Tagxedo and ToonDoo

Teachers are always continuing to learn.  Today I went to a Professional Development about Web tools.
I learned about Tagxedo.  Check this out from Tagxedo:

 You can create your own Tagxedo at http://www.tagxedo.com/




I also learned about ToonDoo.  Check out this cute cartoon that I created about my home childcare.

You can create your own cartoon at http://www.toondoo.com/

Ohio Artists

I am not from Ohio.  So, when I read the Ohio Visual Arts Standards (what we need to teach the kids), one of the items was to teach about an Ohio artist.  All that I could think of was quilt makers and Amish artists.  I knew that there had to be much more to Ohio than that!
I contacted fellow Ohio art teachers - a few led me to Aminah Robinson.  Then I contacted the Columbus Museum of Art.  They also let me to Aminah Robinson.  After much research, I settled on the following lessons for your youngsters!  I love when I learn as much as the kids.

 

Kindergarten - Jim Dine One Heart

Here are a few examples.  You can see more artwork at our Artsonia exhibit here:
http://www.artsonia.com/museum/gallery.asp?exhibit=516651&index=0

Student Artwork

Jim Dine Artwork

Student Artwork

 

 

1st Grade - Jim Dine, 4 Hearts with Warm and Cold Colors

Here are a few.  You can see more artwork at our Artsonia exhibit here:
http://www.artsonia.com/museum/gallery.asp?exhibit=524980&index=0

Jim Dine Artwork

Student Artwork

Student Artwork

 

 

2nd Grade - Roy Lichtenstein Action Words

Here are a few examples or Student Artwork.  You can see more at our Artsonia exhibit here:
http://www.artsonia.com/museum/gallery.asp?exhibit=519059&index=0

Lichtenstein Artwork

Student Artwork

Student Artwork

 

 

3rd Grade - Aminah Robinson Love Letters

For this lesson, I created a webquest.  Check it out here:
http://questgarden.com/142/06/5/120405141330/index.htm
Here are a few examples.  You can see more at our Artsonia exhibit here: 

http://www.artsonia.com/museum/gallery.asp?exhibit=520129&index=0

 

 

4th Grade - Aminah Robinson Music Box

Here are a few examples.  You can see more at our Artsonia Exhibit here:
http://www.artsonia.com/museum/gallery.asp?exhibit=522888

Visual Arts Community Unit

As I continue to take more college courses, I continue to gain more knowledge to use in the classroom with my kiddos!
Check out the Wiki that I created for my current college class.  This Wiki discusses my Visual Art Community Unit.  It's a unit that I've taught many times, but I've added a 21st Century teacher spin on it.
The Wiki can be found here:
http://m4ney.pbworks.com/w/page/54017604/Visual%20Arts%20Community%20Unit


A You Tube video discussing the Wiki can be found here:

Electronic Portfolio

My Introduction to Principles of Instructional Technology Class is finished.  Spring Semester at Ashland University is coming to a close.
For our final project, we were to complete an Electronic Portfolio of all our work this semester.  This was a great opportunity to create my own website.  I loved learning this technology!  This was, by far, my favorite class at Ashland.  It also inspired me to shift my Master's degree to one with a Technology facilitator endorsement.  This means that more technology classes await me in the coming year.
Please take a moment to look at my Electronic Portfolio here:
http://www.wix.com/m4ney3/melissaforney

Masks

My students are currently learning about masks.
 We began by watching a Movie about Masks.  I created this movie during my Graduate Technology class.

Mask Movie

Circle Mask with Feeling

1st grade students created Circle Masks.  Using paper plates, they were asked to emphasize facial expression.

Orange Bird Mask

Bird Mask with Horns

Pink Bird Mask

2nd grade students created Bird Masks.  Using paper and found objects, they were asked to keep masks symmetrical.

Red and Orange Echo Mask

Purple and Yellow Echo Mask

Pink and Yellow Echo Mask

 3rd and 4th Grade Students created Echo Masks.  They followed step by step directions in the beginning.  This helped them to create eyes, nose, and mouth.  Paper was folded to keep the design symmetrical.  Found objects were added for design.

Aminah Robinson

For my current Grad class project, we are to create a Webquest.  This is a great opportunity!  As I read through the Ohio Visual Art Standards, I read that we need to spend some time learning about Ohio art and artist. 
As a teacher new to Ohio, this webquest began as a way for me to learn about Ohio Artists.  Our Ohio Visual Arts Standards state that students must learn about these artists, yet I had no basic knowledge of them.  I was raised in Pennsylvania, received my bachelor's degree from a Pennsylvania college then taught art in Tennessee.  I know all about Andy Warhol (from Pennsylvania) and Red Groom (from Tennessee) but I needed to know more about Ohio.

After networking with local art teachers and art museums, I learned that Aminah Robinson is a preeminent artist in the area.  I soon realized that this is someone that my students MUST learn about.  

Mt. Vernon Memory Map by Aminah Robinson

This webquest will take you and your students on a journey to learn about Aminah Robinson, letter making and finally creating an art project inspired by her "Unwritten Love Letters" artwork.

