Art Teacher's Perspective

I'm Excited to be TERRACYCLING

2010-09-21T19:39:00.000-04:00

Our school is now involved in six brigades for TerraCycle. We are collecting: juice pouches, candy bar wrappers, cookie wrappers, glue bottles, cell phones and energy bar wrappers. I already have over 100 energy bar wrappers and have printed by first FREE mailing label. At our next faculty meeting I will share with the staff this exciting news in the hopes that they will be ready to join and help. Many of us are interested in lowering our own carbon footprints so I think we can be really successful reducing the amount of trash the school puts out and more importantly, in setting the example for the children.

SUPPLIES R IN

2010-08-16T07:56:00.000-04:00

It's that time of year again -- time to empty boxes. This year I'm doing it with trepidation. While there is nothing like new art supplies to an art making enthusiast/teacher, I'm still remembering those two weeks it took me to clean and organize the art room. I need a plan. I know, I'll unload one box at a time and put things in their place. No, no, no -- that doesn't seem efficient. What if there are items in the first box that go with items in the last box? Plan B: Get a really large coffee, mix with a protein drink and settle in for most of the day -- Oh and wear a bathing suit under my clothes in case the sun decides to show and I can sneak in a swim...

Crayola Goes Green(er)

2010-08-06T19:59:00.000-04:00

Here's some good news in the RECYCLE, REDUCE, REUSE category. I just read that Crayola now has a solar panel farm and that they are going to use recycled caps to make their markers. I only hope that we'll be able to recycle those instead of tossing them in the trash.

Budget Woes

2010-08-01T14:59:00.000-04:00

So our art budget's been cut 25% and I need to make due. I know, I know we're all tightening our belts these days. My hope is that our program won't be watered down and that children still get chances to use a variety of materials in a variety of ways. I plan on relying on their creative juices as we venture more into upcycling this year. Would love to hear from others who have good project ideas.

SAVE THE PLANET stop trashing trash!

2010-04-25T13:33:00.000-04:00

More EASY ways to reduce, reuse, repurpose, and recycle/upcycle from the classroom and home --

www.terracycle.net --- join and send your trash (They collect a big variety of items.) directly to them. They UPCYCLE them into a number of useful products. Way cool is the fact that they fashion used soda bottles into container for their organic fertilizers. Oh, and they pay schools for items sent in to them.

www.elmersglue.crew --- become a member of the Glue Crew and start saving glue bottles and sticks; then bring them to your local Walmart.

OPT OUT of receiving phone books.

Receive and pay bills online to avoid receiving extra mailings.

Be sure to let suppliers know if you are receiving duplicate catalogues.

And this one is really hard, buy only what you need.

Visit sites that share ideas on crafting to get inspired:

http://planetgreen.discovery.com/

http://craftingagreenworld.com/

Visit sites that promote and challenge us to change:

http://wecanchange.com/

CAN'T WE PLEASE GET CRAYOLA ON BOARD? Maybe if we all keep at them...

more to come

Abstract Sculptures & Junkyard Robots

2010-04-01T07:10:00.001-04:00

More GREEN for the Art Room

2010-03-19T06:56:00.001-04:00

I love having my students rediscover what they already know. The best materials are those that allow us to really create something on our own. This week I witnessed it while my first graders made art from "junk." With the old adage, "One man's junk is another man's treasure" and the knowledge that Picasso used found objects to create art as our guide, we collected all sorts of trash to make abstract sculptures. Some of the items collected included: mini yogurt drink bottles, colored bottle caps, marker caps, corks, styrofoam, cereal boxes, egg cartons, film cases, strawberry containers, soda bottles, small milk containers, paper tubes, cardboard, buttons, beads, broken toys and jewelry, ribbons, keyboard keys, puzzle pieces, cans, and foam. All of these items probably would have been sent to a landfill if not rescued by these artists. Come back soon I'll post pictures of some of their works.

Happy HOLLYdays!!

2009-12-26T17:50:00.000-05:00

I created this collage image using the website www.polyvore.com. Look closely and you may find Christmas ornaments, earrings, brooches, skirts, and even underwear. Polyvore combines fashion, shopping and visual art and graphic design. One can create, publish and share collages. The application is easy to use with a drag and drop editor. Items can be cloned, resized, flipped and flopped. I found it a bit addictive and the perfect site for a rainy day. There is no need to register unless you want to save and publish your image to the site.

