Pedagogy of Photography Students in the News!

I just discovered this article written about our Doors of Reflection Project! CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


http://www.communityarts.net/readingroom/archivefiles/2008/08/world_savvy_map.php#

Opening the Doors of Reflection
One of the most powerful and richly layered art exhibits at the show is a project called "Doors of Reflections." Vivia, a vivacious 12-year-old girl from Jamaica, describes the project to me proudly. She perches on the edge of a wooden stool in the gallery, her yellow sundress glittering with sparkly sequins, and explains,

The whole concept was "doors of reflection," so it's � when you hold on to a knob and you're turning it and you're thinking about what's behind you and what's going to be in front of you, right? So it's like going back in time in somebody's mind and seeing where they gonna be in the future � or where they are now.

The middle-school class had collected photographs from their lives and homes and created visceral collages that rippled against the broken, cracked wood of an actual door, suspended from the ceiling.

"I'm just a problem that can never be solved. I don't belong here."
"Life is too harsh for me to be able to survive yet I continue on�."
"I will express myself."
"Albania is full of both beautiful and tragic memories. When I was five, the memory of seeing my aunt being shot by two drunk men hunts me & is heavy on my heart"
"Locked is what my door should be with all my secrets."

collage
The middle-school class had collected photographs from their lives and homes and created visceral collages that rippled against the broken, cracked wood of an actual door, suspended from the ceiling. Click for slideshow
These writings, scribbled with crayons, markers, paint and stickers, illuminate lives in which adolescent fears and insecurities are trumped by real terror and the desperate need to survive. I can't look away from the work. These kids have plunged their pens into their hearts and written with the unfiltered ink of raw emotion. Thoughts and secrets and desires are shuffled among photographs of smiling children, sepia-toned portraits of grandparents, geographies of memory, farmland, homeland and cityscape. When my gaze focuses on specifics, my eyes water, but I am at first unsure of these images as expressions of immigrant experience. Then, when I pull back and take in the entirety of the project, the conceptual theme washes over the boards.
The Immigrant Experience Leaks Through the Cracks

Boricuaz
La Boricua
such a shame
Datz all i hear
am i 2 blame
i am hizpanic
wat am i 2 do
IDK I don't have
a clue I cant
change my cul-
ture Itz not mii
fault I juz came
out diz way &
I cant go
back in
Im boricua N
proud Im
juicy NOT
Thin Im
brunette
not blond

The doors are the context, the frame and the canvas for the stories and feelings of the young artists. This poem by "Aze," is scratched into a windowpane in red and blue marker, the text hugging a photograph of a girl, body in profile looking outward into a void. Her shape is cut out and outlined in thick black: shadows that seem to be chasing her. A colored rendering of the Puerto Rican flag hangs suspended above her head. Taken alone, the image haunts, but within the collage of photos of smiling friends, doodles and magazine cutouts, its resonance sings. It is the immigrant experience � confusion, joy, pride, fear and sassiness leak through the cracks in the doorframe. As a work of art, as an expression of a young person's immigrant experience, the doors project is successful. It supplies images and media juxtaposed to each other in order to tell both individual and collective stories. As a collaboration project, it works on multiple levels. The viewer writes her own creation story of the piece, imagining a scenario where a group of 12- and 13-year-olds share scissors, glue, markers and laughter as they build the piece together. The images evoking pain and sorrow harmonize with those of survival and joy to tell a layered story of resilience.
Vivia sums up the process for me:
Through this project, everyone united with each other. Because everybody has a story to tell and everybody told their own story and now you get to see everybody's story. The fact that it's an art project really gives the person who's looking at it more in-depth features about who we are. And they get to see pictures of your life.

hey whats up people
yeah i,m just bored
have nothing to do
and i thought i would just take a look at this blog
it,s friday today///the fourth of july//the holiday i can see a lot of fireworks
i'm going to be happy and very very busy the next two weeks
my babybrother or sister is coming
and i have specialized
im going to be very busy and exited/im going to thisa wedding and bla bla bla
so friends
give me a call(those of you who know my number)
all right/bye

have a wonderful time

Irena.N

NBC

http://www.wnbc.com/video/16687900/index.html

Check out your work on NBC!~ Congratulations!

