Using Traditional Media

Chapter 8 Reflection

For chapter 8, the authors discuss some of the different types of materials used for art making, both in the past and by modern day artists. They provide a brief history of how different materials were used historically to create fine art, as well as how the use of materials differed across cultures. They provide an interesting comparison with how ink was used in the East, and the West. Artists in China used ink for fine art purposes, while in Europe ink was primarily used for writing. Also discussed in this chapter is how modern-day artists often work with a variety of media. With the developments of new and improved materials, artists now have the liberty to come up with their ideas first and then afterwards choose what materials they want to use to achieve their goals. Artists are no longer limited by a small range of material options as the ability to acquire a range of them has vastly increased. This is important for art educators because it means that what materials we can introduce our students to has also expanded. Students can learn at an earlier age about all the different types of materials available for art making and they can use that knowledge to better understand the visual culture around them. Once they know how to use a new material, they can evaluate visual culture and get a better idea for how and why it was created. The authors also make a good point that, “The use of a variety of materials can help young students to begin to understand that they can make their own mark on the world” (Freedman & Boughton, 2023, Ch. 8 p. 6). I think children at the elementary school age are often limited by what they know, and it isn’t until they are introduced to something new that they really begin to explore new possibilities. Like the quote states, introducing new materials in the classroom helps broaden the minds of students by opening up many possibilities. Students who have creative ideas but might not know how to bring them to life will learn that they don’t have to be limited by what they know.

For this chapter, I really connected with the idea that having knowledge of different materials and how to use them can be helpful for students to express their ideas in different ways. There is a lot of development that occurs at the elementary level age so I think introducing students to different kinds of materials at an early stage can help with that development. I also agree with the authors thoughts that this can help with critical thinking. When introducing a new project, students will be able to think more about what materials they are using and how these materials can be utilized to achieve what they are trying to create. If they are not introduced to a variety of materials, they are left without that opportunity to really think about how to best express their ideas and they may become frustrated with art as a whole. By introducing them to this variety we also give them the opportunity to find something that they really connect with and thereby strengthen their relationship with art and creating.

This practice of introducing a variety of materials to students at a young age is something I want to bring into my own classroom when I become a teacher. When I was growing up, I remember how exciting it would be every time we would use new materials in art class and that excitement for using something new is what I hope to provide for my own students. Although we didn’t use too much of a variety back then, I do want to bring in as many material options as I will be allowed to depending on what grade level I teach. I have been kind of trying to do that when teaching at St. Mary’s this semester. I have tried to come up with projects that use different materials in order to hopefully introduce them to some new things while also hoping to prevent them from getting bored from just using the same materials repeatedly. Doing this has also helped me learn how skilled students are at using certain materials at this young age. This is helpful when deciding what new things I can bring in for them to learn about and use.

World by Eagle Bluff Elementary School (Grade 3)

References:

Freedman, K. & Boughton, D. (2023). Elementary Art Education: A Practical Approach to Teaching Visual Culture [Unpublished manuscript]. Art and Design Education, Northern Illinois University.

"World". Artsonia. (n.d.). Retrieved March 22, 2023, from https://www.artsonia.com/museum/art.asp?id=71636447