The Virtual Classroom

Happy Birthday Frida

2010-07-06T08:49:00.000-07:00

Today is the birthday of Frida Kahlo, this Mexican painter is one of my favorite female artists and continues to be popular beyond her death in 1954. Google has honored her in one of their Google arts on the search page. If you click on the picture at google it will take you to a web search about her with images, websites and news articles.

Latest Project

2009-07-11T12:24:00.001-07:00

Still in the game... These 9 are mostly all done, backing on several and a little beading on a few still need to be done. The other 3 are in thinking (August); collecting and sketching (July); and sewing (June) phases.

The Beaded Journal Project

2009-03-08T21:16:00.000-07:00

Here is some Art I have been working on

Wow, I can't believe it has already been 6 months. I have all 6 of my pages together in this post along with some comments about each page. There are a couple that still have some finishing touches. and now I need to start on MARCH!

Sheba

NCCE - Things to Know Before You Go!

2008-05-06T13:45:00.001-07:00

NCCE - Things to Know Before You Go!

Introduction

The NCCE is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promote the use of technology in education. The NCCE hosts the largest technology conference in the Pacific Northwest, providing its members with training and information about the latest advances in educational technology. Next year the conference will be held in Portland Oregon, February 17th-20th at the Oregon Convention Center. There are several common features to these conferences; paid workshops, free learning sessions, vender demonstrations and displays, geocaching, and of course meeting and talking with other educators from around the region. This article will discuss various aspects of this conference, to help new members get the most out of this event.
Logistics At the Conference

In 2009 the NCCE Conference will be held in Portland. If you don’t live in the area, pre-planning is essential. Even if you do live near the conference location, the conference is a city within itself, so don’t go without a roadmap!

Who to go with? Find out who else in your district or in your peer coaching cohort is planning to attend. Save money and feel more secure by booking hotel and transportation together. Make a contact list of everyone from your district that is attending, include cell numbers as well as email addresses. You might want to call a peer to gather for dinner or to share an exciting session.

How to get there? Travelling together will build community, allow you to share resources in addition to saving money. Consider the train! Although the conference is not right by the train station, there are nearby bus routes. Portland has exceptional transit system and many downtown routes are free of charge. If you are going to drive à CARPPOL! And find out from the hotel and conference center how much they charge for daily parking. You may find it to be cost prohibitive.

Where to stay? Check the NCCE hotel prices, but check with your district office and other hotel reservation sites, you may find a better price elsewhere.

“Before you go with your peeps check out the sessions and think about what your peep's goals have been so far throughout the year. Earmark those sessions then grab your peeps for a meeting before the conference. Meet in a classroom with a web connection and go through each time session... have them write down 1st and 2nd choices for each time slot. I actually went to the first session one with one of my peeps... it was good to help her generate excitement and "translate" some of the lingo.”

What to Do? Again planning is the key! Try to get to the conference and check in the night before the sessions. Get together with your cohorts and peeps to go over go over workshop and session choices. What do you want to learn? Try to have a focus. Divide and conquer! Look over the conference map to plan your session navigation. Pick 2-3 different options per session. Many fill up quickly or turn out NOT to met your needs, don’t hesitate to go to your back-up session. Be sure to go to the Keynote Speaker – it sets the tone for the conference.

“Study the course offerings carefully and talk with veterans about which speakers / presentations are worth attending. Don't hesitate to stick around after presentations or network with other folks with like interests.”

What to Eat? The conference offers a box lunch, but what are your food needs? Some people felt that buying the lunch was a wonderful time saver. Lines at conference area restaurants can be long and food can be more expensive. Others felt that bringing your own food was a better fit for time, money and dietary needs. Whichever you decide, be sure to have some cash on hand for a quick coffee, sidewalk snack, tips or taxi rides.

What to Bring? The obvious travelling luggage and items apply of course! But since this is a tech conference you need to consider your personal technology. Camera, GPS, PDA, Laptop? Only bring what you are willing or able to lug around all day! If you are presenting, a rolling case will save you back aches.

“I had a lap top with me, but I wish I didn't. I didn't use it at the conference. I did use it at the hotel. It just took up space, and was heavy to carry.”
“To laptop or not to laptop. I didn't bring one, but several times wished I had. It's about a 50/50.”

