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Final Thoughts On 2017

12/29/2017

A Look Back

To say that 2017 was a great year, would be an understatement. Every year since I started this blog (which was a New Year's resolution in 2011), I think that there is NO WAY the following year can top what we did in the last 12 month cycle. Then the new year comes and shows me that I am silly to put any kind of restriction on the potential of future and everything that is both known or unknown within it.

This was quite a year for me and my students. Below is a highlight from each month to showcase some of my favorite moments from 2017:

January

We started the year with the installation of a Lego Wall thanks to a funded DonorsChoose project and the genius of my students in the Michigan State University MAET program. I have been teaching for MSU since 2016 and one of the assignments asks for students to rethink their learning space. One of my students shared how they were redesigning the maker space in her school to include a Lego Wall and I knew instantly that we, too, needed that wall for our school. I am so thankful that this project was funded and installed so that students could use it to create images in such an interactive way!

February

Demonstrations can take a lot of time and be somewhat difficult, especially when students are not doing them along with you. I have been trying something new this year with having "Speed-Dating Demos" where students have shorter amounts of time at a station with a card that explains what to do. Students experiment with the process and then rotate to the next station. I had done it before with drawing/painting media, but this year I tried it with other methods, too. The above image was our attempt with printmaking. I am still working on the best process for this type of learning activity, but I am excited to share that I have written an article about it that should be published sometime in 2018!

March

This was probably my favorite STEAM collaboration of the year. We worked really hard to learn from our architecture unit from last year and make improvements to planning. I am hoping to write an article for this lesson to be published in 2018!

April

Going to The Lab School of Washington, D.C. for the 2017 Power of Art Conference was a game-changer for me this year. If you have not applied for this opportunity, you should drop everything you are doing right now and apply. It was such a great time learning and seeing Arts Integration in action as well as touring our Nation's Capitol. I was particularly inspired by the school-wide Rauschenberg Day collaborations and came back energized and ready to figure out how to apply it with my students!

May

This is one of the largest installations I have ever done with a group of students. Ever. Inspired by the Professional Development at The Power of Art Conference (mentioned above), the STEM teacher and I decided to engage students in this collaborative work inspired by the aesthetic of Robert Rauschenberg and Caledonia Curry. This action-packed project took about a week's worth of time during State tests. What made it even more exciting was that we were going to be able to put into ArtPrize 9 and then find a permanent home for it in our library. It looks amazing on display and I am already thinking about what we will do for ArtPrize 10.

June

Ending the year with this project is one of my favorite things. Students go onto our lower grade level Artsonia sites and select works to animate using Photoshop. Thanks to the sharing of teachers (Ian Sands for this one), I am able to improve my craft and draw inspiration from others throughout the year.

July

I actually went to Alaska at the end of June, but I thought it fitting to place it here. I have been to Alaska three times; each time I go, I learn something new, I try something new, and I see something new. I am so thankful for opportunities like these to grow as a person.

August

This year I decided to get more involved with writing DonorsChoose projects. I have been active on the site since 2011 and have had roughly one or two projects funded a year - that is until this year. This year we have had FIVE projects funded (many of which have pushed new technologies to my students). All of these projects have had matching Donors and I want to send a warm thanks to them for helping get them funded even faster. The Gates Foundation, 3M, The Carnegie Corporation, and 3Doodler have helped with their matching funds this year and I am so thankful to all of the parents and community members who helped us reach our goals with their donations, too! I am already thinking about what projects we can post in 2018!

September

Always looking for new ways to engage my students starting on the first day of school, I decided to start a rock painting collaborative installation that corresponds with a reading of "The Dot" by Peter H. Reynolds. We are not quite done with the installation because our 2nd semester students have to paint theirs when we change electives at the end of January. I am excited to finish this project in Spring!

October

ArtPrize 9 was so exciting this year. ArtPrize is always a great time for my students and me. We enjoy the field trip downtown and voting for our favorites. It is a whole new experience when you also have work on display! Not only was our student work on view, it was on view at Monroe Community Church! This venue made it on the Juried Shortlist for Most Outstanding Venue and when that was announced, our work was featured on the news (multiple times). I am so thankful to Steve Fridsma and the rest of the Monroe Community Church family for connecting with us, displaying our work beautifully, and just being good people. It was a great experience and one I am hoping to have again in 2018 with another student-generated work!

