FFT Proposal

FELLOWSHIP RATIONALE AND PURPOSE: When thinking about your teaching practice, what would you like to learn? What are the key questions you want to explore? What challenge or passion inspires your proposed fellowship?

Odd as it may sound, few words excite me as much as “Spanish tile.” I have a deep and energizing love of ceramic tile in general, and ceramic tile mosaics in particular. There is no place in this world I would rather explore than the birthplace of ceramic tile mosaics, Spain. The Romans, Moors, and Renaissance era Spaniards all contributed innovations to the traditional ceramic manufacturing that is still going on in the renown local production centers of Manises and Paterna today. The primary objective of my fellowship is to learn, first hand, the traditional methods and techniques of ceramic tile manufacturing from working artists in that area. Their kilns have been firing since Arab times and have made the region of Valencia famous among lovers of ceramics, like me.

As a teacher I have struggled to grow the ceramics and sculpture program at my school and instill in my students an appreciation for the cultural contributions made by artisans throughout history. In a time of budget cuts and curriculum alignment I have fought to preserve and promote the role of ceramics and hand-made tiles in my classes. The process of designing, fabricating, and installing ceramic tile murals in our school and in our community has been the foundation of our thriving program. It is this passion for the fusion of hand-made ceramic tiles and community arts projects that leads me to Spain. The public arts projects of Antoni Gaudi are a source of awe and inspiration for me. I imagine that a stroll through Park Guell and a trip to his skyscraping cathedral, Sagrada Familia, will be truly religious experiences. Exploration of his Barcelona will help me answer the question of how to bring ancient traditions together with modern design to engage my students in creating culturally expressive public artworks.

A visit to Spain must include time in the heart of the nation, Madrid. The many museums and galleries in Madrid house works by the most famous Spanish artists as well as masterpieces by the world's greatest. It is home to Picasso's Guernica,a painting I have studied and taught, but have never seen in person. Madrid is also the home of The Real Academia de Bellas Artes, an institution thatfamous artists such as Picasso and Dalí once attended and of which Francisco de Goya was once the director. To spend time in the places where these giants of my chosen field studied and worked will infuse my own study and teaching with an authenticity that cannot be gained any other way. I want to be in their cities, walk their streets, hear their language spoken, surround myself with their work, and truly understand the source of their inspiration.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION: Describe and outline in detail your proposed fellowship. What key activities will you pursue, and why are they important? What is the time frame for achieving the goals outlined in the rationale and purpose?

My two week fellowship will begin and end in Madrid. My itinerary for 3 days in Madrid includes visits to theMuseo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia,home of Picasso's magnificent Guernica,theMuseo de Arte Contemporaneo, Museo del Prado, andThe National Decorative Arts Museum. My journal will be an important part of this experience. It will not only allow me to record my impression of Spain, and document my travels, but it will serve as a resource upon my return to the classroom. I will share my journal with my students and encourage them to document their own experiences in a similar fashion.

From Madrid I will take the train to Barcelona. Five days in Barcelona will allow for an in depth study of Gaudi's life and work, visits to many of the world class museums, and a day trip up the mountain outside the city. I will begin my stay with a bicycle tour of the city by FatTire Bike Tours. The spot I most look forward to visiting is the Gaudi wonderland of Park Guell. This is one of the world's most delightful public spaces and the greatest example of ceramic tile mosaic public art installation anywhere. I will make the most of my time and rely on the expertise of a local tour company to show me The Best of Barcelona. This tour includes visits to Gaudi's architectural wonders, Casa Batlloand La Pedreraas well as an extended visit to his masterpiece, the still unfinished cathedral Sagrada Familia. I will end my stay in Barcelona with a day devoted entirely to one of my favorite artists, Pablo Picasso. The Museo Picasso occupies five medieval stone mansions, each with courtyards and galleries full of Picasso's work. I will be able to stroll through Picasso's life and immerse myself in his genius.