Team and Conference Expectations

Have high expectations not only for the conference but for your peeps as well... YES! you should bring your peeps. NCCE can be both exciting and yet daunting so laying the groundwork before the conference can make a huge difference in how successful the NCCE experience will be. Take the time to think about the goals you’ve work on with your peeps and then check out the sessions online. Earmark sessions and then grab your peeps for a meeting before the conference. Set a focus or goal, explore the course offerings carefully, and write down 1st, 2nd, and even 3rd choices for each time slot. Plan to go to the first session with your peep if he or she is a bit nervous or wary of the conference. Plan for long days at the conference whether you actually stay until 5:00 everyday, set that expectation ahead of time.
You’ve made it to the conference; hear the Keynote Speaker. This will hopefully be a highlight and set the tone for the entire conference. As you attend sessions, don't hesitate to stick around after presentations to network with presenters and other folks with common interests. Add some planning time into your day. This will give you a chance to process new information and share new ideas. Furthermore, enjoy some down time as the conference can be awe-inspiring as well as overwhelming.

Exhibition Hall/Vendors
One of the wonderful opportunities you have while attending NCCE is a chance to visit the exhibition hall. Here you have the chance to talk to vendors of hardware, software, Internet resources and colleges! In order to make your time in the exhibit hall productive we have a few suggestions:
Prior to attending the conference brainstorm with your peep(s) what future technology purchases you may want to make, make a list of questions you want to ask and set a goal for yourself to visit with at least X number of vendors. You may also want to make some preprinted labels (including your email) which you can attach to forms that the vendors ask you to fill out. The vendors often will scan your badge to get information about you. There are times when their badge scanners do not work or you may want to be able to give out your address or emails to people that you met.
While at the conference visit with the exhibitors, TALK TO THEM and ask your questions! Most of the vendors are quite knowledgeable and are more than willing to take time to talk to you. Often you are “rewarded” with gifts and prizes. If you see something that you are interested in having at your building, ask if they will loan a set to you to try it out. In order to navigate through the large maze of exhibitors, you may wish to start on the outside aisles first as most people tend to start in the middle or at the aisles closest to the open doors.
At the end of the conference, revisit those vendors that you made a connection with while they are packing up. Many will give away items as they don’t want to have to pack them up and take them home.

Presenting at NCCE

“Much education today is monumentally ineffective. All too often we are giving young people cut flowers when we should be teaching them to grow their own plants.” John Gardner, United States Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare 1965–1968

One of the most exciting experiences an educator can have is to be a presenter at NCCE. Don’t let it scare you off it’s exactly like being in your classroom with “larger students”. Breaking the steps down makes this an easy endeavor.

Writing the proposal:
Think about that favorite lesson, software, tools. How do you get the biggest bang for your dollar? This might be the topic you choose to share with others. Write the proposal as if it were a lesson plan. Give it a catchy title, and describe the details of what you want the learners to take away from your session. Be sure that what you describe is what you plan to teach, there is nothing more frustrating for an attendee than to go to a session and have the topic be different than what was described.

Once your proposal has been accepted:
Read over the detailed acceptance information it should be in the form of an email. The letter should have vital information such as the room number, where the equipment will need to be picked up, time you can set up and time you must be out of the room. Be sure to save all emails from NCCE, so that you can reference the information later. One week before the conference I email back one last time to be sure I have all of my room information straight and there have not been any changes.

The Presentation:
Use Power Point, Photo Story, or some type of presentation software to share your ideas, lessons, topic to be shared. Practice what you want to say and how the presentation slides fit your verbal commentary. Don’t forget that when people get nervous they tend to speak faster- so plan for finishing early, have more that needed information to fill the 50 minute session. I used a thumb drive and a burned CD to store and carry my presentation, (knowing that if I had only used one, it would not work and I’d be stuck). Don’t forget to have lots of student samples to share. Your contact information is vital to the presentation, make a postcard with your presentation title, contact information and the URL for your website. Others will look to you for advice, follow up or sharing. They will want to know how to get you once you are back at school.

Making Connections:
This is a wonderful opportunity to connect with teachers from all over the Northwest. If they are in your session they too have a similar interest in the topic. Your own growth will flourish as you make connections with others and pick their brains for adding to your knowledge base. (Hand out your postcards to these contacts too!)

Have Fun!! Have fun!! Have Fun!!
Don’t forget to put this on your resume.

Conclusion: Planning is the Key!
To get the most out of the NCCE, planning and communicating are the key. The more time you put into planning, the more you will get out of the conference. During the weeks after attending, it is important to debrief and revisit all those notes and brochures you gathered. It is difficult to remember everything! Taking time to sort, organize and file the information will make it available and easy to find when you need it. It might also be helpful to meet with the people you traveled with and take time to discuss what was valuable and what you would like to pursue. Of course, even with good intentions, sometimes all you can do is go and absorb… and that’s ok too!

