Tuesday, February 18, 2003
Art Teachers Chat
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Resa - is this the Art Ed chat?
Carrie - yes
Resa - lively huh!! or am i early
Carrie - i have been here for a few minutes
Carrie - no one else has shown up yet
Resa - I just coincidentally checked the chat board and saw a chat scheduled 
wizzlewolf - Ding Dong Ding Dong It is 8:00 Time for Art Ed Chat
wizzlewolf - Hi Deb!
debio - hello and how are you all doing tonight?
wizzlewolf - Hi Carrie and Resa! Are you Art teachers?
Carrie - yes
wizzlewolf - (((((((JO))))))))))
Carrie - I teach art 1-5
Resa - definitely! i post now and then, when i ge a chance. we've talked before (email anyway)
Resa - Tired that's for sure. Here in Michigan we got a little snow and drivers went nuts, rear ended my husband's truck and he was car #3 in a 5 car pile up... *sigh*
wizzlewolf - Resa, I recognize your name. Forgive me if I don't remember the email. I get hundreds of emails a week from all kinds of teachers.
Resa - Hehe that's ok. I love your website BTW
Jo - I am still bare footed and my favorite tree is growing leaves again
Carrie - we just had a huge snowstorm here in jersey
wizzlewolf - So Deb has proposed that we have a topic. Her suggestion is Classroom Management.
debio - leaves?? What are those?? Our frost is apparently 6ft. down this year!
Jo - Yikes the curse of school
Resa - just had a unified arts meeting today (us art, music, PE and Spanish teachers have to stick together) to talk about curriculum
wizzlewolf - Deb, where are you?
debio - Paula in NJ actually wanted to discuss that..... shes not here yet, but that doesn't mean we can't. How loud do you all let your kids get?
debio - wizzle - I am in Northern WI
wizzlewolf - I have a very high tolerance for noise. However, I own a "Yacker Tracker" for days I have a headache.
Jo - Debio, they didn't the place was rather quiet
wizzlewolf - N. WI????? YIKES!!! Just the thought makes me cold.
Carrie - I allow quiet voices...or indoor voices
Carrie - I saw that Yacker Tracker and was thinking of getting one
debio - Do those yacker trackers work? BTW I love it up here!
Resa - Wizzlewolf, I have a Yacker Tracker on the wall in my room, no extension cord to use it yet... is it good or bad (send it back for a refund)??
Jo - I did have friends who used music, the kids kind but it was kept to a livable level
wizzlewolf - YES, my Yacker Tracker really makes a difference with the middle elementary kids.
Carrie - I like to use music also
wizzlewolf - I LOVE my Yacker Tracker. However, I tend to set it off more than the kids! LOL
Carrie - Especially when we are learning about an artist...I like to play music from that era
debio - I find that music in the room actually makes the kids talk louder!
wizzlewolf - I hate music in my room. Just hate it.
Resa - i better spring for the extension cord. that's the only thing between it being wall art and being used! hehe. i'm such a dork for not getting it set up. i brought in my cordless drill and everything to install it months ago...
Carrie - I turn it off if they get too loud
Jo - Something that also helped was ther was a container on each table with the materials being used and a pencil sharpner so there was little traffic in the room
wizzlewolf - Music in the art room makes me twitch.
Carrie - I also have these 3 drawn lips....green for Talk Quiet, yellow for whisper only, and red for no talking at all
debio - Wizzle you are a hoot - I am always twitching by the end of the day!!!!
Jo - Carrie love the lip idea
debio - Carrie - what age group do you teach?
Carrie - with the older kids, i have a helper that puts up the correct lips
Carrie - I teach grades 1-5
wizzlewolf - Well Deb. That is why I hate music in my room. I would be a basket case by the end of the day.
nicemommy - what is a yacker tracker?
wizzlewolf - Hi Gertie, welcome!
debio - I don't have music on for the kids, that is reserved for me!
wizzlewolf - Hi nicemommy!
Jo - I did leather working on semester talk about noise
debio - I am still doing clay, almost done though, and talk about NOISE!
wizzlewolf - A Yacker Tracker is a traffic light with a sound meter in it. You can set it for a particular decimal level and if the kids get too loud the traffic light goes from green to yellow to red and sounds an alarm.
Carrie - I have 4 tables in my classroom and there are 4 evil red paper X's on my desk...if a table gets too loud I put the X on their table to let them know
Jo - Debio.. what kind of clay projects?
