ARTEducators

ofIOWA

Fall Conference 2012information&

much more

The MessageVolume 4 ~ Issue 2 ~ October 2012

An incredible group of creative people are busy making your 2012 Joint AEI/NATA Fall Conference the premiere leadership and professional development opportunity for our members and our guests. We are less than a couple weeks away and the excitement is growing. Retirees will be

meeting on October 4th for our new Retirees' Day while the rest of our attendees will be driving in and preparing to begin their adventure on October 5th. If you can't join us for the entire weekend,

consider joining us for a day. I encourage you to B.Y.O.B.- Bring Your own Buddy- A fellow art educator or art professional from your area to share a ride, a room, and the expense.

It's not too late! Check out the entire issue for more information and details.

Creativity and leadership go hand in hand. We are in need of creative people to interested in joining the AEI board. Either as a board member or on our various committees. If you are

interested and want to learn more about open or available positions, please contact me or another board member. We'd love for your to share your time and talent with AEI and our members.

As I �nish my on-line course this week, it appears as if I may �nally be able to catch up on some well needed zzz's. I know that through this experience, I hope to trade my on-line time for more

time spent in the "creative zone". Whether this means revising and updating my school website, joining on-line PLCs, leading AEI, or pursing my own creative passions in my studio. I now know I am capable of pursing my passions: learning more about creativity, creating art, teaching art, and

most of all making connections with great art educators like you! I hope you will join me at the Blu�s where we can all lose a little sleep connecting, collaborating, and creating together!

Shanise

Creativity never sleeps...a message from our president

Adding all the ComponentsThawing out your fears & getting your curriculum up to speed.

by: Lisa JorgensenWebster City Middle School Art

Literacy. 21st Century. Student Assessment. Targets. Curriculum. I’m sure I’m not alone in saying that’s these words are of the many that we are continually hearing throughout the state. For instance, how can we improve literacy in our students? How can we add to or change our curricu-lum to account for more writing? More comprehension? More deep thinking? Well…how!?

So many of us freeze when administrators say it’s time to add more to our plate, even into the exploratories, electives, and specials. We freeze because we think, “you’ve got to be kidding – one more thing to add to the ever growing list of district desires.” Or “My curriculum is so hands-on, you can’t possibly expect me to add something so left brain to my right brain class?” Right? Don’t shake your head at me – we all know we’ve had that moment where we wish 5 minutes would go by without another requirement in our curriculum – if we could just perfect what we already have. Don’t make me name names [just kidding!].

Well, it’s time to stop freezing! This is coming from the queen of frost bite. I am the queen of panic. I am the queen of over-analyzing everything. I’m ready to de-thaw and I can tell you there IS a better way to handle your district’s requests than panicking and putting a wall up. Adapt, adapt, adapt. Believe it or not, most of us already have the tools and resources in place to add things such as writing components to our curriculum, to deal with self-assessment, and so on – we just haven’t thawed enough to figure it out. How can you adapt for more when you’ve already put everything you think you need in place? Just take a few steps.

1. RE-ASSES YOUR CURRICULUM. What components do you already have? Among the many growing components of an effective curriculum are goal setting by the student, targets (specific checkpoints a student should hit), use of a rubric, a self-assessment, and literacy component. Do you have any of these? Do you have all of these?

2. ASK YOURSELF: WHAT NEEDS WORK AND WHAT ARE YOU MISSING? You may find you already have some of the important components of what your district expects of a curriculum. Now you must ask yourself if they are effective. One hint: if they don’t exist in your curriculum, it’s safe to suppose they are ineffective. If they are effective, you are already ahead of the curve and you can move past this article.

But if you can honestly reflect and know they are not up to par, it’s time to do some work – time to address some of the major components:

3. GOAL SETTING 101 Why is goal setting for student important? We preach for accountability in our students. Teachers are currently revamping their curriculums to include ways for students to plan ahead and make their own goals regarding an assignment. In a class like art, there is no easier place to make this happen. Once a student know the assignment, simply have them outline their objective outcomes – whether it’s by highlighting their final rubric, writing them down (bonus points for literacy) or simply having an oral conversation with you. Chances are, especially in the higher levels, students need

time to think about their project choices – so help them be more effective by giving them a structure involving just a smidge of goal setting.