By
Everett Public School Elementary Tech Specialist Kari,
Everett Public School Middle School Art and Technology Teacher Cynthia,
Everett Public School Elementary Science and Technology Teacher Leader Fran,
Everett Public School Elementary Tech Specialist Sandy,
Bellingham Public School 2nd and 3rd Grade Teacher Marca and
Bellingham Public School Library Media Specialist Lisa

too many blogs so little time

2008-04-26T13:46:00.001-07:00

I won't be posting much over here...
Check out my other school blogs here

The virtual classroom.org

my school district Blog

A Place to Bark

2008-01-21T14:18:00.000-08:00

2007-12-16T11:51:00.000-08:00

Hey everybody,
I am 2 weeks into the new trimester and now on winter break... finally time to breath, catch-up on a bunch of stuff, including updating my TAB pals!

SO a little run down of last trimester:
Centers that I opened and in order: drawing, computers, printmaking (8th graders did some silkscreen t-shirts) collage, paint (the most popular of them all), sculpture, an idea center(after talked about on here I decided this was a good idea! my idea center included ART books and some art games like cranium mini games of just the sculpting and drawing parts this was a big hit! but I did end up limiting a few kids with how often the games were out.) and finally clay.

Since I do modified choice with my middle school kids to help them stay focused we have challenges. So I did mini lessons followed by a challenge. The mini lessons tied into the new centers as they opened. The way this worked is that every other week they had to turn in a piece of art with a reflection/artist statement that met the challenge of the past 2 weeks.

This last tri I did printmaking, pop art and Andy Warhol lessons followed by a pop art challenge. Then paint, landscape, and sculpture mini lessons followed by a landscape or sculpture challenge. Next was a mask lesson with a mask challenge, at that point all the centers were opened. At this point I also threw in a week that they could turn in ANY 2 pieces of favorite art, no theme or challenge required. Then was the cubism and tessellation lessons and challenge. And finally self-portrait for their final lesson and challenge. I created photostories movies or power points for most of these lessons that were posted on the blog especially to help kids that were absent.

At the very end we did digital portfolios using power point. I took pictures of EVERY piece of art as I graded it and organized them in accessible folders for the kids. I had them save all the artist statement/reflections with the goal of having them use the info in their portfolios. This did work for some. This time around the portfolios were the most successful batch they have done. I have a pre-made power point template that has all the slides and the type of information that needs to be on each one, so it is mostly filling in the blank. Most of them already know how to make power points but this makes the process faster and makes sure that the kids NOT familiar with power point get to spend more time on the art info and not making the slides. (Focus on the parts I really want to assess) The kids really liked seeing all their work in this format and talking about it on the slides. They were fantastic.

So now we are into the new trimester. I have a new class I am teaching called “Digital and Video Arts” this will be less like a choice TAB style art room and this has already frustrated the kids. Since they all just had me last trimester for art and we meet in the same room, they want it to be the same. Oh well, there will still be TONS of choices, but more writing as we prepare scripts and storyboards for podcasts, animations and films. We spent the first 2 weeks, choosing and writing, recording and editing our first round of segments. I have put a few of the finished ones together in our first podcast. I hope you will give it a listen AND comment. Let the kids know your favorite part. I think the interaction will get them a little more excited.
http://blogs.everettsd.org/cgaub/2007/12/14/artectivity-podcast-1/

For those that don't know... I teach grades 6-8 and see them 50 mins a day, all week for 12 weeks. We have a discipline program called "make your day" that requires kids to self-reflect and rate their performance every period that takes at least 5 mins at the end of the period. SO with set up and clean up we get about 35 mins of art on a good day. My lessons are usually 15-25 mins long and only once or twice a week and days without lessons are called "studio" days where they get straight to centers and work on the current project/challenge or explore.

http://thevirtualclassroom.org/
http://blogs.everettsd.org/cgaub/
http://thevirtualclassroom.blogspot.com/

2007-09-16T21:28:00.000-07:00

First week of the trimester students were challenged to create some art that included their name. The only guidelines were to show your skill and personality in their name art. Several examples were shown(including radial symmetry and mirroring text.) They had drawing and collage centers open. See more student Creative Name art in the gallery.

Second Podcast

2007-05-23T19:05:00.000-07:00

Cynthia Gaub and the Techreach Club Podcast
An after school technology club. MAY 2007
Techreach Club Second Podcast *hint* right click and "save target as" then open in your player of choice.

we enjoyed the first one so we made a second one!

New Theme song by Talia and Sarah
Maggy on Mother’s Day
Heather on the History of Cheese
A poem written and read by Lindsay
Angela visits the Messy Room of her brother
Megan and Holly Interview with Batman and Wonderwoman
A segment on Smoking with Sarah
Raelee shares Another bit of info about Chaotic Card Game
A riddle with Becca
Crystal shares about getting in trouble
Maia invites us to Italy
Hosted and edited by Ms. Cynthia Gaub

http://www.pugetsoundcenter.org/techREACH/program_info/about_tr.html

Let me know if it works or NOT! and how it sounds on your end of the world.

