Collaboration

Hey guys! This week has been pretty crazy trying to get things started. My thoughts are all over the place so I am using this blog to help sort some of these thoughts and reflect upon what I've learned this week.

So the topic of this blog is collaboration.

This topic is fresh on my mind because yesterday we did team work exercises and it made me think about collaboration in more detail. We split up into 4 groups. Two groups were given cake decorating materials while 2 groups were given a pile of fabric, ribbon, glue, stuffing and other miscellaneous craft supplies. We were given roughly 3 hours to create a piece of art. When we presented this "artwork" to the class we had to explain our thought-process and why it is art.

Unfortunately, I do not have pictures, because these projects were OUTSTANDING. Not outstanding in a way that they could go in an art museum but outstanding in the fact that they had deep meaning... for the most part. Some projects more than others.

[Complete irrelevant side note: My favorite project was the Pac Man cake. The group made a Pac Man character who was eating several little earths. Off to the side was the Japanese symbol for Apocalypse. To me the best interpretation of this piece is the fact that human beings themselves are destroying Earth rather than some other natural phenomenon (like global warming...)]

So to continue with my discussion about collaboration, which will be a deciding factor in the success of this project.

All the groups seemed to work well together and have a lot of fun with art project. And not to mention it really got our creative juices flowing. But underneath the messy glue and tasty icing important lessons were learned:

1. Compromise: When working in a group setting several ideas will be thrown out there; however, not all ideas can be used. Group members must be willing to drop their idea or adjust there idea to mesh with the ideas of others.

2. Time management: Sometimes a project might deadline in 3 hours or 3 months. It is good to have a plan at the beginning of the project to assign time parameters for each component.

3. Delegation: In a group setting, there has to be a leader. Either a group leader needs to be assigned or a member will need to step up to the position. If task assignments are not delegated, there is a good chance some component of the project will get lost.

4. Excitement and Energy: Group members need to be energetic and passionate about the project. If there is no excitement about the project, it will show in the end product.

5. Planning: Without a plan, the project has no direction and no course of action.

6. Group dynamics: Every person has a different personality and with different personalities comes different skill sets. Find what each person can contribute to the group and utilize those skills.

7. Patience: Working in a group setting can be trying at times, but remember that all the hard work will pay off in the end (if all goes accordingly).

8. Stay on Task: This can make or break a group. A group that is unable to stay on task will never get any work done. Although it is good to be friendly with group members, that alliance can also be a double-edged sword. The delegator may need to keep the group on track.

[IMPORTANT OBSERVATION: just because you are finished with your part of the project, does not mean that all group members are finished. On many occasions, one or more group members will quickly complete their tasks and socialize with those who have yet to complete their portion. DO NOT distract those who are trying to complete their work.]

9. Admittance of mistakes: It's OK to be wrong.

10. Execution: Go out there and create the best product you can create! A project is only as good as the work you put into it.

Well, that is my two cents about working in a collaborative setting. I hope you find the advice helpful.

On a totally different note, Anna and I ventured into the basement! When we first opened the door, I'm pretty sure students in the attic could hear my heart pounding through my chest. My hands were sweaty and Anna could hear the shakiness in my voice as I said, "Are there lights down there?" Anna is much more adventurous than I and she realized that we would have to go down the seemingly forbidden staircase to reach the lights... needless to say she was in charge of the lights.

Once we got downstairs it was not as scary as I had expected. Although, it was very LARGE. A maze really. Under the staircase was a creepy room that could perhaps have housed Harry Potter. Throughout the basement there were several old chairs that I was certain were going to spontaneously scoot across the cement floor. By the time we had reach the end of the maze, which rewarded us with another staircase that presumably led to the kitchen, I was ready to high-tail it out of there. Anna, most likely, would have liked to explore more, but my fear of bugs as well as ghosts were being tested in this damp basement. So I said, "OK I think that's all" and scurried back through the maze.

I'm proud to say I made it out of the basement and lived to talk about it!

Tomorrow we are making our first trip to the art museum! I can't wait to fill you in about that awesome experience. Even though I've been to several museums in my day, I have yet to visit the Ball State Museum of Art.

Day 1

So today was the first official day of "class."

It was a typical first day: Introductions, class schedule, guidelines.

However, it was atypical in the fact that Donna, the office manager, laid out the house rules. It felt similar to a speech I would give to my campers when I was a camp counselor about respecting the place where you live. I feel very at home in this house and I am eager to spend so much time here.

[For those of you who don't know, the VBC is headquartered in an old mansion off campus that looks like something Harry Potter would be studying in. I am very lucky to work is such an environment because it looks and feels nothing like a classroom or academic setting. There are 3 levels + a creepy basement that I will not venture into on my own, a servant's staircase and a sun room. To say the house is Beautiful would undermine the breath-taking appeal this mansion encompasses.]

Today, Anna Hartley (one of the other students) and I were exploring near the servant's staircase and I stumbled upon a janitor's closet, which had a short door in the back of it. I opened the door and...... OUT POPPED A GHOST. Just kidding. There was no encounter with a ghost but I was severely freaked out by the dark black mysterious room. Needless to say, the door was shut within 30 seconds and we were on our way back to our "classroom."

The house is full of fun places to explore, which I will keep you up-to-date on throughout the semester. You should look forward to when I blog about my adventures into the basement! So stay tuned for that.

SO the excitement is uncharacteristically high among my group members about this project. Considering most of us are looking forward to graduating within the next year, this is a good remedy for senioritis.

That is all I have for now. Stay linked for more detailed information throughout the semester.

Totally random side note: You should all read the book "Three Cups of Tea." It's just amazing. I'm halfway through and it's absolutely inspiring.

Introduction

Hello, everyone!

Good news: I'm starting a blog this semester! I've decided to do this for several reasons:

A. I've done several interesting "things," for the lack of a better term, during my time at Ball State and have failed to document those "things" in blog format.

B. I would rather spell out the details via a blog one time as opposed to explaining the project 10 times at every social gathering and family function

C. And lastly, it's a requirement.

So, now you want to know what exactly the project entails, right?

Well, not only is it pushing 1 am, but I also do not want to bore you with the details. The jist is this:

Funding in public schools is getting cut across the board. One of the first subjects to get neglected is the humanities (mainly art, music, philosophy, etc.). So what myself and 13 other motivated individuals would like to do within the next 12 weeks is create a Web site that will help high school art teachers teach their students. We are working with the Ball State University Museum of Art and Muncie Central High School to create a Web site that will help students appreciate and understand art.

Like I said, this is a primitive explanation of the project. For more information visit this Web site: www.arttogo.weebly.com. This is an informative Web site about the project specifically. For information about the Virginia Ball Center visit www.bsu.edu/vbc.