University of Idaho: Master of Arts in Teaching On-line

Many who find their way to my blog are art educators(those who aren't...love you...keep visiting!!!). So I'm hoping you find this blog of interest. Those of us that are in the Nashville Metro area have had a hard time finding a grad program that we could feel good about. I'm not sure how it is where you are from, but there is nothing in our area in Fine Arts or Art Ed. With the recent popularity of on-line programs & their credibility being validated....that became THE option for my friends(the Art Gang) & I. There were a number of programs we looked into. Some were elemenated quickly because of $$. It is amazing how expensive some programs are...and I'm unsure how any teacher could afford them without a sugar daddy/momma!! We had considered Ohio State University's Mostly-On-Line Masters in Art Education. I had taken a summer masters "SPRINT" class a few years back, and really enjoyed it. The program is solid! Ohio State is one of the top Art Education schools in the nation. Check it out for yourself!!! ---> http://arted.osu.edu/programs/ma_online.php HOWEVER....I wanted more hands on art & less art ed theory. This is just a personal preference & is not a reflection on OSU's program!!! The Art Gang began researching on-line programs, and came across a new program starting through the University of Idaho.... Master of Arts in Teaching On-Line(completely on line!!!). The program was slated to begin fall of '08. The degree would primarily be a Fine Arts Masters with some Education classes. This sounded interesting....VERY interesting. The three of us(Janet, Julie, and I) applied...and were accepted! HOW EXCITING...AND SCARY!!!! ha ha ha We are now a few weeks in and loving it! It is going to be a lot of work, but totally doable. This program might be what you are looking for too. CHECK IT OUT ----> http://www.uidaho.edu/artdesign/mat/info.htmlesign/mat/info.html

Fiskars Scissors

The best scissor on the market today for school & home use is Fiskars! They will cost you a little more up front(not terrible if you find them on sale...like at the start of the school year), but the cost will be made up through their longevity! I am using some of the same Fiskars that were here when I started teaching at Tulip Grove for the '01-'02 school year!! That's pretty good when you think of how hard kids are on things! I also use Fiskars cutting tools in my scrap booking!! I teach Scrap booking 101 & Scrap Social at Jo-Ann Fabrics in Mt. Juliet, TN...and will often recommend the scrap booking/crafting cutting tools that Fiskars has there. If you wait for Jo-Ann's sales....or the coupons you can find in the paper/on-line....it is a wonderful investment!

http://www.fiskars.com/ will provide you more information on these fine cutting tools. The website also provides great information for TEACHERS, CRAFTERS, and GARDENERS!!! CHECK IT OUT!!!

1st Grade Cityscape Collage

My first graders have been doing a unit on cities. I've been very happy with the projects & have been trying to add enough variety to keep them interested. This week we worked on Cityscape Collages. I thought this work was exceptionally good. Remember...this is a 6 yr old!!

I checked my Site Meter & found that Google pulled up my blog for someone who had "googled".....steps to beginning watercolor in the classroom. I'm sorry person who thought my blog might provide an answer for such a thing(google brought them to me because of my blog on Prang Watercolor). I hope you return...because I'm doing a blog just for you!!!

Watercolor for the Elementary Classroom(and beyond)!

FIRST THINGS FIRST....WHAT YOU NEED!!!

• Watercolor sets(I love PRANG!!). The Biggie Cakes are for Kindergarten.
• Paint Brushes(Pick your fav. I like the synthetic best..they seem to hold up better..it is an investment money wise..about $80 for a large set with a variety of sizes...but worth it!
• Multi-purpose paper 80 lb works well. If you go with 60 lb drawing paper, it bows & warps really bad. You could buy paper that is "watercolor" paper, but it is pricey & I'd save it for special projects only(unless you have an amazing budget!!)
• Paper towels(I have the custodian at my school give me the left overs from the dispensers. At least here...they pull the roll off as it gets close to the end)
• Tumbler cups! This is truly a personal choice. I have found in my room...if I give each child their own water cup that it cuts down on spills and arguments(and a need to change extremely dirty water). I have purchased my tumbler cups from Dollar General. I think it's a dollar for 4 or 5. They have a wide base that keeps them from spilling easily, and have taller sides so the brush doesn't "pop" out when kids aren't using it. As with any water container...make sure you tell your students to keep it above their picture. This cuts down on spills!!

