The Teaching of Art Related to the Home Part 15

Pictures. | Screen. | Swatches of fabrics-- | For color. | For design. | For texture. | Wall hangings. | Yarns of many colors. | | 2. Borrowed materials-- | 2. Borrowed from teachers, Bra.s.s or pewter articles. | homes, and stores in the Wardrobe accessories. | community.

Dresses. | Dressing table articles. | Household linens. | Picture molding samples. | Scarfs. | Small tables. | Table runners. | Trays. | | II. Collected and constructed | materials: | | 1. Collected-- | 1. Collected by the teacher Magazine covers. | from commercial firms and Magazine advertis.e.m.e.nts. | magazines. Much of this Magazine articles and | material comes to the ill.u.s.trations. | teacher by virtue of her Commercial advertising-- | position and should Booklets. | therefore be considered Boxes of miscellaneous | school property.

size and shape. | Catalogues-- | Wallpaper. | Furniture. | China. | Silver. | Pictures. | Floor coverings. | Charts-- | Paints and enamels. | Fabrics. | Dyes. | Colored paper samples. | Fabric samples. | | 2. Constructed-- | 2. Made by the teacher.

Paper models representing-- | Margins. | s.p.a.ce divisions. | General proportions. | Repet.i.tion of units. | Harmony of shapes. | Colour wheel. | ------------------------------------+--------------------------------

USE

The above list of ill.u.s.trative material should in no way be considered as representing all that should be provided for the teaching of art nor as meeting minimum requirements. It is, however, indicative of some of the materials that are desirable and most usable as well as available at a small expenditure of money.

The finest collection of ill.u.s.trative material is futile if it is not used in such a way that the pupils see the significance of it and develop discriminating powers through the use of it. Charts and other materials lose their value if hung around the room or left in the same arrangements from September to June. Little notice is taken of them for they seem to become a permanent part of the background. Most charts are not decorative and their use should be confined to that part of the work to which they definitely contribute.

There are three important objectives to be kept in mind in the use of ill.u.s.trative materials. They are--

1. To arouse interest. For this purpose pertinent materials should be arranged attractively on the bulletin board or screen or placed in some conspicuous part of the cla.s.sroom. These particular pieces should be changed very frequently. See Figure 2, page 8.

2. To a.s.sist in solving problems in the development of the principle.

The teacher will need to use clear and concise ill.u.s.trative materials for this purpose. Since these pieces of ill.u.s.trative material are usually held up before the cla.s.s, it is necessary that they be of such size that all of the pupils can see them clearly. In addition, the cla.s.s should be so arranged that all members have equal opportunity for observing them and handling them.

3. To a.s.sist in developing judgment ability. Materials for this purpose will be used in two ways: (1) As an aid in solving judgment problems given to the cla.s.s. In this case some pieces will be used by the group as a whole and others will be pa.s.sed out to individual pupils. (2) As a means of further developing powers of discrimination and judgment. For this pupils are asked to make selections and arrangements from a large number of articles and materials.

In using ill.u.s.trative material it is often advisable to have examples of both the good and the poor. When this is true, one must remember to finish with the good. In other words, start with the poor and contrast with the good; or start with the good, contrast with the poor, and then go back to the good.

Ill.u.s.trative materials can not serve such purposes successfully unless they are so arranged as to be easily accessible for cla.s.s use. For example, the small fabric sample mounted fast to a sheet of paper can not be examined adequately for texture study. It would be far better to have larger samples which are unmounted, thus making possible not only design, color, and texture study of them, but also many variations in combinations.

The bulletin board and screen, well placed, offer good possibilities for accessibility of certain ill.u.s.trative material which does not need to be handled. The screen is preferable because it can be moved around and placed to the best advantage for vision and light.

To the extent that pupils have contact and experience with real articles and materials, there will be a better carry over and thus a greater ability to solve everyday art problems successfully.

CARE AND STORAGE

In addition to collecting and using ill.u.s.trative materials, the teacher has the further problem of caring for and storing them. Soiled, creased, or worn materials are not only lacking in inspiration but set up poor standards.

Ill.u.s.trative materials may be most efficiently cared for by--

1. Mounting that from which margins will not detract, that in which only one side needs to be used, and that of which texture study is not important.

