Saturday, September 26, 2009

Week 6

Pre-Colombian Summary

The Pre-Colombian era is the time period in the Americas before the indigenous cultures were conquered or influenced by European settlers or explorers.  This time period is divided into three major time frames.  The age of experimentation from 15500 BC to 300 Ad is called the Pre-Classic period, followed by the Classic period from 300 AD to 900 AD, and finally, the Post Classical period from 900 to 1492 AD.  The Post Classical period showed an increase in population and technological developments along with frequent wars.

 
Sources
Wikipedia


Olmec Civilization of Ancient Mexico


I have always been fascinated with many of the indigenous tribes of Latin America and I enjoyed viewing all of the youtube videos.  While I was viewing some of the various groups, I noticed on the side bar, a video titled "The Truth:  The Olmec Civilization" and with curiosity, I clicked on the link.  Apparently, there are many Mesoamerican historians who believe the Olmec people were NOT originally from Africa and disregard much of the physical evidence suggesting that this group of people were descendants from West Africa who sailed and immigrated to the Americas.  Based upon my readings, there is fierce controversy regarding the orgins of the Olmec civilization.  My curiosity led me to explore other video clips and print articles on the Olmecs.


There are many interesting aspects of this indigenous civilization.  Beginning in 1862, large stone heads, some weighing as much as 30 tons and measuring over 7' tall, and other artifacts were being discovered in Mexico.  These artifacts indicated there was an ancient civilization with culture, art, writing, pyramids, technology and a complex social structure that existed long before the Mayans, Aztecs and Incas.  These Olmec settlements were located on the Western edge of the Gulf of Mexico.  There were five major settlements:  San Lorenzo, Laguna de los Cerros, Tres Zapotes, Portrero Nuevo and the capital of the Olmec civilization in LaVenta.  These settlements were major ceremonial and administrative centers placed strategically for trade and conquest. San Lorenzo and LaVenta were located near controlled flood planes, rich estuaries and near sources of cacao, rubber and salt.  Little is known about the Olmec, but scientists believe this civilization developed before 1200 BC and declined around 400 BC and many historians call the Olmecs one of the earliest and greatest civilizations in Mesoamerica (Aztec-History).



This indigenous civilization is known for its carved gigantic stone heads.  Only 17 heads have ever been found and may speculate that the heads may be portraits of ancient rulers or athletes.  The most interesting and mysterious fact about these heads is that the stone used in the sculptures is not indigenous to the region of the settlements.  Many of the stones used in the carvings were collected from far away places and brought back to their cities and ceremonial sights.  The Olmecs used basalt or volcanic rock for the carving of thes colossal pieces and the closest source was from volcanic mountains over 100 miles away through dense jungles and across rivers.  In the video series from the BBC Prime - "Secrets of the Ancients - Olmec Heads", the scientific team was unsuccessful in their attempt to move a 12 ton stone from its mountain source over land and water using ancient Olmec technology.  To date, it is unknown how the Olmecs transported these massive stones to their cities.



The Olmecs adopted an ancient form of Mande script, which was first used by the Mande speaking tribes in North Africa.  Additionally, they developed two calendars that ran side by side in a 52-year cycle (Weber).  They had a 260-day ritual calendar and a 360-day secular calendar, called the long calendar, which was later "improved" by the Mayan civilization.  This calendar required the use of a zero as a placeholder and the Olmecs are considered one of the first civilizations to use the number zero.

I believe that one of the most important things to know about the Olmec civilization is that they had a tremendous influence on the surrounding populations and future civilizations.  They carved wood, stone, jade and volcanic rock.  Similar types of sculptures have been found in the central Mexico-Aztec region.   The layout of their cities would be copied by future societies.  Scientists found an Olmec rubber ball and uncovered a ball court that was believed to be for the purpose of the ritual ball game that was adopted by future civilizations.  The Olmecs traded with far away people and ate a variety of foods.  They practiced a complex religious system with temple mounds, symbolic animals (the jaguar), had many gods and performed human sacrifice.  The Mayans and the Aztecs adopted these religious, spiritual and ritualistic practices into their culture.  In spite of the controversy regarding the origins of this civilization, the Olmecs continued to have a huge influence on civilizations and cultures long after their decline.

