From the #NAEA National Convention - Art Matters

Life imitating Art

Thank you @Fuglefun for merging these photos so quickly!!

Art Of Education founder Jessica Balsley

Middle Level Medley II at the NAEA National Convention

What a blast!  This was my first time presenting at a carousel and wow was I energized and winded by the end!  What's a carousel you ask? Not the standard Wikipedia definition for sure.  It’s four educators with 4 different lessons/themes all speaking for 10 minutes then rotating to a new table and repeating the process 4 times.  Got that?!?

Well, mine was on Identity and if you were there and now here looking for the lessons I talked about, look no further!

Classroom Cut Ups

Giacometti Figures

Safe Places – forth coming J

It's an anomaly for me to have a class of this size but once in a blue moon I do.  When they show up and the energy is right, we like to work large and messy and spread out over the tables.  This is the result after two weeks working in oil pastels, a mini exhibition in the cafeteria!

7th Grade class showing off their work

Not too proud!

The Power of a PLN

“When we are connected to others, we become better people.” 

-Randy Pausch, The Last Lecture

#ARTED  #ARTSED  #NAEA 

Have I mentioned how I love Oil Pastels?

Honestly - What student doesn’t love painting with oil pastels – aside from being bright and vibrant they fill that much needed craving for instant gratification which many students need.  One of the reasons they are such a big hit in my class is the simple fact they make my students feel successful. They can see the painting unfold before their eyes as they apply the colors.  Seeing their painting take shape encourages them to want to finish their piece, which we all know, can be challenging at times.  

Oil pastels are also sensory orientated – it’s very much like finger painting with nothing between your fingers and the paper except a stick of color that will melt-a-way like butter as you use it.  Working large is another key to my student’s success; it often turns into a whole body experience for my students.  Many will stand up to work on their pieces leaning over the tables throwing their shoulders and elbows into their work, building and blending colors, then sitting down with their heads close to the paper as they apply the fine details that gives them a realistic edge.  

The most exciting part for me is watching my students puff up with pride when their peers come up to them and comment how awesome their piece is!  

With my 7th grade classes, I incorporate observational drawing into their oil pastel paintings.  The 8th graders, I let them choose a photo of an animal to recreate with the oil pastels.

8th grade 

7th grade 

 

I love how quite my room is when this project is going on!

More photo's of the animal paintings will be posted later this week.  My camera died last week and so did some of my photos :(

Modular Spheres

A new project that my students and I have come to love is one that’s constructed out of 30 small pieces of paper.  We call it the Modular Sphere – unexciting as a name, I know, but I do teach middle school and Paper Balls just doesn’t fly well or should I say fly’s too well!  Regardless of the name, the sphere’s come out amazing well! Many of my students continue to make them at home long after the lesson is over.

First step is to cut out the 30 individual temples you need to build the sphere.

Adding color to each piece.

Assembling the sphere.

If you are interested in creating one yourself or with your class, I have made a demo video showing how it is done.  The temple to the small sphere can be found here: 

6 on a page temple

Below is the video on how to assemble the sphere.

Enjoy!

3 C's in the Art Room

Communication? Collaboration? Critical Thinking? 

In

the Art Room?

Absolutely!

The challenge is to suspend a cup between two poles (in this case toilet plungers) using only what is in the paper bag.  Each bag consists of the same materials.

Students tend to travel in clicks, little cohorts of friends who seldom talk with each other. 

I like to mix things up a bit with this project by randomly assigning groups of 3 or 4 depending on the class size.

My reasoning to them is that they get to see how their peers think.   Everybody has ideas and opinions, some share them louder than others.

 I wanted to provide a way for the less talkative ones, the shy ones, to participate and be heard.  

If set up with the right parameters/guidelines then it works well in accomplishing that! Amazingly well!

To increase the odds of everybody participating I do a point system, with the highest amount of points winning. 

Points can be earned by actively participating in their groups, on the flip side, points can be lost if someone interferes with another group.  

And a hushhhhh fell over the room....Time to test them!  One by one we went around the room watching and waiting. 

I love how intensely focused my students look. Holding their breaths, clenching their hands, waiting for the last washer to be dropped in. This team won by the way :)

"Ms,this is more like science then art." It's all interconnected I said.