Is it ART?

"The aim of every artist is to arrest motion, which is life, by artificial means and hold it fixed so that a hundred years later, when a stranger looks at it, it moves again since it is life." ~William Faulkner

As I walked toward the driftwood sculpture discovered on Dauphin Island this cloudy Memorial Day weekend, I became increasingly intrigued by the formation and the choice of additional materials...

"It has been said that art is a tryst, for in the joy of it maker and beholder meet." ~Kojiro Tomita

As I circled the creation, I admired the idea and aesthetic design. I thought of the installation art of Jeanne-Claude and Christo...

Art is the desire of a man to express himself, to record the reactions of his personality to the world he lives in. ~Amy Lowell

I even took pictures with it as we often do with notable landmarks...

But, Is It Art?

Sunday Nap: Jessica in the Jasmine

She's sweet 16 and finds the most interesting places to catnap these days; wherever she wants.

Creative Character Sculptures

Fifth Graders at Vaughn Elementary School created character sculptures based on the books they were reading. The process of creating armatures, forming body parts, clothes, and adding texture with various tools was a first for these students and their teacher.

I helped with the introduction of this project and was thrilled to be invited to the culminating display of these creative products!

Mrs. Twit in The Twits by Roald Dahl

Angelina Ballerina

authorblog: Post Of The Day

authorblog: Post Of The Day

Thanks for including me in your POTD David!

authorblog: I'm No Van Gogh

authorblog: I'm No Van Gogh

Great story of artistic beginnings by David at Authorblog!

Romeo: Our fiercest and friendliest family member

"No one appreciates the very special genius of your conversation as the dog does."

Art Babble: Play Art Out Loud

Art-Bab-ble [ahrt-bab-uhl]
noun; verb (used without object) -bled, -bling

1. free flowing conversation, about art, for anyone.2. a place where everyone is invited to join an open, ongoing discussion - no art degree required.
ArtBabble was conceived, initiated, designed, built, sculpted, programmed, shot, edited, painted and launched by a cross-departmental collection of individuals at the Indianapolis Museum of Art (IMA). It is intended to showcase video art content in high quality format from a variety of sources and perspectives.
ArtBabble was created so others will join in spreading the world of art through video.
Babble On.


Just watched the following; one of many cool videos!

Procrastination

Cartoon by Dave Walker. Find more cartoons you can freely re-use on your blog at We Blog Cartoons.

"Did You Know..."

21st Century Schooling

To Meet the Demands of a New Age from Steven H on Vimeo.

Here’s a 2–minute video about 21st century schooling and curricula that was created by a Educational Administration Master’s student, Steven Hopper, at Iowa State University.

Blogs That Promote Unconventional Discussion

Blogs That Promote Unconventional Discussion

Posted using ShareThis

Grades

As another semester ends, I find myself reflecting on what all these numbers, calculated to be represented by letters, really mean to me and more importantly for each of my students.


What about the average grade of this student which does not represent the intangible growth he experienced; the student who was inspired to go above and beyond an assignment to learn more for his own pleasure? Or what about this inflated grade of the calculating student which does not represent the apathy, or robotic "just enough to get the points" behaviors she exhibited?

Everything that can be counted does not necessarily count; everything that counts cannot necessarily be counted. ~Albert Einstein

What does this "A" "B" "C" really represent? Another class to check off the list? A GPA enhancer or detriment? Although I would like to radically change the system, I do not offer an alternative which would be as effective a motivator.

What I really want to know is what will a student who spent the semester enrolled in one of my classes remember next year....and the next? What did I ask a student to read/do/consider/create which might have a positive impact on his/her future? Or the students he/she will teach?

We cannot discover what ought to be the case by examining what is the case. We must decide what ought to be the case. ~Paul Taylor

How do I revise my methods to give students more autonomy and responsibility for their own learning while including accountability and motivation to attend? I am competing for the time and attention of an increasingly multitasking student in a distracting world. They are in a constant state of prioritizing tasks; often, the one with the harshest consequences for not completing rises to the top.

"The only man who behaves sensibly is my tailor; he takes my measurements anew every time he sees me, while all the rest go on with their old measurements and expect me to fit them.
~George Bernard Shaw

One of the characteristic of teaching I appreciate is the opportunity to recreate myself each semester. After a short mental escape, I will again reflect on my failures and successes to plan for a new opportunity to be worthy of the time and resources adults commit to the instruction I design. (And do this in an accelerated mode: Summer Term :-O )

ART Resources I Found Today

A free-use educational resource: AICT Art Images for College Teaching
Permission granted for academic institutions to use these images freely and without further authorization in conjunction with educational activities such as teaching, research, and scholarly publication.

CYBERMUSE Your Art Education Research Site from the National Gallery of Canada.