Field Trip to Röhsska museet: The pleasure of being in a museum

Wednesday, April 6, 2016

In a museum all the objects are behind thick glasses. Hands do not touch in anything. People are serious and silent.

There is no problem by giving a big laugh, that is the truth. A museum can be a real joyful place and everyone should be comfortable to come in and visit it.

A museum is made for all of us!

Reflection

During our field trip the monitor shared her work´s experiences with children and exemplified some of the exercises that the museum has prepare for the little visitors. Challenging children is important. Their minds and bodies must be active over the field’s time.

When a children´s group goes to a museum it is important let them being involve with all the space. Feel the walls, the smells, feel the ground ... experience the museum is the first step to establish the group´s relationship with the place.

"What is a museum? What kind of place is it? What can you do there? Is it only for adults?"
The museum is a space where are large collections of art and ancient relics. In reality we all are collectors. We collect clothes, shoes, dishes and furniture. We spent a lifetime collecting. As if we were small museums!

In a museum´s field trip is necessary challenging the children in a playful and pedagogical way.

To guide a children´s group during a field trip it´s necessary a structure with well-defined objectives and consistent proposals. During the visit we should give some space to the children´s thoughts. It is essential following their interests and what captivate them.

It must exist a balance between structure and flexibility. Reaching the group is the most important thing.

In a museum is possible to work different kinds of themes and subjects. You can work history, language, mathematics, science…you can develop their aesthetic sense…or even make plastics works. A museum teaches us how to deal with feelings and emotions. 
The space allows the imaginary world of the child earn wings and fly.

Man is far from becoming a machine. That has to be far from happening! There is no body without a soul. There is no life without a body.

Field Trip to Göteborgs konsthall: Modern Art

Wednesday, April 6, 2016

Modern art is familiar to everyone. It faces controversial issues related to the current era. Modern art is this present moment. Modern Art talks about all of us.

Reflection

On the largest room, in a long white wall, were exposed countless portraits.

To create this artwork Magnus Bärtås used melted wax over newsprint.

We had to pick up one of those faces and imagining a story behind the image. We had to think about a name, a profession, a family, a problem to be solved etc. Everyone has a story to tell. Every story is, somehow, a form of art.

After creating a background to that stranger we went to the atelier. From the newspaper we had to make up a “friend” to our character and using the same technique as the artist. 

Melted wax´s technique on newsprint

I. Materials

White candles, hammer, journal, scissors, a pan, one bowel and a spoon.

II.  Step-by-step

o   Cut a picture from the newspaper.

o   Furl the candle in a piece of fabric and smash it into small pieces by using the hammer.

o   Heat water in a small pan and on top of it put the bowl with the pieces of candle.

o   Once melted, pour the melted wax on the paper the image gets completely covered with wax.

o   Wait until the wax being completely dry.

In the other rooms of the museum were being projected some films about people´s life. Stories about strangers. One of the movies was about a love story between two men. They were separated by cultural differences, unequal religious, races and ages…but joined by the same love. Can be tough to face the others. But it exists who does not bows down and gives up.

We live on the XXI century. In our classrooms we will find children from another part of the world, with new kinds of family organization and values. As a future educator we must see that we are all humans and need to be treated with respect, regardless of our choices. And happiness stills matters in this life.

Probably these children will have to overcome many many obstacles. The educator must be there to help them during the journey.

Share different rituals and traditions between the children´s group can break down barriers. The educator should talk about the families in a very natural manner and also involving them in the pedagogical journey of their children to strength ties between the institution and the children´s families.

If the educator pays attention to the songs, dances and traditions from each child and work with their culture the group would be more open to receive and respect different ways of living. There is no pure nationality! Such a thing does not exist! We all came from the same source. We all have influences in common. Besides all our differences we are all connected it in this endless cycle.

2nd Field trip to Navet: A World more green (I hope!)

