Smart Boards? Yes Please!!

Blogging two days in a row! How many days till a habit is formed? This Reflective Teaching 30-day Blogging challenge may be just the thing to get me into the habit of finally keeping up with my blog.

Day 2 asks what piece of technology I would like to try this year and why. Perfect time for this topic.

I REALLY REALLY want a Smart Board!

leegreensmartboardtutorial.pbworks.com

But, I have a REALLY REALLY good reason for wanting it. And it's not just because I teach art.

www.creativeeducation.co.uk

It's because of Marzano!

funny-pictures.picphotos.net

No. Not that Marzano...This Marzano.

www.marzanoresearch.com

This year our school was chosen to be a model school, which means we get trained by the folks at Learning Sciences. It's great! Hands on training with the people who worked to create this new methodology. What could be better?

A Smart Board! A Smart Board could be better! Because with a Smart Board I can implement the new learning goal and scale with all the learning targets and clustering in an interactive, engaging, effective and efficient manner for my 40 minute classes.

www.emlii.com

Smart Boards? Yes Please! 

Learning Science you rock too! But oh the things I could do with what you have taught me if I had a Smart Board. :-)

My Goals for This School Year

This is day 1 of the TeachThought 30-day Reflective Teaching Blog Challenge. Woohoo! Here we go. Today's prompt? Write your goals for the school year.

I found this GREAT illustration on a fitness blog and love how it breaks down SMART Goals. You can click to the blog below.

jinxyjen.wordpress.com

As many of you know, my Art Room theme this year is Sherlock! Yay! So excited. Besides just loving the show and Benedict Cumberbatch, there are other "Goal Related" reasons I picked this theme. For years I have been "Hiding the Veggies" in my Art Room. It's Educational name is STEAM. 

My Goals this year are very specific. 

• To make students think! 
• To re-engage their observational skills!! 
• I want them to think again, like they did when they were little. 
• I want them to explore and investigate and question!
• I want them to discover the answers by knowing what questions to ask.
• I want them to think not just in my classroom but in ALL their classrooms and in the world.

Is this Measurable? Heck yeah!

Is this Attainable? Heck yeah!

Is this Relevant? Heck yeah!

Is this Time-Bound? This is a two part question. 

• For me yes...My deadline is as long as I have them in school.
• For the students...No Way! The "Art of Thinking" is a goal that should always be changing and evolving. Like a work of art that can always be made better. 

And that my friends is my goal for this year. 

Hope you all had a relaxing Labor Day Weekend. Let's bring on the week!!

Beth

Reflective Teaching: A 30-Day Blogging Challenge For Teachers

TeachThought has a great challenge for September. Check it out at the link below. This is perfect for schools who use Marzano's Instructional Model. And it's a good kick in the pants to get me blogging and REFLECTING more consistently. It's a win win.

30 Day Reflective Teaching Blogging Challenge


Love this illustration on reflection. Yup...That pretty much sums up how my brain works. Maybe need a little more arrows. And some arrows extending of the first arrow. And...arrows extending of those arrows as well. Yeah. That's what my brain does when I get into be at night. :-p

www.evolllution.com

Hope you all are having a happy "Hump" day! Week's halfway over woohoo!

You will become Sherlocks, NOT Monkeys!

Week one is almost over! Eight classes to teach on this hot and muggy Friday morning and then it's the weekend! Woohoo!! This first week was packed with classes filled with new and old students. I was SO surprised to find out the majority of my students do not know who Sherlock Holmes is. Really?!

Although I have to say most of the students last year did not know who Doctor Who was either and I am pleased to report they are all hooked now. Actually most were a little bummed that my theme had changed from Doctor Who.

Last Year...

This Year...

One of my favorite additions to this year's class is the "You are Allowed TO Board". Inspired by Simon Sinek, I threw the rules out the window. We all know what the right thing to do is anyway. I added this board and the kids love it!

And the best laugh of the week came from this slide in my introductory presentation. You will become Detectives NOT Monkeys! They got a real kick out of that one, and it allowed us to discuss my expectations for class behavior in a fun an relaxed way.

To celebrate the end of the week, this Friday and every Friday, I will give away free lessons from my TPT store. This week I am giving away my 7 week unit: Elements of Art presentations/lessons. Click the link below to get your free lesson. You have till midnight to get it free.

Elementary Art Lesson: Elements of Art for Upper Elementary & Marzano DQ

Elementary Art Lesson: Elements of Art for Lower Elementary & Marzano DQ

I hope you all had a great week! Enjoy your weekend and relax...haha. Like that will happen. ;-p

TPT Back to School Boost! Sale...Yay!! EOC for Arts...Not so much.

Welcome back to school! Today on my tpt store everything's on sale. It's a great day to stock up on some interactive #artsed presentations and lessons. Check out my lessons on the Elements of Art. Kids Create Art TPT Store Link Great starters for the first few weeks of school to get you off to running start.

With end of course exams being implemented this year in Orange County, these EOA lessons focus on what it looks like the students will be tested on. I still can't believe we are TESTING in Elementary ART!!

Let me know if you have any questions about my store. Or share if you have thoughts about the End of Course exams. Any teachers out there that are already testing your elementary students please let me know your thoughts on it? I would love to hear feedback from school systems who have already implemented these exams into the arts.

Investigating in the Art Class

Welcome back to school to all the teachers and students across the world that went back today!! I hope everyone had a wonderfully relaxing summer. If you worked this summer like I did, I hope you were able to find some time to take a break from the action. :-)

My theme this year is so exciting and I can't wait to jump right in. I absolutely love the BBC and Sherlock is one of my favorite shows. As you can see from the snapshots below, my art room address has changed to 221 B Baker Street. We now occupy the "Investigative" Art Room of Sherlock Holmes.

This year's focus is on teaching the students how to not just see the world, but how to truly observe it. We will use Sherlock's Science of Deduction as we solve cases and explore the art world. Hiding the Veggies in the art room continues this year as we magnify our learning of core subjects in a fun and creative way.

I would love to see what you all are doing in your rooms! 

Freedom and Focus

Trying to let my mind rest this last day of vacation, but finding myself thinking about how I can incorporate all these experiences into my teaching this year.

Perspective comes to mind as I Kayak the Ni River Resovoir. Perspective in nature is so much more forgiving than a city street. 

But, the challenge of recreating architecture in our designs helps strengthen our observation skills and focus.

Freedom and focus in design and in life are both essentials for ultimate growth.