William & Susan Schran User on thu 17 dec 09
On 12/17/09 4:27 PM, "mel jacobson" wrote:
> i know this sounds harsh, but many of us have been preaching
> this gospel for a long time. we have to answer the questions,
> we have to do the re/teaching. clayart has become a sounding board
> for the revival of clay education. if you know nothing, you cannot
> teach it. simple as that.
>
> i get notes all the time from clayart teachers saying how much
> clayart means to them, how they learn more in a few weeks reading
> clayart than they got in classes at a college.
>
> so, i am asking all of you to respond, think, help in this adventure.
> it is our future and the future of ceramics. it will take effort and
> clear thinking. when the school dollars are flushed down the toilet,
> programs like ceramics are the first to die. we need a few band aides.
Mel,
It would seem our society runs in cycles - economic, political, culturally.
Most localities, counties, states are hurting for funds just to keep the
basic stuff going. So in their minds, dumping those things they believe are
frivolous or unneeded, like arts in the schools, are easy fixes, yet they
never consider they are removing all of the subjects that teach creative
problem solving, which is exactly what we are in need of - but no, let's ge=
t
back to the good ole days of memorization and rote learning.
My experience: was hired and began teaching ceramics at community college,
part-time in 1976, full-time 1977. Early 1980's come along, recession, stat=
e
funding cuts, need to reduce number of teachers, cut the arts, my position
eliminated, but I convinced them to keep all equipment and put into storage=
.
Another campus of same school had somebody retiring, decided to fill vacant
position, I was able to be re-hired, but no ceramics so taught all other ar=
t
studio courses. 1987 - contacted warehouse, told them to move all stored
pottery stuff to my new campus. Came in one weekend, by myself, moved
everything out of a conference room, about 15'x30', moved all ceramics
equipment in and told my division chair we now had a ceramics program.
2009 - have built program through grants, pottery sales, begging for money
to 2 large studios, 15 wheels, slab roller, mixer/pugger, extruders,
chemical/glaze mixing room (put padlock on janitor's closet and would give
it back, spray booth, 4 electric kilns, a Geil gas kiln and various other
things needed in a pottery studio.
So last year our budget for the art program - $4800 - that's for hiring
models and supplies, for the year. Not much, but we muddle through.
Ceramics uses none of the budget. I raise all of the money to keep ceramics
going.
Had head campus administrator tell us when he came on board our division
(Visual & Performing Arts) costs too much, we didn't produce enough
enrollment to warrant our budget, so he cut it in half. Then he got a new
job and on the last day before he left (end of August) he sent out our
budget for this academic year. The art program - we got $500 for the year!
All I could do was laugh.
The campus went through an re-organization this fall, collapsed from 4
divisions to 2 (save money by eliminating two division deans) and I was abl=
e
to convince the new dean and new head administrator that the art program
needed additional funding to fulfill it's mission - so now our budget for
models is restored.
Ceramics - we held our annual holiday pottery show, raised a few thousand
that will cover our needs for the year. Went after another grant and have
funding to replace two aging electric kilns.
What it comes down to is a small number of individuals who care enough to
put forth whatever effort is necessary to make it happen.
Maybe, we need to consider putting together another electronic book, like
the kiln book, specifically as a resource for teachers on all of the hows
and whys of a safe and healthy ceramics studio - a ceramics for dummies boo=
k
- for those educators that teach in the primary and secondary settings and
have not a clue about ceramics.
Of course this happens after the current kiln book is done...
Bill
--
William "Bill" Schran
wschran@cox.net
wschran@nvcc.edu
http://www.creativecreekartisans.com
Kathy Forer on sat 19 dec 09
On Dec 17, 2009, at 5:46 PM, William & Susan Schran User wrote:
> Maybe, we need to consider putting together another electronic book, =3D
like
> the kiln book, specifically as a resource for teachers on all of the =3D
hows
> and whys of a safe and healthy ceramics studio - a ceramics for =3D
dummies book
> - for those educators that teach in the primary and secondary settings =
=3D
and
> have not a clue about ceramics.
This is a terrific idea. It could be done as a wiki.
=3D20
> Of course this happens after the current kiln book is done...
Shula on sat 19 dec 09
clay programs survive and sometimes flourish because of teachers like you w=
ho care and work hard to keep things going.
