Memories:

As a child, and even now as an adult, I loved learning. I try to take the things that I cherished from my favorite teachers and use them in my class. Not their exact lessons, but they manner in which they taught. For instance my 5th grade teacher was a professional cartoonist and would always make visuals for our understanding. She had a series of drawings that depicted scenes to define adjectives and adverbs. We would look at her work and use the language skills to describe what was happening, like "the purple hippo is running quickly."

At the end of the year, she had us do that involved solving problems with clues from all different subject matter. We had to answer the clue to move to the next station (and they were both indoor and outdoor) but we needed to use our knowledge from past lessons to do so. If my memory is correct, I believe we worked in teams of 3 and she even got the other 5th grade class involved! It was so engaging and fun that I will never forget it. We didn't even realize we were doing work!

The unit I last posted is as close to this interactive learning style that I can achieve at this time. It involves different subject matter, there are a sequence of projects, and the students use a variety of methods and materials. The only thing I do not have is the clue solving and working in groups. However I can say that:
- The projects are all student centered and I am the guidance to coach them along
- The projects all relate to real-world ideas
- Creation of the various works are their end goal
- The projects show different ways symmetry and pattern can be explored

As the art teachers continue on in our professional development, I hope to become more like my favorite 5th grade homeroom teacher, but with every lesson that I do!

Ciao for now :)

African Art Unit for Math!

Ok fellow art teachers. I know that teaching across the curriculum is not always what you desire to do. "Art for art's sake" has long vanished from our schools due to teaching core concepts along with the specials and the influx of standardized testing. In my school, each specials teacher is required to have one area in Math that they will help to instruct along with their usual standards and requirements. Exactly HOW we do is left up to us. I once knew a PE teacher who used a cool target tossing game to teach state capitals. I should've played because I still don't know all of mine! But anywho....

I wanted to share with you the lesson that I just finished with fourth and fifth grade students to reinforce symmetry, pattern and repetition in preparation for the MCAS, as those are areas that needed to be enforced in our student population.

In a matter of two weeks, we completed four projects that teach and explore those three concepts. Each with different products. Some with different materials. But all with the use of imagination and cultural connection. ((So did I cross THREE curricula??!! Even better!)) The two projects that taught symmetry, were the African mask drawings and the 2D design kente cloth. The two projects that taught pattern were the Adire Eleko and the 2D design mosaic pottery.

This year I have a smartboard, so I was able to show images of authentic African art! I also used power point and my smart document camera to make their lesson plans in a step by step fashion,
so the children would know what to do next! There was just enough room for creativity and expression paired with just enough " teaching" and clear expectations. After clean up time we played interactive games on the smartboard that taught symmetry and pattern to reinforce the ideas in a different aspect! Next year I will have to come up with more innovative projects where the kids can actually use the technology to create the work and not just as a reference!