Next the Artist Project

2007-04-30T20:04:00.000-07:00

I had kids pick a topic
and research either
an artist or an art career, then do a presentation or some art that
showed understanding of the topic.

This class is mostly ELL, SPED, and 504 kids. So I gave
them some activities out of the "great artists" book I
have.

Here we have a Paul Klee sculpture.

Then I had some kids that pick architecture as their topic, so I got a coliseum and a space needle.

Several kids really got into the robot art of Nam June Paik http://www.paikstudios.com/

In addition to the projects, I got a lot of power point presentations... which ~now~ I am wanting to discourage, because all they do is COPY stuff from the internet into them and don't put a lot of thought into the content.

More Self-Portraits

2007-04-30T19:55:00.000-07:00

This one is pretty BIG! a well executed chalk pastel.

So here are some more pictures of the self-portrait Challenge. The dragon above broke off a leg in the first firing, so he glued it with craft glue and painted it with tempra paints.

This one didn't have the hair well scored so it came off in the first firing, but intact... it was like he had a wig on. He painted them both and I am just waiting for my kiln to get fixed so I can fire a load again.

ready for public listening...our first podcast

2007-04-28T17:40:00.000-07:00

Cynthia Gaub and the Techreach Club Podcast
An after school technology club. April 2007
Techreach Club First Ever Podcast (version 2.5)

in this first ever episode

All About Earth Day by Megan
Proverbs are not adverbs by Emily
Bad Joke, Good Jokewith Lindsay
Tech Tip by Becca http://www.gamemaker.nl/
Really Good Riddle by Sarah
Did you know? by Raelee
Vocab Time with Angela
Do it differently? with Alexa
Silly as a Simile by Maia
Heather’s Poetry Corner
The Cows have it with Talia
Sakura Con by Maggy http://www.sakuracon.org/
Who are we? by Crystal http://www.pugetsoundcenter.org/techREACH/program_info/about_tr.html

Let me know if it works or NOT! and how it sounds on your end of the world.

technology in Teaching

2007-04-21T16:47:00.000-07:00

podcast test post

2007-04-19T19:43:00.000-07:00

Cynthia Gaub and the Techreach Club Podcast
An after school technology club. April 2007
cgaub@everettsd.org
Techreach Club First Ever Podcast

This is my test... just some intros, no music, and the girls haven't recorded their segments to add in yet. But I needed to test how to make it accessible online so here it is... Let me know if it works or NOT! and how it sounds on your end of the world.

Self Portrait

2007-04-12T19:12:00.000-07:00

So the 8th grade project that we finished before spring break was the Self-Portrait project. I showed the kids a quick slide show of a bunch of projects mostly from the Incredible Art Department. and then let them pick how to represent or draw a self-portrait. Heres what we came up with!

Some pottery, include a couple of pretty good busts, a platter and some representational ones. (like a kid that loves basketball did his hand spinning a basketball)

We had a lot of pencil drawings with some nice shading.

Some cool playing card style drawings, some digital art including a couple porsonality power points, collage and altered books.

Go see some more here

Awards!!!

2007-02-27T20:04:00.000-08:00

So tonight was the district middle school art show. I entered 24 student pieces (including many from my Chair Challenge) and I had 12 kids win awards. I will post some pictures soon...

Also check out New artwork in the digital gallery... http://gallery.thevirtualclassroom.org/main.php

Chair Challenge

2007-01-29T20:42:00.000-08:00

So my 8th grade choice chair challenge is officially complete. Here's what we ended up with...

** several animations both with clay/stop motion and with a new program that one of my students found called "pivot stick figure animation"http://www.snapfiles.com/get/stickfigure.html

** two built and painted chairs... one store quality done mostly at home and two painted/decorated chairs

** 10 or so clay chair sculptures... these became infection as a group of my ELL kids started them and then others ditched their original plans when they saw the progress of the others

** a handful of chair drawings and sketches...some more detailed than others...

** some digital art chairs

** a pacman like game featuring chairs using "gamemaker"http://www.gamemaker.nl/

** a digital mock CD cover and a hand-drawn mock video game cover

I was hoping to see some paper mache' and some paintings but it is CHOICE... so they made what they wanted...

The Chair Challenge

2007-01-07T12:57:00.000-08:00

We are back from winter break and I have been opening centers for my 2nd trimester classes.

