Re: [Yasmin_discussions] STEAM Introductory Course at Rutgers

Hello Julia, Glenn, Roger and other STEAM enthusiasts,

I enjoyed looking at the log of Julia's course and how she approached the
idea of STEAM for STEM majors. I am glad to learn how you approached this
discovery-very creative - and will hope that it plays an indelible role in
how the students who participated will approach their STEM work and the
world in general.

As a visual artist, Julia, you offer a unique perspective, as you clearly
understand how art, science, technology, and communication, are connected.
It is heartening to see how you connect the arts, with an acute awareness
of the world today, and combine with STEM subjects to create a special
learning environment. This is truly an example of the art-science
connection. I am sure that it stimulates creative thought and opens the
mind to possibilities as well as learning from experience and failure. It
is a call to action for an integrated learning style, reminiscent of the
past, as well as using various media that are intriguing and appropriate to
entice today's students. You found the art in things that may not be
obviously "art." It is ideal to learn from real life and apply artistic or
aesthetic principles that include an historical perspective, yet are trying
something new. There is no end to what can be done when we open the sides
of the box without fear - the fear of failure or fear of extending out of
the traditional silos of academic content. Risk, reflection and then
process over time - what happens next? I will look forward to more student
comments and also to how this may affect their future goals and work.

The way I approach my life, although maybe unknowingly, has always been a
representation of STEAM. For that reason, I embarked on using it as a
protocol for students of all abilities and backgrounds to learn. I believe
this opportunity brings them a chance to engage and maybe a chance to feel
something, and as a result, motivate them to bigger things (ideas,
possibilities and options otherwise unknown). Perhaps this sounds watered
down, too grand or idealistic, but that is my motivation. My version of
STEAM has STEM subjects at the core, uses and connects to various arts,
many times as a learning tool. I am neither an artist nor a scientist. The
level of my work is more basic than higher-level art-science or
science-art-technology. It offers opportunities for connections to deepen
learning and gain skills or focus and persistence. Much of my curriculum
connects easily to the Engineering Habits of Mind, which to me are really
STEAM. So from our collective work and the variety of feedback in this
blog, we can start to synthesize best practices for STEAM. Those best
practices can relate to protocols for education or work and research. I do
admit that I may see these connections and others may not.

So is STEAM just vapor? No I don't think so. There is valuable experience
in learning happening that will engage some who would never seek STEM
learning. Also, it can enhance the work of other arts through STEM
subjects. It uses whatever tools for learning are available, albeit some
that take creative thought and honestly, the ability to dare ones self and
see what happens. It begs many questions. What is this connection - is it
something that can't be fully articulated? Is it too abstract, so it is
hard to put it into the confines of curriculum? Does it fit better when
talking about making art from science or using science to create art? What
is art? Is it art if it is a photo of a cell or an image from a NASA
satellite? Is a picture that results from a child's coding exercise qualify
as art? Do we need an understanding of science to be a great musician? Does
becoming a great dancer or teaching dance require an understanding of
physics? Should we teach these connections? Should we experience them? Do
we experience music at a greater depth because we understand some of the
mathematics or science it uses at its foundation? Does it make us better
observers? Are patterns more easily discerned? Perhaps it is just a call to
rejuvenate a renaissance education. Can we use STEM in these varied ways:
as a way to experiment or demonstrate science? As a way to help STEM
students be more creative so they can approach their problem solving with a
new perspective? Is there value in the required risk-taking the arts
demand? Can it help young students learn through play and physical
experiences? Is it another way to present content that is tangible and may
as a result be better understood? Bottom line-does it call for more
inclusiveness-those who would not be introduced to STEM, and as a result,
open possibilities for discovery?

As long as there are questions that connect the arts and science we must
continue to pursue the answers. And hopefully, give these quality
opportunities for students to discover so that they have choices in how
they view the world.

​Thank you Julia for taking the risks to create the class.​

Ruth Catchen

[image: --]

Ruth Catchen, M. Music, MA
STEM/STEAM Curriculum and Program Development, Teacher Professional
Development
http://www.stemartseffect.com/
http://www.theartseffect.com/
http://ruthcatchen.wordpress.com/
@ruthcatchen
719.660.2705
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"Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere."
Albert Einstein

On Mon, Jan 23, 2017 at 8:55 PM, Glenn Smith <gsmith@space-machines.com>
wrote:

> Dear Yasminers,
>
> Having spent quite a bit of time browsing through Julia's blog post
> (in itself quite well done) on her 11-day STEAM course, I can't
> imagine a more enriching exposure -- and from both a practical
> and theoretical standpoint -- to the ways in which art threads
> itself though modern life; and the obvious question -- and one to
> which Julia is certainly more attuned than any of us, and one to
> which I think she has specifically alluded -- is "What would all of
> this look like outside of NYC?"
>
> In particular, there are certain kinds of art/technology interactions
> -- e.g., large-scale kinetic works -- which do not lend themselves
> to the NYC environment; and even though there are a number of
> such sculptors who have managed to maintain studios in the
> lower-rent districts of, say, Brooklyn, I'm sure it must be a
> struggle.
>
> Indeed, when Jean Tinguely and Andy Warhol were fighting their
> titanic, early 60's battle for the soul of modernism [1], Tinguely
> had the deck stacked against him because it was being fought
> in NYC: difficult enough it is to carry a box of screen printing
> supplies through the subway system -- but what about the
> 80-pound steel disc which forms the base for my own
> "L'Amour Industriel" [2]?
>
> And the ultimate poster child in this connection must certainly
> be the world's foremost kinetic sculptor Lin Emery, who
> abandoned her native NYC in favor of New Orleans -- and which
> circumstance I have looked at in some detail [3].
>
> But I digress.
>
> Julia has obviously done a marvelous job with this first course!
> -- and the one question that remains for me is the mix of
> declared majors among her students.
>
> Regards,
> G. W. (Glenn) Smith
> 3443 Esplanade Ave., Apt. 438
> New Orleans, LA
> www.space-machines.com
>
> [1] http://www.mdpi.com/2076-0752/4/3/75/htm
> [2] http://www.space-machines.com/images/L'Amour%20Industriel.jpg
> [3] http://www.caldaria.org/2013/09/lin-emery-by-philip-palmedo-
> review-by.html
>
> _______________________________________________
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[Yasmin_discussions] condensing STEAM:

yasminers

this has been a vigorous discussion
given the limitations of on line discussion lists
and i am taken by the practical turn taken
by ruth, glen, julia, ken , and others

in the current debates about stem to steam there
is a recurrent call for 'evidence' that stem to steam
is a good idea- with the search for different kinds of evidence-
quantitative, qualitative, analogic....

the SEAD group, led by alex topete, is currently working on a list of
'exemplars'
of really good STEAM projects- we will be sharing this
list publically in march at an exhibit at the us national science
foundation- if any yasminers have one or two really amazing
exemplars ( not their own work) they would point to
as evidence of the unexpected outcomes of stem to steam approaches
please so send these names/url to this list with why you think it is a good
exemplar.

One of my favourite exemplars is the work of David Dunn and Jim Crutchfied
on bioaccoustics/barkbeetles infestations/sound of trees growing- where
both fascinating music was developed and scientific discoveries because
of the collaboration of an artist and scientist

other kinds of evidence are experimental psychology in the science of
learning which a number of researchers are working on ( kathryn evans
just finished a phenomenelogical study of stem students taking sound
and music courses)

kathryn, as she mentioned to yasminers is about to relaunch an updated
of the CDASH web site which aggregates curricula and programs in steam
approaches

http://www.utdallas.edu/atec/cdash/

i second her call- if you are teaching a course, or running a program
that should be included in the CDASH aggregation- please do mention
in on the yasmin discussion list and kathryn will contact you to
get the details for inclusion in CDASH

if steam is not just hot moist air- lets identify the condensates !


roger



Roger F Malina
is in Dallas +15108532007 malina.diatrope.com
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[Yasmin_discussions] STEAM Introductory Course at Rutgers

Dear Yasminers,

Having spent quite a bit of time browsing through Julia's blog post
(in itself quite well done) on her 11-day STEAM course, I can't
imagine a more enriching exposure -- and from both a practical
and theoretical standpoint -- to the ways in which art threads
itself though modern life; and the obvious question -- and one to
which Julia is certainly more attuned than any of us, and one to
which I think she has specifically alluded -- is "What would all of
this look like outside of NYC?"

In particular, there are certain kinds of art/technology interactions
-- e.g., large-scale kinetic works -- which do not lend themselves
to the NYC environment; and even though there are a number of
such sculptors who have managed to maintain studios in the
lower-rent districts of, say, Brooklyn, I'm sure it must be a
struggle.

Indeed, when Jean Tinguely and Andy Warhol were fighting their
titanic, early 60's battle for the soul of modernism [1], Tinguely
had the deck stacked against him because it was being fought
in NYC: difficult enough it is to carry a box of screen printing
supplies through the subway system -- but what about the
80-pound steel disc which forms the base for my own
"L'Amour Industriel" [2]?

