Essential Questions in the Art Room

While the whole Essential Question thing has been a bit confusing, (sometimes I swear I’m hearing or reading conflicting information!) I finally feel like I’ve got a bit of a handle on the overarching essential questions in each of my classes.  I’m continuing to write the question(s) specific to each project, but these are a good start.  I know that online resources really helped me to write mine, so let me add to the conversation!

This will also be my last post this school year as I evaluate the writing of this blog and how it fits into the goals I’ve set for myself.  I’ve very much enjoyed writing, documenting and sharing a little bit of my classroom as I've learned about the blogging process. 

4th-12th GRADE  OVERARCHING ART ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS:

The important overall goals of my classes include: idea development and creative problem-solving, the development of practice and "stick-to-it" skills, craftsmanship, and self-expression. Hopefully these are covered in the essential questions.

4th/5th/6th:  ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

How do we develop a good idea?

How do we make an artwork look complete?

How is practice an important part of learning anything new?

How does art help us tell people our feelings?

7th/8th:  ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

How do artists grow and become accomplished in art forms?

How is art a form of communication?

Why is craftsmanship an important part of creating something excellent? 

How does art help us use our brains in a different way?

ART 1 / ART 2:  ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

To what extent do artistic skill building activities help you express yourself?

What role does graphic design play in consumers' choices? (Visual Literacy Smart Goal)

In what ways can artwork reflect what is happening in a culture or society?

How can reflecting on your own work help you improve how and what you learn?

ART 3 / ART 4 / ART PORTFOLIO:  ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

What role does persistence play in revisiting, refining, and developing your ideas?

How do artists appropriately use other’s images and ideas?

How does self-expression and creative problem solving help you in other areas of your life?

How do people engage in the visual arts throughout their lives and how do they benefit from it?

Happy teaching!

One Word for the New Year

Because we are on a block schedule, when we start our new semester of classes, its just like starting the year over; fresh and exciting, with new schedules and new students.  Its a great little boost to the school year, as you realize that these are the students you will be with until the year is over. 

I like to start the new semester with a warm up project for all 7-12th grade students.  Its very short and non-threatening, but it sets the mood for the class. We actually did this a few weeks ago, but it was a successful little beginning project and I wanted to share.

 For the last few years, instead of a New Year’s resolution, I have started the year by choosing a word I would focus on for the whole year.  It was generally something I wanted more of in my life, or something I wanted to work toward.  I decided this would be a great thing for my middle and high school students to do also.  They could focus only on the new semester, or, since it was only mid-January, they could use the word for the whole year. I showed them this video to give them word ideas.

 I asked them to create a small artwork around their word.  These pieces were only 4 inches square, so it did not take long, but it generated a lot of discussion within the class and gave us a little glimpse into each other’s minds and souls. (I shared mine also.)  I did not require them to explain why they chose their word, but many shared as they worked.  This is exactly the kind of class atmosphere I’m always trying to encourage, so it was successful on many levels.

I created a bulletin board with all of the finished works.

Projects like this are fun to display because they invariably make the viewer think…asking the question: “What would your word of the year be?” 

Happy Creating!

Getting Organized in the Art Room: Personal Kanban

Is one of your New Year’s resolutions to be more organized?  Well I have an idea for you!

Kanban is a visual signal that's used to trigger an action. The word Kanban is Japanese and roughly translated means “card you can see.” Toyota introduced and refined the use of Kanban in a relay system to standardize the flow of parts in their just-in-time (JIT) production lines in the 1950s. (http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/kanban)  It helped everyone in production to see what was being completed and what still needed to happen. 

This interesting idea is most often used in the corporate world, but has also crossed over into other fields.  In education, it can be used in a group setting for committee work, collaborative projects, etc. or individually as a personal “To Do” list.  This second way is how I use it.

As an organization nerd, I stumbled across Kanban and have adopted it as my classroom to-do list.  It works really great for me because it limits what I am focusing on at any one time, so I don’t get overwhelmed.  It is also very encouraging because it reminds me what I have already accomplished.