4. USE OF A RUBRIC Rubrics may take longer than we’d like to create but there are simple ways around this. Not only do rubrics create a visual matrix for students to reference, but they are simple to grade and hold you accountable since every student will have the same [objective] rubric. To be more universal in your classroom, create expectations that are present in each project. This makes creating new projects move quickly since you have the basic rubric ready. Obvious the area in which you are studying will change – but should our expectations for (continued)

Right On!

NAME: __________________________________ CLASS: ___

Cooperation &

Collaboration

Craftsmanship

& Consistency

Perseverance

Creativity &

Originality

Gets the Point

Needs Some UmphBarely Hanging On

The student demon-

strated understanding

problem solving skills by

exploring several choices;

generating many ideas;

trying new combinations

or by building on ideas;

and or by making

connections to previous

knowledge.

The student tried a few

ideas before selecting

one; or based his or

her work on someone

else's idea; or made

decisions after

referring to one

source; or created their

product in a

logical/unoriginal way.

The student tried in

idea and build on it

brie�y but it lacked

originality or work

holds implication of

copied ideas.

The student ful�lled

the assignment, but

gave no evidence of

trying anything that

was not gathered

from others’ ideas

including but not

limited to the ideas

of other students.

The project was contin-

ued until it was complete

as the student could

make it; gave it e

�ort far

beyond that required; to

pride in going well

beyond the requirement.

The student worked

hard and completed

the project, but with a

slightly more e�ort it

might have been

outstanding.

The student �nished

the project, but it

could have been

improved with more

e�ort; and/or lacked

�nish; possibly did not

seek challenges.

The project was

completed with

minimum e�ort.

The artwork was patiently

done; a consistent use of

time and patiences was

used throughout the

�nished product.

With a little more

positive use of time,

the work could have

been outstanding;

may lack �nishing

touches like neatness,

clear product, and

complete endings.

The student showed

average craftsman-

ship; adequate, but

shows carelessness or

no attention to simple

details.

The student showed

below average

craftsmanship; lack

of pride, attention

to detail, and large

amounts of

carelessness.

The student worked

towards goals, e�ectively

performed a variety of

roles in the class, ful�lled

commitments, and

willingly partic

ipated in

necessary preparation or

work for classroom.

The student partici-

pated in goals,

performed more than

adequately, and

assisted in preparation

and clean-up.

The student mostly

allowed others to do

class room oriented

work with some input,

assisted in preparation

and cleanup when

asked.

The student allowed

others to do most of

the work only

participating in

minimal ways.

Standards & Benchmarks Adressed:

Quick Write [required]:

++

=

Teacher

Use Only

craftsmanship, perseverance, classroom management, or whatever else you hold valuable – should these things not be consistent? If you keep your rubric universal for your projects, first you will find you only have to update the area of study’s section in the rubric each time. Rubrics are also a great way to give feedback to the students without always having to find the right sentence to portray your ideas. If a student sees where your marks lie on the rubric, they already know where they could improve without having to ask – they just need to read.

5. SELF ASSESSMENT We continue to hear that student accountability is vital in a classroom. Students can easily be held accountable using self-assessment. At the end of any project, have student use the rubric you create to show where they think they ended up. Many people fear the idea of students being over positive and unrealistic in this exercise. I have been doing self-assessment on rubrics for 3 years now and I’ve learned one thing – students tend to be harder on themselves during this then we would be. It can be a great way to discuss their thinking and discuss their successes while improving their struggles. This self-assessment can be a simple exercise or you could even use their scoring to help complete their grade – giving a student ownership in the classroom is one of the best ways to create a purposeful environment.