Congrats on a Great Year!

Congratulations to all the POP students who completed an amazing year! The OUR IDENTITIES exhibit at the NYPL library looks incredible and our presentation touched the staff and students at Bronx Green that attended the event. Remember it will be up all summer until August 30 so please bring your families and friends over the summer to show off the great work.

I also wanted to congratulate you on the DOORS OF REFLECTION art installation piece you created for the World Savvy Exhibit at NYU. The layers of your identities combined with the journey of your migration paths moved so many people!!!!! Plus you made the news! Check out these links to see the news! Shiquon and Clive's photo made the Daily News last Sunday! Mrs. DelaVaughn is so proud of you all!


http://www.citylimits.org/content/articles/viewarticle.cfm?article_id=3573
http://www.nydailynews.com/latino/espanol/2008/06/16/2008-06-16_arte_inmigracin_e_identidad_global.html

Here are some quotes..:)

"Breaking up the space just beyond that is a series of hanging panels created by Bronx Green Middle School students, whose photography project resembles a graffiti-like assemblage of photos, words, poems and memories depicting the various places and experiences that forge the students’ identities. One student writes of constructing one’s identity by reconstructing the past: “Those old trees my father used to climb / When I go to Africa I shall do the same.” Another conveys a haunting memory of watching an aunt shot to death in Albania, a place “full of both beautiful and tragic” memories."....


..."Vivia Thompson, 13, whose "pedagogy of photography" class at Bronx Green Middle School created the hanging window panel displays, described how learning to express individual identities and hearing each others' stories led to an interesting conclusion: “We’re all different people who have really different backgrounds but we can all relate to one another.”

Looking Ahead

I would love for you to attend some great FREE summer photography/art/ecology classes offered through amazing organizations this summer! Let me know if you want me to register you!

International Center for Photography at the Point
Hunts Point, South Bronx
Classes are on M and W from 2-5
From July 7-August 13

Bronx River Art Center
Close by...

This organization is GREAT because it combines the mission of Bronx Green, the community service projects you did through Mrs. DelaVaughn's Advisory with the Bronx River Alliance, mediums of art you were exposed to through World Savvy (podcasts, short films, graffiti art..)and of course PHOTOGRAPHY...

FREE Classes for Teens through
Young Adults (Ages 13-21):

New "Legal!" Graffiti Painting
Are you constantly working on a tag or graffiti style in your sketchbook? Consider taking this Experimental Graffiti class! Explore the history of Graffiti Art in the Bronx by touring famous sites. Learn new and different techniques to project your unique vision without vandalizing private property.
Instructor: Courtney Burstion
Wednesday: 2pm-4pm

New Mixed Media Collage and Outdoor Sculptural Installation
This class will explore ecological, environmental and social issues through public art works produced directly in the neighborhood surrounding The Bronx River Art Center. Through these installations, students will cultivate creative expressions of their concerns, beliefs and personal histories within the context of the urban environment.
Instructor: Abigail DeVille
Thursdays: 2pm-4pm
Fridays: 2pm-4pm

ECO-MEDIA SUMMER INSTITUTE
Teens through Young Adults (Ages 13-21):

In partnership with Rocking the Boat - a youth boat- building and on-water education organization, students will help create downloadable videos and podcasts, creating a virtual tour of the Bronx River.

Interested students are required to sign up for a minimum of two classes. Work produced in all three of these classes will be integrated into one digital media product that will be uploaded to our digital media kiosk and displayed in public spaces throughout the Bronx.

Prerequisite: Basic Computer skills and some digital media experience.

EcoFilm
Write, use video cameras and edit footage with the same camera software used by top filmmakers (i.e., Final Cut Pro and DVD Studio Pro). This class will include shooting, editing techniques and sound recording. Students will produce several short videos that investigate the important restoration work being done along our own Bronx River.
Instructor: Kevin Zacaria
Tuesday: 2pm-4pm

NewEcoPod
Learn how to create downloadable podcasts for Bronx River walking and paddling tours. Using Podcast Producer, capture sound recordings of tour guides, historians and our natural environment.
Instructor: Hector Canonge
Thursday: 2pm-4pm

EcoDigital Photography
Learn the basic techniques of digital photography. Explore the natural habitat surrounding the Bronx River and photograph animal and plant species. Learn how to use Photoshop, printing strategies and other presentation formats.
Instructor: Marisol Diaz
Friday: 2pm-4pm

I went to a workshop through En Foco taught by Marisol Diaz (Eco- Digital Photography) and I know you would learn a lot in her class! :)

Best Wishes for the summer!