And the ultimate poster child in this connection must certainly
be the world's foremost kinetic sculptor Lin Emery, who
abandoned her native NYC in favor of New Orleans -- and which
circumstance I have looked at in some detail [3].

But I digress.

Julia has obviously done a marvelous job with this first course!
-- and the one question that remains for me is the mix of
declared majors among her students.

Regards,
G. W. (Glenn) Smith
3443 Esplanade Ave., Apt. 438
New Orleans, LA
www.space-machines.com

[1] http://www.mdpi.com/2076-0752/4/3/75/htm
[2] http://www.space-machines.com/images/L'Amour%20Industriel.jpg
[3] http://www.caldaria.org/2013/09/lin-emery-by-philip-palmedo-review-by.html

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Re: [Yasmin_discussions] serious discussion of STEAM

...Yasminers out there with examples of Art-Science courses, we would love to include your work also.

Kathryn Evans, Ph.D.
Vocal and Choral Music
School of Arts and Humanities
University of Texas at Dallas
800 W Campbell Rd
Richardson, TX 75080
kcevans@utdallas.edu
http://www.utdallas.edu/atec/cdash/

________________________________________
From: Evans, Kathryn
Sent: Sunday, January 22, 2017 11:44 AM
To: YASMIN DISCUSSIONS
Subject: Re: [Yasmin_discussions] serious discussion of STEAM

Hi Julia: Thank you for this. I will be revampking by CDASH website this month and will be sure to feature your work. (Curriculum Development in the Arts, Sciences and Humanities). Any other

Kathryn Evans, Ph.D.
Vocal and Choral Music
School of Arts and Humanities
University of Texas at Dallas
800 W Campbell Rd
Richardson, TX 75080
kcevans@utdallas.edu
http://www.utdallas.edu/atec/cdash/

________________________________________
From: yasmin_discussions-bounces@estia.media.uoa.gr <yasmin_discussions-bounces@estia.media.uoa.gr> on behalf of Julia Buntaine <julia.buntaine@gmail.com>
Sent: Sunday, January 22, 2017 10:02 AM
To: YASMIN DISCUSSIONS
Subject: Re: [Yasmin_discussions] serious discussion of STEAM

Hey everyone -

With my STEAM course over, I've uploaded the documentation of the class
online:

http://www.juliabuntaine.com/steam--rutgers.html

While operating under certain constraints (namely time, as well as my
position being part of the women's college, which necessitated a more
narrow, women-focused syllabus), there were particular goals I had with the
class that were met with at least a majority of the students -

Because of the experiential nature of the course I decided to focus on (1)
the opportunity to broaden student's perspectives, (2) to help them
understand how knowing about art can improve their skills in the sciences
(under the larger umbrella of the idea of promoting well-rounded thinking -
these students were primarily STEM students), (3) to question the
pre-conceived notions they had about art and science as a means to
illuminate their complementary nature, (4) to apply critical thinking when
reading or looking (5) to understand that increasingly in most careers
cross-disciplinary thinking is valued (or necessary, depending on your job)
as it boosts innovative and creative thinking (I say this generally)

One of the most revealing activities we did was visit Agnes Martin's
retrospective - most of the students had not a clue as to how to look at
her work (they dug for meaning where there was none) and thus learned a
supremely valuable lesson about abstract/minimalist/conceptual art - I'm
sure we're all familiar with the fact that most lay people today do not
understand abstract art and thus usually don't like it - it's a matter of
knowing how to look at it, and as soon as you know that you're just
supposed to enjoy the interplay of colors, forms, the 'aura' of the piece,
as it were, and let your mind go where it may (rather than digging for
specific narrative meaning) it is usually a quite enjoyable experience. I
believe that the predominance of abstract art in the last half century has
led to a disconnect between art and 'the people'. Most students, in the
end, didn't really *like* the show - but all of them said that they
understood why the work on display was important and interesting.

Another interesting take-away was that students were unaware of the variety
of career choices they could have or didn't realize they could pursue
multiple careers in tandem - this may sound simple, and it is, which makes
it all the more important that 18 year olds know this from the start,
because its easiest to explore multiple potentials while still in school.

There will be a post-course self evaluation the students will fill out,
once a month or two has passed, as I believe for some of these things, it
takes time to sink in. These responses will be added to the website as
well. 90% of the students were college freshman (and 3 sophomores), so the
hope is that this experience positively impacts their academic careers as
well as post-college careers.

I will hopefully get the chance to teach this course again next year -
there are certainly things I would have done a bit differently (hindsight
is 20/20). I welcome your feedback as well as I plan for the next time
around!

*Julia Buntaine*
*Neuroscience-based art: www.JuliaBuntaine.com
<http://www.juliabuntaine.com>*

*Innovator-in-Residence at Rutgers UniversityDirector at SciArt Center
<http://www.sciartcenter.org>*
*Editor-in-Chief of SciArt Magazine <http://www.sciartmagazine.com>*


On Fri, Dec 23, 2016 at 11:40 AM, Julia Buntaine <julia.buntaine@gmail.com>
wrote:

