Seriously Cool Art Projects on a Budget

I recently started preparing for next semester and realized I had gone through wayyyyy more materials than I had anticipated. I will definitely have to get creative with a few projects to maximize the budget I have left…which is very little. I decided it might be helpful for others to see some of the low cost projects I’ve done in the past and how seriously cool they can be. I’ll also share some tips and tricks for maximizing your art budget and creating stellar artworks with supplies hidden in the depths of your storage closet.

Basic art supplies you will need (that most likely have to be replaced each year). This is where the money you DO have will be spent.

1. Ultra Fine Sharpies

2. Crayola Markers

3. Crayola Colored Pencils

4. Crayola Crayons

5. Watercolor Paint, Tempera or Acrylic Paint

6. WHITE acrylic paint or gesso (whichever is cheaper)

7. Pencils and erasers

8. 90lb drawing paper

Art supplies that can be used for multiple years (if taken care of properly):

1. Scissors

2. Rulers

3. Oil/Chalk Pastels

4. Paintbrushes

5. Hair dryer (yes a hair dryer)

However, crayons, colored pencils, and markers can also be collected and used for multiple years.

Art supplies that don’t cost anything:

1. Cardboard. Save those holiday amazon boxes teacher friends!

2. Cereal boxes

3. Toilet paper rolls

4. Junk mail envelopes

5. Soda cans or other recycled materials

6. Newspaper

7. Old Encyclopedias or books with similar pages including magazines.

8. Photography apps such as RNI Film, and Adobe Lightroom (free version).

9. Adobe Creative Cloud Express (students have access to free accounts in our district).

10. Canva app (free version)

11. Stop Motion Studio app (free version)

12. Google Canvas and other free drawing and painting sites.

Below are 15 art projects you might consider trying in order to cut your costs and make the most of your curriculum on a budget. *You will find visuals for these projects at the end of this post. Click to enlarge each image.

1. Project: Unconventional Art - Drawing or painting on unconventional art surfaces like cardboard or junk mail envelopes. You can get really creative with this one.

2. Project: Low Relief Sculptures - Using cardboard (thick or thin) and any type of coloring or painting supplies, the low relief sculptures you will see below were inspired by Elizabeth Murray’s vibrant paintings.

3. Project: Found Object Sculptures - This is a great time to clean out your junk drawers.

4. Project: Painted Paper Collage - Using old crayola markers and water.

5. Project: Pointillism - Using crayola markers and water and/or watercolor paint.

6. Project: Composition Book Art Journal (Sketchbook) - Watch this video by one of my favorite artists Alisa Burke. This is also why you will need the hair dryer. :)

7. Project: Crayon Mosaics - Even the itty bitty crayons in the bottom of the bin work.

8. Project: Print-Making with Found Objects - Print on encyclopedia pages or any surface you have on hand.

9. Project: Stop Motion Videos - Use the free stop motion studio app and any drawing, painting, sculpture, or random objects you have on hand. Do a quick YouTube search to find examples like this one.

10. Project : Photography - Using any photo editing apps available. Focus on mood, rule of thirds, gridding photos for drawing, composition, flat lays, etc.

11. Project: Coffee Painting - Medium = actual coffee. Check it out!

12. Project: Ancient Cave Paintings - Find some old tracing paper, kraft paper, old neutral construction paper, etc. Get creative with the supplies they use to draw/paint with as paintbrushes, colored pencils, and other art supplies clearly were not available back then.

13. Project: Pen & Ink - The possibilities are endless. See below for a few of my favorite pen and ink projects.

14. Project: Digital Portfolios (creating an artist brand, logo, marketing materials, and more). You can use Adobe Spark (now Adobe Creative Cloud Express), the free version of Canva, Google Slides, WeVideo, and other free apps or programs available.

15. Bitmoji Art Studios - Using Google Slides.

Not to mention, you can always make bookmarks to share with all your cutting board scraps.

