Saturday, September 28, 2013

End of the 9 Weeks

I am wrapping up the 1st 9 weeks of school (already?!?).  Here are some projects I'm doing with my students.  I find that the end of the 9 weeks is a great time to squeeze in some of those seasonal, or craftier projects that the kids love, and review some of the skills that may be a little lacking.  My students are a bit lacking in their craftsmanship- especially their cutting and gluing, so the more chances I have to review, the better.

Torn Paper Seascape- 3rd Grade

A watercolor wash for the sky, and torn paper for the sandy beaches and waves.


Owls- 1st Grade.  Combo of torn paper and cutting


Taken from the "Spectra" art series-the 1st teacher manuals MNPS ever provided. They were scripted, and came with slides.  But, there were a few projects in there that I still like to revisit.

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Monster Mash

I see my kiddos 1 hour every three days.  That is an amazing amount of time- I am really blessed.  My deal with the kids is that we get the "have to" work done first- everything that MNPS says I'm supposed to cover in the 9 weeks.  If we have leftover time (and we usually do) we can do the craftier, more seasonal projects that the kids don't get a chance to do in their classroom anymore.  And, if I can review a few skills along the way,  the kids don't need to know about that.  I came across this on Pinterest, and had just happened to be working on facial proportion with the 3rd graders.  It was a good fit, as we were able to discuss why artists like Picasso might alter the proportion of the face.  After a quick run down of Cubism basics, we got out the construction paper, and created these cubist Frankensteins.  I told the kids that they were like the mad scientist.  This was a one day project with 3rd grade- and my goal was to get them thinking about their cutting and gluing.  They had a blast, and these are going to be a lot of fun in the hallway in October.  (Side note- I don't know about you, but I have to be very careful in how I present seasonal projects.  I did not present this as a Halloween project, rather as a Monster.  The kids brought up the idea of Halloween, but it was not something that I pushed.


)

Thursday, September 19, 2013

The Flip Side

Here is the 4th grade side of the "Box Wall Mural" that I told you about last post.  I held two after school art sessions- one for 3rd, and one for 4th grade.  My thought was not to prolong the insanity.  After yesterday's class, what I learned was divide and conquer- and BE SPECIFIC.  So, today, I grouped the kids before they arrived.  It was logical because every 4 boxes was one "Lion" and there had to be cohesion.  So, they had to sit by their partners to share paint and keep an eye on how their colors were matching up.  I tried to put a strong artist in each group, along with one that needed guidance, and a couple of mediums- and it worked well.  Those of us in the teaching world know that there are those who need to "Boss" and those who need to be "Bossed".  I x'd each box with colored markers to indicate the color scheme.  This helped a few students to stay focused.  I also allowed a couple of groups to sit on the floor which freed up table space (even though I about stepped on a few kids).  I am lucky enough to have a parent who will pack these up and deliver them tomorrow, and it will be on to the next crazy project. 



Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Box Wall Mural

Nashville is trying a really cool thing- to create a giant "Box Wall Mural" which will be displayed at The Hermitage (home of Andrew Jackson) for their fall festival in early October.  It is a community art project- people from all over the community, all walks of life and interests are creating boxes to contribute. It has caught the attention of the Guinness Book of World Records!  Because of the cost involved ($5 a box) it was initially something I felt was prohibitive for my elementary school, but, we got a donor!  So, 32 boxes and an after school art day with 30 (yes, 30) 3rd graders, here's the start.  We are to design the front and back, so tomorrow, we go at it again, only with the 4th graders.  I painted in the design, and then broke it back apart for the kids to paint- I also gave them a "map" by putting colored x's on the parts- so that even though there are slight differences in color and application, the general design is coherent.  Can you tell that we are the Hermitage Lions?  Tomorrow AM, I will sneak in early, and trim up the black lines again, but all in all, they did a great job.  And I am writing this with my feet up in my jammies- I love my kiddos, and I want them to have a variety of art opportunities but MAN, it makes for a looong day.



Wednesday, September 11, 2013

VOTE!