At The WS Exibition : Right now 8:25 06-04-08

Right now I am upstairs but I've been downstairs , greeting our guesses and talking to them about our project .
We've been meeting other groups that World Savvy has been working with and learned that they have at least 20 schools and over 500 students involved , World Savvy is not just a New York based organization , it is world wide and impacting our everyday lives. The funds for the material and sponsers are from independent donators and I want to also say thank you to all of our supporters .

So now I will get back downstairs and continue with the discussions and explainations that we have on each other's projects ^.^ 

Paper Cut

I can feel the blood
coursing through my
veins

I can feel the breaking
of my
skin

I can hear the screams
inside my
head

Finally I feel DEAD

I can feel the
dripping of my
blood

I can feel the
scrapping of my
skin

I can hear the
bursting of my
ears
peircing with
screams

Finally I am DEAD


By: Vivia G. Thompson

These Are The Days Of Homcoming -Inspired by: Busy Signal & Kanye West

In this world that we're living in
Blood is being shed in every direction
You look , Why do things have to be this way
We all know the World can't always be the same
As we've proven for at least 2.5 billion years since man
First came to be

What God intented in Blood and Spirit
Wasnt for us to kill each other with perpose Hatred
For no real reason

Its like we're caged at one end is certain DEATH and At the other is death
At A Time Further Down The Road


You might not know it but tomarrow might be your day
It might be my day too
But who's to say if i live it the way I intented to
Then may our lives be worth every second becuase remember
As I say
"Time is racing , time is racing ,racing to end it , it which is every moment we live , time steals them all , time is racing, racing to end it"


And thats why they say
"Live Life To the Fullest"
Because Every Moment Counts

By: Vivia G. Thompson

NYC Public School- ARCHITECTURAL PHOTOGRAPHY CONTEST

Ladies- You have taken so many great pictures for this. Tell me which ones you want to submit and I will help you, Mrs. DelaVaughn

All New York City public school students (grades pre-K-12) are invited to submit architectural photographs of their school for a citywide exhibit titled “PS Architecture: Through the Lens of a Student Photographer.” There will be one winner for elementary, middle, and high school from each borough and one citywide grand prize winner from each school level.

The DOE will convene a panel of photographers, architects, and respected educators to serve as a jury. The final selected works will be featured in an exhibition at the Center for Architecture and in a slide show on the DOE Web site. The exhibition is scheduled to open this fall at the Center for Architecture. The students whose work is chosen for the exhibit will be asked to submit a personal statement about their work, which will be part of the exhibit and appear as part of the online slide show.

Deadline: Friday, June 13

For more information, submission guidelines and a flier, please visit http://schools.nyc.gov/Teachers/Spotlight/PSArchitecture.htm


If you have any questions, contact Jane Pook at (212) 374-0338 or jpook@schools.nyc.gov

Which Door To Choose ?

I feel the darkness catching up with me
I can see the light in the shadows
But even though I run
I cant reach
I see white shadows coming at me
I see black ones coming too
I try to run but I cant move
And suddenly something falls from the sky
Theres not one but maybe even ten of em
Theres a knob on each one
But theres also a shadow behind each one
The one I choose will set the course I will take
I shall open but one dor
And that one door shall be my whole faith

Get Published!

You are all so talented! Teen Ink will love you!

http://www.teenink.com/

Summer Photography programs in the Bronx!

The following two photography programs still don't have their summer schedule posted yet but please check back in June. They are located in the Bronx and free so I hope you can attend. They also have afterschool and weekend programs available during the school year! Mrs. DelaVaughn

ICP at the POINT

Tuition is free for youth classes.