Carrie - if they have an X on their table at the end of class they lost a point for their class on the class chart
wizzlewolf - I am still doing too many different projects. I have to simplify. I am driving myself bananas.
debio - Well, believe it or not, the 4th and 5th do a bit of potter's wheels work, and then they also do a coil/slab hand built piece and a living thing that must be 3D
Resa - Anyone have ideas about stressful working environment? That seems to be my big problem this year. We're STILL in negotiations, our state just recently cut education funding, PLUS our district received a bond for construction currently going on...
Carrie - Do any of you have websites?
Resa - http://mywebpage.netscape.com/MrsLatourArt
Juttaprincess - I will be chatting with you guys tonight!
Resa - I'd love to put more on the website eventually, including step-by-step lesson plans with pictures
wizzlewolf - Resa, my resolution this year was to have FUN again. I have managed to do that. I am so much happier at work now.
debio - Resa, we went through that last year - it is awful, couldn't sleep for days. I stayed out of the teachers lounge where the hard core's hang out and avoid union meetings at all costs. Make sure you continue showing art stuff everywhere - keep yourself visible, so they don't think you are dispensible
Carrie - Resa, I am working on a minor homework page that the district has set up, but I take pride in my ARTSONIA GALLERY...have any of you checked that site out or participate in it?
wizzlewolf - Carrie, I have some websites. Here is one that is called my Electronic Teaching Portfolio
Resa - Oh I do have fun, don't get me wrong, but there seems to be this "haze" over the whole building due to all these outside issues. Hm... avoid union meetings (missed one yesterday, darn!)
wizzlewolf - http://www.wizzlewolf.com/ep.html
Resa - I did Artsonia last year, one project. Didn't really stick with it but I was probably lazy. I loved posting the artwork and it would be good publicity...
Juttaprinceee - anyone interested in talking about entry 1?
Carrie - I understand...our budget was defeated this year and the town keeps downing the much needed expansion
Becky - We are also in negotiations and have a $1million cut to look forward to next year.
wizzlewolf - Resa, see that is what I mean though. I was so heavily involved with school stuff and National Board stuff, I was getting crazy. I just wanted to do art with the kids this year.
Jo - Resa..Carrie is right..you have to make time for your self.. staying physicaly fit is a must and planning time for your own art work
wizzlewolf - Jutta, this is NOT a National Board Chat.
Carrie - Resa, I love Artsonia and they gave me a FREE membership this year! One of my students won Artist of the Week and received lots of free art supplies!
wizzlewolf - This is just a casual chat for art teachers in general. You are welcome to talk about teaching art. This isn't just for NB candidates tonight.
debio - I am actually having my own art show at the public library in August, first time I have ever done that, and it is sort of frightening!
Becky - Jutta., if you want to pm me, I will talk about NBC
Becky - I also thought it was ec_gen
Jo - debio... you'll have fun
Resa - ahh my own artwork (much neglected) I need to get back into that too. I actually pre-ampted (sp?) myself for a beautiful classroom-mural by spray painting the four directions on my classroom walls.
Carrie - it is a really great website....here is my gallery www.artsonia.com/schools/aldenesherman1
wizzlewolf - Good for you Deb!!! Congratulations!
Becca - Hi there everyone
Juttaprincess - HAving your own website, that is AWESOME!
debio - I actually started doing some of my own artwork when I was having big back problems and did kind of a cool self portrait, which spurred me on to do more things and that 's what happened!
Carrie - I haven't done much art myself....so I started taking classes at night to get back to my own work
Carrie - I am taking printmaking now
Jo - Carrie good for you.. it is so easy to let you the artist slip away when you teach the subject
debio - Print making and weaving (and clay) were and are my favorite things! You'll have fun Carrie
Becca - Boy, printmaking was my least favorite course in college
Becky - Are there two Juttas here?
wizzlewolf - I do my art all the time. However, I was an artist before I started teaching.
Resa - I'm planning on taking (continuing education requirement) more ceramics, photography, maybe even print classes after I'm done with my masters.
Jo - debio what kind of weaving?
Juttaprincess - NO, just me...I am a a## I signed on 2x..soyrry.
Carrie - it is fun....we only did lineoleum cuts in undergrad
wizzlewolf - Becca, I don't like printmaking either. I just never clicked with it.
Carrie - and now I am doing intaglio and aquatint
Becca - Right, I didn't either.
Juttaprincess - Entry 1
debio - I've done my art pretty consistently too, but I have been doing costume making for kicks and giggles for the HS, my favorite is doing Madrigal costumes
Carrie - before that I took photography, which I love
Juttaprincess - sorry!