2. Avoiding too long or unnecessary exposure.

3. Careful handling.

4. Cleaning if possible.

5. Pressing.

6. Labeling and cla.s.sifying.

7. Careful storing.

Good storage for ill.u.s.trative materials offers many problems, but is that sufficient excuse for a teacher to leave materials on the wall the year around or piled carelessly on open shelves in the cla.s.sroom? The provision for adequate storage does not necessarily require elaborate equipment nor a large expenditure of money. Cabinets and steel filing cases are highly desirable but are not absolutely essential for good storage.

Much of the ill.u.s.trative material for teaching related art lends itself to storage in manila folders and large envelopes, but some could better be stored in boxes, and still others, such as posters, swatches of fabrics held together by large clips, or pictures, may be best hung up.

The use of folders or envelopes necessitates a place to keep them. In the absence of a filing case, one teacher improvised s.p.a.ce by utilizing a large, deep drawer. A part.i.tion through the center made it possible to arrange two rows of folders. The same plan might be utilized in narrower drawers, providing for one row of folders and s.p.a.ce at the side for storage of boxes. If regular manila folders are not large enough to protect the materials, larger ones may be procured at small expense by making them of heavy paper, which is obtainable at any printers. A strip of bookbinding tape may be used to reinforce the bottom.

Cupboard shelves are more often provided in school laboratories than drawers. In such cases large envelopes, which are easily labeled and handled, will hold the materials more successfully. Boxes are very usable also, and may be stacked on shelves for easy accessibility.

Those which are uniform in size and color are especially nice for storing many materials such as textiles, yarns, and other bulky pieces, and when used on open shelves a good standard of appearance in the laboratory is maintained.

Any available s.p.a.ce for hanging materials can also be used effectively.

Textile swatches, charts, and posters, as well as garments, may be kept in better condition by hanging in closets or cases than by packing.

When the teacher of art has the privilege of advising on the original building plans that include an art laboratory, she would do well to plan for various types of storage s.p.a.ce. Perhaps the first essential is plenty of drawer s.p.a.ce of varying sizes. Shallow drawers of 4 to 6 inches are recommended by many art teachers. These may vary in width and length, but some should be sufficiently large for posters and the larger pictures. Some deeper drawers are desirable for the odd, bulky pieces of material. Cupboards with solid panel doors should also be provided, for boxes, vases, candlesticks, and similar articles which can be most easily stored on shelves. If a storage closet or case is to be provided, a small rod and many hooks should be included. Then, of course, a special series of deep drawers or a filing case for the material that can be placed in folders should be a part of any newly planned laboratory.

The most important factor is accessibility, and therefore the containers for all materials must be plainly labeled and conveniently arranged.

Since ill.u.s.trative material is such a valuable teaching device in art related to the home, good storage s.p.a.ce and easy accessibility are of fundamental importance in its successful use.

Section VII

REFERENCE MATERIAL

The home of the future will become more and more an art laboratory for the homemaker. When housewives make a serious study of art in the home--and this may be manifest in the preparation of food as well as in the color arrangement of the house--there will be better homes as well as houses.--Richard Allen.

USE OF REFERENCE MATERIAL

A wide use of reference material is essential in the successful teaching of art through the use of problems. Many sources of information are necessary for pupils to evaluate tentative conclusions and to verify final conclusions as well as for elaboration of facts. Reference to several different authorities will reveal to students the fact that there are differences of opinion regarding art and will help in making them realize the importance of weighing information thoroughly before accepting conclusions. In other words, it is valuable in preventing pupils from jumping to conclusions or accepting hasty conclusions.

This suggests that several books for reference are preferable to a single text. However, many teachers favor the plan of providing three or four copies of the best books for cla.s.s use rather than single copies of every art book that is published.

In support of the use of references rather than single texts, the following points are made:

1. Opportunity is offered for pupils to verify and elaborate on information.

2. More pupils will have contact with the best references.

3. Resourcefulness in the pupil will be better developed.

4. Teachers are challenged to make better selection of books as well as better use of them.

5. In those schools which provide free textbooks for the pupils it is easier to replace old books, since fewer copies of the newer ones will be purchased at one time.

SOURCES OF REFERENCE MATERIAL

In addition to books, the teacher of art has at her disposal bulletins, current magazines, and educational advertising materials. In selecting art reference material for pupil use she should keep in mind that--