Located in the South Bronx, ICP at The Point is a thriving photography educational center that features a classroom, studio and darkroom facilities, a business, and a gallery. The goal of the program, a partnership between ICP and The Point Community Development Corporation, is to teach photography in the community as a way to foster self-esteem, communication skills, professional experience, and community revitalization.

For more information or to register, call (718) 542-4149 or visit www.thepoint.org.

THE POINT CDC
940 Garrison Avenue
Bronx, NY 10474
(718) 542-4139

By Subway: Take the 6 train to Hunts Point Avenue. Walk under the Bruckner Expressway (right in front of you when you exit the train station onto Hunts Point Avenue) and make a right turn at the first light onto Garrison Avenue. THE POINT is on the corner of Garrison and Manida Street (the first street on your left walking on Garrison). BAAD is on Barretto Street, the second street on your left walking on Garrison, between Garrison and Lafayette.


Bronx River Art Center
BRAC is committed to offering our arts classes FREE to all youth who want to expand their creative horizons.

http://www.bronxriverart.org

1087 East Tremont Ave.
Bronx, NY 10460

Phone: (718) 589-5819

By Train:
Take #2 or #5 to West Farms Square/East Tremont. Walk one block east to Bronx Street.

Summer Writing Workshop

Here is some information so you can keep up your writing and poetry skills over the summer :), Mrs. DelaVaughn

WRITOPIA LAB

http://www.writopialab.org
Call 212-706-1239 or email us at Rebecca @ WritopiaLab.org (delete the spaces in the email address)


How to join:

Writers ages 9-12: Skip the application process below. Instead, have your parents e-mail or call Rebecca directly to begin the registration process. Thank you.
Writers Ages 13-19: Spring and summer applications are accepted on an ongoing basis.

STEP ONE

Please send the following information to Workshops @ WritopiaLab.org (delete the spaces in the email address).

1) Your name, age, and what grade you are in.

2) The name and time of the workshop(s) or program you would like to participate in.

3) Cut and paste a writing sample (10 pages max) into the email, and write a short response to the following questions: What is your favorite part of the writing you have submitted? Why? What are you hoping to get from the workshop experience?

STEP TWO

After you have been accepted, your parent or guardian must send a confirmation email to us.

STEP THREE

We will hold your spot for one week. If we do not receive payment in that time, we will make that spot available to others.

Feel free to email or call us with any further questions. We promise to get back to you promptly.

OPEN THE DOOR

! NEW LIFE !

! IT'S LIKE A NEW LIFE COMING !

! A BABY COMES OUT OF HIS MOM'S WOUND !

! A CHICK COMES OUT OF IT'S EGG !

! A ROSARY COMES OUT OF PRAYING !

! A NEW LIFE COMES OUT OF GOD !!!!!

Way to go Irena!

Irena, These are beautiful photos that embrace your heritage and religion and will look beautiful for our World Savvy installation piece :) I am so proud of your dedication and that you are shooting pictures and uploading outside of class time. Do you need me to print them for you? Great work, Mrs. Delavaughn

Photos

Hi girls,

I am so proud of the work you are doing for World Savvy and POP class. The exhibit ideas are wonderful and inspiring. Since you have asked me to post some of my pictures outside of POP class on the blog, here goes... :) A little taste..Enjoy! Mrs. DelaVaughn

PhotoShelter: Fresh Stock Photos Served Daily

Vivia is getting Famous! Yah Yah!

http://www.tc.edu/oscp/detail.asp?Id=Resources+for+Schools+and+Teachers&Info=LiFE

Congrats Vivia, You are in an article for Teachers College, Columbia University!!! :)

Weird : Feeling a mix of Emotions

OH HOW I HATE UR GUTS AND DISPIES EVERY WORD U SAY
FOR I HAVE GIVEN U EVERYTHING MY HEART CAN PRODUCE
IF U DONT GIVE ME THE CHANCE TO KNOW U BETTER
HOW CAN YOU SAY I DO WHEN U KEEP SECRECTS HIDDEN FROM ME

U BETER NOT LET ME FIND OUT AND IF ITS SO WRONG THAT I CANT FORGIVE
BABY U BETTER KISS ME GOO BYE

UMMMMMMM IDK IF I'M DONE LOL BUT U BETTER WATCH OUT HEHE >.> <.<

OH YEA I CAN BE DARK AND MISTERIOUS MORE THAN U COULD BELEIVE

( dont leave ur window open heh )

