students. Those who contribute 5kg worth of recyclables can attend free English classes after the curriculum hours in GS.

Instead of naming the Administration Block in a school as it is, here, it is known as The Heart of School. The high school art teacher, Jason, giving us our first classroom observation. 

It was full moon when we went to visit Puri Ngurah. We were told the King will meet us here. I was naturally excited and keeping a lookout for the King. To my surprise, he was standing there right in front of me! We were welcomed by Agung Alit and her grandfather, Gusti Ngurah Agung Watusila, the King of Sibang Kaja and we listened to his story about Puri Ngurah. We were also welcomed with the traditional and trash monster dance performed by Kul Kul Connection students. Canang was used as an offering before the Purnama Ceremony at the Puri Ngurah.

Throughout the course, we interacted with many speakers from the school. I think the most captivating speaker is Chris Thompson as he spoke from personal experience without using any slides. As a visual learner myself, if he can capture my attention and makes sense of what he says whenever he speaks, I guess he must be a really great speaker. Plus, he wasn't an animated speaker which helps because it would be a distraction. I observed that he usually start with a short story or an object that will gradually lead to his point.

On the second day, we had to frame a challenge, discuss with our group and pitch our idea a few times in different places. The difficult part is managing everyone's idea as our group is SO diverse and everyone had a really short time to get to know each other. Sometimes I was trying so hard just to understand what others were talking about. It would be a next level to convince others of my perspective.

Mud wrestling is a rite of passage for GEC participants. It was super fun because we got excuse to be very dirty (literally!) and it was multi sensory. The instructors told us not to think of mud as 'dirty' as it is a growing medium for rice which provide us nourishment.

That's all folks!

Artventure: To Green School Bali, Indonesia

I have just returned from a course in Bali, Indonesia. Many of my friends expressed skepticism when I said that. Given its rich culture and traditions, my friends would be forgiven for holding that thought. Between 4 and 8 Sept 2017, I attended the Green Educator Course (GEC) at Green School (GS). 

GS is a sustainable campus on both sides of the Ayung River. The school is designed to operate with alternative energy sources such as hydraulic and solar power. The buildings were made from local bamboo, grown utilising sustainable methods and employed innovatively and experimentally. 

I enjoy listening to or experiencing things that challenged my (often unknown) assumptions. So, I wanted to learn about a school in a different context. The great contrast would spur me to find out more about things that I do not know yet. The theme for this course was 'Building Entrepreneurial Communities’. In Singapore, educators would have heard of the word 'entrepreneurial spirit' in relation to education umpteen times, in media or the news. 

In Green School, 'Entrepreneurial and Enterprise' is a subject area and a methodology. GS staff managing different aspects of teaching and learning presented to us their expertise and answered our questions to help us learn about GS students' experiential learning. The essential questions addressed are:

• What does it mean to engage with the world and one's own learning in an entrepreneurial fashion?
• How do we add value to the world through our efforts, as part of our learning?

GS, being its 10th year has received much media attention. It didn't just established itself as a 'cool' school that advocate for the environment. John Hardy and his wife, Cynthia are founders of the school and they were inspired by a design concept '3 Springs' written by Alan Wagstaff.

They also believe that bamboo offers an innovative response to the problems faced by contemporary design. In order to be used as building material, bamboo is ready for use in just 3 years, compared to fir tree that needs to grow between 12 to 15 years while an oak needs at least 120 years. Its characteristics such as shape, performance, lightness and strength make it a highly renewable resource. 

In the sustainability model, the environment, the economy and human society are portrayed as concentric, one sphere lying within another. The economy is set within society, and the society is set within the environment. If we destroy the environment, which sustains us and provides our air, water and food, then we will destroy human society. If we destroy human society, we will certainly destroy the economy. Thus, the environment is the most important of the three because without it we have nothing. Based on this assumption, protection of the environment is the best way of sustaining both ourselves and everything else that lives on the earth.

Being aware of environment issues is just the tip of the iceberg. People can choose to take actions or take a back seat. The activities that we do can change a society of passive consumers into a society of active producers (makers). Sustainability combines ecological, social, cultural and economic dimensions which demands integrated understandings and responses. Since it is highly complex, systems thinking and holism are adopted. 

