You're it!

Last May I had the opportunity to attend the TEDxGrandRapids Livestream for Education event at Kentwood Fine Arts Auditorium. As we prepare for this school year, I wanted to take a moment and reflect on one particular speaker that has stuck with me throughout that day and over the summer.

The theme for this year's event was "Tag, you're it!" That feeling was all around as we were encouraged to engage in conversation throughout the breaks in the day, participate activities like decorating lunch bags for the Kids Food Basket, or while listening to the speakers illustrate the power of being "it" for someone.

Although I took away great messages from all of the speakers who discussed ideas both big and small, it was Simone Ahuja's story of Mansukh Prajapati that had the most impact on me.

Rather than write about it, I think it is best watched here:


I am sure that there are moments within this that stuck out to you, too. As an art teacher, clay is a media we use for so many things. We use it to make decorative sculptures, molds, functional items... but not until I saw this story of how this material was "reframed" did I see what an impact it could have on a community and change their lives.

As I prepare for the start of school in the next few weeks, I am going to think about this story and how I can reframe my own situation to include innovative and creative solutions that help students find their potential and explore their ideas. I am going to share this story with my students and encourage them to embrace the moment they are tagged to be "it" for somebody.

What are you doing to prepare yourself for the upcoming school year? What pieces of motivation are you bringing with you to help foster learning in your classroom? How are you going to be "it" for your students this school year?

One thing... NAEA 2013

I have never been to a National Art Education Association Conference. Now that I have, I can completely understand why people go back year after year, saving up their dollars to try and make it happen. It was a great experience with wonderful presenters, sessions, and workshops and time to speak and learn with teachers from across the country.

Although there is plenty to share from the conference, I am still trying to process through it all. So, instead of giving every last detail I am going to select an image and share the big idea from the presenter/workshop/session. I hope to have time to delve a little deeper into some of the themes I am going to share, but I think this is a good starting point:

Craig Roland, Ian Sands, Tricia Fuglestad, and Elizabeth Delacruz presented on being a part of a PLN (Professional Learning Network) through the use of online tools.Big Take-away: Being Connected allows you the chance to share and learn from anyone at anytime and grow professionally. 

One of the many stations in the Vendor Hall.Big Take-away: There were lots of chances to try out new and interesting materials - Apparently they make such a thing as watercolor  crayons! 

Teachers sharing about the Heart Houses/Haiti Houses projects.
Big Take-away: It is important to connect with teachers from around the country to see how they work with similar or different ideas, materials, and teaching situations.  

Ian Sands and Robert Sandagata's presentation on New Weird Ideas.
Big Take-away: Failure and risk-taking are a part of being creative and making art; do not be afraid to allow your students this opportunity in the pursuit of making something new.

Transfer Printmaking

Learning about monoprinting with Julia Healy.

Big Take-away: Interesting process to create portraits and investigate people's histories within a community.

Jesus Moroles speaks about his work as a sculptor.
Big Take-away: People don't know what they want; it is the job of the artist to show them.

Discussion with Wayne White, artist featured in the documentary "Beauty is Embarrassing".
Big Take-away: Art should flow between media - a sculpture is a drawing, a drawing is a painting, a painting is a puppet, a puppet is a performance - and it is all connected to experiences. 

Michael Reyes with his High School Art Teacher who entered his work that received a National Scholastic Award.
Big Take-away: Art teachers have the power to change people's lives and help them realize the power they have within. 

Brandon Foy spoke about how his National Gold medal from Scholastic changed his life and prepared him for his future as an artist and creative.
Big Take-away: Don't be afraid to work hard and put yourself out there; his viral YouTube video landed him a job with Microsoft in his early 20s.

New Leadership team for the NAEA
Big Take-away: There are a lot of exciting things to look forward with NAEA - including the next conference in San Diego, 2014!

If you have a favorite moment from the 2013 conference, please share below with a link to images/posts/resources. What did you think of the event? What were some of the things you learned and how will they help you back in your classroom?

Ready to Go!

Today is the start of the annual MAEA Conference and I am so excited! It is a great time to connect with other teachers from around the state and share information on what works best in Art Education. It is a time where I learn so much from my peers and receive the valuable resources that allow my classroom to thrive and grow.

Artists Name: Samantha J.

School: Heritage HS

If you are attending MAEA this weekend, here are some tips that I have found helpful when attending any conference: 

1. Have a plan: Go through the Conference booklet (available online) to help plan out what you want to attend and when they are taking place. Also have a back-up plan in case your first choice fills up too quickly. With the new mobile feature on the MAEA site, you can easily do this through your smartphone or tablet.

2. Ask questions: If you attend a session and you want to know more about something that was said by the presenter, make sure to ask. As a presenter, I want to make sure my presentation is relevant and helpful to the audience. If there is something that you want to know more about, just ask. 

3. Check out the Vendors: I think my favorite part is checking out the booths from the great Vendors that come to MAEA. Not only do you end up with bags full of samples, but there are opportunities to participate in "Make and Takes" and talk with knowledgable spokespeople from the companies represented. If you have questions about purchasing supplies, new equipment, or other resources, this is a great time to connect and research through first hand experience. 

4. Student Work: Make sure to take the time and check out the great student work on display. I am always amazed at the talent and creativity each year during our conference. It is also a great time to get ideas from other teachers by seeing how they taught a lesson so you can adapt it in your own classroom. 