I have a kindergarten student up for "Artist of the Week" on Artsonia.  For those of you unfamiliar with Artsonia, they are a site where you can maintain a digital portfolio of your student's work for their family and friends to enjoy.  They are encouraging of all artists, and each week, they randomly select a few artists to be "Artist of the Week" contenders.  At the end of the week, the student in each category with the most votes wins- $50 in art supplies for them, and $100 for my art program.  We are a small school, and we don't generate the thousands of votes that most students can- so, I'm putting it out as many places as I can think of.  You can vote once a day-per device.  I'd appreciate your vote.

When you click the link,  look for Megan from Hermitage in the Pre-K to 3 category.  And, thanks!

Sunday, September 8, 2013

Tryin' something new

Like most art teachers, I always have my eye on something that, given the right funding, would benefit my kids, and be a lotta fun in the art room. And, like most art teachers, I watch the $$ go to the classroom teachers, even though I often point out that if I had more technology, more students in the school would benefit from it.  Artsonia has been very helpful in getting my parents aware of what we do, and I've started to get a smidge of funding coming in from that resource.  But, today, I decided to try out Edbacker.  Here is my link if you are interested in helping me get an iPad for the art room. 

iPads for my Artists


Monday, September 2, 2013

Back!!! (And Scramblin')


Hello everyone, I have been back at work (having been on Maternity Leave) since Aug 14, and am still trying to catch up.  It's busy at the beginning of the year anyway, and I missed the first 2 weeks.  So, I keep telling the kiddos to remember that I'm still the new kid (kind of) and I need a little patience with names etc.  One of the very cool things (other than my cutie pie) that happened this summer was that I was contacted to review some art supplies.  Always fun to see what's coming, and I usually have an opinion that needs sharing anyway.  SOOO, this is post one of the review, because I am going to have my 4th graders give a review as well.  After all, they are the reason I buy so many art supplies, and they too have opinions.  And, if I can work in a little writing, even better.

As you can see from the attached picture, it was Prang/Dixon vs "that other brand".  I did appreciate that when sent my box o' supplies, they included a comparable brand- it makes for a more honest review in my opinion.
 1- Markers- I liked them all- Prang's caps are all white, which is no big deal to most, but in an elementary art room, a cap is forever being lost.  The whites allow for interchanging without confusion as to what the color actually is.  Also, this set is a set of 10, with a "Bonus 2" so more for your $$ there. Rose Art was the brand included in the box, and I find them comparable to Crayola. 
2-Colored Pencils- I will be comparing the price and seeing if Prang are doable on my budget.  Their pencils are triangular, which means less rolling/breaking.  I also liked how they applied (smooth) and a dual hole pencil sharpener is included in each box- presumably because of the fact that they are fatter than typical pencils.  I also dropped one on my art room floor, and it was much more durable than the others.  My kiddos are small, and they can be clumsy sometimes- I have come to dread the sound of colored pencils hitting the floor because it typically means they'll need sharpening.  (And, more often than not, the lead is cracked on the inside, so sharpening can last all session).
3-Watercolors- For crayons, crayola has my vote always, but when it comes to watercolors, I have not been impressed.  I find their pans to have air bubbles, and the colors to be less vivid.  Prang is my top pick for watercolors, and having tested both, continues to be. 
4-Lead Pencil- When I pulled out both types of "yellow" pencil, the kids all said the "Ticonderoga" were the best.  Next post, I guess we'll find out more about their thoughts, but for me, I do find that the "Green Bands" are good pencils, sharpen well, and last for awhile.  Also, their eraser does not disintegrate on the first rub.  Being in the art room, when pencils are donated, I take 'em, no matter what- but, when I have to buy, I do like the Ticonderoga.

Stay tuned for both the reviews from the 4th graders, as well as a Smart Fab review.

Oh- and, if you are still reading, here is a link to an "exclusive coupon" for Prang Watercolors-
http://bricks.coupons.com/Bstart.asp?o=113232&c=JU&p=T39lZ1VL
Prang vs "The Other Guy"

My summer project- 2 months last Monday!