Monday, December 17, 2012

A Blue Dog way to reach Louisiana's children...

http://nolavie.com/2012/12/a-blue-dog-way-to-reach-louisianas-children-25448.html

Monday, December 10, 2012

Why is Creativity Important in Education?

Friday, December 7, 2012

LRA 2012

Kelly Byrd, Jennifer Simpson and I are presenting at the Louisiana Reading Association Conference in New Orleans, LA today.

Our conference presentation is titled Integrating Technology and the Arts in Reading and Math: What it Looks Like with New Standards. We will share practical strategies for integrating literacy, technology and the arts with emphasis on new literacy standards in math.

Additional Resources...

Radial Symmetry, Tessellations, and Notan Designs

Great slideshow by Nancy Walkup, teacher and editor of SchoolArts magazine

Radial symmetry from Nancy Walkup

Interactive Tessellation Site

http://www.shodor.org/interactivate/activities/Tessellate/

Tessellation Demo by artist Jim McNeil
http://www.shodor.org/interactivate/activities/Tessellate/

Monday, December 3, 2012

Chinese Culture for Kids

A success! http://paigeandpeggy.blogspot.com/2012/12/chinese-culture-for-kids.html

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Pick-a-Project

Tonight in our graduate art education class (AED501) students chose a project from Denise Logan's award winning book "Dynamic Art Projects for Children." The criteria for their choice included a project from this book which could be completed in our class time (2 1/2 hours) with supplies available in our art lab. I also indicated that everyone should choose a different project.

The Process...

As graduate students with teaching experience, I wanted them to choose something most relevant for their classes and appealing to their aesthetic preferences. The activity reminded me of how powerful, interesting, and educational choice can be. As a continuation of the in-class production activity, the students will comment on this blog post reflecting on their own work and the choices they made. They will also comment on the process and products of their peers. Feel free to join in on the conversation!

The Products...

Justina's "Psychedelic Sand Dollars"

Allie's "Dragons in Caves"

Catherine's "Abstract Cityscape"

Erin's "Blazing Banyan Tree"

Anne's "Bird of the Rainforest"

Jessica's "Reptile Relief"

Heather's "Alphabet Art"

QUESTIONS FOR AED 501 STUDENTS:
Which project did you choose?
What influenced your art project choice?
Did you modify the process from the directions? How? Why?
What would you do the same/differently if you were to do this project again?
Would you do this with your students? How would you modify it? How would you integrate it with another subject?
Other thoughts...

Collective Nouns in Positive and Negative Space

Just "Google" Collective Nouns and you will discover an assortment of lists with entertaining descriptors of groups of animals.

Wikipedia and Fun with Words are good places to start:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_collective_nouns
http://www.rinkworks.com/words/collective.shtml

This art activity may be integrated with math science and/or language arts.
MATH: The number of positive and negative shapes in various colors may be added, subtracted, multiplied and identified.
SCIENCE: Animal groups such as mammals, insects, and/or sea life, may be the focus of your study.
LANGUAGE ARTS: The group of animals may go on a creative adventure which can be communicated through a short story or poem as well as through the art.

The only materials needed are paper, index cards, scissors, and oil pastels.

1. Trace the contour lines of an animal on a 5 X 8 index card.
2. Cut the animal shape out carefully. You will use both the negative and positive shapes you cut as stencils.
3. Place the negative or positive stencil on your paper and trace with and an oil pastel.
4. Holding your stencil firmly in place to create a clean contour line, smudge the pastel color inward with the negative space stencil and outward with the positive space stencil.
5. Repeat with various placements of stencils and colors of choice to create the composition you desire.
6. Title your art with the collective noun description.

Lauren Macon's "Jingle of Deer"

The Collective Noun Art of EDU 301 Fall 2012

Victoria Kaplan's "Ostentation of Peacocks"

The Collective Noun Art of EDU 301 Fall 2012

Jessica Sander's Tide of Elephants

Haleigh Respess' "Bale of Turtles"

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Eyes on Ireland

I will be leaving for Ireland in 22 days!

Stay posted at Vitulli & Santoli: Eyes on Ireland

http://usaeyesonireland.blogspot.com/

Exceptional Art in the College of Education

On Tuesday, September 18th, Ricky Trione, Vicky Cook, and students from The Exceptional Foundation of the Gulf Coast shared their talents with USA College of Education students and faculty!

EDU301 students joined participants from the Exceptional Foundation and learned about perseverance, character and art education while engaging in a collaborative finger-painting activity with Ricky Trione, blind artist.