I have my supplies...NOW WHAT??

1. What is the topic/subject matter? Of coarse you can do anything, but there are a few subjects that lend themselves well to beginning watercolor! I'd recommend Still Lifes or Landscapes to start with. With Kindergarten...I'd recommend a large object(flowers, teddy bear, animal...etc). Their fine motor skills aren't up for little itty bitty details yet! They will find more success with larger shapes to fill in! Success will build confidence...and confidence will build better artists!!!
2. Have students draw their picture first. Remind them to draw lightly!! Heavy dark lines make the painting appear too coloring bookish. Encourage details, but remind them that if they draw too small...it will be difficult to paint.
3. TEACHER DEMO! This is a must. Bring students around you...making sure they are all able to see what you are doing. Have the same supplies out that you are going to be using with them...set up in the same way you would like to have them set it up. This is not controlling...it is modeling good painting behavior!

• place paint & water cup above paper
• place paper towel under the edge of picture
• rinse paintbrush out by rubbing it on the bottom of water cup & then wiping it on the inside of the cup above water line(to remove excess water).
• hold paint brush in the middle of the handle
• gently rub the paint pats with the hairs of the brush(I always tell students to imagine they are touching a baby's cheek...which keeps them from digging into the pat if it is soft!)
• gently run the brush across the surface of the paper(not painting to long in one place, not pressing too hard and scratching the surface with the metal part of the brush
• rinse brush when switching colors
• Paint large areas first

CATCH PHRASES TO USE WHILE WATERCOLORING WITH STUDENTS

• "WATERCOLOR IS WATERY!"(help students remember not to get dark with their paint)
• "NO CHICKEN FOOT" (reminding students to not press their brush into the paper hard or the paint...the hairs of the brush look like a chicken foot when you press too hard)
• "NO TAP -TAP" (alerts students to not tap their brush on the edge of the cup to get rid of excess water!!! When they tap tap..it sprays water everywhere and can mess up theirs or others work.)

I HOPE THIS HELPS!!!! PLEASE COMMENT IF YOU HAVE ANY MORE WATERCOLOR QUESTIONS!!!

Mr. Sketch Markers -scented or unscented

For years I tried to get rid of the Mr. Sketch Markers the previous art teacher had ordered. YEARS!! They just wouldn't die...and I couldn't bring myself to throw away markers that worked. Why did I not like Mr. Sketch Markers? Well, the kids would spend way too much time sniffing the markers or sniffing their paper & it w them from the task at hand...their art! Plus, I got tired of my students leaving the art room witmarker on their noses(elementary children obviously can't control their sniffing!!!). A year or so ago, I finally was rid of the last Mr. Sketch Marker(I honestly had these markers for 4 or 5 yrs!!!). Ya know what??? I MISS THEM!!! I have not found the same quality in other markers...the same color....or the same life expectancy. Mr. Sketch does make "unscented", and I think this year I may purchase them for my art room. They are a SANFORD brand product( http://www.sanford.com/ ). After looking at Sanford's web site, and seeing the other products that they make....SANFORD IS QUALITY!!! A brand that we all can trust! Check them out...and pick up a pack of Mr. Sketch and see for yourself just how good they are(my fav. is the red...smells like cherries!!!).

A Dog Lover's Work of Art

I am not a dog lover. However, I appreciate a great idea even if it is dogcentric. My friend Shotsie brought in a piece of art that she & Zeus(her French Bulldog) created. She saw the idea on Greatest American Dog(once again, I am not a dog lover..so I have never seen the show). She placed his paws in brown paint & had him walk over the canvas(a large stencil was placed on the canvas so that the paint would go in the desired area). She had old sheets laid out & kept him in the area by playing with his fav. toy...a green tennis ball. After he had covered the area with brown paint(you can see some of his little paw prints within the brown), she cleaned his paws & sent him on his merry way. Then it was time for Shotsie to flex her artistic muscles. I think this collaboration ended in a dog gone good piece of art.

