Reflecting on Collaborative Sketchbooks

This year one of my my goals was to promote creative expression through drawing by provide every student a sketchbook. Then I realized it would cost and arm and a leg. Bummer. So instead, I invested a little over $100.00 and purchased 31 tabletop sketchbooks that have turned into Collaborative Sketchbooks.

 The collaborative Sketchbook is a sketchbook that is assigned to a table. The sketchbooks are color coded along with the tabletop. Students are assigned seating charts every 3-4 weeks and rotate to different colored tables. Therefore, they are always drawing in different sketchbooks.

 When students rotate to new tables, they enjoy viewing sketches from their peers. They understand that they are to simply view and take in what is drawn. Sometimes, students sign their work and sometimes students do not. I am OK with this so long a they practice their drawing skills.

 At the beginning of the year I spent a day introducing them to this new sketchbook addition and process. I showed them a video about sketchbook art. I also gave them a drawing prompt, took them outside and allowed a good deal of sketch time. Students really enjoyed this.

 As the year progressed, the sketchbooks transitioned into an early finisher project. It became automatic for students to begin sketching in the sketchbook once they completed their classwork. This was something that I hadn't anticipated! JOY!

 Just this week I took some time to flip through the books. With very little "structured" time devoted to drawing or sketching I walked away feeling affirmed that this investment was worth EVERY penny. Though there were many "doodles, there were many well developed drawings. I feel both have equal value.

 My goal for 2016 is to devote a bit more time integrating drawing with the use of the sketchbooks. I think providing students with a prompt is key, especially for those students who are not as confident with their drawing skills. Having a list of drawing prompts taped within the sketchbook might be a good way to simplify.

 What I love most about the sketchbooks is learning more about my students. Any way I can tap into students creative expression allows for more ways in which I can connect with them as individuals.

Book Art Collaboration

The 8th grade class just completed the second project of the Literature and Art Unit . The Altered Book Project started off a couple years ago as an individual project. This year I decided to make it a partner project for a couple of reasons. The first reason is storage. Since the 7th grade students are creating Block Letter Sculptures at the same time, storage space is at critical mass. So instead of scrambling to store 87 open faced books, storing 44 books is still chaotic, but a bit more manageable. The second reason is timing. The Altered Book project leads right into winter break when students tend to be squirrely. I figured they would have more fun with a partner, help each other stay focused which would result in having more overall student success. The last reason is craftsmanship. In the past, there were many duplicated book projects with same book scenes that varied in craftsmanship and one couldn't help but compare one project to the next. To avoid cross-comparison I also made a rule that not one book could be duplicated.
Whether or not you try this lesson plan as an individual project or partner project, the basic materials you need include:

• hard cover books ("8 X 10" or larger for partners or smaller for individual projects). 
• X-Acto knives
• tapestry needles
• neutral embroidery floss
• wallpaper paste
• cardstock
• wire
• watercolors
• all types of glue
• double stick tape
• glitter
• any other design material out and available for students to experiment 

The one bi-product that I LOVE about this project is the constant "Book Talks" that occur between partners as they are creating design elements to capture the scene of their book. When both partners have read the book it creates a common vision that is cemented through their common experience. When a partner has not read the book that they are working on the book talks are more of a retelling of a story. The constant retelling of the story or scene from one partner to another communicates the love one has for literature while striking an interest in the book within the other partner.  In other words, this project often times promotes literature!

These altered books will be displayed in the Literature and Art Exhibit in January when we come back from winter break. We hope you come out and see all the hard would the students have put into them!

Integration: Reflecting on Lessons Learned

I Love integrating other subjects in the artroom like LA, SS, Math and Tech. A big part of the love is collaborating with such a charged team of educators who never fail to identify and support an extension opportunity which continues to ignite the spark for our shared love of learning.

However, what I have learned from each integrated art project: Piece of Cake, Math Counts Video, and recently Rap Figurative Sculptures, is that students tend to resist projects when they are aware of the content integration.
I think the resistance is because students cherish, whether they admit it or not, the unique experiences they have in each of their core classes. So when they are confronted with a math page in Expressions their resistance has no bearing on their feeling of math but reveals more about their feelings of disappointed that they are not getting the Expressions experience they were looking forward to. The resistance, in my opinion, can block the artistic process.

As a Multiple Subject educator, I also feel compelled to make the content connection as strong as possible which often results in more time spent on content and less time spent for students to play and experiment with the art and materials.

So I ask myself: How do we get students to connect the dots if they are not presented directly to them?

The one guess I have that spirals around in my brain is this: The strongest connections are made when students identify them on their own. Yes, we can use common language and time learning experiences to our advantage between classes but trust that if projects are engaging and meaningful the connection will be stronger if made by the students.

What are your thoughts?

Beyond Tape Murals!

I have received so much feedback about the murals, process and mastery concept that I feel like sharing. 

These murals served their purpose perfectly in Expressions, but spurred a lot of talk. They were a perfect example of summarive assessment for The Perspectuve Unit but they also inspired 6th grade math investigations, a restorative justice project, and a conversation about school-wide instructional approaches.

This project was definitely worth taking a risk. I know not all risks will result in the same way but I am assured by this process that taking risks is what it's ALL about!

Masking Tape Perspective Murals!