> To respond to Glenn & Ruth's comments -
>
> Thank you so much for your input - I look forward to implementing some of
> these ideas! Some more thoughts along the 1-2-3 points....
>
> 1. I love the idea of coming in the first day with presenting a favorite
> art work. While I do agree with Ruth, that the "A" does not have to stand
> for visual art only, as a classroom exercise choosing one form of art -
> visual since it is my area of expertise - will create a comparative
> situation that could be very intersting to explore. Discussing the choices
> they made, why, the differences between what is presented, etc. should be
> very revealing and helpful groundwork for the course. Ruth, I welcome input
> from you about this! Please feel free to email me directly - my course is
> Jan 3-13th.
>
> 2. The back and forth about creativity here has really shed light on the
> different definitions of what it means to be creative! No, you don't want a
> doctor getting creative during surgery - but you do want a doctor who may
> come up with creative alternatives to surgery, for example. I think we've
> all experienced the sometimes frustratingly-uncreative side of western
> medicine. I think as its base, creativity speaks to a mindset that can go
> beyond pure training, that can incorporate experience, gained expertise,
> independent findings, perspectives from other fields. There is a great art
> example of this, which is when you learn to draw. Learning to draw is much
> like learning a science - there is a way to shade, a way to draw
> proportionally, with perspective, etc. In a class full of freshman drawing
> students the drawings will all pretty much look the same (to a degree). It
> is only after learning the skill set necessary to depict something that you
> can successfully deviate from that with added 'style'. Of course, as an
> artist or researcher, the room to be creative is much larger than other
> jobs. While each have their limitations on creativity (properties of
> materials, gravity, the scientific method, etc.) really 'great' works of
> art or discoveries in science are borne of creative thinking. Additionally,
> there is the idea that restrictions and set limits (money, time, space,
> etc) actually breed creativity, because if all possibilities were open,
> where would creativity be?
>
> 3. I am definitely going to have the students draw what they see through a
> multi-media notebook they'll be keeping during the course - something like
> drawing the science they experience, and writing about the art they
> experience, trying to use the descriptive methods of both fields in reverse
> - this will be supplemented by reading parts from John Berger's "ways of
> seeing," where he introduces the idea of understanding what you see and why
> - what contexts you bring into a seeing, or art seeing, situation. My hope
> is to provide a bit of visual training so that students, art students or
> otherwise, can approach their visual world with a critical eye. The lack of
> a critical eye is why so many people may like art, but not feel they can
> have an opinion about it. I find this fascinating, and terribly sad, since
> art is for "the people" above all else, therefore any opinion about it is
> valid - however educated it may be. A critical mind is also essential -
> especially in science, when there are so many contradictory findings every
> day (ex. what is healthy to eat), and I hope to help students develop this
> as well by encouraging them to reach their own informed opinions about art,
> or science. I think that this sort of critical thinking is relevant,
> necessary, in all STEAM fields.
>
> *Julia Buntaine*
> *Neuroscience-based art: www.JuliaBuntaine.com
> <http://www.juliabuntaine.com>*
>
> *Innovator-in-Residence at Rutgers UniversityDirector at SciArt Center
> <http://www.sciartcenter.org>*
> *Editor-in-Chief of SciArt Magazine <http://www.sciartmagazine.com>*
>
>
> On Wed, Dec 21, 2016 at 11:54 AM, ruth <rcatchen@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> I would like to respond to Glenn's comments and will provide more
>> information about STEAM after the holidays. I am currently traveling and
>> in
>> the air as I write. In addition, Julia, I will contact you as I have done
>> a
>> lot of teaching (P-20) using STEAM as the protocol and my ideas may be a
>> bit different than what you plan so far, or at least worth a look to
>> integrate into what you already have. As well, I am excited to learn about
>> what you are doing and what you find to be successful. Please feel free to
>> contact me.
>>
>> I will respond to Glenn's comments through his numbering to simplify.
>>
>> 1. I like the idea of selecting an art work to write about or reflect on
>> as
>> a piece of self-identity. I do, however, do not believe that visual art is
>> the only way to implement STEAM or add the arts to STEM, even though the
>> connections through design thinking, sketches to plan or brainstorm design
>> ideas, making, etc., are fairly obvious. I use these protocols all the
>> time
>> and have used art work for students to observe, enhance their observation
>> skills (to better scientific observation), and/or recognize patterns. I
>> think it is valuable for a student to connect his or her self and their
>> own
>> self expression to a work of art. I do not believe that this is the only
>> way to do this - certainly the same can be said for a piece of music or
>> finding a way to physically manifest something you see or hear (such as
>> dance). Students could also write their own reflection in the form of a
>> play or monologue or integrate all of the vehicles of self-expression. I
>> do
>> agree that many students have not had an opportunity to value or invest
>> themselves in any aesthetic thinking. Unfortunately with the focus on
>> STEM,
>> Mathematics, Science, AP classes etc. time for this goes too far from the
>> checklist and probably not valued. It may be considered only for those
>> with
>> "talent" rather than cultivating discipline, aesthetic thinking or
>> critical
>> judgment. My son, now a sophomore in college and a computer science major,
>> continually bemoans his lack of liberal arts education and experience and
>> exposure to the arts and humanities, which he believes would greatly
>> enhance his perspective and personal growth. Some of this was his own
>> choice, but guided by the powers that be in an effort to become a national
>> AP scholar and garner merit awards. This exposure to the arts and using
>> the
>> arts as a way of doing or understanding and experiencing is a different
>> approach than our test happy public schools generally advocate. Perhaps
>> there needs to be a discussion and promotion as to why this is "value
>> added." So yes, how to integrate the arts into your life for a wide
>> variety
>> of benefits is well-needed. Also, I must say that this is not a substitute
>> for arts education, each a valid content area on their own.
>>
>> 2. There is a frank need for a discussion about creativity and what it is
>> and what it means as well as a discussion about embedding it in the
>> way-to-do. I believe the ability to be creative is on the top of my
>> personal list. At the same time, most jobs do not allow for creativity, as
>> Glenn suggests, how creative do you want your doctor to be? Or is this
>> more
>> about an approach or perspective? Even if valued, including in education,
>> use of creativity or creative thinking has to be appropriate.
>>
>> 3. I am a proponent of "Drawing as a Way of Knowing" and using sketches to
>> either plan or brainstorm work or demonstrate knowledge. Simple sketches
>> can be valuable and we must teach that this is not a work of art but
>> rather
>> a skill to communicate that all students, like speaking and writing,
>> should
>> have. Drawing is integral to STEAM.
>>
>> More to come...I hope this makes sense as there are many distractions.
>>
>> Ruth
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> [image: --]
>>
>> Ruth Catchen, M. Music, MA
>> STEM/STEAM Curriculum and Program Development, Teacher Professional
>> Development
>> http://www.stemartseffect.com/
>> http://www.theartseffect.com/
>> http://ruthcatchen.wordpress.com/
>> @ruthcatchen
>> 719.660.2705
>> <http://t.sidekickopen68.com/e1t/c/5/f18dQhb0S7lC8dDMPbW2n0x
>> 6l2B9nMJW7t5XYg3N1HhHN5vMG7WdVcClW5vfRWq56dywDf4NrTl402?t=
>> http%3A%2F%2Fabout.me%2Fruthcatchen%3Fpromo%3Demail_
>> sig&si=6671496990162944&pi=1fc82731-fbd2-4b4a-93cd-945d3c2daa04>
>>
>>
>> <http://t.sidekickopen68.com/e1t/c/5/f18dQhb0S7lC8dDMPbW2n0x
>> 6l2B9nMJW7t5XYg3N1HhHN5vMG7WdVcClW5vfRWq56dywDf4NrTl402?t=
>> http%3A%2F%2Fabout.me%2Fruthcatchen%3Fpromo%3Demail_
>> sig&si=6671496990162944&pi=1fc82731-fbd2-4b4a-93cd-945d3c2daa04>
>> [image: http://]
>> <http://t.sidekickopen68.com/e1t/c/5/f18dQhb0S7lC8dDMPbW2n0x
>> 6l2B9nMJW7t5XYg3N1HhHN5vMG7WdVcClW5vfRWq56dywDf4NrTl402?t=
>> http%3A%2F%2Fabout.me%2Fruthcatchen%3Fpromo%3Demail_
>> sig&si=6671496990162944&pi=1fc82731-fbd2-4b4a-93cd-945d3c2daa04>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> "Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere."
>> Albert Einstein
>>
>> On Tue, Dec 20, 2016 at 11:16 PM, Glenn Smith <gsmith@space-machines.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>> > Dear Yasminers,
>> >
>> > Please critique the following thoughts I am going to share -- at
>> > her invitation -- with Julia Buntaine as she prepares to teach a
>> > brand new STEAM course at Rutgers this coming semester;
>> > and please add your own -- she is going to be in uncharted
>> > waters!
>> >
>> > 1. It would seem to me to be a very useful thing to ask each of
>> > your students, as an initial exercise, to identify one work of art
>> > which really means something to them -- and here I am
>> > assuming a work of visual art, as this seems to be the context
>> > of our efforts, and also because that branch of the arts which
>> > is the most "out there"; and the point being, of course, to
>> > establish that art -- whether or not it can be integrated into
>> > their professional careers -- is an important part of their lives.
>> > This will also give you an opportunity to find out where each of
>> > your students is coming from aesthetically, and there should
>> > be no pressure on them to choose a Picasso or Giacometti;
>> > but you may be shocked to find that some of your students
>> > -- even at Rutgers! -- have never been given the opportunity to
>> > develop an aesthetic sensibility, and to which extent you will
>> > be attempting to fly a kite on a windless day. I.e., the
>> > assumption is that this is NOT a course in "Art Appreciation"
>> > -- that should be a given!!!!! -- but rather a course about
>> > integrating art into one's professional career.
>> >
>> > 2. I would also establish some formal occasions for a frank
>> > discussion about the extent to which "creativity" as such can
>> > actually be integrated into professions which otherwise require
>> > a great deal of deal of training and effort. An engineer or
>> > designer of course has the opportunity to be creative; but a
>> > career as an airline pilot is an entirely different story! The
>> > current movie "Sully" notwithstanding, the pilot is NOT
>> > expected to be creative, but rather to be able to apply "by the
>> > book" responses which exist -- and in detail! -- for a huge range
>> > of contingencies; and it is no wonder, therefore, that the extent
>> > of depression among airline pilots is now becoming news. And
>> > -- let us be honest -- are not professionals like doctors and
>> > accountants bound to a great extent by the same standards?
>> > I.e., none of us want a "creative" doctor -- we want, rather, a
>> > doctor who can apply the very latest "best practices" as defined
>> > by his or her profession.
>> >
>> > 3. That having been said, I have been very taken by Dr. Gemma
>> > Anderson's post on "Drawing as a Way of Knowing" -- and I am
>> > realizing that this is a hugely under-appreciated aspect of
>> > artistic talent, i.e., the masterful hand on the OUTPUT side as
>> > a function of the all-seeing and discriminatory eye on the
>> > INPUT side -- and what profession could not benefit from
>> > clearly-delineated views of what is being faced? So, therefore,
>> > it might be an interesting exercise for you to ask your students
>> > to produce a sketch depicting an actual or typical situation with
>> > which they might deal in their respective professions; or -- as
>> > explained to me by a quite astute businessman -- it is critical,
>> > if your organization is to take advantage of a given opportunity,
>> > to be able to step up to a blackboard and depict that opportunity
>> > in a sketch.
>> >
>> > And so, Julia, maybe the simple blackboard -- and the line
>> > drawing!!! -- will become the focus of this and future courses!
>> >
>> > Regards,
>> > Glenn
>> >
>> > _______________________________________________
>> > Yasmin_discussions mailing list
>> > Yasmin_discussions@estia.media.uoa.gr
>> > http://estia.media.uoa.gr/mailman/listinfo/yasmin_discussions
>> >
>> > Yasmin URL: http://www.media.uoa.gr/yasmin
>> >
>> > SBSCRIBE: click on the link to the list you wish to subscribe to. In the
>> > page that will appear ("info page"), enter e-mail address, name, and
>> > password in the fields found further down the page.
>> > HOW TO UNSUBSCRIBE: on the info page, scroll all the way down and enter
>> > your e-mail address in the last field. Enter password if asked. Click on
>> > the unsubscribe button on the page that will appear ("options page").
>> > TO ENABLE / DISABLE DIGEST MODE: in the options page, find the "Set
>> Digest
>> > Mode" option and set it to either on or off.
>> > If you prefer to read the posts on a blog go to
>> > http://yasminlist.blogspot.com/
>> >
>> _______________________________________________
>> Yasmin_discussions mailing list
>> Yasmin_discussions@estia.media.uoa.gr
>> http://estia.media.uoa.gr/mailman/listinfo/yasmin_discussions
>>
>> Yasmin URL: http://www.media.uoa.gr/yasmin
>>
>> SBSCRIBE: click on the link to the list you wish to subscribe to. In the
>> page that will appear ("info page"), enter e-mail address, name, and
>> password in the fields found further down the page.
>> HOW TO UNSUBSCRIBE: on the info page, scroll all the way down and enter
>> your e-mail address in the last field. Enter password if asked. Click on
>> the unsubscribe button on the page that will appear ("options page").
>> TO ENABLE / DISABLE DIGEST MODE: in the options page, find the "Set
>> Digest Mode" option and set it to either on or off.
>> If you prefer to read the posts on a blog go to
>> http://yasminlist.blogspot.com/
>>
>
>
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Re: [Yasmin_discussions] serious discussion of STEAM