Video Sources
BBC Prime - Secrets of the Ancients. "Olmec Heads"

Boyle, Joshua; Drori, Alon; Valenzuela, Jackie.   "The Olmec Civilization"

"The Olmec-Ancient Mexico - America's First Civilization"


"Olmec Writing"


"The Truth:  The Olmec Civilization"

On-Line Print Sources
Aztec-History.com "The Ancient Olmec Civilization"
http://www.aztec-history.com/olmec-civilization.html 


Weber, George. "Olmec Civilization (Vera Cruz & Tobasco, Mexico)" February 2007.
http://www.andaman.org/BOOK/chapter54/text-Olmec/text-Olmec.htm 

Photo Sources - On-Line

Olmec City and Pyramid 
http://floydsancientwonders.blogspot.com/2007_11_01_archive.html



Olmec Civilization Map
Olmec Writing
Olmec Calendar

Weber, George. "Olmec Civilization (Vera Cruz & Tobasco, Mexico)" February 2007
http://www.andaman.org/BOOK/chapter54/text-Olmec/text-Olmec.htm

Olmec Stone Head
Aztec-History.com "The Ancient Olmec Civilization"
http://www.aztec-history.com/olmec-civilization.html






Review of Class Work from Week 5

Alyssa's favorite artist was the sculpture by Fernando Botero (La Mano).  She especially liked the way the hand was sculpted.

Julisa was attracted to Laura Hernandez's work, specifically a sculpture called "Man Element Water 1997".  Hernancez paints with oils, Cochinilla - Papelmat on canvas and watercolors.


Kathy saw one sculpture from the Sculpture Garden that caught her interest that displayed the moon and stars.  In spite of her searching, she was unable to locate the artist.  (I also enjoyed this piece and could not find the artist.)


Kelsey believes that Latin American art is very imaginative and religious.


Logan wrote about the sculpture titled "War-Giro" which represents the visual struggle of duality, which is a common theme in Cuban art.


Michael wrote that "Cuban art was used by the Castro regime as a political tool to spread socialism.  When Russia cut off funding, local art turned into an enterprising for-profit adventure."  -Thanks!  I didn't know that!


Nancy enjoyed the painting "Exodo" by painter Arnold Belkin.  She felt that "the darkness of the lines as well as the expression on the couple's faces seem to depict worry or concern.  It all works together to create a very emotional scene."


Robert found Guillermo Bert's work visually appealing.


Shannon also enjoyed viewing "Exodo" by Arnold Belkin.  It reminded her of the murals she saw as a child growing up in the Mission District of San Francisco.


Stacy wrote that the value placed on art in Latin America countries is "opposite" that of America's culture.
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Saturday, September 19, 2009

Week 5

Part 1

MoLAA stands for Museum of Latin American Art. MoLAA is the only museum in the Western US that features contemporary Latin American art. Opened in November 1996, in Long Beach, California, MoLAA’s purpose is to educate the public on contemporary Latin American art through a rotation of a permanent collection featuring well known artists in Latin American countries who have little or no recognition in the US.

The YouTube video provided a virtual tour of the museum and showed clips from their collection of various artists and their work. The works included folk art, metal works, oils, canvas, sculptures, photography and contemporary use of other materials such as glass and electronics. Some of the paintings were traditional in style while others were more contemporary. I enjoyed viewing the sculptures displayed in their sculpture garden. Additionally, MoLAA’s gift shop sells work from Latin American artists and I especially enjoyed viewing and the Peruvian Nativity scenes. (I own one and I find the craftsmanship endearing.)

MoLAA also produces “Night’s In” events that provide a context for the art that they show. The purpose of these events is to give the people an idea of the countries from where the art comes from. These events provide music, dance and culture of the country because “art is not produced in a vacuum.” (Night in Brazil)

References
Clip 1
A virtual tour of MoLAA

Clip 2
MoLAA tour

Clip 3
Night in Brazil @ MoLAA


Spotlight on Jose M. Fors

I was attracted to Fors work, “Gelatin Silver print “Letters VI 2005”, when viewing the MoLAA virtual tour. I enjoy photography and a few years ago, I took a group of students to SF MOMA to view a photography exhibit. I especially enjoy photos utilizing gelatin silver printing techniques. Fors work displayed at MoLAA uses this processing technique.

Fors shot his first photograph in 1982 & 1983 and his first photos predominantly capture broken and old things in his artistic expression for waste. Fors doesn’t seem to have a large following which might be due to his 15 years of using a consistent themes threaded throughout his work which would explain the lack of information and examples of Fors’ work. This consistency is rare in contemporary Cuban visual art.