Just Duckie!

As you know...I love my job. I have the joy of developing the creative side of students, refine motor skills, instill an appreciation for the aesthetic, and aid in the creation of masterpieces.

Yesterday I read to my kindergarteners, Duck On A Bike by David Shannon(the kids love this book!). Then we went back to our seats to have our first collage experience. After reviewing the shapes that make up a duck, going over safety rules with scissors, instruction on how to use glue, and a quick demo...my students began to create! The 3 shown here are some of the best(I had everthing..from blank pages where they finished nothing to these lovely pieces of duckiness!!). They just make me smile!!!!!!!!

Sizzlin' in the Art Room!

I have now gone a week with no air conditioning in my classroom(well...not counting the week before school started when I didn't have air & was working in my room...and then the first week of school when I didn't have air). I am so thankful that it has not been as hot as last year(a little over 100 degrees for a week or two!!). However, it is still really warm!!!! My art room only has two small windows, and they provide little to no ventilation. I tried leaving my classroom door open, but that doesn't seem to be letting in anything except for noise & the smell of the bathroom across the hall! I was planning to fire the clay self portraits my 4th graders made early next week, but if the air still isn't fixed...the clay will have to wait!!! To put a positive spin on it...the clay is air drying EXTREMELY fast!! ha ha

Art Room Organization PART 2

Here are some more images of my room & my organizational efferts!! Comment if you have any questions!

Art Room Organization PART 1

I am a bit OCD. My friends find great joy in coming into my classroom and moving things to see how long it will take me to figure it out! Usually...NOT LONG! ha ha It seems that many art teachers have a reputation of being a bit messy/disorganized. I'm not sure how much of this is part of the artistic character.....or is it just a self fulfilling prophecy. Whatever the case may be, I'm here to tell you...ORGANIZATION IS YOUR FRIEND!! Every room has a different set of issues when it comes to organization. I have been in every type of room imaginable....and I'm here to tell you...IT IS POSSIBLE TO BE ORGANIZED NO MATTER WHAT!!! Now, you don't have to organize your still life objects based on colors, but making some simple changes in your room can allow you to be a more efficient & more affective teacher. Take a look & see if some of these ideas can work for you in your art room!!

Art Room Set Up/Bulletin Board (from a few years ago)

I pulled these images from my old website. This was the year I used primary colors as my "theme". As always, if you have any questions about anything you see....PLEASE ASK!(and don't forget to leave a way for me to get back to you) The turtle thing I can't really explain...I just like them!!!!! :) ha ha

LEAVE A MESSAGE AFTER THE BEEP!!!!

Greetings to all you on the other side of the screen! I've really enjoyed blogging about all things art, and hope to continue for a long time to come! You may have noticed that I have a site meter on my site. Through this tool, I know that people from all over the USA & WORLD have stopped by for a visit at ART WITH MR. E. Many have been brought here through Googling an art related topic(like Art Room Bulletin Boards or Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists). If you would be so kind, leave a comment and let me know where you are, who you are, & what you do. If you have an art related website...leave the address!!! I'd love to know who stops by for a visit!! Also, if there are some topics you'd like me to cover on my blog...LET ME KNOW! Thank you for visiting!!! Artfully Yours, Mr. E BEEP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Art Vocabulary