Have any questions about these projects? Need resources? Reach out to me. :)

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Pointillism/Vibrant Landscape

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Pointillism

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Pointillism

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Low Relief Sculpture

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Low Relief Sculpture

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Low Relief Sculpture

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Found Objects Sculpture

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Endangered Species Pen & Ink

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Endangered Species Pen & Ink

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Unconventional Art

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Unconventional Art

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Unconventional Art

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Pen & Ink Haunted House Book Covers

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#Inktober

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Painted Paper Collage

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Painted Paper Collage

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Painted Paper Collage

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Painted Paper

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Painted Paper

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Painted Paper

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Bitmoji Art Studio

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Bitmoji Art Studio

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Printmaking with Random Objects

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Ancient Cave Paintings

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Ancient Cave Paintings

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Ancient Cave Paintings

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Crayon Mosaic

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Crayon Mosaic

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Kindness Bookmarks

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Watercolor Bookmarks

Authentic Audiences Create Meaningful Experiences

There are four days standing between me and winter break. Shew! I can’t wait to relax, reflect, and enjoy time with my family. Oh wait, I have two small children…I might have to eliminate relax from that statement. Ha!

Anyway, instead of making new years resolutions, I usually set intentions and goals. I have already decided that one of my educational goals is to create more real-world, meaningful experiences for my student artists. With that said, finding authentic audiences to share their work with will be one of my goals and highest priorities.

Here are some ideas.

1. Art Displays. Outside of your classroom or possibly outside of the school. This might be the most basic and obvious but it’s rewarding for the students when someone other than their teacher sees their work. I bet some of your early finishers would be happy to be part of the “display committee.”

2. Local Events. Look for local events that students can be involved in. If the event doesn’t specify ages, just ask. Most organizations are more than willing to showcase student work to involve younger members of the community. I reached out to the Downtown Frederick Partnership to see if we could display our “Frederick Sweets” and “Frederick Foodies” pastel artwork during restaurant week in March of 2022. They were excited to partner with us and my students were pretty thrilled.

3. Art “Commissions.” My three classes of level one art students just recently finished up more than 125 pet portraits “commissioned” by our staff and students for the holidays. The cost was a donation of the client’s choice and 100% of the proceeds will benefit two rescue groups; Operation Paws for Homes and Small Miracles Rescue. Each of my 90+ students worked on two or more pet portraits for others to give as gifts. My students took pride in their work knowing it would be displayed in someone’s home and it also immersed them in a real-world artist experience. I think some might take their new found talent to another level and start taking real commissions.

4. The Internet & Social Media. This might be another obvious avenue but do students know how their work is being presented and/or are they involved in the process? You could create a class website to use as an online art exhibit. Do you hype it up? Do you have your own class hashtag? Do you create reels or tik toks? All of these are ways to share student work on social media for others to enjoy. It’s also possible to get students involved in the process of creating content. I’m working through this idea with a few students right now.

5. Local Artist Collabs. Invite a local artist to come in to provide feedback during a mid-way project critique either in-person or virtually. Maybe you could create a “juried exhibit” experience and have local artists on the panel. This could easily be done via email.

6. Donations. Reach out to community organizations to see if they would be willing to donate products that could serve as non-traditional painting surfaces. They might even be willing to showcase the finished products.

7. Art for a Cause. Explore ways student artwork can be used to raise awareness of a cause or causes the students are passionate about. Recycled materials? Street mural ideas? Hallway murals? How will you (or they) get the word out?

8. EBooks. Students could illustrate and publish ebooks using Google Docs. In the past, we’ve created coloring books to send out to the community. Maybe students could collaborate with an english class to write, illustrate, and publish an ebook. Make sure to send them out into the community or to neighboring schools. If you have the means, print a few copies for students to physically share.

9. Videos. Students can create sketchbook tour videos, timelapse videos of their project creations, or video portfolios that can easily be shared on a teacher’s youtube channel, on the morning announcements, on the school website, shared on Twitter with your class hashtag and more. < This is definitely something I want to do more of moving forward. You can check out our class hashtag on Twitter at #FrederickHighArt.