With my "advanced" classes (mostly 8th graders and some 7th graders that I have had before) we are doing the Chair Challenge. The kids can choose how and what they want to make as long as it represents or expresses a chair in some manner. Their plans have all been approved and most will be starting on Monday.
In Digital: we havea vidoe game about chairs, 3 or 4 students creating digital art using images of chairs, 3 groups doing animations about chairs, one group doing a documentary video about chairs as if they were an animal, inspired by the Croc Hunter.
In 3-D we have: one group building a sports chair with spare sports equipment, a couple of groups painting actual chairs, and building functional chairs. Also a group that is going to sew a stuffed toy type chair, numerous kids creating clay chairs and one boy making a chair with brass wire.
In 2-D we have a comic book about chairs, some sketchbooks and other drawings of chairs...mostly in pencil.

In my classes of 6th graders I have opened my drawing, digital and collage centers. They are exploring for the first time the TAB Choice idea. I seem to have mostly boys on the computers and mostly girls creating collage. For a couple of my smaller classes I also opened the mixed-media sculpture center and have several boys making popsicle stick things... I have to open my centers fairly quickly as I only have the group for a total of 12 weeks. Next week will be paint and printmaking. We will then get into the elements of art, where they will then use the centers to express each element as they learn about it to add to their art book.

2006-11-28T18:17:00.000-08:00

The Alien Movie

Student animation using a combination of power point and Windows movie maker

2006-11-28T18:16:00.000-08:00

The Fight

Student animation

2006-11-28T18:15:00.000-08:00

The Plaid Hero

Student animation using a combination of power point and Windows movie maker

The End of the Trimester...

2006-11-25T11:05:00.000-08:00

I will need to do things a little differently next trimester... I had a hard time keep up with the projects, supplies and deadlines but most importantly the grading... Need a different system. and for some of my middle school kids (who really need more structure) I need to create some different ways to chose projects and different ways to set deadlines.

I am working on updating my online galleries while the kids are working on their final digital portfolio in the form of a power point slide show. We continue to use the online classroom "Moodle" and that is going well. I post all my assignments, instructions, and links on this format. everything digital they turn in here. They can access it from home or from any computer in the school. and they pretty much love anything having to do with the computers.
Here is a portfolio example from last year. The portfolios will be the best way to see the diversity of work that my kids made this trimester. I will try to get a page of them up over winter break.

Also on Moodle The kids have also been doing some fun PAINT assignments from this teacher's website

The 4 C's of Art

2006-11-05T10:14:00.000-08:00

This is what my district requires for evaluation in the arts. So my rubrics are always based on the 4 C's and I have my students self-grade their work on projects based on these. The creative process is the area that I focus on the most.

Craftsmanship/Technique: The development of artistic skill/control over art tools and materials through deliberation and attention to detail.

Composition: Intentionally organizing Art Elements using the Art Principles to create a visually unified design.

Communication: Applying art knowledge and skill to express, identify, and evaluate ideas and feelings in artwork.

Creative Process: An approach to solving problems and expressing ideas in unique and personal ways.

The Creative Process includes the following steps:

Develop Your Perceptions: Thinking about Experience
Recognize your aesthetic responses to the world
Pursue your interests through study, play, and work experiences
Foster relationships that strengthen you
Think about and analyze your experiences

Gather Ideas: Thinking of Possibilities
Brainstorm to solve problems
Research to look for ideas in the work of others
Think about and discuss your ideas
Write and sketch your ideas

Practice: Refining Your Work
Select ideas for development
Create detailed sketches/drafts
Organize materials and plan time to use them
Practice techniques
Get suggestions and help from others

Create: Making Your Product
Select your best idea for development
Plan your time to meet deadlines
Utilize techniques well
Revise work as needed to achieve goals of your project
Finish your work

Present: Sharing Your Work
Respect your work and the time and effort you put into it: don't bend, fold, smear or crush it.
Mount/mat your work for display
Show your work to friends and family

Reflect: Evaluating Your Work
Self-evaluate your work honestly
Reflect on the strengths and weaknesses of the work
Think about what you learned
Think about what you need to learn/do better to improve your work

Half-way through 1st Tri..what's happening

2006-11-04T09:09:00.000-08:00

Projects happening in my room...
8th grade:

SEWING: I have my (adopted)son in my class this year and he is working on creating his own patterns and sewing stuffed creatures. His sewing (he just learned a few weeks ago with a short lesson from me) has been inspiring others. The sewing machines I salvaged from the defunct home ec classes aren't working right and need an over haul so they have all been working by hand. Although this takes much longer for them I think they are enjoying it. It is like an old fashioned quilting bee with a table of kids all sitting around sewing on their own individual projects. I had a small quilt throw with pictures of friends transferred and decorative stitched names by one girl, another is making a "hot topic" style top, Two others created a tube style dress and painted it in the style of an artist with my fabric paints. They all look great and have required little assistance but for a minute lesson here or there... I promise pictures soon!

