It’s been a busy two days here at Project Zero Classroom.
There is still a lot to think and unpack (nearly 40 pages and counting on my googledoc notes) and not much downtime too much socialising.
A moment that stayed with me today was an artful thinking workshop that I wanted to remember. For the first time I found it hard to focus.
I had signed up for a course in artful thinking because I have been dabbling in using art to document thinking in my class and wanted to learn more.
The presenters took us through the process of looking at an image. The initial glance, taking in details, lines, colours, contrasts. Looking at the painting from different perspectives, different senses trying to make sense of painting with no title or painter.
We talked with partner about we saw, what we thought we saw.
Despite my best efforts my mind kept wandering off. I kept trying to google to find the image or painter. Something, anything to help me fill in the blanks.
Why weren’t moving on?
As someone who lives in a world of multiple screens, bombarded by images I found the task of looking and thinking about one painting for an extended period of time excruciating.
In this instance it was nearly 30 minutes of looking and talking about one image.
Thinking is hard.
It’s far easier to find the answers and move on.
If this is me as a learner, what’s happening in the classes I teach?
Do I facilitate slow looking at provocations or are the kids just glancing and missing opportunities to reframe and extend thinking?
Teaching the Teacher 
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