Category: Art Class

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Art Class

Crayola Creativity Week

Crayola Creativity Week

January 23rd – 29th, 2023 is Crayola Creativity Week! We are celebrating at Ridgely Middle School by doing creativity week activities in our STAG advisory groups. I am so excited about what the students will create today.

There is a list of resources available at the Crayola Creativity Week website.

I am especially excited about today’s lesson, which is based around Native American Dancing! I recently completed a painting that shows my personal journey with Native American dancing. This painting is called Reign Fancy, and it shows a female native fancy dancer.

Crayola Creativity Week

Author Ria Thundercloud and illustrator, Kalila Fuller, will share their book, Finding My Dance. As students hear Ria’s story, they’ll be moved to connect culture, identity, and self-expression. From pow wows to traditional regalia, Ria will captivate students with her remarkable journey. Then they can draw and illustrate nature-inspired patterns and dance poses, making their art dance on paper with Kalila J. Fuller!

Cultural Creations

After watching the video, students will create their own drawings of traditional regalia, or dancing from their own cultures. This is a great way to get to know your students and share the arts from other cultures.

Take pictures of what your students create and post them on social media with the hashtag #CrayolaCreativityWeek and you could win prize packs from Crayola!

Happy Creating!

Categories
Art Class

Crayola Creativity Ambassador

What is a Crayola Creativity Ambassador?

To celebrate the 75th anniversary, 75 NAEA members were selected for the opportunity to be early adopters of the January 2023 Crayola Creativity Week while participating in special leadership team-building experiences in preparation of the nationwide Creativity Week celebration.

The National Art Education Association (NAEA) and Crayola Education partnered to offer the NAEA–Crayola Creativity Ambassadors Program, providing visual arts education professionals with professional learning, resources, and support to cultivate Creative Leadership Teams within their learning communities.

75 Educators from around the world were selected to participate in this program! We have been meeting virtually to learn new things about leading our communities in Creativity week in 2023!

Creativity Week

Creativity week is January 23rd- 29th 2023. There are so many perks for signing up which you can do HERE!

Free Creative Learning Resources!

Everyone who signs up will get FREE video activities and downloadable Thinking Sheets.* And the best part? It isn’t limited to just 7 days. Every educator will have free access to digital resources for cross-curricular creative learning fun all year long!

Giveaways!

With giveaways, challenges from celebrity creators, and virtual classroom visits, it’s a celebration the whole school will want to be a part of!

Create Connections!

Share students’ ideas, projects, and work in a secure online gallery, and connect with creative classrooms around the country during the live Celebration Assembly event.

Creativity Schedule

There is a fantastic lineup of creatives that will be sharing their stories, inspiring us to get creative!

Crayola Creativity Ambassador
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Education Art Class

Creativity Departments 100th Podcast Episode

For the past few months, I have had the pleasure of meeting with some brilliant and kind educators. We all sign in late, usually 9pm EST and begin our discussion about a selected topic. We share our passions and stories with one another, the perfect way to remind us we are all connected. I look forward to spending these evenings with the 4 of them. Thank you Laura, Matt, Candido, and Joe for being you <3

Let’s all celebrate Laura and Matt’s achievements with the Creativity Department podcast! Go listen and follow today!

Creativity Crew

Creativity

Also Check out the k12ARTChat Podcast, there are 4 Creativity Crew Conversations.. Episode 99, 92, 86 and 78!

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Art Art Class Education

TAB Camp Mid-Atlantic 2022

WHAT IS TAB?

TAB stands for Teaching Artistic Behaviors, which is a teaching method for Art Education.

TAB

Choice-Based Art Education is student centered and based around teaching through the use of the Studio Habits of Mind.

The Studio Habits of Mind are ways in which we process our experiences, here is a great project example. They are very similar to the Scientific Method, or the Mathematical Practices.

TAB

TAB CAMP

Teachers in the Mid-Atlantic area came together the first weekend in August for a retreat, to reignite the flame before school begins. When Pam Ehrenreich asked if I knew of a place to host a retreat for teachers in our area I was THRILLED to offer my studio space.

TASK Party

When everyone arrived we started the weekend with appetizers and a TASK party! It was a nice way to get into the weekend… start to make art and open ourselves up new ideas.

Silk Screening TAB SHIRTS

Tracy Skeels shared her method of silk screening. We created stencils from paper and worked together to print our designs.

We shared different projects and resources with each other, creating examples for our students. Julie Dimino shared all of her amazing resources with us!

There were presentations on Cold Finishes on Clay, Gelli Printing, Weaving, and Cyanotypes. Each presentation was so insightful and inspiring.

Cold Finishes for Fired Clay

Jen Byrne shared a few awesome tips for cold finishing clay! Mixing metallic acrylic paint with water in buckets for a quick dip in the shimmer bath!

TAB

Gelli Printing

Tracy Skeels presented on gelli printing, and we were able to explore and create to our hearts content.

