Learning Experience
Who
The age grouping is 4 – 5 years old; the level is kindergarten. This is a period of intensive body development and growth. At this stage, the child’s character changes significantly, and cognitive and communicative abilities are actively improved (Hogan et al., 2018). Middle preschoolers are happy to master various types of creative activity, and one of the main ones in this age period is visual activity.
Where
The learning experience will be implemented inside the kindergarten and does not need a specific space. There is no need for a unique concept, color scheme, or functional scheme of the space since the materials used are universal and can be used in any room.
Outcomes
The first elaboration from the outcomes is that learning experiences teach children self-expression and help them know and see the world with their own eyes. A child who is engaged in creativity knows how to go beyond the boundaries of the generally accepted, and because of this, it is easier to overcome the problems that have arisen because they have many options for solving them (VCAA, 2018). The second improvement from the outcomes is that the learning experience improves the coordination of fingers and hands, the ability to focus on something important, and, at the same time, is a good means of dealing with stress. From this practice, I am learning to create a friendly atmosphere for the manifestation of my creative abilities.
In addition, this learning experience helps me identify the child’s inclinations so that I can inform parents about them and contribute to the harmonious development of the child in the field where they have a natural talent in the future (VCAA, 2018). As a teacher, I must focus on instilling creative thinking in children. This is important for my future practice because, in addition to other positive outcomes, working together, children and the teacher get closer, interact better, and understand each other.
This learning experience contributes to children’s learning and development because, thanks to artistic creativity, children’s imagination is actively developing. It is paired with any creative process and forces the child to experiment and invent something new so that children get new skills (VCAA, 2018). Creativity is an obligatory element of the harmonious development of a child’s personality. At a younger age, it is necessary, first of all, for self-development.
Arts Learning Intentions
My intentions for arts learning are for kids to have the chance to grasp lines of all kinds, including simple lines and the intricate colors they can create with cotton swabs.
Arts Terminology
The element of art selected is a line – a narrow strip, a line drawn on a paper surface from one point to another (Hyde, 2023c). In the process of creativity, various forms such as spiral, parallel, perpendicular, and others will be used. At the same time, its characteristics, such as width and thickness, will be important.
Resources & Preparation
The resources needed for this learning experience are cotton swabs (several pieces for each child), gouache paints or any other with a dense texture of at least six different colors, and thick sheets of paper. The preparation required for this will include preparing samples of various types of lines (Judith, 2016). The activity will be organized as follows: children will sit at desks arranged in a circle, and I, as a teacher, will be in the center.
First, I will show the children the different kinds of lines they can draw and characterize them. After that, the children will start the creative process and draw their lines. I will include provocations such as images consisting exclusively of lines. For example, it will be an image of a snail consisting of spirals and a tree from a perpendicular line (Hyde, 2023a). The walkthrough video will include drawing a whole picture of lines on which there will be various objects and a family.
Sequence of Learning
The sequence of learning events will include a stage of motivation and updating of knowledge. This will be followed by a stage of goal setting and solving the task. Then there will be correction, consolidation, and systematization of knowledge (Wang et al., 2019). The results will be summed up at the final stage, and reflections will be expressed. I might say, “Raise your hands, those who like to draw? And I also love to draw! Today we will be real artists and draw pictures using only one figure. Guess which one?”. I might interact with children through riddles and questions.
I will rely on the opinion of the children’s collective. As a teacher, I will try to convey the purpose of the activity to the consciousness of each child, and optimally distribute the loads, taking into account the individual inclinations and abilities of each (Wang et al., 2019). I will encourage activity and develop initiative through communication methods such as requests and advice. I will try to help in decision-making and self-determination in the activity. For example, I will ask questions to help the child solve the problem independently, formulate a hypothesis, and draw the necessary conclusions.
I would arrange the instruments or materials on each desk in the same order. This way, the children could see that everyone’s materials are identical and would not be distracted. I would give examples of the courts of prompts and organizational aspects in print (Barton, 2014). I would give out colored pictures where smiling children painted to show how to use paint correctly.
Evaluation
I will know what the children have learned, judging by the results of the work they will provide. I will see from their drawings how much they have assimilated the material by the variety of lines they used and the degree of creativity of the figures they drew. In the next experience, I will invite children to work in pairs or groups.
This will create a positive psychological climate in the children’s team and allow them to master the basics of communication (Massey, 2017). They determine the nature of the child’s relationship with peers. It is very important to give the spirit of goodwill to children’s relationships to develop the ability and desire to help each other, which will be done during the group version of this learning experience.