6. LITERACY COMPONENTS This is that scary one many art instructors hate spending time on. It’s the one component that

will change your curriculum enough that it make take some time to create the best approach. Some art instructors have students write a museum blurb about their artwork as if it was information for a public viewer. Others have worksheets and handouts that use technical writing. Still, others create a writing exercise for the end of each project where students can reflect on their work. I, personally, use a prompt that gives the students guidance on their thoughts – with this prompt, I use the “Quick Write” format; 1 minute to read the prompt and think about it, 3 minutes to write using technical skills, and 1 minute to revise thoughts. No matter what you do, creating a consistent approach to comprehension and literacy in your classroom will be valuable to you and the student.

8. YOU HAVE IDEAS BUT NEED MORE TIME So you’ve thought about it and you have ideas that will help your administrators know that art isn’t just sitting by. Now your “problem” is that they aren’t developed enough to be 100% in place and somehow that means you’re not doing it right. Wrong. If you talk to your curriculum director or supervisor

will change your curriculum enough that it make take some time to create the best approach. Some art instructors have students write a museum blurb about their artwork as if it was information for a public viewer. Others have worksheets and handouts that use technical writing. Still, others create a writing exercise for the end of each project where students can reflect on their work. I, personally, use a prompt that gives the students guidance on their thoughts – with this prompt, I use the “Quick Write” format; 1 minute to read the prompt and think about it, 3 minutes to write using technical skills, and 1 minute to revise thoughts. No matter what you do, creating a consistent approach to comprehension and literacy in your classroom will be valuable to you and the student.

7. OTHER COMPONENTS What other components does your district ask of you? Do you have Daily 5? Are you involved in any testing? What math and science requirements are in your curriculum? If you have suggestions on how to incorporate these things, please share with Art Educators of Iowa to help other teachers get back in the fast lane.

If you really struggle with rubrics,try out a well-known resource called

“RubiStar”. Input your needs and theireasy programming will help you succeed.

http://rubistar.4teachers.org/

Right On!

NAME: __________________________________ CLASS: ___

Cooperation &

Collaboration

Craftsmanship

& Consistency

Perseverance

Creativity &

Originality

Gets the Point

Needs Some UmphBarely Hanging On

The student demon-

strated understanding

problem solving skills by

exploring several choices;

generating many ideas;

trying new combinations

or by building on ideas;

and or by making

connections to previous

knowledge.

The student tried a few

ideas before selecting

one; or based his or

her work on someone

else's idea; or made

decisions after

referring to one

source; or created their

product in a

logical/unoriginal way.

The student tried in

idea and build on it

brie�y but it lacked

originality or work

holds implication of

copied ideas.

The student ful�lled

the assignment, but

gave no evidence of

trying anything that

was not gathered

from others’ ideas

including but not

limited to the ideas

of other students.

The project was contin-

ued until it was complete

as the student could

make it; gave it e

�ort far

beyond that required; to

pride in going well

beyond the requirement.

The student worked

hard and completed

the project, but with a

slightly more e�ort it

might have been

outstanding.

The student �nished

the project, but it

could have been

improved with more

e�ort; and/or lacked

�nish; possibly did not

seek challenges.

The project was

completed with

minimum e�ort.

The artwork was patiently

done; a consistent use of

time and patiences was

used throughout the

�nished product.

With a little more

positive use of time,

the work could have

been outstanding;

may lack �nishing

touches like neatness,

clear product, and

complete endings.

The student showed

average craftsman-

ship; adequate, but

shows carelessness or

no attention to simple

details.

The student showed

below average

craftsmanship; lack

of pride, attention

to detail, and large

amounts of

carelessness.

The student worked

towards goals, e�ectively

performed a variety of

roles in the class, ful�lled

commitments, and

willingly partic

ipated in

necessary preparation or

work for classroom.

The student partici-

pated in goals,

performed more than

adequately, and

assisted in preparation

and clean-up.

The student mostly

allowed others to do

class room oriented

work with some input,

assisted in preparation

and cleanup when

asked.

The student allowed

others to do most of

the work only

participating in

minimal ways.

