What child doesn't enjoy looking at all of the beautiful and different coloured leaves that fall provides for us? Don't let them go to waste! Here's an art activity for the classroom that students are sure to love! This activity can be used in any grade. But the most fitting is grade 3. So here's the premise: In this lesson students will have been asked to collect different types of natural objects (multi-coloured leaves of different sizes and shapes, twigs, feathers, pine needles, etc.) to use in today’s creation. They have been advised against bringing in rocks, unless they are very, very small and against wispy materials, such as feathers and fluffs (the glue does not favour these materials). Students will have been asked to decide on an animal and a colour scheme (warm or cool) that speaks to them in some way. They will be communicating how their animal makes them feel and their reasoning behind their use of colour in their art journals for the consolidation of this lesson. As they produce their preliminary work, they will have had to plan and focus on how they would like their animal to be portrayed (symmetrically, asymmetrically) and what natural materials and colours they want to use. They will focus on using a variety of line in their pattern that outlines the border of their page (which includes, but is not limited to materials such as twigs and pine needles), as well as they will be challenging themselves to create strong contrasts using either contrasting colours or light and dark values. Students are permitted to use pencil crayon or marker to draw any colours that they could not find in nature, but are envisioning in their head. It is not required; this option is so that students are not limited by the colours of the leaves in their neighborhood. D1. Creating and presenting: apply the creative process to produce a two-dimensional artwork, using elements, principles, and techniques of visual arts to communicate feelings D2. Reflecting, Responding, and Analyzing: apply the critical analysis process to communicate feelings, ideas, and understandings in response to a an artwork Line: a variety of line Shape & Form: symmetrical and asymmetrical shapes and forms in the natural world Colour: colour for expression (e.g., warm and cool colours) Value: mixing a range of light colours and dark colours Principle of Design: contrast, repetition and rhythm, variety, emphasis, proportion, balance, unity and harmony with a focus on ‘variety’: slight variations on a major theme; strong contrasts (e.g., use of different lines, shapes, values, and colours to create interest (bright or light colour values, dark colour values) This work has been inspired by Andy Goldsworthy. A video of Andy's art should be displayed prior to assigning the activity so that students can begin making artistic choices of their own. By the end of this lesson students will have challenged themselves to use organic materials in new and interesting ways and improve their understanding of fundamental concepts such as line, shape, and colour. Students will experiment with new art materials (natural objects) and techniques (contrast using light and dark value, variety of line), make intentional decisions on their design and colour choices, and then reflect on his/her process in a short, one to two paragraph response in his/her art journal.
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Who here doesn't love coffee? Something warm to wake up to in the morning. Something simple to keep you going through the day. Well, maybe I know a few people who don't. And maybe we should learn from them. Who here knows the coffee song? C-O-F-F-E-E Coffee's not good for me It's a drink that people wake up with And it makes you nervous is no myth Thanks to a coffee cup I can't give coffee up I learned that in elementary school. But it didn't stop me from drinking it. However, for those who don't know, and for those who care to know, here's a video on what coffee actually does to your brain. Just some food for thought! (Yes, I am drinking coffee right now) I have to admit that I had never really thought about the true potential in bringing technology into the classroom until I took this course. Sure, I knew that technology was important and yes, I knew that there was “no escaping it,” but I really didn’t know what it all meant, nor its significance. Recently, I attended a Professional Development conference for all students in their Professional Year (A.K.A teacher’s college) at Lakehead University. A man who represented the Ontario College of Teachers gave some advice to all of us, future teachers. He said, “be knowledgeable and current in your teaching.” He discussed the importance of embracing technology in our teaching, such as using different learning communities and having discussions through social media platforms and blogs. Technology is better now than it’s ever been and it is at our fingertips. I know it’s hard to embrace technology. Using technology in the classroom might not only feel alien to us, but also intimidating. It’s not really how I was taught, it’s probably not how you were taught, and it definitely was not how our teachers were taught. But that shouldn’t stop us. Let’s switch gears for a second and discuss some benefits (I mean, think about how eager we were to play Math Circus. Remember?). According to TeachHub, whether we allow technology in our classrooms or not, our students will be digital citizens, and most of them already are. By introducing electronic devices into our classroom we are setting students up for success in their lives both inside and outside of the classroom. We need to make sure that our students are prepared to meet the demands of the twenty first century…
And there’s an easy way to do so. Think about it. Technology encourages collaboration. Technology encourages students to become more responsible and take control over their learning. Technology keeps students (and you) keep up-to-date in a quick and efficient manner. Technology helps students stay engaged. Technology reaches a diversity of learning styles. Technology opens up endless possibilities for project-based learning. Technology increases the ability to think critically. Technology opens up the opportunity to access face-to-face learning from anywhere in the world. Technology opens up communication between teachers, students, and parents. And this is just naming a few. Here’s a handful of websites that could get you on your feet and thinking about how you can integrate technology into your classroom.