GS' focus on sustainability and their interdisciplinary teaching and learning sits very well together because the systemic links between energy consumption, climate change, loss of biodiversity and poverty (World Goals) are national/ international agendas. These issues are evident in media reports and the need for multiple perspectives and integrative approaches are crucial as reflected in many ground-up initiatives.

I was the only Art teacher in the group and it might get you wondering what has my subject area got to with my learning in GEC. There are a wide and diverse set of understandings, discourses and practices around the notion of sustainability. These range from basic issues such as the use and recycling of the materials used in art lessons through to more complex issues such as the role of the art(s) as a tangible means of articulating and disseminating ideas about sustainability. In the midst of an uncertain future, artists often explore narratives of consumption and investigating our relationship with landscape and the environment.

Enough of my ramblings! More photos in my next post!

Art Class: Seeing is Believing? [Part II]

The upper primary children were given isometric paper (as shown in the first photo) to draw their names in 3D bubble letters. They were given isometric dot paper as they had experience drawing quadrilaterals in their Mathematics class. Some of the children had a lot of difficulties writing 3D bubble letters but they were determined to own their own 'glass paint' so they had to redo their work. Some words of encouragement definitely helps and also practical help from their friends to ensure no one is left behind.

The children's work are kept between wax paper, with the waxy side facing the glass paint. I've tried chicken rice paper and freezer paper and both worked well. Children should learn how to take care of their work, especially in the process of transportation so they can preserve it for the enjoyment of others. They were warned that it would be disastrous if the glass paint come into contact with other worksheets in their bag!

Art Class: Seeing is Believing? [Part I]

We started the lesson with the above question. Some children love to debate on this issue as they have personal real-life examples to share. Then we proceeded to watch Professor Richard Wiseman video on "assumption". While some have problems explaining the meaning of assumption, I just asked them if anyone check for faulty stools before taking a seat in class (Usually none of them do). So, by not checking, all of them are making an ASSUMPTION that their stools are good to sit. The children today isn't as gullible anymore. BUT, you can't always assume! The part about discerning facts from fiction especially online is still my thing. So, I like showing them another video "the ball" that is fun to watch.

Throughout the unit, we had discussion about various artwork and artists related to the theme such as the Ames illusion, M.C. Escher's work, notice the anamorphic skull in "The Ambassadors" painting, read story about "The contest of Zeuxis and Parrhasius".

Link real-life examples of what the children are learning where possible. For example, you can share the research by Kokichi Sugihara, a Japanese Mathematician and his 3D optical illusions that are used to help in reducing traffic congestion on freeways.

Art Club: Excursion to National Gallery Singapore

On 9 Aug '17, Singapore celebrated 52 years of independence. The children visited the National Gallery Singapore to find out about our history through architecture. The pupils went into their breakout groups with their guides to learn about how two iconic buildings were seamlessly redesigned as one. 

Art Class: Kinetic drawing

For the past few weeks, the P1s children have been exploring drawing and painting. To be more specific, we are doing kinetic drawing. I try to include more movement in art class for the younger ones and I can't imagine art lessons to be another pen and paper kind of task.

The videos below give a brief idea to kinetic drawing, inspired by the artist, Heather Hansen. During class discussion, we spoke about how the arts not having to be viewed as a single entity. Some artists can combine different kinds of arts together to make an artwork. An example is Heather Hansen. She uses her entire body to draw. Unlike painting, performance arts such as Dance exist mainly as events in time (Robinson, K. 1989). When the music, the dance or drama ends, there is no physical object left to see or touch. Without recording devices, it is never to be seen or heard again unless it is performed again. Thus, what Heather Hansen seems to do is to reject the theory that Dance only exists in time.

In class, we did kinetic drawing by getting the children to work in pairs. The standing person will do some movement while the artist will try to "record" their movement on the mini whiteboard. Thus, this activity serves as a tuning in for our upcoming art task.

Robinson, Ken. 2008.  The Arts in School: Principles, practice and provision. Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, London.