5. Tweet it out: Please use the hashtag #MAEA12 to tweet any important ideas or information you gained from this conference. This allows ideas to be shared from a variety of sessions - it will be like you can experience being in more places at once! When the conference is complete, I will post the resource here so that we can all enjoy the conference over and over again! 

I hope you have the best experience this weekend at the conference. If you are unable to attend, follow #MAEA12 to get updates on the new lessons learned throughout this weekend of learning and sharing in Art Education.

Partnering with Parents

2012 State Adjudication: Laura B.

As we get into the grove of another school year, there are all kinds of demands that come along with the job. From organizing student work and supplies to participating in displays, shows, and competitions, there is a lot of work beyond teaching to do as the school year gets into full swing. One thing that I always find challenging during this time is figuring out how to engage parents into helping with these extra events. As an Art teacher, especially in the elementary level, you may have well over 500 students to keep track of throughout the year. It can be difficult at times to juggle rotating displays, depleting supplies, and mountains of papers that result.

Instead of bearing the burden on your own, here are a couple of ideas on how to enlist parents to help along the school year:

1. Just Ask. Parents are interested in what happens in their child's school and there are many who would love to spend a day in the Art room helping organize materials, displays, or assisting with students. To make this a successful experience, make sure you have a specific idea of what that parent will be doing when they come into your classroom as well as communicate those ideas beforehand to make sure you are both on the same page.

2. Communicate your needs in multiple ways. Email is just one way to communicate with parents about activities that are happening in the classroom. You can also start a blog, create a twitter account, or a facebook page to help keep parents connected (make sure you comply with your school's technology policy first). If you participate in Artsonia, you can use their newsletter feature to be emailed to parents and then embed the form in your blog or website.

3. Take a poll. Google forms allows you to create a survey to share and gather information from others. I recently created a survey for parents to see how they feel about how the school year is going so far. The form automatically calculates the data and shows it to you in graphs or charts. This allows for parents to share their ideas and for you to get quick and honest feedback.

Do you have a great way for getting parents involved in your classroom? Please share your ideas below and help make this school year one filled with positive involvement!

Mattawan Tech Camp 2012

Artists Name: Christine M.

School: Northview HS

From Video Game Design, to management tools like Class Dojo, and an endless amount of Free resources for consuming and creating content - the Mattawan Tech Camp offered a little bit of everything for the teacher looking to add digital tools to their curriculum.

The event kicked off with a lively and thought-provoking Keynote from Rushton Hurley, whose presentation title included the words "Kicking Posterior." As an advocate for the power of digital tools in the classroom, Rushton shared his passion with the crowd and offered the impact we can have in our classroom if we allow students the chance to create and share content through the video production. 

He continued this discussion in his sessions by offering us a load of free resources as well as things to think about. One thing I learned involved the search function in Google. Maybe you already knew this, but I hadn't ever seen the advanced search option in Google - did you know you can search for specific file types? He had us search for PowerPoint presentations using this method. If we can do this, so can our students. This got a lot of us re-thinking the presentation tool and how we can use it as a way for students to see what other students have created and synthesize it into something of their own, like a video or even use what they find to write a critique or summary of the presentations.

 I also appreciated the resources page filled with tools that I was seeing for the first time. One such tool is called Psykopaint. In this cloud-based program, you can upload pictures and then select artist styles ranging from Seurat to Van Gogh (and more) to paint your picture. You really have to check it out to see what I mean.

I had the opportunity to present at this conference, too. I discussed how I have used Video Game Design in the classroom. Sometimes as an Art teacher, I get a little narrow in my definition in what I should be teaching; Art History, drawing, painting, sculpture, and ceramics are key, but I have opened up to the idea that animation, video, digital arts, and video game design are also important aspects in Visual Arts education. You can check out the Video Game Design page I created for the conference filled with links to important sites about how this skill can effect student achievement as well as how students can make them and various competitions students can enter. The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards will begin to accept games starting in September, so consider this as you start planning your curriculum. And if you don't know how to program or design a game, it is okay - you can still create a space that facilitates that learning for your students. I know that is the case in my classroom, at least.

Have you learned something at a Edu Camp this summer? Please share any new skills, tips or tricks below.

Gearing up for Another Year

Artists Name: Samantha V.

School: Lakeview HS

In about a month, our classrooms will be filled with kids ready to dive into projects and materials. If you are anything like me, then you have been thinking about that for quite a bit of the summer and maybe have already had a few of those pre-school nightmares (you know the one where you end up with a class full of students revolting against your lesson or you run out of a needed material and no back-up plan).

Here are a few things that ease my stress when thinking about the new year:

1. Seating Charts - It is a simple thing that always does the trick for me when it comes to easing my stress over the start a new year. If you haven't checked out The Art of Education yet, you really should. In a recent post about seating charts, there are a list of great ideas for creating and organizing them. To add to their ideas, I would also include using sticky notes for student names on the charts (as shown here). This allows you to only have to write it once and simply pull it off the paper and re-stick it to a new location when changing seats. I always have my seating charts done before the first day and greet students at my door to introduce myself and tell them where their seats are located. If there is an issue with a seating arrangement, I can quickly pull the sticky note with the student's name and easily place it on a new spot on the chart.

