Collaborations

A friend recently asked me for an example of studio/classroom collaborations and of course one such example arose in the school today. The Ward-Hobbs teachers have begun an exploration of Picasso's artwork with the children.  This morning, while I was making my pre-children cup of tea, I noticed Kirsten laminating a fewof Picasso's one-liner drawings for a tracing Montessori classroom activity.  I asked her about it and together we decided to extend the learning opportunities by offering some one-liner provocations in the studio.

When the first children were dismissed from line to studio work, they came down carrying the Picasso One-liners book.  We spent some time examining the one-liner drawings represented in the book and then I invited them to create a self portrait without lifting the pen from the paper.

The activity proved more challenging than any of us thought it would be.  Several of the children tried four or five drawings (and so did I).  It was surprisingly difficult to retrain our brain to interpret what was seen and then to reproduce it using a single drawn line, but the children were very proud of the result.

Sometimes classroom/studio collaborations span weeks, months or even years (as is the case with photography in the school) and sometimes they arise and fall in a single day.  Regardless of the duration, this ongoing collaboration and dialog enriches our program immensely and continues to integrate the philosophies of Montessori and Reggio into a common practice.