Peer Review

El baúl de mirar y ver

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Reviewed:: Oct 21, 2004 by World Languages

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Overall Rating:

Content Quality:

Effectiveness:

Ease of Use:

Overview:: El baul de mirar y ver is a program created to facilitate access to art and to
spread appreciation of art through Educared. Educared is an online program
created to facilitate educational use of the internet in school.

The site promotes a multidisciplinary effort to create interest in the visual
arts through the observation of fine art. Images, activities, and exercises will
help docents (teachers) teach their students to not only see and reflect about
art, but also to develop their artistic sensitivity and imagination. An
instructor will find lesson plans for developing activities that study European
artists and their works,e.g, Velazquez and Las meninas.
Type of Material:: Reference material
Recommended Uses:: The site is very useful in developing the four language skills and culture in a
content-based curriculum. Also, the multidisciplinary presentation of the
materials is ideal in immersion programs(K - 8), and complements the development
of Spanish language-arts in all other programs, even in developing Spanish
language skills in postsecondary settings. This material may be used in class
for group work or for individual assignments and research.
Technical Requirements:: FLASH
Identify Major Learning Goals:: To enhance appreciation and knowledge about art, and to develop language skills
through the study of specific paintings.The user will develop an
understanding of major painters and their artistic contribution during a
particular period in history. In addition, the thematic content of a painting
serves to bridge a related topic using a multidisciplinary approach, e.g.,
science or math.
Through the study of the paintings students will analyze and comprehend one of
the most significant pieces of work by an artist; explore the corresponding
period of time and culture during which the work was painted; learn about the
impact of the artist's work then and now; and study the symbolism, artistic
techniques, and historical context of the work.
Target Student Population:: The stated target audience for El baul de mirar y ver is for educators of
nursery school and primary school levels who want to promote the use of the
internet in classrooms and incorporate art in school?s curriculum through new
strategies. It is also intended for those parents familiar with the web who may
want to foster an appreciation for art in their children at an early age.

The educator accesses a series of suggested activities to study different
aspects of the paintings, which in addition are related to certain curricular
areas. It is the individual educator who adapts the material to the age, level,
and interests of the students. For this reason, it is easy to see how this
material could easily be used from primary through the graduate level.
Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills:: The learner should have an intermediate reading proficiency. Care must be taken
by teachers to adequately prepare students for new vocabulary and terms for each
work of art studied.

Content Quality

Rating:
Strengths:: El baul de mirar y ver is a program designed to expose the learner to quality
artwork of some of the world's greatest artists and to develop the skills
necessary for appreciation of the artist, the painting, the historical context,
and the techniques used. Individual creativity and interaction with the content
are clear goals of the site.

The module includes twenty-nine selected paintings of portraits, still life, and
landscapes of major European artists. More than half of these paintings are
representative of Spanish art with selected pieces ranging from the prehistoric
cave paintings (arte rupestre) to modern art. As the title suggests, the
purpose of the site is for the learner to see, and observe in great detail, and
develop a keen appreciation of the role of art in the humanities and the
sciences. Periodically, a new work of art is selected, and the objectives for
the unit are clearly stated. The units include a balanced treatment of periods,
European artists, and disciplines according to the theme represented by each
work of art. Each unit includes a general overview of the painting and the
artist(selected reading), followed by learning activities. In addition, each
unit uncludes links to encourage self-expression via the medium of art, a game
activity, and an opinion section to evaluate teacher?s comments.