Paintings within Paintings

2009-12-21T07:01:00.001-05:00

Paintings within Paintings

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Making Really Big ART

2009-11-29T22:20:00.000-05:00

I've been searching, searching (websearching) for so long ... Coming to the end of my final project for my ED TECH masters. Have a new fave that I can't wait to share with my students especially since I did obtain 4 digi cameras this year. The big reveal -- it's www.blockposters.com. In a nutshell, you'll need to upload a picture. It is then blown up to make a poster from a number of regular 8 1/2 x 11 pages. Changes to the number of pages are possible which would then increase/decrease the size of the poster. Once accepted the file may be downloaded into a pdf to print. I have visions of students creating huge Chuck Close style works or perhaps exploring William Wegman's style with their own pets as subjects. I can't wait to see how they'll want to use it.

Google Doodles for Sesame Street

2009-11-07T07:35:00.001-05:00

Little Girl in a Blue Armchair | American Stories: Paintings of Everyday Life | Special Exhibitions | The Metropolitan Museum of Art

2009-10-29T19:57:00.001-04:00

Little Girl in a Blue Armchair | American Stories: Paintings of Everyday Life | Special Exhibitions | The Metropolitan Museum of Art

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Thank God for Matisse and the Philadelphia Museum of Art

2009-10-19T18:29:00.001-04:00

If you haven't had a chance to view the Henri Matisse and Modern Art on the French Riviera, you only have 6 days left. Making sure not to miss the exhibit, my former student teacher and I arrived at the museum around 10:30 a.m. We took the trolley shuttle to the Perlman gallery and viewed the rooms almost privately. It was truly a treat to be able to move from painting to sculpture to painting without layers and layers of people all around. We explored the rest of the museum and happened upon a teacher resource library. There we registered and are now able to access ARTstor through the museum's subscription and borrow materials for use in our classrooms. AWESOME. We even scored some free posters. If you go, I suggest going early and if you are looking for a bargain be sure to check out the museum's sale balcony. All items are 50% off the price marked. ENJOY!

THINGS TO DO W/ THE FAMILY @ The Philadelphia Museum of Art

2009-10-11T14:14:00.001-04:00

The Philadelphia Museum of Art offers plenty of Family Programs that allow children and parents to learn, create, and most important, have fun together. All programs and events are free. Tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis at the Visitor Services Desk.

Please note that the Sept 13 Early Bird Read and Look and Family Gallery Tour programs are being held in the Perelman Building.

Family Gallery Tour (ages 6–10)

Free tickets required after Museum admission

Children and their families are led on a gallery tour to explore themes and discover works of art.

Cubism
- Sunday, October 11, 2009, Starts at 11:30 a.m., and 1:30 p.m.
Adventures in American Art
- Sunday, October 25, 2009, Starts at 11:30 a.m., and 1:30 p.m.
Arms and Armor
- Sunday, November 29, 2009, Starts at 11:30 a.m., and 1:30 p.m.
Discover Design
- Sunday, December 13, 2009, Starts at 11:30 a.m., and 1:30 p.m.

Drawing Together (all ages)

Free after Museum admission

Do you like to draw? All family members are welcome to try their drawing skills in the Museum galleries. An artist is on hand to provide materials and encouragement. Drop in anytime between noon and 3:00 p.m. to sketch, doodle, or create a masterpiece.

Sunday, October 11, 2009, 12:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Sunday, October 25, 2009, 12:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Sunday, November 1, 2009, 12:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Sunday, November 22, 2009, 12:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Sunday, November 29, 2009, 12:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Sunday, December 13, 2009, 12:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Early Bird Read and Look (ages 3–5)

Free tickets required after Museum admission

Preschoolers and their families enjoy picture books and art projects presented in the Museum galleries.

A Hat for Minerva Louise
- Sunday, October 25, 2009, 10:15 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
The Paper Bag Princess
- Sunday, November 8, 2009, 10:15 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
- Sunday, November 22, 2009, 10:15 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
Rainbow Fish
- Sunday, December 13, 2009, 10:15 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.

