Transformation
A Pottery Journey Pictorial
Photo 1: Remnants of the 2003 Fire
Photo 2: Laser copy (reversed) of the image
Photo 3: Transferred image to pottery
Photo 4: Okanagan Lake in black and white photography
Photo 5: Learning to paint from a photo (on clay)
For auditory learners, these videos provide an audio version of the text.
From Devastation to Design
I love to find beauty in the unexpected, the broken, the incomplete and the unfinished. My transformation as a potter began when I was out pursuing another hobby, photography. I came across two trees that had been badly burnt in one of the forest fires that had ravaged the Okanagan Valley. I snapped a photo because I was struck by the stark beauty of their resilience. I wanted to find a way to share their beauty by transferring that image to my pottery. I taught myself a technique of using a laser printer to transfer food safe underglaze to clay. From there, I taught myself to burn screens for screen printing the image. I was in love with the process and took more photos of trees. And then I started to paint those images onto the clay and fell in love with painting. From the beauty of two burnt trees, emerged a path to a creative journey that continues to fuel my soul. All it took was a lot of practice, a ton of failures, and a desire to learn.
Artifact
My passion for teaching led me down a similar path. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit and we were forced online, I saw the devastation that resulted. But I also saw the promise that was hidden in that devastation. I wanted to learn how to unearth that promise and create something new and exciting from it. Thus began my journey in the MET program. I have learned a lot about the potential and the pitfalls of technology in education. Because of this, and my commitment to EDIDA, one project I have been working on is the creation of a Sociology of Technology course. I began this project while taking ETEC 565C: Ableism, Equity, and Educational Technology.
For auditory learners, these videos provide an audio version of the text.
For auditory learners, these videos provide an audio version of the text.
Taking this course deepened my commitment to EDIDA and I decided to teach the course in as accessible way as I could. The course website that I built (a work in progress), ensures that the course syllabus and assignments are all available to students in text, audio, and large print formats. I have also tried to build flexibility into the course that will allow students to learn from their strengths and grow in their weaknesses. The design of this course represents my growth in SMART Goal 1, as I have developed my teaching philosophy in ways that have transformed my approach to teaching. My journey toward learning new technology tools (SMART Goal 2) allowed me to use programs such as Voki to create audio components that are visually appealing. Finally, courses such as ETEC 565C: Ableism, Equity, and Educational Technology reignited my commitment to EDIDA.
To view the course website, click on the button below!