Have you ever been inspired to ‘give back’ to your community as a way to say “thank you” to those who helped you through a difficult time? I was touched by the story of Dan and Janean Toone, who started Young at Art in response to the care that their young grandson received while spending most of his first year of life in the hospital. As art lovers themselves, Dan and … [Read more...]
Art for the Differently-abled
I wasn’t looking for a new teaching position when I got the phone call last spring to “just let me show you our facility”. The call was from the director of the Stroke and Disability Learning Center at our local Community College, and I agreed to a tour. It wasn't the beautiful new facility that hooked me, but the Stroke Center’s motto: “Love Spoken Here”, printed on the … [Read more...]
Why Everyone Can (and Should!)… Learn to Draw
Explaining the importance of learning to draw to art educators is like preaching to the choir. We already believe! Yet we all have people around us, school administrators, parents, and even students, who don't share our enthusiasm. We need to be proactive in our art advocacy if we’re to avoid having to defend our programs on the chopping block! One way to educate and inform … [Read more...]
My New Favorite Art Ed Blog…
When I first started writing my 'Teach Kids Art' blog back in 2008, I had no idea that blogging would become such a big thing! I started my blog as a way to share what I’d learned about teaching art to kids, with the hope that more kids would get to experience art as a result. At the time, I only knew of one other art teacher with a blog: Kathy at 'Art Projects for Kids'. Not … [Read more...]
Learn Art History with the Khan Academy
"You only have to know one thing: You can learn anything." That's the motto of the Khan Academy! If you're not familiar with the Khan Academy, and you have an interest in Art History (for any reason - whether you're a parent, student, teacher, or lifelong learner) you'll be amazed by the education that's available to you for free! The Khan Academy, founded in 2006 by … [Read more...]
Free Digital Art Ed Magazines
In my early days of teaching art, School Arts magazine was my go-to source for art lesson inspiration and the best way to keep up with what was new in art education. Then I discovered Arts & Activities magazine, and I just couldn't believe my luck at having access to so much great information just for art teachers! Well, that was over 20 years ago, and long before the days … [Read more...]
Evernote: Digital Organization for the Art Teacher!
Summer is a great time to tackle something you've been wanting to do all year, but haven't had time for.... like getting organized! When asked, most people would say that they'd like to be more organized. And getting organized can be especially challenging for us right-brained, creative people! We need a system for keeping track of all the notes, ideas, projects, lists, and … [Read more...]
The 30 Day Sketchbook Challenge
Kids spend so much time in the car! It's easy to reach for a movie or electronic game to fill the time on long trips... or even short errands around town. But why not take a break from technology and just reach for a sketchbook instead? "Almost all artwork, no matter what the final form, begins with drawing because drawing is the artist's fundamental tool." ~ Mary Blair, … [Read more...]
Summer Online Art Ed Conference
The Art of Education is hosting their next online art ed conference on July 17th and you won't want to miss it! If you've attended one of their previous conferences, you know how fun and inspiring these are! This is where over 20 thought-leaders in art education deliver fast-paced, 10 minute "TED Talk" style presentations, full of practical art room ideas and strategies. … [Read more...]
Read Aloud and Respond with Art!
March 5th, 2014 is World Read Aloud Day! Every year, on the first Wednesday in March, Litworld (a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting literacy around the globe) mobilizes children and adults everywhere to advocate for literacy as a basic human right belonging to all people. Reading aloud is a natural way to celebrate the written word and to share it with … [Read more...]
