Tag Archives: educational philosophy

07/25/14

Fashion Design Project/Unit

During my practicum I designed a small fashion design unit to do with the Fashion Design 12 students. Previously, their class had been mostly construction oriented. There had been some discussion as to the elements and principles of design, but little had been done concerning the design process. I wanted to introduce students to the design and portfolio process, provide an opportunity for students to take creative risks, and get students thinking about the various ways to express an artistic vision. The final project and performance task for the unit was a mini fashion portfolio for 3 designs inspired by a fairy tale.

Here is my original unit plan. Here is the original project outline and rubric.

One way I supported my students was to make a small slide show and link to on-line resources on my teaching blog.

Because several of the students were English language learners, I made some worksheets to help them through some of the skills-based activities we did. This project involved a lot of terminology, so having it written down and accompanying visual examples was helpful to them.

Worksheet – Elements of Design

Worksheet – Principles of Design

Worksheet – Watercolour Pencils or Paint (I print this on watercolour paper)

 

One of my main goals in the instruction of this unit was allowing for multimodal expression and engaging students in authentic assessment. The criteria for the assignment were taken directly from the Textiles 12 IRPs and integrated into a performance task I felt would be relevant to their future lives. There were content objectives, but how students expressed those objectives was largely up to them. Some met the criteria in the speech of their presentation, some included it all in the portfolio, and some accompanied their portfolio with a small essay. Throughout working on the project I gave feedback and set aside class time for the students to peer-assess.

Here is the simplified rubric I used for the final assessment & marking. Students seemed to find the original rubric overwhelming. I preferred, and they responded better to, a simplified rubric that had only the exemplary standards and plenty of room for individualized feedback comments. I felt this helped me give more constructive feedback.

Here’s one example of a student’s work:

Her inspiration ‘board’:

 

Her designs:

IMG_1537

 

 

06/30/14

The Joys of Sewing

Sarai just posted a great article on the Coletterie about 3 of the reasons she sews. I’ll give you a moment to read it.

I love her reasons because they are all reasons I particularly love sewing. But they also all relate to why I feel sewing has so much potential in and for education. Practising creativity, developing an appreciation for what we take for granted, and being part of a community are important for all of us. Sewing and textiles is such an amazing way to bring all of these lessons and community into the school. Sometimes I see textiles being dismissed as being into shallow fashion. But we all (or most of us anyway) wear clothes. Clothing is a huge industry, need, and use of resources. And we have the opportunity to combine this essential industry with exploring our own creativities in supportive communities. I’m just so excited about it.

01/19/14

Valuing Home Economics Education

Why Don’t We Value Home Economics?

            As someone who has chosen to commit myself to teaching home economics to youth, it can sometimes surprise me how little others value its potential. Granted, part of the reason I think Home Economics is undervalued is because it can seem like so much fun. We struggle to get students to see the fun in science and math, while ignoring the subjects and activities that are already incorporating science and math. We see these subjects as trivial. Perhaps it is difficult for people to appreciate just how much home economics can bring to the lives of students because it is at once so practical, and yet so holistic and broad. We don’t see everything it touches because it has so long been relegated to being ‘just’ in the home. Continue reading →

01/15/14

Educational Philosophy

I am incredibly passionate about becoming an educator. I have always loved to learn, and been even more driven to share what I learn with others. I believe that satisfying this drive to teach is at once my main goal, motivation, and quality most relevant to success in the teacher education program. I believe that education, and in particular home economics, has amazing potential to enrich knowledge, foster creativity and self-esteem, develop life and future learning skills, and provide safe spaces for youth. It is in these areas that I am especially enthusiastic and inspired, as well as supported by my personal life, work, and volunteer experiences.

While I enjoy educating in general, I am particularly passionate about those subjects under the umbrella of Home Economics. I think textiles and foods classes provide youth with unique experiences advantageous to a variety of learning outcomes. Home Ec courses encourage creativity, teach important life skills, and develop motor functions. My personal abilities, knowledge, and enthusiasm concerning food and textile crafts have consistently provided me with avenues to challenge students in new ways, while concurrently providing them with outlets for stress, opportunities to build self-esteem, and alternative ways to deal with aspects of the school system they may find discouraging. In my experience, these avenues have proven to be especially powerful and useful when educating youth with learning challenges. I believe I have not only practical knowledge to share, but also a respect for the myriad of ways these skills can improve quality of education and life.

Learning and success in the school system is something that I have personally struggled with in the past. Because of this I feel I have insight into some of the challenges youth may face themselves. Furthermore, my eventual personal success with school has made me more enthusiastic and confident in mentoring youth in their own educational journeys. That being said, I also recognize that there are many experiences I will never fully relate to and that many students engage with difficulties beyond my personal scope of understanding. In these cases, my goal and strength is in respecting children’s individual experiences, struggles and contributions. I believe this understanding further facilitates my ability to foster a successful learning environment for a variety of children and teens.