Where it all got started: Week 6 reflection

Graffiti in Middle School: students interacting with Professional grade sprays and a professional artist. 

As I look back on my experiences this week, I can't stop thinking about how all this love got started. This week, I feel reaffirmed in my teaching style and process, building relationships and focusing on what really matters, and it ain't no test score! I have always been passionate for all types of art, but as I have grown to understand and become an advocate of social justice, it seems graffiti and street art has taken a hold...

a story about the beginning-

This year I wanted to do something different, something that would engage the students, blow their minds and show administration what happens when you allow students to do something beyond the ordinary.

It all started at the TEDex conference last summer, there in the middle of the green was a young man, hundreds of cans of spray paint, and a large black sculpture. The young man was inviting the public to try their hand at a little graffiti. I was hooked, and the wheels started to spin. Would, we, could we do this at school, would he come and help out? After a few minutes, we had exchanged numbers, and that is where I met and began following Ratha Sok and the Rawh brand. This artist would become one of the biggest inspirations and influences on my teaching, he is completely amazing! 

In the beginning of the 15'-16' school year, I started the process. Convincing administration to allow middle schoolers to do a little graffiti is not an easy task. Taking all the necessary precautions, the students would wear masks, be able to wear full paint suits, and would go through a training 'pre-lesson' before the date of the official graffiti work. Then there is funding... As an artist myself, I would never expect an artist to do pro-bono work, so I started contacting supporters in my community and friends. If you are in education and or non-profit, you need to be a member of NAEIR. This non-profit websites allows educators and non-profit access to millions of products for nearly free, this is where I acquired the masks and painting suits for nearly nothing. ( really total for 38 masks and painting suits: 5$)

As the year went on and the date grew closer of our project, word spread. By  the time the project had come to full fruition, the district had  offered to foot the bill. Communication, was a key factor, what are we doing, why, who does it benefit, and why graffiti are all answers that I had to be prepared to answer a million times.

Completed Nevelson Installation MCS

The project: We started the unit looking at Louise Nevelson, public art and a little social justice. If  you are not familiar, Nevelson was a female artist that broke the mold and ideations of what women were capable of. The students researched her work and then were challenged to emulate her work in 4 small groups that would use re-use and spray paint, the final product would be required to work as  a whole unit/ installation. Following Nelvelson, we delved into the Chicano Mural movement, students studied the works of Orozco, Rivera, Siqueiros, identifying the symbols, colors and line quality that made these artist leaders of the movement. In every lesson, there is always an opportunity to highlight social justice, and here again we look at the role of the female in the arts and community and the importance of the Chicano/Latino culture in art. Students worked in small groups to create masking tape murals featuring protest and persuasion to prepare them with back ground and understating of the history and role of graffiti in art.

masking tape mural: 'A heart is fragile'

As our graffiti project neared, the school became a buzz, all the students in every grade level wanted in. My class of 28 would grow to nearly 45 students as the work began. Five days later, a visit from school board members, a visit from the superintendent and from York International, our IB high school and the project would come to an end.



As this class comes to an end, I have again made so many meaningful contacts and connections, all that I hope to share with my students in one way or another, and I can't help but to begin to ponder how I will top last year. My goal in teaching is to create lifetime learners, if they are a little better at art, great, but really I want my students to experience learning via "pull" method ( Lankshear, and Knobel, 2007). I want them to understand that every person that they come in contact with may be resource, maybe not today, or tomorrow, but making lasting true connections and relationships is more important than knowing how to solve any math problem. Its all about communication, how we communicate and what we do with those experiences.

Ratha and me, 'Mrs D'

Art is for everyone: Week 5 reflection told through the work of Keith Haring

Keith Haring was one of the original graffiti artists, his works were viewed by millions in the subways and streets of New York before 'hitting it big' and being included in multiple galleries and museums across the world. Haring's work is a true testament of his character, love, peace, and social awareness were his favorite subjects to illustrate. Haring created art for people, the public, and believed that "art is for everyone", like Warhol his goal was to bring art to the masses. When he felt that his work was becoming to popular and expensive for the average person, he opened the POP Shop, were everyday people could continue to view and purchase his work without the 'high class art scene.' Haring's work did not stop at creating art for change, but he also started the Haring foundation to help other that were diagnosed with HIV. His legacy is continued through this foundation and the POP shop, including a website for the social art education of children.  

Haring did not only create public art, he collaborated with the everyday person to create expansive murals, turning the community around him into active participants... 

"The use of commercial projects has enabled me to reach millions of people whom I would not have reached by remaining an unknown artist. I assumed, after all, that the point of making art was to communicate and contribute to culture.”

This week I have become an active participant. The readings by Jenkins and Dean were especially influential, as I found my grove and 'my people'. I am left wondering if I would have been so influenced by reading them at the beginning of the course? But there is no time to dwell on the past, there is so much to learn and do! The biggest take- away thus far, form this week and the entire course is about being truly active. It has changed my perceptions, attitude and outlook, and will probably influence my teaching style. You see, as if struck in the head, I have finally gotten it, you have to play along and try it all out before you can understand it. I thought I was so cool last week making my own gifs, in partial participation mode. Now I understand, and I don't need to make my own to be a part of all this, crazy, that's what all the pre- mades are for, so that you can quickly continue on to the real participation. Sure I still make my own when it is necessary to be super specific, but I can now feel comfortable using someone else's, I've got a PLN to grow. This week I have finally realized the point of all this, like Haring, is to communicate and contribute to culture. 