Tours for Tots (ages 3–5)

Free tickets required after Museum admission

You are never too young to explore the Museum! Movement, play, and hands-on activities make up this fun tour designed especially for preschoolers and their families.

Travel through Asia
- Sunday, November 8, 2009, Starts at 11:30 a.m., and 1:30 p.m.

Winter Family Studio

All Ages

Free after Museum admission

The Museum’s art studios turn into a fun family destination. Families can create magnificent works of art, play a game, solve a puzzle, and explore the world of art through children’s books. No tickets are required for this free, drop-in program. Space is limited to thirty children at any given time.

Saturday, December 26, 2009, 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Sunday, December 27, 2009, 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Monday, December 28, 2009, 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009, 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009, 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Thursday, December 31, 2009, 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Any Day, Any Time

Audio Guides for Children
Art comes to life with the American Art Kids Tour and the Arms and Armor Tour, interactive audio guides written especially for children ages 6–10. To learn more, inquire at the Visitor Services Desks located in the East and West entrances.

Self-Guided Family Tours
Explore the Museum at your own pace with a free, printed family guide that includes information about selected works of art and artists as well as looking questions and fun activities.

Currently available:

African American Stories in Art

Look, draw, and write your way through the American Art galleries and learn about works of art that tell a story about African Americans in the 1800s.

Arms and Armor

Imagine that you are a knight entering a tournament as you explore the Arms and Armor galleries. Families will look closely, draw, and write as they prepare for the joust.

Looking at Landscapes

Travel with your family to the galleries of European art and explore landscape paintings from many countries.

For more information, please contact the Division of Education by phone at (215) 684-7580, by fax at (215) 236-4063, or by e-mail at educate@philamuseum.org.

JIM HENSON, MUPPETS & SESAME STREET

2009-09-28T08:48:00.000-04:00

I have fond memories of parking myself in front of the t.v. to watch Sesame Street during my preschool years. I loved loved loved the show and all of the characters. I connected with Ernie because both of our names start with an "E" and I could relate to the "Five People in My Family" song because that was my family too. Maybe that's why 5 is my favorite number. Speaking of numbers, I loved the number songs with all the visually vibrant and pulsating colors. I guess we could call those our first music videos -- this was way before the birth of MTV.

I still recall other songs too! (at the very least the chorus of each) Rubber ducky you're the one, you make bath time lots of fun. Oh rubber ducky I'm awfully fond of you... Somebody come and play, somebody come and play today -- a much simpler time indeed. I LOVE THE STREET and would like to formally thank Jim Henson for his remarkably genius work. With a handful of my students and parents, I had a chance to view that genius work at Jim Henson's Fantastic World, a traveling exhibit from the Smithsonian Institution. Here's the list of future dates in case it's coming to a town near you. Don't miss it.

9/12/2009	11/29/2009	James A. Michener Art Museum, Doylestown, PA
12/19/2009	3/14/2010	Mississippi Museum of Art, Jackson, MS
4/3/2010	6/27/2010	National Heritage Museum, Lexington, MA
7/17/2010	10/10/2010	Fresno Metropolitan Museum, Fresno, CA
10/30/2010	1/23/2011	Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago, IL

For those interested in DESIGN

2009-09-13T10:31:00.000-04:00

museum of arts and design

A very hungry crayon

2009-08-24T14:02:00.001-04:00

A very hungry crayon

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Eric Carle Museum -- Book signing too!!!

2009-08-24T12:28:00.000-04:00

To those of you who don't love your job, I am truly sorry. I hope you have an opportunity to change your circumstance. I happen to love, love, love what I do. I love researching ideas, planning lessons and especially watching the children develop the love of art. This weekend a friend and I got to meet Eric Carle who obviously LOVES, LOVES, LOVES what he does too!!! At 80 years old, this man graciously signed books for over 500 people. Each person was able to present him with three books and from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. he signed each and posed for pictures. He was friendly and kind with a genuine smile for all. What an opportunity to visit the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art and honor EC for his body of work and to commemorate his 80th birthday and the 40th anniversary of The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Crayola even presented Mr. Carle with a new green color appropriately-named, "The Very Hungry Caterpillar Green." Can't wait to go back next year!! Thanks to all of those who were behind the scenes to make it happen. We loved it!

