Sunday, February 9, 2020

Gingerbreads Back in Action


A few years ago I partnered up with one of my favorite Kindergarten teachers, Amanda Libby, to create an integrated arts ELA lessons!  You can follow Amanda on twitter @mrslibbyFM and learn all about the incredible things she does with her students!  You can learn more about Arts Integration from the Kennedy Center
Back up to 2 years ago and Amanda and I realized that we were both teaching similar topics: The Gingerbread Man.  Every December the kindergarten compares and contrasts different versions of fairy tales, including the Gingerbread Man.  Around this time I also do a gingerbread lesson with my kindergarten classes.  

This is a great lesson to teach students about outline and self-control! Student start out by tracing a gingerbread shape and then using a thin paint brush to create an outline around their shape.  They also can add in details using this thin outline technique.  

On day two, they add color, cut, and attach to a background paper.  They always come out looking bright, colorful, and adorable.  

This is when we brought the two different content areas, Art and ELA, 
together creating an arts integration lesson!  In fact this joint lesson has been so successful in Amanda's class that this year we did it with the whole grade!
In additional to bringing knowledge of different versions of the Gingerbread Man into the art room, kindergarten teachers also used this as an opportunity to teach students about verbs, action words.  Each student is assigned a verb.   Using the iPad app Puppet Pals, we helped students learn and illustrate their knowledge of verbs in a fun and creative way. 

I love showing students that they can "Connect to Tech", or bring their physical art into the digital world. In puppets pals students are able to upload their artwork into the app and can move their gingerbread across a background to show their verb's action.  The end result is wonderful and the students loved seeing how their artwork can be used in a new format.

Take a look at their finished works!

Mrs. Halligan's Class


Mrs. Libby's Class


Mrs. Murphy's Class


Mrs. Newton's Class

Mrs. Ochoa's Class

Saturday, February 1, 2020

The Year of the Podcast!

Image result for podcast clipart"
This year I had the privilege of being interviewed for not ONE but TWO podcasts! Phew!
Have you ever been on a podcast before? It was a wonderful experience!  If you haven't had a chance to listen yet...take a peek!

My first podcast was with Nic Hahn, also known as Mini Matisse, on Everyday Art Room for the Art of Education University. Nic and I talked about how important it is to be a risk taker as a teacher.  I loved talking with Nic about the crazy and sometimes overambitious things I do with my students.  I hope I inspire you to be a risk taker too!



Just this January I had the chance to do another podcast, GetaCue, with Brandon Hall and Masscue.  Brandon and I talked all about my Artovation class and all off of the ways that class has inspired what I do everyday!

Get a CUE Podcast