Comments for artchat

Comment on Arts Swap ( a place for teachers to share materials) by Karen Kenney

Karen Kenney — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 15:15:49 +0000

Hi! Would anyone like some dark pink tissue paper? I rescued 80 lbs. of it from a near trash experience. I can put some in inter-departmental if you like.

Comment on Fallis Music Class Visit by Ben

Ben — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 00:34:52 +0000

First of all, compliments to Amy for having such a quality lesson. I was very impressed with all the elements of the composition activities Amy created. It wasn’t just about creative composing but also incorporated other elements and learning strategies. These included self-evaluation, peer-evaluation, rubrics, and accountable talk. I was very impressed with the ability of Amy’s students while I was observing. It was great to hear the children having great conversation with each other about the tasks they were completing. It was outstanding! Amy’s expertise in teaching elementary music was evident in the quality musicians she produced. I found the experience of observing this classroom very refreshing and an excellent experience. I would recommend visiting other teachers’ classrooms to everyone! Thank you for allowing us to observe your class and keep up the great work, Amy!

Comment on What’s going on in your school? by Kimberly Putnam

Kimberly Putnam — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 22:30:51 +0000

I’m the Director of Continuing Education at RMCAD and I am in charge of our Pre-College Art + Design Academy for high school students… this fall I’m looking to revamp some of our programs and would like input from high school teachers… this program is designed to supplement what the kids learn in your classes and build on that learning or to fill in the holes, for example we offer life drawing classes. Another area I’m hoping to develop and grow is our Portfolio Development series…the idea being we create a number of weekend workshops geared toward HS kids who need help with their portfolio or need opportunities to create additional work for those portfolios as this is a very important component when one applies to an art + design college… any thoughts and or comments regarding what would be of interest and of need to your students would be greatly apprecited! Best, Kimberly Putnan

Comment on Daniel Pink on creativity by Ben

Ben — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 00:15:24 +0000

I have to be creative with my teaching, otherwise I get very bored teaching many sections of the same grade level. I enjoy thinking about the creative ways I could further expand my lessons once I have finished them. Sometimes I don’t even have the same lesson by the time I teach it to my last section. Creativity helps stifle the burn out that often occurs in this teaching situation. It is also a huge part of me as an educator and I consider it part of my success as an educator.

Comment on Testing, testing, resting by Ben

Ben — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 19:48:27 +0000

I make sure that during CSAP time the students are allowed an array of movement activities when they come to class. This could be songs with body percussion, percussion instruments, or Orff instruments. This is also a time I do activities that students ask to do throughout the year. The art idea above looks great. How fun!

Comment on Daniel Pink on creativity by Steve Simpson

Steve Simpson — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 22:20:38 +0000

I think I am creative almost everyday, sometimes just as a means of survival! I try to allow my students creativity to shape my lessons sometimes too. For example, their suggestions for choreographing a song are sometimes better than anything I could come up with!

Comment on creativity by anita

anita — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 22:18:01 +0000

Creativity in the classroom means art “centers” to me.
A studio situation where students are thinking of their plan before they enter the art room. As they are in the room they are collectively working together. Working out respecting space, responsible for materials and encouraging each other to think outside of the box. It is a space where students and staff are doing mini lessons as ideas, strategies and curiousities arise. A place that values wonder and discovery. A studio that is looking for the student to create the plan and not me. Of course this is the ideal to me of what creativity looks like in the classroom and my personal studio.

I do love this quote by Julia Cameron
“In order to have a real relationship with our creativity, we must first take the time and care to cultivate it.”

Thank you Karen for working so hard on community!

Comment on creativity by Maruca

Maruca — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 17:15:54 +0000

Hi: This is great!
Thank you Karen for your ideas and hard work.

Comment on creativity by Ben

Ben — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 16:31:17 +0000

Creativity is a crucial ingredient to every successful and effective educator.

Creativity is something needed to create fun & meaningful activities for a classroom. Creativity is the drive that allows students’ needs to be met and have a real-world educational experience.
Creativity allows students to use critical thinking skills that seem to be suffocated by pointless assessment strategies and “teaching to the test.”
Creativity means thinking outside the box and not falling into the trap of a “canned” instructional model.

My students are encouraged to be creative by making choices in my classroom. This involves the ability to think for themselves and provide ideas to the class. This could be as simple as providing movement to a song or as challenging as coming up with a new method of composition or improvisation.

Comment on creativity by pat

pat — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 04:47:43 +0000

What is creativity? The ability to transcend boundaries, to take learned constructs and recreate them in new and fresh ways.