Jennifer's+Sculpture

Jen wrote:
I have attached three pictures of my sculpture so far (almost half done) and a rough overview of my thought process for the arp (artists statement - below the pictures). I did not write how it relates to my sculpture yet since I am still working that out. The people are different sexes and races they hold a bowl that will contain symbols of my arp. Example; the mirrors in the bowl symbolize how I reflect on gender when I teach and look at the individual child. Example; The pink and blue wires symbolize how we are hard wired to think in certain ways due to biology and chemistry. Also, that some people are bridege brains and their brains function equally as male or female.







=Rough Artist Statement - Jennifer Looser=

= = Proposal: How do open-ended, gender specific, visual journal entries foster self-realization? The literature review (Altered Book) Data (Binder) Data Showed What I learned
 * Make students think about things they like and or do and why.
 * Self discovery like in my autobiography (Sculpture) questioned things instead of just accepting them.
 * Wondered if this would benefit kids too like it did me. Making them think about who they are as young boys or girls.
 * Helping students accept that boys and girls can be different and that’s ok. All boys don’t have to like sports and all girls don’t have to like clothes and shoes.
 * Showed me that across cultures boys and girls are different due to the way the brain functions, the body’s chemistry and hormones.
 * The science is well-known and proven and should be accepted and teaching methods practiced.
 * When you accept the science and the reasoning you can see themes and patterns making correlations in aspects of child, teen and adult development.
 * Know what’s important to my students.
 * Making sure that what I read about my student’s holds true.
 * Can I make real life changes in my classroom to foster self-realization.
 * 80% of my students agreed with the research from the books.
 * Boys tend to thrive on competition and winning while enjoying camaraderie. Girls enjoy competition to do their best and build relationships.
 * Both have trouble getting along with family and siblings.
 * Boys have trouble with school work and expectations
 * Girls have trouble with appearance, friendships, and playing sports.
 * Both want their parents to play with them.
 * Boys want mom’s to do things for them and take care of them.
 * Girls want dad’s to keep them safe and take them places.
 * Both wanted same sex classes with same sex teachers and individual work stations.
 * Boys wanted to hang out with boys to play sports, watch T.V, play video games, wrestle and listen to music.
 * Girls wanted to hang out with girls to talk about boys and girls, play games, do make-up, do hair, do nails, and shop.
 * The pressures for girls were to fit in and wear the right clothes, be good at everything and be in a lot of activities and sports.
 * The pressures for boys were to win at sports and video games, to be a good role model at home and school and some had no pressure.
 * That boys and girls really are different and that regardless of whether it’s due to biology or society it’s important to acknowledge it and value it for what it is. As a teacher all of this research, reading and data collection have really made me a better teacher and person. When a boy comes into my room and gives me a picture it’s usually because he wants me to see how good it is and acknowledge his artistic skills. When a girl gives me a picture it’s usually because she wants me to feel good and needs a hug to acknowledge our relationship. Another example is when a boy has to stay in for recess, because of a prior misbehavior I give him time process his actions and tell me why he had to stay in for recess. We go over the rule and why we have the rule in simple language. We also talk about why he can’t do what he did. It’s a simple conversation and not a lecture. When a girl comes in it’s a different process. It becomes important that she knows I’m not mad at her, but what she did. We discuss how I felt and how she feels. It’s a two way conversation with more complex language and a lot of listening.
 * I now know how important it is for students to make as many choices as possible in the art room, even if choices make them a bit uncomfortable. They need to figure out what they like and why; the beginning of whom they are. I have to let go of the end product, because most likely it will not be as aesthetically pleasing. I can accept the fact that given choices girls are going to draw peace signs, people, clothes, animals, land and seascapes, and flowers. Boys are going to draw video game figures, action scenes, cars, rocket ships, military scenes, sports figures, sports balls, and funny cartoon stuff, all of which is biologically and societal based. My student’s visual expressions; drawings, paintings, prints and sculptures are highly important to them and my data acknowledges that.
 * I can look at the bigger picture now and reflect on a specific student from a variety of perspectives. I can make more informed decisions about what would be best for that student in any given situation. My big concern for the future is that we try to change genuine differences in boys and girls; boys need to show deeper emotions and girls need to be more competitive and want to win. By trying to change natural biology and chemistry we are only telling kids that who they are is not ok and then self-realization will never happen.
 * A female teacher would be very selfish if she expects a boy to be emotional and more sensitive. As would a male teacher who expects a girl to be more competitive in a math game and try to win at all costs.