Week 6

About the Pre Columbian Era

The Pre-Columbian era incorporates and is divided into three major time frames; The Pre-Classic period, which lasted from 1500 BC to 300 AD, the Classic period, which went from 300 to 900 AD, and the Post Classical period, 900 to 1492 AD, which was marked and noted for its many wars and increases in population and technological development. On October 12, 1492 Christopher Columbus made landfall in the Bahamas and set up colonies in the New World. This major event changed Latin America, due to the new European influences. Pre-Columbian is the catchword used often in describing the great indigenous civilizations of the Americas, for example - Mesoamerica (the Olmec, the Toltec, the Teotihuacano, the Zapotec, the Mixtec, the Aztec, and the Maya) and the Andes (Inca, Moche, Chibcha, Cañaris).

In this era, the Aztecs, the Mayans, and the Incas were the three main civilizations. Even though their geographic location was similar, they all had different cultures and thoughts. Some similarities may be found but the differences can also be spotted when the cultures are studied a bit closer. A result of the Europeans the Aztec, Mayan, and Inca Civilizations were wiped out. This is considered to be a great loss to humanity in that it destroyed many of the Ideas of these peoples could have made a great contribution to our present day cultures. Many pre-Columbian civilizations established societies which included permanent or urban settlements, agriculture, complex civic and monumental architecture and evolved social hierarchies.


Mayan Civilization (pre-columbian)
I choose the maya primarily because of their civilization's achievements. They are noted for the only known fully developed written language of the pre-Columbian Americas, as well as their beautiful art, architecture, as well as mathematical and astronomical advances. Mayan civilization, at its peak was one of the most densely populated and culturally dynamic societies in the world. It is interesting to note that advances such as writing, epigraphy (writing of inscriptions), and the calendar did not originate with the Maya; however, their civilization fully developed them.



The you tube video, Lost Temples: Mayan Pyramids of Chichen Itza, (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyvw6G9Max0) produced by National Geographic looks a little further into Mayan culture by examining its temples, particularly famous one known as "el castle" or the castle in the city of Chichen Itza. It also looks at other buildings in the city and notes some interesting facts about the city. A short, but impressive glimpse into Mayan culture the depicts the advanced civilization of the Mayan people.


About the Mayan City of Chichen Itza
Chichen Itza is a Mayan city in Mexico that dates back to the pre-Hispanic era. The name ‘Chichen Itza’ literally means ‘At the mouth of the well of the Itza’. It is situated in the eastern region of the state of Yucatan and serves as the pride of the country and is close to the gulf of Mexico. The archaeological zone is also one of the Seven Wonders of the World. With its buildings rooted in history, it serves as a very interesting place to study and explore pre columbian culture. Built in a variety of architectural styles, the city is a wonder in itself and is still a popular place to visit.


Facts about Chichen Itza
Chichen Itza is a pre-Columbian archaeological zone that is situated in the eastern region of Yucatan State of Mexico.In the city of Chichen Itza there is a representational blend of a number of architectural styles, Mexican styles to the Puuc styles. About 2.5 mi west of the Chichen Itza archaeological zone are sacred caves known as Balankanche.In these caves, you can find a large selection of ancient pottery and idols that may be seen still in the place where they were left in pre-Columbian times.


About some of the structures in Chichen Itza

1. El Castillo (The Castle) , a structure in Chichen Itza, experiences an unusual phenomenon every year (see the video link). During the spring equinox, the sunrays falling in the pyramid create a shadow down its stairs, which looks like an image of a descending plumed serpent.

2. Juego de Pelota, another building in Chichen Itza, has the largest ball court in Mesoamerica. It measures 168 meters in length and 70 meters in width.

3. The Grupo de las Mil Columnas is an arcade in Chichen Itza. It comprises of a series of columns and is spread over an area of around 363 sq. feet.

4. The Observatorio (observatory) in Chichen Itza is called Caracol. This advanced structure (for its time) allows you to really appreciate and understand the scientific and astronomical achievements of the Mayans.