I THOUGHT I WOULD POST THE VOCABULARY SECTION FROM MY OLD WEB SITE. I KNOW THAT SOMETIMES IT'S GOOD TO LOOK THROUGH THE WORDS THAT OTHER TEACHERS ARE USING IN THEIR ROOMS. I DO NOT CONSIDER THIS LIST COMPLETE...BUT A WORKING LIST THAT I'LL CONTINUALLY ADD NEW WORDS. The following words are only a part of the vocabulary we use daily in the art room: Abstract, Architecture, Assemblage, Asmmetrical, Background, Birds Eye View, Cityscape, Clay, Collage, Cool Colors, Details, Environment, Expression, Exterior, Geometric, Hatching, Horizontal, Imagination, Interior, Landscape, Loom, Media, Mixed Media, Monument, Mosaic, Mural, Neutral Colors, Ornate, Organic, Overlapping, Palette, Perspective, Portrait, Primary Colors, Realistic, Relief, Repetition, Sculpture, Secondary Colors, Self Portrait, Simplistic, Still Life, Symmetrical, Texture, Warm Colors, Waterscape, Warp, Weaving, Weft, Worms Eye View These art words are grouped in a user friendly way: Land, City, Water Scapes- Foreground, Middleground, Background Cool Colors- Blue, Purple, Green Warm Colors- Red, Yellow, Orange, Peach Neutral Colors- Gray, Black, White, Brown Primary Colors- Red, Blue, Yellow Secondary Colors- Green, Purple, Orange Weaving- Loom, Warp, Weft THE FOLLOWING WORDS ARE FROM THE MNPS VOCABULARY LISTS. I PERSONALLY USE MORE VOCABULARY THAN ARE CONTAINED IN THESE LISTS, AND INTRODUCE SOME WORDS EARLIER ON THAN THE LISTS HAVE HERE. YOU KNOW YOUR STUDENTS & WHAT WOULD BE BEST FOR THEM. AS ALWAYS, USE YOUR DISCRETION. *************************************************************************** VISUAL ARTS ACADEMIC VOCABULARY Grade Kindergarten artist, background, coil, color, cool colors, craftsmanship, detail, draw,horizon line, illustrate, imagination, line, museum, pattern, primary colors, sculpture, self-portrait, shape, slab, space, texture, warm colors *************************************************************************** VISUAL ARTS ACADEMIC VOCABULARY Grade One abstract, architecture, balance, collage, composition, contour line drawing, contrast, culture, diagonal, genre painting, horizontal, medium/media, mood neutrals, original, outline, palette, portrait, realistic, secondary colors shade, tint, vertical *************************************************************************** VISUAL ARTS ACADEMIC VOCABULARY Grade Two asymmetry, cityscape, depth, emotion, environment, focal point, form geometric shape, gesture drawing, landscape, motif, movement, negative space, observation, organic shape, overlap, positive space, repetition, scale, sequence, sketch, still life,studio, subject, symmetry, tactile texture, three-dimensional, two-dimensional, unreal color, visual texture *************************************************************************** VISUAL ARTS ACADEMIC VOCABULARY Grade Three aerial view, artifact, creativity, critique, description, design, embroidery, emphasis, exhibit, foreground, frontal view, functional art, kinetic art, mask, middle ground, monoprint, perspective, portfolio, print, printmaking, proportion, radial symmetry, reflection, rhythm, style, unity, variety, viewpoint, weaving ************************************************************************** VISUAL ARTS ACADEMIC VOCABULARY Grade Four abstraction, additive sculpture, atmospheric perspective, brush strokes, coil, color wheel, complimentary colors, craftsmanship, embellishment, exterior, facial proportion, interior, intermediate colors, judgment, linear perspective, mixed media, monochromatic, neutrals, organic shape, perspective, portfolio, profile, relief print, shading, subtractive sculpture

Art with Special Needs/Life Skills

By any other name they are still the same....our special little kids that we love, but aren't always sure how to meet their needs the best. Many art teachers are given little to no training in working with special needs children. Yet...from day one we find them in our classroom(often mainstreamed in with another class). How can you provide a meaningful experience for these precious children?

Know your audience!! When you step foot into a school, you need to find out what special programs are offered & who participate in them. Usually the teachers that work with these students will be more than happy to share with you the needs/abilities & special "tricks" of their students. They will be happy that you have shown a personal interest in their kids!!!! Plus, it will let you know what kind of modifications need to be made for each child.

Know how they will be coming to you. Will they have an assistant? What class will they come with? Will they come in one large group without any other classes? This will help you plan. There are many children who are classified as special needs, but are extremely high functioning. They can set with the other students & be expected to perform almost like any other child. This allows them to interact with others...and rise up to the expectations placed on the "average" student. WIN WIN situation. I have found that the students from the "regular" class will kind of adopt the child with special needs. Now you will need to address your "regular" ed students about what is and is not appropriate if they are going to be helping your special needs student.

