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Display A presentation initially for primary adapted for secondary Dan China

Good work is neat work Good work is always recognised by the quality of the colouring in. Nice things should be discreetly hidden behind pot plants and drapes. (often reflected in what primary children say about assessment)

“I respect your work and have pinned it up carefully”

“I respect your work ever such a lot and I’ve window mounted it on black sugar paper”

“I respect your work amazingly so I’ve double mounted it on black with a purple piece as well”

“You will never believe how much I appreciate your work. It is beyond comprehension. It is therefore on black and purple and yellow”

“I respect your work so much I hardly know what to do next. I have covered the wall with wonderful orange hessian at £30 a roll and put a gold border round the edge”

“I respect your work to such a incredible extent that I am going to swathe it with my old curtains. You will be so thrilled that I’ve done this that you will want to do lots more good work”

Curiously Nick Serota has declined to use his old curtains to enhance the display at the Tate Modern. Although Tracey Emin has used her old sheets. Previous point comes from ‘Display in the Primary School’ by Peter Dixon published in 1985

Look at perception (why) Look at design conventions (How) Look at display conventions (How) Reflect on function of educational display (Why)

Gestalt The Search for Order

Madonna del Prato, Giovanni Bellini, 1505

Madonna dei Belvedere (Madonna of the Meadows 1506) Raphael Note how your eyes are led round this composition.

Art to Design Paintings to Pages More invisible lines Grids and guidelines

Basic Graphic Design Like paintings pages are designed with an underlying grid. This holds all the elements together and provides consistency through the publication. A grid is usually defined as a number of columns. These range from a simple one column grid to a complex magazine grid which might use 8 or even 16 columns per page.

one column margins (or white space) defined

A simple two column grid. Masthead Suitable for a variety of purposes. Stable, clear, if rather predictable.

A simple four column grid. Masthead A four column grid is easily developed from a two column grid.

A four column grid. Masthead In this example text and graphics are one, two or three columns wide. Some magazine layouts will use an underlying grid of eight columns.

An example of a five column grid layout

At Last - Display Conventions These conventions can give coherence and visual order to displays These rules can be broken

External Consistency set up border or margin

Internal Consistency

Note corridor Internal consistency

x and y axis Internal consistency

‘T’ axis Internal consistency

Washing Line Still Internal consistency

Washing Line

Centre Line

The Background Gambit Displays with many different visual components can be given some visual coherence with a simple bold background device.

The Background Gambit

Balance fulcrum Symmetry

Balance fulcrum Symmetry A display, like a picture, should be well balanced. Symmetrical displays are well balanced but can be visually predictable (boring). Asymmetrical displays are visually more interesting and use different qualities to achieve balance.

Balance & scale fulcrum TITLE

Contrast & Space fulcrum TITLE

Bigger Issues? ‘Elaborate display is an indulgence of the teacher’ Lowenfield ‘Creative and Mental Growth’

Bigger Issues? Why Display?

Display can be used to: provide a visually stimulating environment reward achievement provide information illustrate, exemplify and illuminate the curriculum convey instructions

Display can be used to: stimulate interest, enthusiasm, curiosity and questioning establish and define high expectations and standards of work reflect and define attitudes values and behaviour affirm the class and school ethos influence behaviour

Display can be used to: reinforce learning impress headteachers, parents and Ofsted inspectors be used to help children discuss their work and evaluate their success be used to illustrate targets and standards present images and artefacts for study and appreciation

Display for a reason A display is not the ancient craft of pin- board decorating. It should have an educational purpose - or why bother? The function should determine the aesthetic and the design. Some types of display are:

Displays which celebrate childrens’ work present the WORK simply and effectively eye is drawn to work not to the display text gives context and reason for celebrating it (indicates learning outcomes?)

Displays which demonstrate, inform, illuminate, illustrate are like pages in books & magazines - which provide good models that is they use images headings and text carefully to convey meaning have a clear function in the learning environment, such as asking questions, reaffirming information, defining relationships etc. e.g.

Displays which enthuse and celebrate the work of a class for instance the Christmas displays seen in December often done with, or by groups/classes these may legitimately be decorative, frivolous, creative or theatrical

Displays which accompany learning some displays keep pace with learning they could be an evolving resource or reference collection they could become a class scrap book or sketch book they are unfinished and possibly disorganised

Displays which decorate some displays simply decorate sometimes they reflect the ethos of the school (or confirm values of orderliness, neatness, discipline, hard work) - sometimes not teachers often put a lot of effort into this type of display time = money (buy some posters instead?)

Displays which use drapes These displays show that the teacher has been on a display course or read a book about display.

History Essays A short reflection on display for secondary teachers.

The History Display Board Good Essays

The History Display Board Good Essays

The History Department Good Work This Month ‘The History of Schools and Schooling’ by David Blunkett. 3R This is a good point because... David explains that... David’s research... Notice how David uses Woodhead to...

The History Department Good Work This Month ‘The History of Schools and Schooling’ by David Blunkett. 3R Is praiseworthy because David points to... ‘The History of Skulls and Sculling’ by Anne Widicombe. 3Y Is praiseworthy because Anne declaims that... This week in 1066 Harold Takes Eurosceptic Line at Senlac kjhbasd war jern rtet netnrternkher rt rttnrt g oirrt rrtrtiurt rkjrotsrbrt irnrt gert dgg df t tr htr tr fy h nb h y fyr ry yy hyt yt tyhyytty yt yrdyyt er54rer u n Use ribbon ?

The History Department Good Work This Month To what extent can a consistent visual display convention give messages about the work, attitudes, expectations, etc of the History Department? Departmental Identities?

The Maths Department Good Sums This Month To what extent can consistent visual display conventions give messages about the work, attitudes, expectations, etc of the Maths Department? Departmental Identities. ie a sad fixation with 1970s colour schemes or contemporary retro- chic 2b or -2b ?

In a nutshell It helps to know about the invisible grids that can give visual coherence to a picture, graphic or display. Once understood these rules can be broken. Displays should have an understood educational purpose. Form should follow function.

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