Bidding farewell to Barcelona, I set my sights on Valencia. My first full day in Valencia will begin with a self paced audio bike tour by a local company called OrangeBikes. The next four days will include visits to Ciutat de les arts i les ciències(City of the Arts and Sciences) a triple museum housed in three futuristic dome-like structures, and the National Ceramics Museum Gonzalez Marti, which includes medieval ceramics and an important collection of tiles made in the Royal Ceramics Factory in Alcora. The most important purpose of my fellowship is to learn, first hand, the traditional methods and techniques of ceramic tile manufacturing in Valencia, and in the towns of Manises and Paterna. For this purpose, I have requested help from the Office of Tourism in Manises, the Asociacion Valenciana de Ceramica (AVEC), and the organization Ceramica de Manises. Everyone I have contacted has been very eager to assist me with visiting local pottery and tile manufacturing studios. Several artists have already agreed to meet with me, and with the help of an interpreter provided by the Office of Tourism, conduct in-depth interviews and document their techniques on film. I will use these interviews, film footage, and photographs to teach my students about the history and tradition of pottery and tile-making in Spain.

TEACHER GROWTH AND LEARNING: How will your fellowship help you address your key questions and/or learning goals? How will this fellowship help you grow as a teacher?

My career as an art educator has allowed me to try every medium and experiment with all methods of creative self-expression. I have found what inspires me and I have tried to use that inspiration to create opportunities for my students to experience the joy of successful self-expression. I know that going to Spain and talking with artists and artisans who still work in the traditional way will add a deeper level of understanding to my teaching. I know that walking through Gaudi's park and being inside his cathedral will help me understand the root of his inspiration. I can share these conversations with my classes, take them with me on my journey through my Blog site updates, show them my journal entries and photographs, and help them understand that there is an enormous world out there, full of fascinating history and rich cultures. I can improve my teaching of ceramics and sculpture by incorporating the history and culture of Spain and the life and work of Gaudi and Picasso. It is not enough to show my students how to make a tile mural instillation. They need to know why we do this, who else does this, where is this done, and what effect does it have on that community? How can we create that feeling of culture and tradition here,in our own neighborhood? The answers to these questions, and a first-hand cultural experience, are what I will bring home from Spain.

STUDENT GROWTH AND LEARNING: How will students benefit from your proposed fellowship? What meaningful additions will this experience bring to your classroom?

I teach students from very low socioeconomic backgrounds. My experience teaching at a Title 1 school has been that these students don’t believe that the possibility of seeing the world is available to them. I want to show them that travel is possible, and that there is no better education than to get out and see the world. Though many of my students lack financial stability, they are rich in cultural heritage. I want to show them how they can use traditional art making methods to express their heritage and create bonds within their community. Through the study of Gaudi's work and the traditional methods of ceramic tile-making and mosaic installation, we will create public artworks in community spaces. I have already established ties to community businesses and organizations that have, and will continue to, sponsor my students' artworks in their parks, private businesses, and public spaces. We will begin on our own campus by creating a fountain and bench in our courtyard, in cooperation with the Enviornmental Sciences classes. The fountain and bench will reflect Gaudi's architectural style and his use of mosaic in public spaces. I know that my experiences in Spain will enable me to add depth and relevance to these projects. I want my kids to see that they have the tools they need to find their own voices and celebrate their culture. My fellowship in Madrid, Barcelona, and Valencia will be like traveling thorough time, mixing ancient traditions with modern innovation. This fusion of old and new is a perfect fit for my students who cling to their parents traditions and culture, and at the same time seek the newness and innovation of their own generation. My plans for the following school year are structured around my fellowship experience. I will center my ceramics and sculpture curriculum around my studies in Spain, making each of my lessons more meaningful for my students.

BENEFITS TO SCHOOL COMMUNITY: How will your fellowship experience contribute to your school community’s efforts to engage students and improve learning? How will you share the fellowship learning with colleagues?