2. Artsonia - I have been using this free online resource since 2007. I always try to get my classes organized before the new year with their rosters function and the fact that they allow kids to "graduate" into the next grade, makes that super simple. In addition to serving as a way for my students to share their work with the world, Artsonia does so much for helping raise funds for my classroom, supply ideas and tools for lesson planning, and documenting student growth. With the expectation of documenting student growth as a link to teacher evaluations, there's a lot of questions about how to do that in an art classroom. With Artsonia, documentation of growth is more manageable through the evidence of student artwork and accompanying artist statements. Artsonia has also added a lot of new features this year, as explained by Suzanne Tiedemann here.

3. Twitter - So, this is a new one that I am adding to my back-to-school regimen this year. I have been using this resource since Tricia Fuglestad urged me into it and I am so glad she did. I have been able to connect to teachers and artists from around the world that have enhanced my growth as a teacher. If you are on the fence about it, just check it out and see for yourself. Here is a post about how twitter is revolutionizing the concept of Professional Development and one specifically about how it works in #artsed.

What are some key things that help you get prepared for school and out of the pre-school jitters? What is a tool or trick that you cannot live without? Please share your thoughts and ideas in the comments below.

Lifelong Learning

Artists Name: Stella Lee
School: Northview High School

I recently engaged in a relatively short discussion with @wmchamberlain (one of many teachers I follow on twitter) about lifelong learning. The discussion started with a question he posed asking what people were learning over the summer and I responded by describing that I have spent the summer teaching myself how to sew (with the immense help of both youtube and books ordered from Amazon). He shared that he was experimenting with art making. I pointed to a website that I thought might help in his journey and he gave me some encouragement, too.

Even though the "conversation" lasted a few lines back and forth, it has got me thinking about the concept of lifelong learning and how we engage students in this. It also got me thinking about how I engage in my own learning and what motivates me to want to learn new things.

I have always had an interest in how things are made. It is one of the reasons I wanted to be an artist and it is also why I wanted to be an art teacher - I also enjoy teaching others how to make things. I have had a sewing machine since 2006, but did not start using it until about a year ago. Why did I not learn to sew earlier? It might be because inheriting the machine was the result of my mother-in-law's passing, it might be because I didn't want to pay for a class when I had other bills and monetary concerns to think about, but it was probably because I wasn't ready to learn how to do it yet.

You can lead a horse to water, right? Anyway, whatever the reason is for me not wanting to learn how to sew then doesn't matter now because I am engaged and interested and as a result have not only created things that I am proud of but have been able to share those creations with others.

As I reflected on my own process of learning (and the fact that a lot of it involved failure, frustration, retrying things, research on the internet, and some help from experienced experts), it got me thinking about my classroom and how I can infuse this experience there. If I want my students to experience learning the way I did then I need to create an environment where experimentation, investigation, and following interests are important. If I want students to be engaged, then I need to be open to the fact that they are all in different points in their learning careers and even though I may lead them to water, it is up to them to figure out when they are ready to drink... I also have to give myself a break (and my students, too) when they are not and realize that just because something doesn't work out once doesn't mean they (or I) should never try it again. The most important thing I will bring to my classroom from this experience is my story. I will share with my students how I learned to sew and how I taught myself by doing research, failing, taking risks, and finally achieving my goal.

There is a great lifelong learning opportunity coming up August 5-10 through the MAEA Summer Professional Development Institute. Today is the early registration deadline and if you have been putting off learning something because you weren't ready yet, hopefully you will take this opportunity to learn in a community of experts that will guide and encourage you along the way.

If you have a learning story from this summer, or have taken a workshop in previous Summer PDI's please share your story below.

The Pink Slip Experience

Artists Name: Bhavna G.

School: Detroit Country Day

Spring time is the season of flowers blooming and chicks hatching; unfortunately, it can also be a time where the pink slips are arriving for hundreds of educators. I came across a couple of teachers this past week who were both pink slipped and it prompted me to think about my own experience and offer some advice to those of you who have found yourself in this situation.

I have had the privilege of being pink slipped three times in the course of a year. My first reaction was of course disappointment at the situation, but I was also kind of surprised that the form is not pink nor is it really a slip. Instead, each was a neatly typed letter using technical language to tell me that I was no longer going to be employed and that if the situation changed, I would be called back (which thankfully I was, each time).

It was a dark time, but also a time where I gained a lot of strength and insight about who I was as a teacher and person. It is often said that true character is revealed in times of trial, and the stress of being pink slipped without knowing if you are going to be able to do what you love where you have established a home and career can be a very stressing moment in a person's life.

With that said, here is my advice to anyone who is facing a pink slip:

1. Chances are you will be called back. I know it is not comforting to hear, especially from someone who has not been pink slipped, but with the technical details of No Child Left Behind, the switch to full-day Kindergarten, graduation requirements for students, and the fact that other content teachers need their prep-time, an Art teacher is a needed thing for schools and they will have to find someone to fill the requirements (chances are that is you). You may have been pink slipped simply due to the nature of the seniority list, which was the case in my situation.

2. If you have multiple endorsements, make sure to make yourself open to teaching them. I am certified in both Visual Arts and English. My first teaching job was actually more English than it was Art. Visual Arts is my first love and I am incredibly thankful that I get to do it full time, but I am also thankful that I have an option. If you do not have a second endorsement, consider getting one as a part of your continuing education that is required per MDE certification renewal. You might even be able to use credits from your undergraduate degree to go towards this. Here is a list of what classes can be taught with each certification.