Becca - I think linocuts are great - but once you get into intaglio, I don't have the patience for it
Carrie - and I just finished watercolor class and a painting class
wizzlewolf - Carrie, are you taking university classes or at an art center?
Carrie - intaglio is a lot of work and u never know what the final product will look like
Carrie - university classes
debio - Jo - I love weaving on a big loom, but I will do any kind! Textiles interest me. I have done drawings and then translated them into fabric - one of the things I am doing for my show
wizzlewolf - Are you just taking classes or are you going for a degree?
Resa - I would love to take glass blowing, I took a community ed stained glass class in the fall...
Becca - Debio - love weaving too! Textiles really are my biggest interest as well
Carrie - well at first it was for fun...but then I looked into the programs they offered
Resa - but not much since then. I still draw and paint in my free time (when is that?!)
Carrie - so I am going for my masters in fine arts ed. focusing all on studio art
Becca - I'm really big into graphic design and commercial art, though. I think that's really relevant to the kids, too.
Resa - but my Masters program takes up most of my "free time" now. I'm getting that in Education. I wanted to get it in Fine Arts but I would have had to quit working completely, and it was twice as many credits!
debio - Free time! I am helping do the scenery for the play, too
Jo - Debio... I had a large Swedish floor loom...had to give away arthritis made it to diffficult to use but have a eight harness jack loom I love. Would love to see your work
Carrie - wow! how many credits is that program?
debio - Free time! I am helping do the scenery for the play, too
wizzlewolf - Hello Artie!
Carrie - you would be so blown away hearing how easy mine is....it's almost like stealing the degree
debio - Hi Artie!!!
Becca - Wow, Joe - how did you get the Swedish floor loom?
artie - Hello all1 sorry I'm late, family crisis...
Becca - Sorry, "Jo"
debio - Artie, everything okay?
Jo - becca ... we were in Germany and a Swedish co. had an outlet near us
Becca - Was it very expensive? I'd love to have something like that
Resa - Marygrove, Carrie? 30 credits, I'm in the 4th semester now. Actually, not that much work... compared to my hubby's Architecture program!!
Jo - Becca at the time it wasn't but that was a good 20 years ago
artie - I will talk about it later...
wizzlewolf - Resa, Marygrove College in Detroit?
Resa - Just because it IS an easy program! Like you said, just about stealing the degree... But with everything else going on, it's just another stress.
Carrie - a lot of teachers at my school do Marygrove...I am going to Kean University and my program is only 33 credits or 11 classes
Paint - I finally made it to one of the art chats. This is the art chat isn't it?
Carrie - no exam to get in program, no thesis
wizzlewolf - Paint YES welcome!
Resa - wizzle, thats the one! I live 45 minutes from there but have never been on campus.
Carrie - just display your work in student gallery b4 graduation
Jo - Becca... you might check and see if you have any weavers guild around you... sometimes... you find finda good deal from older weavers who want to pass their skills on. I got a beautiful spinning wheel that way..cost was very little.
Becca - Really! That's a great idea
wizzlewolf - I was in an art exhibition there once a LONG time ago. It was in a big, beautiful wood room with gorgeous bay windows.
artie - Sorry I missed the jest, but are some of you talking about looms?
Jo - artie...yes but there are several conversations going
Paint - That is what I was wondering about. I did a little weaving. The setting of the machine is harder than the actual weaving. Not quite for me.
wizzlewolf - Artie, some how we started talking about making our own art and then some started talking about classes they are taking.
Paint - I have the class do small weaving projects on cardboard looms.
artie - I have a four harness floor loom that weaves 48" wide.
Resa - my "group" has the system down. we get all the group work done for each class on a Saturday morning, have breakfast, chug through the work by each tackling a portion of the group responses. it's pretty fun actually
Paint - I don't find teenagers have enough patience for weaving.
Jo - I think weaving/taspestry is a favorite for all students
Paint - or is it, I find
Paint - Not mine, Jo
Paint - They love woodburning best
artie - Paint, I did a weaving project w/my art 2 class, it went well..my floor loom is mine, its at home....
Paint - I have larger looms, but I can't get students to get into weaving much.
Jo - Paint .. I found teenagers like it when it was kept simple to logos and letters
wizzlewolf - It is funny because I appreciate weaving but I don't like to do it. It is very tedious to me.
artie - My kids like woodburning, too...
wizzlewolf - Paint, my middle schoolers would do Plaster Masks every week for a year if I let them. That and potter's wheel.