If you google “personal kanban” you will find all kinds of examples and information.  It is highly adaptable to your needs!  An excellent website for further explanations and info is Personal Kanban. 

As stated in the above link, there are two basic rules:

     * Visualize your work

     * Limit your work-in-progress

There are several ways to draw up your Personal Kanban.  I

chose to use a manilla file folder and make 4 columns:

TO DO:  for all of those items you need to get done

TODAY:  for the things I either need or hope to get done        today only

IN PROGRESS (waiting):  for those things I’ve finished as      much as I can and I’m now waiting for a response or        action by someone else before they can be completed.

DONE:  my favorite!…used when something is completed!

Sticky notes are used for each individual task so they can easily move from column to column.

Every so often I clear off the DONE column and start fresh.  

What a satisfying way to keep track of the To Do’s in my teaching life.  Give it a try and see what you think!

Happy Organizing!

How to Design an Awesome Poster! (Elementary version)

In one way or another, students will be asked to design posters for classes, presentations, contests, and a myriad of other areas of their lives as they get older.  Some will be hand-drawn and some will be digital, but ALL will need a good sense of design.   I decided this would be a good “life skill” to use as the focus of a project. When we started, our school-wide Red Ribbon Week was coming up and my students were offered an opportunity to create posters to be displayed, so this was the perfect time!

In doing some research to see what the graphic design experts say about designing posters, I came across this great article on thecreativebloq.com: (How to Design a Poster: 10 Pro Tips).  Because I am working with upper elementary students, I trimmed it down to 4 tips and reworded it a little.  Here is what I came up with:

1.  Find a focus.  What is your message?  What do you want the viewer to see first?

2.  Add a few details…but not too many.  You want to include some fun and interesting pieces to the poster, but not so many that we lose your main message.

3.  Balance the composition. This ties in with #2.  Lay out all of the components of your poster evenly - no big blank spaces.

4.  Mix your fonts. Use more than one letter style to give your poster a little more interest.

Here's a little graphic for you: 

We talked through all of these guidelines and I modeled how to plan out a poster on sketch paper first.  Then the kids went to work!  

As simple as these ideas seem, we can refer back to this little graphic design lesson in other ways as we come across design challenges in future projects. I also may create a bit more detailed version for my older students, too.  

Happy Creating!

An (Almost) Free Standing Desk

Have you seen the research on the use of standing desks? If not, check this out ! More focus, better health, more energy, etc, etc!

I tend to roam the room with my younger classes (and they have more needs and questions) than with my high school students.  I try to check in on them every 15 minutes just to make sure they are on track, but I do not like to hover (as discussed in this post) which means I like to work at my desk along with my students.

So I decided to try the “standing desk” craze.  After doing a little research and looking at costs, I figured out a way to make one for (almost) FREE!  

A couple of random boxes, some hot glue and some wood patterned Contact paper ($4) and VOILA!  A standing desk of my own!  My students enjoyed teasing me (“WHAT are you making?”), but the work space size is perfect, the height works well and I really like it!  As I was explaining this concept to questioning kids, they said…”You mean like a podium?” Yes - I know its like a podium, but I do NOT have room for one more piece of furniture in my room!  This baby is portable, can be easily set aside when I want to sit at my desk, and it works great!

I wrapped the bottom and top separately so that I can still use the box if I want to.  Right now, I have a couple of books in there, just to give the base a bit more stability.  

I’m considering making more of these for students in my room who would enjoy working standing up.  How fun is it to make something out of (almost) nothing?

Happy Creating!

Extra Credit / Extra Time Coupons

A couple of times a year, I show my students some love by giving them coupons to make their lives a little easier.  One of those times is around Valentine’s Day. As we all know, High school students are so busy they can get very stressed as they try to juggle all of their classes and extracurriculars.  Although it is important to me that they learn to handle deadlines and be responsible about turning their work in,  I also do not want them to have a complete meltdown about an artwork.  Life is too short for that!  

So a couple of times a year, I pass out Extra time/Extra Credit coupons.  My students get very excited…you would have thought I had given them each $100!  

The coupon states:

“This coupon entitles (student’s name) to extra credit points or the turning in of one project up to a week late without being downgraded.  Pay attention to midterms/terms when using this.”

These coupons generally get passed out around Halloween (first semester) and Valentine’s Day (second semester) but they do not expire until the students graduates (unless they would happen to lose them…)  Some students use theirs right away, but others hoard them and by their senior year, they have several they can use.  

The reason I like the idea of these is because they can take the pressure off of a student who is very dedicated to their work, but needs more time for a project to be done well.  It is also nice to give a boost to those who are struggling.  

Because they are passed out so infrequently, these coupons will not “cover” for a student who is not working and blows off their projects, but it is a nice cushion for those who are genuinely trying to do well in their Art classes. Anything we can do to encourage our students and let them know we are in this with them is a great thing in my book! 

Happy Valentines Day!

Using Evernote to Create a Teacher Evaluation Portfolio

I am a HUGE fan of Evernote!  In the past couple of years, I have “digitally organized” myself both at school and at home.  The uses for this lovely program are never ending.  If you are not familiar with Evernote, in the interest of time, let me share the Wikipedia definition with you:

“Evernote is a suite of software and services, designed for note taking and archiving. A "note" can be a piece of formatted text, a full webpage or webpage excerpt, a photograph, a voice memo, or a handwritten "ink" note. Notes can also have file attachments.”

You can group Notes into Notebooks and all of this information is accessible on your computer, tablet and smart phone. There are tons of great tutorials already online explaining how to use Evernote far better than I would, 

(such as here and here ) so I will not go into it, but don't worry - it is very easy to pick up!

My favorite new use for Evernote is my Teacher Evaluation Portfolio.  In Iowa we have 8 Teaching Standards with a variety of criteria listed for each one. In my school we fill out this Portfolio Reflection Sheet (which I just copied and pasted into its own note so I could use it over and over again.)

and attach artifacts (photos, scanned student examples, etc.) as evidence.  In the past, all of these artifacts and reflections (at least 2 listed under each standard, with a list of all the criteria it represents included) were put in a thick binder and turned in to my principal.  The longer you teach, the bigger this binder gets, as we add to it every third year.  

ENTER EVERNOTE!  No unwieldy binders, no papers, sheet protectors and file dividers, etc, etc!  

When I am done with my portfolio, all I have to do is click the "share" button and put in my principal's email address.  Evernote sends him a link and he can see (only) my Teaching Portfolio Notebook.

Here is an example of a Portfolio Reflection filled out and the accompanying photo (screenshots):

And a screenshot of my portfolio (in progress - I'm not done!):

I am also excited to get my students started using this program to create and maintain a portfolio of their artwork and all of its other excellent uses for students (more on this later!) I encourage you to give it a try - it is awesome!  

Happy Evernoting!

Simple Notebook To Do List

 As I’ve stated before, I love to be organized!  I have a lot of “right brain” in my life, but my “left brain” comes out in the organizing I like to do.  I have discovered that if I have certain processes in place, life becomes so much easier.  This could be something as simple as the way I hand out paintbrushes, or something more complex like how I handle our home budget. 

I’ve tried a lot of different ways to keep To Do lists.  I’m a big fan of “Wunderlist”, but even when I use digital To Do’s for master lists, ideas to try, stuff to buy, etc.,  I need something more immediate on a day to day basis.  I have also found that physically writing things down makes them much easier to remember.  And as a bonus…is there anything better than getting to cross something completed off your list?

After much trial and error, this To Do list setup is really doing the job!  I like to know what needs to be done now - and what I’ll need to be thinking about soon.  I’m also a sticky note FREAK so having a space for those is helpful. 

Here’s an example of the “template:”  

   

Notice the area in the middle for things I want to try to do often; an automatic reminder so I don't let it get away from me.

An example of one that is filled in:

This list is a little more simplified than usual…we are starting fresh in the new semester, so my sticky notes haven’t accumulated yet! :-)

Happy List-making!!

Flickr in the Art Room

This post may be old news to many of you, but its been an awesome revelation to me!  

I have an Apple TV in my classroom and one day I noticed that one of the apps on the screen was for Flickr.  I had been on the site before, but never used it myself.  A light went on and I realized that I could use that app to show students examples of projects as I introduce them and store the photos that are on my computer.

I have recently been showing students photos of good works as examples on various projects in my room, instead of keeping a paper copy.  The paper examples are nice, but:

A) They get beat up easily.  

B) I don’t like to show kids MY work because they get frustrated if theirs doesn’t look like that.

C) If they are younger students, they only want to do it like mine and don’t use their creativity or self expression.

PLUS: the projects that turn out really well, students want to take home and keep (and rightly so!)  Enter the photograph examples!

Now I take pictures of student work, upload them to Flickr in the appropriate album (divided by groups of classes - once they get too large, I may subdivide them) and show those examples on my Apple TV using the Flickr app. (I can also pull it up on my computer if just one students needs to see it because they were gone, etc.)  I like that students get to see several examples, but its rather fleeting so they aren’t just copying what’s in front of them.  They can be inspired and then do their own thing with it.

I’ve even started uploading my work to the site, just because its fun to show kids my work, and its a great way to archive work I’ve done for other people.  

A simple idea?  YES!  Those are the best kind. I'm excited to discover other interesting ways I can use this lovely site!

Happy picture taking!

Organization for Art Teachers

There are all kinds of organizational tools for teachers on the Internet.  My school is going as paperless as possible, but as much as I LOVE technology (especially organizational technology!) there are times when "old school" is quicker and more efficient (at least for me!) I definitely did not create this idea out of thin air, but thought it might be fun to share the  organizational binder I created to keep my school life running smoothly. 

To make my binder I used:  a black 3 ring binder, colorful scrapbook paper, sheet protectors, file/tab stickers, three hole punch, and card stock.

I divided my binder into 5 sections:  Grades, Grading Info, Misc. School Info, Schedules, and Curriculum.  I used different patterns of scrapbook paper in a sheet protector and tab stickers to mark each section.  

GRADES:  This is where I keep current grades.  We use an online grading program, but its so much easier for me to write it down as I grade and then transfer it online later.  Plus, then I have a copy of my grades if something should go wrong online (its been known to happen…)  

This is the link to the site 

where I print my gradebook pages. I use little masking tape tabs to mark each class’s page.  When a term is over I move these sheets to the GRADING INFO tab. (see below.)

GRADING INFO:  I create a new set of grade sheets for each term (or quarter - we’re on a block schedule so that’s our terminology) so I keep earlier terms under this tab, along with any other grading information, online grading tips, and a copy of our grading scale.  I also have a large stock of blank grading pages so when the new term comes around, I just have to move them to the GRADING tab and begin.

MISC. SCHOOL INFO:  This is where class lists, committees, and a variety of other information goes.  A lot of our info is now paperless, but if it is something important that I will refer to frequently, I will make a paper copy.  We have a great internet connection, but there are still times when our wifi goes down and it helps to be prepared.

SCHEDULES:  School calendar, Professional Development, lunch duty, hall duty, etc…  You get the idea. 

CURRIC:  This is where I put my weekly lesson plans (as described here) when the week is done. You could keep them here all of the time, but I like to have them on a separate clipboard during the week they are in use.

I also have a list of the projects we will be doing for each class.  This just helps me as I plan ahead.  Its a VERY working document, as I rearrange and substitute as needed due to time challenges, conflicts, class interests, etc.  

The great thing about this binder is that it is simple, efficient, inexpensive and can be tailored to individual needs.  I love having everything in one spot.  I have a similar digital notebook on my Evernote account, but sometimes old school is just right!   Happy Organizing!

