Huanlu Fu

7.16 A/r/tography in the Cool Mountain: Propositional Teaching for the Re-discovery of the Beauty of the Yi Ethnic (Paper) – virtual

Huanlu Fu – Hangzhou Normal University, China – virtual

Abstract:

In July 2024, 16 students from Hangzhou Normal University, led by their teachers, went to the Cool Mountain area of Sichuan Province, where the Yi ethnic group is inhabited, for a five-day volunteer teaching. This is the most under-developed region in China. A total of 22 Yi children under the age of 15 participated in the summer camp, and a total of more than 200 excellent photography and video works were produced. This project adopts the “propositional” teaching method of a/r/tography, so that children who have no previous experience in art making, can create excellent digital art works with the theme of “looking for awesome” in just five days. Based on the teaching notes and the questionnaire, it can be found that the propositions as teaching method can effectively stimulate students’ creative motivation, promote cooperative learning, and develop personalized expression. This pedagogy not only overcomes the gap between urban and rural areas to achieve the goal of “quality education,” but also enable indigenous children to rediscover the beauty of their own ethnic culture, thereby promoting the sense of identity and self-esteem. At the same time, because Yi children use art to let outsiders see the beauty of the indigenous culture, it helps with the “de-stigmatization” of their culture, and provides a feasible educational solution to the sustainable development of the Yi cultural diversity.