A Visual Explosion!

     Our visual arts lesson on Thursday was a feast for our eyes!  We were well taught about many artists and illustrators.  When we entered our classroom, we felt as if we had entered a museum of art.  It was amazing to see the collection of works and to listen and learn about each work.  I was amazed at the insight of many of the interpretations we learned about.  I was thrilled that we were given time to think about what the pieces meant to us personally.

     I am happy to have learned that schools have collections of the Utah artists on hand.  I will use this collection no matter what grade I teach.  This is an amazing collection and can teach and inspire youth in so many ways.  Students will see that they can be artists too when they learn about the local talent. 

     Having prepared our illustrator activity/lesson was good preparation for this class.  We were so moved by learning about the visual arts that we were already invested.  I was excited to hear about the different illustrators also because we had learned a great deal in preparation about our illustrator.  This sparked my interest and when the other presentations were made we wanted to learn about them all.  I also tried to visit as many tables would allow because I was intrigued with the presentations.  I wish I could have visited every single one.

      This was an amazing day and I am excited to use the visual arts in my lessons in school.  I feel that it can be plugged in to all subjects of lessons and will look to incorporate it often.  I also want to learn even more about illustrators of children's books.  A little personal note about the authors life will bring a personal element to the reading and hopefully help children connect with the books even more as I do this. 

     

Visual Arts ahhhhh!

     The visual arts are amazing!  The creative elements and span of variety make it fun to learn and teach about.  Seeing the artists' interpretation of their own expressions open the eyes of students. Visual arts teach creativity in a way that is fun and interesting.  

     Mixing paints and creating your own colors is fascinating.  Learning about tints, tones, and shades, helps a person appreciate all the colors within our visual spectrum.  After learning about the color wheel a person will appreciate the visual arts even more.

     Creating texture in visual arts is a challenge and rewarding.  It is a test of imaginative ability to create texture in artwork.  Artists have mastered this technique and to allow students the chance to try this would be fun to present as a project.  

     Learning about different lines is a fundamental element of art.  It simplifies the lessons of art and helps a student appreciate even the smallest ideas.  Students will be able to expand their ideas if they start out with the foundation of artistic ideas.  

     Using shape in art work gives the students ideas to expand with.  Shapes can create depth and interest in a art piece.  Shape will add emotion to artwork and create feelings that may be different for different students.  It also allows for the dimension of a piece to have an effect on the audience.

     I will use the visual arts in many ways.  I will teach students about artists in world history and about the elements of art.  I feel that I will use art in a variety of ways in different subjects as well.  It is applicable to any subject.  I will teach students that visual arts are valuable and should be appreciated.  We will visit museums and create our own museum.  I am so excited to to share my passion for visual arts with my students. 

Dancing Sets Us Free!

     If dance in the classroom is about "creative problem solving" and using "hands on, feet on--whole body on" experiences, then educators must take note of the awesome possibilities they have to teach students through dance.  A formal dance class in a studio would be repetitive learning and possibly high stress for students to get routines just right.  In a classroom students have the ability to explore the possibilities with the adventure of creative movement and variations of music.  This can relieve stress and anxiety.  This can allow for self expression in a free way that has no right or wrong answer.  

     I will use dance in my classroom as tool.  Children need movement.  Movement helps motivate learning by promoting activity in a fun way.  When children incorporate movement with learning it helps them learn by experiencing not just memorizing.  It is invigorating.  I will allow children to get up and get their wiggles out in creative ways.  I will use music to promote a mood for the dance.  I will use dance to teach about different cultures and customs.  I will use dance to teach focus, and concentration.  Dancing to bring fun into a math lesson might be a challenge that I would like to explore.  Dance and creative movement with music and creativity will be a fun element in my classroom.