Fors photographic mosaics have nature as the fundamental theme. His photographs “revitalize the theme of nature in contemporary Cuban photography but also renews the place and significance of nature as an object of representation in Cuban visual art.” (Molina) Fors selects “places and relocates objects he’s going to photograph” and manipulates the image through “inversion of color and the effects of the repetition of images.” (Molina) Fors is a well known master visual artist from Cuba who specializes in contemporary mixed media and rediscovered photography as a means of artistic expression during a time when photography was beginning to be incorporated into Cuban art.

References: 
BOYCOTT Art Gallery; ©2000-2009 ARTMAJEUR.COM
http://static.scribd.com/docs/ggo6h87aufxl9.pdf
Molina, Juan Antonio. José Manuel Fors: Dry Leaves.  La Habana, 1996. Translation by Carlos Lopez Cruz and Esther Tato Borja   Part 2 - Review of Classmates Work from Week 4
Kathy wrote how it was important to know about Freire's upbringing as a child and that he fought for those oppressed in the world.  In her summary she says that Freire spent his life attempting to level the "playing field between the poor and under privileged".
Maria learned that Freire believed that everyone had a right to an education and that he did not allow anything or anyone to force him to change his beliefs.  She also learned that Freire used his experiences and his research to help educate those around him regarding social issues.
Michael thought that Freire's upbringing "shaped his concerns for poor people and became the foundation of his educational viewpoint."  Michael wrote that Freire's educational theory is based upon a philosophy that a student-teacher's role should be interactive and more democratic.  He also indicated that Freire's work "promotes and inspires liberation, dignity, and the ability to change".
Michele thought that the quote, "To speak a true word is to transform the world" spoke how Freire could "commuicate effectively to all backgrounds" as a result of his upbringing and concerns for the underprivileged and create a new way of thinking about education.
Nancy believes that we should understand that Freire's theory of education "grew out of his desire to see the oppressed under-class liberated from the oppressors in society."  She also noted that "Freire is best known for his attack on the 'banking method' of education and promotion of the 'problem-posing' method in its place" and that education needs to have an "emphasis on dialogue between the teacher and student in the learning process".
Robert - Freire embraces a non-orthodox form of teaching with the emphasis to bring justice to both the poor and oppressed through political activism.  Robert also feels that Freire was a "progressive thinking educator and humanitarian, and spent his life trying to enrich other's lives with education, consciousness, culture and freedom."  Robert has discovered another hero through his education process.
Sara wrote that Freire "knows what it means to not have resources or a strong income, and this makes getting a good education a very big challenge" and she believes "this experience is what helps Freire connect with the people he is teaching because he can relate to them."
Shannon believes Paulo Freire was a "scholar, an intellectual, a philosopher and a revolutionary".  She also noted that "praxis seems to be the core of what Paulo Freire believes - that all teaching and understanding, all words and beliefs are ultimately here for efficient action to achieve a harmonious yet diverse world."
Stacy wrote about Freire's life long work and how he demonstrates his "self made humanitarian life.  His life is a living demonstration of his own philosophies.  His diversion from the standard hierarchy and pecking order of conventional learning and teaching is both refreshing and true to human spirit.  His methods have a focus on depth, understanding, interactive learning, exploration, intelligence, challenge."  Great Sumamry!
Susan wrote that "Freire is a Brazilian philosopher who developed theories that has been used to bring literacy to poor people" and his "methods for developing literacy caused people to want to change society".











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Saturday, September 12, 2009

