Batike

This was a lot of fun to make the Batike. I really enjoyed the outcome, it did bleed a little. I think this looks like the rose from Beauty & The Beast. 

Age Appropriate Activity

My fourth grade lesson plan was creating positive and negative monsters during Halloween time. My project is age appropriate because I got my main idea out of the core curriculum so I know that it is an appropriate activity. The students use positive and negative space to create any kind of monster they want. They need to be able to identify positive and negative space and use it correctly. They will be able to this by the end of the activity after being shown examples and looking at their own creations. This is something that needs to be taught in fourth grade.

Map of My Life

This is a map of my life. It shows major events starting from birth to present time. Events such as where I was born, starting school, graduating from hight school, college, and my feelings about each event. 

My wire sculpture as a student with poor motor skills

This is my snake made out of wire. I am not very fond of it, but then again I did have gloves on. It was interesting to see how certain people acted with their disabilities. It is also very important to give different types of instructions when you have students with disabilities, especially when the all have a different disability because they can't all learn in the same way.

Pots

Pinch Pot
I like this one more than the coil pot. The clay was easier to work with on this one and it was easier to form the shape I wanted. Although the shape of this pot just sort of happened, I really liked the outcome.

Coil Pot
I didn't like this one as much as the pinch pot. I found it harder to make because the clay would get dry so quickly it was hard to form the coils. I do like the color though.

African Masks

I loved the african mask. I was also very impressed with how well the milk cartons turned out. Every one of ours was so different and we each found unique ways to make them. This is a very fun project that I can see any student enjoying.

Google Sketch-Up

                                                                              

                      

Google sketch-up was very frustrating, yet fun to use. I think I would have enjoyed it more if I was a little more educated on how to use it. It's almost like the game Sims and I can see students really enjoying this and being able to construct their own structure. 

Alphabet Scratchboard

T

I enjoyed making the scratchboard. It did take me a long time do do the coloring. It was fun to see the finished project. There are so many different things you can do with a scratchboard and I'm glad that I now know how to make them. 

Oil Pastels

This is probably my favorite project we did. We had to draw what we saw looking out our window at night. I promise, it's darker in person. I really enjoyed creating this picture and blending the colors together. 

African masks

There are many different types of African masks.. One example is the Baule mask. Every mask is used for different things. http://www.artyfactory.com/africanmasks/masks/baule.htm

"African masks are considered amongst the finest creations in the art world and are highly sought after by art collectors." http://www.rebirth.co.za/African_mask_history_and_meaning.htm

This website is about African masks for kids. It gives a history on the masks and talk about how to make them http://africa.mrdonn.org/masks.html

Technology in the Classroom

Here is a quote from Stephanie Reese. She is a technology teacher at Notre Dame Preparatory High School in Scottsdale, Arizona.


"I use art in the classroom to teach everything from communication and desktop publishing to web design and in yearbook classes," she said. "We’re using it for students to be able to tell a story, and this allows them to do it visually. Whether they use video or artwork, they still manipulate the medium and create something that’s a story."


Reese uses Painter software. She uses it to teach different concepts such as "3D animation modeling, 3D figures for geometry, and sculpting for anatomy classes–and also to teach color theory."


There are so many different ways to teach art using technology. These are all great examples. I really liked the example of her using it in yearbook classes because I don't think I would have ever really considered that an art, but when you think about it, it really is. 


http://www.eschoolnews.com/2008/09/19/technology-makes-art-education-a-bigger-draw/


"The use of technology as a creative tool is occurring more and more in art classrooms across the country." With things such as such as paint, animation and three-dimensional modeling programs are beginning to be used in art education programs.


Technology is more and more common now days and it is beginning to be incorporated into classrooms a lot more, even with art. It gives teacher a different way to teach art and this way, kids are not just learning about art but they are learning about technology as well. 


http://www.olejarz.com/teched/essays/arttech.html

Art vs. Craft

Definition of art: the quality, production, expression, or realm, according toaesthetic principles, of what is beautiful, appealing, or ofmore than ordinary significance.

Definition of craft: an art, trade, or occupation requiring special skill, esp.manual skill: the craft of a mason.

http://dictionary.reference.com/

"Craft work is skilled work." It involves technique. Craft is usually associated with producing useful objects. Art "expresses emotion." Works of art express emotion and feeling.

http://www.denisdutton.com/rnz_craft.htm

"Crafts – traditionally – were about using a handmade process to achieve an end result." Practical things such as furniture or clothing. "Art is generally about aesthetics rather than function."

There is a difference between arts and crafts but they can also be used together. "Craft can be art and art can be craft."

http://tanglecrafts.wordpress.com/2008/10/06/the-difference-between-art-and-craft/

What motivates me

What motivates me as a learner? I've never really thought about that before. Sometimes being motivated is hard, but what I've noticed throughout all my schooling, the thing that motivates me the most is to know that I'm working towards something. Seeing the finished product. Whether it be a good grade on a test, an A on a paper, passing a class with a good grade, doing great on a project, or having a teacher praise me for doing well. These are all things that motivate me. Doing well in class or in anything at all makes me want to try and be better in everything that I do.

