Colleen's Part Two-Exercise for Aesthetic Awareness

Considering aesthetic awareness is so multi-faceted I think this competency would allow a student an excellent opportunity to incorporate experiential learning in order to increase his/her awareness of aesthetic awareness. It would be quite interesting to send a student on a "aesthetic awareness scavenger hunt." As a preliminary introduction to this experience, I would not tell the student that the hunt is designed to increase his/her aesthetic awareness, rather I would say it is a "competency development activity."

I would give directions to a variety of places/prompts around the Washington, D.C. area for a student to visit within one day. Each place/prompt will relate to the competency of aesthetic awareness. I would expect the student to complete three places/promopts in order to get the real effect. For example, I would first send the student to a library, or bookstore and give the student a title to a poetry and/or literature anthology. Tell the student to read one passage or poem and reflect on what the particular piece means to him/her. Next I would ask the student to listen to his/her favorite song on their way to the next destination and see how the music connects to the written form of poetry. I would select a museum but not necessarily an art museum, maybe the Anacostia Community Museum or the National Museum of the American Indian. I would ask the student to pick a display that speaks to him/her and describe why including how it stirs sensory emotions such as vision, smell, etc. Finally, I would give a list of movies that are directed toward a variety of ethnic dances whether it be Irish Dancing, Salsa Dancing, Ballet, etc. and tell the student to choose one and reflect on how the dancing relates to the culture of the particular group, focusing on how it reflects the society's values, social structure, ideologies, etc. At the end I would ask the student to explain which competency they focused their day around (by now it should be clear to the student that it is aesthetic awareness) and write a short reflection paper on how their awareness of the aesthetics has enhanced their awareness of other competencies.

Although it seems quite involved I feel that aesthetic awareness must be experienced, and that in order to truly enhance one's awareness of what art is, a person must have examples and indulge oneself into the world of art. Also, I believe this would be an excellent opportunity for a student to not only enhance his/her aesethetic awareness but also see how this particular competency can improve one's understanding of the other competencies of New Century College.