Final Project

Final Project

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Artist Statement

Assembling my archive was not difficult, I simply gathered all my materials together into one place, and posted it. I found myself to be highly organized when it came to this project; I created a folder and put all my materials for the final project and presentation into it. It was incredibly easy to collect all the images together and form them into a presentation.
For my actual presentation, I decided to focus on education as a journey. A journey of education in which we travel not only from one location of learning to another (i.e. from the home to elementary school to middle school to high school to university.) but we move through books and mental states as well. I showed this in my presentation through the use of pictures of the various locations of learning throughout the area, staring with photographs of homes moving my way up chronologically up to the university level.
I then connected the journey of the children at the boys and girls club to my personal journey as I learned and developed through the service learning work. I’m sure I learned something along the way, but I haven’t really put my finger on it. Perhaps it’s I learned patience for waiting for bus’s. Because I waited a long time for a few of them.

Language and Time

While walking to the bus stop last Thursday, I ran into my math teacher. I was half a block away from the bus stop when he struck up a conversation. He's a wonderfully chatty Chinese man, but due to this I can't really understand a word he says. A huge language barrier, but we managed to hold a conversation for about 7 minutes. I kept nervously glancing at the bus stop the entire time. He asked where I was going and I answered I was going to tutor kids on the south side. He seemed very proud of me.
We said goodbye, and parted ways. I made it to the bus on time, then I went and taught math to children who speak little English.

Hiccups

Getting to the service learning site has been incredibly difficult. I try and go when I can fit it in, but sometimes (most of the time) the unexpected happens and I am unable to go. This Thursday, I was able to go. I hopped on the 15 bus and rode for a good half hour. I walked to the site, only to find out that no one was there. I walked straight back to the bus stop and went back to campus. Frustration number 6,000 in this service learning experience.

Walkers Point

When I am walking the streets near the service learning site, I take everything in. I see this street sign all over the neighborhood, a marker of where you are in the city. It serves a diverse range of means. If you are lost, it serves as a marker. It also serves as a symbol of pride, a way to bring together the community under a common cause. This communal togetherness is a stark contrast to the togetherness that is certainly lacking in suburban communities.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/compujeramey/ / CC BY 2.0

Final Project Ideas

For my final project I have several ideas. I plan on expanding on the concept the "journey" of education. Not only will I represent this through my focus on the buildings where education takes place (which will take some refining) but I will also showcase the tools of education, such as books. When we are young, we read picture books, and slowly make our way up to "chapter books" then in college we move onto incredibly advanced writing. I plan on showing this by taking a picture of a stack of children's books next to my current reading list to serve as a juxtaposition of the two forms.

Boys and Girls Club

I actually got into service learning for what. I managed to squeeze two hours inbetween my classes on Thursday. I was immediately thrust into tutoring two students, helping them with area and perimeter problems. It was rewarding helping them with their work. Except when I forgot how to find the area of a triangle. A little embarrassing but I remembered it in time.

After tutoring me and the other volunteers were told to assist in making paper mache balloons. I learned one thing from this. Large groups of 1st and 2nd graders have a lot of energy. I know I was like that when I was a child, but I refuse to believe it.