It's not that there is not things that I still do not agree with, there are evils and things that cannot be stoped, but there is a world or better yet a community of people out there on the web that are just like me, I am not alone and social justice is very prevalent. The web and digital space is much like real life, I was waiting for people to come to me without any effort, but as we all know it is a two way street. You have to put yourself out there, and I think too, that assuming positive intentions and being positive changes others perceptions and your experience. 'Dive in' I think is my new catch phrase, I can't wait to have students experience materials and their own digital selves by do just that. I have learned so                                                                                      much, and though through perturbation, it is all                                                                                          been worth it. 

                "It’s about participation on a big level."

If we are going to change the perceptions of digital space, then we all need to be active participants, we cannot just learn about it and expect things to change. Maha Bali states in her article 'Critical Digital Citizenship: Promoting Empathy and Social Justice Online, "I believe it can, if we use it [web and digital space] thoughtfully and responsibly. It can be a learning tool, connection hub and outlet for change, we just need to believe in it and be active in making that change. I have totally change the way that I perceive digital space, what once I thought was for gamers and tech geeks and star treckers, I have found to be a sounding board for ideas, growth and learning. We are all so connected rather we like it or not, for me it is time to stop fighting and join in. I 'geeked' out this week during the flash mob annotation, I couldn't step away, and when I did, I feigned to come back and see what was posted without me. I have found a hub for aspiring graffiti artist around the world, these people are real change agents, doing what they do like Haring to make a difference and open the world eyes to the endless possibilities that is our human race. It's all about active participation... 

"I don't think art is propaganda; it should be something that liberates the soul, provokes the imagination and encourages people to go further. It celebrates humanity instead of manipulating it. "

Thank you Keith Haring for inspiring myself and many others, not only through your art, but through your acts of humanity and visions of change. 

How does Haring's work inspire you? 

Become an active Participant, Week 5 Reading Reflection

             " People get tired from words" Shamisa Hassani

This week, I finally dove in, I mean all the way- It takes a lot, but as I read Jenkins, and participated in the 'flashmob annotation' of Jeremy Dean's Social reading and writing in the classroom there was just no other way. 

Both the Jenkins and Dean's article's address the ideas that one can not really critique without being an active participant, and I can fully agree. As a spectator to digital technology there are so many unanswered questions, I think that the same holds true for art, how can you really understand if you never try? 

For me this week Jenkin's spelled out all the things that I wanted to hear, there was nuances of social justice, a cry for educational reformation in the means of technology and it addressed the lack of digital training that teachers receive. At every corner, maybe unbeknownst by the author, reference to my beloved C.R.E.E.D standards was made, and I finally felt for the first time in ILT that 'these were my people'. 

Then I continued to read and participate, and this doesn't mean just liking things on Twitter, I began to leave comments, and started to build what I now know as a 'PLN'. Just as Jenkins' suggested, I had to put myself out there to really understand what was going on. Completely less threatening as the work of Hassani, I mean no one has sent any threats, there is only digital embarrassment (which I have not had any either- that I know of). These action are what changes our perceptions of the digital world. As administration continues to deny the use of phones as tools, while there is no technology otherwise, I say make them dive in, I doubt that they have, otherwise they would understand. 

Common Ground

It seems to be a common thought or feeling in all the readings including Maha Bali's Digital Citizenship, that there is a known factor missing; responsibility. This equates to lack if interest in the digital, teaching teaching digital technology and becoming a connected classroom, and social justice and equity in this digital age. So my question is who is doing anything about it? When will something be done about it? All this access to millions of like minded digital thinkers, great conversations, but I think there needs to be action. Teacher's need to have digital preparedness in their teacher ed programs, or through PD ( Even better, they should be exposed to building their own PLN) We need to press on, people. Hassani did not quit when the projects became to big or too dangerous, she now creates 'Dreaming graffiti' where she adds her graffiti to images of the walls rather than the walls were it would have been to dangerous for her to complete her work.throughout conversations in the readings, multiple people posted about the lack of technology,  I now feel inspired to go beyond what I have and find another way. 

Community

The word stuck out in Jenkins reading, the digital realm is just a huge community. One that I previously had turned my head to , instead of looking at the possibilities. Part of building community is building relationships, relationships with people and the product that we are using. In Both readings this week, I was reminded that the digital community in that aspect is no different than my own teacher, life and family community. Why couldn't the work that I do exist in digital? It is simple, because I was not willing to dive in, to really understand and participate like an active member. 

Creating change is easy, it takes a single action. Hassani creates change by creating beautiful masterpieces of graffiti on the walls of her community and through images to build awareness and 'erase the bad' in her community. Her work touches people around the world, through digital media. What is your change, how do you use digital technology for positive?