5. The Pyramid of Kulkulcan is another interesting structure in Chichen Itza, with its bottom and top of the stairways adorned with several large serpent heads.

6. Pelota Court is the main ball court in Chichen Itza and also the largest and best preserved ball courts in the world.

7. There exists a building nicknamed El Caracol (the snail) because of the stone spiral staircase inside. The structure with its unusual placement on the platform and its round shape (the other ones are rectangular, in keeping with Maya practice), is theorized to have been a type of observatory with doors and windows aligned to astronomical events, as it traverses the heavens.


Sources

http://www.upenn.edu/almanac/volumes/v55/n28/maya.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Seven_Wonders_of_the_World

http://lifestyle.iloveindia.com/lounge/facts-about-chichen-itza-3052.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pre-Columbian

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maya_civilization

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maya_society


Review of Class Work from Week 5


Nancy - admitted she had a rather narrow perception of Latin American art, associating Latin American art with traditional folk art or modern “revolutionary” murals.


Theresa - It was interesting to learn about Jose Fors and the fact that he uses mixed media and rediscovered photographic in his art. Very creative and unique.


Stacy - The quote by the artist "Victimization has multiple facets and few taboos." - Victoria Riedel still holds true today.

Michele - The information about the Tequila Tasting Experience was really interesting. A unique approach for a museum.

Robert - found that a message that artist Guillermo wrote fit particularly well into the culture-blending experiences that I am having in this class. I also found that message interesting.

Julisa - was really attracted to Laura Hernandez’s work, specifically a sculpture called “Man Element Water 1997” Mexico.

Paul - found a live concert of Poncho Sanchez at MOLAA. (I missed that!)

Susan - liked the War-Giro (War Hero) 2005 sculpture by Cuban artist Carlos Luna.

Jamison - noted that Poncho Sanchez is the leader of the most popular Latin jazz group in the world today.

Shannon - did not like the MOLAA building but thought the art was fantastic!

Week 5

1. What does MoLAA stand for?

MOLAA stands for Museum Of Latin American Art

2. Explain what you see on the video clips (be specific)?

MOLAA Clip - Was a video taking you on a virtual tour of the Long Beach California based Latino Art Museum. As I viewed the video, I saw an amazing collection of different types of art ranging from traditional folk art to modern contemporary art produced using various art forms such as sculptures, multi media designs, watercolors, oils, fabrics, woods and metal materials.

You Tube Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z70-UeXdpXs

In Cuba today it is profitable to be an artist. This Frontline broadcast video discussed and depicted the revolution in Cuban art. It said that Cuban Art was used by the Castro regime as a political tool to spread socialism. When Russia cut off funding, local art turned into a an enterprising for profit adventure.

The video showed some really great art and portrayed the everyday lives of some artists. As I viewed the video. The stories of the artists who struggled from poverty turned out to be a interesting and very surprising capitalist story that seemed more like an American story than a Cuban story.



3. What did you learn from the video clips ?

1. First thing I learned was that there is a museum in Los Angeles entirely dedicated to Latin art. MOLAA is the only museum in the United States dedicated to modern and contemporary Latin American art.

2. From the Frontline video I learned a bit of the history an progress of Cuban art and also how popular around the world it is today. The insight into the artists lives and issues with the government was interesting and informative.


3. From the MOLAA website one of the more interesting things I learned was that between 1913 and 1918 the site that the museum now occupies was the home of Balboa Amusement Producing Company, then the world’s most productive and innovative silent film studio. Before Hollywood, Balboa was the leader of the silver screen, producing as thousands of feet of negative film per week.


4. What is one specific work in this location that attracted you?

The art of Carlos Luna on exhibit at MOLAA.

Give us the name, and related background info which you must do more research on google.com.

Carlos Luna was born in Pinar del Rio, Cuba in 1969 and lived in Mexico from 1991 to 2002 and now resides in the US. What is interesting about his art is the materials he uses.