Students who love technology will love using it to learn. Turn the tables. Give them a chance to teach YOU something. Don’t be afraid to put yourself in the position of a learner. What inspired many of us to be teachers wasn’t the cool technological tools that help to enhance learning, but we now have the ability to impact, innovate, and inspire students with it. Teaching hasn’t changed… it’s been enhanced. It is essential for young children to be aware of social media and all of its many facets. Yes, internet safety is a major topic of consideration and discussion, but just as important is teaching students how to create their persona in social media spaces. I feel like this is a slightly overlooked topic. We, as teachers, educators, parents, guardians, or whoever we may be, have a responsibility to give children an idea and understanding of both what it means to post and what is appropriate to post. Whether it’s a picture, blog, tweet, etc., to a website like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, etc., young learners might not be equipped with the knowledge to truly understand what it is that they are posting, or the appropriateness of their post. Until children have been told, they do not know that everything they post is taken as a reflection of who they are as a person. As social media is a dominant mode of communication, it is important for role models, like teachers, to show their students how to make strategic decisions regarding how they portray themselves on social media. A little education on the matter goes a long way.
Though discussing social media personas may seem like extra and/or unnecessary work for teachers, especially those who are new to the field, this topic is very, very important. First, posting (or using other media platforms such as blogging) is a great way to get students engaged in learning, communicating with you, and collaborating with their peers. Second, you can make this topic fun, just as my media literacy class did when we were allotted time in class to tinker and create a personalized magazine cover page. For example, students can pretend to be a teacher, business man/woman, news reporter, scientist, zoologist etc. and reporting/creating columns/writing like a person in that profession would. Whether they know it or not, the students will be taking on the persona of another to portray themselves (as the persona they chose) in a certain light. This is a teachable moment in which students will gain a deeper understanding of the importance of creating a certain appearance for a specific purpose. Activities like this display how different types of language and posts/images should be used in specific settings, including something like their own blog. In addition, deconstructing and/or reconstructing advertisements is a great way to get students thinking critically. It is good practice for students to depict who is responsible for the add, what the add is actually saying, and what the add wants them to do because it may give them some insight into how people will be viewing their social media presence(s). Best of all, there are plenty of activities that, such as those explained above, that DO connect to the Ontario Curriculum (take a peek at any grade under the tab “Media Literacy” in the Language Curriculum document). The bottom line is that your students either will be, or already are, involved in social media. We just need to help set a foundation of skills and understandings so that they are aware of what types of posts might be helpful or harmful to their personal integrity or persona(s). Students need to know that their posts are public and the material that they post is the basis of how other people will view them. I think it would be great for students to create their own educational blog and discuss their learning and/or hobbies and/or educational or extra-curricular successes. Hopefully activities like these will not only teach students about the importance of creating a persona with a purpose, but also give them incentive to see themselves in a positive light. This could be a great way for students to build up self-confidence as they are encouraged to find their individual and unique values. It might even work out that in the process of constructing the perspective they want others to see, they will find some qualities in themselves that they might have overlooked otherwise. |
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February 2017
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