iPads and Matisse in Grade 4

 

 

One of the perks of teaching art in a STEM school is the availability of technology. In December, I got a classroom set of iPads. I did have nine iPads at the beginning of the school year, which was great, but having one for every student really opens the door to so many new and exciting possibilities for my students.

 

In December, my first graders used the iPads and the Art Doodles app to learn about Henri Matisse and then create Christmas-themed cut out collages. That was fun, but I wanted to take the lesson a step further with my fourth grade students. They first used Art Doodles to create their image, then saved it to their photos. The challenge was to recreate their image using a 6-inch square of construction paper, colored paper scraps, and a pair of scissors.

 

Day 1: After an introduction to Matisse and his work, the students used Art Doodles to create their images.

Day 2: Recreating the image using cut paper

 

Day 3: Finishing up

 

 

On the third day, some students needed a little time to finish their cut paper collages. After that, everyone set up their iPad with the artwork and we had a "walk around exhibit". There was a lot of good conversation among the students as they noted color and design changes and talked with each other about why these changes were made.

 

 

After the walk around, a few students added a few  more details to their work, but most of them were happy with the end result and ready to move on to something new. Success!

 

 

 

 

AOE Conference...Totally Relevant and then some...

I have to give kudos to Jessica Balsley and all the fantastic presenters from Saturday's  Art of Education Online Conference!  I learned so much from the first AOE online conference last June, so signing up to attend another was a no-brainer for me. I already felt like I knew some of the presenters because I read their blogs and Facebook posts, but it's always fun to see them in action and hear the enthusiasm in their voices as they talk about their experiences in the classrooms and studios they manage in so many creative ways.
                                                                   

                                                                             

And it doesn't hurt to be able to attend a conference in sweats or pjs, coffee cup and knitting needles in hand...especially in southwestern Ohio with snow falling, wind blowing, and temperatures in the single digits! After the sun came out and the thermometer registered in the upper teens, I even took a short break to drive up to school to begin selecting student work for an exhibit at a local art gallery, but I was able to continue with the conference on my classroom computer. That's some serious multi-tasking that I wouldn't have been able to do with any other conference format! And I can even go back now to listen in on the conference segments I missed, as well as the ones I want to hear again, something else that can't be done at any other kind of conference either. 

It's easy to feel snowed under (sorry...I couldn't resist!) at the mid-point of a school year, so this conference came at just the right time for me. I'll be heading back to my classroom on Monday with some fresh ideas and a renewed sense of the creative possibilities for the next few months!