Creativity is...

Kindergarten Paper Sculptures

#kindergarten #papersculpture at #faystonschool became skate parks, roller coasters, ski jumps, race tracks and more.

A post shared by Nora (@artclass_allday) on Mar 8, 2017 at 10:14am PST

The Dot!

 
Students at all levels will be celebrating Dot Week during the week of September 12th in Art Class and Library/Technology.  This special event is based on the book “The Dot,” by Peter Reynolds. It is a story that encourages artists to “just make a mark.”

International Dot Day, a global celebration of creativity, courage and collaboration, began when teacher Terry Shay introduced his classroom to Peter H. Reynolds’ book The Dot on September 15, 2009.
The Dot is the story of a caring teacher who dares a doubting student to trust in her own abilities by being brave enough to “make her mark”.

What begins with a small dot on a piece of paper becomes a breakthrough in confidence and courage, igniting a journey of self-discovery and sharing, which has gone on to inspire countless children and adults around the globe.

And each year on International Dot Day – with the help of people just like you –the inspiration continues. What started as a story in the pages of a book is transforming teaching and learning around the world as people of all ages re-discover the power and potential of creativity in all they do.
(From www.thedotclub.org)



This collaborative Dot Art Mural was created by students in grades 1/2 and 5/6. We rotated through Dot Art stations so that only three or four students were painting on the mural at a time.  We started with our largest paintbrushes and finished with Q-tips dipped in paint. I think I'm in LOVE with this piece of artwork!

The other Dot Art Stations were Collage and Dot Zentangles. I felt like I could see the creativity pouring out of students! 

 

Students also used Dot-a-Dot stamper a to create dot art and painted paper plates with liquid watercolor. 

The Global Cardboard Challenge

The Global Cardboard Challenge is an annual event presented by the Imagination Foundation, which celebrates children’s creativity and the role that communities can play in fostering it.  This event was inspired by the short film “Caine’s Arcade,” a story of a young boy’s cardboard creations.  This project encourages kids to collaborate, innovate and think outside the box.  Click here to learn more about the importance of creativity. 

Dot day!

Dot paintings by first and second grade artists in celebration of International Dot Day!

Did you remember to wear dots today?  These kids did! 

Kindergarten Dot Day Art Stations:

Dot stickers

Dot stampers

Dot tracing

Dot collage 

Third and fourth grade group Dot Paintings 

Dot Day is coming to Fayston School!

International Dot Day is a day to celebrate CREATIVITY, COURAGE and COLLABORATION.  During the week of September 15th, all students will create artwork inspired by the message in Peter Reynolds' book The Dot:

"Make your mark and see where it takes you!" 

And Remember... On Monday, September 15th, WEAR DOTS! 

Let's see which classroom has the most Dot Day Spirit! 

Wind paintings and poetry by grades one and two

First and second graders used their breath to paint these beautiful paintings, using straws and liquid watercolor paint.  We started with the primary colors so that we could observe color mixing. Then we experimented with other combinations. They remind me of fireworks, which fits nicely with our Chinese New Year theme. 

After creating two wind paintings apiece, artists wrote poems or observations about their artwork. I posted these alongside the paintings. This was a fun way to bring a bit of the Common Core into the art room and get students talking about their artwork. Their paintings brought to mind so many great images, including gnarled witches fingers, fiery asteroids, moose antlers and rivers. 

 

How can you tell if your task is truly CREATIVE?

Above all, I value creativity in my art room.  I am strongly opposed to art projects and crafts that give step-by-step instructions that lead all students to similar results.  While I steer clear of these "cookie-cutter" projects, this article challenges me to make sure my art lessons are truly promote authentic creative thought as much as possible.  

click here to read this article about promoting creativity in the classroom.

Here are five questions that I can ask myself to ensure that my lesson is truly creative:

1. Does is call for an original response?

2. Is it difficult, but rewarding?

3. Does it require collaboration?

4. Is student work diverse?

5. Do you need to put students' name on the work to identify the art maker?

“I define creativity as the process of having original ideas that have value. Creative work in any field often passes through typical phases. Sometimes what you end up with is not what you had in mind when you started. It’s a dynamic process that often involves making new connections, crossing disciplines and using metaphors and analogies.” Sir Ken Robinson

Creativity is intelligence ...

Beautiful Birch Bark Bracelets

Two first graders came in from recess making this creative fashion statement