3. Update your Resume, Portfolio and website, and put yourself out there. Although you would like to think that the school you have taught at will call you back because there is no way they could go on without you, sometimes it just doesn't work out that way. Now that you have experience under your belt, you will be able to use that to help get your next job. In each case of being pink slipped, my principal and other administrators readily wrote great letters of recommendation. Make sure to ask for those letters, and who knows, they might also be able to give you a lead based on their connections with other districts in your county. This website helped me keep up to date on what was available when I was looking for a job in Michigan.

4. Realize that it is not about you as a teacher or person, it is about a budget. You cannot control this; you can not take it personal. It is not your fault and you can only move forward. Chances are you became a teacher because you have a passion for the subject you are teaching and a caring heart for kids. I never hear any teacher say they do it for the money; you would not be able to go in each day and do what is required of a teacher if the only motivation was that. What charges me up and motivates me are those moments when a student reflects on a work they have created as "The best thing they have ever made..." or the moment when they hoot and holler over an artist they are excited to study. If that kind of stuff gets you going then know that you are a good teacher and being pink slipped is not the end of things for you.

I know that this can be a tough time, but realize you are not alone. If you have advice or a success story to share from your own pink slip experience, please post it below - all advice and success stories are welcome!

You've got to have BOLS

Technology in Art Education on Prezi

Molly Marshall did a great presentation on using various technology tools in the Art classroom at the MAEA conference. This presentation spurred the opportunity for both of us to present how to use these tools in the classroom for Art Education students at Kendall College of Art and Design.

As I was reworking the handout Molly created into this Prezi, I couldn't help but think about how the educational system has changed as a result the accessibility of informational technology. This change can be a little scary and overwhelming to think about when considering all of the tools that are out there to help deliver and develop content with students. 

Sometimes when I talk about technology with other Art teachers, they are very hesitant to incorporate these methods into their instruction. They look at technology as taking away from traditional methods of creating and learning about art. It is always good to question and evaluate practices before implementing them into your classroom, but at some point there needs to be the realization that using technology does not take the place of traditional methods of instruction - it enhances it. 

To come to this conclusion, you've gotta have BOLS - blended online learning systems - and understand that incorporating technology is not a rejection of traditional methods of making art nor is it an abandonment of the need of teachers in the classroom. Technology allows students to create and leave legacies, connect with others from around the world, and teach the 4C's of 21st Century learning (critical thinking, creating, collaboration, communication). In order for this to be successful with students, good teachers who are open and flexible to new ways of teaching are needed more than ever. 

Blending your classroom with the use of various online systems is not an overnight transformation. Take a look at the presentation for various ideas and methods both Molly and I employ in our classrooms. If you have a sure-fire tip or tool that helps you create a Blended Online Learning System, please share.

Evidence of Existence

For this day of service and remembrance, many teachers and students went out into their communities and gave their time in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

When reading through Dr. King's words, the common theme of equality is there; moreover it seems there is a strong call to being recognized. The evidence of existence and having that recognized by others is a powerful force. When a group or person is ignored, they are forgotten and disenfranchised as a result.  

Art allows students to see evidence of their existence. We reaffirm this through displays, web galleries, and blogs. Art allows students to express their thoughts, feelings, and attitudes about the world around them. In a time where standardized testing is a focus, Art gives students a chance to take risks, be creative, and communicate ideas that might otherwise go unnoticed. 

Knowing that our classrooms can offer this special kind of situation for students, we have a lot of power on how to direct students' energies. In a recent post by 6th grade teacher Amanda Dykes, she examines her classroom through a metaphorical comparison between Pinterest and Fail websites (specifically Cake Wreck). Her hope is like many of ours; when we walk through our classrooms we want it to be a Pinterest of things that are celebrating and engaging students, recognizing their talents and encouraging them to take risks. We do not want the fear of failure to paralyze them to stay in a box predefined by someone else.

In this day of discussing hopes and dreams, share in the dreams of Illinois Teacher of the Year and Social Studies teacher, Josh Stumpenhorst. I, too, dream of a day when students will be able to focus on their passions and be recognized for the content of their character rather than a score on a sheet of paper.

Evidence of Existence -- Holland, MI

Blogging into a New Year

To blog or not to blog, that is the question. Or is it? Maybe the question should be, "When are you going to start a blog?"

Over the past few years, blogs have become a much needed place for people to vent (Art Teachers Hate Glitter), share (The Teaching Palette), and gather information from others. For educators, blogging can be used as a reflective writing tool that documents educational thought processes in the classroom. This can give great insight into the success you might have had with a particular lesson or student. It can also serve as a tool to work through moments that were less than stellar.

In the e-book "Reflective Writing: A Way to Lifelong Teacher Learning," this concept is explored. It explains that "effective teaching depends upon thinking, reflecting, and evaluating;" when we write about our experiences in the classroom, all three of those criteria are being met (Burton, pg. 7). If we blog about them, we also open ourselves to the opportunity to hear feedback from others.

One educator recently recognized in this year's Edublog Awards for Best Teacher Blog is New Jersey Art Teacher Suzanne Tiedemann. Her blog focuses on the happenings in her Elementary Art classroom and helps organize and direct readers to posts about specific projects in the classroom as well as various resources to highlight student work or encourage new production. Suzanne was kind enough to answer the following questions about her blog to be highlighted in this post:

Interview Q&A with Suzanne Tiedemann

 Q. What were some of the reasons you decided to start your blog (when did you start it, what did your district/school/community think)?