By: Vivia G. Thompson

What Happens When I Space Out And Think Too Much

.....I'm sick ...I'm dying , who's gonna save me ......theres so much things I've said so much I would like to say but the words wont come out they get chocked up inside, as if the tears I cry means nothing to existance with the being I am and those that surround me , What Do We Live For , Why Do We Live as if you havent refelcted on your lost soul , things drag you down and break you and when you cant go any longer the blaze that powers your heart and sets it free is no longer anything but a dusted space inside your flame .

By: Vivia G.Thompson

FRIENDS!

FRIENDS HOW MANY OF US HAVE THEM,Friends ONES you can depend on FRIENDS. THATs FROM A song i know but what i'm about to say comes from the heart,friends are special to me,friends are like brothers and sisters that i wish could just grow on trees,friends are like a mom or dad i always had,friends don't turn there backs on,friends just come right bcak to you.FRIENDS HOW MANY OF US REALLY HAVE THEM,IF YOU DO LET ME KNOW.

Blinding

Death between the eyes
Why does all good things come to an end
Dath between the worlds
Why does it all end this way
I'm confused I am fading
My mind doesnt know what to do
Death beyond the skull
Why do all good things come to an end
Death beyond the body
Death beyond the dead
Now vanish and blaze

By: Vivia G. Thompson

HAPPY AS CAN BE

i am so happy as can be,every body is smiling at me i can't explain how i feel ,feels like I've got to squall.HAPPY AS CAN BE HAPPY AS CAN BE,do you think you are happier than me?

WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE

we all know that men was created first

but we also know that there are more

woman in this universe

so what's the deal

why can't us woman do certain things men do

'cause there's many other things that woman

can and men can't.

some places want peace and no racism.
so let's get together and stop the prejudice.

that's why many people migrated to this state

to find peace and no hate

to find law and to find love

to find rights and to live their life

better than they could have lived it before.

but people just loose their time
by
acting dumb and messing around.

so let's stop doing that and change
the world in a good way.

live the life as well as you can
'cause
when you least know it might be gone.

Magic Eyes

GOD GAVE US TWO EYES

SOMETIMES THEY'RE WET,

TEARS COMING DOWN.

SOMETIMES THEY'RE SAD AND

YOU CAN SEE THROUGH THEM

THE SADNESS THAT COVERS YOUR HEART.



WHEN YOU'RE HAPPY

YOUR EYES ILLUMINATE THE WORLD.

WHEN YOU CRY

YOUR TEARS FEEL LIKE A WATERSTORM.



NO MATTER WHAT COLOR YOUR EYES ARE

AROUND YOU EVERYTHING IS BRIGHT,

NO MATTER IF THE SUN IS STILL THERE

YOU CAN TELL THE MOON TO COME BACK NEXT YEAR.



I WONDER HOW BLIND PEOPLE FEEL

TO NOT SEE THE SUN

TO NOT SEE THE MOON

TO NOT EVEN SEE ME AND YOU.



BUT EVEN THOUGH THE ONLY THING
THEY SEE

IS OBSCURITY

THEY CAN SEE DEEP INSIDE THEIR HEART

SOMETHING THAT OTHER PEOPLE

CAN'T SEEM TO UNDERSTAND.



EYES ARE MAGIC STARS IN THE WILD

SKY THAT WE LIVE IN

YOU CAN TELL WHAT A PERSON'S LIKE

BY USING THE EYES OF YOUR HEART.

U MAY THINK........

YOU may think that you know somebody but they turn there back on you over the dumbest things.You may think you know somebody but they do something that might hurt.You may think you know somebody but they tell your DARKEST SE CERT.So be careful with the people you hang out with cause they might do this to you or even worst.SO BE CARE FULL
BY.KEYAIRA HUNT

Burn Within Me

I Am Silently Fading
My life anticipating
The death you bring
And pain with it
When the beams of the
Sun burn my skin

I split open like
The earths core
And rumble like an asteroid
Hitting the atmosphere
Toxicating the air you breath
Breaking your lungs from
The inside out

By: Vivia G. Thompson

POP

Gender Sterotypes-Irena

Gender Sterotypes-Katya

Gender Sterotypes-Vivia

Congratulations!