Thank you
Shula
Desert Hot Springs, California USA
-----Original Message-----
>From: William & Susan Schran User
>Sent: Dec 17, 2009 5:46 PM
>To: Clayart@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
>Subject: Re: my visit to amaco/lost mail re/sent, now another story, long
>
>On 12/17/09 4:27 PM, "mel jacobson" wrote:
>
>> i know this sounds harsh, but many of us have been preaching
>> this gospel for a long time. we have to answer the questions,
>> we have to do the re/teaching. clayart has become a sounding board
>> for the revival of clay education. if you know nothing, you cannot
>> teach it. simple as that.
>>
>> i get notes all the time from clayart teachers saying how much
>> clayart means to them, how they learn more in a few weeks reading
>> clayart than they got in classes at a college.
>>
>> so, i am asking all of you to respond, think, help in this adventure.
>> it is our future and the future of ceramics. it will take effort and
>> clear thinking. when the school dollars are flushed down the toilet,
>> programs like ceramics are the first to die. we need a few band aides.
>
>Mel,
>
>It would seem our society runs in cycles - economic, political, culturally=
.
>Most localities, counties, states are hurting for funds just to keep the
>basic stuff going. So in their minds, dumping those things they believe ar=
e
>frivolous or unneeded, like arts in the schools, are easy fixes, yet they
>never consider they are removing all of the subjects that teach creative
>problem solving, which is exactly what we are in need of - but no, let's g=
et
>back to the good ole days of memorization and rote learning.
>
>My experience: was hired and began teaching ceramics at community college,
>part-time in 1976, full-time 1977. Early 1980's come along, recession, sta=
te
>funding cuts, need to reduce number of teachers, cut the arts, my position
>eliminated, but I convinced them to keep all equipment and put into storag=
e.
>Another campus of same school had somebody retiring, decided to fill vacan=
t
>position, I was able to be re-hired, but no ceramics so taught all other a=
rt
>studio courses. 1987 - contacted warehouse, told them to move all stored
>pottery stuff to my new campus. Came in one weekend, by myself, moved
>everything out of a conference room, about 15'x30', moved all ceramics
>equipment in and told my division chair we now had a ceramics program.
>2009 - have built program through grants, pottery sales, begging for money
>to 2 large studios, 15 wheels, slab roller, mixer/pugger, extruders,
>chemical/glaze mixing room (put padlock on janitor's closet and would give
>it back, spray booth, 4 electric kilns, a Geil gas kiln and various other
>things needed in a pottery studio.
>
>So last year our budget for the art program - $4800 - that's for hiring
>models and supplies, for the year. Not much, but we muddle through.
>Ceramics uses none of the budget. I raise all of the money to keep ceramic=
s
>going.
>
>Had head campus administrator tell us when he came on board our division
>(Visual & Performing Arts) costs too much, we didn't produce enough
>enrollment to warrant our budget, so he cut it in half. Then he got a new
>job and on the last day before he left (end of August) he sent out our
>budget for this academic year. The art program - we got $500 for the year!
>All I could do was laugh.
>
>The campus went through an re-organization this fall, collapsed from 4
>divisions to 2 (save money by eliminating two division deans) and I was ab=
le
>to convince the new dean and new head administrator that the art program
>needed additional funding to fulfill it's mission - so now our budget for
>models is restored.
>
>Ceramics - we held our annual holiday pottery show, raised a few thousand
>that will cover our needs for the year. Went after another grant and have
>funding to replace two aging electric kilns.
>
>What it comes down to is a small number of individuals who care enough to
>put forth whatever effort is necessary to make it happen.
>
>Maybe, we need to consider putting together another electronic book, like
>the kiln book, specifically as a resource for teachers on all of the hows
>and whys of a safe and healthy ceramics studio - a ceramics for dummies bo=
ok
>- for those educators that teach in the primary and secondary settings and
>have not a clue about ceramics.
>
>Of course this happens after the current kiln book is done...
>
>Bill
>
>--
>William "Bill" Schran
>wschran@cox.net
>wschran@nvcc.edu
>http://www.creativecreekartisans.com
Shula
Desert Hot Springs, California USA
www.claymystique.etsy.com
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