Paint - I've had some students ask for woodburning tools for Christmas once they tried the craft in my class.
artie - I am really into fiber art, it was my "minor"! :> 
Carrie - my kids also would love doing the plaster maskes all the time
Jo - Woodburning how terrifc I my principal did want done
Jo - Uphs...didn't want it done
Paint - You have better facilities than I do. I don't have ceramic materials. Wish I did. I LOVE to do wheel work.
Resa - assuming you'd do this on high school level?
wizzlewolf - When I was in college, crafts and fine arts were "segregated". I never did any fibers or clay or any crafts.
Paint - I teach high school, Resa
artie - Wizz, did you major in fine arts or art education?
wizzlewolf - Resa, I teach potters wheel to my kindergarteners.
wizzlewolf - I don't have an education degree. I have a BFA and MFA
Paint - I didn't either, wizzlewolf, but when I went for certification, I had craft classes. (I had a 4-year non teaching art degree).
wizzlewolf - When I got Florida certification, I only had to take methods that is it. However, I had taught for thirteen years prior without a certificate.
Paint - I teach at a relatively small high school. I don't have much in the line of supplies. I do the best I can with what I have. We do clay projects using oven craft clay.
Brenda - Hi Artie, I did your lesson for the 3rd time this week. The glue and water wet-in -wet flowers, worked great on poster board not so hot on watercolor paper.
Resa - ?!?! pottery wheel with kindy's... good district I'm assuming. my kindy's have problems with simple things like holding a pencil or sitting in a chair. i teach a lower income district and the majority of our kids are certified EI or other challenges
Paint - I had a degree in Creative Arts (concentration on commercial art). To be certified, I had to take an additional 27 hours of education and art classes.
artie - Brenda, glad that project was successful!
wizzlewolf - Paint, I have been at schools that didn't have much of anything. Sometimes those are the most creative times.
Paint - I have some high schoolers who have trouble handling scissors.
wizzlewolf - Resa, ALL MY KIDS are SED (severely emotionally disturbed) I work at a special ed school. (Not a regular kid in the bunch)
Resa - I don't mean that in a condescending way, it's just more time spent on basic skills. How often does everyone see their students? I see them once a week for an hour
wizzlewolf - fifty minutes a week
Resa - WOW!! How do you do a pottery wheel with kindergarteners? I'm trying to envision it in my class... one at a time?
artie - I see mine....
debio - once a week for an hour
Brenda - Thanks, do you have any suggestions for the wild watercolors? They were really big and the kids went wild. Lots of splattering and now run together colors. I had one student use black ink and paint the negative space so that the flowers would show up. Do you think this would work or do you thingk cutting up and creating a collage might work?
wizzlewolf - Except my High School kids I see every day for fifty for a semester
Carrie - my classes are once a week for only 40 minutes
artie - K - 5, 2x for 30 minutes, Jr. High once a week, HS everyday
jeanne/ece/tx - Hi!
wizzlewolf - I just do it. Why not? I get them all gathered around the wheel and I do a demonstration and then some work on handbuilding and we take turns on the wheel. We just do it.
Resa - do you have multiple wheels? (I don't have even one!)
artie - Wizz, how many lbs. of clay can a kindy throw??? :>
wizzlewolf - It is a great motivator because my kids have some bizarre behaviors. However, they want their turn on the wheel so bad, they will do whatever I say and not misbehave.
Paint - Our elementary does not have an art program. There is an art teacher at the Middle school and I am the only art teacher at the high school.
Resa - Then again that's something I'd like to learn to do better myself. I still have one from high school, a litlte lopsided bowl about the size of a sand dollar. hehe.
wizzlewolf - Oh Gee, I just give them a little softball size piece for their turn
Resa - Unfortunately we have an "art teacher" at the middle school that works mainly from handouts. And the high school has one art teacher that does pretty much the same thing. It's sad. we've been trying to arrange a meeting with MS and HS teachers for awhile to no avail
Paint - I don't have a kiln or wheel.
artie - Resa, what do you mean by "handouts"?
Resa - whoops. hit the wrong button
Resa - dittos of coloring books. not even "anti-coloring book" pages
Brenda - Artie, don't mean to interrupt, did you see my question to you about wild watercolors?
wizzlewolf - Paint, don't feel bad. I taught for years without either. You just do the best you can. We did air dry clay and LOTs of papermache.
Paint - works from handouts? They don't do much in hands-on projects? The bulk of my class is creating things.
Resa - from what my past Elementary students have shown me when they come back to visit/pick up younger siblings. It's sad
Jo - Resa.. you have to be kidding how horrible
Carrie - i just rewrote the whole 1-5 curriculum, but the other elementary art teacher does not follow it
artie - Debio, are yoo here?
paula - Hi everyone I just got home glad you are still here
paula - whats happening?
wizzlewolf - Hi Paula
Resa - the three of us elementary teachers worked so hard in the last couple years to build a strong art program, and then these kids go on to the middle school and get so discouraged. it's awful!
