SELFIE!
Self taught fun
Ever changing technology
Learned new forms
Found a place in this realm
I love it!
Eliminated ego
Friday, June 24, 2016
4/5 Place of Techno
Place of Technology in the Curriculum
Having taught Pre K-12
students in NYC public school settings, private schools and lectured in
colleges, my experiences is that it really depends on the spirit of the school,
the principle/ program coordinator, availability of facility to activate a
technology-infused class. While some are very welcoming or eager to incorporate
technology-based art, others, especially those schools that receive poor art
education, are reluctant or have no facilities. A lot of times, educators have
to spend money to bring in extra materials for the students. Though technology
is not an unfamiliar tool/ material to use anymore, the place of technology in
public schools are still not prevalent. There are many things we can teach with
a phone, such as sound, video and photos, but not all students have a phone. The
question here would be what kind of materials can educators bring in that are simple
yet fun and inexpensive?
Maybe because of my background as a classical musician and previous research on experimental music, the most interesting tools that can easily bring in human emotions in this class, are sound and video. I have never taken an in-depth digital photography class before, but I think there’re a lot of creative potentials that may produce touching, strong and influential works. Talking about creative potentials of photography, a couple of new ideas just come to mind: 1/ Tear out colored copies of old photographs and make an interesting collage. 2/ Take a picture of people or places that look like it’s ancient times. Maybe because of its nature that a camera is always capturing a moment in the past, my ideas always has to do with old photographs. I feel that the scenography project was fun and I was happy with my results that came out in a short time, but I do not see it stretch out into something more. Perhaps I did not have enough time to play with more ideas surrounding it or maybe it’s the limit of the scale. Other potentials that just come to mind are: 1/ Install it in a mist of wooden construction where viewers may enter and scan themselves or their belongings. 2/ If available, use a huge scan and scan the whole human body or large areas of poured paint – some of these ideas are more suitable for collaborative work for the whole class.
Maybe because of my background as a classical musician and previous research on experimental music, the most interesting tools that can easily bring in human emotions in this class, are sound and video. I have never taken an in-depth digital photography class before, but I think there’re a lot of creative potentials that may produce touching, strong and influential works. Talking about creative potentials of photography, a couple of new ideas just come to mind: 1/ Tear out colored copies of old photographs and make an interesting collage. 2/ Take a picture of people or places that look like it’s ancient times. Maybe because of its nature that a camera is always capturing a moment in the past, my ideas always has to do with old photographs. I feel that the scenography project was fun and I was happy with my results that came out in a short time, but I do not see it stretch out into something more. Perhaps I did not have enough time to play with more ideas surrounding it or maybe it’s the limit of the scale. Other potentials that just come to mind are: 1/ Install it in a mist of wooden construction where viewers may enter and scan themselves or their belongings. 2/ If available, use a huge scan and scan the whole human body or large areas of poured paint – some of these ideas are more suitable for collaborative work for the whole class.
Tuesday, June 21, 2016
4/4 Invent/ Make/ Tinker
Reading Takeaways
The most powerful idea of all is the idea of powerful ideas. (Papert, 1980)
The most powerful idea of all is the idea of powerful ideas. (Papert, 1980)
Throughout time, human
cognitive development progress from more simplistic to more complex, dualist to relativist, and naïve to mature stages. Such development is a natural process as one experiences its
surroundings, schooling, encounters and social interaction and so forth during one’s growth.
Students, educators, artists and inventors should BE MAKERS to
begin with. Makers are creators, inventors, or engineers; they are brain stormers, or idea generators. Theory would then naturally develop after the analysis, critical
thinking and theorizing from the result of making. We can all be amateurs of makers who develop the scientific or artistic methods that forms the basics of the professionals.
According to Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget, it is important for children to invent to understand and learn every new truth based on experience. This theory of learning is also termed “constructivism”, which means the process of making sense of things in their heads. It is not only important to lead an individual to develop on the “right” track depending on each student's aptitudes and talents, and let one choose subjects of one's interest to deepen knowledge, play, experiment and reprocess ideas, it is also important to train one to become multidimensional learner to develop the spirit of experimentation while experiencing the old and the new, which forms a spiral learning cycle. To stimulate and inspire students to think or brainstorm and form good ideas is fundamental education in today’s world.
According to Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget, it is important for children to invent to understand and learn every new truth based on experience. This theory of learning is also termed “constructivism”, which means the process of making sense of things in their heads. It is not only important to lead an individual to develop on the “right” track depending on each student's aptitudes and talents, and let one choose subjects of one's interest to deepen knowledge, play, experiment and reprocess ideas, it is also important to train one to become multidimensional learner to develop the spirit of experimentation while experiencing the old and the new, which forms a spiral learning cycle. To stimulate and inspire students to think or brainstorm and form good ideas is fundamental education in today’s world.