10. Invite Others. Sending an email to staff to stop by and see the amazing work your students are doing is incredibly simple and rewarding. In my experience, they are energized when others come in to ooh and ahh at their talent and provide that additional little boost of motivation.

I hope you can use one or more of these ideas in the New Year. As always, reach out if you want to chat!

***Below are a few of the graphics I created to highlight some of the above-mentioned ideas. Click to enlarge.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS & HAPPY NEW YEAR!

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Student Engagement in a Post Pandemic Classroom

Make sure you have a piece of paper and something to write with as you read through this article. Together we are going to explore and discover new ideas to immediately implement in our classrooms, and re-establish an engaging, creative, and exciting learning environment for our students.

For the past 18 months our students’ education has been disrupted. It’s important to recognize that the last normal school year for seniors was ninth grade. Our freshmen were sixth graders, and so on. Let that sink in for a moment. As we explore student engagement, we should strive to put executive functioning supports in place as well. Here’s a quick presentation with some teacher tips to help support students’ executive functioning skills as they become reacquainted with in person learning.  

Student disengagement is a fundamental problem we as teachers need to address. It’s not our students’ fault they are disengaged. It’s an incredibly long list of factors that contribute to lack of engagement in the classroom. Fortunately, teachers are superheroes therefore we can and will engage our students and provide meaningful experiences for them. 

According to Catlin Tucker, engagement is the active involvement in learning that is relevant, valuable, and interesting. Grab your pencils so we can break it down and put our thoughts on paper. 

1. Learning that is Relevant: How can you make real world connections in your content to prove a topic is relevant to your students? Take a moment to brainstorm and jot down some ideas (even if they seem completely out of reach).

2. Learning that is Valuable: What makes your course valuable? Why are the topics you teach valuable? You know your course is valuable, but how do you convince your students of its value? Take a moment to brainstorm and jot down some ideas.

3. Learning that is Interesting: What are your students interested in? If you don’t know, you might want to find a way to change that. However, I’d be willing to bet you can come up with at least three things right now that you know your students are interested in. Write them down. 

Next, based on your initial ideas (above) let’s explore some ideas and strategies that you can implement immediately to get students more engaged.

Relevant content is easy to come by. You can search current events, podcasts, local news, community forums, or social media. Although sometimes a challenge, finding an authentic audience and solving real-world problems in your classroom is a great way to help students find meaning in what they are learning. Sometimes the experience should be bigger than the unit, or exam, or final product. Fire up the google machine and start exploring. While surfing, write down three topics you could weave into your content (don’t think about HOW just yet). 

My brainstormed examples: Note: I teach high school Art. 

1. #Inktober2021 on social media. It’s a world-wide movement for artists of all ages to participate in creative pen and ink interpretations. Students can participate if they choose or simply enjoy viewing others’ artwork from around the world. 

2. Explore local artists, community art (“Art for Change”), and local creative businesses.

3. My Modern Met - A fantastic website with current events about artists. Lots of stories. 

Instructional Strategies for Teachers: (HOW to implement your great ideas).

• Think-Pair-Share: View an image and use artful thinking routines.

• Listen to a podcast about a current event. 

• Host a google meet to interview a local community member on a relevant topic.

Valuable learning to us is when we walk away from a learning experience with something we can use. It’s the same for our students. They want to know WHY they are learning something, how it will benefit them, and how they can use this knowledge in the future? Brainstorm the valuable concepts, topics, or information students will take with them from your course. Write them down. 

My brainstormed examples: *Notice they are not all content related. 

1. Exploring one’s creativity is valuable because most careers haven’t even been thought of yet. It’s important that my students are able to think creatively. I also teach them how to use any and all resources available to them to “Steal Like an Artist.” < *I highly recommend this book*

2. Critical thinking in art is a 21st century future-ready skill. In my class I help students build these skills by not only thinking of things but thinking about things.

3. Executive functioning supports (task initiation and management, perseverance, organization, etc.)

Instructional Strategies for Teachers:

• Create a station to support executive functioning skills. (Examples: Goal setting, reflecting on formative feedback, task management techniques, etc.)