Sometimes it is hard to be motivated in something that you don't feel you are good at. That would be math for me. I'm not very good at math, therefore it's hard to be motivated in that class. But working my hardest, studying my brains out, and seeing that I really can do it is a great feeling. Some things come more easily for others, and we just need to accept that. Being motivated is a great feeling. Wanting to work towards accomplishing something. Knowing that you've done great.

Different things motivate different people. When I think about my future students, it's hard because some may be motivated in different ways than others and I need to think of things that will motivate all of them. One thing I will be sure to do as a teacher is praise my students for doing well, and telling them what they are doing well in. I think it is important for students to be recognized for the things they do good in, because it makes them want to do better. I know this from personal experience. Setting reasonable goals that they will not only have to work towards, but that they will be able to accomplish. These are a few things that I can do as a teacher to help motivate my students! 

Color Wheel

It was very interesting to see how the colors mixed and work together. Some of them were a lot harder to get than others. I liked working on the color wheel and was very proud of the outcome. It will be a very useful resource for my own classroom. 

Watercolor

I really enjoyed this assignment. Not just because we got to eat while doing it, but it was interesting how we portrayed the tastes of different foods. It was also very interesting to compare how different everyones ended up looking. It was fun making different textures and designs. 

Styrofoam Prints

Bubbles

The reason I chose to do my styrafoam prints of blowing bubbles is because it's something that I see everyday. I work at a preschool for kids with Autism and the two kids that I work with LOVE to go outside and play bubbles. 

How to Teach Artist Statements

It was hard to find ways to teach artist statements to children, pretty much all of the stuff I found was easier for adults to understand. I do think it is easy to simplify it down in order for kids to understand. First off, it would be a good idea to show my kids examples of artist statements, or even one that I wrote about my own piece of work. An artist statement shows what the artist is thinking and why they created what they did. Some questions you can address in writing an artist statement could be:

• Why do you create art and what does it mean to you?
• If the statement refers to a specific piece, why did you choose to represent this piece in this way? What do you call the piece and why? What materials did you use? 
• What artists (living or dead) have influenced you?
• How much time is spent creating your pieces?
• How is your work a reflection of you?

http://www.ebsqart.com/ArtMagazine/za_400.htm

"An artist statement is what, how, and why you do what you do, from your perspective." 

There is no correct way to write an artist statement. An artist statement is personal and reflects you as an artist. "When done well, the statement and your art support each other." I think it is best to have your students write why they created what they did, what they were thinking, and how it relates to them.

http://www.artist-statement.com/whatisanartstate.html

From researching all of this I think it's important to keep it short. "Write enough so that you can get your ideas across, but keep it to one page or less." No one wants to read a super long artist statement, they want to understand the piece of art and know where the artist was coming from without having to read a novel about it. 

http://www.examiner.com/children-s-crafts-in-springfield/learning-to-describe-your-art-work

I think when explaining how to write artist statements to children, it is important to make it as simple as possible. Also, that it is about why they created what they did. 

Life Drawings

I really like the detail of this drawing. It definitely took me the longest. I also like the position of where it is on the page. It is something that I see everyday. 

My iClicker! This one was simple and fun to draw. I redid it going of the page and it makes it look much larger.

Marks drink, a little harder to draw with all the curves in it, but pretty good detail.

Assessment Reflection

Formative assessment is when you give suggestions to the student while they are in the process of making their art. An example that the text gave was, “I love the deep colors and the way you combined them; let’s put your artwork up front on the whiteboard’s ledge and look at it together.” (pg. 60) That way they can look at it and the teacher can not only tell the student what they like, but also make suggestions on what they can improve on or change.

Dr. Christopher Gareis who wrote "Forgotten Art of Formative Assessment" states that  “formative assessment is integral to instruction, requires constructive feedback and fosters student involvement."

http://www.mc3edsupport.org/community/knowledgebases/the-forgotten-art-of-formative-assessment-1264.html

Taking a break for a few minutes to talk about what is expected and have them reflect on how they think their art work is going and decide whether or not they want to improve, it is also a good time for the teacher to give feedback.

www.lincoln.k12.or.us/.../Tools%20for%20Formative%20Assessment.doc 

Summative assessment as defined in the text is “used to diagnose, to revise curricula, and to determine if objectives have been met.” It is a “summing up.” (pg. 60) It is the assessment that is done when the assignment has been completed to see if it was done correctly and if the instructions were followed. Also, asking questions about the assignment and seeing how they felt they did.

A good way to do a summative assessment would be to have the students do a self assessment first of how they felt they did, then you could discuss it together.

instech.tusd.k12.az.us/documents/08_09/102808Summative.doc

Also, having a guideline for them to follow so they know what is expected of them, printed out and given to them. Then go through it while grading the assignment and checking it off. That way they can’t pretend they didn’t know what was coming and act like they didn’t know what was required of them.

http://tccl.rit.albany.edu/knilt/index.php/Summative_Assessment:_Sequential_Art_Lesson_Plan

Creative Bug Picture

What I like about this piece is the different textures you can come up with. It was interesting trying to figure out what it would look like and great seeing the finished product. 

