Final Project

Final Artist Statment

Making my final archive was a bit of a challenge for me. I didn’t want to create a new theme for my project since all I have been focusing on was imagination. The most difficult part was trying not to have my final critical creative project to be exactly like my multimedia essay. I attempted to use windows movie maker, but it got too confusing for me so instead I used power point. I decided to use picknik, to make some of my pictures more interesting and creative. My project is supposed to assembled where I do most of my talking in the begging of my presentation followed by Albert Einstein quotes, and a couple of sentences here and there about imagination. Since I already did a project on imagination I was stuck for a while on how to portray imagination in another way. I resolved this problem by taking the approach of how Esculea Vieau indirectly promotes imagination. I have learned a ton from this experience and it actually feels weird not going to Vieau this week. There were a couple of students who I miss torturing the most. They both happen to be trouble makers, but I realized its how you approach them. I told both of them that if they do their work I would buy them both a power aid, and ever since then they only want me to be their tutor and never give me anymore problems. The teachers and facility were very nice and welcoming just like the whole student body. When watching the kids play in the gym, they never judged anyone or told someone they couldn’t play with them. All of them were very inviting and loved taking pictures of themselves and their friends. I liked giving my camera to the kids because I wanted to get a feel for how they see their gym, the sport they were playing. Im very happy with my experience at Vieau and would like to continue to volunteer at the school.

Journal 3

The Service Learning at Vieau School was an experience that I will never forget. Im going to miss tutoring kids with their homework. When I was in Sports and Fitness with Janette the kids loved playing soccer and volleyball. They also liked when I gave them my camera and where taking pictures of each other. I made some memories with some of the kids that I helped. For example this kid named Bryan hated doing homework, and was trying to find any excuse not to do his homework. I told him if he does his homework I would buy him a power aid from the vending machine. He quieted down and did his homework and ever since that session he only wanted me to tutor him on Monday and Tuesdays. The last day that I volunteered I went on a tour of school. I never knew that there were three floors to the school. While going through the halls I noticed all of the art work that all the students made. At first I was apprehensive about Vieau School because I really didn’t working with kids, but this experience changed my opinion. Im so happy that I did this and I would like to continue to volunteer at Vieau.

Media Essay

Film 150

Artist Statement

I decided imagination as my theme because when I was in elementary school there were so many rules that we had to follow for playing. Since I went to a private school, there was more funding for certain things. For example if we wanted to play kickball, we had to play with a bouncy ball, we couldn’t use a soccer ball. There was a time when I volunteered and these three girls wanted to play volleyball even though the gym didn’t have volleyball net. In school we couldn’t play volleyball unless the net was set up. After seeing how these kids played I realized that it didn’t matter that there wasn’t a net or that the gym was too small for kickball, they used their imagination and had fun.
Although it was fun taking pictures, it was very hard getting a good shot. Every picture I have is an action picture of kids running around and catching, throwing, and kicking balls. The best pictures that I got were when they were playing kickball. Even though I didn’t capture the students with the teachers, I still noticed that everyone knows each other. Being Hispanic I can relate to how they were interacting with each other. Everyone is nice to each other and has each other’s back.
I didn’t take pictures of the kids that I was torturing. I think tutoring is the best part of the service learning because you get to interact with the kids one on one and learn a little about each person. One of the most important things that I have learned so far is that when you don’t have everything like a large gym or a volleyball net it leaves your mind up for imagination. Another example was when we played soccer, they didn’t need a net or large field they were just happy with kicking that ball and trying to get the ball in holes in the walls. Just like my teacher said to my class, “Limitations live only in our minds, but if we use our imaginations, our possibilities become limitless”

Journal 2

Wednesday was my first day at service learning and I really enjoyed my time. When I first got there I started tutoring students with their homework. I first started with a 3^rd grader that needed help deciding what is soft, hard, and rough. The second kid that I tutored around need help writing a paper about her trip to the museum. The third kid was my favorite; he needed help with science and math homework, he was asking me a lot of questions and made a lot of jokes. By the time I was done, it was 430 and I was assigned to sports and fitness. I went to gym where the kids played kickball. I was taking pictures of the kids playing kickball. It was so much fun watching them play kickball, the kids where taking the game really seriously. When the 2^nd group of kids came into the gym, the teacher said it was open gym, and most of kids played soccer. However, three girls asked if I wanted to play volleyball with them. It was a lot of fun considering that there wasn’t any net, and we made rules while were playing the game. Im looking forward to my next visit on March 30^th, too meet their parents and take more pictures. These kids are a lot of fun and Im looking forward volunteering again.

Journal 1

Just got out of the service learning orientation and I’m actually looking forward to volunteering. Yesenia and her mother told the class a little history about the school and a little about the community. When Yesenia and her mother took us on the tour of school it remained me of when I went to after school program. Even though my first choice is to sports and fitness, the class that teaches adults English is what I really want to do. When we entered the class room I immediately wanted to tutor the students. All the adults that where sitting in the class room seemed really nice and egger to learn English. When we went upstairs to the gym we saw kids playing with jump ropes, balls, and making up their own games with their imagination. We continued on to the tour and we saw the office and then went to a cafeteria where they play games and Yesenia told us about once a month the kids buy toys with fake money that they earn for being good. I thought this was amazing program would help this children stay on the right track with an award that they want. Im looking forward working with these children and learn about their culture and hopefully learn something about myself.