Cyanotype

Kate Heuston presented on cyanotype, and her experimentation with the process as an artist. We tried new techniques like drawing on acetate, and using transparencies to create different layers of prints.

Weaving

April Pink presented weaving, and we learned quick and easy ways for our students to be able to weave on cardboard looms.

We also shared the many resource for how we structure our classrooms. The reflection and discussion time were super valuable.

Aside from all the learning, it was great to meet like minded individuals and also have time to create art of our own.

Painting Flow and Glow Party

On Saturday evening we had an intuitive painting party. Each teacher created their own work of art, and then we discussed how we could use this in our classrooms.

The weekend was so amazing. 10 art educators coming together to share and create!

If you missed out on this years, keep an eye out for next! It will be the first weekend in August 2023.

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Art Class Most Popular Video

VR Project

VR stands for Virtual Reality. If you follow me, you know that I was awarded Educator of The Year last year and received a $500 donation towards a project for my classroom.

VR in the Art Room

VR

We were able to purchase, and did receive two Oculus Quest 2 VR headsets before the end of last year! The students LOVED using them and we explored many ways to create art! Check out the video on my YouTube channel! Like and subscribe to stay up to date on the coolest things about Art and Life!

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Art Class Education

Teaching Creative Living

Since quarantine, teaching has changed so much. As a public school educator, I used to be in a classroom full of students and buzzing creative energy. When we went virtual, all of that energy was displaced and we had to learn how to channel it in a new way. Learning Zoom, figuring out Google, making dynamic presentations, creating new activities to increase engagement, and figuring out what to do when technology doesn’t do what we expect it to.

Teaching in a new era

During quarantine I had an opportunity to really think about and plan the many ways I desired to teach creativity. To generate a creative energy in others, so that they might learn more about themselves through creative expression. I believe this is the way of the future, the way to heal, share, and communicate with one another. Art has always been a driving energy. It records history, shares stories, documents ideas, communicates emotions, and connects us to nature, ourselves and a divine God source energy.

I believe in creativity, and creatively living.… in everything we do.

Teaching Creativity

Aside from teaching in public school, I have developed art lessons for children and adults on the evenings and weekends. This has been a great time for private lessons, with quarantine restrictions being lifted. The lessons range from realistic drawing, material exploration, and creative thinking to using new digital art technology!

One of my most recent art lessons, and most favorite, is to have the artist come up with a narrative based on objects of their choice. This can be adaptable to any age, we can go deep into a situation to uncover how we feel about something, or we can let our imagination take us away!

teaching creativity
teaching creativity

I really enjoy creating a sacred space for all to feel safe to express themselves through the creative arts! Here are few images from lessons I have recently had in person and via zoom.

Creative Balance Studios is in the process of setting up our art studio space to hold creative classes for kids and adults this summer!! Contact me if you are interested!

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Education Art Class

Brainly Educator of the Year

One evening in April, Landyn called out to me from the other room “MOM check your email!!” So I did, and I found a nomination for Brainly Educator of the Year award!

The educator is my mom who is an art teacher at Ridgely Middle school. She teaches 6th, 7th, and 8th graders and is nice to them all. She has helped me to stay on task a lot and get out of rough patches in my virtual learning and in this crazy time. She is the most supportive person I know and helps her students a lot too. My mom has been an exceptional educator in my learning journey this year because of many reasons. One of them is she is always prepared and cares for others a lot. She is always concerned if someone gets hurt and makes sure that they are okay. This crazy time is affecting all of our jobs, whether it’s getting fired or everything being harder to manage, my mom doesn’t care! She pushes through each struggling day of driving an hour to her school and back dealing with kids for the whole day, then drive all the way back home just to get on meetings and teach more kids and never gets tired of it! My mom is practically a real life superhero! I don’t care if she wins or not, I just wanted to nominate her to show her how much I love and appreciate her!

-Landyn Oates

I am so proud of Landyn and all he has accomplished as a 7th grader during quarantine. He had a tough time for a little bit when he got behind on work. As a mom and educator I find it interesting to manage my parent mindset and educator mindset, though most times they are the same. When it comes to being a parent, things like making sure my children take responsibility for their things… helping with family matters such as keeping their rooms clean, doing chores, and making sure they complete their schoolwork. Then as an educator, I find it important to make sure they have enough time to complete their school work. Especially during this virtual learning time… there is so much students do not know about using computers that they are learning so quickly.

So I decided to help Landyn out by taking over his chores, and instead of punishing him for his misuse of time, he used his time to complete his work and saw what happens when we do not do our part. When we slack off and decide to do other things then our responsibilities, it affects the whole community. Our actions affect the community as a whole, either in a positive or a negative way. This was such a good experience for him. He learned his lesson through love and modeling rather than anger and punishment.

Brainly: SMARTER TOGETHER.

No one knows everything, but everyone knows something. With Brainly, students combine their strengths and talents to tackle problems together.