1st period tape perspective mural highlights! Kids did AWESOME @NCS_LE pic.twitter.com/Ouokck7Udv

— Jenell Novello (@expNovello) December 2, 2015

For a couple of years I have been admiring images of Masking Tape Perspective Murals found on the Art at Becker Blog. Perspective is one of the units I had been having a love hate relationship with and this year I revised the unit to contain skill building projects I feel really good about. In addition to feeling more confident about skills students acquired within the unit, I feel like the block schedule (80 minute periods) allows for more extended projects that can make something like a tape mural project a reality to achieve in one day. Added to that extra funding from a grant I was awarded last month and there you have it: confidence, time and money!

2nd period tape perspective highlights @NCS_LE pic.twitter.com/mfyUVrFwIs

— Jenell Novello (@expNovello) December 2, 2015

I decided to make the Tape Perspective Project the mastery project of the Perspective Unit. Students slowly built skills and confidence of creating 1-2 point perspective art using a variety of media and techniques. Then the Tape Perspective Mural Project was introduced and the 4 day process began: Students sketched a 1-2 point perspective drawing in class using iPads for images and inspiration. Then students got in teams of 2-3 people and selected the best sketch that demonstrated mastery. Using that sketch, students practiced recreating the mural out of masking tape on butcher paper in class using only the sketch as reference, tape, scissors and yardsticks. This was a VERY successful method for groups to learn how to work together effectively. The next day I assigned groups their wall space averaging (6' X8'), gave them blue painters tape, yard sticks, scissors and chair to stand on and that was it. The rest of the day was like magic! I have never seen kids so engaged and excited about an art project before. The best part was when classes were let out and other students campus wise oohing and ahhhing over the artwork showing their appreciation!

3rd period tape perspective highlights! @NCS_LE pic.twitter.com/ZXdlDIaFfa

— Jenell Novello (@expNovello) December 2, 2015

November Charter Chat

Expressions Charter Chat: November 2015 from Mrs. Novello and Mrs. Shane

In Love with 2 Point Street Perspective Again!

I LOVE teaching perspective. The moment students learn how to create depth through the use of vanishing points it's like a light switches on in their creative minds. This year we have adopted a few new Perspective Projects that I feel scaffold the 2 Point Street Perspective well. Although, I have to admit that I have had a LOVE-HATE relationship with the 2 Point Street Perspective for years! Knowing how important the skill is for kids to learn, I couldn't just easily ditch the project. Plus, I plan on kids demonstrating mastery of 1-2 pt. perspective through a Making Tape Mural so making sure kids were confident with every element of the street scene was a PRIORITY! 

This year EVERY part of the Street Perspective Scene was guided: measuring buildings, windows, doors, billboards, sign/logo creation, sidewalk, streets, street and sidewalk lines. This heavy guiding lead to more precision with drawing. As a result, students were totally invested in their work! So it made sense to guide the coloring production as well! Value, color gradient and texture were the guided coloring techniques and were required elements in their finished pieces.

I am in LOVE with this project once again!

Artist Trading Cards

Nic Hahn is an art teacher in Minnesota that I have collaborated with in the past. Over the summer she announced she was hosting an artist trading card swap- and I signed up! An Artist Trading Card Swap is when student artist trading cards are exchanged with other student artist trading cards. Over 250 school signed up for the swap nation wide as well as schools from other countries! This opportunity for students to connect through artwork with other students acoss the nation was something we just could not pass up!

Though I had big plans for the swap, time snuck up on me. We had been creating artwork for an October exhibit that opened on the 28th. After that we were creating community service artwork that had deadlines or hinged on due dates of other projects that end on this very day. So when it came down to the wire, I did not have have time to carve out for how I was going to teach the students techniques and methods for creating these little masterpieces. I STILL wanted to have the kids participate and had created four ATC a while back as exemples to show them the many different techniques that can be used making these little pieces of artwork. Here are my examples:

So, I decided to place faith in the students and let them create on their own from home. Using about 10 minutes of classtime I announced what Artist Trading cards are, showed them my examples, told students they had a week to create their masterpiece at home and passed out the card and planner. Look was the kiddos brought back! 

I ended up sending 90 high quality cards to the dwap and will receive 90 back to trade with the participating students in January. Once these students receive these cards I believe the anticipation and excitement will spread like wildfire. 

I am hoping that we can take part of another ATC Trade later on this year so that students have another opportunity to be involved in connected with others through artwork!

11 Blankets in 2 Days!

I don't know how we got these blankets woven so quickly! Maybe the energy of it being the final week before Thanksgiving Vacation? Maybe the minimum-day schedule? I don't know what it was but Room I-5 was hummin' like a factory during the two-40 minute periods that students wove together over 150 5 foot knitted strips into blankets. We even had a crew of "Cleaners" who would inspect blankets for quality! they would trim loose threads, undo and re-knit uneven strips so that they were the accurate length, and re-wove strips together if there were significant holes. 

Whatever it was that lit a spark under these guy worked and I am VERY proud of them all!

Blankets Taking Form!

We are winding down to the last week of knitting. This is the time when students work together to weave knitted strips together as blankets. Our goal is to donate 15 stadium-sized blankets when all is said and done. Think we can do it? Stay in tuned!

2 Point Street Perspective

Moving from 1 point perspective to 2 point perspective requires a clear understanding of proper vanishing point alignment. We are reinforcing this skill of accuracy with every required detail: Windows, doors, sidewalk, lane lines, signs, billboards- you name it! The kids seem to appreciate the amount of time it is taking to teach them how to align each detail, too. I think these are going to turn out nice!