Monday, July 29, 2013

Art and the Common Core

Greetings to all of you who joined me at the Art in the Common Core session today! Sorry I am just now getting the information on here, but it has been a busy day!


This was written by Lisa Phillips is an author, blog journalist, arts and leadership educator, speaker and business owner. To learn about Lisa’s book, “The Artistic Edge: 7 Skills Children Need to Succeed in an Increasingly Right Brain World,” click here. This appeared on the ARTSblog, a program of Americans for the Arts.



1. Creativity – Being able to think on your feet, approach tasks from different perspectives and think ‘outside of the box’ will distinguish your child from others. In an arts program, your child will be asked to recite a monologue in 6 different ways, create a painting that represents a memory, or compose a new rhythm to enhance a piece of music. If children have practice thinking creatively, it will come naturally to them now and in their future career.

2. Confidence – The skills developed through theater, not only train you how to convincingly deliver a message, but also build the confidence you need to take command of the stage. Theater training gives children practice stepping out of their comfort zone and allows them to make mistakes and learn from them in rehearsal. This process gives children the confidence to perform in front of large audiences.


3. Problem Solving – Artistic creations are born through the solving of problems. How do I turn this clay into a sculpture? How do I portray a particular emotion through dance? How will my character react in this situation? Without even realizing it kids that participate in the arts are consistently being challenged to solve problems. All this practice problem solving develops children’s skills in reasoning and understanding. This will help develop important problem-solving skills necessary for success in any career.

4. Perseverance – When a child picks up a violin for the first time, she/he knows that playing Bach right away is not an option; however, when that child practices, learns the skills and techniques and doesn’t give up, that Bach concerto is that much closer. In an increasingly competitive world, where people are being asked to continually develop new skills, perseverance is essential to achieving success.

5. Focus – The ability to focus is a key skill developed through ensemble work. Keeping a balance between listening and contributing involves a great deal of concentration and focus. It requires each participant to not only think about their role, but how their role contributes to the big picture of what is being created. Recent research has shown that participation in the arts improves children’s abilities to concentrate and focus in other aspects of their lives.

6. Non-Verbal Communication – Through experiences in theater and dance education, children learn to breakdown the mechanics of body language. They experience different ways of moving and how those movements communicate different emotions. They are then coached in performance skills to ensure they are portraying their character effectively to the audience.

7. Receiving Constructive Feedback – Receiving constructive feedback about a performance or visual art piece is a regular part of any arts instruction. Children learn that feedback is part of learning and it is not something to be offended by or to be taken personally. It is something helpful. The goal is the improvement of skills and evaluation is incorporated at every step of the process. Each arts discipline has built in parameters to ensure that critique is a valuable experience and greatly contributes to the success of the final piece.

8. Collaboration – Most arts disciplines are collaborative in nature. Through the arts, children practice working together, sharing responsibility, and compromising with others to accomplish a common goal. When a child has a part to play in a music ensemble, or a theater or dance production, they begin to understand that their contribution is necessary for the success of the group. Through these experiences children gain confidence and start to learn that their contributions have value even if they don’t have the biggest role.

9. Dedication – When kids get to practice following through with artistic endeavors that result in a finished product or performance, they learn to associate dedication with a feeling of accomplishment. They practice developing healthy work habits of being on time for rehearsals and performances, respecting the contributions of others, and putting effort into the success of the final piece. In the performing arts, the reward for dedication is the warm feeling of an audience’s applause that comes rushing over you, making all your efforts worthwhile.

10. Accountability – When children practice creating something collaboratively they get used to the idea that their actions affect other people. They learn that when they are not prepared or on-time, that other people suffer. Through the arts, children also learn that it is important to admit that you made a mistake and take responsibility for it. Because mistakes are a regular part of the process of learning in the arts, children begin to see that mistakes happen. We acknowledge them, learn from them and move on.



Common Core Standard Checklists-








Friday, July 12, 2013

Common Core in the Art Room

Well, I just finished four days of Create 2013.  The conference was all about integrating art and Common Core.  I wish I could say I know all about it, but the truth is, I don't.  I do have a better understanding, but I, along with everyone else it seems, have a long way to go.
The thing is, I have always tried to tie in my art lessons with the curriculum.   I think that CC makes sense, from what I can tell, and will hopefully be a great thing.  I guess time will tell.
I did get a few ideas for things to do in the Art room-I will post about those later.  Right now, I need a nap!

Monday, July 8, 2013

Making fake food with WIKKI STIX!

I was so excited when I found these pictures today(when I was of course looking for something else). To go along with our Wayne Theibaud lesson, I had my Art Club students make fake food from Wikki Stix! They were so cute!  This was from a couple of years ago, but I am pretty sure you can still buy them.  I also found some Bendaroos, which are the same thing...but I got a box of 500 on clearance at Wal-Mart for $5. I sure do wish I could luck up on that again!









I thought they were just so dang cute!  The best part was, they were able to complete them in one sitting, they don't have to dry, and they don't have to paint them!  Hooray for a one day project!

Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Summer! Don't run away!

Where did the month of June go? Seriously? I have a feeling that July is going to fly by-especially since I have to report for duty on the 29th.  I remember the days when we didn't go back to school until the end of August...(sigh).
Anyway, I have been working on ideas for projects for the coming year.  I will be going to the Create 2013 conference next week on integrating Common Core into the Art class.  I really don't know as much as I need to about CC, so I will have to get back to you on that.

My goal, as an art teacher, is to let the children know that they ARE creative, and not to be afraid to try new things and get their hands dirty.  Everyone has an artistic gift, they just have to figure out what it is.  It makes me so sad when I hear a child (or adult) say they are not creative.  Someone has probably told them that in the past, and that is why they think so.  My job is to prove them wrong.

I'm BACK!!!! I needed a place to put my new HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT'S work, so here I am. Things got pretty overwhelming a few years ago...