Philadelphia Mural Arts Program Information Link

2009-08-09T09:38:00.000-04:00

Living close to the Mural Capital of the World, I try to take the tour once a year. I am always impressed with the volunteer docents. They answer questions of the visitors enthusiastically and intelligently. Go see some murals in the City of Brotherly Love. http://www.muralarts.org/whoweare/faq.php

Another Very Cool Music Site to Check Out

2009-07-17T12:12:00.001-04:00

I just discovered this site and find it great for checking out music before buying it. See if you like it too.

www.pandora.com

ART ALL NIGHT -- 2009

2009-05-02T22:02:00.000-04:00

Join me in submitting work this year!!

http://www.artworkstrenton.org/artallnight/about.html

Art Classes for Kids

2009-01-02T10:00:00.000-05:00

I'm often asked if there are places where children can take art classes outside of school. Click on the link below to find out about the current after school and Saturday offerings at the Ellarslie Museum.

www.ellarslie.org/ClassesandWorkshops.htm#SatWkshpChild

A variety of programs are available at the Princeton YWCA. More information is available at:

www.ywcaprinceton.org/programsArts.cfm

Another opportunity is in Bordentown City at the Firehouse Gallery. The link below will provide more information. Summer classes are also available.

www.firehousegallery.com/classes.html

Ready, Set, Gingerbread

2008-11-23T13:10:00.000-05:00

Michael's Arts & Crafts -- Please say it isn't so.

2008-11-11T20:00:00.000-05:00

Just found some great bargains at Michael's -- 80% off Halloween. Of course Halloween to me is only a variety materials I may not be able to find at such a good price otherwise. I picked up some self-adhesive foam sticker buckets which I'll have the students cut for mosaics and some Martha Stewart decorations which I'll use to enhance art displays. Now for the troublesome facts... while at the register making sure that the intended items really did come to 80% off, the sales associate told me that if these items didn't get sold they would be thrown away. I gasped -- I'm sure she could tell from the look on my face that I was horrified. Thrown away... For a moment I became my mother and asked where they toss their items to which she told me that her boss not only throws them away but spray paints them so the items could not be used. Now, I know this isn't like throwing food away or anything, but couldn't they DONATE items to schools or youth programs? I'm just sayin'... Oh and this just makes me a little crazy -- giving 50% coupons and then putting practically everything in the store on sale so that the coupons cannot be of use. I was in search of gingerbread house kits. They had them on sale -- one dollar off -- from $9.99 to $8.99. Not such a good deal considering AC Moore has the same kit for $7.99.

One last note of use -- though they don't have their own teacher card Michael's will take a discount card from other craft stores. So if you have an AC Moore card, they'll take an additional 10% off. My cashier told me that they will go up to 15% off if your card from another store does that. So if you know of a store that gives a discount that high, please let me know.

Frames for Children's Art

2008-10-26T16:32:00.001-04:00

I'm so excited to see that Target now has frames for children's art. I just saw a frame that would perfectly fit an 11"x14" size work without matting and a 9"x12" work with matting. The matting is provided and they have a sample of a crayon drawing inside it. They also had a 12"x12" square frame that would perfectly fit our second grade monarch butterflies. It's priced at 19.99. These simple wood frames are painted black and make a much more economical choice than professional matting and framing. It would also be easy to change work out from time to time.

I just took a look at the review online at Target, and most agree that they are great frames for the money, but that it's better to get them at the store where you can check them out. Some had difficulty with shipped frames having some damage. Keep making art!

