Contemporary Art Practice As Lens - biomimicry
I am a visual and performing artist, a teaching artist and an integrated learning specialist. June, 2013 an amazing project caught my eye. Amazing enough to pin (pinterest) onto my board autopoiesis (systems of thinking and connection). Because I pinned it I can find it to share with you today. (hooray!) This is an example of a 55 yr. old curating content (yes, that's me!) connecting with best practices while developing my muscle as an engaged digital citizen.
This unit of inquiry it starts from the vantage point of a curious artist, educator and believer of open resources. Let's get started by going back to the image I saw that prompted further thinking. Then connect it to... everything.
Introduction
The work and practice of contemporary artists often results in visual demonstrations reflecting the dilemmas and paradox that we face as individuals and as part of a larger body politic.
How can we look deeply at an artwork to make connections across disciplines with our students in our classrooms?
In this unit of study students will look deeply at an artwork using several thinking frameworks
- Visual Thinking Strategies
- Connect-Extend-Envision-Apply
- See, Think, Wonder
- Making Learning Visible with Thinking Walls
- Report their research and thinking in a Process Journal
Student driven inquiry will fuel the making of a culminating artifact that will be displayed in a group exhibition.
Inquiry - Understanding Goals
How does an artwork demonstrate connections between science, biology, architecture and technology?
How can shared resources and student driven inquiry accelerate learning?
How can thinking frameworks fuel deeper understanding?
What is an Understanding Goal?
These are my Understanding Goals (UG's) What are Yours? Post your Understanding Goals on your thinking wall as a headline. Visit and revise your UG's as you are working through this unit and again as your complete this unit to and clarify your expectations.
Slideshare, teaching for understanding
What will Students Make, Say, Do?
Looking at Contemporary Art with VTS
Visual Thinking Strategies: What is VTS?
Take a moment to look at this image and wonder... without referencing the caption, without clicking on the link to its origins. Use the Visual Thinking Strategies protocol outlined below.
Inspired by the silkworm's ability to generate a 3D cocoon out of a single multi-property silk thread (1km in length), the overall geometry of the pavilion was created using an algorithm that assigns a single continuous thread across patches providing various degrees of density. Overall density variation was informed by the silkworm itself deployed as a biological "printer" in the creation of a secondary structure. A swarm of 6,500 silkworms was positioned at the bottom rim of the scaffold spinning flat non-woven silk patches as they locally reinforced the gaps across CNC-deposited silk fibers.
As
an individual, group or class take a moment to look at the image above,
(without context) reflect upon deep looking and ask questions using VTS
prompts
Three elegant Prompts:
What is going on in this picture?
What do you see that makes you say that?
What more can we find?
During this initial inquiry take notes recording comments. Use pencil and paper or voice recording devices. Each person can record their observations and any key take-a-ways on post-it notes. A facilitated discussion is a perfect way for one student to build upon another students observation. Post all comments in a visual way for all to see.
What is a thinking wall?
A bulletin board is a display of learning. A thinking wall is a demonstration of learning. The materials on a thinking wall grow as the unit progresses. Individual and group inquiry is noted and elaborated upon. Thinking walls are like maps: they show the journey of a class inquiry.
Next steps - Research Journals. One for each learner.
A process journal gathers research, collects questions and shows a progression of steps each student is taking to arrive at conclusions.
A process journal can include drawings, images and text - much like a scrapbook. It is a container for ideas and reflection.
A process journal is a tool of ongoing assessment
Reflection: Looking at the thinking wall what do you see, think, wonder? Each student should enter their see think wonder reflection into their process journal.
Returning to source material- digging deeper
Link to original article here:
A new Spin on Biomimicry in Architecture and Design: Silk Pavilion
Connect - Extend - Envision - Apply
Explore this thinking routine after looking at the additional source material as a thinking group or as an individual reflective practice. Attach any important takeaways to your thinking wall.
Look carefully to the answers to the Apply prompt to determine individual and group next steps for project based learning module.
Return to Research Journals
Writing Prompt
- If I was a silkworm what would I tell you?
- If I was at MIT working on this project what would my next steps be?
- In the future this technology may be used to....
Research prompt
- How can we continue to harness natural resources to build useful things in the future?
- Observe and document the life cycle of a silk worm.
- Are there other creatures who could provide us with an untapped resource?
Action prompt
- What can we make from silk?
- What could we make from other possible sources of biologically informed fibers?
- How can we build things with thin fibers?
Student Artifact and Exhibition of Work
Project Based Learning - Students collaborate on projects that spring from individual reflections, research and collaborative work following the Connect, Extend, Envision, Apply framework.
Update Thinking Wall
Continue to add elements to the thinking wall. Include space for questions and ways for other people in your community to engage with your thinking wall.
Demonstration of Learning
performance assessment
What are the cumulative presentations from student centered project based learning?
Invite parents and community to engage with your thinking wall.
Look at student's research journals to see how they have documented their thinking.
Invite community to view exhibition of student work while additionally engaging with students
connections
Ask about connections made between disciplines, connections between student projects and new inquiry sparking curiosity for continued learning.
thinking wall
Document the changes over time including your students final reflections upon looking at the thinking wall. Ask again: What do you see, think wonder? Compare this to their earlier version.
Use VTS to look at thinking wall
- What is going on in this picture?
- What do you see that makes you say that?
- What more can we find?