• Schedule one on one or small group conversations where students actively engage in critical thinking about a topic.

• Create and post a screencast on how to think creatively and use one’s resources (“Steal Like an Artist”) that students can revisit as needed. 

The third and final concept of student interest goes without saying. We as adults are more engaged in topics we are interested in. Think about the students in your classes right now. What distracts them? Their distractions are often their interests. What questions do they often ask? What activities are they involved in? What books are they reading? What Netflix series are they bingeing? What conversations are they having with their peers? 

My brainstormed examples: 

1. TikTok - Find art related tik toks.

2. Social lives, events, pop culture, etc. - Art vs. Artist on social media, #CallforArtists, using art to promote interest, art from around the world, art to raise awareness of social and political issues. 

3. Their family, pets, and friends - Pet Portraits, holiday gift giving, etc. Creative business building opportunities (high school). 

Instructional Strategies for Teachers:

• Have fun! Schedule brain breaks to watch a youtube video, create a tik tok, explore an instagram account, or share a story.

• Create a weekly update in Schoology with interesting topics. Remind students to check it out! MyModernMet.com is one of my favorite websites to explore. There’s something for EVERYONE. 

I bet you have some great ideas written down!

Now, visualize this. Your students are all on task, they are collaborating with one another, troubleshooting and solving problems on their own, they’re setting goals and know what their next steps are. You, the teacher, are pulling small groups for differentiated instruction, meeting with students one on one to support their individual needs, and building relationships with students through casual conversation and questions. This sounds pretty amazing right? Blended learning is what makes this a reality. Instructional models of learning such as playlists, stations, or choice boards will create more time to support your diverse group of students. In order for them to succeed, they need to be engaged right? If you choose to use a blended model of instruction, you will free up time to build relationships with your students, have conversations to support why the learning is relevant and valuable, and most importantly learn about them as individuals. 

I currently implement playlists and choice boards. To be completely transparent, It takes a bit of work up front, but my students are engaged, they receive real time feedback, and they feel supported. Click on the active links above to explore what these models look like in my art classroom. 

Finally, take a moment to jot down a few “next steps” even if they are small. Remember, our students deserve innovative learning experiences and student engagement is fundamental. I hope you will consider sharing some of your engagement ideas with all of us on Twitter #FCPSVanguard. 

Want to chat #blended strategies? I’d love to! :) Reach out anytime at Lindsay.Anderson@fcps.org. 

Playlists in the Art Classroom

I’m a huge fan of using playlists in art. First of all, we as art teachers almost always organize our curriculum by projects am I right? A playlist will not only guide a student from start to finish on any given artwork, but it also helps us as teachers keep our learning tasks organized within a unit. Win and win.

For example, you might start an art project with a hook, challenge, and/or exploration of a topic/concept/artist/etc. Then, you probably move on to brainstorming ideas, thumbnail sketches, or rough drafts. You will also likely include skill building with art mediums, processes, and techniques. Next, I bet your artists move onto creating their final artwork. What’s next in your classroom? A critique? A self evaluation? An artist statement? Do you provide early finishers or high achievers with extension projects?

A playlist can organize all of these experiences to personalize learning, open up time to meet with students individually or in small groups, build relationships, provide meaningful feedback, and more.

First of all, What is a playlist?

Here is an example of the playlist format I currently use. It is organized by my adaptation of the creative process. Specifically the creative process I use in my art classroom and what I described at the beginning of this post. EXPLORE, DESIGN, SKILL BUILDING (Design and skill building can be flip flopped as needed), CREATE, REFLECT, PRESENT and EXTEND.

Are you convinced yet?

You probably have some thoughts or questions swirling around in your head. So, in an effort to respond to them, here are some common misconceptions about playlists and some concerns I often hear.

1. They take too much time to create. I won’t lie. It does take time to create playlists up front but the reward is worth it. I’m also going to give you some templates to steal at the end of this post to take the design aspect off your plate. :)

2. My students won’t be able to navigate a playlist. Nope. They won’t. Not with that attitude. ;) Sorry, just a little tough love there. Of course you will need to guide them, teach them how to navigate it, keep them on pace with tracking tools, etc. BUT, once they get it, they will appreciate the structure, the personalization, and the extra time they can spend working with you.