The main page of El baul de mirar y ver features the painting of the month and
an icon of a baul (treasure chest) that contains an additional 29 paintings.
The featured work this month is ?Dream Caused by the Flight of a Bee around a
Pomegranate, One Second before Awaking? by Salvador Dali. For this and all other
paintings, complete information about the painting is given on its main page,
including its location and a link to the museum. The goals of the unit of study
are also clearly stated on the entry page for each painting. For example, the
stated goals for the study of Dali?s paining include: 1) to analyze and
understand one of the most significant works of this artist; 2) to become
familiar with the world and work of this brilliant artist; 3) to describe the
significance of Surrealism. This site offers two sizes of the paintings. Click
on ?imprimir? (print) to see a larger and very good quality version of the
painting. There are two links to Recursos educativos (Educational resources).
One is a biography of the artist and the other is an analysis of the painting
including when appropriate a discussion about the setting, composition, colors,
themes, technique, and place in history. From the main page for each artist the
menu offers five choices to further explore the painting: Hablemos sobre la
obra (Let?s talk about the Work); Actividades complementarias (Complementary
Activities); Espacio para peque?os artistas (Space For Young Artists); Jugar con
el arte (Play with Art); and Opinion y consultas (Opinion and Support).

The vibrant images are of excellent quality and load quickly.
Concerns:: When using content-based material, the foreign language instructor will need to
include activities that foster prior knowledge of the themes being developed,
e.g., a discussion of the history and the events that surround the theme. In
addition, any related vocabulary needs to be introduced when appropriate.

The instructor will need to tailor each unit according to the level of
difficulty when dealing with authentic texts.

A suggestion to maximize use of the site would be to include a text index of the
artists and paintings somewhere on the site and perhaps also include dates and
nationalities.

Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching Tool

Rating:
Strengths:: The site is designed primarily as a teacher
resource,and there is sufficient context so that other instructors and even
students can use it. Each unit defines the learning objectives, and also
describe the intended fusion of other subjects with the study of art, e.g.,
history and science. This enriched context allows for learners to experience the
relationship between art and other disciplines. For example, the unit on Cave
Paintings has as its objective to recognize the medium, and learn about the
historical setting, e.g., life during prehistoric man?s existense. When
studying a still life of floral paintings, the objectives are to recognize a
particular genre of floral bouquets according to the century, study distinctive
floral species within the framework of Botany,and also observe similiar
paintings representing different periods of time.

Typical assignments allow learners to:

-identify an artist by his or her style
-be able to identify specific paintings
-define the vocabulary of the paintings
-draw their own painting or mural using contemporary events and the style of one
of the artists studied
-explain how an artist and history are intertwined
-list historical events of the timeframe
-research related artists and noted individuals during the historical period

The artists and the selected works are carefully introduced
and tap into communicative and creative skills. The study of each painting and
artist has the same structure, but there are some wonderfully unique parts that
capture the essence of the different works that appear especially in the
Hablemos sobre la obra and Actividades complementarias sections. Hablemos sobre
la obra includes two parts: a Dialogo (Dialogue) and a Bibliografia
(Bibliography). The Dialogo is a well developed list of interesting questions a
teacher could use in class to stimulate discussion about a work of art. From the
very beginning students are encouraged to observe, relate to what they see, and
speculate about their observations. For example in La cueva de Altamira (Mirar
y ver #10), the student is asked why and for whom was the cave painted. And in
Jean Simeon Chardin?s Bodegon con gato y pescado.('El ladron con buena
fortuna') Mirar y ver #17, the student is asked to speculate about whether or
not the cat gets what it wants and also what might happen next in the
painting if it were alive. Another provocative question accompanies Mirar y ver
#22. What information can we infer about the artist by looking at the room he
has painted. The question "If there were a fire in the Prado, which painting
would you save and why?" presents yet another opportunity for reflection and
comparison with fellow class mates.

The next section, Actividades complementarias, is a literal treasure trove of
exciting interactive activities that lead the student from input and intake to
production and interaction. An excellent example is Edvard Munch?s, El Grito #
14. The students discuss the techniques the artist used to convey the feelings
of desperation and anguish in Educacion artistica and then create a shared
Mural of Feelings with their own silhouettes and original art work depicting
their emotions. A discussion about a common fear of the darkness of night helps
students see the night in a different light (pun intended!). It is only in the
dark that we can see the beauty of the moon and the stars shining at night. To
complete the activities in the Lengua Section (Language) inspired by the
agonized scream in the painting, students write about a possible situation or
emotion that would cause them to scream like that.

