Experiential Learning by Jeff Kushel

Jeff Kushel Assignment 4

EDAC634 Assignment 4 – Experience and Learning 

Jeff Kushel 

EDAC 634 Fall 2023 Assignment 4 – Experience and Learning 

Goal: Learn basic pottery techniques and create your own dishware 

Objective: Students will learn about the following:  

• The various kinds of clay and the differences between them. 

• Tools used to mold clay including the potter’s wheel, needles, kiln, and other tools which may be utilized to create unique crafts. 

• Finishing your project with techniques in glazing and using the kiln to fire your creation. 

Rationale: The use of clay to create tools dates to the earliest settlements. “The oldest known ceramic artifact is dated as early as 28,000 BCE (BCE = Before Common Era), during the late Paleolithic period. It is a statuette of a woman, named the Venus of Dolní Věstonice, from a small prehistoric settlement near Brno, in the Czech Republic. In this location, hundreds of clay figurines representing Ice Age animals were also uncovered near the remains of a horseshoe-shaped kiln” (The American Ceramic Society, 2022). Today we still use ceramics in our everyday life. From dishes to space travel, the use of clay to create tools is present everywhere. Using this process to create your own dishware, vases, or something else is a great way to relieve stress and is a great way to bring out the inner artist. 

Reading through the chapter, I learned different ways to utilize experience in learning. I also learned how, as the educator, my importance in utilizing that experience in teaching. I enjoyed learning different aspects of experiential learning and leaned towards the constructivist paradigm. Especially the idea where “people have concrete experiences; they reflect on them and construct new knowledge as a result of these reflections” (Merriam & Baumgartner, 2020). For this, however , I chose cognitive apprenticeship as the teacher initially has a large hands-on presence in the learning but eventually gives way to the student taking independent control which is important for creativity.  The chapter describes a five-phase model which I applied to teaching students the basics of pottery; 

Phase 1: Demonstrating the activity while verbally describing the activity. 

Phase 2: The learner will do the activity while the teacher provides support and coaching. 

Phase 3: Teacher will start to step back and allow the learner to work more independently. 

Phase 4: The student is now working independently with the teacher only aiding when requested. 

Phase 5: Allow the student to apply what they have learned and create something new and unique to them. 

(It should be noted that each phase would be over several days due to the drying and firing of the student’s projects. Several items will be created during each phase.) 

Design: 

Introduction and History:  Initial introduction of teacher to students. Also, the teacher will provide a brief history of pottery and ceramics in hopes of getting students more invested.	In this phase the class and the teacher will introduce themselves and ask students to talk about why they’ve chosen this class and relate their experience in dealing with pottery. This will create a sense of community within the classroom and allow the teacher to discover the level of experience they are dealing with.	Students with experience will be invited to speak about some techniques they use and where they learned to use them. The teacher will go to the students and ask if they are willing to demonstrate their techniques to the rest of the class in hopes that new methods will be demonstrated that the teacher had not initially thought to offer.
Phase 1: Introduction to clay and the tools used to mold it.  The teacher will discuss the different kinds of clay and techniques used in the creation of pottery (earthenware, stoneware, porcelain, etc.) There will be an introduction on the kinds of tools used to shape and mold the clay, as well as an introduction to the pottery wheel. Also taught in this phase will be techniques utilizing fingers and hands.	The teacher will demonstrate how to use the tools as well as the importance of preparing the clay for shaping. They will introduce the pottery wheel and the techniques required to successfully shape clay while using it. Finally, the students will be introduced to glazing, and the kiln used for firing the final creation.	Students will be given the same tools utilized by the teacher. Initially they will mimic the techniques but gradually will be allowed to use the tools to create their own ideas. Students will be broken into smaller groups where they will be allowed to demonstrate their techniques and ideas to others. Students with experience will be placed in these groups to give ideas on more advanced uses of the tools.
Phase 2: The First Creation  This is the most exciting part as students will create their first real piece. The students will make their first creation on their own, a simple jewelry tray. This initial project is easy to create and allows for a wide range of mishaps which lead to learning opportunities. This also allows them to be creative in the use of their tools, as well as glazing.	The teacher will move throughout the room and observe each student while they create their jewelry tray. The teacher will provide guidancefor good techniques as well as proper implementation of the tools provided. They will also ensure that students are safe while utilizing the potter’s wheel and the kiln.	Students will create a simple jewelry tray utilizing the potter’s wheel and the techniques learned in phase 1. They will be encouraged to be creative and to safely use the tools provided as well as their hands and fingers. They are encouraged to ask questions of the more experienced students as well as the teacher. They will glaze their own creations and place them into the kiln.
Phase 3: A Little Bit Harder  For the next project, students will be asked to create a cup with a handle. This technique requires the use of the potter’s wheel, but also hand techniques to create the handle, as well as a bit more advanced techniques to mold the handle seamlessly into the cup and ensures that it will remain after firing.	The teacher will walk around and observe, providing guidance only when it appears that the project may not make it through the firing process. This guidance may include advising if the vessel is to thin, misshapen, or otherwise not strong enough to withstand the heat in the kiln. They will encourage creativity and unique thinking.	Students can create any kind of cup that they want as long as it also has a handle attached. Handle must be functional and not decorative. This is to insure they understand the technique of attaching pieces to the initial vessel. Experienced students will be encouraged to provide their own ideas to the classroom. Students will glaze and fire their own cups.
Phase 4: And a Little Bit Harder  The student will construct their own flower vase using the techniques from the previous two phases. They vase will be required to have at least three decorative pieces on the outside (handle, lid, etc.) to demonstrate the knowledge gained in the previous phase.	In this phase the teacher will not provide any assistance unless specifically asked. This includes guidance on the shaping which may lead the vessel not surviving the firing process. Instead, they teacher will create their own flower vase so that she is interactive in the class and showing her experience in the creation of a flower vase.	Students will work on their own flower vase and are encouraged to be as creative as they want. They will use the experience gained in the previous phases to ensure that their vessel survives the firing process and can be displayed for the other students. They are encouraged to seek out guidance from other students for help in their creations. They are asked not to go to the instructor unless they absolutely need to.
Phase 5: Go Wild  In this phase the student is allowed to create whatever they want utilizing the techniques and experience from the previous phases. Students will be encouraged to be a bit more artistic and utilize free-thinking techniques such as bending, stretching, piercing, and more.	The teacher will also create whatever they want and is encouraged to join the students while they are creating. The teacher, once again, will only intervene if necessary but is encouraged to use the idea of “happy accidents”, and allow the student to stretch their creative capacity to fix the error or implement it into the overall design.	Students will be allowed to stretch their creative process and utilize all the techniques they have learned over the previous phases. Students are encouraged to research their own unique techniques which they can apply to the final project. Once completed, the project will be displayed for the class and for the next class coming in.

 

Since this is a creative class, I will also utilize reflection-on-action instructional method whereby students “consciously return to the experiences we have had, reevaluate those experiences, decided what we could do differently, and then try out whatever we decided to do differently” (Merriam & Baumgartner, 2020). At the end of each creation phase, students will evaluate their creation and decide what could be done differently, providing experience and new direction in their next project. 

References 

The American Ceramic Society. (2022, February 17). Brief history of ceramics and glass - The American Ceramic Society. https://ceramics.org/about/what-are-engineered-ceramics-and-glass/brief-history-of-ceramics-and-glass/

 Links to an external site. 

Merriam, S. B., & Baumgartner, L. M. (2020). Learning in adulthood: A Comprehensive Guide. John Wiley & Sons.