How Do I Love Thee: Patterning
For my Patterning project, I chose to explore the pattern of the letters of the alphabet in a medium outside of traditional print. I spent the last two weeks scouring multiple cities (along with explaining my mission to multiple bystanders haha) to photograph the shapes of each letter out in the environment. Below is a collection of the images I gathered.
When considering the cognitive tool of patterning, I envision how a concept crosses over from its traditional medium, into another. The concept keeps its integrity, yet is found in a non-traditional (possibility previously unexplored) manner. When thinking about the patterns of the alphabet, my mind was drawn to the fact that the Alphabet Song is sung to the tune of “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” (which I later read was also mentioned on the Sparks of Creativity Wiki). But as I proceeded on with thinking about patterning, I realized that the tune of the Alphabet song does not truly encompass the shapes of the alphabet. My activity from the Perceiving module also supported the notion of “Patterns,” with each letter shape being composed of a particular pattern of lines, curves, and dots. The particular combination of the lines, curves, and dots is what makes each letter unique. The letters can be produced outside of the traditional paper/pencil letter formation, and can be supplemented with unconventional materials (i.e., play dough, sand, paint).
When re-examining the shapes of the alphabet in relation to patterns, I took a break from staring at the letter signs (and the composition of their shapes) on my classroom wall, and began to look around. It was at this moment that I was able to identify letters not by their print on posters or books, but in familiar objects and building structures. I noticed that the lines on the cinder block walls formed the letters T and I. The legs on my reading chair began to appear as the letter W. It dawned on me then that the shapes of the alphabet are represented in the pattern of everyday life, the familiar and newly discovered. This discovery led to the photography collage seen above. Each letter of the alphabet was located around my town and photographed to create an "untraditional" alphabet compilation.
Taking this approach seemed to combine my learning through the past two modules, Véjà Du and Perceiving. I had to re-evaluate my recognition of common objects, and find a familiar shape in an unlikely medium. I also had to look beyond the recognition of the elements that I defined in the Perceiving module (long line, short line, curve, and dot), in order to expand on the pattern and phenomena of the shapes of the alphabet appearing in everyday things. Exploring this new pattern has enlightened me to the subtleties that are in everyday life. When you look at the shapes of the letters with a renewed focus, they can be found in the most unlikely of places. I would like to incorporate this activity with my Kindergarten students while we are exploring our “Letter of the Day.” Our school reading curriculum frequently has students look around the room to find a certain letter on signs, posters, and name tags. I would like my students to open their eyes to the world around them and look for the patterns of the shapes of the letters in a more unique and meaningful way, in the most unexpected of places.
When re-examining the shapes of the alphabet in relation to patterns, I took a break from staring at the letter signs (and the composition of their shapes) on my classroom wall, and began to look around. It was at this moment that I was able to identify letters not by their print on posters or books, but in familiar objects and building structures. I noticed that the lines on the cinder block walls formed the letters T and I. The legs on my reading chair began to appear as the letter W. It dawned on me then that the shapes of the alphabet are represented in the pattern of everyday life, the familiar and newly discovered. This discovery led to the photography collage seen above. Each letter of the alphabet was located around my town and photographed to create an "untraditional" alphabet compilation.
Taking this approach seemed to combine my learning through the past two modules, Véjà Du and Perceiving. I had to re-evaluate my recognition of common objects, and find a familiar shape in an unlikely medium. I also had to look beyond the recognition of the elements that I defined in the Perceiving module (long line, short line, curve, and dot), in order to expand on the pattern and phenomena of the shapes of the alphabet appearing in everyday things. Exploring this new pattern has enlightened me to the subtleties that are in everyday life. When you look at the shapes of the letters with a renewed focus, they can be found in the most unlikely of places. I would like to incorporate this activity with my Kindergarten students while we are exploring our “Letter of the Day.” Our school reading curriculum frequently has students look around the room to find a certain letter on signs, posters, and name tags. I would like my students to open their eyes to the world around them and look for the patterns of the shapes of the letters in a more unique and meaningful way, in the most unexpected of places.