Columbus Fun

2008-08-30T11:15:00.000-04:00

Thursday provided my first chance to declutter via Columbus Market. Truth be told I would much rather be a Mouseketeer than a marketeer, but after spending weeks going through STUFF the least I could do was offer unknown shoppers the opportunity of finding a real bargain. I’m sure most of us think our STUFF is superior, useful and worthy to be called a flea market find. Dutifully, my husband helped me pack the car the previous night. First off, I had to get some ones to make change. A trip to WaWa where I tapped MAC and bought the daily newspaper provided change of 19 ones. Though the gas station attendant could not offer ones, he was able to give me 4 fives for my crisp $20. My goal was to earn enough money to help pay for Lucky’s vet appointment scheduled for that late afternoon. I set out figuring that I would price nothing over $8. Here’s the deal. The tables (they provide two wooden tables) rent for $30. I arrived promptly at 7:20 a.m. since vendors are allowed in at 7:30 a.m. (It was more like 8:10 a.m. or so.) After working my newspaper crossword puzzle two men collected the money and provided me with a blue piece of paper showing that I paid. I placed this inside my front window and set out to find the perfect spot. A panoramic view of characters awaited me. Talk about a sitcom idea -- Mark Burnett where are you? You need to seriously look at this as a reality show or perhaps Donald Trump could choose his next apprentice from this venue. Directly across the row a couple were selling brightly colored stuffed animals. Elmo must be their top seller because multiples of different sizes were right out there in front. As I was setting my STUFF on the table, the woman came over to get first dibs. She was the first to offer advice. “Watch your jewelry. It walks.” I thanked her even though the piece was already a regifted item – a necklace my sister had received and passed my way. It later sold for a dollar. Actually, the woman was the first to buy something. After she pawed through most of the items, she found a costume bracelet to her liking when I told her it was .50. The next sale didn’t come for a while as I started to wonder if I “would make the rent.” Most vendors arrive in vans with boxes and boxes of STUFF. I used my trusty Honda and only brought two bins of STUFF. The man to my right had a car too. He was trying to sell really big speakers – I think they may be the kind that turn vehicles into monster stereo systems – the kind that make the house shake as they pass – the kind that annoy me to no end. (I know I’m getting old. That stuff didn’t used to bother me.) I surmised that he needed only to sell one item to make the rent, and he concurred. Next to him was a man with sunglasses and perfume having only some luck. To my left were two men with a really big step van. They sold “gadget” type things, phones with really big numbers, portable washing machines, turntable seats to help a person in and out of a car, ladies underwear and bras (at $1 each), etc. Their hot seller was a combo pack of battery-free flashlights that needed to be shaken in order to work. They looked kind of fun, but really when it goes dark shouldn’t the flashlight work as soon as you find it? It amazes me what we will spend money on… Across from him, a man sold DVDs, CDs, and books. He too came quickly to see how low I would go on my bestsellers. Apparently $4 is not low enough. Within ears’ reach and thankfully not too close a man was selling various “junk” toys that I’m sure required batteries. We could hear the little dog that jumped up and down singing “Twinkle, twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are.” It may have not been so bothersome if it was the whole song. Instead, it was just the first line over and over in a high pitch. The man with the flashlights was helpful throughout the day. He gave me the rundown on how I could arrange my tables, which items I should display in the front, and how to bargain with prospective buyers. I told him that my major goal was to not have to carry these things home again. He said that I did have low prices. By 10:05, I was still negative $27 or so. I was concerned. I started getting desperate and saying things like, “Anything on the table $3 or under.” I think I sounded too desperate because that didn’t even work. I called my sister to tell her how bored I was, and she said she would come around noon to visit. Soon more people started coming through, and I started unloading STUFF -- three sweaters gone for $10 – a Lucy Barbie garnered $12 – two more sweaters $6. When my sister arrived she told me I had a “clear head” to be sitting out in the sun trying to sell my junk, uhh I mean STUFF and immediately went to work at rearranging the items to produce a more inviting display. Something she did worked because soon after I was making some $$$$. We laughed and giggled and watched as the money rolled I (not really) … I closed up shop a little after 1 p.m. I took away with me one less bin full of STUFF and $39 for my efforts not quite the goal I'd set but a good day anyway.

Day 15

2008-07-19T11:20:00.001-04:00

Haven't had internet access -- yes I'm in withdrawal. We've been having an amazing time. Last night we caught Wicked at the Pantages Theater in LA. It was fantastical. Fourteen hours at Disneyland on Thursday made us all sleep really well. Go Laurel, Tanner & Kearis for making sure we go to do all that we could and more. We loved your tips and tricks. Tower of Terror is still my favorite ride. Lana's new favorite is Soarin' over California. Cathie shares that one too. Marilyn chooses the classic Space Mountain has her must do. I promise to include more pictures when I can. Hope all is well with all of you. SYS