PAINTING: I have had several girls painting chairs some as personal icon thrones and some in the style of an art movement. Another girl brought in her mom's bedside stand and repainted it with a very well done sun and moon theme. I had some boys painting a huge graffiti style banner for our upcoming Veteran's Day assembly that says "Thank You Veteran's" in 2 foot high funky bubble letters.

DIGITAL: I have kids working on digital art and soon some animations will get started.

OTHER: A full size paper mache' soccer player was just added to the hall display case. and the principal wants to 'commission' a school mascot that could travel the school to classes that win awards for citizenship. Unfortunately we are the "north stars" so a mascot will be hard to come up with.... Some Mosaic designs are getting started to use up my bulk of pottery shards.

6th and 7th Grade:
POTTERY: Several classes have earned the opportunity to do pottery. I have them learn pottery terms and concepts and they must pass a test with 80% or above in order to do clay. (usually...I do make an exception now and then) So I will be unloading my final glaze load of these projects Monday Morning!

DRAWING: All students in our school have to set goals in each of their classes. Most of my students set the goal to improve their drawing ability. So many of my students are working in sketchbooks with books and photos as resources, to draw faces, animals, cars and insects.

ALL GRADES:
DIGITAL: I have kids working on digital art and soon some animations will get started.

Choice Art in the New 2006-2007 School Year

2006-10-07T10:32:00.000-07:00

The year has started in a whirlwind... Our school population has grown and so have my classes.

I have given the 8th grade class the most choice so far this year, as I get to know the dynamics of my 6th and 7th grade classes. I have 20 kids in the 8th grade class. Right now, 3 are painting chairs, 6 are doing grid enlargement graffiti drawings, 3 are sewing something,...a quilt, some stuffed toys, and a Project Runway challenge of their own making. Then there are the 2 boys making a very cool paper mache' soccer player that is fit to there size and will wear their clothes when done. I basically told them they could do anything, with a well thought out proposal and a supply list. They have to have a deadline, but it can be adjusted if needed. They have to track progress in a journal and will need to 'present' it in some way before it can be considered done. This is basically a studio project style. It is mostly going OK... they are 8th graders so there is a certain amount of flirting and goofing off but work is getting done.

My computers have all been giving me grief. We tried to do a digital lab yesterday and every computer had some kind of problem. I took some online classes this summer and have a very cool MOODLE set up for the kids to do a variety of activities. They can access it from any internet computer so it is a 'safer' version of the My Space that they love so much. More time has been spent on creating, updating and viewing profiles than doing the required art assignment. But then the corresponding graphics programs are not operating so it turned out to be a wasted lab (in my mind).

My computers at home have been equally uncooperative..so no new website updates or photos to share for a while.

We just finished a slew of American flags in a variety of mediums to decorate the school for Veteran's Day (as per request from admin) they all came out pretty cool and it was the MODIFIED version of choice that I offer my kids. I had the sewing, weaving, collage, drawing and paint centers set up for them to select materials from to create their flag. A ridiculous amount of glitter was used for most of the flags.

Two of my classes did well enough with the choices that they have earned CLAY and we will start pottery demos next week. The other two have had to have center after center closed for messy and destructive behavior. I hate limiting their choices, but I won't tolerate the type of vandalism that has been happening in those classes.

Coming next week will be the WAEA Conference. I will be attending this year, but not presenting. Pictures to follow.

Techreach and the art club

2006-06-10T11:20:00.000-07:00

Well I am just about to wrap up my public art project for the year...and being the tech geek that I am, I made a website about it.

This is my first time doing video with kids and then trying to share them and I am having a tougher time with the sharing part! If any of YOU have shared online videos let me know your tips!

At the event thursday (06/08) we had about 70+ people including the MAYOR Of Everett! :) which was totally cool. the whole thing was video taped by puget sound center who helps sponsor Techreach. People from Riverside Neighborhood, the arts commission, and everett parks made it too. And of course some of our Techreach mentors were there too. Both club group participants, Parents and siblings rounded out the crowd.

I made these great t-shirts for all the kids that created art in the art club and I made DVDs of all the videos for everyone that participated in the project. (up till midnight wednesday getting it all ready, and thank god for my student teacher as I spent all day working on things at school too)

The presentation was so good the Puget Sound Center wants me to present what I did with the clubs to some education and technology conference next year. Yippiee, an all expense paid trip to SPOKANE Being invited to present is a huge honor.

My principal and vice principal both came and were very impressed and pleased. They don't really know what I do behind the scenes at these clubs so this was really their first look into the great work I am doing there.

