Art Chopped

 Last week's blog post was about a really fun product from Faber-Castell called Creativity Can. While it's not quite the same thing consider making your own Creativity Bag/Box activity?

After all, how many of you have stuff you just don't know what to do with it? Popsicle sticks, bottle tops, stickers, buttons, pom-poms, scrap paper, other odds and ends? Or weird donations?

Why not put all that stuff in bags/boxes for your students and have them create art?

This lesson is a take off of a cooking show, Food Chopped, where contestants get a basket of food and their goal is to make a spectacular three-course meal.

I got the idea from a workshop that I attended in Seattle at the NAEA Conference.

   

 The presenter was Jen Dahl, the president of the WAEA.  

 

We did the project as a competition just like the show, my partner was Emily Samuels. 

Back at school, I filled bags with a really odd assortment of things from my art room (see photo at the top). It was at the end of the school year and this was part of my effort to pack up the room for the summer. My 2nd-4th graders got the opportunity to do this project. And I have already been asked this year if I plan to do it again, as it was so much fun! BTW YES! Totally plan to do it again!

  

  

  

  

I think it's important to give children unstructured art opportunities to have a chance to explore. I have also from time to time given them free art with leftover materials. For those of you that like giving students free choices to create in art all the time consider exploring TAB (teaching to artistic behavior) or Play Based Art Teaching with George Szekely.

Was gonna plug the fact that at the FAEA conference in October there is a workshop Art Chopped, but it's already full! Guaranteed to be a lot of fun!!

Soooo to recap from last week if you have a great budget and can afford the Creativity Can from Faber-Castell:GO FOR IT!  If not, make your own!

Thanks for Reading!

Carousel of Bloggers

Elementary Carousel of Learning: Teacher Art Blogs- WOW! It was a blast!
From left to right is Laura Lohmann of Painted Paper, Phyllis Brown Levine of There's a Dragon in my Art Room, Cassie Stephens of What the Art Teacher Wore, Jen Dahl of Jen Dahl's Art Room and me, Sheryl Depp.

 The room was set up with tables, with a different blogger at each table. The way it worked was similar to speed dating. You would enter the room, choose a table to sit at, listen to a short presentation and then move on to the next table.

 

   

By the end of the session you had the opportunity to meet and learn something different from each of us. Since I was so busy talking, I didn't get to listen and learn from all the other bloggers in the room.

   

   

But I believe Phyllis spoke about navigating around the tabs of your blog. Cassie spoke about finding your passion and then writing about it. Jen got into the technology of setting it up and I went into my thought process on how I got started.

 

 

 

The event was overwhelmingly  successful and was attended by other established bloggers. I got to meet Nic Hahn from Mini Matisse. She has me linked on her blog AND as soon as I figure that out, I will be making a list of bloggers for you all to check out!

 

 

This wonderful event was coordinated and hosted by Nancy Walkup editor of School Arts Magazine.

AND later that same day...............

The Art of Education had a Blogger Meet Up! AMAZING!!

I am feeling incredibly inspired by all the wonderful people I met during the 2015 NAEA conference.

OH AND I ALSO GOT TO MEET THE "SELFIE" LADY!!!

 Last November, my blog was inspired by a video from The Art of Ed summer conference on Selfies.

What person has inspired you?

Now I'm gonna get some rest, so that I can get back into the real world and return to work tomorrow!!

Thanks for reading!!!