3. Playlists can replace the teacher. NO WAY! Absolutely not! If you are using playlists as a way to take “teaching” each day off your plate, you’re not using them the way they were intended. The playlist itself acts as a guide. You, the teacher, are still facilitating learning in your classroom. You will be working with your students in a more meaningful way and you won’t have to repeat directions 4,365 times. That’s a bonus right?

Are you ready to use playlists in your art classroom? Here are a few templates you might like. They are yours to use, modify, share, collaborate on, or trash as you please. Want to share a playlist success story on Twitter? Use #ArtfullyBlendeddotcom and tag me @ArtfulAnderson in your post.

Project/Unit PLAYLIST Template Sample 1 (This is the format I currently use).

Project/Unit PLAYLIST Template Sample 2

Weekly PLAYLIST Template Sample 3

Post Pandemic Teaching Thoughts

I use the term “post-pandemic” in the title, but is it really “POST”? I mean, we’re still in it aren’t we? Anyway, the positive piece here is that we are back in the classroom with all of our students. With that said, I’m totally up for the challenge that is resuming a normal educational experience because I love my job. #DoWhatYouLove. You in? Let’s do this!

Like most, I’ve been crazy busy lately navigating pandemic stresses, small children (four and one), soccer and tee ball games, family, and of course a full time teaching career. As a result, I’ve been MIA from this blog for a bit but I’M BACK and I’ve learned so much over the past 18 months. I can’t wait to share some of my aha’s, struggles, successes, and of course, how blended learning strategies have pretty much kept me afloat in the classroom so far this year.

The theme for my next few posts will be “post pandemic teaching.” I’ve chosen this as my focus in an effort to recognize the challenges we are all facing and have faced, the teaching practices that were adopted and normalized during virtual learning, and most importantly, the innovative practices we can implement to reinvent learning experiences moving forward. Together we will explore post pandemic executive functioning supports, post pandemic playlists, post pandemic student engagement, and post pandemic relationship building.

Can virtual be blended? Can blended be virtual? YES & YES.

It took the first few weeks of school to wrap my head around what blended learning looked like in a fully virtual setting. I’m not sure why it took so long because I ultimately came to the conclusion that it’s very much the same. The face to face interaction is certainly different but I am still providing a personalized path of learning for my students, building relationships to the best of my ability, supporting the needs of all students, and implementing a blended learning model unique to the art classroom. I am confident this model will transition seamlessly when we are all back in the classroom. 

To make sure I was still delivering quality blended instruction, I made a list of common teaching practices I use in my art room and described what they look like in a virtual setting. Here they are…

Art Instruction/Practice: Creativity Activators

VIRTUAL Art Instruction/Practice: Creativity activators still take place the first 5-10 minutes of class via F2F Google Meet similar to how they would at the beginning of a normal block. 

Art Instruction/Practice: Daily Agenda 

VIRTUAL Art Instruction/Practice: I post daily slides with an agenda for the day. Projected via “Present Screen” in F2F Google Meet for students to refer back to as needed. I also go over this with students at the beginning of class. and include times to keep everyone on track (myself included). 

Art Instruction/Practice: Presentation of Resources & Materials

VIRTUAL Art Instruction/Practice: I am using playlists (as I was before) to deliver content. Here is an example. My playlists are unique to the art studio as they follow the creative process (explore, design, create, skill building, create, reflect, and present). With active links, videos, screencasts, visuals, and more, students work through the playlist to explore a project. I have and will continue to use playlists as a way for students to personalize their learning and move through a project at their own pace, allowing them to take ownership. I also help them with goal setting and time management when we meet face to face. Google Meet is utilized to clarify, provide summaries, do live teacher demonstrations, and review the material in the playlist similar to that of one on one conferences and/or small group conferences with students in a normal blended environment. 