The Views So Far, Days 1-3

2008-07-07T01:46:00.000-04:00

Trip of a Lifetime -- Countdown Less Than 1 Week

2008-06-28T20:26:00.000-04:00

This really doesn't have much to do with teaching art in the classroom except for the inspiration I hope to gain. The next few posts should read more like "What I did on my summer vacation..." I'm looking forward to adding pictures of the places I'll be visiting out west. Let me start by saying that I usually get homesick about three days into any trip. So 22 days should be an interesting block of time. Oh, and btw I do tend to feel anxious in wide-open spaces -- face the fear and move right through it!!! The first challenge will be to fit three weeks worth of clothing in one carry-on bag. Call me crazy if you must but I just really hate waiting for luggage after being on a plane for hours and hours. I've convinced my "partner in crime" to follow my advice. So each of us will be squeezing as much as we can in the standard-sized carry-on suitcase. As I figure it we can always do a load of wash here and there, and isn't there that 20/80% rule. I know that I've always managed to end up wearing mostly the same things over and over -- comfort zone and such. I'm beginning to ramble on... later.

Collecting Flash Games

2008-05-04T13:01:00.000-04:00

During this semester, I have had a lot of fun searching for Flash Games in preparation for my final project. I want to be able to have my students use games to reinforce and build art literacy. Here is a collection of some new favorites. Enjoy playing and let me know what you think of them. It may help me tailor my games in the future. Thanks.

MUSEUM MEMORY
www.gettygames..edu/gettygames

TANGRAM
www.novelgames.com/qualityflashgames/game.php?id=1

VARIETY OF ART RELATED GAMES
www.uen.org/3-6interactives/fine_arts.shtml

500 Years of Women in ART from TeacherTube

2008-04-05T17:00:00.000-04:00

Do you Hulu?

2008-03-15T12:06:00.000-04:00

Okay, this may not really have anything to do with art YET, but I am really excited about this new site www.hulu.com. I just watched a television show I have been waiting for months to catch in reruns. Unfortunately or fortunately now, the show never did resurface in reruns, and thankfully the whole season is on HULU for me to see. I really was looking for content to share with my art students -- so HULU PEOPLE OUT THERE, please include educational material too. That would make your awesome site even more f a b u l o u s.

S C R A T C H

2008-03-06T20:01:00.001-05:00

Here's my first attempt at a SCRATCH game. Directions: Catch

Learn more about this project

You can teach an old dog new tricks...

2008-03-03T12:17:00.001-05:00

More learning --- I'm trying to add a slideshow -- The little guy is much more relaxed around the camera than his older brother. Enjoy.

So this week in class we took a look at Second Life and had to create an avatar for use in our exploration. Right off the bat, Craig told us that any of us who taught K-12 would NOT be able to use it for classroom purposes, and he explained a variety of ways he has used or been part of the experience. Being one of the early Ms. PacMan (I've got the CPS to prove it.) players on the Wildwood boardwalk, I assumed I would like what I was about to see. I did. Given enough time to learn, I'm sure I could get wrapped up in the gaming and problem-solving aspects. I guess it's good to keep pulse with what students are interested. It may help inform my teaching. However, I can't help but wonder if someday in the not to distant future we will all be STUCK behind our computers communicating without spoken words. Why is it that kids "these days" text message each other while in a proximity of less than three feet? Why would they rather play games across the computer than meet a friend in the fresh air? Just more ponderables...

GOING GREEN at an ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

2008-02-22T07:22:00.000-05:00

I know that so many of us are really attempting to GO GREEN -- just little things can mean so much. It can be frustrating when trying to do this in an elementary school setting. Fortunately for me and my school, our head custodian is right on board with us. (Thanks Joe!!) We are implementing changes that will make a difference.

Most of us have spent time in an elementary school at one point or another. We all know how much paper is produced and used there. Our fifth grade students take part in a community service initiative and some are assigned to move the paper (collected in bins throughout the school) to the spot where it will be collected for r e c y c l i n g.

I personally reduce, reuse and recycle in my art room when I request parents to send things they may otherwise throw away, such as yogurt cups, jars, film cases, broken crayons, cardboard and fabric to the art room. I will admit it does sometimes get out of hand and I'm constantly trying to find places for things. But usually there is another teacher who benefits from what I've collected. I also have students save their c l e a n breakfast/lunch trays because I hate to see that much foam thrown away after only one use. I have now begun to also collect the little plastic juice cups too. I'm finding that each thing becomes habit for me and the students once they've learned it.