November

One of my favorite things over the years has been presenting at conferences like the Michigan Art Education Association. Believe it or not, I have presented at around 30 conferences in the past ten years! This year's MAEA conference was an amazing experience in Detroit and I really loved sharing it with one of my best friends (and fellow presenter). I am super excited for the conferences that await in 2018 - and to present in Seattle, WA for the National Art Education Conferences with TEAM Middle for the 4th year in a row!

December

Playing video games is something I enjoy as much as my students. They actually have introduced me to a new one on PS4 called "Fortnite" that is sort of a hybrid of "The Hunger Games" and "Minecraft." It was great to turn that interest into a lesson where students learned how to work as teams, code using scratch, and develop art using a variety of digital tools. This STEAM unit was an awesome way to end 2017 and I am excited for ways we can improve it in the new year!

Thinking Ahead

When we return from break on the 4th, there is going to be a race to the finish for the first semester. There are so many awesome things to look forward to in 2018 and I cannot wait to get back and get working on making those things happen. Just so you can see I am not exaggerating, here is just a sampling of eight wonderful things I get to do in 2018:

Scholastic Art Award Notifications are January 5th
3D Dual Enrollment Class starts through KCAD at the High School
3Doodler Pens from our latest DonorsChoose Project arrive in January
MAEA Regional Show Adjudication February 3rd
NAEA Conference in Seattle, WA in March
STEAM class will start second semester (many of our DonorsChoose projects this year were to fund this new curriculum)
ArtPrize 10 piece will be a district-wide work
Arts a la Mode in May (with awesome button making activity thanks to DonorsChoose Project)

As you can see, this is only some of the things for some of the year. 2018 is poised to be the best one yet. I hope everyone has their list of things they can look forward to, too!

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Winter Break

12/29/2016

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As I have done for the past 5 years, I am finishing the year out with some closing images that highlight 2016.

It was a year filled with many opportunities for my students and me to shine. My students kicked off the year with our most successful showing at the Scholastic Art and Writing awards, and finished it off with another round of submissions that I am sure will find great success to kick off 2017. I got a chance to start the year with a keynote at ECET2 in San Diego, CA and finished it out with preparing both writing and presentations for various Art Education publications.

I started blogging because I wanted a space to document what my students and I were doing in the classroom and use that to help propel us both forward. What has been a byproduct from this is the amazing connections I have made with other teachers and classrooms who happen to stumble across this space and use the materials I have shared and make it their own.

I am very excited about what is to come in 2017. I keep working and growing to be the teacher I envision for my students and my students keep showing up, working hard, and producing results that are meaningful.

Here is a quick look at 2016:

January

Each year since I moved towards choice-based instruction I work to make my classroom more user friendly. I started out 2016 with this effort to organize my classroom and used students to help me do it. It has worked pretty well so far and we continue to make adjustments as students use the tools to create their art.

February

We had 4 student works in the show and two that ended up making it into the top 15 for the state! I love this show and opportunity for my students and look forward to participating again this year.

March

The 2016 West Central Michigan Regional Scholastic Art and Writing Awards at Kendall College of Art and Design was one of the most successful showings for BCPS Visual Arts Students in the history of our participation in the program. In addition to having the most recognition in Kent County, two of our students were selected as being a part of the Five American Vision Nominee works and three students works ended up receiving recognition at the National level. We are so proud of our student Artists and look forward to seeing the great things they continue to make as they develop their skills and creative voices.

April

BCWMS students enjoyed another great showing at this year's State Film Festival. It was a great way to spend a Saturday in Detroit and celebrate student work at the Detroit Film Theater. Best of show winners were inspired to create more films, one of which will compete in the 2017 competition.

May

This year was one of the most successful years I have ever had with grant writing. In the course of one month, my classroom received $7000 in funding and shattered all records for the amounts of funding we have received annually in the past. The biggest funding source came from Tanger Outlets and was used to purchase a 3D printer for the Art and STEM classroom.

