FVella Ba Fa 2nd yr Critical thinking essays
Entry 1
Schonâs reflective practice.
Donald Schonâs reflective practice is one that works in-action and on-action. In-action is when one is going to do something in response to what is happening and why ex. While attempting to mix together 2 components (plaster and water) to make a mould. I notice that its forming too slowly so in response I added more plaster to solidify the mixture and why did I do this, because from previous experience I know that I might have mixed the wrong amounts and, so I now would have to correct my error by adding or else just leave as it is and start again for the next time (Meierdirk.C,2017)
This is where the on-action would occur as now what would one think after and reflect on after the event has been done. One would see how he/she could do better and continue on how they would improve themselves. As for me I wouldâve hopefully learned from my mistakes and by later asking for advice on how I couldâve done it better (by for example, having mixed the parts correctly in the first place) I would have better results in the future. (Gaynor.A,2013.)
Clearly, itâs a practice that is used and should be used on the daily by many, even in the most simple and mundane situations. All can be improved upon by simply thinking and reflecting on whatever it is youâre doing or have previously done. And not just ignoring the at times simple facts and doing nothing to improve themselves even after one has done and has seen the results of their actions.
 References
Charlotte Meierdirk, 2017. Schon's Reflective Practice. [online] YouTube. Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tzjz-l8L1lc> [Accessed 6 Dec. 2017].
Gaynor, A., 2013. Reflection-in-action and reflection-on-action. [online] Hhs.hud.ac.uk. Available at: <https://hhs.hud.ac.uk/lqsu/Sessionsforall/supp/Sch%C3%B6n%20reflection-in%20and%20-on%20action.pdf> [Accessed 6 Dec. 2017].
Mark K. Smith, 2005. Donald Schon (Schïżœn) - learning, reflection and change. [online] Dsmgt310.faculty.ku.edu. Available at: <http://dsmgt310.faculty.ku.edu/AdditionalMaterial/Donald%20Schon%20-%20learning,%20reflection%20and%20change.htm> [Accessed 6 Dec. 2017].
  Entry 2
Arts and Crafts vs fine art are they both really art.
Arts and crafts and Fine arts both involve skill and thought, yet can have both or neither at the same time.
An example is a nicely made mass produced urinal being sold in a home improvement store and the same urinal placed on a pedestal in a museum. Are they the same or does the context give the piece it value and worth? Is it the meaning that gives it the title of an art piece or is it the execution as long as its supported by a deeper meaning? Then what about art for art sake, going back to the urinal like with Marcel Duchampâs ââFountainââ and the Dadaists who created for the sake of creating which was is what a lot of people do, but because they have no name they get disregarded as arts and crafts at best or simply trying to be pretentious (Green.S,2017.) Â
Does one have to be a devoted artist to create work or can one not be an artist and still create art works like Shia LaBeouf who mainly an actor but seems to unwillingly utilizes his fame to promote his pieces. Are they art because he got them out there or simply because he had the name behind him from another industry and utilised it for his other interest in this case fine arts and social commentary. But going back, Duchamp had already made a name for himself before exhibiting his âFountainâ so that fact alone could be what made his work and art work and not some average person doing the same thing with nothing to back it up (Florczak,R.2014.)
I thought that all art is on an equal playing field but a common thing is where the average viewer thinks that some modern art piece is just trash trying to be pretentious to get attention. Then we show that same piece to art student or teacher who will tell you that that piece is so powerful and influential and could practically be called a masterpiece even though to the average viewer I might just seem as it had no thought put in it. Even if it did some might still just say that they couldâve done it themselves but the thing is, they didnât.
 References
Paul Joseph Watson, 2016. The Truth About Modern Art. [online] YouTube. Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANA8SI_KvqI> [Accessed 6 Dec. 2017].
PragerU, 2014. Why is Modern Art so Bad?. [online] YouTube. Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNI07egoefc> [Accessed 6 Dec. 2017].
The Art Assignment, 2017. Art or Prank? | The Art Assignment | PBS Digital Studios. [online] YouTube. Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZlrHyzIwcI> [Accessed 6 Dec. 2017].
The Art Assignment, 2015. I Could Do That | The Art Assignment | PBS Digital Studios. [online] YouTube. Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67EKAIY43kg> [Accessed 6 Dec. 2017].
 Entry 3
Benefits and disadvantages of learning over the whole academic year.
In primary and secondary you get to learn or rather you are obliged by the law to learn/attend a wide array of subjects that by norm are considered as a basis for the rest of your life but only a handful of subjects truly can be utilized on the daily by the average Maltese citizen. Although by the government doing this way back, it did raise the nationâs level of intelligence and knowledge. But how the system is set up now, the person just jams as much information in their memories just to blurt them out on an exam at the end of the year and for the most part forget and never use them again (Brown.D.,2015.)