A. A few years ago, I created and managed a website using iWeb. It had mostly everything that my Brunswick Acres Art Website has, but it was missing a blog.  The reason for this was because my district policies at the time stated that teachers could only post student content to district hosted websites.  Over the course of a few years, I had numerous discussions with tech leaders and administrators expressing my desire to update our policies so that we could open the doors to allow teachers and students to utilize 21^st century tools to connect, collaborate, and create on a global scale.  During this time period, I shared the many success stories that other teachers were experiencing due to their ability to upload student content to public websites such as YouTube, Vimeo, teacher created websites, and more. I watched students of PS22 School in Staten Island New York collaborate and record music with celebrities and then sing with their choir at the Grammy’s because of the recognition they received on YouTube. I saw artists of Dryden Elementary being recognized on a global scale winning awards for their art movies that their incredible art teacher, Tricia Fuglestad had uploaded to Vimeo.  I noticed that teachers were receiving funding for special projects they had written grant proposals for on sites such as DonorsChoose.org, where photos of students were required as a part of the process.  It was so inspiring to watch so many wonderful things happen for other teachers and students, which is why I continued with my efforts to promote change in my district. 

I am fortunate to work with very talented and supportive tech leaders and administrators.  My supervisor reached out to me just before the end of the school year last year to inform me that she and her team were going to be meeting with a lawyer to update our web and media policies.  My input was valued throughout the process and the new policies were in place just before the start of the school year.  I began creating the Brunswick Acres Art Website, featuring a blog, as soon as I learned that the policies were in fact going to change.  http://bit.ly/pcTW5D

 

My administrators, colleagues, students, and families have shared that they enjoy my blog.  They like seeing videos of students working in the art room, reading about the learning that is taking place, and being kept in the loop with the exciting things that have been happening for our art program.  Each week I share a link to my blog with my principal and he adds it to our online Friday Folder that is sent home to parents via email. 

Q. How has blogging changed the way you work in your classroom?

A. Often I have my blog up on the Smartboard when students enter.  I try to use our website as a home base or starting point so that they will learn to do the same on their own.  When we view my student’s artwork in their Artsonia online galleries, or when we view Vimeo videos featuring students, we open these pages through my blog.  The idea is for them to learn to access the B.A. Art Website from home as well as in the art room so that they can independently access our news, videos, online galleries, and more.  

I like to kick off my class by sharing content from our blog when possible.   It is important for my students to know how much I value their work, as well as what others might say about what we are doing.  Some students have even started to add their own comments to our blog too.  We have a ClustrMap widget in the sidebar of our blog and many ooohs and ahhhhs can be heard in the art room when we click on the map to view the locations of the visitors who have been viewing our blog.  As of today, we have had visitors from 49 states and 45 countries.    http://bit.ly/t4Qgdl   I believe that many students are more driven and excited to do their best work when they know that the world is watching.  Sharing is a very important part of being an artist.  

Though my students and I have used our Flip Video and digital cameras in the past, our videos and photos lived on one computer in the art room.  Now, our new district policies enable us to share with the world on our blog, so we are shooting videos and taking photos more often.  This has been such a game changer for us. I was able to apply for and was awarded a DonorsChoose.org grant for digital iPad styluses http://bit.ly/rcczTn  . The required photos of students using the styluses will be featured on my blog soon.  A donor who wished to remain anonymous donated two iPad 2’s to my students and I after following our work, and I also just recently received a grant for two more iPad2’s from the South Brunswick Education Foundation after submitting a grant where I added links to student work and photos on my blog to support my goals for the proposal.  Recently, my blog won a 2011 Edublog Award for “Best Teacher Blog”.   Blogging has helped me to acquire new equipment for my students as well as set new goals that were not possible before.

One of the most exciting things that blogging has done for my students and me is that we are able to explore 21^st century learning in ways that we have never been able to do in the past.  Now that I know I can post student videos and more to my blog, students are able to be more engaged using technology in richer and more meaningful ways. My 5^th graders worked in teams, pretending to be app developers this year. They designed apps that they felt the world could use, wrote about app features, and designed logos. I shared my student’s work by sending a link to their galleries to a real app developer named James Alliban who lives in London.  Mr. Alliban invented a few apps that my students had used in the art room in the past such as “Composite” and “Konstruct” ( links to student work using these apps  http://bit.ly/nb4wd7 and   http://bit.ly/fkaeoP ), and I had been sharing our work with him over the course of a year or so.  Mr. Alliban was so kind in agreeing to participate in a Skype video call with us.  My students asked him questions and were able to hear all about what it takes to be an app developer.  Mr. Alliban also gave my students feedback regarding the apps that they had created.  It was pretty incredible to watch them interacting with Mr. Alliban (us in New Jersey and him in London) in such a significant conversation.  Students took video footage of the Skype chat, which I edited and uploaded to our blog.  The conversation in itself was thrilling.  Being able to share the video on our blog gave families, colleagues, and others the opportunity to learn from Mr. Alliban too (link to blog articles http://bit.ly/rti4qE  )

My students have also been able to connect with other students right within our own district through videos.  They shot videos of themselves asking questions to student artists from Greenbrook Elementary School about their artwork.  I uploaded my student’s video to my Vimeo channel and sent it to Mrs. Kipnis, the art teacher at Greenbrook School.  She shared the video and then had her student’s create a reply video.  Both of these videos will soon be featured on my blog, and it will be the first time that students in our classes have been able to connect and learn from each other using technology.  Being able to share the content my students create compels me to want to design more opportunities like this for them.