June

NYC in June has become a tradition for me and a deserving National Scholastic winner. Cam Scheulke won a National Gold Medal in Jewelry for his origami necklace and we were able to celebrate the accomplishment in NYC. Cam's visit marked our third year in a row for a national winner and 6th National medalist in BCWMS history.

July

I had the opportunity to visit Montreal at the start of July. It is a great city for art and food and culture. I am already planning future visits in years ahead.

August

This was our first major print using the 3D printer. I am so thankful for the grant funds awarded by Tanger Outlets to purchase this piece of equipment and look forward to many more prints in 2017!

September

One of my professional goals for this year was to connect students with opportunities that existed beyond WMS. It was awesome to have BCTV come to our school and talk with kids about getting involved in broadcasting and something I know really connected with many kids.

October

The STEM teacher and I got to present for the second year in a row at the MAEA conference. It was fun to share how we collaborate and connect our curriculum together through STEAM projects.

November

This year the high school art teachers and I had a series of after school Scholastic critique sessions for students to share and work on pieces for competition. It was the first time we tried this and it was very well attended and received by students. We will continue to work to find more opportunities for our students to connect and share their work as they grow in their skills and ideas! Good luck to all of the students who put work in the competition this year!

December

We ended the year with a new STEAM collaboration: video games. In addition to having students create the art and write the code, they had a chance to share and play each others' games. With the addition of guest speaker, Ben Lambert, and the two high school teachers, many of the students claimed this project to be the best one yet!

I am very excited for 2017 and all of the things that are going to happen in the new year. I hope everyone enjoyed their break and I look forward to sharing more with you next week!

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Looking Back

6/21/2016

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This year was amazing!

The Field Trips, the unconventional approaches to ideas, and most Scholastic Awards in BCWMS history are just a few of the highlights.

Here is a look back to the best year ever (although 2016-17 feels like it could be something even more special):

September

Artprize is one of my favorite annual events. It is also a great way to kick off the first week of the school year. It was great to take this group of students downtown and to participate in this fantastic celebration of public art!

October

Scone Day is a BCWMS staple. To cement this International Holiday this year, two students wrote and filmed the melody you can view above. It helped make Scone Day 2015 an epic one to remember!

November

It is always a treat to learn new techniques. I appreciated being able to spend time with my colleagues to learn new printmaking techniques that I then was able to take to my students.

December

Our District Arts show is one of my favorite things about winter. This year was an incredible showing of hard work, skill, and creativity. It was fun to celebrate the accomplishments of students with their families.

January

January marked the 5th year anniversary of this blog. I started this blog as a way to document and share the happenings in my classroom. So many other things have happened that I could not have predicted, including recognition like this award. Thanks again to all who keep coming back and using the resources and ideas shared!

February

Students stepped up their game this year (once again) in a variety of competitions. It was great to celebrate student work at the GRAM more than once this year and seeing students move on from this regional competition to gain State recognition, too!

March

This year BCPS students were the most recognized in our county for the Scholastic Awards. I am so proud of the students this year and know they have set the bar for excellence that others will look to reach in the years to come!

April

We had a great time in Detroit this year to celebrate DAFT as well as the MAEA top 15. It was awesome to spend time celebrating in that great city and see students receive recognition for their efforts.

May

There is a lot from May I could have selected. We raised funds for our local food bank with Arts a la Mode, we went to the Meijer Gardens, we made many fun GIFs of elementary student work, as well as the variety of other things that was amazing! I chose this image because I think it will have a huge impact on the future and the 3D printer we purchased with the grant funds. I know Mr. Dennett and I already have several plans in the works for future STEAM collaborations involving this new tool!

June

This year ended with another trip to the National Scholastic Awards. This is the fourth time I have had the privilege to join my winning student and their family to NYC. Each time is an honor and I look forward to see what happens in 2017!

Final Thoughts

I am so proud of all that was accomplished this year and how far students pushed their ideas and skills to make those accomplishments happen. I know that this year will be a defining one for years to come. I will refer to it often with future students as the year we tried new ideas, received so much recognition, and planned for the future.

It was a great school year (unparalleled in so many ways) and even though it was the best one yet, I have a very good feeling about what next year will bring!

