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