Hey everyone -

With my STEAM course over, I've uploaded the documentation of the class
online:

http://www.juliabuntaine.com/steam--rutgers.html

While operating under certain constraints (namely time, as well as my
position being part of the women's college, which necessitated a more
narrow, women-focused syllabus), there were particular goals I had with the
class that were met with at least a majority of the students -

Because of the experiential nature of the course I decided to focus on (1)
the opportunity to broaden student's perspectives, (2) to help them
understand how knowing about art can improve their skills in the sciences
(under the larger umbrella of the idea of promoting well-rounded thinking -
these students were primarily STEM students), (3) to question the
pre-conceived notions they had about art and science as a means to
illuminate their complementary nature, (4) to apply critical thinking when
reading or looking (5) to understand that increasingly in most careers
cross-disciplinary thinking is valued (or necessary, depending on your job)
as it boosts innovative and creative thinking (I say this generally)

One of the most revealing activities we did was visit Agnes Martin's
retrospective - most of the students had not a clue as to how to look at
her work (they dug for meaning where there was none) and thus learned a
supremely valuable lesson about abstract/minimalist/conceptual art - I'm
sure we're all familiar with the fact that most lay people today do not
understand abstract art and thus usually don't like it - it's a matter of
knowing how to look at it, and as soon as you know that you're just
supposed to enjoy the interplay of colors, forms, the 'aura' of the piece,
as it were, and let your mind go where it may (rather than digging for
specific narrative meaning) it is usually a quite enjoyable experience. I
believe that the predominance of abstract art in the last half century has
led to a disconnect between art and 'the people'. Most students, in the
end, didn't really *like* the show - but all of them said that they
understood why the work on display was important and interesting.

Another interesting take-away was that students were unaware of the variety
of career choices they could have or didn't realize they could pursue
multiple careers in tandem - this may sound simple, and it is, which makes
it all the more important that 18 year olds know this from the start,
because its easiest to explore multiple potentials while still in school.

There will be a post-course self evaluation the students will fill out,
once a month or two has passed, as I believe for some of these things, it
takes time to sink in. These responses will be added to the website as
well. 90% of the students were college freshman (and 3 sophomores), so the
hope is that this experience positively impacts their academic careers as
well as post-college careers.

I will hopefully get the chance to teach this course again next year -
there are certainly things I would have done a bit differently (hindsight
is 20/20). I welcome your feedback as well as I plan for the next time
around!

*Julia Buntaine*
*Neuroscience-based art: www.JuliaBuntaine.com
<http://www.juliabuntaine.com>*

*Innovator-in-Residence at Rutgers UniversityDirector at SciArt Center
<http://www.sciartcenter.org>*
*Editor-in-Chief of SciArt Magazine <http://www.sciartmagazine.com>*

On Fri, Dec 23, 2016 at 11:40 AM, Julia Buntaine <julia.buntaine@gmail.com>
wrote:

> To respond to Glenn & Ruth's comments -
>
> Thank you so much for your input - I look forward to implementing some of
> these ideas! Some more thoughts along the 1-2-3 points....
>
> 1. I love the idea of coming in the first day with presenting a favorite
> art work. While I do agree with Ruth, that the "A" does not have to stand
> for visual art only, as a classroom exercise choosing one form of art -
> visual since it is my area of expertise - will create a comparative
> situation that could be very intersting to explore. Discussing the choices
> they made, why, the differences between what is presented, etc. should be
> very revealing and helpful groundwork for the course. Ruth, I welcome input
> from you about this! Please feel free to email me directly - my course is
> Jan 3-13th.
>
> 2. The back and forth about creativity here has really shed light on the
> different definitions of what it means to be creative! No, you don't want a
> doctor getting creative during surgery - but you do want a doctor who may
> come up with creative alternatives to surgery, for example. I think we've
> all experienced the sometimes frustratingly-uncreative side of western
> medicine. I think as its base, creativity speaks to a mindset that can go
> beyond pure training, that can incorporate experience, gained expertise,
> independent findings, perspectives from other fields. There is a great art
> example of this, which is when you learn to draw. Learning to draw is much
> like learning a science - there is a way to shade, a way to draw
> proportionally, with perspective, etc. In a class full of freshman drawing
> students the drawings will all pretty much look the same (to a degree). It
> is only after learning the skill set necessary to depict something that you
> can successfully deviate from that with added 'style'. Of course, as an
> artist or researcher, the room to be creative is much larger than other
> jobs. While each have their limitations on creativity (properties of
> materials, gravity, the scientific method, etc.) really 'great' works of
> art or discoveries in science are borne of creative thinking. Additionally,
> there is the idea that restrictions and set limits (money, time, space,
> etc) actually breed creativity, because if all possibilities were open,
> where would creativity be?
>
> 3. I am definitely going to have the students draw what they see through a
> multi-media notebook they'll be keeping during the course - something like
> drawing the science they experience, and writing about the art they
> experience, trying to use the descriptive methods of both fields in reverse
> - this will be supplemented by reading parts from John Berger's "ways of
> seeing," where he introduces the idea of understanding what you see and why
> - what contexts you bring into a seeing, or art seeing, situation. My hope
> is to provide a bit of visual training so that students, art students or
> otherwise, can approach their visual world with a critical eye. The lack of
> a critical eye is why so many people may like art, but not feel they can
> have an opinion about it. I find this fascinating, and terribly sad, since
> art is for "the people" above all else, therefore any opinion about it is
> valid - however educated it may be. A critical mind is also essential -
> especially in science, when there are so many contradictory findings every
> day (ex. what is healthy to eat), and I hope to help students develop this
> as well by encouraging them to reach their own informed opinions about art,
> or science. I think that this sort of critical thinking is relevant,
> necessary, in all STEAM fields.
>
> *Julia Buntaine*
> *Neuroscience-based art: www.JuliaBuntaine.com
> <http://www.juliabuntaine.com>*
>
> *Innovator-in-Residence at Rutgers UniversityDirector at SciArt Center
> <http://www.sciartcenter.org>*
> *Editor-in-Chief of SciArt Magazine <http://www.sciartmagazine.com>*
>
>
> On Wed, Dec 21, 2016 at 11:54 AM, ruth <rcatchen@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> I would like to respond to Glenn's comments and will provide more
>> information about STEAM after the holidays. I am currently traveling and
>> in
>> the air as I write. In addition, Julia, I will contact you as I have done
>> a
>> lot of teaching (P-20) using STEAM as the protocol and my ideas may be a
>> bit different than what you plan so far, or at least worth a look to
>> integrate into what you already have. As well, I am excited to learn about
>> what you are doing and what you find to be successful. Please feel free to
>> contact me.
>>
>> I will respond to Glenn's comments through his numbering to simplify.
>>
>> 1. I like the idea of selecting an art work to write about or reflect on
>> as
>> a piece of self-identity. I do, however, do not believe that visual art is
>> the only way to implement STEAM or add the arts to STEM, even though the
>> connections through design thinking, sketches to plan or brainstorm design
>> ideas, making, etc., are fairly obvious. I use these protocols all the
>> time
>> and have used art work for students to observe, enhance their observation
>> skills (to better scientific observation), and/or recognize patterns. I
>> think it is valuable for a student to connect his or her self and their
>> own
>> self expression to a work of art. I do not believe that this is the only
>> way to do this - certainly the same can be said for a piece of music or
>> finding a way to physically manifest something you see or hear (such as
>> dance). Students could also write their own reflection in the form of a
>> play or monologue or integrate all of the vehicles of self-expression. I
>> do
>> agree that many students have not had an opportunity to value or invest
>> themselves in any aesthetic thinking. Unfortunately with the focus on
>> STEM,
>> Mathematics, Science, AP classes etc. time for this goes too far from the
>> checklist and probably not valued. It may be considered only for those
>> with
>> "talent" rather than cultivating discipline, aesthetic thinking or
>> critical
>> judgment. My son, now a sophomore in college and a computer science major,
>> continually bemoans his lack of liberal arts education and experience and
>> exposure to the arts and humanities, which he believes would greatly
>> enhance his perspective and personal growth. Some of this was his own
>> choice, but guided by the powers that be in an effort to become a national
>> AP scholar and garner merit awards. This exposure to the arts and using
>> the
>> arts as a way of doing or understanding and experiencing is a different
>> approach than our test happy public schools generally advocate. Perhaps
>> there needs to be a discussion and promotion as to why this is "value
>> added." So yes, how to integrate the arts into your life for a wide
>> variety
>> of benefits is well-needed. Also, I must say that this is not a substitute
>> for arts education, each a valid content area on their own.
>>
>> 2. There is a frank need for a discussion about creativity and what it is
>> and what it means as well as a discussion about embedding it in the
>> way-to-do. I believe the ability to be creative is on the top of my
>> personal list. At the same time, most jobs do not allow for creativity, as
>> Glenn suggests, how creative do you want your doctor to be? Or is this
>> more
>> about an approach or perspective? Even if valued, including in education,
>> use of creativity or creative thinking has to be appropriate.
>>
>> 3. I am a proponent of "Drawing as a Way of Knowing" and using sketches to
>> either plan or brainstorm work or demonstrate knowledge. Simple sketches
>> can be valuable and we must teach that this is not a work of art but
>> rather
>> a skill to communicate that all students, like speaking and writing,
>> should
>> have. Drawing is integral to STEAM.
>>
>> More to come...I hope this makes sense as there are many distractions.
>>
>> Ruth
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> [image: --]
>>
>> Ruth Catchen, M. Music, MA
>> STEM/STEAM Curriculum and Program Development, Teacher Professional
>> Development
>> http://www.stemartseffect.com/
>> http://www.theartseffect.com/
>> http://ruthcatchen.wordpress.com/
>> @ruthcatchen
>> 719.660.2705
>> <http://t.sidekickopen68.com/e1t/c/5/f18dQhb0S7lC8dDMPbW2n0x
>> 6l2B9nMJW7t5XYg3N1HhHN5vMG7WdVcClW5vfRWq56dywDf4NrTl402?t=
>> http%3A%2F%2Fabout.me%2Fruthcatchen%3Fpromo%3Demail_
>> sig&si=6671496990162944&pi=1fc82731-fbd2-4b4a-93cd-945d3c2daa04>
>>
>>
>> <http://t.sidekickopen68.com/e1t/c/5/f18dQhb0S7lC8dDMPbW2n0x
>> 6l2B9nMJW7t5XYg3N1HhHN5vMG7WdVcClW5vfRWq56dywDf4NrTl402?t=
>> http%3A%2F%2Fabout.me%2Fruthcatchen%3Fpromo%3Demail_
>> sig&si=6671496990162944&pi=1fc82731-fbd2-4b4a-93cd-945d3c2daa04>
>> [image: http://]
>> <http://t.sidekickopen68.com/e1t/c/5/f18dQhb0S7lC8dDMPbW2n0x
>> 6l2B9nMJW7t5XYg3N1HhHN5vMG7WdVcClW5vfRWq56dywDf4NrTl402?t=
>> http%3A%2F%2Fabout.me%2Fruthcatchen%3Fpromo%3Demail_
>> sig&si=6671496990162944&pi=1fc82731-fbd2-4b4a-93cd-945d3c2daa04>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> "Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere."
>> Albert Einstein
>>
>> On Tue, Dec 20, 2016 at 11:16 PM, Glenn Smith <gsmith@space-machines.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>> > Dear Yasminers,
>> >
>> > Please critique the following thoughts I am going to share -- at
>> > her invitation -- with Julia Buntaine as she prepares to teach a
>> > brand new STEAM course at Rutgers this coming semester;
>> > and please add your own -- she is going to be in uncharted
>> > waters!
>> >
>> > 1. It would seem to me to be a very useful thing to ask each of
>> > your students, as an initial exercise, to identify one work of art
>> > which really means something to them -- and here I am
>> > assuming a work of visual art, as this seems to be the context
>> > of our efforts, and also because that branch of the arts which
>> > is the most "out there"; and the point being, of course, to
>> > establish that art -- whether or not it can be integrated into
>> > their professional careers -- is an important part of their lives.
>> > This will also give you an opportunity to find out where each of
>> > your students is coming from aesthetically, and there should
>> > be no pressure on them to choose a Picasso or Giacometti;
>> > but you may be shocked to find that some of your students
>> > -- even at Rutgers! -- have never been given the opportunity to
>> > develop an aesthetic sensibility, and to which extent you will
>> > be attempting to fly a kite on a windless day. I.e., the
>> > assumption is that this is NOT a course in "Art Appreciation"
>> > -- that should be a given!!!!! -- but rather a course about
>> > integrating art into one's professional career.
>> >
>> > 2. I would also establish some formal occasions for a frank
>> > discussion about the extent to which "creativity" as such can
>> > actually be integrated into professions which otherwise require
>> > a great deal of deal of training and effort. An engineer or
>> > designer of course has the opportunity to be creative; but a
>> > career as an airline pilot is an entirely different story! The
>> > current movie "Sully" notwithstanding, the pilot is NOT
>> > expected to be creative, but rather to be able to apply "by the
>> > book" responses which exist -- and in detail! -- for a huge range
>> > of contingencies; and it is no wonder, therefore, that the extent
>> > of depression among airline pilots is now becoming news. And
>> > -- let us be honest -- are not professionals like doctors and
>> > accountants bound to a great extent by the same standards?
>> > I.e., none of us want a "creative" doctor -- we want, rather, a
>> > doctor who can apply the very latest "best practices" as defined
>> > by his or her profession.
>> >
>> > 3. That having been said, I have been very taken by Dr. Gemma
>> > Anderson's post on "Drawing as a Way of Knowing" -- and I am
>> > realizing that this is a hugely under-appreciated aspect of
>> > artistic talent, i.e., the masterful hand on the OUTPUT side as
>> > a function of the all-seeing and discriminatory eye on the
>> > INPUT side -- and what profession could not benefit from
>> > clearly-delineated views of what is being faced? So, therefore,
>> > it might be an interesting exercise for you to ask your students
>> > to produce a sketch depicting an actual or typical situation with
>> > which they might deal in their respective professions; or -- as
>> > explained to me by a quite astute businessman -- it is critical,
>> > if your organization is to take advantage of a given opportunity,
>> > to be able to step up to a blackboard and depict that opportunity
>> > in a sketch.
>> >
>> > And so, Julia, maybe the simple blackboard -- and the line
>> > drawing!!! -- will become the focus of this and future courses!
>> >
>> > Regards,
>> > Glenn
>> >
>> > _______________________________________________
>> > Yasmin_discussions mailing list
>> > Yasmin_discussions@estia.media.uoa.gr
>> > http://estia.media.uoa.gr/mailman/listinfo/yasmin_discussions
>> >
>> > Yasmin URL: http://www.media.uoa.gr/yasmin
>> >
>> > SBSCRIBE: click on the link to the list you wish to subscribe to. In the
>> > page that will appear ("info page"), enter e-mail address, name, and
>> > password in the fields found further down the page.
>> > HOW TO UNSUBSCRIBE: on the info page, scroll all the way down and enter
>> > your e-mail address in the last field. Enter password if asked. Click on
>> > the unsubscribe button on the page that will appear ("options page").
>> > TO ENABLE / DISABLE DIGEST MODE: in the options page, find the "Set
>> Digest
>> > Mode" option and set it to either on or off.
>> > If you prefer to read the posts on a blog go to
>> > http://yasminlist.blogspot.com/
>> >
>> _______________________________________________
>> Yasmin_discussions mailing list
>> Yasmin_discussions@estia.media.uoa.gr
>> http://estia.media.uoa.gr/mailman/listinfo/yasmin_discussions
>>
>> Yasmin URL: http://www.media.uoa.gr/yasmin
>>
>> SBSCRIBE: click on the link to the list you wish to subscribe to. In the
>> page that will appear ("info page"), enter e-mail address, name, and
>> password in the fields found further down the page.
>> HOW TO UNSUBSCRIBE: on the info page, scroll all the way down and enter
>> your e-mail address in the last field. Enter password if asked. Click on
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>> Digest Mode" option and set it to either on or off.
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>> http://yasminlist.blogspot.com/
>>
>
>
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SBSCRIBE: click on the link to the list you wish to subscribe to. In the page that will appear ("info page"), enter e-mail address, name, and password in the fields found further down the page.
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Re: [Yasmin_discussions] Beall¹s list of predatory publishers is gone

I was wondering where it was just yesterday. Thanks for the article.

