It's A KETCHUP Day: Part 1

WOW, OH WOW! Last month was so jammed packed that I completely neglected the blog. Don't you fret though, I'll catch you up. I signed on to this super neat website called

to see what it was all about. Boy, did I see. This site is for teachers who need funds for certain projects. I posted a rather large order for books I wanted to use in our classroom and guess what...THE FUNDS CAME IN! Thanks to a few very gracious donors, we were able to get 20 books to start an art library. These books spark the children's imaginations as well as my own when it comes time to think up a new project. So here is my loot (plus a few of what I already owned)!

 

A few of my favorite titles!

My next upload will highlight a very special project based off of one of my new books. Here's a hint: it will be very INsightful! :)

Texture Hands!

Hey, hey! So last week we covered TEXTURE from the Elements of Art. We talked about what texture is (the surface quality of an object/subject) and how can we feel or see it. We also learned that there are two types of texture: actual and implied. For my little ones, K-2, we only covered actual texture...that is texture we can actually feel. We listed off a few adjectives like hard, soft, scratchy, bumpy, fluffy, ect. But we couldn't quite get to our project until I asked them what do we use to feel texture...."OUR HANDS!" And boom, there was our project: Texture Hands.

Aren't these adorable! This was one of my 1st grade classes. We practiced our writing and identifying different textures all in the same project! They were given five different textures. After each sample we touched and felt we used our "describing words" to tell what it felt like. It didn't take too long for them to catch on and pinpoint the word I was looking for! So our first texture was felt, as in the fabric, and our adjective was soft. We then glued our texture to the top of our thumb, because that's where our "feeler" is located. After the glue we look our crayon and wrote "soft" at the base of the finger. We followed that process for laminating film/smooth, bubble wrap/bumpy, sand paper/rough, and aluminum foil/hard (like metal).  I think the project really got them to understand what texture is and how we can identify it! Here is another class example from another 1st grade class...

For my big kids, 3rd-5th, I wanted to keep the same idea of the texture hand but I knew I needed something more challenging...something that pertained to the other type of texture: Implied. Implied texture is something we can see in an art work (two-dimensional) but cannot feel. It simply looks like a texture we know. One of my favorite examples of this is in a work titled Countess d'Haussonville by Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres from 1845.

In this painting we talked about her dress. What is it made out of? What do you think it feels like? How does it look when the light is cast on it? By looking at the folds of her dress, do you think it is light weight or heavy? How do we know? We just went on and on and on. By the end of our discussion we found out that is it made of a shiny silk or taffeta, probably light weight because the folds are small, and it would feel smooth and soft. This my readers, teachers and students is implied texture. The artist, Ingres, was very skilled at depicting fabrics so realistic that we would be able to "feel" them ourselves. So from this we learned that implied texture is something we can see in a picture and feel in our minds but not feel with our hands. So our assignment was also a texture hand, but they were not given actual textures. We talked about a few more textures, like the ones listed above, and then the fun began. They had to come up with a texture, think about what object has that texture, and draw it as one of their fingers. Confused? So were they, so we did this as a class for my 3rd graders. Sorry 4th and 5th, this project was individual (we brainstormed together, like what would be hard: bricks, desks, books, ect...but they had to draw it by themselves). So here is a 3rd grade example....

I LOVED this one for several reasons, but my primary reason has GOT to be the example they gave for "smooth." It is a ticket! The 3rd grade behavior management system is run on tickets. They get them for good behavior, following directions, ect. It is safe to say that these kids L-O-V-E their tickets. So I thought it was pretty cleaver that this little girl thought to draw a ticket as her "smooth finger." Got to love it. 

Unfortunately, I was not on my picture-taking-game last week so this was the only example I got around to photographing. But all the kids did a great job, especially my older ones. I know that implied texture is a little hard to wrap your head around, but they nailed it. Great job guys!

Stay tuned for next week, I will be posting it soon. Here's a hint as to what we learned: don't underestimate what a Paleo could do...or a Kindergartner! 

Principles of Design: Patterned Portfolios

I promised more pictures and this week I believe I have fulfilled that promise! Before we get to the AMAZING artwork my students produced this week, lets talk about what we learned. We got off the "Elements of Art Bus" and hopped onto the "Principles of Design Bus."

This week we learned about. . .

Don't you just love those pattern cards!? I think it really helped my students understand that you can make patterns out of the elements we have been learning about: shapes, lines and color (I didn't use color in my examples because my 3rd graders could use my examples. It isn't until the 4th grade that we ask them to create their own. But of course I want to see my students' creativity, so they had to choose the colors to make my patterns come alive!) So we took our portfolios that we started last week (Their assignment was to write their name, "art portfolio," use the all the colors on the color wheel and incorporate the lines we learned from the previous week. I know, it was a heavy assignment but you can see that they rose to the challenge!)...

                        (Teacher example)

                                                             (2nd grade example...look at all the different types of lines!)

(4th grade example...LOVE the lines and symmetry!)

(5th grade example of a student who changed schools last week. I added this in because she nailed this assignment! She combined the color wheel AND ALL the lines we learned to make the front of her portfolio. SHE ROCKED IT!)

After they created the front of their portfolios, they had to flip it over and create patterns on the back. They could use any colors, but you'll see that one student kept the color wheel theme. Isn't that awesome!?

 

                                      (4th grade example)

                                                               (Remember the previous 2nd grade example? This is the back!)

(This precious example comes from a 1st grader. You can see that she combined the lines we learned last week with the shapes we learned from the first week of school to make her lines of pattern. She is so talented!)

So we had a VERY busy, productive and creative two weeks of school! I am one week behind schedule on posting, so I will try my very hardest to post last weeks project on texture ASAP! A huge thanks to my students for their patience this week on getting this up. You guys are awesome, keep it up! :) 

Project: Portfolio!

I wish I could say this post will be riddled with fabulously beautiful pictures, but alas, it won't be. I somehow made it to Friday without taking a single picture. Woops! I can promise I will be a better picture taker this week :)

Last week we started making our portfolios! The portfolio (or "art pocket" as my young ones call it) is made out of poster board...perfect for coloring, picture making and doodling! We only drew on one side this week because we were saving the other side for this week! Two in one project, gotta love it! On the first side the students (1st-5th) had to write their name and art portfolio using all the colors we have been talking about....

Then they had to incorporate line and shape! They could have done this in their letters or in their drawing. Here are some of the lines we learned!

After they wrote out their names and "art portfolio" I asked them to draw pictures. ANY pictures. It is no surprise that I haven't memorized all of their names, even though I have been trying my absolute hardest! 460 students...that's a lot of names! So because I am a visual learner, I asked them to draw anything they like. Think of this like a free assignment. The kids loved it! I will definitely be instructing more free drawing in the future. It is so amazing to see how their minds work and what their creativity comes up with! 

This week, as I said, we are doing the backs of their portfolio. We are now getting into the Principles of Design with Pattern, so stay tuned!!

Elements of Art: Shape and Line

Hello students, parents and fellow teachers! I have been swamped all weekend with homework (for my MAT program...yes students, I also have homework!), classwork for the upcoming week, and of course I didn't miss my Razorback game! WPS! But nevertheless, I will make this post before we start the new week.

So what did we learn last week? We learned about line and how line can create shapes, pictures, and and cool designs! 

For my Kindergartners, we went back over our colors because color played a big part in this weeks project. So here is a review for you guys...

This is my "color" poster that I used in all my classes, K-5th. Remember I'm on a cart, so I do not have boards (other than the two I've already shown you that are in the main hallway of our school). I went to Home Depot (again!) and got these awesome paint chips, because lets be honest, no sharpie could produce that a color...not to mention all the different shades. The black triangle points to the primary colors and the dotted points to the secondary (I introduced these concepts to my little ones, but in no way expect them to remember it...they don't technically learn that until the 2nd grade). I know you get it!

So for K we practiced drawing our shapes and for 1st we drew different types of line. I don't have an example of my Kindergartners work, but here are two outstanding works from my 1st graders! We did "Me and Line" self-portraits where we used line to draw ourselves! Before we started, we all met on the carpet and I let the students come up and practice their lines on the Smartboard. They LOVED it! I did this project step-by-step with them so it would not add confusion. So here is my end work on the Smartboard followed my two of my students work.

                                       

Aren't they adorable?! I was so proud! As you can see, we drew a huge "dot" for our face, a "thin line" for our necks, a "thick line" for our bodies, a "tapered line" for our arms and legs, "curly lines" for our feet, "dotted lines" for our arms", "zig zag lines" for our fingers and a "curved line" for our smiles. Did I miss one? I hope not! To finish off our work, they had to draw as many different types of line around their self-portrait. I know it is a little hard to read from the yellow handwriting on the left (you can see it on the right) that each student had to write "Me and Line." We also did our letters together, but I think they turned out wonderful!

My 2nd and 3rd graders had a slightly harder task, but I knew they were up for it! I knew they had already been introduced to the different types of lines in previous years so I had them take that knowledge and creativity one step further. We made LANDSCAPES out of line! Here is my example coupled with the poster board I made for this lesson.

We went over these on the smart board in the 2nd grade classes, but my 3rd graders had it down (and rightfully so! They've had more practice!). While all my 2nd and 3rd graders did a wonderful job, here are two that I've chosen to highlight!

                      They had to use 6 types of line!

                            Can you find them all?

Great work guys! Now finally for my 4th and 5th graders...we did something similar to the younger kids in that we also did landscapes using line. However, we used line to show depth and perspective. We also included a play on warm versus cool colors. Here is the review poster and the teacher example: 

                                           

So what do you think? Does it look complicated? Nooooo, I can promise you it isn't. My students were a little afraid (go on guys, admit it) but once we got started and I walked them through it, it was painless! Here are two works that I particularly enjoyed:

This lovely work was
done by a 5th grader!












This one was
done by a 4th grader!

So this was our week! I hope y'all liked it! I am certainly one proud art teacher. Let's see how they handle PATTERN this week when we make portfolios! To wrap up this entry, I will leave you with this...here is our first "art installment" in the MMA! (Notice the "name plates" we made the first week of school. Real nameplates for a real museum!) :)

Elements of Art: Color

I must admit that color is my favorite Element of Art! Remember the Matisse quote? I'm all about color and creativity! Last week we learned about primary, secondary, tertiary, warm/cool, and complementary colors. Remember those black sheets of paper on the Matisse board? This is the board with our objectives on it for the week!

I think the kids had fun learning...but I think they had more fun making their color related projects. For my little ones (K-2nd) we read one of my favorites!

This wonderful little book is about 3 white (and curious!) mice who explore what happens when you mix certain colors together. From this book we learned that when you mix primary colors together, you get secondary colors. Although this book is an oldie, it is certainly still a goody! We also read one of my new favorites...

This book shows many different colors! What I enjoy about this book is that it teaches children that there are many different "hues" (a word we learned in class). In a box of 64 count Crayola crayons, you can find at least 3 different hues of red, blue, and yellow (remember those primary colors?). The idea that there can be more than one red or blue was the concept grasped by this book. Here is an example...

After reading these two, it was time for our project! Instead of painting (I tried with one 1st grade class and ended up with paint everywhere! Literally, a child got paint all over him and then cut a hole in his shirt to "remove" the paint. What a classic story...kids will be kids :)! ) we practiced our motor skills by tearing colored construction paper and gluing to our painters palette. We tried to glue at least 3 pieces of the same color paper on top of each other to give it that "gloopy/paint" look...did we succeed? Here are the artworks from Mrs. William's Kindergarten class....aren't they great?!

For my big kids (3rd-5th) I had something really special planned. I knew I wanted to have them mix their own primary color paints to get secondary, but I wasn't sure how I wanted to do it. After some thought (and kindness shown by the employees at Home Depot) I was able to get 350 paint sticks! Yes, 350!! I gave the students a dot of red, yellow and blue. From there they had to mix the primary colors to get secondary. Here is how they turned out...

Pretty cool, right? What I LOVED about this was that while each paint stick was different, they look like a unified whole when grouped together. I think it creates some unity within the school as well as pride within my students. It's an amazing feeling to see them walk by and say, "oh, I did one of those!"...I will never tire of hearing that. These kids are amazing and I can't wait to see what else we can do! 

This week we are moving on to Line, so stay tuned!

My first year begins!

I wish I could have started this a little sooner, but better late than never...right? I started this blog a few months ago for an assignment from my MAT program. As you can see, I abandoned it shortly after. But now that I have started my first year of teaching, I thought it would be a great idea to incorporate this blog into my “rewards system” for my students. I will post weekly (hopefully?) to let you know what we are working on and showcase some of my students’ work. It is my hope that this will be an all-inclusive website for fellow teachers and students. Once I work out the kinks, I will post my favorite art books that my kids enjoy, pins I love that pertain to art in the classroom (you can follow me if you click on the tab above!), and other fun and creative stuff I find along my way down this journey.
It should be noted that I am an art on a cart teacher, so I do not have a fabulously wonderful classroom to show you. I will post my boards as I go along...and maybe my cart (which is amazing!). So here are my boards for the start of the year...enjoy! 

Sorry the picture is at such a poor quality, but hopefully you get the idea. The two black pieces of paper will house my objectives for the week. I will keep y'all posted with that as well! 