Q. What are some tips you would give to teachers who are looking to start a blog?

A. Honoring parental consent and abiding by district legal protocol is very important.  The first thing I would recommend that teachers do is review their district’s web and media policies.  Before posting any student content, legal documents should include language that clearly states that teachers may upload student work, photos, videos, etc. with parent consent.  If teachers discover that their policies are preventing them from creating a blog, I would encourage them to do as I did and start by talking to technology leaders and administrators about how beneficial it could be for students, teachers, the school and district to utilize these 21^st century tools.  Here is a link to my district’s updated policies http://bit.ly/s5Wdop

When I started my blog, I researched other blogs.  So many people have incredible layouts, cool widgets, and are wonderful at creating engaging features.  I learned a lot by looking at what others are doing and would definitely suggest learning from others too. 

It is very important that teachers share their blog posts.  I would suggest that teachers share with their administrators and school families by adding links to blog posts in school newsletters and online with people in their PLN’s (Professional Learning Network) and read their blogs as well.  If teachers have not created a PLN for themselves, I would suggest doing so by joining social networks such as Twitter, Facebook, Ning sites, Google+ and more.  

Q. What are some goals you have now that you have won recognition for your work?

A. Though my blog has won an award, blogging is still very new to me and I have a lot to learn.  I plan on continuing to use my blog as a communicative tool to advocate for my students and the arts, reaching my community and beyond.  I also would like to design new and innovative ways for my students to become more engaged with the blog.  Another goal is to try to find more time to read and comment on the many incredible blogs that the people in my PLN have created.  They inspire me to be better and provide me with such insight. 

Q. What are some must use web tools for your classroom? Why?

A. Since this interview is about my blog, I should probably start by mentioning Weebly.com as a valuable web tool.  My blog is hosted by Weebly.  It is free and offers a lot of great layouts and features.  http://bit.ly/pcTW5D

• Artsonia.com is the world’s largest online child’s art museum.  I have been participating with Artsonia for about 10 years and find it to be very rewarding. Students have a great deal of pride when their work is published. They enjoy getting comments from viewers who support their efforts.  Students write artist reflective artist statements about their work during class and/or at home.  Many students purchase keepsakes featuring their artwork and 15% of all purchases is donated back to my art program to purchase more art materials and equipment.   http://bit.ly/18D5W5

• Twitter has been an amazing professional development tool for me.  Connecting with other art teachers, artists, and others has enabled me to collaborate with inspiring people who are also looking to learn and stay current with modern technologies as well as develop new and innovative ways to inspire our students through art.  http://bit.ly/v0xSL7

• Vimeo! I upload my student’s videos to our Vimeo channel and can easily embed the videos to our blog.  http://bit.ly/pFlnY7    We also enjoy infusing the award winning videos created by Mrs. Tricia Fuglestad and her students at Dryden Elementary into my art lessons.  See “Fugleflicks” on Vimeo here http://bit.ly/hBtlzi

• Animoto is a free video slideshow maker.  Within minutes, teachers and students can create slideshows with music that look very professional.  Teachers should apply for the free educators Animoto Plus account so that they can create unlimited videos that are longer than 30 seconds http://bit.ly/MVo5

• DropBox is a tool that I could not imagine living without.  I use it every day at school.  I take photos of student’s work using my iPhone and add them to my dropbox folder wirelessly so that I can access the files at any time from all of my computers and devices so that I can upload them to student online galleries.  Students can save their work to our DropBox folders when creating on the iPad too.  I also use DropBox as a sharing tool to share files with other teachers.  http://db.tt/de4U1Zp

• Flickr!  I created a Flickr Collection titled “Apps for Art Ed”.  Students like to refer to this gallery when they are looking for art apps to add to their devices.  It is also a great resource that I and other art teachers can refer to.   http://bit.ly/iyTjv8

• ArtEd2.0ning has been a wonderful place to connect, learn and share content with other art educators.  http://bit.ly/PdnGc

• Wikispaces is great.  I particularly enjoyed using Wikispaces as a collaborative tool with two other art teachers to document our findings for a presentation we are going to be giving at the upcoming NAEA Conference this year.  We do not live near each other, so our wiki provided a place for us to do plan.  http://bit.ly/qcsjGn

• ClustrMap has been very exciting for us this year.  Students like to track the locations of the visitors who have been viewing our blog.  http://bit.ly/t4Qgdl

• Pinterest is a fabulous visual bookmarking tool!  I enjoy seeing photos of content that my contacts and I have pinned and added to our boards.  http://bit.ly/vff1K6

• Quiz Revolution is a fun way to create online quizzes for students.  Students in 4^th grade brush up for their art assessment test using an online quiz that I created for them.  http://bit.ly/w4pMAB

• Here are links to my old and new pages featuring engaging art websites for students    http://bit.ly/w2obmW  and http://bit.ly/vtAbEC

In addition to web tools, I often refer to The Teaching Palette blog by Theresa McGee and Hillary Anrlik    http://bit.ly/tyVkP    and to the Dryden Art Fugleblog by Tricia Fuglestad   http://bit.ly/n8jCnp .  They are excellent award winning resources created by innovative and forward thinking art teachers and advocates.

Before blogging about your classroom it is important to consider your school district's policies concerning technology. What you write on the internet is forever. When reflecting on your classroom or posting about students, it is important to keep that in mind. Also, when posting images of students, you want to make sure you have parent/guardian permission to do so. Most districts have forms for parents/guardians to sign and in many cases it will also work for your blog or website as well. Here are some other considerations and sound pieces of advice about blogging from Lee Kolbert in her recent post, "Some things I know about Blogging."

