That's it... We're Moving!!

As I pestered earlier, for some unknown reason which I have tries for three months to get resolved (thank goodness I had several scheduled posts), this blog has been disabled through Blogger.com. Weird-right? I can post here on the Blogger App but it is very limited. I would like to change the format, add resources as I learn more about this media application, which I find I am unable to on the app. Anyway... Our new location is http://tinaatkinson.blogspot.com/  and it is called Antzmaniacs....continued.

See you there!!

All American

Here is a new take on an old favorite! Our district and city collaborate on an art-inspired month known as Artober. All the schools create displays inspired by the chosen artist that is on display that year in the city. This year's artist is Norman Rockwell. Well, I learn my lesson last year that I can only stand the same artist for so many hours per day so Rockwell is inspiring grades 3&4 while K-2 focus on Americana. Who better for Kinder than Jasper Johns!? We looked at the American flag and studied the shapes and colors. This was a great time to do it as they are learning the Pledge of Allegiance.  We looked at Johns work as well as some state flag designs with the red,white, and blue color scheme ( Tennessee, Hawaii, Texas, Georgia and Mississippi). Students were asked to design a new flag using the same colors but different shapes or composition. The results were all American! For brush practice I rescued some patriotic sheet music my music teacher was recycling an had the brush the glue on. To glue the strips onto the paper. The next week we painted our designs over the strips so that our flags had hidden messages when you looked closely. I can't wait to display them!!

We've Got the Beat!

IThis year for back-to-school in-service my principal let me do something fun and artsy with my faculty. What could I do, I wondered....then it hit me...FugleFun! 

I loved Tricia's Newsweek cover that students created on the iPad (Drydenart.weebly.com) so she coached me a little and I came up with PPE Tiger Beat!! We are the Tigers after all. I used Doodle Buddy ( I like Sketchbook express better.) to teach them to erase the background. I used a template created in Keynote and Dropbox to store work in progress! The teachers chose a prop that told something about their personality to have in the picture. For many, it served as an inspiration for the titles. 

The finished covers graced our staff board to welcome students back with the title, "We've Got The Beat!" Needless to say, it was a hit!!

We brainstormed ways that teachers could use a design lesson like this in their classrooms. Some ideas were book reviews, all-about-me student pages, playbills for student driven productions, and even begging reports to showcase facts collected!

Sorry for the time-out

Just checking in...I have had some technical difficulty with blogspot. Consider this a "test post" to see if I can post in Blogger because my blog seems to be disabled through the website. If you are reading this, more content to follow!! What can I say...Technology...it is a love-hate relationship!!