Standards & Benchmarks Adressed:

Quick Write [required]:

++

=

Teacher

Use Only

about how you plan to implement ideas then whether or not they see it, they know you’re working on it. That is step one in the right direction and the following steps will be easier if you have someone to give you feedback. It’s just like with students – they can’t get anything done unless they have a starting point to build from.

9. SPEND TIME TO MAKE TIME Well, you’ve decided you’ve had it and you think - this is great; you have the beginnings of something great but you don’t have the time to make it happen. Unfortunately, this is what you have to be willing to let go. As teachers, we tell students that we expect them to put in the time and as students, they should expect the time for us. In truth, spending extra time on figuring out the most effective ways to get through a curriculum will actually save us time in the end. You think spending the time creating something effective is time consuming and only leads to more work but as we develop our strategies further, we learn that everything else slips in to place and runs smoother. For example, if your rubrics all have the same foundation, you will know the only thing that’s different for units, is the skill area. Grading becomes easier and quicker to comprehend for both you and the students. It’s tough to admit, but the saying is simply true: You have to spend time to make time.

It shouldn’t matter what grade you are teaching in art - applying all of the ideas we hear in professional development is just a new and different approach then what many are used to. We have to take a second to RELAX and THAW OUT so we can realize why we are really teaching. We are here for the kids. We are here to benefit the kids.

No, we should not turn our curriculums upside down to accomodate the masses - we should not ignore the “art” part of our classroom - far from it, simply integrating with new strategies will only benefit our students. Perhaps literacy and student assessment aren’t something you want taking over your class. That’s understandable - but as you see, they do not have to.

Fact is, we already do most of everything professional development courses tell us to do because the art room is a flexible environment and we are constantly adapting. That’s why the first step is so helpful - if you spend a second to assess or re-assess your curriculum, most of us will see we do more than we thought and the areas that struggle just need a quick tweak to get back on track. And some of us are just ready for something new and fresh.

Then again, maybe you just don’t want to. - maybe your district isn’t on this path. It would be easy to say you can’t fit a square into a circular whole but we are art teachers after all - we think outside the box and we would make it possible. This is simply a relay of all the information educators are constantly hearing during attendance to national conferences, discussions in professional development and conversations with other educators encountering the same advances in their district.

We’ve all heard the craze surrounding Iowa Core and 21st Century Skills. We’ve all been privy to the struggle of Fine Arts in American education. If we pump up our curriculums with cross curricuar tools and ideas, focus on how we can use what’s in front of us and continue to create this adaptive environment that still focuses on art, orginality, and creativity, then we can only move forward and continue succeeding at what we do.

Lisa Jorgensen is a member of Art Educators of Iowa. She is currently the Marketing/Promotions Chair, Editor of “The Message” and a 5th-8th grade art

instructor at Webster City Middle School. You may contact her through

marketing@artedia.org. Follow her blog: artclasswithlmj.wordpress.com

and twitter: artclasswithlmj.

All call for middle school student ATC swap hosted by UNI Art Ed students!

Information:

Artist Trading Cards (ATC’s) are 2.5 x 3.5 pieces of artwork, looking similar to a baseball card- image on front and informa-tion on back. Both sides can be decorated though and I personally enjoy that most about them. You can make them about any theme you are interested in, some great ideas I’ve tried and seen include, making a card about an artist or art period, self-portraits, carving stamps and creating multiples, and many more! My advice for mailing is to avoid 3-demensional me-dia on cards. They do not always arrive in good condition. I also recommend purchasing the small plastic protective sleeves they sell everywhere for trading cards. You get hundreds in a pack for a few dollars and it helps with mailing and trading.

See http://www.artjunction.org/atcs.php for more information on the history and examples etc…

Swap details:We will collect all middle school ATC’s and then mix them up and send you back an assortment from other schools participating. So there is no certain amount you can or

must send. On the back of each card, please have students write their first name only, the school they are from, and the title and media of the card. Anything else they want

to add to the back is fine but optional. When you mail your envelope to me, include a self-addressed, stamped enve-

lope for returns.

