WHAT IS GOOB CLUB?
"If your child mentions goob, don't fret. They are not just playing; they are having fun learning." - Miss Tracey Stewart
Part I ~ The History of Goob:
The next time goob emerged was during the abstract animal art project. Unfortunately, Miss Tracey did not know what goob was and threw it away. After being consoled, the child who had made the goob demonstrated the process of creating it. Miss Tracey immediately saw meaningful elements of art on the "goob working surface" and took advantage of this teachable moment. Miss Tracey and the student developed a plan that allowed the child to continue making goob, but with a more appropriate goal, one that focused on the elements of art.
The process of making goob meets the physical and emotional needs of diverse learners in many ways. Goob entices the tactile and kinesthetic learners, as students can feel the oily residue that collects on their fingertips as they work. This is still extremely important to most learners at the first and second grade level, as to many older students (and even many adults!) to help them stay engaged in learning. Goob-making has a visual asthetic appeal as the children discover how to compare and contrast colors through blending, layering, and pattern development. Although this is mainly an artistic view, there is some geometric and pre-algebra thought that can be incorporated into this manner of working. Additionally, discussions emerge between students during goob work that encourage analytical thinking, problem solving, and cooperative or collaborative modes of interaction. Student-driven and teacher-facilitated work engages children in the appropriate modes of sharing, listening, and compromising, as well as in stimulating critical and analytical inquiry techniques.
Students asked:
"What will happen if I do this with the oil pastel?"
"How will using the tip of the pencil instead of the eraser affect how much goob I can make?"
"What can we make with goob, and how can we make it look like more than it is?"
"Should we mix the goob colors or make colored patterns with them?"
"How can we decide which way is best?"
Part II ~ "The Goob Clubs":
Suddenly, a flock of students wanted to make goob whenever there was open art studio after a curriculum activity. The original student who discovered goob and the student she taught decided to start a "goob club," and a few more joined the circle. The founding ladies of the goob club explained, with Miss Tracey's encouragement, that it was a requirement that they had to make a big collage because this was art class.
Meanwhile, a few boys wanting their own club began to make goob working surfaces in their open sketchbooks as experimentation, but they did not collect the goob. They made many patterns, lines, and shapes with oil pastels but with no real focus. Although all involved enjoyed the process of goob art, they were only doing it for a few minutes at the end of art class, and the production was too small for the number of students involved. It was time to unite the world of goob and collaborate for purposeful art and collaborative student achievement. The focus was still the creation of a collaborative piece, but the equal contribution of work input and ideas needed more focus.
Part III ~ The Goob Saga continues:
The multiage 1/2 classes are deep into a painting project that requires one-on-one instruction from Miss Brooks. Therefore, an extended open-studio time, facilitated by Miss Tracey, engaged students not working directly with Miss Brooks. The choices were comic strips, watercolor painting, sketchbook, or a continuance of other unfinished work. Goob clubs took action and produced a lot of goob.
Our original clubs have grown from three girls in Goob Club #1 and three boys in Goob Club #2 to seven girls and two boys in #1 and four boys in #2! No longer is there gender segregation; now there are two separate collaborations of ideas. Goob Club #1 drew their ideas on paper and still need to vote on a final collage layout, while Goob Club #2 has agreed that their theme is a skateboard park and have drawn a variety of extensive plans.
At the end of class, students were asked to share the "goob experience" and why making goob is an important lesson in art. The following is just a small portion of this closing dialog between Miss Brooks and the students.
Miss Brooks said, "Miss Tracey feels that making goob as a club is important. I noticed that many of you either joined one of the goob clubs or continued with your club. Why do you think that Miss Tracey feels it is such an important lesson?"
Student Responses:
"It is important to work together to make something really nice."
"Art is not about playing. It needs a reason, or it is playing."
"Just making goob is playing, but using goob to make a collage is art."
"The collage is art made by all of us. The goob helps us make art."
"If only one person makes goob, there won't be enough goob for the collage. If we all work together, we can do it."
So there you have it, the history of goob and how it is progressing into a collaborative art piece by the hands of wonderful children who not only care about art and having fun but care about each other as well.
How far it will go is uncertain due to curriculum plans and time constraints, but the lessons learned are invaluable. Most importantly to Miss Tracey, it is student-created and teacher-guided for success. The self-esteem of all club members is at an all-time high because it is their project.
Surely, there will be one or two collages that come out of it, but more significant are the lessons in social etiquette and community contributing, working collaboratively towards a common goal, and voting democratically so that all voices are heard. So if your child mentions goob, don't fret. They are not just playing; they are having fun learning. Isn’t that just great? Only time will tell how far the original art form of goob will go! Stay tuned for future developments from the LeBlanc Goob Clubs!
- Miss Tracey Stewart
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