You can access a copy of the site as of January 15th at
https://web.archive.org/web/20170111172309/https://scholarlyoa.com/individu
al-journals/

Of course, the archival resources will go out of date quickly

On 1/18/17, 2:34 AM, "Ken Friedman"
<yasmin_discussions-bounces@estia.media.uoa.gr on behalf of
ken.friedman.sheji@icloud.com> wrote:

>Friends,
>
>It was with shock and sadness that I learned today that Jeffrey Beall's
>list of predatory publishers is no longer.
>
>https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2017/01/18/librarians-list-predatory-j
>ournals-reportedly-removed-due-threats-and-politics
>
>This is unfortunate for the field ― Jeffrey Beall performed a great and
>valuable service. Given the problems in so many fields with the avalanche
>of crank journals and predatory publishers, I understand his decision,
>but I lament it.
>
>For every research field ― including our own ― it is time to discuss the
>ways that people can determine on their own whether a journal is
>predatory or a conference is bogus. Open access publishing by serious
>publishers under the same conditions as paywall publishing offers a
>useful approach for some journals, but the flood of problem journals and
>predatory publishers is causing untold damage and destruction.
>
>Many of us have used Beall's list every day. We sent students and
>colleagues to the list for up-to-date advice. This leaves a massive gap
>in the field, and Beall's work will be irreplaceable. I cannot imagine
>anyone with the capacity to replace Beall's list ― and I cannot imagine,
>given the repeated attacks on his good name and his character, that
>anyone will dare to step up.
>
>Since reading this news, I have been sitting here, stunned. I feel the
>way I felt when the Taliban blew up the great Buddhist monuments.
>
>A global mob of barbarians and pirates found a way to use the university
>system to open a cash flow spigot, turning earnest young researchers into
>suckers, and flooding the world with garbage publications. Beall created
>a solution, at least for those who did not wish to benefit from the
>corrupt predatory system. Over the past three or four years, the number
>of enterprises in this corrupt business has quadrupled. To me, this was a
>monumental effort. In the history of mankind, it may not be remembered in
>the same way that we remember destroyed monuments and looted
>archeological treasures. But for those concerned with the integrity of
>research publishing, Beall's List was a high point at a low moment in
>history.
>
>Jeffrey Beall has many friends and admirers around the world. I am one of
>them.
>
>With sadness,
>
>Ken Friedman
>
>Ken Friedman, PhD, DSc (hc), FDRS | Editor-in-Chief | 设计 She Ji. The
>Journal of Design, Economics, and Innovation | Published by Tongji
>University in Cooperation with Elsevier | URL:
>http://www.journals.elsevier.com/she-ji-the-journal-of-design-economics-an
>d-innovation/
>
>Chair Professor of Design Innovation Studies | College of Design and
>Innovation | Tongji University | Shanghai, China ||| University
>Distinguished Professor | Centre for Design Innovation | Swinburne
>University of Technology | Melbourne, Australia
>
>Email ken.friedman.sheji@icloud.com | Academia
>http://swinburne.academia.edu/KenFriedman | D&I http://tjdi.tongji.edu.cn
>
>
>_______________________________________________
>Yasmin_discussions mailing list
>Yasmin_discussions@estia.media.uoa.gr
>http://estia.media.uoa.gr/mailman/listinfo/yasmin_discussions
>
>Yasmin URL: http://www.media.uoa.gr/yasmin
>
> SBSCRIBE: click on the link to the list you wish to subscribe to. In the
>page that will appear ("info page"), enter e-mail address, name, and
>password in the fields found further down the page.
>HOW TO UNSUBSCRIBE: on the info page, scroll all the way down and enter
>your e-mail address in the last field. Enter password if asked. Click on
>the unsubscribe button on the page that will appear ("options page").
>TO ENABLE / DISABLE DIGEST MODE: in the options page, find the "Set
>Digest Mode" option and set it to either on or off.
>If you prefer to read the posts on a blog go to
>http://yasminlist.blogspot.com/

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Re: [Yasmin_discussions] the investigation of peculiar objects

Paul,

Thanks for throwing this into the pot. It sounds like art is a nice way of
stirring the pot for you. I am quite the opposite. I like to intuit or
play with things that often look as if they are related to mathematics but
are in fact imprecise and thus imperfect in a mathematical sense.

FWIW, I don't think there is a right or wrong way to look at most subjects
per se, but I sure don't expect the same kind of compromises I relish in
making art from people who are presenting their work as science or even
math. I know some work fits well with both art and science and that's fine
with me as long as we can distinguish what the data says from
philosophical and non-scientific elements.

When it comes to STEAM (and most things) we can interpret them in an array
of ways. We can even interpret data differently, which surely complicates
things more. For example, one thing that riles me is when scientists offer
what are essentially philosophical theories and then cite other scientists
who have proposed similar philosophical theories in support of their view.
If you cite a scientist's philosophical position does that make it
science? I don't think so! Apparently they do.

Over the years I've often found that I change my views of things as
nuances that were once opaque to me become apparent. I call this cognitive
development. I figure where I am today is probably not the last word on
what I think on any subject since I'm always learning. New information and
experiences are likely to move me in new directions as I continue to grow
and age.

This statement, of course, is anecdotal. One outcome of my position is, to
overstate things, that I like Popper's idea of falsification, the kind of
dialogue (or critical thinking) that tries to poke holes in scientific
ideas and indeed every argument. So, I am put off when someone wants to
impose a truth on me that seems more about imposing another point of view
on me as if it is some kind of universal truth, or a view I once held and
no longer find viable. A good argument or a powerful artwork is another
thing and may actually move me in another direction critically or
emotionally.

There is a wonderful piece that John Horgan did on Karl Popper many years
ago. Hogan noted that Popper's students use to complain about his teaching
style. Popper, as you may know, wrote a book as Hitler was coming to power
called *The Open Society and its Enemies*. At that point no one knew how
it would all work out and Popper wanted to articulate the problems with
dogma, no doubt a timely book for people of our time to ponder as well.
Anyway, his students used to say it should have been called *The Open
Society BY one of its Enemies.* Apparently many of them didn't feel they
were permitted to challenge his ideas in class. Was Popper dogmatic and as
bad as those he criticized? I don't know. Perhaps things are trickier in a
classroom, if you know what I mean?

So, and I guess this is my point, if our anecdotal stories reflect our
differences, is a concept like STEAM robust enough in the academy and
within our communities? Personally I don't find its track record and/or
prospects nuanced enough, as I've explained previously. I actually feel
the effort to move art/science commonalities into a STEAM framework is a
step backwards and obscures more issues than it solves. But, of course,
this is just me …

Amy

==========================
Amy Ione
Director, The Diatrope Institute
2342 Shattuck Ave., #527
Berkeley, CA 94704
US

Diatrope.com <http://www.diatrope.com> | AmyIone.com <http://amyione.com>
Art and the Brain: Plasticity, Embodiment, and the Unclosed Circle:
http://diatrope.com/artbrainbook
Email: ione@diatrope.com

On 1/16/17, 10:22 AM, "Paul Fishwick"
<yasmin_discussions-bounces@estia.media.uoa.gr on behalf of
metaphorz@gmail.com> wrote:

>For me, STEAM contains possibilities of studying mathematics and
>mathematically-oriented subjects
>(e.g., computer science, information/data science) through interesting
>objects. These objects do not need
>to be "A"art objects for my purpose. But Art objects are interesting.
>
>More:
>https://medium.com/creative-automata/the-mathematics-of-the-curious-369e01
>c73a8c#.d6jaz8i2u
>
>-paul
>
>Paul Fishwick, PhD
>Distinguished University Chair of Arts, Technology, and Emerging
>Communication
>Professor of Computer Science
>Director, Creative Automata Laboratory
>The University of Texas at Dallas
>Arts & Technology
>800 West Campbell Road, AT10
>Richardson, TX 75080-3021
>Home: utdallas.edu/atec/fishwick
>Blog 1: medium.com/@metaphorz
>Blog 2: modelingforeveryone.com
>LinkedIn: metaphorz
>Twitter: @PaulFishwick
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>> On Jan 14, 2017, at 1:06 PM, Ken Friedman
>><ken.friedman.sheji@icloud.com> wrote:
>>
>> Dear All,
>>
>> Amy Ione's note got me thinking about several issues.
>>
>> The first seems to have a clear answer. Amy wrote, "I don't think
>>discussing educational perspectives per se is the problem, so much as
>>the level of discourse often seems more about advocacy than substance. I
>>am also amazed that many STEAM advocates seem unaware of historical
>>discussions from era to era that mirror the STEM to STEAM discussions."
>>
>> There are two useful historical discussions. The first involves the
>>occasional STEM to STEAM discussions that make the rounds in educational
>>communities. These also appear in another guise ― the call for everyone
>>to study art as something essential to civilization. Art advocates can
>>always find a reason to lobby for art. That's the case for advocates of
>>any general good.
>>
>> It's not that art is bad or undeserving ― one can say the same of
>>music, dance, theater, gymnastics, sports, literature, creative writing
>>… the list goes on. The issues for ― and against ― any such choice
>>involve a range of questions. How much room do we have in the curriculum
>>at any level for one subject or another? Are these subjects genuinely
>>required for a well rounded education? Do these subjects genuinely add
>>value of some kind? If so, what kind of value does it add? Are we making
>>an instrumental argument ― for example, art is vital for creativity in a
>>world of creative cities, creative industries, and so on? Or are we
>>saying that art serves some other, and deeper, purpose using the same
>>kind of argument that we can muster for philosophy, history, or even for
>>religious studies?
>>
>> It is easy both to overestimate and to underestimate art forms, genres
>>within those forms, and individual artists. For example, I've always had
>>a taste for Westerns. Perhaps it is because I lived for two decades in
>>the American west, driving north to south and east to west many times.
>>Or perhaps it is because I was born in New England, and remember that
>>there was once a time when the west meant land west of the Hudson river
>>― Last of the Mohicans was one of the first great Westerns, and the many
>>movie versions of James Fenimore Cooper's novel each tell a different
>>story about time and history. I've always enjoyed Clint Eastwood's
>>westerns. Not the Sergio Leone westerns, but Eastwood's own productions:
>>High Plains Drifter, Hang 'Em High, The Outlaw Josey Wales, and others.
>>Nearly no one agreed with me on Clint Eastwood's virtues as an artist
>>until Eastwood released Unforgiven. Following Unforgiven and his first
>>Oscar there came a reconsideration of the entire genre. Many more Oscars
>>followed, for Eastwood, his films, and the actors in his films. With
>>this came a new look at Eastwood ― and a reconsideration of Eastwood's
>>early westerns. In the wake of Unforgiven (and the slightly earlier
>>Dances with Wolves), the genre underwent a rebirth.
>>
>> In my view, the serious works of the Western genre are the North
>>American equivalent of Aeschylus and Sophocles. If you want to argue
>>that great Westerns are the exception, I'll agree. There were hundreds
>>upon hundreds of tragedies entered into the great festivals of classical
>>Greece. Aeschylus wrote between 70 and 90 plays, winning the first prize
>>in the annual festival at Athens a dozen or so times. Sophocles wrote
>>even more plays, winning first prize 18 times. When you consider that
>>two great play writes won the prize more than 30 times, this means
>>thirty years in which dozens of other authors competed and lost. So even
>>great Greek tragedies are the exception again ordinary tragedies. Some
>>of those now-forgotten tragedies must be excellent in the same way that
>>excellent actors such as Glenn Ford with outstanding performance in such
>>Westerns as Jubal, the original 3:10 to Yuma, or Cowboy have always been
>>overlooked in favor of the better-known John Wayne, Jimmy Stewart, or
>>Henry Fonda. The solid but predictable performances that Wayne delivered
>>in dozens of movies, and Wayne's long string of B-movie horse operas,
>>cast a shadow over the genre. They even cast a shadow over Wayne
>>himself, to the degree that many people forget his occasional brilliant
>>performances, such as Wayne's final movie, The Shootist, directed by Don
>>Siegel.
>>
>> This is a tale with a point: I'm saying that you'd have to know a great
>>deal more about the depth of these issues to argue the case for any
>>genre ― or for art in general. And don't get me started on Aeschylus or
>>Sophocles. There is scarcely anything in the modern repertoire that can
>>be measured against the surviving works of the two great tragedians.
>>
>> So what is it that STEAM can bring to STEM?
>>
>> Then there is the other history that we ought to consider. This is the
>>history of science, including any of the scientific fields or such STEM
>>fields as mathematics. Consider, for example Reuben Hersh's book, What
>>is Mathematics, Really? I've nearly never seen any writing on art that
>>tells as rich a story of human creativity or the growth of civilization.
>>It seems to me easily possible to compare Hersh against, say, Clement
>>Greenberg, to argue that Greenberg is justifying his own taste with
>>prose that still reads well while his value judgements look dated.
>>
>> The history and philosophy of science tell dozens of stories that do
>>not require STEAM for the creativity to be visible. Cases in point:
>>Abraham Pais's biography of Albert Einstein titled Subtle is the Lord,
>>or Owen Gingerich's hunt for the surviving copies of Copernicus's De
>>Revolutionibus in The Book Nobody Read: Chasing the Revolutions of
>>Nicolaus Copernicus.
>>
>> On the one hand, I, too, am an advocate of art, sort of. I say "sort
>>of" to suggest that STEAM needs a little humility. And STEAM advocates
>>generally need to know a great deal more about the STEM ― this involves
>>a great deal more than demanding that physicists and engineers pay
>>attention to art.
>>
>> Amy also asked an interesting question: "In terms of art, if someone
>>does an artwork based on a scientific idea that proves wrong does that
>>change the value of the art? I've also been wondering if and where
>>artists who are not inclined to include science in their art fit in the
>>educational pedagogy the STEAM agenda promotes?"
>>
>> Off-hand, I don't have an answer, but this is an interesting question
>>to consider another time.
>>
>> Warm wishes,
>>
>> Ken
>>
>> Ken Friedman, PhD, DSc (hc), FDRS | Editor-in-Chief | 设计 She Ji. The
>>Journal of Design, Economics, and Innovation | Published by Tongji
>>University in Cooperation with Elsevier | URL:
>>http://www.journals.elsevier.com/she-ji-the-journal-of-design-economics-a
>>nd-innovation/
>>
>> Chair Professor of Design Innovation Studies | College of Design and
>>Innovation | Tongji University | Shanghai, China ||| University
>>Distinguished Professor | Centre for Design Innovation | Swinburne
>>University of Technology | Melbourne, Australia
>>
>> Email ken.friedman.sheji@icloud.com | Academia
>>http://swinburne.academia.edu/KenFriedman | D&I
>>http://tjdi.tongji.edu.cn
>>
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Yasmin_discussions mailing list
>> Yasmin_discussions@estia.media.uoa.gr
>> http://estia.media.uoa.gr/mailman/listinfo/yasmin_discussions
>>
>> Yasmin URL: http://www.media.uoa.gr/yasmin
>>
>> SBSCRIBE: click on the link to the list you wish to subscribe to. In
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>>Digest Mode" option and set it to either on or off.
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>>http://yasminlist.blogspot.com/
>
>
>_______________________________________________
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>
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>
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[Yasmin_discussions] Beall’s list of predatory publishers is gone

Friends,

It was with shock and sadness that I learned today that Jeffrey Beall's list of predatory publishers is no longer.

https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2017/01/18/librarians-list-predatory-journals-reportedly-removed-due-threats-and-politics

This is unfortunate for the field — Jeffrey Beall performed a great and valuable service. Given the problems in so many fields with the avalanche of crank journals and predatory publishers, I understand his decision, but I lament it.

For every research field — including our own — it is time to discuss the ways that people can determine on their own whether a journal is predatory or a conference is bogus. Open access publishing by serious publishers under the same conditions as paywall publishing offers a useful approach for some journals, but the flood of problem journals and predatory publishers is causing untold damage and destruction.

Many of us have used Beall's list every day. We sent students and colleagues to the list for up-to-date advice. This leaves a massive gap in the field, and Beall's work will be irreplaceable. I cannot imagine anyone with the capacity to replace Beall's list — and I cannot imagine, given the repeated attacks on his good name and his character, that anyone will dare to step up.

Since reading this news, I have been sitting here, stunned. I feel the way I felt when the Taliban blew up the great Buddhist monuments.

A global mob of barbarians and pirates found a way to use the university system to open a cash flow spigot, turning earnest young researchers into suckers, and flooding the world with garbage publications. Beall created a solution, at least for those who did not wish to benefit from the corrupt predatory system. Over the past three or four years, the number of enterprises in this corrupt business has quadrupled. To me, this was a monumental effort. In the history of mankind, it may not be remembered in the same way that we remember destroyed monuments and looted archeological treasures. But for those concerned with the integrity of research publishing, Beall's List was a high point at a low moment in history.

Jeffrey Beall has many friends and admirers around the world. I am one of them.

With sadness,

Ken Friedman

Ken Friedman, PhD, DSc (hc), FDRS | Editor-in-Chief | 设计 She Ji. The Journal of Design, Economics, and Innovation | Published by Tongji University in Cooperation with Elsevier | URL: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/she-ji-the-journal-of-design-economics-and-innovation/

Chair Professor of Design Innovation Studies | College of Design and Innovation | Tongji University | Shanghai, China ||| University Distinguished Professor | Centre for Design Innovation | Swinburne University of Technology | Melbourne, Australia

Email ken.friedman.sheji@icloud.com | Academia http://swinburne.academia.edu/KenFriedman | D&I http://tjdi.tongji.edu.cn

_______________________________________________
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Re: [Yasmin_discussions] History

Hi.