This is just one example of a series of activities that accompanies the art
work. The activities are as varied and original as the paintings themselves.
Culture and language are inseparable in the learning process. A unique feature
of this section is the guided participatory nature in which students and
instructor together co-constucct explanations and scenarios based on the art
work. Through this process the students themselves become artists, architects,
designers, photographers, muralists, peacemakers, mathematicians, botanists,
dancers, actors, composers, or gondoliers.

?Anciano con su nieto? by Ghirlandaio (#16) is another example of an activity
that fosters this sense of exploration and discovery. Students make comparisons
between the grandfather portrayed in Ghirlandaio?s painting and their own
grandfathers in a modern day setting. They observe the lined and aged face of
the grandfather and discuss the historical concept of beauty that implies
goodness with the reality of affection and love regardless of physical beauty.

There are extensive ways for a student to delve into a topic related to a
painting that may interest him or her. This trip of self discovery can be seen
ina description of a gondola ride and Venetian boats in the ?El Bucentauro en el
muelle el dia de la Ascension? by "Canaletto." Some other themes explored
are:
high couture in ?Las meninas? by Velazquez: Valencian cuisine in ?El ba?o del
caballo? by Joaquin Sorolla Y Bastida; the tradition of the bullfight in
?Composition au Taureau? by Oscar Dominguez; galleries of chairs in Van Gogh?s
?Habitacion amarilla,? vintage fashions and advertising in "Gran Kursaal" de
San Sebastian? by Rafael de Penagos; meteorology ?Puerta del Sol? by E. Martinez

Cubells; and personal muses in ?La Musa Metafisica? by Carlo Carra.
The units found in this site lend themselves to be used in a curriculum
following the national standards for arts education, specifically the Visual
Arts. K-12 and even postsecondary teachers will find curriculum units, lesson
plans, and activities that can be taught in Spanish. Foreign language educators
will find lesson plans for developing activities to study varying aspects of
works of Spanish art, e.g, Las meninas. The materials are ada

Ease of Use for Both Students and Faculty

Rating:
Strengths:: There is a general systematic web design layout with aesthetically pleasing
images, clearly labeled links, a good color scheme, and a site that is somewhat
easy to navigate. (See concerns.)
There are excellent thumbnail images which easily enlarge to a full page that
can be studied either on a computer screen or projected onto a large classroom
screen. The images can also be printed. The reading sections provide for
glossed texts. These texts include glosses with useful links to related website
resources.
Concerns:: While the site has an obvious organizational structure, not every unit has the
identical features within each unit.

It is somewhat difficult to navigate from interior pages back to the home page
of El Baul. After exploring perhaps 8 or 9 different pages about one painting
there is no clear way to get back to the Baul index page (except for endless
back-clicking).An enhancement would be to include a link to the Baul index on
each page.

The glosses for vocabulary words appear so far down the page that unless a user
knows to scroll way down the content may be missed. One reviewer's screen
resolution is 1280x854. The problem is even more noticeable at a lower
resolution.

On the main page for each painting, not all can be enlarged by clinking on the
image. This shoud be more consistent-or the imprimir (print) button could read
?enlarge and print". Numbers 14-29 do not open in a larger version.

A link has been created so that users that create their paintings related to the

subject studied, can email the design back to the website address. It is not
suggested how the student will scan or create the image for the design to send
via the internet. Yet, there are several wonderful samples of the creative
efforts of the young artists.

Other Issues and Comments:: Teachers wishing to expand on the multidisciplinary aspect of teaching the arts,
e.g., Visual Arts and foreign languages can utilize the Merlot community of
Teacher Education, where foreign language educators can easily develop and
incorporate lesson plans within the art education repository.
Creative Commons: