Stem Versus STEAM... Love this!!

University of Florida’s Online Master of Arts in Art Education

Experimenting with Color Part 1

A few weeks ago I went a really cool STEM workshop on light and color. I was the only art teacher in a group of 20 other  educators. I had researched color in light before but had a hard time grasping it. When the teacher asked what the primary colors of light were I knew enough NOT to say red, yellow, and blue!

The first thing I saw after putting on the diffraction glasses was this!

Beautiful AND totally opposite of everything I knew about color in art.

Over the course of the workshop I finally began to grasp color in light. It was a breakthrough for my stubborn artist mind.

And so started my creation of a plan that was designed to confuse and intrigue my students. Confused?

Step 1

Make the students become the color wheel we know in art.

First I gave each student a primary or secondary color. I asked them to make themselves into a color wheel. We went outside for more space.

Next I grouped students by color and gave them a dot to represent their group. We played with "find the color that makes a tertiary". They then got back into the color wheel order where we played "find your compliment"

This lead into our discussion on neutrals and at this point it was time to go back to the art studio "lab"

Each team was given three cups of primary colored water. Then were then given 9 more cups and told to create the color wheel.

They had to pay close attention to their measurements as they were not allowed to get more liquid and they had to end up with every color.

They were so focused it was awesome!! 

All teams had a little different results but were all able to create the color wheel. 

When the color wheels were finished it was time to make our neutrals and then mix all our colors together.

The class had confirmed what they already knew, that when we mix all the colors on the color wheel together we get a dark brownish blackish neutral color.

Now it's time for me to turn that theory upside down!!

Stay tuned...

Educating What Out of Them?

The Practice of Science in Art is a 7 week unit my classes just finished up this past week. While helping my students make connections between these two subjects, I made a surprising connection of my own.

First, a brief review of the weeks leading up to my new revelation...

All grade levels participated in this unit at an appropriate level based on their own science and art standards. The learning goal below was for my second grade classes.

I will be able to be able tell the difference between empirical observations and inferences, and use empirical observations and inferences to interpret works of art.

We started with science and had a bubble experiment. The students LOVED it! And everyone was excited to participate and share their findings.

We transitioned from science to art with the introduction of Salvador Dali! Dali claimed that aliens send him messages through his mustache that would tell him what to create. So students created their aliens and waited for the messages to be sent.

First graders received a message that they were to create a self portrait. But not a regular self portrait. They were to imagine they woke up one morning with a Dali mustache. Their self portraits were to illustrate the face they would make when they looked in the mirror. 

The students LOVED it! And everyone was excited to participate.

At the end of the unit I asked students to interpret their own art. Look at them write!! The students LOVED it! And everyone was excited. 

UNTIL... I told them they were going to present their interpretations in front of the class.

And THAT was when I made my own connection. Ken Robinson always talks about educating the creativity out of children. And I agree 100%. But last week I had another realization. It's not just creativity that's being educated out of these kids, it's more than that. 

I reflected on the thoughts going through my head. Trying to figure out exactly what I was thinking. I couldn't quite get my mind to put something together for my mouth to verbalize or my fingers to type so I decided to do what I had been telling my students to do for the past few weeks during this unit.

What had I empirically observed? 

Students were excited to create and make discoveries but embarrassed to present their findings to their peers. I reminisced of when my own children were young and trying new things. The smiles on their faces as they made new discoveries and the excitement in their eyes as they shared these discoveries with anyone who would listen to them. And I mean anyone. Little kids LOVE sharing what the know with the world.

I highlighted these key phrases as our unit progressed noting the gradual decline.

And everyone was excited to participate and share their findings.

And everyone was excited to participate.

And everyone was excited. 

What could I infer from these observations?

That something happens when kids start school that shuts down their enthusiasm to share what they know. That something happens in school that not only erodes at their creativity, but at their self esteem and confidence to communicate in front of others. Is it just that getting older we become more conscious of the way the world views us or is it something else, and is there anything we can do about it?

I have my own theories but am looking for your thoughts. Please comment and let me know what you think and if there is anything we can do about it.

Learning is Boring!

During today's 5th grade art class we discussed the topic of 6th grade, and how when kids leave elementary school they seem to really start hating school. I asked them why they thought that was.

The top two answers?

School is boring! 

and

Learning isn't fun!

To which I responded...

"Learning IS fun!!! Don't you have fun learning in this class?"

There was a resounding "Yes!" followed by, "But this is art class."

I shot right back at them "You should be having fun learning in all your classes!"

An response came from the back of my class that made me stop mid step...

"Then my other teachers are doing something wrong."

So I asked them. "What would make learning more fun?"

The students had so many ideas that I stopped what we were doing and headed straight for the board. I said let's write your ideas up here and see what we come up with.  What should we call this? They came with a blend of fun and learning and created a new word...

Furning: How to make learning fun.

A few minutes later it was the end of class but students were still at the board. 

And below you can see some of the ideas they came up with.

more field trips, fun games, more experiments...

dance, recess everyday, iPods and iPhones...

better motivations and more freedom...

Great thoughts! And honest. And the teachers at our school are wonderful! And they are fun. But I think with all the demands and changes and new standards and new tests and new teaching methods and new students and new zoning and on and on...I think with all that we as teachers are facing, that the fun has been taken out of teaching.  And the natural result of that happening is that the fun in turn has been taken out of learning.

"Having fun would make school AWESOME!"

Growth by Pushing Past Fear!

This weekend was our annual FAEA (Florida Arts Educators Association) Conference in Daytona Beach. I have wanted to share my lessons with other teachers to help inspire them to STEAM Ahead with 21st Century Learning but have always found myself held back by fear. Fear of teaching to my peers, fear of the unknown, fear of being judged or criticized.

I faced those fears this weekend when my family made the painstakingly long, 1 hour drive, trip with me from Orlando to Daytona. The week prior I had considered canceling several times and even on the drive over I found myself looking for exits that I could take to turn around.

But by pushing through that fear, I was able to share my cross curricular teaching practices with fellow art educators whose creations are seen in these pictures. 

The mixture of Art and Poetry allowed these educators to be transformed into students who were free to express themselves without fear of judgement. Just as I had been set free to share my lessons without fear of judgement or criticism.

The illustrations and words were woven together to create a singular work of art that expressed the passion educators are usually too busy to take the time to create.

It was a wonderful weekend of collaboration, growth, and expression for presenters and attendees alike, and I am eagerly looking forward to the next chance I have to both inspire and be inspired by more amazing arts educators!!

What's a Weekend?

Day 27

What role do weekends and holidays play in your teaching?

I'd like to say I spend my weekends and holidays playing with family and recharging so I can feel refreshed and ready for each new week. I'd love to say that I create wonderful memories with my children on these weekends. But the truth of the matter is that my weekends and holidays typically look like this. 

I took these pic just now.

I've been working on a 9 week unit that incorporates Dali...

Into the "Practice of Science in ART!" Notice my wooden man is always ready to help with the creativity portion of the work. ;-p

I am working on finding more balance in my schedule but it's extremely difficult. As a single mom, my weeks are filled with driving my awesome kids to practices, attending their games or meets, grocery shopping, cleaning (or not), homework help and the list goes on an on as you moms know.

I am going to set a personal goal for myself right now. 

IWBAT (I will be able to), Marzano people you get this lol, find a way to make my schedule more efficient so I can spend the time doing this...

From the Dali Museum in St. Pete

http://thedali.org/

Lions and Tigers and EOC's in the Elementary Art Room OH MY!

This year, for the first ever, my elementary art students in grades k - 5 will all be required to take an End of Course exam.

Here are my concerns.

Instagram Challenge: Elements of Art

Kids LOVE Instagram. Hey, I love Instagram. What's not to love? It's fun, easy, and keeps you connected with the world. I especially love being able to connect with my students in a fun and relaxing way. Sometimes I even slip a little learning and application into this arena.

My most recent is the

  Instagram Challenge: 

Elements of Art 

Although the EOA are used every day in class during the creation of our art work, I believe it's very important that the students can recognize and 

name all 7 elements. 

When working on a piece of art the student should be able to critique their piece and make design decisions based on the elements used. Usually it's subtle changes that take a work of art from good to GREAT!

The Instagram Challenge: Elements of Art has simple rules and sends students on a scavenger hunt through their world. Capture the 7 Elements of Art in 7 Pictures. That's it. 

And what's the fun in a challenge without a prize? The students that receives the most likes on their combined pictures will receive one of my Creativity NOT Conformity poster. A much coveted item in the art room.

Meeting students not just where they're at academically, but also in their world, makes the connections that foster true learning in these 21st Century Learners.

You can find me on Instagram as Kids Create Art. Start your own Instagram Challenge today and tag me in it. I would love to see what other creative ideas people come up with.

Exit Slips in No Time

40 minutes is a short amount of time for any class. And in my art room it seems to be gone in an instant. As soon as we get seated and set up, I feel like it's already time to clean up and line up again. Zoom! Sometimes I feel like these kids are just flying in and out of my room...And don't let the door hit you on the way out!

Seriously though, time is tight. And when you add other things into the mix besides just the art it really puts the pressure on. One simple thing that has really helped with integrating Marzano's Instructional Model into my classroom is the exit slip.



Element 13: What do I typically do to help students reflect on their learning? One strategy suggested for this element is using exit slips at the end of class in an effort to get students to respond to questions about their learning immediately after the teacher is done. Here's how I do it.

I currently use two types of exit slips. One says "Tell me three new things you learned today". The other says "Tell me one thing you liked about class, and one thing you would have liked done to help you understand the lesson".



Depending on the grade I am teaching I mix it up a bit. Obviously I wouldn't have 1st graders write out 3 new things because they would never get it done in time. For them we might write three new words.

Exit slips are a great way to monitor the student's understanding of new knowledge. Try them out in your class. You'd be surprised what some of your students have to say.

Pinch Pot Snow Men Don't Blow!

In celebration of winter, my third grade classes decided they would like to make clay snowmen. Three rolled "clay" balls stacked on top of each other with carrot noses, black to hats, and thin stick arms was the request. Hello...explosion? It would be a Snowman Apocalypse in my kiln with parts flying everywhere.

I wanted them to be able to do a 3-d snowman that would be manageable for their age level in our short time frame, and with less chance of destruction and disappointment. And then the pinch pot hit me! Brilliant!

Here is a quick overview of my steps in the creation of our clay snowmen for any of you out there interested in doing this kind of project in your art room.

1. Give each student a piece of clay. Size depends on your preference.

2. Have the student split the clay into 4 pieces. No these should not be equal.

3. Three of the pieces are going to be used for your pinch pots and the last piece for the details.

4. Ask your students to roll 3 sizes of clay balls...small, medium, and large.

5. Each one of these balls is turned into a pinch pot. Name goes on the inside of the biggest pot.

6. They will score and slip each pot together biggest on bottom, smallest on top.

7. We rolled tiny clay snakes to smooth into the creases for added protection.

8. The extra piece of clay can be used to make eyes, nose, mouth, buttons, hat, scarf etc...

9. Remind them everything they stick on has to be scored and slipped.

I poked a pinhole in the back of top and middle snow balls "pots" after the students were done to give it an even better chance of survival. Fire, glaze, and fire again and there you have it. Cute little snowmen perfect for a winter clay project. Check out the pics below to see what some of my students created. We chose colors not typically seen on snowmen since we were making "art"! 

Happy Baking!

Monkey Mind with Doctor Who, Art Class, and Humanity

As a Doctor Who fan who not only watches the show but has completely transformed my art class into the TARDIS this year, it's obvious that Doctor Who is on my mind a lot. I found myself thinking deeply about connections between the show and art in general the other day so I thought I'd share some of my discoveries.

www.geek.com

First I thought about the characters. They are for the most part aliens. And then my mind wondered...what is alien in art? Art that is foreign to us. Art that to us is not really art. What language do these aliens speak on Doctor Who and what is the language of art. Can we understand all the languages in a piece of art. Do we have to know the language to understand the meaning?

The Cybermen are evil aliens. Why do we see them as bad? Is it because they want everyone to be like them? Conformity and assimilation is their goal. For creative people this is the opposite of what we strive for. Creativity NOT Conformity!


tardis.wikia.com

The Doctor says "I don't have anything to lose". What do we have to lose as Artists? Don't be afraid to make "happy accidents". This is art we have nothing to lose. You are making something out of nothing. That in itself is Extraordinary! Let the creativity flow we have nothing to lose.

"Fantastic!" "Brilliant!" "Be Extraordinary!" All words used by the Doctors. All words we should think about in art. When encouraging my students I use these words. At the beginning of the year I asked them if anyone had ever said they were extraordinary in school. And usually no. The answer is NO. Because we don't have time during the school day for "Extraordinary".


thecosmiccathedral.wordpress.com 

But we do in that Art Room. In my TARDIS (The.Art.Room.Discovers.Incredible.Skills) we have all the time in the world. The sky is not the limit. There is not limit. In Doctor Who they travel throughout the universe in space and time. Is the universe ever finished...will our art ever be finished. Who says it has to be finished. Art does not have to be finite. Is that scary? Are we scared of the unknown.


doctorwhoshirts.geekshirtshq.com 

Doctor Who himself is an alien. He regenerates, transforms into a new Doctor. How does our art regenerate? How do our students transform throughout the years and how does their art evolve? It's a constant evolution in Doctor Who and for our students and ourselves it's the same. We are all regenerating or transforming throughout our lives. The show is a creatively colorful and entertaining representation of the evolution of ourselves. And not necessarily throughout thousands of years. But throughout our own lifetime. Isn't that fantastic? Isn't that brilliant. That we are constantly changing.

Aren't our lives in fact extraordinary?

What Am I Teaching Them? These art students of mine.

I've been reflecting on my teaching a lot lately. Probably has a lot to do with reading "Becoming a Reflective Teacher" by Marzano. But it also has a lot to do with the underlying theme I am noticing in all of my art lessons. I'm still working this jumbled riddle out in my mind but here's where I'm at now.

I'm not just teaching them art. I'm teaching them the art of THINKING. And we all know this as art teachers but, as I evaluate myself by recording my lessons and watching them multiple times it seems to be so much deeper.

Teaching them to think. To think. To think. Not to memorize. But to think. These are life lessons they are learning in the Art Room. And it's not like teaching them in Math or other disciplines where the pressure is on because the test is coming. It's a relaxed setting where they test themselves by trying to interpret the information they are seeing.

They want to know. They want to learn. They want to open their minds to new things. And it's hard. And it tickles. And they scratch their heads and they FIGURE IT OUT! Because they are given the opportunity to really use their minds and THINK! And it natural and organic and it comes from them.

And they leave this class with their mind a little more open. The machines a little stronger. Their brains functioning a little higher. And every time they come in it's a little more and a little more. And they know they can think. And they know they can figure things out. And they know they art THINKING! Because I have helped them learn what real thinking is. And this is what I am teaching them.

Creativity NOT Conformity!

Beth :-)