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2015: A Recap

12/27/2015

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Every year, I think to myself, this is the best one yet. And I wonder how it could possibly be topped. Then the next year rolls in and does just that. Here is a month-by-month recap of our fantastic year in the BCWMS Art studio:

January

Something Old, something new: This was the first time I tried this theme with students and I was completely amazed with their new solutions to old works they looked to in their portfolios. Moving to theme-based units was new to me in the 2014/15 year and this last project with that first semester shows what is possible when you ask students to take control over their learning experiences.

February

The 2015 West Central Michigan Regional Scholastic Art Awards yielded the most winners from BCWMS since we started participating in 2008. It is one of our favorite and most challenging competitions and students rose to the challenge in a most spectacular way.

March

Empty Bowls is one of my favorite events each year. It is so amazing to see people come together around the Arts to help others in need. I am so proud of our students for driving this event and that we celebrated it for the 8th year at BCWMS!

April

This was our first year participating in the DAFT Michigan State Film Festival. It was thrilling to see two student films be names best of show and see them celebrated in the DIA's Detroit Film Theater.

May

We had a new feature in our Fine Arts Night in May: Student Art Leaders. Students ran workshops to engage others in the process of making art. One of the stations was mono printing with Gelli Arts printing plates. It was so fun to see everyone engaged with art!

June

We had two National Scholastic Art Award Gold Medalists this year. It was a blast to be in New York City for the celebration of Anna's and Jordan's art. Their work is among the top 1% of student artists who submitted work this year.

July

I love Summertime for a number of reasons, but mostly because it gives me some time to work on pieces of art like this. I finally finished this pair or paintings that now hangs in my living room.

August

In addition to making my own work, I enjoy seeing what others make over the summer. This is why I do Artsonia upload challenges so I can see what students (like Denver) are creating in anticipation for the new school year.

September

One of the funnest things I tried this school year happened the first full week of school with the STEM teacher and classes: a STEAM collaboration. Students made informative videos about a variety of topics and we had a film festival to finish off the first of our quarterly collaborations.

October

In case you missed it, International Bring a Scone to Art Class Day was a HUGE hit this year - so much so that couple of students wanted to spread the word in song. Enjoy and start planning for Scone Day 2016!

November

One of the most interesting and unexpected things from this year is the variety of materials students have selected as they explore themes. This work is related to the theme "Environments, Spaces, and Places." It was fun to see students push themes and abstract concepts to fit their artistic visions.

December

Our second STEAM collaboration is this be nice mural in our school hallway. It was a great way to finish the week before break and get kids thinking about how we treat each other as we learned about origami and collaborating to create a complete work. Hopefully all of the pieces will still be up when we return from break, in 2016!

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What a Year!

6/9/2015

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I know I say that every year is the best year ever, but really THIS was the best year ever! From dominating competitions to getting involved with community service to completely over-hauling the way art is taught, this year has left me wondering what next year has in store to even come close to it! Here is a monthly recap of the best moments from the 2014-15 year in the BCWMS art classroom:

September

Going to ArtPrize each year has become a staple for our start-of-year season. This year was so much fun involving the STEM class and seeing the work from so many artists in the city of Grand Rapids.

October

The second Friday in October is International Bring a Scone to Art Class Day. I was so happy when my students participated this year and finding this gem left on my desk from the scone fairy. It was a magical day for all!

November

By November, using choice and inquiry as methods for art making was in full swing. Students were selecting their materials and methods for interpreting themes in their own way. The image above is a work that ended up winning a National Gold Medal for the 2015 Scholastic Art Awards which are being celebrated on June 11th.

December

Our Winter k-12 District Art show is one of my favorite times of the year. It is fun to have students select their work and share their learning in a visual way. It is also exciting to see the progression of skill across the grade levels.

January

It is always flattering when you are recognized for doing something, especially when it is from your peers. I want to thank all of the teachers out there who come to my blog time and again. I hope you find inspiration here and that my students' works help you push your kids to finding their voices as artists.

February

It is always fun to celebrate the achievements of students and seeing their hard work rewarded with praise. February included celebrations for my students in a variety of settings, most notably leading to two Top 15 finishers for MAEA State and two National Gold Medalists in the Scholastic Art Awards.

March

To celebrate Youth Arts Month this year, students created images that expressed what Art means to them. It was also a month that included my trip to NAEA in New Orleans where I was recognized at Western Region Middle Level Educator of the Year. Awards are great, but allowing students to realize the above quote is even greater of an achievement I am striving for every year.