Thursday, March 24, 2016

Planet Earth seen from Space is just that…a planet. With no barriers, no military actions, no wars, no political divisions. Just a little and blue planet.

The condition of our Planet must receive huge attention! Sustainability is the key word! We all must stay together and fight against this cause. 

In this workshop we were challenged.

During the first part of the workshop we had a lecture about the ecological concerns from this era.

The majority of daily life´s objects are made with plastic. This material is everywhere! It is in our house´s floor, in our shoes, clothes, furniture…everywhere! However, the chemical´s properties from the plastic has a big impact in Nature and even in our own health.

We must have clearly in our minds that everything that we throw away remains on Earth. Nothing disappeared! Everything remains and eventually it will be spread.

After the lecture we had to create a masterpiece using recyclable materials. Our piece of art had also to have an ecological message behind it.

My team and I created a “Crocoplas” a new animals species made of plastic and cardboard.  It´s already exists a plastic island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. If we don´t take care of our Planet the future´s animals will be like that frightening creature. 

On the second part of the workshop we build robots made of recyclable objects (once more). This little robot had to paint in a creatively way.

My work mate and I created a robot made of a plastic box. To be able to draw we add it a long paintbrush.

In the last part of the workshop the group made a battle between the robots. My creation lost…it was created with a soul of a painter...not from a fighter.

All this work led me think.

Making art with recyclable materials brings to me such a powerful message! We are used to look at art as something erudite. It is really impressive when a masterpiece is made with ordinary objects, like old boxes, plastics forks, plastic bags and another kinds of wasted materials.

When a child makes art with ordinary objects it is giving it a new sense. This will allow it to look at the world in a much more creative way. The banal materials would be treated as an opportunity to create new things.

Reusing the old to make the new is also a science´s law! Everything that already had existed once will remain forever. The caterpillar is born, grows and becomes a butterfly. The butterfly live, fly and died. Its molecules will spread through earth and they will feed a tree, a plant or a creature. The butterfly will remain in the others. It´s a cycle! A beautiful cycle! 

We should let the children experience this phenomenon in many sorts of ways.

1st Field trip to Navet: A Fascinating World

Tuesday, February 9, 2016

Life is full of mysteries. Curious phenomenas happen all the time.  A child lives in a constant delighting state of mind. To don’t loose their fascination about the world the children’s spirits needs to be "fed"!
All their spontaneous curiosity should be taken to go further.The educator must preserve every opportunity to guide the group into their interests.
Many scientific books provide answers to physicals and chemicals phenomena questions, by the exploration and experimentation of the science’s law.

In this workshop we were challenged. And all that work led me think.
During the field trip to Navet Science Center some physical and chemical experiments books were introduced to the group. A lot of scientific projects can be developed from a book. Experience books allow the reader to test step by step the physicals and chemicals knowledge that regulate the Universe. Navet is a very special place. It has only one rule: It is EXTREMELY FORBIDDEN TO PUT THE HANDS IN THE POCKETS!In this special place, children are free to try, to test, to create and recreate scientific’s laws.After listening a story we split up into groups and build catapults using objects from daily life:1 milks carton box, plastic spoons, pencils, rubbers bands and marshmallows.When every catapult was already done we had a little competition between the creations. This kind of healthy competition it is a really joyful thing to do with a group of children.
When a pedagogue reflects with a group about a scientific activity should use right terms to get the group familiar with scientific language.Shadow is a mysterious shape that follows us everywhere. It is stuck into the floor, into the walls, walks beneath our feet and sits beneath us. Sometimes it changes position. Sometimes it's hard to find it. Sometimes it disappears.Children have such a pleasure when playing with shadows. During the second part of the field trip we created a city of shadows, using milk cartons box and cardboard boxes. To get a better projection of the silhouettes, child has to try the materials throughout the space, to depart or to approximate the objects from the fabric and playing with the lamp´s position and intensity. It is experiencing the world that the child will start to learn more about its phenomenas.
After all, no one knows the rain so well as the one who walks underneath it!