Having going to school engrained in our systems does develop a schedule and a habit of waking up early and not always allowing us to learn and do what we want with our time which would help when having a typical dead end desk job but what about those people that would like to stray from ending up like the majority, does he or she have to willingly stay in this system of jamming as much information to pass the tests and final examinations and getting their Masters and Phds (Tgsg,2017.)
Letâs say one is interested in music, art or drama he or she must learn all the other subjects theyâre being thought in school which usually delve in depth that would be good if youâre continuing on the subject and profession but have no real use to someone who isnât going to do that. This person has to go out of her way during their academic year to learn their preferred subject while still keeping up with schoolwork and homework.
Once again this can be good because if they decide they donât want to continue on their previously preferred subject and have something to fall back to but what about the ones have to ditch the normal scholastic system (ex. 6th form, university) after secondary to continue on their ambitions as usually businesses like art, Music and drama which although do require study, more than that its based-on practice and the contacts you make in the business which are the things that makes you.
Have all the previous years been in vain or are they an necessary evil that is the standard of education that employs the average for the everyday jobs but whatâs going to happen when that person wants to go further in life but canât afford to stop working theyâll either have to do the same thing when they wanted to learn a subject that was not provided in school and do it in their free time but this is a luxury that not many can manage because just like school and work one would usually be too exhausted to do so.
 References
Boyinaband, 2015. Don't Stay in School. [online] YouTube. Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xe6nLVXEC0> [Accessed 6 Dec. 2017].
Pearson, A., 2017. Year-Round School Advantages & Disadvantages. [online] Education.seattlepi.com. Available at: <http://education.seattlepi.com/yearround-school-advantages-disadvantages-2521.html> [Accessed 6 Dec. 2017].
The good schools guide, 2017. The advantages and disadvantages of homework | Good Schools Guide. [online] Good Schools Guide. Available at: <https://www.goodschools.com.au/insights/education-updates/the-advantages-and-disadvantages-of-homework> [Accessed 6 Dec. 2017].
Entry 4
Morality In Art.
Art and morality seem to go hand in hand but this was not always the case as pieces of art that were usually skilfully done paintings and sculptures but only existed to be an immaculate rendition of the real life thing. Back then they were just considered to be a highly skilled craft rather than an art piece. Nowadays we call something an art piece when itâs more than just a skilfully done thing and typically has a deeper meaning. But just like with everything thatâs not the case for everyone just like morality. Whatâs good and just for one might be bad and unjust for another (Manaraj,S,2012.)
It all depends on how one sees the world, through their individual concepts and experiences which determine what they see as good or bad. An example is spray-painting on street walls, it might be simply seen as vandalism and quite juvenile and at the same time it can be moving and powerful. As although the wall has been âdefacedâ it has been given a new light which portrays a message that wouldnât be as potent if it only was in a museum. Because in the street anyone and everyone one who will eventually pass, will see but with a gallery you have to voluntarily go out of your way to enter. The multiplicity of the piece makes and impact and a point even if one tries to ignore it, same as with having all those same repetitive posters for events and such on walls all around a city. A lot can dismiss it but if a lot of others give their time to read and/or appreciate it we have 2 truths. Something which is contradictory to most as typically there is only one truth but in reality, there are more than just one truth. An example is that one can show power by dressing up, but another shows their power by dressing down. Just because they get to an end point using different means it doesnât mean that one of the ways is invalid it just means that not all of us experience and see the world the same (Miss Me,2016.)
With all this said morality is something that usually keeps one in check but if that personâs morals are beyond comprehensible to the majority thatâs where the problems start as what do you do to a person who just went on a killing spree and murdered 8 people. At first glance one would probably look down upon him/her but what happens when one finds out that all the people that got murdered were killers themselves. Did he/she do the world a favour by getting rid of 8 killers and now we have a killer that killed with good intentions but will have to pay the consequences in jail. Or do we now a have a new cold-blooded killer in the world that has to go to jail just because the laws oblige us to do so. This is the dilemma with morality as itâs very objective and not completely set in stone as just like with everything it changes and evolves from a person to the other, a generation to the next.
 References
CrashCourse, 2016. Aesthetics: Crash Course Philosophy #31. [online] YouTube. Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDL4Zf2yEa4> [Accessed 21 Dec. 2017].
Mangaraj, S., 2012. Essay on the connection between Art and Mortality. [online] Preservearticles.com. Available at: <http://www.preservearticles.com/201103284770/art-and-mortality.html> [Accessed 21 Dec. 2017].
TedX Talks, 2016. How a vandal's conception of morality will make you rethink society | MissMe | TEDxHECMontréal. [online] YouTube. Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vL0OBCmTc4o> [Accessed 21 Dec. 2017].