All ATC’s are due to UNI by November 9st!

Please send ATC’s to:Wendy Miller

University of Northern IowaKamerick Art BuildingCedar Falls IA 50614

Email me: wendy.miller @uni.edu if you have questions or want to join. If this goes well, we may try to do this

with elementary and high school, too! Thanks and happy trading!

This semester, art education students enrolled in the Methods of Elementary Art Education course will be teaching in an alternative setting at The House of Hope in Waterloo. The House of Hope is a is a two-year transitional housing program for homeless, single mothers and their children. It. In the past, students have gained valuable experience developing an after-school art club for Price Lab students on campus. In the wake of the closing of Price Lab, a new venue presented itself through the building of a relationship between art education and The House of Hope.

Students will work in small groups over the next six weeks, teaching art to children living at the shelter, while their mothers attend evening classes, developing skills to live independently. At the end of the six weeks, the Wa-terloo Public library will host a month long art display of work made by the children in the art club. In order to prepare for this experience, students will read a series of articles about homelessness, meet with the director of the shelter, and plan art lessons under my supervision.

The Iowa Department of Education requires all pre-service teachers to take a class focusing on teaching students with special needs in order to become better prepared to teach these students. According to the National Center for Learning Disabilities, Iowa’s special education population makes up 13% of our schools’ enrollment. Children living below the poverty line in Iowa make up 15.9%, according to the 2010 report put out by The Homeless Children of America organization. While poverty is no guarantee of special education services, it is certainly a special need. This program is an opportunity for art education students to step out of their comfort zone in order to gain experience teaching art to children while exploring major issues of poverty, domestic violence, and service-learning, all centered around homelessness in the Cedar Valley. My hope is that working with these children will help art education students develop a better understanding of the diverse populations they will serve, along with the skills and strategies they will need to best teach these children and most importantly to brighten the day of children living without some life’s most basic needs.

A ordable essentialsfor art educators.

800•447•8192 DickBlick.com

MEHNDI ART GLOVESIntroduce students to the ancient Indian art of henna body decoration through this inspiring lesson plan.DickBlick.com/lesson-plans/mehndi-art-gloves

®

FREELessonPlans & Videos!

Art Making at the House of Hopeby: Wendy Miller Higher Ed Representative

Fall Conference 2012 Registration Now Open

Make your hotel reservation for the AEI Fall Conference in Council Bluffs today. Rooms are still available. When using these phone numbers, tell the operator that you are booking a room for the

Fall Art Conference:

Country Inn & Suites By Carlson, Council Bluffs, IA17 Arena Way, Council Bluffs IA 51501, USAReservations: +1 (800) 830-5222 US Toll-free

Telephone: +1 (712) 322-8282 Fax: +1 (712) 256-5049

Hilton Garden Inn2702 Mid America Drive Council Bluffs, IA 51501

Telephone: (712) 309-9000

REGISTER ONLINE NOW!http://www.regonline.com/Register/Checkin.aspx?EventID=1112391

Online registration for the 2012 Fall Conference allows you to

reserve a space in special paid sessions

order your choices for meals

purchase extra meal tickets for guests

use a credit card, check, or purchase order

register for your whole staff or group of friends

start your registration now and go back to make changes later (be sure to return by using the link in the email that is sent, saying that your registration is incomplete)

renew your membership in NAEA or become a new member

KE

YN

OT

E S

PE

AK

ER

S

DEBORAH MASUOKA: 9 am on Friday

Deborah Masuoka is well known for her large-scale rabbit heads — dynamic and powerfully reductive sculptures that are conceptually complex and visually compelling. She has been a visiting artist at the Archie Bray Foundation in Helena, Montana as well as at the legendary Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design in Jerusalem, Israel. Her work is in numerous private and public art collections, including the Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery and Arizona State University.

