Happy New Year- and Publishing my first children's book !

I hope everyone had a safe and fun New Year! If you are like me, it is flying by too fast! I suppose that could be the case for me because I have been so busy getting ready for FETC (I will be co-presenting digital storytelling) . I also was determined to try to publish my first children's book. I have been dreaming of writing a children's book for as long as I could remember. In fact- going through the whole process reminded me a lot of the young Author's Program that I participated in when I was a kid. My young author's book "Sara and the Surfing Team" won first place when I was in elementary school and I was so thrilled! (I wish I knew where it was- I would love to read it again- and probably laugh) I guess what got me really thinking I could and should really try to publish are all the new tech tools and applications that make it so easy to publish something these days. The two platforms that you can use are- Kindle Direct Publishing which has a free application that you can download to you pc or computer.https://kdp.amazon.com/kids If you prefer the apple platform- on the iPad there is an app called Book Creator that you can use to easily create and share a book through the apple store. There is also always Teachers Pay Teachers but I really wanted to try the Kindle Platform. The concept of my book is based on an art lesson that I do with 2nd and 3rd grade- Prehistoric Cave Paintings. When I teach my students about cave paintings I use a great book called the Cave Painter of Lascaux by Roberta Angeletti. I also show them a website with an cool virtual tour of the cave and I refer to the Children's Book Art. While researching the lesson plan, I came across a cool story about how the cave was discovered by three boys and a dog named Robot in the 1950's. I always wished that there was a neat way to share this story with my students so that was the basis of my book, The Discovery of Lascaux. It is only roughly based on the story. All the pages were drawn in my sketchbook first with pencil, watercolor pencil and marker. Then
I scanned the pages into my computer and added the text using Gimp (an image editing software).  I really enjoyed the process and hope to do more (it may become a series!)  and even get my students in on the publishing business!  Afterall, they are super creative and have awesome ideas.    So check out my kindle book, The Discovery of Lascaux, told by Robot the dog, and let me know what you think!  Thanks!

Invasion of the Art Robots!!!

Even though this is the last week before Winter Break, after the last art teacher PLC I went to, I got really excited to start the fifth graders working on their Art Robot/ Scribbling Machines!  So this morning, my first class was fifth grade.  I allowed the students who were finished with their Clay Slab Mug to start working on the design of their robot!  It went great!  There was only one student who got frustrated with the duct tape- which I totally understand!  I should be receiving the motors and the battery packs soon but parents and students sent most of the other essential supplies in.  Not only was I hoping we could have this project finished before Christmas Break (so they could take them home) but the fifth grade are currently studying energy and electrical circuits so I really wanted that info fresh in their mind.   Here is a prezi I put together with some background info and a video that I showed to the students.  And there are some pictures of the works in progress from today.  I was so proud of the student who made a "Dali' mustache robot!   LOL

Playing around with Photo editing! Picmonkey and Pizap

Pizap Art Lesson cover

So I have been trying to find some fun online based photo editing applications/sites for the 3-5 students at my school who have laptops.  I really like Pizap and Picmonkey.  They are both/somewhat free but have adds for upgrading.  Here are two photos that I edited with the applications.  ALSO- have you tried the PANORAMIC setting on the new iPads?  I LOVE IT!! I didn't even realize the iPad camera did panoramics.....I kind of stumbled upon it the other day and I love it!

Panoramic View of my art room

Picmonkey

Pizap Holiday Card

We had all our third grade classes in during ROW (Resource on Wednesday) today.  They started their first clay project, which is a Nature Leaf/Flower or Seashell Bowl or Ornament inspired by Georgia O'Keeffe.  Here is the video lesson and some pictures. :)

Henri the Art Butterfly

Henri- Newly Formed Chrysalis

Henri- Today- you can see his wings

As I said in a previous post, our artist of the month is Henri Matisse (whose birthday is on December 31st).  I made a page on my school wordpress blog http://teachers.stjohns.k12.fl.us/wardley-j/artist-of-the-month/
that has great resources for each artist of the month.  If you scroll down to December- there is a great short video about Matisse that I show my classes.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7OmJ_tTLTQ

We named one of the monarch caterpillars that I kept in my plastic butterfly habitat after him.