Provide alternate activities for your children with special needs. I have created an area where the assistant can obtain materials for her students to work on once they have finished the project I introduced to the class as a whole(SIDE NOTE: not all of my special needs kids come with an assistant...and not all of them need alternate activities). I like my special needs kids to at least try the project that the other kids are working on. Some of them truly surprise/amaze me with what they are able to do. However, some of my special kids can not work for an hour on a project. They work for awhile, and once I see they are beginning to "overwork" their paper, I then provide the alternate activity. You should never have to "search" for something for your students to do....having these materials on hand also allows me to keep my attention on the 23 other students in my room.

Please feel free to leave comments if you have questions or thoughts to share about working with special needs kids!!!

My Buzzing Little Kinderbabies!!

Kindergarten is an amazing grade to teach! Of course I can say this because I only see them for one hour a day!! ha ha At the beginning of each school year, I always forget how tiring they are though!! A million questions(most having nothing to do what you are teaching or doing at the time!!), not knowing how to get along with a classroom of other children, not having much experience drawing, coloring, or painting(and being asked to do it every time they come to my room!!!), not knowing the rules that they now must follow, and not realizing that they aren't the center of the universe anymore...but a planet in the midst of other planets...all equally important! They come to us babies....and we see them grow so much over the coarse of the year! The transformation is unreal & so exciting as a teacher. I wanted to show you some of the work I'm seeing so far this year...PRETTY AMAZING!!!!!!

ART BOOK(S) REVIEW: DROPPING IN ON ......

The Dropping In On series of art books & DVD's(author Pam Stephens/Illustrator Jim McNeill) are wonderful. If you haven't had a chance to see them, you can find out more information at Crystal Productions ( http://www.crystalproductions.com/). You can also find out more about the author, Pam Stephens, at http://www.artresourcesforteachers.com/ If you want to learn more about the illustrator, Jim McNeill, check out http://www.jimmcneill.com/ .

The story line of Dropping In On is Puffer the art interviewer( he's a Puffin)....falling out of the sky into the world of an artist. He interviews them...and interacts with them in their time & environment. The author, artist, and voice actors have done an amazing job capturing some of the interesting nuances of each of the focus artists. My favorite is Dropping In On Andy Warhol. I had a few of my art friends watch it with me, and I must say, we laughed ourselves silly!!! It was dead on Warhol!!!! They also place actual art images from that artist into the book/dvd. This is worth your time & money to get for your students. The books are more toward mid/upper elementary I feel, but the DVD's are from K- on up!! The only one out of this series that I wasn't real excited about was Dropping In On Matisse. It had nothing to do with the content. No disrespect to the illustrator(who only did this one book in the series), but I do enjoy the illustrations of Jim McNeill a great deal more. I just found out that they now have Dropping In On Grandma Moses! I will be using some of my classroom funds to purchase it this year(yes..that is how much I love this series!!!!!).

So..check it out...DROPPING IN ON...

ART SUPPLY DRIVE 2008

Did someone say ART SUPPLIES?!?!?! Dr. Ed & those at Total Body Health Care who participated in the Annual Art Supply Drive AMAZE US!!!!! Julie(aka Ms. O'Brien) & I(aka Mr. E) feel so blessed...so fortunate to receive this out pouring of support in the form of supplies for our students! Do you realize that because of these donations...I have not had to buy crayons or glue in the past three years!! I've been able to replace my old, dull, & rusting scissors!! As well, the construction paper, colored pencils, tempera paint, paper plates, markers, and other craft supplies that have come in allow me to spend less of my limited budget on the basics! I(well really..we..I think I can speak for Ms. O'Brien) can not begin to say THANK YOU enough for your generosity. Dr. Ed, THANK YOU for CARING about our KIDS, THE ARTS...and US!!! To all of you who brought in supplies....THANK YOU FOR CARING...THANK YOU FOR SHARING! Know that you have made a difference.