In addition to using oils on canvas, he works with a material called Gouache. Gouache is a type of water based paint consisting of pigment suspended in water. Gouache it is different than watercolor in that the particles are larger, the ratio of pigment to water is much higher, and an additional, inert, white pigment like chalk is also present. Gum Arabic is used as a binding agent (like a starch is used). This makes gouache heavier and more opaque, with greater reflective qualities. This gives his work a unique look. Especially when it is used on handmade paper with the addition of charcoal. So a gauache and charcoal work of art on handmade paper combined with his talent make a very extraordinary piece of art. If you look around at the museum his has other works on display of different types. To me, his art seems very vibrant and alive, very much like lots of latino music.













Comments on last weeks students work...

1. Susan noted that Freire believed that poor people of the world are dominated and victims of those who have political power. I would also add that many middle income people are being added to that list.

2. Kim thought that Freire was extremely spiritual and never needed to fight with himself to comprehend faith.

3. Michelle this interesting quote on wisdomquotes.com; "Education either functions as an instrument which is used to facilitate integration of the younger generation into the logic of the present system and bring about conformity or it becomes the practice of freedom, the means by which men and women deal critically and creatively with reality and discover how to participate in the transformation of their world."

4. Robert wrote about Conscientization - The concept that has to do with a process in which the student (eventually advances towards critical consciousness through both reflection and action.

5. Nancy said that Freire also felt that schools should be an agent of change instead of producers of the problems. (I think we have some catching up to do here in the US on that thought)

6. Stacy said that Being a thinker who also challenges the norm, Friere was met with great criticism and acclaimed support. (This is true in many areas of life I think)

7. Brandon wrote the Freire believed that literacy was a very important step towards freedom.

8. Sara wrote the Freire thought that If people were educating themselves, they were exercising their rights as people.

9. Logan wrote that Freire will always be remembered in his legacy of commitment to education, knowledge, love and hope for the oppressed.

10. Kathy said that Paulo Freire's most fundamental belief was that all humans were initially created equal with the opportunity to have the world at their feet without owning it.


11.Theresa understands how important it is to learn about a child’s culture, background, socio-economic status, family structure and any other information that might provide clues to how a child interprets and understands the world around him/her. With this information, a teacher can develop a means to allow a child the opportunity to explore, manipulate, communicate and question new concepts and ideas.

Week 4

Paulo Freire was born in September, 1921 in Recife, Brazil. Freire's personal experiences, as he grew up during the great depression, shaped his concerns for poor people and became the foundation of his educational viewpoint. Feire attacked the traditional "banking" concept of education which simply stated means that a student's head was something that a teacher was meant to fill. Like putting money in the bank... Freire also had a strong dislike for the the traditional teacher-student roles of non-overlapping division. His work has had impact around the world, not only in his native country but in North America, Europe and Africa.


Two of the educational issues that Freire had concerns with were the way or manner of traditional teaching and the definitive split of the non-overlapping student-teacher roles. He advocated that a student-teacher relationship is interactive and should be more democratic. Even though student-teacher roles are not and cannot ever be on an equal footing, the teacher must not be so hubristic or arrogant that they cannot relearn or update their knowledge through student interaction.


Paulo Freire's book titled Pedagogy of the Oppressed is the most widely known of his works. It explores the aspects of education system and challenges what he calls the neutrality of the educational model that is dominant in both our third world and American educational systems. He says that our current "modern" education instills a culture of silence and lifelessness. He asserts that this educational system oppresses people by limiting their knowledge to what the educational system says is OK to teach. Friere's work promotes and inspires liberation, dignity, and the ability to change. Furthermore, he also says that education starts with the needs and views of those to be educated. His critics often accuse him of being biased. Of course he is - because education is not neutral force - it is biased towards ether teaching for the benefit of the oppressors (therefore producing assembly line workers and perpetuating capitalism) or for the benefit of the oppressed (liberating, empowering with individual respect of rights, culture and diversity).

In the book the concepts are explained this way:

"Once again, the two educational concepts and practices under analysis come into conflict.

Banking education (for obvious reasons) attempts, by mythicizing reality, to conceal certain facts which explain the way human beings exist in the world; problem-posing education sets itself the task of demythologizing.