Well today, the first graders were finishing their balanced bug art lesson and I was showing them his cocoon.  I noticed that the color had changed over the weekend from a bright lime green to a dark grey AND you can SEE HIS MONARCH WINGS through the shell!  That must mean that he will be hatching soon!  SO COOL!  Mean while, we listened to Eric Carle's Very Hungry Caterpillar
and the students that had finished their Balanced Bug on paper, used Educreations on their iPad to take a picture of the art bug and write/record their own story about it.  IT WAS AWESOME!!!  Educreations is such a great app for younger k-2 to use and the first graders got really creative.  I used Doceri( which  is similar to Doceri but with more tools) to record my version of the Story- The Very Hungry Bee.
I also recorded- The Paintbrush Tales- using iMovie- the Movie Trailers to remind students to take care of their paintbrushes (you can see I really do not like washing brushes all day!:))

Snowmen! In Florida! Plus Balanced Bugs Art Lesson

For at least 4 years now, every December 1st I take green and red bulletin board paper and decorate my art room door like a present that reads: The Best Gift is Art.  This year, I was inspired to do something a little different.   I had so much fun at the Elf Workshop that I decided that instead of a present....my door should be a.....SNOWMAN - Art snowman that is...

And you can bet I will be having early finishers make paper snowflakes to hang all around the room!

I also starting thinking about how much time I spend washing out paintbrushes and thought- a great 'gift' my students could give me would be to do a better job at cleaning up!  So I made this powtoon to go over the steps!  http://www.powtoon.com/show/da1i8bRpXGx/happy-holidays-in-art/#/

http://www.powtoon.com/show/da1i8bRpXGx/happy-holidays-in-art/#/

This is our first grade Balanced Bugs Lesson:

Aaarrggghhh... Pirate Collages!

So the fourth graders are finishing up their Native American weavings (which they LOVED- especially the boys!! who would have thought!?) And one class started working on their Pirate Ship Collage.  Our school mascot is the Pirate so naturally, this project is one of my favorites.  I have used it with fourth grade for over 3 years because they turn out so great and the kids really get creative.  ( I already had a student draw the titanic instead of a pirate ship.  So here is the lesson and video.  Enjoy!!
Lesson plan

December, Matisse, Clay Snowmen and more in Art! :)

Well welcome back all!!!   I had a wonderful (but always too short) Thanksgiving break.  On Saturday I got the opportunity to teach an 'Elf Workshop' at our local St. Augustine Amphitheater!  It was SO much fun.  It is  a free family fun event with lots of fun holiday things for our local kids to do.  I got to teach a craft and earn money for art supplies for our program.  My craft was AIR DRY CLAY snowmen!!!  It was A LOT of fun and we had some REALLY cute and creative snow men. (and several Olaf's!  )  Here are some pictures of them!

Henri- the Art Chrysalis

I was also able to find 3 milkweed plants for the overflow of monarch caterpillars we had in the art garden.  I was able to rescue one and take him home with me.  I have named him Henri in honor of Henri Matisse who is our artist of the month for December.  (His birthday is on December 31st)  Little Henri has formed his chrysallis and I have been eagerly observing him and awaiting his transformation.  In the mean time, the first graders are finishin up their Balanced Bugs art projects and it is great getting to show them a real life specimen in the midst of metamorphosis.

An Air Dry Olaf!

All the air dry snowmen !

Also- I have worked on an artist statement for students who have finished their artwork to fill out and keep in their journal.  It is geared more for 2nd grade and up.  I plan on starting using this tomorrow during our new rotation of students who have finished their current projects.

Artist Statement Google Doc