April

This was the first year I have entered work in the DAFT Film Festival. With 10 pieces recognized and two awarded best of show, it was a great first showing and something I hope to do again as a part of the class routine.

May

For the BCWMS Fine Arts Festival this year, we decided to incorporate student-led workshops. Here is an image of Hannah leading a young BC artist in the wonder that is mono-printing with Gelli Arts. I am so excited to do this again in the future because it is incredibly rewarding to see my students take leadership roles and pass on the joy that is making art!

June

Up until the very end, students were pushing themselves to use their "much larger arsenal" of skills to demonstrate concepts and ideas. This was a great school year and I so appreciate all of the amazing things that were accomplished. I am not sure how next year we will top it, but we are going to do our best to try.

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Reflecting on 2014

12/30/2014

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January

2014 started out with updating the space outside of my classroom. Outfitted with modern Steelcase furnishings from Custer, kids utilize the area so much more now that there is a versatile and welcoming space.

February

February was filled with showcasing opportunities for my students. Between the MAEA Region 9 show at the GRAM and the West Central Michigan Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, my students had their pieces on display all over Downtown Grand Rapids. Both shows led to work being moved onto State and National recognition, too.

March

This was the 7th year we have put on an Empty Bowls event at our school. It gets better and better each year, with more turn out and more donations. Thank you again to our local Subway and School Community for helping make this such a wonderful success!

April

Thanks to a grant from the Michigan Youth Arts Council, I was able to take students to the Meijer Gardens. Using methods learned from fellow art teacher, Tricia Fugelstad, I put the kids in charge while at the Gardens and they led us through the sculpture park by highlighting the work along the way.

May

May was a month full of celebrating student success as we displayed work around our school at at the Van Singel Fine Arts Center. One thing students did to celebrate this month full of Arts, is make the images below that were in response to Governor Snyder declaring the first week of the month Youth Arts Week.

June

The end of the school year was celebrated with our National Scholastic Silver Medalist, Makenzie Reid, in New York City. It was an amazing time celebrating the students from across the country and seeing the winning work. I am honored to be a part of this program and hope to keep this tradition of competing going with my students year, after year.

July

I offered several summer challenges to students and was so pleased with the participation. Thank you again to Ava, who participated in them all! Here are the works she uploaded to Artsonia in the month of July.

August

It is always fun to get ready for the start of the school year. With help from donors like you, I was able to get this first project I posted on Donors Choose funded quickly. Thank you for your support over time and helping me make a positive learning environment for my students.

September

I have been taking students to ArtPrize annually and enjoy the way the annual competition engages the audience each time. Thanks again to a grant from ArtPrize, I was able to help fund this trip and students were able to interact with this award-winning work by Anila Quayyum Agha.

October

Thank you again for voting to Asia and helping make her an Artsonia Artist of the Week in October! It was fun to share her work with others and see the support she gathered over the course of the week.

November

I am very honored to have been named MAEA Middle Level Educator of the Year at the Annual Conference that happened in November. It was a great time to share resources with other teachers and also spend time with my sister, who teaches art in Indiana!

December

It is hard to pick one major highlight from the month because so much of it is a culmination of hard work and dedication over the course of the year and before. From Emma finishing her dress, to Anna experimenting with found objects for jewelry, to Gabe honing his Photoshopping skills and so many other students finding new ways of saying things through visuals... I have seen students push themselves in new ways and amaze me in the process. My favorite part is showing that at our annual December show. Every year I think that it has been the best year ever; I know next year is going to offer the same.

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The School Year That Was

6/11/2014

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This has got to be one of the best year's ever. From numerous competitions won to over 4,000 works of art posted to our gallery, I am completely floored with the amount of quality images produced over this past school year. As I have done in previous year end posts, it is time to reflect on it all.

September

The year started on a winning note as 7th grade student Emma McCloud won the first ever ArtStart Competition through ArtPrize. It was thrilling to see her work end up on TV as she was selected in the top ten of all entries received.

October

Photoshop Phridays were a new activity added to weekly art making in the classroom this year. Students revised works through the magic of digital editing. We published over 900 works to that exhibit on Artsonia this year!