4/3 The Search - Video
June 29, 2016
Final Version
Final Version
The Search
FIRST DRAFT FEEDBACKS:
Theme: Dance/ Story/ Social Media
The Search is a story of a foreigner searching for herself and her dreams in NYC. Times Square is chosen as a bazaar yet beautiful, saturated urban scene lit with 24 hour LED lights and neon lights. A set to emphasis on this touristic place that almost all of the people wondering around are not New Yorkers - they are tourists, like all of us living and working in this city. I directed the dancer to reach out with her hands to express the idea of searching, almost to God, to heaven. The lights and tall buildings become a symbol of heaven. Something unknown, a force that she may gain from her love of dance, body movements and faith. The music is allegro pop and electronic to correspond with the atmosphere and jump cuts edits. Some sounds of the traffic and horn in the beginning and the church bells and wind sounds at the end are added for sparkles. Contrasting in volume is linked to her jumping movements. Sliding sounds are incorporated to parallel with her dance, organ music appears whenever she reaches out her hands to the lights and up into the sky. I fuse my experiences as a "tourist local" living in many cities into these instances when the Times Square LED Ad screens that becomes Notre Dame de Paris.
Final Version Comments:
Final Version Comments:
Translation of comments:
"I follow you in the big city, I feel this flow in this crowd and it touches my heart."
"People are always searching for themselves in the city, such a great atmosphere, this is great!"
I inquired my friends (mostly artists, musicians, curators, teachers, culture blog editor) to give any thoughtful comments, reflections, interpretations, suggestions they might have in refining the video (story, editing, music, composition, cutting, clothing etc.) The final version is polished by considering some selected feedbacks. The social media is a very power tool to interact with friends or non-friends around the world and connect people closely in no time. As many of my friends are also foreigners, they feel touched by this film, and I appreciate their comments greatly."People are always searching for themselves in the city, such a great atmosphere, this is great!"
Other Comments from Facebook messages:
- "Good, but can be shorter."
4/2 3D Model II
Garden Facade
Sunday, June 19, 2016
4/1 3D Model
Charm
3D Printing Design Concept: Simple 8 waves, a lucky number that means fortune, intersects with Initials
Q Ru - my Chinese Name: QiaoRu Lan, or Chiao-Ju Lan
There're many creative potentials for 3D modeling/ printing. Examples range from art objects, industrial design, fashion, medical cloning, food, furniture to house. There're also more artworks displayed in museums and galleries that showcase 3D printed models, objects and installations. Small design objects or large scale models are both possible as art curriculum or work for display. A relief may also be an option, like the stone carvings of a church. I can imagine Gaudi's architecture being printed to reflect baroque yet modern design. Other potentials include producing something that transforms the object into something that looks soft, perhaps use soft materials to print out fabric, or create strange, interesting textures. Since 3D printing has been around for around thirty years now and it's becoming more affordable to the general public, it is also important to think about the practical, everyday potentials:
No. 1/ Traveling and Camping: transportation, rail tracks, 3D printer in a car, the train, airplanes for people who travel or camp. Can print out tents, houses, kitchen utensil, toilets.
No. 2/ Medical: print out babies in a womb to investigate growth. Print out not only organs but broken tissues, for unhealthy or burnt skin conditions.
No. 3/ Military: print out weapon, military airplanes to deduct cost.
No. 4/ Home: furnitures, bedding, T.V., computer, container, objects, bathroom tubs, sink etc.
No. 5/ Nature: flowers, plants, trees, garden, forest, a planet?
No. 6/ Anything and Everything: Print anything one can think of!
Wednesday, June 15, 2016
3/7 Readings
Takeaways
New Media Arts & Chapter 6 - Making Today
New Media Arts is a new way of making that associates with the use of computer, programming, digital and new technologies that are distinguished from the traditional visual art, music, dance, and theatre. However, it can also be fused with the traditional media or forms, which becomes inter-disciplinary art. Some examples include: visual arts, animation, film, and electronic music. There are many simple to use and straight away types of apps for students to play with creativity. The purpose is to let younger generations to become familiarize with these tools, just like getting used to holding a pencil, a brush or mixing paint. Though they may not become professional, but it is crucial for them to learn these tools at an early age. Many of these tools, or apps are closely correlated to the internet and social media. By familiarizing with them broadens one's perspective, opens up new possibilities for expression, and allows one to share thought with others, and thus to reflect and discuss. This promotes a healthy circulation of online social practice. Such practice or hobby, may not seem important, but by using these tools creatively and interacting with others in a healthy manner online, can actually improve one's confidence to socialize in real life. By researching through different free resources and participating in a selection can also promote multidimensional learning. This makes learning even more efficient than the past, while enriching and aiding the other fields, such as science, mathematics, and language.
Arc of Life Learning
In the 21st Century, with the growth of the digital, networked infrastructure and unlimited resources, technology is constantly creating new change. With the invention of Facebook, YouTube Wikipedia, online games etc, a new type of self-learning is experienced by a large number of people, and has become a cultural phenomenon. This new culture induces us as educators to think differently about education, a new term called “arc of life learning, which comprises the activities in our daily lives that keep us learning, growing, and exploring.An important aspect in learning is play, fun and imagination, which are central spirits naturally occur in children. The two elements in our new culture includes: huge information to provide unlimited access and resources to learn about anything; play and experiment with these things within certain boundaries and structured environment. With the new way of learning, peole become more engaged with each other, gain more knowledge, and promote imagination within play. Such connection also cultivates people’s imagination and recreates new spaces.
