Have you ever had a hard time getting rid of an old pair of shoes, because despite their miles they just have so many memories?  Have you ever gone through your junk drawer and wished you could do something with all of those trinkets?  Has an old, crumpled soda can on the side of the road ever caught your eye because it had an interesting form?  What if you could take all of these old, yet interesting, objects and breathe new life into them?  What if we could give them a second chance?

That was the problem posed to students in Sculpture 1; create an assemblage sculpture that communicates something autobiographical from found/junk/recycled objects.  Going through old boxes of toys, junk drawers, rummage sales, thrift stores, and dumpsters, students brought in a diverse collection of objects that were generally ignored and discarded but full of potential.  Now came the difficult part; composing these unique items into a cohesive and structurally sound work of art. 

Through thumbnail sketches, students proposed different ideas, and we engaged in a discussion about the meaning behind the objects and potential problems with the physical creation of the work.  Each sculpture came equipped with specific challenges (some more than others), and our class quickly became a whirl wind of saws buzzing, drills whirling, wax melting, and hot glue wafting.  To an Art teacher, these sounds and smells signal something welcomed and exciting – CREATION!  Another enthralling sound came from the discussion students had with one another about the direction of their sculpture, the problems they were encountering, and potential solutions for these problems.  Assemblage sculptures rarely follow a simple plan, and students were required to reflect on their progress and make alterations when necessary.  For some students, plan “A” was not feasible, so they quickly adopted a plan “B,” “C,” and even “D.”  While these sculptures vary greatly in appearance, they were all created with careful consideration for craftsmanship, composition, and content.  

Overall, every student in Sculpture 1 created a unique and personal piece of art that was created from objects that were forgotten, discarded, or on a one way journey to the junk yard.  In our disposable society it is important that we all make a concerted effort to minimize our environmental impact and maximize the potential of everything we use.  So, the next time you are ready for a new cell phone, have no use for that old kitchen utensil, or find an aesthetically pleasing soda can, consider creating your own assemblage sculpture.  The objects will appreciate their new lease on life, the environment will thank you, and your creative soul will thank you as well. 

Student centered and directed learning is a technique worth embracing.  Ultimately students who get to choose and make the decisions in the learning process are happier and more satisfied with their educational experience.  Personalizing their learning is critical to meeting individualized student needs. 

To that end we've been trying to let students in the art room decide more.  Instead of the teacher setting up one still life, students in table teams set up their own, made up of my objects and their own from home objects.  Students in photography did the same thing choosing to set up the still life and the lighting that supported the class assignment of showing texture.  Students also provided the information for first day of school discussions about What is Art, What Makes a Good work of Art.  They generated the discussion and were able to hit on most of the points that I would've provided in the old teacher-centered model of education. 

I've also been experimenting with allowing students to choose what to work on during the class flow.  So I give them all of the tasks that need to be accomplished and then they decide which aspect to work on and when.  This allows for larger classes such as my Painting 1 class at 28 students to multi-task and not all be in the same area of the room at the same time.  Some may be gesso-priming a canvas, while others are sketching and planning and meeting with me to discuss work, others might be painting and still others could be blogging on their laptops.  It feels more chaotic at first, but the energy is fantastic and the students are all on task, directing their own decisions and learning.  In photography some were shooting photos, others were loading photos onto the computer, while others were editing.  They chose when to do what.  They all got everything done, just not all at the same time.

The enthusiasm of this authentic classroom is catching.  I actually saw a student jump up and down and say Ooooo-AHHHH as they got the perfect lighting, photo and effect.  This kind of reaction is awesome and makes me so happy and excited to be facilitating animated  learning experiences for all. 

In Education right now there is a lot of talk about Core Competencies, the Common Core, Standards Based Teaching and Standardized tests.  There is also a lot of talk about personalizing students' learning experiences and collecting data to demonstrate how students are learning and growing within the classroom. 

This past Saturday, September 14th a small group of highly dedicated art educators met at the Pewaukee High School art room from 8-10:00 a.m. to discuss data collection in art.  This topic is especially challenging for art teachers because generally we don't really take tests in art.  We knew if we put our heads together we could come up with some creative ways to write Student Learning Objects that are meaningful for our students, while still maintaining the integrity of a hands-on classroom. 

The discussions were boisterous at times, but led to some enthusiastic ideas of how to creatively collect data in curriculum that doesn't appear on standardized tests.  We realized that we are already ahead of the curve in many respects as art educators.  The arts encourage students to think at higher levels as they problem solve and design their own interpretations of the assignments given.  We just needed to find a way to document this problem solving and show data that what we do really works. 

It was a great opportunity to begin a discussion and to meet other art educators. 
We are already planning to meet again and continue our collaboration.  So going to work on a Saturday isn't always the best thing, but when stimulating conversation and bagels are involved it's not so bad!

Hey do you want to listen to lots of talking about the syllabus 8 times in a row?  Or would you rather make some art?  Of course the answer last week was MAKE ART and so we did.  Each class dabbled in media appropriate to what we're learning.  In each instance the art we created (final product) wasn't as important as the process of how we created it and the thinking that went into each piece. 

In each class we had  in-depth discussions about What Art Is and What Makes Effective Drawings and Paintings.  These discussions helped students think about the process of the class they've enrolled in, while making art.  They determined which of the drawings or paintings were the best, based on discussion, post-it-note votes and written graffiti walls. 
All of these techniques helped identify what it takes to make a good work of art. 

Students also set goals for themselves.  Some of their personal goals were discussed and were very similar to the goals set forth on the syllabus.  This active way of engaging students in the direction of the course has more meaning than if the instructor had just stood there and told them what we'd be doing and learning.  Students were engaged and fired up to learn last week.  It should be a great year for some fabulous art making. 

Check out a sampling of the images from last week's Painting 1 class Graffiti discussion.

So ever wonder what art teachers do on their summer vacation?  Well this summer Mr. Lamp and I were training to be super heroes!  Super heroes of art and technology that is!  We attended the Illinois Art Education Association's mini conference called Gear Up and Go.  

It featured one-hour workshops that allowed us to explore both technology and traditional art media.   The first was all about using iPads in the art room.  It was taught by Tricia Fuglestad, an amazing art educator who has really enlivened her classroom with the use of iPads and technology.  Students as young as kindergarten are learning to edit video and create simple animations.  We hope to add iPads some day to the PHS art room. 

 Next we learned about the diversity of techniques for Prismacolor markers and pencils.  We did some of our own artwork in this session, which is always welcome for art teachers.  Lastly we created sculptures by felting with wool fibers, a new media for both of us at least for sculpting.  

In addition to the workshops there were outstanding prizes and freebies and of course the opportunity to meet other art educators.   We finished our day of learning with a trip to the Chicago Art Institute.  For part of our visit Amber Wilson, former PHS art student was our un-official guide.  We are now inspired and ready to begin the year...as super heroes of art and teaching!