November

Due to the materials provided from a funded DonorsChoose project, students were able to experience felting with wool. It is fun to experience new materials and teach my students new ways of expressing ideas. Thanks again to all who helped fund this project!

December

Sooper Art is an annual competition that challenges students to create art about the environment. 7th grade students Anna Pavlak and Emma McCloud were among the 15 winners in their age group and their work was on display at the Grand Rapids Art Museum as a result! I look forward to participating again next year.

December marked our Winter K-12 District Art Show. It is always fun to see what students are creating at all levels and showcase the work being created in our district.

January

Student work was on display at the Kent Intermediate School District for the month of January. It was fun to have the work on display and students enjoyed being a part of the exhibit.

February

This was the first year that I had ALL 5 student entries make it into the show at the GRAM. Four of them went onto State and two were named as top 15 for Middle School work in the State of Michigan. Congrats again to Sara Thompson and Morgan Baker for this honor!

The Scholastic Art Awards celebration for the West Central Michigan region was also in February. We had 16 students honored and 5 works qualified and went onto the National competition. The work shown above resulted in a National Silver Medal for Makenzie Reid. Congrats again to all of the students who participated!

March

Empty Bowls has been an annual tradition at our school that helps families in Byron Center. It is a great night of art and music and our community.

April

Students took up the challenge of researching and presenting artworks on our Spring field trip to the Meijer Gardens. This idea stemmed from other teachers who use similar methods when engaging students on trips. It was perfect and I plan to do this again in the future.

May

We had a great turn out for our end of the year art shows at both the Van Singel Fine Arts Center and at WMS. It is always fun to end the year by showcasing the talents and works of students.

It is always fun to work on collaborative projects with my students. This piece was created through a series of glaze applications that were drawn into to reveal color before firing. I learned about this process at the NAEA Conference earlier in the school year.

June

Celebrating at Carnegie Hall for the 2014 Scholastic Art and Writing Awards was a stellar way to finish out the school year. I am so proud of Kenzie and this accomplishment and look forward to the opportunity to participate again in the future.

Some Summer Thoughts...

This past school year has been one of the best and I don'e see why the fun cannot overflow into summer. Here are three things students can think about and work on to keep art skills in shape before heading back to class in the fall:

1. See lots of Art with GRAM Meijer Free Tuesdays! I am going to try and make it downtown every Tuesday to walk through the Grand Rapids Art Museum galleries and view the works on display. Although the exhibit does not change over the Summer, I am sure I will stumble upon new ways of looking at works and pick up new ideas and inspiration as a result. If you and your students would like to meet me on an upcoming Tuesday, please email me and we can try and work something out.

2. Get a sketchbook and draw! I am taking my own advice on this one, too. Drawing is a great way to hone observation and fine motor skills. It is also the most accessible way to create images fast. If students are not sure what to draw, there are several websites like Illustration Friday that gives weekly challenges and where artists can also share work. If students are interested in getting a super cool personalized sketchbook, you can order one with their Art on it from Artsonia. 20% of purchases goes towards supplies for our classroom.

3. Do the June Artsonia Challenge! Students don't have to stop making Art because it is Summer. I would like to invite them to share what they are working on by posting them on Artsonia. Students who participate by June 30th will be put in a drawing to win an Artsonia Mug or Sketchbook with their Art on it. I recently set up a new exhibit that students can contribute to - email me and I will send you the upload code.

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2013 Review

12/31/2013

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As we move onto 2014, it is always nice to take a look back at the year that was. Here are some of the many highlights from 2013:

January

Getting 1:1 technology with Macbook Airs has been one of the major highlights of not only January and the school year, but probably my whole career. The things I am able to do as a teacher is beyond what I could have imagined and my students have benefited as a result.

February

Teaching Intro to Photo for Kendall Dual Enrollment was a great experience for me and the students made a lot of interesting images from the class. The example above is from a student who used his phone to show movement.

March

Empty Bowls is one of my favorite events of the year. It brings the Fine Arts together to showcase talents and raise food and funds for our local families. Our local Subway has been a great partner in this effort from the beginning and I am really excited about planning our 2014 event which will take place on March 20th! 2013 was particularly exciting because of the newly acquired potter's wheel from DonorsChoose! Thank you again to all of the parents who donated and Byron Center Fine Arts Boosters for helping match funds towards the end!

