No, this hasn’t suddenly turned into an Art blog! Instead, I’ve inserted the picture above (Tobias and the Angel, by the Workshop of Andrea del Verrocchio) as it is potentially an incredibly powerful tool/stimulus for cross curricular work in the classroom...
This week, I’m lucky to be spending a week at the National Gallery in London, on a ‘cultural placement’ through their ITE primary programme. It’s probably worthwhile me saying that I am by no means an art expert, and consider myself personally to be quite naive about art. But already today I have learnt so much! Most people think I must be crazy, as I’ve given up the last week of my break from Uni, but today alone it has already proven more than worthwhile!
During the week, I will be focusing on how to use Art as the stimuli for work in the classroom, and how to engage, interest and enthuse children about Art. I’m going to be privileged to be working with some of the best people in education’ outside the classroom’ in the UK.
This is just the first part of the ITE scheme- I then get the amazing opportunity of designing a cross circular scheme of work based on a painting at my regional gallery, delivering this in my placement school, and leading a trip to the gallery with my class. The work from the children will also be displayed at the regional gallery, and my scheme of work published on the National Gallery website!
But back to this week…
Today I spent the day attending a teachers CPD day all about the incredibly successful Take One Pitcute scheme which is run by the National Gallery each year. Take One Picture evolves around one painting, selected by the education team at the gallery (the 2010 painting is Tobias and the Angel), which schools use as a basis for project/cross curricular work within their school. It can be done with the whole school, or individual classes, and schools have the amazing chance of getting their students work exhibited in the National Gallery! More information of the scheme can be found on the link above- and if you are current a teacher/trainee I’d defiantly advise you having a look if you don’t already know about the scheme.
During the day I had a whistle stop tour through using Art in the classroom, and over the next few days will be developing these skills further, so I’ll blog about some of the things I learn in more detail later on this week.
But briefly for now- what really struck me today was the range of meaningful tasks which can arise from, real (non tenuous!) links from the paintings. From Drama, Music, English through to ICT and Science the possibilities are endless. The quality of discussion and creativity that can be evoked from studying a painting are huge. It can help to develop lots of the key skills and it clearly has the potential to bring whole schools and communities together.
It was also amazing to look at detail at some of the paintings and to appreciate the skill and craftsmanship that has gone into them. I’ve already learnt new ways of approaching a painting, and particularly liked the idea of taking a very immaginative view- for instance one of the views presented to us today was that the painting was of 2 workers on lunch from Disneyland (theres a pink castle in the background- so it must be Disney!) – which clearly isn’t the case- but taking an approach like this, prehaps when showing children the painting for the first time, could really get the children thinking!
As you may be able to tell- I’m really enthused by the possibilities, and am already looking foward to devleoping and delviering my scheme in school! I’m sure you’ll hear much more about the use of Art and my work with the children on this blog!
TH
—
Just as an aside- a massive thankyou to everyone who has been reading this blog already- please spread the word to anyone who you’d think find it useful! I’m really pleased I’ve managed to have over 150 views today alone- thankyou! Remember you can subscribe by e-mail to this blog- see the links –>
Definitely interested in hearing more about the Art side of things! What did you do at degree level? I am really looking forward (if I get there) to working with the subjects I know least about!
I did Law at degree level (at which point, I tend to get a lot of blank faces and people normally say ‘eh, and you are training to be a primary teacher
!!) which is an interesting base to come from and not as unrelated as people think…
I’m sure I’ll be blogging a fair bit about the art side of things- especially this week whilst I’m on the course, but also of my experiences of actually applying it (or attempting to!) in the classroom..
.
I attended a day at National Gallery for Inset whilst on teacher training. I used this painting of Tobias and the Angel as the basis for my Arts assignment when back at Uni. I picked out the theme of ‘wings’ from the painting and created a series of lesson plans beginning with children looking at close up pics of insect wings and culminating in them creating large scale 3D wings using willow withies which were shaped into wing type shapes and then covered in grease proof paper painted with special paint – can’t remember what it’s called now! The paper is then coated with watered down pva to strengthen. I made them whilst on teaching practise and the finished articles are very stunning. To go with the lesson plans, display etc, I also created a box of other things for children to do like sewing cardboard sandals, Take on Picture type activities based on the painting, junk modelling using small boxes etc. It was a great project and using the painting in the classroom stimulated work across many curriculum subjects.