Paint - whizzlewolf, I like the oven bake clay...325 for 30 minutes. Holds up better than air dry.
Paint - No coloring sheets for me. NEVER
Carrie - same here Resa
wizzlewolf - That IS terrible Resa.
Carrie - MS kids only get 5 weeks of art
debio - Artie, I keep losing this, I moved to the big G3 and it keeps freezing. I do better if I don't participate, believe it or not. Macs are not real compatible sometimes
artie - Never say never....
Carrie - and then it is an elective in HS
Resa - Carrie, that's what our meeting was about today. so we could work on aligning our curricula with national/state standards, and basic skills and areas of elements/principles so that all elementary students are learning generally the same thing.
wizzlewolf - Carrie, that is the way it is at my school. I hate it. You can't get anything done in 6 weeks.
paula - hey debs!
paula - Kathy I started to purl!!!!
Paint - well, I gotta run, everyone. Husband is home.
debio - Hey there girl! Hows the snow?
paula - very deep
Paint - I like my art schedule. My art classes meet for 90 minutes each.
paula - there are piles and piles of it all over
wizzlewolf - Deb, I use Macs all the time and they do a great job. You might need to boost your memory for your browser or ISP. That may be the problem why you keep freezing up.
debio - WE would like some more of it
Carrie - I get upset because I have the kids from 1st to 5th and they are so excited about art and I feel it is lost when they reach the MS due to just 5 weeks...they always come back complaining about it....and then they aren't made to take it in HS
paula - Debs I'll be happy to send you some!
paula - Artie, whats up>
debio - wizzle, thanks, I love love love my mac, it is a new imac, I will look into it
Carrie - Paula are you in NJ?
Paint - hope to see everyone next week. Have a good week, all.
paula - Yes Carrie its me, how are you?
debio - bye paint, have a good one
paula - bye paint
artie - I am going to log off the chat, now..I will be available after this for a little bit..DebiO and Paula... bye everyone!
Resa - i thought that was going to be some kindof new national standard, a required art class of some kind at the HS level
paula - Is it something I said? or is time up?
debio - I think time is almost up
paula - can we open a private chat room"
wizzlewolf - Time is up. The Early Childhood people should be coming in just a few moments.
Carrie - good how are you?
wizzlewolf - Hope to see y'all next week.
paula - Carrie, I am fine, I have changed districts.
Resa - that was so fun! do us fellow art teachers do this often?
paula - I am now in a private school, and enjoy it much more
Carrie - that's great
debio - Paula, I think artie will email you !!! will check my mail tomorrowm, I need to get ouda here!
paula - nite debs
Carrie - will you be here next week?
Resa - well thank you all, I had a really good time (thanks for listening to me vent and complain)
paula - carrie me"
paula - yes
Carrie - good night Resa
Carrie - paula...what was that last message?
paula - were you talking to me?
paula - time for the next group Carrie, catch ya next time
Carrie - ok
Carrie - have a nice night
paula - nite
paula - you too!
school teacher ! - does anyone know how to do a percent grade? cannot find my ez-grader
school teacher ! - its been a while since i have figured a percent grade with out my grader
jeanne/ece/tx - Hi School Teacher!
jeanne/ece/tx - are all the scores equally weighted?
jeanne/ece/tx - if yes, add them all up and divide by the total number of scores
jeanne/ece/tx - Hi Schoolteacher -- did you figure out how to do it?
schoolteacher1 - jeanne referring to a percent grade, 45 questions missed 7
jeanne/ece/tx - then 45 - 7 = 38 ... 38/45 = 0.84444 or 84%
schoolteacher1 - o ok never seen it done that way before
jeanne/ece/tx - Hi Tina! How are you this evening?
jeanne/ece/tx - Teach -- does that make sense?
Tina/Pre-K/Tx - Good! How about you?
jeanne/ece/tx - Tina -- I"m doing well, thanks. ready for tonite's meeting?
jeanne/ece/tx - Schoolteacher1 -- does it make sense to do it that way?
jeanne/ece/tx - I wondered if you went to change your "dress", Tina!
schoolteacher1 - I was dividing how many questions into 100
jeanne/ece/tx - you would have to multiply every question by 2.something to get the value of each to an equal proportion of f100 to do it that way! Just use the basic fraction -- it will work out the same.
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