April

Taking students to the Meijer Gardens has become a Springtime tradition thanks to the generous grants awarded from Michigan Youth Arts and the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs. I am happy to announce that I will be taking students back there again this Spring due to another grant awarded from MYA and MCACA!

May

Due to a grant from the National Art Education Foundation, I was able to invite local artist Cindi Ford into the classroom for printmaking activities and demonstrations. Students learned new techniques and the importance of experimentation and play when creating art.

June

It was awesome to see student produced videos on the big screen at Celebration Cinemas for the Meijer Great Choices Film Festival! I am so thankful to all of the students, parents, friends, and teachers who took time each day and voted to help my students win and our classroom earn $1400 in additional funds for supplies and arts experiences. We will be participating in this competition again this year and hope to achieve the same kind of success as years past!

July

The above student work was selected to be a part of the Michigan Art Education Association top 15 for Middle School works in the State of Michigan! Her work will remain on display on the MAEA website and also toured with the other top winners for this year across the State of Michigan.

August

It was really excited for ArtPrize to allow students to enter a competition this year and I could not wait to share the news with students once we returned in September. It was even better when we had a student selected to be in the top ten, winning many art-related prizing and getting her work on TV - congrats again Emma!

September

Students took even more ownership of their learning this school year with the use of Classroom Mode from Artsonia. This new feature has allowed us to finish 2013 with almost 2000 works of art uploaded, mostly by the students who made them!

October

Going to ArtPrize is something I look forward to every Fall! Thanks to a grant from ArtPrize and funds from the Meijer Great Choices Competition winning videos, we were able to go without cost to students! It was a great time and we enjoyed seeing it all on the LAST day it was up!

November

Sharing student Art is something I feel strongly about. That is why I use Artsonia. It was awesome when Anna shared in class how Noli Novak, the artist we studied as inspiration for our portraits, took the time and made a comment to her about her work. It is one of my favorite moments of the whole year!

December

It was amazing to finish out 2013 with a month showcasing student work and celebrating their talents. From our k-12 District Show that highlighted the efforts and talents of our students as they progress through the Visual Arts Program at BCPS, to the competitions that also showed the strength of our program (with winners 5-12 in Sooper Art and 7-12 in the 2014 Scholastic Art Awards - BCPS receiving the MOST recognition 7-12 than any other school in Kent County), December was the icing on the cake for a year that I will remember fondly.

Here is to an even better 2014, if that is even possible!

Scholastic 2014 Winners~

The above gold keys will go onto the National Competition and results will be posted this Spring.

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Happy School Year!

9/2/2013

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I am really excited to get started tomorrow and look forward to meeting all of my students! To help get them geared up for what we will be doing in the Art classroom, I made the video above that highlights some of the experiences they can expect over the course of the term.

I am very excited to get started with my students and to get working with clay right on the first day!

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best. year. ever.

6/7/2013

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Today was our last day of school. We finished out with a final exam that included selected response questions on Moodle and a performance event that included creating a composition that demonstrated the skills and knowledge acquired over the semester. Examples from the performance event can be seen above. It was really fun to see what students composed as they reflected on all of the art we created, skills developed, and information learned.

I also had students fill out a reflection about the class and came away with a pretty good idea of what students enjoyed as well as what could be re-worked for next year.

Here are a few of responses that really stuck out to me:

The best thing I did this semester was learn about the different techniques you can use to make art.

The best thing I did this semester was drawing. I learned new skills and techniques and different ways to look at things, and now it's much easier to be more creative with my art work because you look at things from a different point of view.

The best thing about this year was being able to try new things and work with new materials that i have never gotten to use before.

I feel like the best thing for me this semester was trying out art for the first time in the middle school.

I think the best thing we did, was being able to have more freedom in our artwork, like in the clay project, we were able to add whatever accessories we wanted to our piece.

I came away with a lot of great feedback from my students and look forward to incorporating their ideas on how to make next year even better than this one. Here are some of the projects students mentioned as their favorites:

You can find more on our online gallery and feel free to check through our blog for more information about the projects we did this year.

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