Visual Arts Plan
Learning Environment Description
The learning environment should be multifunctional and provide the atmosphere of an art workshop. It should have easels, slide projectors, a magnetic board, and multimedia equipment. The specifics of the fine art lesson place special requirements on the teacher’s workplace (Hyde, 2023a). It must be equipped with technical means that meet the modern requirements of artistic pedagogy and have a permanently mounted remote control. In addition, various sets for children’s creativity in the office are necessary.
Materials
For this learning experience, cotton swabs, paper, and gouache will be needed. The palette must be used necessarily. It is inconvenient to take gouache with cotton swabs from a jar: a child can grab too much with a cotton tip, and as a result, the drawing will be smeared. In the cells of the palette, it is necessary to lay out the colors needed to create a thematic drawing, and dilute them with water to achieve optimal consistency (Lindsay, 2015).
Other colors should not be put; otherwise, the little artist will be tempted to use them too, and as a result, the picture will be spoiled. The surrounding surfaces are almost not stained when creating a drawing with cotton swabs. Therefore, a protective oilcloth coating is not required.
Teaching Sequence
The first practical exercises to master the drawing technique should begin with straight lines. It is not easy for a novice draftsman to draw a straight line by hand. The second stage of the exercises involves drawing straight lines with vertical and inclined parallels. Then, with the help of various strokes applied to the paper according to the shape of the depicted object and transmitting the material surface and texture, it is possible to form a general tone (Hyde, 2023b). After that, the child can proceed to the study of other forms of lines of the object being drawn.
Art Element
One art element from the Visual Arts Glossaries that was selected is a line. A line is a straight line, a polyline, or a curve, conditionally having no thickness (Hyde, 2023c). For example, an elongated rectangle is not a line. However, it can be regarded as a line if its length is significantly higher than its breadth. The line in the drawing can highlight the most contrasted parts, convey volume, give the impression of space, and display the visible contours of the object.
The line’s characteristics, including shape, thickness, and saturation, enable this. Its sub-elements are from those listed in the glossaries to practice hard lines – lines with corners and soft lines. With the help of hard lines, the artist depicts a determined, intractable, and firm character (PeenState, 2016). They help to draw prickly and sharp objects. On the contrary, soft lines emphasize smoothness and unhurriedness, softness, harmony, and kindness.
Artwork Description
This section will feature artworks of children drawn by cotton swabs using gouache on a piece of paper. For example, this is a snail with a house drawn using the smooth movement of a gradually swirling line (Hyde, 2023c). The line in the drawing will indicate the contour of objects drawn by children (Dinham & Chalk, 2022). The lines in the drawings in the artworks can be straight, polylines, or curved. The transfer of the child’s mood will be successful thanks to the line’s characteristics, including its thickness and saturation.
References
Barton, G. (2014) Literacy in the arts: Retheorizing learning and teaching. Springer.
Dinham, J., & Chalk, B. (2022) It’s arts play: Belonging, being and becoming through the arts OUP. Oxford University Press.
Hetland, L., Winner, E., Veenema, S., Sheridan, K. M., & Perkins, D. N. (2007) Studio thinking: The real benefits of visual arts education. Teachers College Press.
Hogan, J., Hetland, L., Jaquith, D. B., & Winner, E. (2018) Studio thinking from the start: The K-8 art educator’s handbook. Teachers College Press.
Hyde, S. (2023a) ECE 241 Visual Arts: Week 2 painting & color. Deakin University.
Hyde, S. (2023b) Storytelling & discovery through drawing. Deakin University.
Hyde, S. (2023c) Visual arts: An illustrated resource of the elements & principles of Art for Early Childhood Educators for young learners. Deakin University.
Judith, D. (2016) Delivering authentic arts education. Cengage Learning Australia.
Lindsay, G. (2015) ‘But I’m not artistic’: How teachers shape kids’ creative development. Web.
Massey, K. J. (2017) Art at the heart: Creating a meaningful art curriculum for young children. YC Young Children, 72(5), 8-13. Web.
Pacini-Ketchabaw, V., Kind, S., & Kocher, L. (2017) Thinking with materials. Routledge.
PeenState Extension. (2016) Scribbles have meaning. Web.
Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority [VCAA]. (2018) VEYLDF illustrative maps. Web.
Wang, C., Benson, K., Eggleston, C., & Lin, B. (2019) A guided, exploration-based visual arts program for preschoolers. National Association for the Education of Young Children, 74(1), 72-82. Web.