Banking education resists dialogue; problem-posing education regards dialogue as indispensable to the act of cognition which unveils reality.

Banking education treats students as objects of assistance; problem-posing education makes them critical thinkers.

Banking education inhibits creativity and domesticates (although it cannot completely destroy) the intentionality of consciousness by isolating consciousness from the world, thereby denying people their ontological and historical vocation of becoming more fully human.

Problem-posing education bases itself on creativity and stimulates true reflection and action upon reality, thereby responding to the vocation of persons as beings only when engaged in inquiry and creative transformation.

In sum, banking theory and practice, as immobilizing and fixating forces, fail to acknowledge men and women as historical beings; problem-posing theory and practice take the people's historicity as their starting point."


I had never heard of Paulo Freire prior to this assignment but have always felt that there is something inherently wrong with the way we teach in our country. I respect the fact that most teachers work very hard to teach us - but they too are also stuck and victimized in our antiquated educational system that seems to be more about following rules than it is about learning. Wouldn't it be amazing if we lived in a world where a teacher would have to go through the process of becoming the type of teacher that kids would LOVE to learn from? And there was a methodology that would teach teachers to teach in a way that was exciting and not boring. To teach in a way that made kids have open minds and to love wanting to learn and to be allowed to be interactive with the teacher. Students would want to go to school and would never miss a class. If this were the case, by the time they got out of school they would be so addicted to learning that when they left school they would say "I'm so happy to be out of school now so I can go and learn at twice the speed I was learning at before! I think we all have so much pain associated with the current learning process that by the time we are finished with school we're saying "I done! I'm finally free!. I'm never gonna learn anything again as long as I live because I hate this stuff."

Paulo Freire flipped the traditional teaching system upside down and proposed a methodology that treated students as an interactive part of the process of education and focused on their needs. And then he showed us how to do it.

I feel the important things to remember about Paulo Freire are;

1. That his early life and surrounding influences had a great impact on what his life work was.

2. He rebelled against the way that oppressed people were educated and actually did something to affect change that worked.

3. His life's work made a global impact in the field of critical education and has inspired organizations and other people to carry on his work.



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedagogy_of_the_Oppressed

http://www.webster.edu/~corbetre/philosophy/education/freire/freire-2.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paulo_Freire

http://marxists.anu.edu.au/subject/education/freire/pedagogy/index.htm

Pedology of the Oppressed by Paulo Freire. New York: Continuum Books, 1993.



Part 2: One thing I learned from 10 classmates

1. Kim said "Oprah provides a venue to illustrate issues of importance to the public on all subjects."

2. Theresa said "I believe that this comment ( “we are shaped by every culture”.) in the speech relates to Latin America because there are so many different Latin American cultures and traditions and they tend to overlap in many countries and societies, especially in the US, the melting pot of the world.

3. Candace said "We need to learn to appreciate what each person, culture or community has to offer. Seize that opportunity and grow as a people."

4. Robert said "One of the reasons that this speech is so powerful, in my opinion, it that there is a continuous theme of religion throughout the speech, and President Obama quotes from the Holy Koran, the Talmud, and the Holy Bible."

5. Kathy said "So many are influenced by her that she was aware that someone on the dark side of life may have been prompted to commit a dark act against humanity. How she trusted her gut instinct and stood proud with her decision."

6. Logan said "I believe what is happening in Palestine and Israel is also happening ( In some sense) in other parts of the world as well but may not be as apparent."

7. Stacy said " Her personal approach encourages exploration of different perspectives on every issue I can imagine. While the main vehicle is media, she has discussed and presented aspects of every item on the list. "

8. Beatriz said "Many of the things that Obama addresses can also be put into use with current events that are taking place with Latin Countries. We need to find a common ground with all countries, not just Muslim countries."

9. Julsias said " By sharing her life experiences people feel they can relate to her and not feel down when life get hard."

10. Sara said "Every culture has their own form of arts, literature, philisophy, and religion that they hold improtant to them as a culture and personally."