New Media Arts & Chapter 6 - Making Today
New Media Arts is a new way of making that associates with the use of computer, programming, digital and new technologies that are distinguished from the traditional visual art, music, dance, and theatre. However, it can also be fused with the traditional media or forms, which becomes inter-disciplinary art. Some examples include: visual arts, animation, film, and electronic music. There are many simple to use and straight away types of apps for students to play with creativity. The purpose is to let younger generations to become familiarize with these tools, just like getting used to holding a pencil, a brush or mixing paint. Though they may not become professional, but it is crucial for them to learn these tools at an early age. Many of these tools, or apps are closely correlated to the internet and social media. By familiarizing with them broadens one's perspective, opens up new possibilities for expression, and allows one to share thought with others, and thus to reflect and discuss. This promotes a healthy circulation of online social practice. Such practice or hobby, may not seem important, but by using these tools creatively and interacting with others in a healthy manner online, can actually improve one's confidence to socialize in real life. By researching through different free resources and participating in a selection can also promote multidimensional learning. This makes learning even more efficient than the past, while enriching and aiding the other fields, such as science, mathematics, and language.
Arc of Life Learning
In the 21st Century, with the growth of the digital, networked infrastructure and unlimited resources, technology is constantly creating new change. With the invention of Facebook, YouTube Wikipedia, online games etc, a new type of self-learning is experienced by a large number of people, and has become a cultural phenomenon. This new culture induces us as educators to think differently about education, a new term called “arc of life learning, which comprises the activities in our daily lives that keep us learning, growing, and exploring.An important aspect in learning is play, fun and imagination, which are central spirits naturally occur in children. The two elements in our new culture includes: huge information to provide unlimited access and resources to learn about anything; play and experiment with these things within certain boundaries and structured environment. With the new way of learning, peole become more engaged with each other, gain more knowledge, and promote imagination within play. Such connection also cultivates people’s imagination and recreates new spaces.
Peppler, K. A. (2014). New creativity paradigms: arts learning in the digital age. Chapter 4, New Media Arts, The Do-It-Yourself Movement, and the Importance of Making.
Martinez, S. L., & Stager, G. (2013). Invent to learn: making, tinkering, and engineering in the classroom.
Torrance, Calif. Constructing Modern Knowledge Press. Chapter 6, Making Today.
Thomas, D., & Brown, J. S. (2011). A new culture of learning: cultivating the imagination for a world of constant change. Lexington, Ky.: CreateSpace?]. Chapter 1, Arc-of-Life Learning.
Educause, 2013: 7 Things You Should Know About Makerspaces, URL: https://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/eli7095.pdf
3/6 My Comments
I learned so much from looking at different artist/designer/educator's comments. This way of collaborative learning is efficient and fun, while enabling us to think in depth, get to know each other and understand each other's ideas. Each of us has a unique way of interpreting the assignments and presenting them with such a wide range of interesting concepts, potentials and forms. Giving feedback is a good training for us as educators, it makes us reflect on our own projects, motivates each other to do better work and improve our learning methods. While such method may be used in the museum education department that are open to public, this idea of collaborative pedagogy can also become a community artwork that incorporate viewers' interaction to promote, or put emphasis on the educational, sharing and social aspects in art.
I have commented...
On Ginger’s Final Mondrian Circuitry
"This sounds like a great and fun idea as it relates us to art history while involving audience interaction! Looking forward to touching it and listening to the sound that it may produce."
On Christian’s “Pulse” (video)
"I love how the colorful, vibrant disco lights juxtapose and contrast with the violent sounds to the praising music. The audio from Alvear is well chosen. Perhaps right after the gunshots, the audio may stop for a little longer, or the screen may blackout suddenly for 0.5 to 1 second or so, just to take a short break in timing reflecting the dead before entering into the second audio would create even more tension.”
On Bibi’s Creative Potential of Photography and its Connection to Children
"Agree. Children may see things differently from the adults, it would be fascinating to see what their reality is like. I also like your choice of showing this informative, powerful video of photo slides and texts."
On Sofia’s Final Project Idea
"I like that you're planning to use very personal, intimate objects such as hair, teeth, tea and band-aids. I can imagine that the teabags and the band-aids are used ones as well. The accordion book idea is also flexible as to how you're going to arrange these scans, are you going to put them in chronological order? Arrange them from a purely formal perspective? Or in categories? There're different ways to exhibit it as well. Such as putting it in a glass box, or simply let it stand... Looks like an interesting project with many potentials!"
On Ivan’s Photography
"I can imagine a pool of large scale installation that portrays a dramatic scenery, a war scene, or any other potential scenery/ story. A video can also be made from moving these models."
On Aliyah Taylor’s American Medium
"Never knew there's a gallery for new media like this! Good to know and convenient for me to take a visit sometimes, since it's situated in New York."
On Yuliya's Shady Grove Photograph
"I love this photo! It's warm, cute, and mysterious. I can see other potentials coming out from it, such as a video showing these people's lives or an actual installation of a forrest in a space that viewers can walk through."
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