One of the objectives for this fellowship is to engage my school's entire student body, and faculty, in this experience. To that end, I have established a blog page that I will update throughout my travels. Students and teachers throughout my district are invited to follow my journey online. I will be posting pictures from my travels with a running commentary, as well as images and links to relevant resource material. Teachers of History, Social Studies, Geography, Foreign Languages, Language Arts, Math and Science courses will all find useful information to incorporate into their classes. Some ideas for integration are Euro to Dollar conversions rates, chemical and temperature changes related to firing techniques, Moorish and Arab cultural influences, Christian and Moor conflicts, Gothic and Romanesque architecture, Picasso and Guernicaas a political protest, The Spanish Civil War, World War II and Spain, etc. I will invite my blog followers to post comments on my page and will respond to them while in Spain. This kind of real-time interactive experience will create a feeling of inclusion and collaborative learning.

PLAN FOR FELLOWSHIP IMPLEMENTATION OF LEARNING: Please outline a plan for implementing learning from your proposed fellowship within your classroom or school. 1) Curricular Unit/Project Outline: Focus on goals, student skills, general content, teaching methods, and assessment ideas OR 2) Action Plan: Focus on the goals, strategy, and outcomes for new classroom or school-wide structures.

I have outlined two thematic units that I will implement upon my return from Spain.

The first is based upon Picasso's masterpiece, Guernica,which I will study in Madrid. Objectives: In this unit students will

1. Become familiar with the life and work of Spanish artist, Pablo Picasso.
2. Study his masterpiece, Guernica, and understand it as a political statement, and how it relates to the historical events of the Spanish Civil War and World War II.
3. Use the cubist style to create their own politically charged imagery.

Student Skills and Teaching Methods: Students will

1. Select a current political issue to explore referencing current event websites and publications. (Independent research)
2. Practice the deconstruction of images and creation of multiple viewpoints that is cubism, (teacher modeling, guided practice, and reference of Picasso's work)
3. Apply these rendering principles to their original composition. Their final product will be a monochromatic, painted mural that brings attention to a current social or political concern. (independent practice and collaboration)

Outcome and Assessment: Student work will be

1. Prominently displayed on campus with related reference materials and artists' statements.
2. Critiqued in a class forum during which each student will explain his/her inspiration and process
3. Featured in the School Newspaper and on the School Newscast, with artist interviews

The second unit is based upon the mosaic public artworks of Gaudi, which I will study in Barcelona, and the traditional ceramic tile manufacturing practices which I will study first-hand with practicing artisans in Valencia.

Objectives: Sculpture and Ceramics classes will

1. Collaborate with the Environmental Sciences classes to design a concrete fountain and bench in Gaudi's organic style, to be covered in tile mosaic and installed in our courtyard. (The Environmental Sciences classes will be responsible for implementing a solar powered pump for the fountain as part of our school's on-going solar initiative.)
2. Design mosaic imagery to reflect the themes of both the solar initiative, as well as our student body's cultural heritage.
3. Construct and install the fountain and bench using sculptural and mosaic techniques
4. Design, fabricate, and install a ceramic tile mural in a public space in our community.
5. Work directly with a local business owner to develop a design that reflects both the subject of the business as well as the cultural identity of the student artists.

Student Skills and Teaching Methods: Students will

1. Reference the video footage of my interviews, view my blog pages devoted to the subject, and review materials collected during my fellowship on traditional ceramic tile manufacturing. (Independent research)
2. Interview and collaborate with the business owner to design imagery that can serve both as advertising and as artistic expression of the community's cultural heritage.
3. Follow mural making time lines to deign, create, and install tiles on the surface of an exterior wall of a local business. (Teacher modeling, guided practice)
4. Use mosaic techniques to cover the surface of the fountain and bench with the designed imagery (Independent practice and collaboration)

Outcome and Assessment:

1. Student work will enhance the existing environment of our courtyard by bringing visual interest and creative expression to physical structures.

2. The result of this unit of study will be a large, permanent installation of student artwork in a public space in our local community.

DOCUMENTATION OF LEARNING: How will you document or report on the impact of your summer experience to your students, your colleagues and your school community? Consider documentation methods that will show evidence of and reflection of your learning experience.