The girls getting their awards!

Exhibit

Congratulations to the POP girls that presented and exhibited their Photography and Poetry at the Teachers College, Columbia University ALAS Conference,Educational Equity, Policy, and Transformation in the Americas

YOU ARE MY GOD

YOU ARE MY LIFE

YOU ARE MY LIGHT

YOU ARE MY FRIEND

THE ONE I CAN ALWAYS COUNT ON.


YOU ARE THE ONE

THAT LISTENS AND

UNDERSTANDS ME

ALWAYS.


YOUR HOME IS MY SOUL

YOUR WARM BED IS MY HEART.


MY LIFE IS YOURS BECAUSE

YOU GAVE IT ME

AND YOU CAN TAKE IT BACK....

THEREFORE YOU ARE MY GOD!!

FRIENDSHIP

We know that you're sad too

and you know that we're gone miss you

hope we'll see you again, soon

before we see come out the moon.

Hope you'll be happy wherever you go

hope you'll have fun without us though.

We're telling you now that of the cutest memories

one of them was you.

Slaughter

The crick of my neck

The snap of my spine

My blood

Looking like red wine .

You slammed the door

When I tried to run

You pushed me to the floor

Saying you wanted more

You wanted to me , my reflection in the mirr'or

I tried to talk soft the first time

When you forced me into the corner

I died alil more inside

Behind this armor

The armor that wouldnt protect me

When you came dashing forward

Lounging at me

With your might

And me in a daze of fright

STOP !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I screamed and to your delight

Thats what you wanted to hear

But , I wouldnt let you have it anymore

I was tired and fed up with the shit you carried on

Fed up with being beaten and brussed

Fed up with lies fed up with deceit

I snapped back even tho my consience weighed on me

I had to get out of this mess , so I hit you back

Now Ii'm on the floor and you

Begging for more

You bolted the door

And locked the windows

And the terror that flooded my eyes

Seeped into your blood

You became active again

Throwing and tossing me like a ball

Was I not human enough for you

And as you stood there with your hammer , knife

And whats it nots I glared at you , begged you to stop

And your laughter of course broke out in the night

No pity no thought just delight

And to me this was the last breath

I first thought you were playing games

But you took it this far

As I pleaded , one day

I vowed to myself

Id always haunt you

For you took my life

As I pleaded and cried

But the crick of my neck

The snap of my spine

Were the last things I herd

As my blood trickled red wine



By: Vivia G.T

ROSE

Death

Spinning and spinning
around feeling no needs
to live
Trying to get out of my head
Altough its still in my head
Trying to fall asleep and neverawake again
Trying to think of my friends
to get away from death

Vocals Essay

My Name Is Vivia G. Thompson and I will be entering 8th grade. I am applying to Stuyvesant Summer Arts Institute for vocals. I am a creative writer and musician. I've matured in my writing and musical ability but have showed little improvement in my vocals because I have had little training in singing. I decided that I would give singing a fair chance just like I gave my writing and music a chance. The fact that I'm a writer and musician gives me the chance to become a great singer. To be a good writer you have insight, creativity, vocabulary, inspiration and more but I also know that to be a good singer you need to have good lyrics and without good lyrics there is nothing to sing. I've had experience in singing throughout my childhood and music is an important part of my Jamaican culture. This is what has inspired me to be a singer. To develop the knowledge of how I can technically let my voice and emotions be heard through song would be a great advantage for me socially and professionally because I will apply it to my other talents and teach others too. I would like to learn the skills to creatively transform my written talents into songs. I look forward to tackling this challenge head on. Not only to conquer the difficulties but to also enjoy the victory.

Learning about Shadows

I AM FROM

i am from mommy and daddy loving me
i am from home video tapes,and dvd's
i am from seafood,spanish food and
my mom's food.i am from all different
things like basketball,dancing,singing
and gymnastics.BUT MOST OF ALL I AM FROM
MY PARENTS.

Identity Photographs

Keyaira's Photos

Keyaira's Photos