Chinese Brush Painting & New English Calligraphy

The bamboo brush strokes were very interesting and nothing I've ever done before. It was a neat experience only being able to hold the brush a certain way and only being able to use three different strokes. 

It was very hard trying to come up with my favorite way to write my name, but also fun playing with different ways to do it.

Self Portraits

It was interesting to see the transitioning from the first picture to the second, and the second to the third. There was a huge difference from the first to the second, being able to look at the picture helped a lot. There was a lot more detail. Although, I didn't like the outcome of my third picture. I felt like the second one turned out better. 

Art Criticism in the Classroom

"Art criticism is the term given to talking writing and thinking about artworks." (The Arts and the Creation of Mind by Elliot Eisner Ch 22) It is important for kids to expand their minds. Teachers can ask questions that allow their kids to think in different ways such as, "what is it?" "What does it mean?" and "what is its value?" Also hearing other peoples points of views helps you learn to think in different ways as well. 


As I was looking for different ideas for why art criticism is important I found a lesson plan. Different ideas I found are to have them critique their own work by asking them questions such as 

• Look carefully at the work of art in front of you. What colors do you see in it? List the specific colors that you see.
• What objects do you see in the work of art in front of you? List the objects that you see.
• What is going on in this work of art? Mention whatever you see happening, no matter how small.

http://www.princetonol.com/groups/iad/lessons/elem/criticism.htm

I think kids learn more from critiquing their own work when they make it themselves than critiquing other peoples because they know how much work they put into it. 

 

Art and art criticism are important because "students will build skills gradually, which will help to build their confidence as artists and critical thinkers and will expand their knowledge base about art and the world, as they will have a wide variety of experiences in the visual arts." (http://www1.cbsd.org/curriculum/art/pages/elementaryart.aspx) Criticism usually sounds bad but when children get good feedback on their art it boosts their confidence and makes them feel good about themselves. 

My very own Picasso head!

I really enjoyed this assignment. It was fun because we didn't really know what we were doing. After drawing our person without being able to look at the paper or lift the pen, we were then asked to do eight different designs/textures. I was so confused with what we were doing but when i found out i was really excited. I was very happy with the way my person turned out and I was excited to add color to it even if it does look a little creepy. After we first drew the faces I went home and showed all my roommates and told them I wanted to draw them. It has definitely been my favorite assignment so far. I feel like no matter how artistic any of us were all our pictures would look great. 

This has probably by far been my favorite piece we've done. I enjoyed it because no matter how artistic you are, you can make it look great because it's all about creativity.

Why is it important to teach art?

There are many different reasons why art is important to be taught in the classroom. As stated in The Arts and the Creation of Mind by Elliot Eisner (Chapter 4) it states, "art provides a mirror, reflecting the group's unique sense of cultural identity." Different cultures have different tastes in art and creativity. Art is a fun way to learn about different cultures. Yes you learn about different cultures in history, but art is a much more fun way to learn about cultures. 


Another reason that it is important to teach art is because so many careers go along with art. Some examples are, "filmmaking, publishing, photography, architecture, computer graphics, interior design, product design, fashion design, landscape design, architecture, and advertising art. (The Arts and the Creation of Mind by Elliot Eisner ch.4) These are all careers that require "visual creativity"


Another reason that artwork is important for kids to do is because it"is a way that children are free to express their emotions in a safe and contained environment." (http://www.articlesnatch.com/Article/The-Importance-Of-Art-For-Children/435963) Some kids do not know how to express themselves in an appropriate way and art can be like an escape for them. 


"Picasso once said that all children are born artists, the problem is to remain an artist as we grow up." (http://www.artally.org/index.php/art-education/importance-fostering-creativity/) Children need to to continue to learn about art and enhance their creativity in order to keep that creativity throughout their lives. 


These are a few examples of why it is important to teach art. Not only that but it is important for kids to have a different way of looking at things. It allows them to use their minds in a way they've never been used before. It also allows children to express themselves in different ways. 

What Is Art?

There are many different types of art. I think that art is something that causes you to think. Art is something that involves creativity. There are many things that some people consider art, and others do not. A lot of what people consider art may be a personal opinion. One type of art that I really enjoy is photography. I enjoy capturing a photo that means something to me, or even if I just like how something looks. Sometimes I see paintings and I wonder how that is even considered art, or I wonder what they were thinking when they did their piece. It is all about what the artist is trying to portray and the meaning behind what they did. 

My Mandala

My mandala represents who I am and what I enjoy doing. I have my name in the middle. I also have people representing friends and family because I enjoy being surrounded by people who uplift me. I have a keyboard because I used to play the piano. I don't play as much as I used to, but playing the piano is still something that I enjoy doing. I also have a scenery of California. I was born in California and lived there till I was six years old. I go back several times a year to visit and most of my family lives there. Some of my most favorite memories in my life took place while I was in California. It is a big part of who I am.