Making Paper

2006-06-02T20:43:00.000-07:00

Made a sheet today. I used things I had on hand at school. Used my "art" blender at school. I used newsprint paper, purple streamers and some starch... the blender was not happy. After straining I used my printmaking press to smoosh the paper between the fabric pieces to get the water out... that was fun! But I am not so happy with the results so will need to try again I think. I need to practice, because I think I want this to be a project I do with my students next year. We have NO money to buy art supplies, but I have TONS Of old tissue paper and newsprint. so it would be a cheap project if I can get some donated blenders.

Some easy to use instructions here

This peice is WAY to thick and fell apart... but I will try again

State Assessments

2006-02-26T07:50:00.000-08:00

Washington State is now requiring a Classroom-Based Performance Assessment for students in the arts. I do consider this a good thing, because it means they won't/can't eliminate school art programs now! The test this year, is for 8th grade students to draw a self-portrait. "The real you" I recently had training on the state assessment and how to score it. I did have a chance to do some review/teaching on facial proportions and value before the test. Because my kids do TAB CHOICE, they don't get a lot of group direct instructions and they never have to sit down and all do the same thing. So this has been tough for them... I am getting a lot of complaints... they are used to the freedom that choice allows. BUT I was AMAZED with the results. Kids that never choose to draw did some amazing work. The kids that I know can draw did even better.
Check out the Gallery for more examples...

Website Updates

2006-02-17T21:24:00.000-08:00

I am spending some of my Mid-winter break time updating my school websites. I am trying to get back up to date my lesson resources and student galleries. So check it out and let me know what still is missing or not working right...
thanks

Student Teacher

2006-02-12T17:44:00.000-08:00

Since 01/31 I have had a student teacher starting her semester in my classroom. Her focus is drama, which I will begin teaching 3rd trimester... or rather SHE will begin teaching! So far she has been getting to know the school, our school discipline system and the kids. Within the first week she knew almost all the kids' names! She is jumping in with the art stuff even though it is not her strength.
So I will post more as she begins her plans. We will still be including a variety of VISUAL ARTS within this drama trimester... so more CHOICE will still be happening.

independent projects

2006-01-27T18:46:00.000-08:00

well,
I am pretty sure I need to be updating here more often... but don't even know if anyone reads this...
Hello? give me a shout-out in the comments if I should be updating here more often!

So CHOICE in the Middle School Classroom is going well...
I have all 8th and 7th grade mixed classes right now, heavy on the 8th. and LOTS of kids that I had last year. Mid-tri is this coming week.
Everyone has mostly done

a graffiti grid drawing, OR a self-protrait using a computer image
2-3 required digital projects (but they have a choice of 6 different tutorials for those new to the medium and open choice for those that I had last year with instructions to expand on what they learned or at least do an assignement that they didn't do last year)
1/2 half of my classes have been doing pottery, hand-building, wheel throwing or slip casting...depending on skill level and motivation.
the other 1/2 has done printmaking with either silkscreens or soft-cut blocks.

Then I have numerous individuals and groups working on independent projects that will substitute for one of the above projects.

video games using gamemaker freeware
webpages using straight html or front page
claymation (I got a grant) or stop-motion animation
I have a group of girls making a line of fashions, reworked thrift store clothes called "splatters"
I have a few other's making purses, pillows or sock monsters
I have several kids just focusing on drawing comics or general drawing skills with a daily sketch book

You can probably sense my personal strengths in the individual projects as that is what I can be passionate about and guide them through.

Pictures are in my online school gallery!

animations and websites can be found linked on my school website

Ceramic Molds

2005-10-07T22:12:00.000-07:00

Last Memorial day I had the opportunity to get almost $4000 worth of Slip molds, slip and a slip pouring table. I have been allowing my 7th graders to choose to pour molds if they want. This has been a learning experience for us all. I haven't spent a lot of time doing slip casting myself, so the learning curve for me still exsisted. Plus all the equipment had been sitting unused and gathering dust for 3-5 years. BUT... we are having some successes and lots of failures. Today i started a kiln load of the first batch of molds... we shall see how they turn out! Cross your fingers...
Pictures to come!

more animals

2005-09-13T15:22:00.000-07:00

spider

2005-09-13T15:16:00.000-07:00

this one barely stood for the required amout of time, but creativity and texture were achived.

Group Garbage Animal Results

2005-09-13T15:15:00.000-07:00

Beginning of 2005-2006

2005-09-11T10:44:00.000-07:00

So the new year starts, and amazingly, I have single grade classes. This change will allow me to do some actual sequencing of work and grades. Nice, if it is this way again next year.

First day, school rules and "Ransom Note" name tags. They loved cutting out letters and pictures from the magazines to make these fun and easy name tags.

Next day, class rules/expectations and BINGO get to know you game. I love the buzz of kids on task!

Friday, Explain grading system, the 4 C's, and then first graded assignment, Group Garbage Animals. The loved this!