Thank for sharing your story. I actually meant the question as a
rhetorical question because it seems to me that art should be able to
exist on its own terms if it is art. So, I wasn¹t asking what the art can
bring to science, which I think is a different way of connecting art and
science.

I don¹t know if you¹ve run into Katherine Sherwood¹s work. She had a
stroke while teaching an art class and one of her brain scans served as
the impetus for her return to her art despite partial paralysis and other
problems. If you are interested, here is a link to an article about her
work: http://www.katherinesherwood.com/sherwood/articles/wallst.html

Take care of yourself,
Amy



==========================
Amy Ione
Director, The Diatrope Institute
2342 Shattuck Ave., #527
Berkeley, CA 94704
US

Diatrope.com <http://www.diatrope.com> | AmyIone.com <http://amyione.com>
Art and the Brain: Plasticity, Embodiment, and the Unclosed Circle:
http://diatrope.com/artbrainbook
Email: ione@diatrope.com




On 1/16/17, 12:38 AM, "xDxD.vs.xDxD"
<yasmin_discussions-bounces@estia.media.uoa.gr on behalf of
xdxd.vs.xdxd@gmail.com> wrote:

>Hi!
>
>On Sat, Jan 14, 2017 at 8:06 PM, Ken Friedman
><ken.friedman.sheji@icloud.com
>> wrote:
>
>> Amy also asked an interesting question: ³In terms of art, if someone
>>does
>> an artwork based on a scientific idea that proves wrong does that change
>> the value of the art? I've also been wondering if and where artists who
>>are
>> not inclined to include science in their art fit in the educational
>> pedagogy the STEAM agenda promotes?²
>>
>>
>I have a tendency to believe that it is the wrong question, if we're
>thinking about what the arts can bring into the science.
>
>What does the "artist X does artwork Y based on scientific work Z" mean?
>
>Are we talking about "decorating science"?
>
>Yes, beautiful works and visualizations can come out of it. Some even
>wonderfully managing to communicate the scientific idea to broader
>audiences, creating cultural impact.
>
>A question is: is that really it?
>
>My personal answer is: no.
>
>Artistic processes can contribute to bringing science out of the lab.
>
>I will refer to my own experience, simply because it's something for which
>I have evidence and deep knowledge about.
>
>I am an artist, a professor, a robotic engineer.
>
>When I was diagnosed with cancer, and I entered the hospital, and I was
>forced to get in touch with the world of cancer research, I was shocked.
>
>Because the entire system was based on separation.
>
>When you become sick with cancer (and the same goes with other diseases),
>you, as a human being, stop existing.
>
>You are replaced by an administrative, bureaucratic entity, which is the
>"patient". The patient lives through data, and it is the only thing that
>matters to science, the hospital, doctors, researchers, etc.
>
>There is no role, while being diseased, for my relatives, my wife, my
>students, my neighbors, my grocer, for the people of my city. They have to
>stop, accept the existence of the patient, and that's it. And I myself
>have
>to stop being human, transform into the patient (data, data, data... I
>received awkward glances and nervous reactions whenever I tried mentioning
>things apart from my medical data while I had cancer... "you know, I
>played
>the upright bass yesterday" "what?!? yes yes, but tell me, what about the
>MRI, was it ok?" ... really happened), while delegating your body and
>existence to some professional.
>
>One day, while I was in the hospital, I asked for an image of my cancer.
>Well, I was not able to receive it. Because during the "patient", that
>image was not for me. It was the for doctors, nurses, researchers. But it
>was not for me. And everyone else was excluded, as well.
>
>The whole idea that "I have cancer" is very naive. It is not only me who
>has cancer. My wife and relatives have cancer, too, because their lives
>completely change. My students have cancer, because I can't teach them any
>more. My grocer has cancer, because I don't go shopping there anymore. The
>entire country has cancer, because they pay taxes (luckily, for now) for
>the national health service. Emotional, cultural, economic, financial,
>environmental, social declinations of cancer. But they have it.
>
>And the whole idea that cancer is cured in the laboratory, through design
>of therapies, is just as naive.
>
>Because practically everything we do has something to do with cancer: the
>way we eat, consume, produce energy, move, communicate, our lifestyle etc.
>
>If the most wonderful molecule was discovered to defeat cancer, it would
>be, as said, wonderful, but it would have nothing to say about all the
>rest
>of this fight with cancer. Because the rest of it, which is enormous, is
>not in the laboratory, it is in the world, outside, in society.
>
>I left the hospital and started what we called "La Cura", the open source
>cure for cancer. Which is a global art performance. In which we asked a
>very simple question: "how can you cure me?"
>
>A little more than a million people answered. In simple, less simple,
>complex, wonderful, incredible, awful, terrible, amazing ways. Sharing the
>idea that it is not me who has cancer, but it is the whole of society.
>
>In Rome, we live next to a beautiful market, in Piazza San Giovanni di
>Dio,
>on the hills above Trastevere, Monteverde.
>
>When "La Cura" went on the news, and the merchants at the marked found out
>that that guy they saw every day got cancer, they had a meeting, in the
>market. "Iaconesi has cancer and he asked for help! What do we do?"
>
>The response was incredible. They transformed themselves into researchers,
>understanding how the things of their daily practices could be transformed
>and put to use for, if not curing, creating a world in which cancer is
>something for which more people can do something. There was people finding
>out what were the best foods for having positive impacts on cancer. There
>were people studying how usage of some chemicals and industrial processes
>could have something to do with cancer. There were people who engaged
>doctors and researchers in the process. A whole market transformed into an
>open-air, socialized laboratory, in which researchers and local producers
>researched and experimented together. Some even transformed their
>productions. Some even discovered new markets.
>
>We received fresh vegetables and medical advice. People noticed changed
>and
>started asking, and they gained awareness. Other people who had cancer,
>benefited, too.
>
>Cancer was simply something that affected everyone. The fight for cancer
>was inside and outside of the laboratory, social, engaging for everyone,
>and in which everyone had something they could do.
>
>This is just one of the thousands of stories of La Cura.
>
>During La Cura, doctors, artists, researchers, farmers, designers,
>technologists, anthropologists, economists, and many other different types
>of people, ranging from very extraordinary to very ordinary, worked
>together to try to transform the meaning of the word "cure". (note: not of
>the word "therapy")
>
>Multiple doctors were delighted.
>
>Because doctors have the disease, too. Think about the phenomenon of
>burn-out, think of oncologists for children, seeing the little ones die
>everyday, and how alone they are, separated. They have cancer, too.
>
>The new definition of "cura" included them as well. They were not alone
>and
>separated.
>
>And there were people who developed software tools, to keep track of
>everything, to discuss, review, collaborate, schedule. Platforms were
>used,
>analytics were used. Grandmothers adapted to using tools, and designers
>made it easier for them, by creating and suggesting interfaces to do
>things
>more easily. Knowledge was catalogued and made openly available (currently
>on GitHub). Scientists met with other scientists and started to do things
>together.
>
>And the same goes for other profiles. What happens when an architect
>collaborates with a doctor? Or an artist? Or a grandmother who cooks who
>cooks wonderfully? Or a designer who knows how to create objects? etc
>Wonderful things!
>
>And the description could go on an on. It has been an incredible 4 years
>since it started (it was 2012), and it doesn't seem to stop.
>
>"La Cura" is an artistic performance. Bringing together arts, sciences,
>design, technology, society.
>
>It does not "decorate". It creates an environment in which all of these
>things work together.
>
>It is "indisciplined".
>
>It is "transgressive".
>
>"Trans" which means "on the other side"
>
>"gradi" which means "step"
>
>step beyond
>
>Talking about "excess spaces", Elizabeth Grosz says that transgressors do
>not eliminate borders and limits. Rather, they recognize them. And, by
>transgressing, they move them.
>
>This is, for me, an incredibly powerful role for the arts in sciences. To
>positively and collaboratively introduce "indiscipline" and
>"transgression"
>in the process, to go beyond separation, and to figure out meaningful,
>effective ways in which to bring society into science. For human dignity
>and freedoms.
>
>s
>
>--
>*[**MUTATION**]* *Art is Open Source *- http://www.artisopensource.net
>*[**CITIES**]* *Human Ecosystems Ltd* - http://human-ecosystems.com
>*[**NEAR FUTURE DESIGN**]* *Nefula Ltd* - http://www.nefula.com
>*[**RIGHTS**]* *Ubiquitous Commons *- http://www.ubiquitouscommons.org
>---
>Professor of Near Future and Transmedia Design at ISIA Design Florence:
>http://www.isiadesign.fi.it/
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>
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HOW TO UNSUBSCRIBE: on the info page, scroll all the way down and enter your e-mail address in the last field. Enter password if asked. Click on the unsubscribe button on the page that will appear ("options page").
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