Art Room Bulletin Boards & Displays '08

I have A LOT of bulletin board space in my room! Some are huge...so I break them down into smaller spaces. I've created 11 seperate bulletin boards this year....and they are motivational, behavior, silly, informative, and practical! Some boards are pretty much the same as in years past. I will often reuse "pieces" of previous boards, but change them to fit the color theme for the year. Oh, did I mention....I have fabric for my boards in a five year rotation. This way none of my students will see the same exact board twice unless they fail(and even then..the boards won't be exactly the same). I use color themes: primary, secondary, warm, cool, green(I love green). The fabric is not that expensive($1 a yard table at Wal-Mart), and it can be reused for a LONG time. I handmake most of the other things for my boards. I love cutting out letters(it's relaxing to me). Check out the pictures above!! These are only some of my bulletin boards for this school year(sorry, the photo's aren't the best). If you have any questions..just leave a comment!!!

ART ROOM 2008

Welcome to my classroom for the 2008-2009 school year! I am always striving to create the best environment for my students. I want my room to be a special place that transports kids out of any worries, concerns, stresses in their life...and places them in a safe, vibrant, joyful environment that encourages creativity, dialog, and development artistically, emotionally, & intellectually. You may think I just teach art, but I believe my mission is much bigger!

Art Teacher Inservice '08

Ok, so Janet & I (Julie too, but I didn't get a picture of her) decided to wear funny hats to the Visual & Performing Arts Inservice this morning. We were asked to help with registration & pass out packets as teachers arrived. Sometimes the start of a school year is a bit tough on teachers, and coming to an inservice is the last thing on their mind when they'd rather be working on their classrooms or planning for the first week of school! So we(affectionately called...The Art Gang) decided silly hats might help lighten the mood! I didn't take a survey or anything, but it seemed that we were successful! ha ha The three of us are very serious about what we do, but we do not take ourselves too seriously(most of the time)!

I wanted to include this picture of Janet to let you know that we didn't clown around the whole day! It has been years since we have been able to meet as "special area" teachers. It was so nice to see old friends & meet new ones!! Being able to connect, share ideas, and be with people who "get" what we do was refreshing!!!

If there are some art teachers out there reading this...please find a way to connect with other art teachers!! YOU NEED IT! Even if you don't think you do...YOU DO! Find others in your district, reconnect with old college friends in your program, join on-line art ed. groups.......JUST DO IT!!!! And if nothing else....leave me a comment with your contact information. I never meet a stranger.....and love to talk shop!!!

Dr. Ed's Annual Art Supplies Drive

It's that time again!!! Dr. Ed Thomas(chiropractor extraordinaire) is getting ready to have his Annual Art Supplies Drive. My friend Julie(pictured left) & I are the recipients of this gracious gesture.

For the past several years, Total Body Healthcare, Inc has had an Annual Art Supplies Drive, and it has truly made an amazing impact on our art programs. The supplies that come in(markers, crayons, scissors, glue..etc) mean that we can use our limited funds to purchase other important/necessary items to create a rich & meaningful art experience for our students. I've taken a section of Dr. Ed's flier and placed below so you can see what he is offering on his end of the deal! Julie & I both go to Dr. Ed(and this was before he started giving us stuff!! ha ha), and will sing his praises as a chiropractor. So if you are in need of some chiropractic attention....this is the time to go!!! Help yourself & help the art programs at Tulip Grove Elementary & Hermitage Elementary.

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Our C-Savers will be August 14th. Please bring in $15 worth of art supplies in
exchange for your adjustment. Also, when you refer in your friends and family, they
can bring in $15 of art supplies to begin their care. This new patient special runs for
the entire month of August.

• Did you know that Metro Art teachers receive about $3.00 per child to buy
supplies that have to last all year?!?
• These supplies will be donated to Tulip Grove Elementary and Hermitage
Elementary schools.
• Help us make this year a year to remember for these students!

Total Body Healthcare, Inc
August 1-29, 2008
Phone: (615) 885-7300
252 Jackson Meadows Dr. Hermitage

http://www.totalbodyhealthcare.com/
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(here are some of the supplies that were brought to last years supply drive)