During my fellowship in Spain, I will routinely update my blog page with pictures and commentary from my travels. My students and colleagues that are following my updates will be invited to leave comments. This interactive collaborative learning strategy can be shared in any classroom by any teacher who wishes to participate. My personal journal, blog entries, photographs, interviews, and video footage will be compiled into a workshop presentation that I will present at the annual Texas Art Educators' Association conference the following year. I will invite participants to use everything from this grant application to my students' finished projects as resource material to implement their own ceramic tile murals or community art installation projects. This TAEA workshop presentation will be posted on our district intranet for anyone to access. The highlight of my fellowship will be the opportunity to observe and interview artists at work in their studios. With the help of an interpreter I will create short video segments that outline the traditional Spanish tile-making techniques, as well as other pottery techniques, and can be used in art classrooms throughout my district. These videos will be uploaded to my blog page and will be posted on our district intranet. I will also include images from my personal journal and photographs from my travels in these video segments.

BUDGET NARRATIVE: Provide a brief narrative showing evidence of thoughtful planning and research into your specific itinerary. The narrative should explain the rationale for the project’s expenses. It is helpful to be precise. If final dates are not known, stipulate a time frame and approximate costs as closely as possible.

Airfare, lodging, food, museum and event prices have been researched primarily on LonelyPlanet.com, and compared on Travelocity, Orbitz, and Expedia.

A round trip ticket from Houston to Madrid on US Airways is currently $1511. This flight will depart Houston Intercontinental Airport on June 19, 2012 and will arrive in Madrid the next day. The return flight will depart from Madrid on July 3, 2012 and will arrive in Houston the same day. A Eurail Spain Pass for 3 days of unlimited travel in a 2 month period will cost $231. A train pass of this type will allow me to travel between my three destination cities. A MadridTourist Travel Pass for 3 days of unlimited bus usage in Madrid costs $18. A T10 Barcelona Metro Pass is $11 for ten trips, 5 days in the city will require 2 of these T10 cards. ($22) Navigating Valencia's attractions can easily be done on foot and unplanned for one-way trips by bus or metro cost only $2. My total transportation budget comes to $1782.

I have chosen mid-range hotels in Madrid, Barcelona, and Valencia which offer rates that include breakfast each morning. Three nights at the Jardin de Recoletos will be $630. Five nights in Barcelona at Grupotel Gran Via 678 will cost $820. Five nights in Valencia at Catalonia Excelsior will cost $896. Entrance to the three best museums in Madrid (the Prado Museum, the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum and the Reina Sofía Museum) can be had for the price of a Madrid Art Walk Pass, $24. Entrance to the Contemporary Art Museum in Madrid is free. Comparing prices for food in Madrid on a variety of websites leads me to believe it will cost $40 a day. Assuming that I can find cheap lunch options while I am out and eat dinner in moderately priced restaurants I will need $120 for 3 days. While in Barcelona, I will take the Fat Tire Bike Tour for $30, and the Best of Barcelona Tour for $86. The cable Car ride up Montserrat costs $12. The Picasso Museum entrance fee is $14. Food in Barcelona is priced similarly to Madrid. Five days in Barcelona will require $200. My first day in Valencia includes an audio tour on bicycle by OrangeBikes for $14. The rest of my stay will be divided between museum visits and coordinated visits to ceramics studios through the tourist agencies. I will purchase bus passes as needed for $2 . The entrance fee for the National Ceramics Museum Gonzalez Marti, is $5. Dining in Valencia is equivalent to Madrid, but will depend on summer prices. I think the same food budget of $200 will cover my 5 days in Valencia. Passport renewal fees are $110. I have secured the use of a video camera and laptop for the artist interviews and blog updates and do not require funds for technology. I will compensate the artists that I visit and interview as recommended by The Office of Tourism, $100. The total for my proposal is $5043. I will personally pay the difference between the grant amount of $5000 and my total expenses.