I let the kids choose their groups, 3-5 kids per group. They drew a number to get a bag of supplies. I didn't want to hear "Hey you gave them better supplies!" The bags were filled with an assortment of popscile sticks, pipecleaners, CDs clay, paper clips, yarn, paper plates, broken crayons, etc. ie a bunch of "garbage"

They had to build an animal using ONLY the items in the bags. They could not get glue, tape or scissors from the supply center in the room. But each bag had things in it that could be used to attach stuff together. It was an exercise in creative problem solving. They only had about 20mins and then they had to present.

They were graded in the following areas:
Craftsmanship: The piece had to stand and NOT fall apart.
Creative Process: They had to plan, do and present as a group.
Composition: they had to show TEXTURE. If the animal should have scales, feathers or fur, they had to try and show that.
Communication: It had to LOOK like what ever animal they named it. It could be an imiginary animal or a real one, or something inbetween.

Most of them jumped to the task and all said "it was fun" The turtle seemed to be the most popular animal to make (easy to stand up) but others were very creative!

Parent Letter: About Art

2005-09-01T10:57:00.000-07:00

What will we learn in Exploratory Art Class?
During the trimester the Exploratory Art Class will be introduced to the Four C's:
·Craftsmanship: The development of artistic skills with art materials and tools.
·Composition: Understanding and using the Art Elements and Principles.
·Creative Process: Like the writing process, using a creative approach to solving problems and expressing ideas in unique and personal ways.
·Communication: Applying art knowledge and skill to express, identify and evaluate ideas and feelings in artwork.
All this will be taught and reinforced through a studio like environment where students can work at their own pace, have choice in the types of assignments and take ownership of their creative ideas.

How will we be graded?
Students will be graded in the Four C's. Most assignments will fall under the Craftsmanship/Composition headings, this will be the teacher's assessment of the quality and creativity of the project. Each major project will also require the students go through the Creative Process and then Communicate their own evaluation of the work. These reflections and planning worksheets may need to be done as homework. Because an artist must learn good studio habits, proper use and clean-up of art supplies will be included in the Craftsmanship category. Assessment of Composition, such as the Art Elements, will often be done through quizzes, tests and worksheets, as well as demonstration in projects. Check online weekly for up-to-date grade reports.

Will we have homework?
Art is a skill, just like sports, it should be practiced regularly. Any student wishing to improve their skills and stretch their creative brains, should have a sketchbook and work in it daily. Although a sketchbook isnot currently a requirement for beginning art students, it is highly recommended and can be used for extra credit.

What kind of art will we make in Exploratory Art Class?
Students will have the opportunity to explore a number of different art mediums. We will learn to draw with a variety of pastels and pencils, work with computersto create digital art and animation, clay and other materials to develop 3-D sculptures, as well as exploring collage, painting, fiber arts and printmaking.

Summer 2005

2005-08-11T11:39:00.000-07:00

One of the things I really love about being an art teacher, is taking art classes, especially in the summer. This summer I learned how to throw pottery on a wheel. This will still take some practice but I have a much better understanding of the process now. Now I just have to figure out a system to allow students to better understand the method of throwing AND coordinate only 30 mins of daily work-time. hmmm... if YOU have figured out this one, let me know!

The Big Picture

2005-04-30T11:19:00.000-07:00

I absolutely love teaching art, and I also love sharing what I do. Please feel free to use my ideas in your classrooms too. I have been inspired by many of the teachers that share on the The Incredible Art Department. I will give credit back to that teacher whenever I use an idea, to the best of my abilities. So unless otherwise noted the ideas are my own.
I am particularly excited about sharing my ELEMENTS BOOK ideas and plan to publish the lessons and resources for this “unit” (we work on it all trimester long.)
I am also in a unique position of multi-grade repeating classes, so I have the same kids repeatedly over three years, mixed with new kids. Additionally our urban school has a very high transitional rate, so students are literally added to my classes on a weekly basis. Stuck with the concern of either boring the repeating kids, or losing the new ones, am increasingly using centers and the TAB Choice method in my classroom. This is mostly used by elementary teachers, so those interested in trying with older students should keep checking in on my progress. These centers will continue to change, expand and morph as I learn more of what my students are both interested in and capable of creating when left to their own devises.
You will quickly notice that I LOVE technology of all things computer, digital and video. I tend to share this passion with my students and fellow teachers as much as possible. I love working on my web sites, so they are updated frequently.
I also appreciate your feedback. Are there things missing, links not working, tyops? Would you like to see or hear more about a particular category of lessons, mediums or methods? Drop me an email or leave a message in my guest book.
Thanks! Ms. Cynthia Gaub Artist/ Educator "multifaceted creative visionary"