Integrative Seminar 2

Learning Portfolio Reflection Post

“Cross-Course Reflection”

Instructions: Develop a cross-course reflection that compares and contrasts work you completed in your first year at Parsons, and post this to your Learning Portfolio (LP). This reflection will highlight your learning achievements and examine your art and design interests.

Where to start?

Just like Dora mentioned in class, I like the 7 days journals the best, because this projects starts our big topic of the whole semester both visually and verbally. But I still want to talk about the development process of my topic Urban Alienation in this Cross-Course Reflection.

How to format your post? This reflection should read as a story of your first year experience. Sequence it in the following manner:

1. Write a short bio

My name is Kexin Niu, a fashion design major BFA student.

2. Write a summary of similarities and differences in your work across your first year courses. Include both detailed writing and well-edited visual artifacts. This is a big look across your work.

What themes and working methods emerge in several courses?

I think one of the most important woking method is to make my project creative, but at the same time keep my own aesthetically view. For instance, Studio 2, Time, soft structure and exploring photographic portraiture.

What skills did you learn in one course that you utilized in another?

I think my Indesign and photoshop skill could use in courses like Studio and Photograph class.

What connections do you see between your academic studies and studio making?

I think these two courses works really well, I didn’t find out until the second help of the semester after I found out the similarities and commons in both class. Seminar class help me to develop my Studio project researches. Studio development help deeper my seminar topics.

What made some projects more exciting? What did you enjoy most about these?

I think I got even more excited when I get obstacles in developing my project, and changing directions. I always could find something new to learn after I change my direction.

When could further research have helped? What about making/writing?

I think when I stuck on something that can not move forward. A further research help me to find a new way out, a new direction. A further research on Studio helps me to know a deeper background information about my project and inspiration resources. In seminar class, a further research helps to write my essay to get some great sources.

3. Select two highlights from your first year. These highlights might consist of major projects or papers. A highlight could also be a productive class debate, a journal entry, a materials experiment, an illuminating course trip, or a new skill. This is a deep look at your work.

1: My final paper: Urban Alienation

2: Final Presentation

Planning: Show your preparatory steps for both highlights. What initiated these? How did you plan for the different steps? How would you prepare differently next time?

1:I did some research on my inspirational painting by Krickner, Street, Dresden— Came up with multiple research questions— Select one main research question— Write an outline— Do evidence research. I follow what my instructor says.

2: Find connections between Studio and Seminar class— Write an outline— practice for more than 5 times— prepare the hand sources for audiences.

Outcome: Show what was explored/ made/ written/ researched. Write a clear description of each item. Add media components (images, galleries, video, excerpts, etc.).

This is my outline for the final presentation. I uses both Chinese and English to help me remember, also some image hand out sources, which help me to remember which picture I should hand to the audience now. I didn’t write a whole page essay and just read it out, but some quick bullet points sentences.

4. Write a conclusion that looks toward future interests, questions, and courses. This is where you’re heading.

What new questions do you want to pursue in the future? I think I will so more projects about Chinese culture and the common and connections between Chinese culture and World Fashion industry.

How might one project generate another? I think process is really important, there is no way that you have an idea and next second you will get an artwork in your hand. A good research and working process helps one project generate another.

What new skills/techniques do you want/need to learn? I am planning to learn traditional Chinese painting and I think I will learn more about presentation skills.

Make sure to tag the post with key ideas and categorize it so that it may be found easily.

Review and update the “About” section of your LP and Canvas biography.