We want to hear from you! If you blog about art, education, or both, please share any tips or tools you use and post your site and advice below.

New Year's Goals and Resolutions

Artists Name: Blake A.         School: Fancher Elementary

As 2011 comes to a close, it is easy to get swept up in the promise a fresh start of the new year can offer. This can also become a time where those good intentioned goals get thrown out there without the follow through or support to get it done.

I know I have started many statements with, "This is the year (fill in the blank with any type of goal) will happen," only to end up later in the year feeling bummed that it did not get done.Whether it was my own procrastination or not knowing how to get whatever the goal was accomplished, my hope is that with this post and our online community of support on Facebook and Twitter, we can work together to get our goals accomplished during 2012.

So, here is to the year it DOES happen and here are a few potential Arts Education goals with suggestions on how to stay on track to fulfilling your resolutions.

• Get Hired! It is no secret that the tough economy has resulted in teacher lay-offs, pink-slips, as well as reassignments. When I originally posted this idea of resolutions our Facebook group, one member responded that their goal was to get a job this year. Although it has been a tough couple of years, there have been opportunities for Arts Ed professionals to get involved and help get their foot in the door. If you are looking for a job, consider ways to help promote your skills and expand your network by volunteering and participating in online forums. There have been various posts on our Facebook group about long term subbing positions; although this may not initially lead to a full time position, the experience and networking could.
• Get Published! Is there a great lesson plan you have that your fellow Art colleagues have oohhhed and ahhhed over and works consistently with each group of students you have taught? Then share it! We all have used resources from SchoolArts Magazine and Arts&Activities Magazine at one point or another to help gain insight and ideas to deliver and develop classroom curriculum. Make 2012 your chance to contribute. Both publications offer how-to tips with writing for their magazines. If you have ever explained a project to a friend then you will be able to write and get your work published highlighting your classroom. Nancy Walkup, the Editor for SchoolArts is also very helpful with any questions you might have about an article idea. You can follow her on Twitter, connect with her on Art Education 2.0, or follow her blog.
• Try New Tech! Whether it is flipping your classroom, creating a Twitter account, or even subscribing to some of your favorite blogs, using technology can help you connect with others in your profession and grow to help serve your students. I have only recently joined Twitter (@campbellartsoup) and have made some great strides in how I use tech in my classroom as well as connect with other teachers from across the globe. Art teacher and co-founder of The Teaching Palette, Theresa McGee, shared some great Web 2.0 tools to use, engaging students and delivering content. This takes time, but know you are not alone. There is a powerful educational community out there waiting and ready to support you through any questions you may have.
• Make Art for Yourself! Art teachers face the rare expectation compared to other content areas. You rarely hear a parent or community member ask a Math teacher what equations they are working on, but you often hear community members ask Art teachers what they have made lately. I am proud that we have a different kind of expectation, but it is often difficult to find the time to make anything when you are planning lessons, preparing materials, and displaying art for a school full of children. I became an Art teacher because I love Art and care for kids. I am definitely not the most productive artist, but I try and create work to help keep my skills honed and up to date. I am recently creating work for a group show and found that if it was not for that show, I probably would not have found the joy I have over break in making the work I have so far. Consider putting yourself into a show to force yourself to make something, or sign up for one of the Summer PD workshops the MAEA organizes. 

Those are only four goals to help you start to think about what it is you want to focus on this new year.  What are some of your Art Education goals and resolutions for 2012?

Expanding Your Resources

During the Holiday season, Santa is not the only one making a list and checking it twice.

For many of us, reaching Winter break is also closely approaching the half-way point of the year and the materials we purchased for the projects planned. Whether you see students for the full year or for a smaller duration, the materials purchased for the year have been used by a good portion of students by now and (if you are like me) you are starting to strategically plan how much needs to be left in order to make it through the rest of the year.

In addition to figuring out how you might make the materials you have stretch out to the end of the year, many of you (according to a per pupil funding poll by the NAEA this year) are working with less than $3 per student. I happen to fall into that category and find that I am often having to choose between basic materials like markers, glue, and paper, forgoing the more exciting materials or projects like printmaking or Raku firing.

In order teach the projects listed above, you need the various equipment or materials to provide the experience. I used to complain and fret, spending hours upon hours doting over every last detail of my start-of-the-year order, worrying about what I was not getting. This mind set put me into a situation where I was looking only to the school district for funds (which have been cut consistently by the State), limiting the materials and experiences for a complete Visual Arts Curriculum.

It wasn't until I worked with my colleague, Jamie Kosmicki on writing a grant that I realized how much control I have over the funding opportunities offered to expand experiences for my students. Since the $1000 grant she wrote to help our High School students experience Raku firing with Paul Flickinger, I have been empowered to do the same.

Paul Flickinger at Byron Center High School, Spring 2010.

From using the resources listed in this LiveBinder, I have been able to have guest artists visit, take students on field trips, as well as buy additional materials and equipment. It has offered me a pathway to expand the resources in my classroom and as a result students have gained insight and skills that would have otherwise been left out.

During this Holiday season, I encourage you to sit down and make a list of the things you have not yet purchased due to the lack of funding. Organize those materials around a project and find the right funding source for you. If you are looking to start small, consider taking advantage of the offer by NEA through DonorsChoose of matching funds.

Good luck in all of your funding efforts to help bring more experiences to your students throughout the year. We are interested in your successes -- please post a project you have had funded in the past through a grant or fundraiser or a project you did get funded as a result of this post.

