09 December 2008

index card project.

the first project i usually give my advanced 2d students is the index card project. they have to make 25 pictures related to their theme using at least 10 different types of imagery and 10 different approaches to materials...and they have about 4 hours of class time to do it in.

they consistently think this is THE most outrageous thing any teacher has ever asked of them and balk at the bulk of the work. 

my school is great for kids in many many ways but one thing it teaches them that concerns me is that the world will adjust to their pace. now i'm not a teacher who fusses over deadlines but i do think there's a lot to be learned especially in terms of artmaking by many thing very fast or one thing very slow...neither of which my students love to do. so i try to impress on them that there is something to be learned by working within my parameters. oh and by the way i went to 7 years of art school and have been teaching for 8 years so i kind of know what i'm talking about.
so i tried something different this term to try to move them along a little...to set the pace, literally. i gave them each the same 3 xeroxes and told them they had 15 minutes to make 2 pictures about their theme using only the xeroxes, glue stick, and scissors. and then...i set the magical timer. teachers know about the timer. what is it about it? the omnipotent timer. something about that ticking makes the kids take it more seriously and argue less. and they did it without debate. they each made 2 images in 15 minutes. next year i'll make it only 10.

and they proceeded to make the other 23 pictures without much complaint.

note the ever-present webs in the photos.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Great idea...i am trying to figure this out with my students in 2D as well. So I am doing a brainstorming session and I read through your post. Why do you think the assignment works...what does it do for them when they create 2 pictures about their theme....does it push them to think? Do you worry about the xerox pictures you give them or is it radom? What about the rest the 23 cards. why 10 different types of imagery and approaches to materials to open up their ways of thinking and using materials. Let me know. Love your blog really helps to know others are out there thinking about he process.

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