Chapter 8, 10, 11, 12, 13

WOOOOFF, I, like Mareca, don't know where to begin. That's a lot of information to synthesize.
In the math chapter I laughed out loud when I read the section that kept referring to the "Charm" of children's art due to their discrepancies in ratio, scale, and proportion. I don't know why. Perhaps being surrounded by sarcastic, snickering middle school students this past week has made me this way. While the artwork created by young students is great the word charm is not what comes to mind when I look at it. I think of how cool it is that they can imagine and create from their own perspective that isn't so resolutely literal. Anyways...

So math and art have things in common, that true, and I guess it was good to review. The science integration chapter was much more innovative. I had never made those connections between art and science before, mainly with weather, machines, and magnetism.

I love the idea of combining art and the performing arts. I did some research last semester on how music played in the background influences student performance. While I found very little research directly related to the art classroom. I love the idea of doing my own personal research over the course of my career on how music influences the final product in various projects, especially those that are aimed at free association in response to the music being played. Talk about art therapy...
Working in the university costume shop during my undergrad years I definitely saw how the arts and drama correlate, now I just need to actually make lesson plans that make it work.

After finishing two different classes that focus on the educational pyschology and needs of exceptional students, and working for two summers with students with intensive special needs, I notice that I am partial to students with special needs, it doesn't matter which end of the spectrum they are on whether they experience disabilities or above average abilities. I enjoy reading what others have to say about how to address their specific needs in the art classroom.

I'm not sure I agree with the statement on pg. 146 "Do not enter gifted elementary and middle school children's art into competitions, however, because such external competitions can undermine creative interest and performance." Perhaps we need to be careful to not force all students to participate in competitions, but some students thrive from those types of experiences. While I understand that if they don't win, they may decide they aren't "good" at art... but competition happens in all kinds of extracurricular activities and I think it is ok as long as the student wants to participate. I especially support events like "Up With Art" in our own district which displays selected work by students. There isn't a first prize anyone is trying to win (at least in the elementary and middle school ages), and the kids who don't get chosen never entered their work anyway, so there isn't any obvious experience with rejection.