Week 4



Part 1

It’s quite difficult to summarize in three short paragraphs what I think are the most important things to know about Paulo Freire and his ideas.  His thoughts and writings transcended any progressive cognitive understanding for his time.  As an educator of young children, I find many of his theories and practices applicable today in the teaching of children.  I recently began reading “Pedagogy of the Oppressed” and have been blown away with the thoughts and ideas presented in this book written in 1921!!  Once I was able to wrap my humble brain around his thought process, I realized that he was able to write down reasons and developmental concepts about oppression that I instinctively felt to be true, but was unable to verbalize.  Freire’s concept of a “culture of silence” is that oppressed individuals in society loose the means to objectively and critically respond to the culture that is forced on them by the dominant culture.  Freire discusses how the oppressed and the oppressor enable the continuance of oppression and discusses, in depth, how these two sides dance together to the music of oppression.  I’ve only begun reading this book, but each page provides me with insightful moments of awareness.
Freire’s experiences deeply influenced his life’s work.  At a very early age in life, Freire had an intuitive awareness of the world around him, especially those in great need.  He experienced hunger and poverty at a young age and through this connectivity with those around him and his personal experiences, he developed an understanding of the relationship between social class and knowledge.  Freire also lived among the poor, rural families and laborers, which deepened his understanding of the effects of socio-economics on education.   This understanding led Paulo Freire to dedicate his life to pedagogy – the art of teaching and the way people learn.
With his commitment, experience and knowledge, Freire developed a contemporary educational theory consisting of eight sections:  Theory of Value, Knowledge, Human Nature, Learning, Transmission, Society, Opportunity and Consensus.  His educational theory revolves around the concept that one must value the learner as an active participant in the acquisition of knowledge.  Additionally, knowledge is a social construct, which involves all of the learner’s experiences, memories, emotions, and feelings along with the relationships with other learners.  Learning is not stagnate – it is changing and on-going.  Additionally, acquired knowledge affects one’s beliefs through discussions with other learners and critical reflection.  In this process, teachers also become the learners as they explore how their students understand the world around them with the purpose of understanding what affects the student’s learning process and how they learn.  Working with young children, I understand how important it is to learn about a child’s culture, background, socio-economic status, family structure and any other information that might provide clues to how a child interprets and understands the world around him/her.  With this information, a teacher can develop a means to allow a child the opportunity to explore, manipulate, communicate and question new concepts and ideas. 
While Freire was attempting to make socio-educational changes in his country as a progressive educator, he had an opportunity to try out his method of education in the village of Angicos, Brazil in 1963.  His experiment proved successful with 300 sugarcane sharecroppers learning to read and write in 45 days.  As a result, the government approved thousands of schools to be set up all over Brazil.  Freire’s literacy education process involves the formation of critical consciousness that allows people to question the nature of their historic and social situation whereby allowing the people to create a democratic society.  After a military coup in 1964, Freire was arrested twice and imprisoned for 70 days being a “traitor”.  Freire received political asylum and lived in Santiago, Massachusetts, and Geneva during his 16 years of political exile.  During this time, he continued to work and travel worldwide to improve education practices and create literacy reforms.   I believe the importance of this time of his life demonstrates his inability to allow authoritarian governments to dictate what he can think and what he can learn.  He challenged the assumption that schools can become tools used by “parents, businesses and the community to impose their values and beliefs” (Lyons), which leads to the oppression of the less privileged.  Freire’s entire career was based upon his “desire to provide greater opportunity for the poor and oppressed people of the world, but particularly in Brazil” (Lyons).  Freire would not allow anything, including political exile, to deter him from his objective and the world is enlightened as a result of his efforts in educational reform.


References
Bentley, Leslie. A Brief Biography of Paulo Freire. Pedagogy & Theatre of the Oppressed. December 1999. .

Contemporary Educational Thought. Paulo Freire. Department of Teaching and Learning, School of Education, University of Miami. .

Lyons, John. Paulo Freire's Educational Theory. New Foundations. ©2001. 4 January 2008.  .

Lownd, Peter. Freire's Life and Work.



Part 2 – Review of Classmate’s Work
Beatriz – She believes that the video with President Obama relates to our class because “Many of the things that Obama addresses can also be put into use with current events that are taking place with Latin Countries. We need to find a common ground with all countries, not just Muslim countries.”

Brandon learned a lot about President Obama’s policies and aspirations from watching this video.

Candace believes that Oprah is one of the most influential people of our time.

Isabell believes that “knowledge of other cultures builds us in better people through understanding. Successful people like Oprah are always learning.”

Jamison believes that Obama’s speech relates to our class because, the United States has some sort of problem with every country in this world and the problems discussed in the video are the same with Latin American cultures.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Kathy’s blog.  I especially enjoyed reading her ending summary:   In summary, the passionate speeches given by both speakers remind us to be selfless, humble, open-minded, compassionate and to look inside ourselves to do our part to make the world a better place. One of my favorite quotes from Oprah's speech, "success is helping someone else move forward to higher ground."  Well said Kathy!!

Kim summarized Oprah’s speech to the graduates with these words:  “To share this world means what happens in one place affects the entire world.”

Paul felt energized by Oprah’s motivational speech.

Robert felt that Obama “eloquently addressed the fears of various nations and religions with viable solutions, the need for a peaceful resolution” and believes Obama “did this with wisdom and the foresight of a true leader. Most importantly, he spoke of how all nations need to work together, respect one another, and learn from each other to resolve the issues our world is now experiencing.” – Great Summary!

Shannon felt that Obama’s speech paid attention to the nuances and had great depth and spoke of his “dedication to the cause of equality for all.”
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