Enjoy!

Please Click Here to enjoy my newly created Webquest and to learn more about Aminah Robinson
http://questgarden.com/142/06/5/120405141330/t-index.htm

Pinch Pots

Our 2nd and 3rd Grade students are creating Pinch Pots from clay!
For this lesson, we began by talking about the properites of clay.  How is it different than Play-doh?  Where does it come from?  Then we talked about what we can do with clay.  Do we throw it?  Do we roll it?

As part of many art lessons, we learn about the history associated with the lesson.  For this lesson, we discussed Greek Pottery.  Greek pots were functional in purpose.  They could not buy pots and bowls at Wal-Mart so they needed to create their own.  We looked at a few ancient Greek pots for examples.

Pottery with Red Figure

Pottery with Black Figure

We then moved on to the creative process in art.  The students began by exploring the clay.  They rolled the clay into a ball, flattened it into a pancake and became familiar with it's properties. We then began to make our Pinch Pots.  I asked the students to pay particular attention to the thickness of the walls of their pots.  The walls should be as thick as an eraser or as an Oreo cookie.  The students then used a wooden tool to draw decorations on the side of their pot and finally to write their name on the bottom of their pot.
These are pictures of just a few of our many pinch pots

3rd Grade Pinch Pot

3rd Grade Pinch Pot 

Tray of Leatherhard Pinch pots

The pinch pots dry for 2-3 days from a leatherhard stage to a greenware stage.  The pots are then fired in our Kiln.  They "bake" in the kiln for about 8 hours and reach a temperature or about 2,000 degrees Farenheit.  When they are removed from the kiln, they are considered bisque ware.
These are some pictures of bisque ware pots:

Pinch Pots that have been fired in the Kiln

Bisqueware

 The Pinch Pots are then painted with a glaze.  The students were permitted to pick one color for the glaze as the colors run together.

Painting the pinch pots

The pots are then set to dry for one more day.  When the glaze is dry, they are put into the Kiln for another firing.  Then are fired to Cone 06 again.

Bisqueware painted with Glaze

Pots painted with Glaze

Finally the Pinch Pots are placed back into the Kiln to fire again for about 8 hours until they reach "Cone 06" temperature.  This is the finished product:

Bright Blue Glazed Pinch Pot

Pinch Pots

Pink Glazed Pinch Pot

Purple glazed Pinch Pot

Printmaking

Our students have just finished a lesson on Printmaking.

1st grade students created patterns with styrofoam incised plates.  We discussed basic symbols as well as how to make an "A B A" pattern.

2nd grade students created animal pictures.  We used animal models to learn how to draw an animal figure.  After creating 4 sketches, the kids choose their favorite animal drawing.  They then transferred their drawing to a Styrofoam plate and created a series of prints.

3rd grade students created monogramed cards from printing with styrofoam incised plates.  They were given the option to use their cards for Valentines day, thank you cards or any other idea.

4th grade students began a unit on architecture.  We discussed Frank Lloyd Wright then designed their own building. Finally, they created a series of prints with their Styrofoam incised plates.
Here are a few examples of artwork created in the 4th grade classes.

As part of my current Graduate school class, I created a Glogster to show the students about Printmaking.  Thankfully, I have a gorgeous projector in my classroom that is connected to my computer.  This gives me the capability to project this Glog onto the white board in the Art Room.

You can see the Printmaking Glogster here:

http://m4ney.edu.glogster.com/printmaking/?

I love Technology!

Introduction to Principles of Instructional Technology
For the past year, I've been working on my Master's degree from Ashland University.  It all began because I needed to take 12 college credits to renew my Ohio Teaching License.  But if I'm going to spend time taking classes, it better count towards a degree. So, I enrolled in Ashland University to gain a Master's degree in Curriculum and Instruction.  As a working mother of two very active daughters, I love Ashland's online offerings.  As I type this homework assignment, I'm on the WiFi at my church while my daughter is in Youth Group!  I can get class work done and take my daughters to their activitites.

As part of my current course, I must create and maintain a Blog.  Thankfully, I've already created this blog.  So, I plan to add a few posts over the next few months about my classwork.
Most recently, we learned to make a Wiki.  Here is the link to my Wiki:
 http://melissaforney.pbworks.com/w/page/50289233/FrontPage

I hope that you'll check it out.  The best part of the Wiki is my research on creating an Art History timeline on the Internet.  Since a basic timeline is required for all 4th grade students in Visual Art in Ohio, I decided to add a technology component.  I'm currently working on the logistics to take the Harmon Elementary students into the computer lab so that they can create their own timeline.

Art History Timeline on Timetoast

After suffering through a college course rich in data and numbers - Quantitative Analysis, I am loving this current course - Introducation to Principles of Instructional Technology.  I've even considered adding a Technology endorsement to my teaching license and adding a "minor" in Technology to my Master's Degree.  Any teachers out there have any recommendations for me?