The End of Term 1

 Today is the last day of Term 1! I am seriously so pleased with how well students have adapted to virtual learning. I miss being able to see my students every day, but we are covering a lot of great stuff in our few sessions each week, and I've been trying to craft up virtual lessons that are both meaningful and fun for students.

I wanted to show off some of the incredible Draw Something! artworks students have produced over the last few weeks. This is a drawing activity that I gave to students often in person, and I recently discovered a digital tool that allows students to draw! Using Kami, students were able to use the lines that I left them and turn them into creative drawings! This is an activity I introduced on our Wednesday Doodle Days, so this is what students were able to come up with in the 30 minute class - here are a few highlights from the submissions:

Recently, students have been working on a spooky radio play project. We listened to some examples of radio plays, like Orson Welles' War of the Worlds, and students are working on creating their own short stories. I have been so impressed while reading through the scripts students are working on, and I can't wait to hear the final product! I am hoping to share some of the recordings on our Virtual Art Show once they are completed.

Class Flags & First Week Activities

I am thoroughly impressed by all the creativity my new students have been expressing! Last week students were given their first Draw Something activity, where they have to create a drawing using provided lines and shapes. Honestly, this was the first group of students where I received COMPLETELY different drawings and I was in awe! Below are a few of the fantastic artworks I received. I cannot wait to pass out the next one!

For most of the week, classes had been working on their class flag. First, we voted for an overall shape for the flag and the winning silhouettes were Kobe Bryant, rectangle, Baby Yoda, Squidward, and the Vineyard Vines Whale. Next, students brainstormed and shared what was most important to them, realizing that so many students had similar interests and values. We compiled a class list and then selected a topic for each table for students to create an icon for and add to the flag. Each artwork is unique, creating a flag that shows off the class' shared valuables and their artistic talent! Below are works-in-progress. We will finish up the flags next week (a few more students need to complete their contribution) and I will be able to proudly display the flags.

This week I also introduced the Doodle Calendars. Each month students will have a calendar to complete. They have prompts for each day, and students have the option of completing one square each day or as they choose throughout the month. These calendars vary by month as to what the topics are. Usually they will consist of content-related prompts where students are practicing skills, but this month students are drawing pictures of their favorite things so I can get to know them better. Below are a few works-in-progress.

Welcome to Creative Arts!

Hello and welcome to my new students and families! I am so excited to work with all of you and introduce you to the wonderful world that is creative arts. We have an action-packed semester, filled with all things visual, dance, drama, and music. Each of the units is associated with a certain world culture, so we'll learn about how art is used in every day life.

We are starting off the semester by reviewing rules and expectations and introducing some of our on-going activities. I am getting to know a little bit about each student through their "All About Me" page and then get a taste of their creativity through their first Draw Something (a super fun creativity challenge where students have to draw something out of provided lines or shapes). My goal is to update my blog at the end of each week and then begin each week with a short email. The email will discuss what students will be working on that week and review upcoming due dates, while the blog post will kind of wrap of the week and share insight on what students learned. I like to take pictures while students are working, too, to show off their creativity - pictures can be found on a number of places, including this blog, Instagram, and Twitter.

Today we are briefly discussing the first project - the class flag. So far Red Class has voted on an idea for their flag shape - I'm looking forward to hearing what ideas the other classes have. Next week students will create the artwork to assemble the flag so I can proudly hang their art in the classroom.

Here are a few pictures of the first Draw Something in-progress from Orange Class:

First Week

Happy Monday! Last week was a great first week. I enjoyed meeting all of my new students and I look forward to seeing their creativity blossom.

Our first project in Creative Arts is the class flag. We discussed culture and explained how we had a class culture among ourselves. Students created a list of topics that were most important to them as a class and began creating artwork to add to a flag. My favorite part of these flags is that the students vote on what the actual flag with look like, so once they are hanging you will be pleasantly surprised at the designs each class chose! In this first week, students were introduced to the planning process of thumbnails and rough drafts and even experienced their first critique, which is used to help one another generate further ideas before moving on to their final artwork. Below are a few images of the planning process from the first week:

Students also completed their first Draw Something last week! Draw Something is an activity I enjoy using to get students to think creatively. I supply them with a few lines or shapes for students to turn into a picture of some sort. I was blown away by the artwork I received on Friday because students thought of so many different objects to turn the lines into.

This week we are compiling our class flags and moving on to our next project - Kaleidoscope Name Drawings. Check out my Twitter and Instagram for more frequent updates!