Top 10 Things Art Teachers Can Be Thankful For!

It is the season to be thankful!  In honor of that… here is my list of the Top 10 Things Art Teachers Can Be Thankful For (not necessarily in order):

1. Getting to witness that breakthrough moment when a student understands a concept or skill or gets an awesome idea .

 2. Watching students mentor each other as a natural part of classroom behavior.

 3. Those days when everyone in the class is completely into their project and working quietly as music plays peacefully in the background. This is NOT an every day thing…but when it happens, it is heaven. 

 4. Seeing, hearing or reading something that gives you a new idea to try with your students - inspiration is the greatest feeling!

 5. Teachers, administrators, parents, and community members who get it!  They understand that we’re not just playing in the Art room - we are using our brains in different and important ways that will help students succeed in the 21st century.

 6. Our Art students…even though we have to cajole, push, persuade, encourage and stand on our heads sometimes to get them to learn new things… the resulting confidence gained from these accomplishments is so worth it!

 7. Pinterest.  Seriously.  I taught for many years before Pinterest came into being.  There is just not a better way to find ideas, get information and keep it all organized. Love it.

 8. Snow days and summer.  This job is awesome - but we definitely need to recharge and refresh to keep ourselves creative and inspired.  Those little and bigger breaks sure help!

 9. Art room camaraderie.  Building connections. Helping each other out.  Multi-age fun.  It all works in this atmosphere.

10. Chocolate.  Just ask my students - they know me.  I believe there are very few problems that chocolate cannot make a little better.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Classroom Mantra: Don't Hover!

I have a mantra that I try to follow as I go throughout my teaching day. It might surprise you or sound like an unhelpful way to run a classroom...but it really works! It can be summed up in two words:  DON’T HOVER!

Just like teachers everywhere, I always want to be there for my students.  I want to guide, inspire, support.  To do that, I used to circle the room constantly.  I was always watching over, checking in, making sure everything was ok.

But what I found is that the more I circulated and checked out what my students were doing, the more questions they had.  This was true whether they were in 4th grade or 11th grade.  I became a crutch.  After all, its much easier to ask someone else, than to figure something out and think for yourself.

So, to create independent artists who are creating THEIR artwork (and not mine) I remind myself:  DON'T HOVER!

I give them instructions, information and demonstrations and then step back and let them get to it.  I find that circling around every 10-15 minutes, allows me to help those who need it, but still gives them time to work things out for themselves.  They also seem to enjoy being able to think, brainstorm and create without someone always watching over their shoulders. (I know that's how I would feel!)

Happy Teaching!

Challenge: An Artwork a Day

I am fascinated with the idea of a challenge where you have to do something every day, whether its try a new recipe or run 5 miles or write so many pages of that book you want to finish.  There is something inspiring about setting some parameters for yourself and then trying to meet those…NO MATTER WHAT!  

I’ve been thinking about doing some sort of Art challenge along these lines for a while now.  As happens with most Art teachers, the majority of my creative juices get spent in the classroom.  I’m very happy to spend them there, but those efforts sometimes leave the time and energy for my own work in the dust.  

So this fall I decided I wanted to challenge myself artistically and that an “artwork a day” might be the way to go.  Our school year is 180 days long…what if I created one small (4”x 4”) artwork each school day from the beginning to the end of the year?  Think about it!  That’s 180 ideas that could be catapulted to larger, more extensive works!  If only a small number of those really turned out to be good ideas, I’d still be miles ahead of where I am now in terms of inspiration!

AND I always feel that walking the talk is great for the kids to see.  They know I’m an artist, but how often do they get to see my work?  I told them about my project on the first day of school and encouraged any of them to join me in the challenge, for any length of time. The artworks are posted on the bulletin board behind my desk.  My students of all ages are having a fun time watching the display grow day by day.  I can’t imagine what it will look like in May!

I’ll revisit this post then and tell you how I did.  

Happy Creating!