I chose the quote "Creativity takes courage" by Matisse for one main reason: studies have shown that children will stop creating art by the age of 9 if they are not encouraged. ASTOUNDING! As an art kid, I never knew this. I am making a vow to myself (and my students) that I will always provide encouraging words to support creativity within my students. (Another reason I chose this quote is my love of Henri Matisse. He was an important artist in the foundation of my Masters thesis and I am constantly drawn to his use of color as expression.) 

My next board:

Inspired by many museums, but more specifically, the MoMA. I teach in an area where there are not many local museums (there a few when you get into the main city). So, I decided to make a museum they could see everyday. Of course, it is their artwork that will be shown. The black laminated papers serve as permanent matting for the future artworks. I hope that by displaying their artwork in a "museum" it will encourage them to do their best and maybe visit more museums in the future. Field trip, maybe!? 

So this is enough for now, but I will keep y'all posted! 

My Artistically Influenced Teaching Philosophy

The ability to learn is instilled within every child, yet every child learns through different methods. It is the duty of the teacher and resources of the classroom to bridge the learning gap between students. Therefore, a classroom that facilitates the best learning environment is one that stimulates a child’s thinking and imagination. This stimulation can derive from the four different learning modalities: visual, auditory, tactile and kinesthetic as described by Marilee Sprenger in Differentiation through Learning Styles and Memory. By making the learning environment interactive, with regards to the four learning modalities, the student will venture into new methods of learning. The classroom itself will function as a facilitator to open the minds and imaginations of the child. By incorporating the four modalities and interactive classroom into my teaching philosophy, the retention rate of information taught will increase. The student will become more successful and have a higher aptitude for learning as they advance.

From an aesthetic, or visual, point of view the classroom should have plenty of windows to allow for natural light to filter through. It has been documented that students who learn and study in rooms filled with natural sunlight stay connected and absorb the information given by the teacher. The walls should display visually stimulating colors and images that pertain to the grade and subject such as graphs, pictures and maps. As an art teacher, my room will focus on key artists and the artistic process. The key visual element to my art room will be copies of artist portraits rendered in their typical style coupled with very brief biographies. For example, my image of Picasso will be a self-portrait rendered in his Cubist style. I will also incorporate geographical maps to show the countries the artists are working in and demonstrate how stylistic movements move from country to country. If the space allows, I would also create several small posters that detail different artistic media and the main artists that employed them. These resources that will be showcased in my art classroom will cater to those who learn best through the visual modality.

It is also important for students to acknowledge and understand that the classroom is for learning. By having a wide variety of books to supplement the teaching instruction, children will have another venue for learning. Coupled with meeting the needs of the tactile learners, books also serve as a visual stimulator for learning. Books grant accessibility to information that is lost on our technologically driven generation. While a modern classroom equipped with the latest teaching tools is desirable, it is not necessary in its entirety. There is something to be lost by taking books out of a classroom. The connection to the written word is vital for the learning process. As an art teacher, I believe the invention of the printing press is still an accomplishment to be celebrated. By having art books that detail different periods, artists, and techniques the students will gain an understanding of not only the material but, an appreciation for the book they are holding. While this hands-on experience will benefit my tactile learners, it will also demonstrate that every book is a work of art in and of itself.

To meet the needs of my kinesthetic learners, I would create a hands on activity that required movement around the classroom. As an art teacher, this modality will be at the top of my methodology pyramid. Each time I give a lesson an artwork will be created. Through this creation the student will tap into every learning modality by first listening to instruction, gathering materials, looking to my example, and then creating their own work of art.

Lastly, the traditional method of teaching will fill the last component of the four learning modalities. The auditory learner will be addressed through lecture style teaching that will be given before the students create their artwork. This part of the lesson will be relatively shorter without sacrificing the integrity of the information to be given. The information manifests into either an artist biography, background on style, or artistic process. To promote my interactive learning environment, I would allow students to raise their hand and ask questions at any time. By asking for students input, I allow for more dialogue and less lecture. In order for the students to ask questions they must first be engaged with the lesson.  Now the classroom will take on more give and take qualities by insuring the attention of all the students.

The successful teacher cannot instruct a class by only employing one or two of the teaching modalities because not every learning method will be covered. It would be inevitable that some students would fall through the cracks. As a successful educator, I have found that all of the learning modalities must be covered. Howard Gardner's Eight Frames of Mind act as the unifier for the four learning modalities. His chart of skill-sets provide the frameworks for the four learning modalities. By combining these two theories for successful education, I believe I can effectively impact and instruct my students.