Core Values

  • STAY CURIOUS: Always question. Always wonder. Always explore. There are no limits to what we can discover and learn. We believe in embracing our curiosity and seeing where it can take us.
  • LEND A HAND: We’re all in this together. And there will come a time when each and every one of us will need a little support. So when you see someone who needs an extra hand, don’t think twice. Step in and help them out.
  • STRIVE FOR BETTER: Reach further. Go longer. Work harder. There’s no knowing what we can accomplish when we commit to always trying to do better, and be better, in everything that we do.

These core values really resonate with me! The CEEQER model is one of questioning, exploring, expressing, reflecting, and experimenting. Then taking what we know and sharing it to help others on their journey! Its about having a growth mindset, and know that we learn most from our challenges.

So after finding out I was nominated I shared it with my students, and boy did they take it and run! I was voted for 164 times!! I am so grateful for my community, family and friends. Thank you all for believing in me and voting for me.

I did not have the most votes for my category, humanities, first place was taken by Angela Dierschke an educator from Lewisville ISD, Killough Texas! I love Texas educators!! Way to go!

I did however receive the BRAINLY SPECIAL AWARD!

Brainly Educator of the Year

This is such a wonderful opportunity and I am so grateful for be given this award! Thank you Brainly for your vision to share and celebrate educators!

Categories
Art Class Education

Art Expo 2019

One of my favorite art lessons to do with my 8th grade is the Art Expo!

Art Expo Lesson Plan

For this lesson I began by talking to the students about art supply businesses and the NAEA convention!

We observed videos I took during the NAEA expo hall experience, discussed what it means to be a vendor, and created theatrical characters that students performed as in the final day of the unit!

Students loved researching and becoming the expert of materials, and then sharing what they learned through acting and presenting! We invited other teachers, administration and parents to our final Art expo day.

Character Development

Each student was tasked with creating a character that was an expert on an art material. Students completed a character development worksheet, that identified their characters name, birthday, education, and work experience with the art material.

Art Expo

Art Materials

The first year I did this with my gifted and talented students and I allowed them to select which materials they wanted from a list of materials I premade. I did not want students to use things like colored pencils and markers since they have so much experience with them already. When I retaught this lesson to my academic art class, I allowed them to choose more typical art supplies.

Vending Tables

Students had to create a table set up that included history, techniques, and types of the material. They also had to show 2 examples of art using the material, and have a 5 minute activity that visitors could do to explore the materials.

The students LOVED this project, and so did the Admin! Its student centered to the core.

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Art Class Education

Together Again

It has begun! Students and teachers are together again! I have missed my students a lot. Seeing them in the classroom, creating and smiling. Its been too long since we had this type of interaction. There is nothing like creating art together with other people.

Over the past year I have taught students art virtually. In doing so, I have learned so much about myself, teaching, and digital space. Learning what I love and what I can let go of. Seeing what I have to offer my students, even without being in their presence. Realizing that our energies can still influence each other, even if we are miles apart.

Now that we are together again

I missed seeing my classroom full of students creating. Walking in to my classroom filled me with anticipation!

We can create as a community. We get to gather and share. We get to feel that energy flowing through the classroom. Even though we are missing a few of our fellow artists in person, we have been able to nicely integrate both in person and digital work space!

Together Again

RMS Together Again

Our PTA is the best ever, I just have to give them a huge shout out. They are so supportive of the teachers at Ridgely, and always go beyond to show us how much!

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Art Class Education Existence Most Popular

Teaching One Year Later

March 13th marks one year since we stopped teaching from our classrooms, and stepped into the virtual world.

One year ago I was excited and eager to head to Minneapolis for the NAEA conference. My students were beginning some amazing personal projects in class. The green club had just been approved to go on a canoeing field trip. There were so many beautiful things about to take place!

On March 12th, I was preparing my students and myself for the unknown. The only advice I could give them was to take time to breathe and do things they love to keep them relaxed. To go with the flow. They had been prepared in other ways throughout the year, by teaching them to have a growth mindset.

Teaching a Growth Mindset

A growth mindset is so vital during these times. Being able to experience challenges and perceived setbacks in a healthy way, learning and growing no matter what.

Nothing is to be feared, it is only to be understood.

Having awareness and understanding of self, through an open mindset, creates huge opportunities for growth.

Teaching Growth Mindset

2020 was a hear of growth and transformation. Allowing the things no longer serving our goals to be washed away, making room for a bright new dawn. A new era of living, experiencing, connecting, and sharing. A new era of finance and self sovereignty. Taking back our power to create a life we are worthy of living, to know our worth.

As I sit here, remembering how it used to be… I am filled with gratitude and excitement for this new year. I am excited to see my students in person starting next week. Excited to see their faces light up when they are able to create something they never thought possible. Looking forward to watching them problem solve and express themselves!

This new year has so much to offer. If we step into it with gratitude and love, all the riches that are divinely ours will come to us in perfect ways.

<3