Showcasing Student Work

Artist Name: Krystan Iazzetto
School: New Buffalo High School

Winter brings with it many things - snowflakes, hot chocolate, holiday breaks, and of course Art Competitions. It seems that this time of year is when students start to get into the groove of making their best works and teachers are making the tough choices of which pieces best represent their school in annual events like the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards.

If you went to Diane Heath's presentation on Scholastic to AP Portfolio's at this year's MAEA Conference, you would have seen how this teacher uses the opportunities offered through student competition to showcase student work and push students to achieve their highest potential. As a result of participating in programs like the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, her students have high standards and expectations for their work and her program has built a prestigious level of respect.

The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards is only offered for students grades 7-12, but there are many opportunities for students of all levels to be showcased in Michigan and beyond. To help organize these opportunities, I created a LiveBinder of various sites that hold competitions. Some have passed, like Sooper Yooper which corresponds with ArtPrize in the Fall; others are fast approaching, like the Cray-Pas Wonderful Colorful World Contest due December 9th.There are also various events to showcase students that are still yet to come in the Spring, like the Region shows and the Governor's traveling show as well as shows celebrating Youth Arts Month.

If you are interested in showcasing work beyond the walls of your school building, you can also participate in Artsonia, the largest online gallery of student work.This resource allows students to share their work with family and friends, build and maintain an online gallery over the course of their school career, as well as raise funds for the art classroom.

Whether you are a seasoned veteran or have never done anything like this at all, we can all agree that our main concern and focus is offering opportunities for students to shine. What are some of the annual events that you participate in to showcase students?

Pass it On

As Thanksgiving break comes to a close, it is a good time to reflect on the year so far and the things we are thankful for as a result. As teachers, we get to impact the lives of so many over the course of our careers. With that capacity comes the great responsibility to not only teach our content, but also pass on the power that our content has to bring people together and create positive change for others.

During the holiday season, there is a push for many organizations to come together and reach out to those in need. The Arts offer a great starting place for this. From organizing events like Empty Bowls to raise food and funds for your local food bank or participating in the Memory Project to help lift the spirits of orphans from other countries, the Arts have a great way of reaching out to others through service. When we make the choice to do this, we not only do we teach our students about the power of giving to others in need through events like the ones featured in this LiveBinder, but we also show the power the Arts have in bringing awareness to issues and focusing on solutions.

Service-learning projects give students evidence they can do something about things that concern them. By incorporating this type of activity in our curriculum, we empower students with the voice that goes beyond the frame of a piece of art, showing the real-world implications of what they are doing.

Here are a few ways others have incorporates service-learning activities into the classroom:

• Carrie Jeruzal of Pentwater used the Empty Bowls concept for a CommuniTEA event to raise funds for a local charity. Instead of soup, the event focused on the Japanese tea ceremony and students created ceramic tea bowls to sell. 
• Susan Chapman of Seaholm High School used the Memory Project in her classroom to connect her students with orphans through art.
• The Illinois Art Education Association members created "Art to Go" packets for local Children's Hospitals. This allowed sick children to make art while away from school.
• Byron Center West Middle School students created winter and holiday themed artwork for local senior-citizen assisted living center to be used as decoration for the residents.

If there is a community or service-learning project that you have had success with, please share your results. Imagine the possibilities that can result from the small gestures of kindness fostered through the opportunities while participating in the Arts. This addition to curriculum can enhance any program and create a shared sense of community within your classroom.

In Gratitude: Who Are You Thankful For?

One of my favorite moments at the 2011 MAEA Conference was the Awards Ceremony acceptance speech given by Barbara Rensenhouse. Barbara received the MAEA Distinguished Service Award. She has been a mentor for innumerable art teachers over her many years at Western Michigan University. Retired in 1991, she is well up in age but her words were sharp and on the mark as she urged us to affirm others for their work in the field. As we were honoring her, she was urging us to honor others.

This week I came across an article in the September issue of Art Education (the NAEA Journal) by Elizabeth Delacruz. She too, was giving an acceptance speech for an award, receiving the 2011 Ziegfeld award. In this speech, she lays out four frameworks to guide our thinking as art educators. What resonated with me was her idea that we should “take on an entrepreneurial disposition, referring to both an outlook and a cluster of behaviors. This ability:

• to understand particular needs in particular contexts
• to discern meaningful patterns
• to think big
• to innovate
• to envision something new and useful
• to conceptualize, design, and carry forward concrete plans of action with specific intended outcomes.

These are the skills and dispositions we hope to foster in our students.” These are 21^st Century Skills.

Also recognized at the 2011 Conference was Kim Cairy, outgoing MAEA president, who was honored as the MAEA Middle Level and overall Art Educator of the Year. In her tenure as President, Kim embodied these dispositions. She is an exceptional leader. I have been so impressed with her. She is a parent, a teacher and a leader. She moves easily from one role to the other. When she first came into office I still remember receiving a card that she had hand-made urging us to think outside of the box. She is a big thinker and an innovator, yet humble and personally attentive to others’ needs. Thank you, Kim, for giving so much of yourself to the organization.

Who has influenced you in your art teaching and thinking? A mentor teacher or college professor? Someone you’ve never met but whose books or blogs you avidly read? Who do you want to thank?

During this season of Thanksgiving, please take the time to comment below and honor those who have helped shape you as an artist/educator, thanking them for their influence and help.