SO what does this have to do with technology -- oh yeah that was where I was going with this -- I began a new program this year which I call, "Meet Me at the Museum." Simply put, I choose a day -- usually a day off from school -- and invite my students with their parents to join me at a museum/art venue. For our first outing, I sent a paper invitation sign in sheet. I informed parents that future invitations would be sent electronically to reduce the amount of paper. (I would much rather have children draw and paint on paper than have it be lost in a folder, etc.) Anyway, I thought I was really being savvy sending it via e-mail, but I soon found that it was quite cumbersome waiting for and tracking responses. So for our next outing I'm sending an "evite." I'll let you know how that works out for me!!

Free Admission to the Metropolitan Museum of Art 2/15 - 2/24

2008-02-16T10:12:00.000-05:00

Note that they are open 2/18/08 for Met Holiday Monday. For more information, go to:

http://www.metmuseum.org/explore/museumkids.htm?HomePageLink=museumkids_c&PromoSpace=hp

My students LOVE the National Gallery's NGAKids Jungle

2008-02-14T06:11:00.000-05:00

I LOVE borrowing teacher packets from the National Gallery for use in my art room. As a natural progression while teaching my second graders about Henri Rousseau, I approached our computer teacher about combining lessons with the use of the following interactive site http://www.nga.gov/kids/zone/jungle.htm. She immediately LOVED the idea and we were both able to guide students to making a complete jungle picture -- in the art room we painted them on 12"x18" paper, and in the computer room they printed in color. (THANKS CHRIS!!!) Some concepts, such as overlap and variation of size, are difficult for second graders to achieve. These young students easily mastered them while drawing on the computer. In short, they LOVED it. Many students took notes on how to get to the site for later use at home. Among the activities, children can make still lifes, work on collages, and learn about famous artworks. To view all of the activities by the National Gallery click on http://www.nga.gov/kids/kids.htm. Enjoy learning.

clarifications

2008-02-02T13:53:00.000-05:00

Thanks Dave for your comments. You are right about the "Never" option. What I should have written was "I have never visited a museum site." So to anyone who looks at the poll from this point on, please note that I realize that some of you may not have ever seen or even thought about visiting a museum site. The "0" is for those who have visited sites before but can't say that they visit on any kind of monthly basis.

ABOUT ARTSONIA and for those of you who don't know already: http://www.artsonia.com/ is an awesome website that allows me to showcase student art online where anyone in the world with internet access can view it. Parents have told me how much they appreciate it especially for friends and family who do not live close to them. The viewers feel connected to the child's learning and with parents' permission can leave comments. I often leave comments to recognize mastery of key concepts . Currently this year, I have uploaded 1146 images to the site. As an added bonus, the company offers various items for purchase made from the artwork. My art program receives a commission of the sales. Last year, the commission helped to purchase a kiln for the school. (I also obtained a grant and our fabulous parents' association chipped in the rest.) Of course, it is time-consuming, but so is hanging student artwork on the walls around the school. I've often felt that the time I spent hanging artwork around the school could be better spent as only a handful of parents viewed the displays. Because they maintain a gallery for each student, I can see progress from year to year. It's really a "Win/Win" situation for me and my students.

The week in review. . .

2008-01-31T21:17:00.000-05:00

I am excited to be learning more about Photoshop and to be trying some things long forgotten again. Class time flies by at lightning speed and I continue to think about all of the ways to use these ideas/techniques with my students. They'll have a blast manipulating their own image. I'm hoping they'll get an understanding of the elements of art and principles of design with these practices. I'll integrate our studio time with computer class to extend the lessons.

For fun, I've included a poll today. It's not really a profound question, but it will serve its purpose. Please feel free to respond.

In the beginning...

2008-01-24T18:54:00.000-05:00

I started "blogging" to myself while in high school. Only then, I called it journaling. I used the little notes to myself to sort feelings, weigh decisions and to complain when I knew no one else wanted to hear it. Writing it down always helped to make the situation(s) become more manageable.

With this first class, I am excited about learning more to bring to my students, and I hope to use this blog to organize and maintain all of my ideas in one place.

Looking forward to adding pictures and museum info soon... Til then, keep making ART!