1. This class focuses on creatively considering design solutions to some of the world’s most pressing problems. Has the work you have done in this class changed or influenced your thinking about any of these issues?
This class has promoted thinking in regards to certain world issues that I was unaware of prior to this course. I was unaware of the extent of pollution, specifically in terms of radiation, within the state of NJ. Following a lesson I continued to research this topic and found that my hometown has a superfund site. I had known of a ground water pollution problem from my parents as a child, but only now did I realize the gravity of the situation. The class has also supported some of my own practices and beliefs, but has caused me to also question beliefs of others both in positive and negative terms. There were some lectures that were challenging and I do wish multiple views were projected, but there were times where it felt that there was some tunnel vision and limited information.
2. What field/profession are you being trained for in school right now? How has this class influenced, changed or enlarged your perception of your field?
I am in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences pursuing a degree in Teaching (M.A.T.) with concentrations in Art & Special Education. This class has shown different methods of educating students and the possibilities of collaboration between fields that can be promoted within the classroom.
3. This class originates in the Art Department. Do you think that art and design classes should be a part of the general curriculum?
As a future art teacher, this class’s goals are centered with my hopes of promoting The Arts and how they are interconnected with other fields of study. I firmly believe that it is important to have diversity within a student’s required courses so that they are exposed to both knowledge and individuals within fields outside of their own. Students should be challenged by different subjects in order to promote growth and creativity in their own field of study.
4. Your work growth and in this class, as a student, was an integral part of our group learning experience. When I and the other instructors in the Intermedia Art Concentration are charged with designing this class, we listen carefully to student feedback. In your own words, A) what was the most challenging thing you had to do in the class? B) what was the one activity/exercise/project that you enjoyed the most?
The most challenging part of the class was the unfortunate converting the class from in-person to all online. In the beginning of the semester, there were times that information seemed to be lost in translation, but this was intensified during and throughout the transition causing confusion. Before the transition, having such a small class was nice, but the short class time made it seem impossible to get through the daily presentations and have a lesson. The class presentations felt rushed or unnecessary. My favorite class project was proposing my green playground for schools and parks. I had interest in this subject and a base knowledge about the elements involved in creating it. Projects such as our final project for the Biodesign challenge have unfortunately begun to make the class challenging because the goals of the project have become confusing and it does not appeal to my interests. I wish we could have had the opportunity to propose projects for our final group project outside of our unit project proposals and could propose other ideas unrelated to the current unit that may have come from further study.
Art & Sustainability 