DEBORAH UHL: 10 am on Friday

Deborah Uhl's passion for painting and conservation first revealed itself at the young age of six. She painted a life-size mural of Jesus on the Water on her parent's wall. Throughout her childhood, she painted meticulous trees and figures, which evolved into detailed foregrounds contrasted with expressive airbrushed backgrounds. Her creative visions were always meant to be seen on a grand scale. Her attraction to detail led her to explore the chemistry of artist's materials and techniques.

DAVID LAW:12 noon on Friday

David Law is a retired band director and music teacher, Marion, Iowa. He is a National Board Certified Teacher and a member of the Music Educator’s

National Conference, Iowa Music Educator’s Conference serving as President, Iowa Bandmasters Association - Past President, Northeast

Iowa Bandmasters Past President, Association for School Curriculum Development, National Education Association, Iowa State Education Association, and Marion Education Association – Treasurer, and the

Iowa Alliance for Arts Education – Chair. In 2004 he was selected as the Educator of the Year from Linn County. He is the founder and conductor of

the Marion Community Bands.

DEBORAH B. REEVE: 11 am on Saturday

Deborah B. Reeve is executive director of the NAEA. Formerly the deputy executive director of the National Association of

Elementary School Principals (NAESP) in Alexandria, Virginia, Deborah brings to NAEA a proven record of association manage-

ment and creative leadership in organizational development.

DEBI WEST: 1 pm on Saturday

Debi West, Ed.S, NBCT has been teaching children through the vehicle of the visual arts in Gwinnett County since 1993. She has been named the 2011 State Youth Art

Month Honorary Art Educator; the 2009 Georgia Art Educator of the year; she was selected as a 2009 Woodruff Arts Leader in Arts Education Honoree; 2006 NAEA Marion Quin Dix Leadership Award Recipient; 2005 Gwinnett County Teacher of

the Year; the 2005 National Elementary Art Educator of the Year, and was selected as a top 10 Georgia Teacher of the Year Finalist in 2006.

For more information, visit:

http://www.artedia.org

SILENT AUCTION

Don’t forget to bring items for the Silent Auction. The silent auction will be an on going event in which conference

attendees can make bids on items they are interested in.

There will be no secret bidding either night - so let the “bidding wars” begin! On Saturday, during the dinner,

bidding will continue but end shortly before awards are announced. Bids will be collected and winners will be

announces after awards. Please have cash or your checkbook ready to make payment.

All proceeds collected will bene�t various organizations and advocacy groups associated with arts education.

If you have questions, please contact marketing@artedia.org.

department of artuniversity of northern iowaart scholarship review application deadline is october 1, 2012

Scholarships will be awarded to high school seniors based onacademic performance and portfolio review.

What you will send - ~ 10 images of your artwork on a CD (details on website)~ A numbered image list giving title, date, medium, and dimensions of each artwork~ Label each image with your last name and number corresponding to the image (i.e. Smith01.jpg)~ Completed scholarship application form (details on website)~ Department/College Scholarship Information Form (details on website)~ Transcript

Finalists will be invited to the UNI Campus for interviews and to createunique studio projects on November 2, 2012

mail to:High School Scholarship Review

Department of ArtUniversity of Northern Iowa

104 Kamerick Art BuildingCedar Falls, Iowa 50614-0362

http://www.uni.edu/artdept/HSscholarships.html

GET INVOLVEDThere is much more happening at the Fall Conference

than just Workshops, Breakouts, and Keynotes. Be sure to plan time for touring Council Blu�s,

participating in ra�es, taking your chances in the Silent Auction, and making great relationships grow

with fellow teachers, enthusiasts, and guests!

We also have positions open on the AEI board. (Treasurer, Secretary, Webmaster, etc.) Please contact Shanise Brockshus if you are interested in taking part

in any way, shape or form within AEI. sbrockshus@thegenerals.org

Don’t forget! If you have some words to share, contact marketing@artedia.org to include articles,

events, and tid bits in the next newsletter.

Questions about the conference? First check the website (http://www.artedia.org) and then try contacting Susan Noonan, whose info is on the

website.

Get ready to meet art vendors, great speakers, and learn fun ways to enhance your classroom and more!