Art Instruction/Practice: One on one support for students

VIRTUAL Art Instruction/Practice: I am available on Google Meet while my students are working. They can pop in, ask questions, get feedback on their work, etc. I also monitor student work by using the Student Completion feature on Schoology. If a student is not completing an assignment, I check in with that student individually through Schoology messages. I can provide real time feedback on components of the playlist using the “In Progress” feature in Schoology. I plan to set up a “breakout” room to meet with students individually in the very near future. 

Art Instruction/Practice: Art Feedback 

VIRTUAL Art Instruction/Practice: I ask that students message me anytime with a quality photo for feedback. A “Feedback Friday” folder is also in our Schoology course for more formal feedback from myself and their peers. I will soon be implementing an art sharing session the last five minutes of each class for those who want to share with a group live. I also utilize discussion posts for asynchronous feedback and media albums for peer critiques. As mentioned above, I can also provide real-time feedback on the playlist document as students work. 

Art Instruction/Practice: Teacher Demonstrations & Presentations

VIRTUAL Art Instruction/Practice: I create video demonstrations, time lapses, screencasts, and WeVideos, all with captions if necessary. Progress photos of the studio project are also provided in slides format.  I can also embed a video demonstration or tutorial into Playposit to check for understanding and engagement. Peardeck can also be used in a similar way. On Wednesdays we focus on skill building where I provide live demonstrations, interactive vocabulary building activities, and other opportunities for art enrichment while students follow along.

See an example Here. 

Art Instruction/Practice: Small Group Demonstrations

VIRTUAL Art Instruction/Practice: Students who are struggling are invited to join the afternoon student support sessions. If a specific skill needs to be addressed with certain students, I will demonstrate that particular skill just as I would in a regular classroom. I also send videos, and other digital  resources that might be helpful via Schoology messages  if they aren’t available to meet face to face. 

Art Instruction/Practice: Visuals

VIRTUAL Art Instruction/Practice: Still including visuals, sharing past and current student work, and folders of images for inspiration. Thinglink is a great way to provide more detailed  information about a particular image. See a very basic example HERE. 

Art Instruction/Practice: Peer Critiques

VIRTUAL Art Instruction/Practice: Critiques will take place using the media album feature  in Schoology. Students will be provided with a set of peer critique guidelines and expectations. Flipgrid is another resource I plan to use for sharing student work while Padlet could be used as well.

Art Instruction/Practice: Building Relationships

VIRTUAL Art Instruction/Practice: I make a point to say hello to my students by name as they enter our Google Meets. I am in constant communication via Schoology.  I often reach out to students and parents to see how I can help, what I need to know, and ask for feedback. I conduct interest surveys and check-ins with my students via Google Forms and follow up individually if needed. As I’ve done for years I also showcase student artwork on Twitter using #FrederickHighArt. I also provide monthly communication and updates for parents and students via email as well. 

Art Instruction/Practice: Exit Tickets

VIRTUAL Art Instruction/Practice: I use Google Forms linked in the Google Meet chat box for formative assessment. I then use this date to determine how I move forward in my instruction to meet the needs of individual students. I also reach out to students individually as necessary. 

See example here. In this particular case, I messaged all students who selected a 1 or 2 to check in with them. 

Art Instruction/Practice: Artist Statements

VIRTUAL Art Instruction/Practice: Review of the Artist Statement takes place via Google Meet. I can also provide real time feedback in their Artist Statement Google Doc as they work. These documents are submitted in Schoology. 

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After creating this list of common art practices that take place regularly in my classroom, I realized what I had to do was adapt to the change in setting and the loss of daily social interaction with my artists. I’m finding that high school students do not like turning their cameras and microphones on. *Crickets….lots of crickets."

As I reflect on my struggles these past few weeks, I think building meaningful relationships is the biggest hurdle of all in a virtual space. It requires the most time and energy but it’s energy well spent when I feel like I have truly connected with a student.  While relationships may be the most difficult, they are also the most critical. With that said, I do everything in my power to connect with each student on a regular basis and log that communication on my roster. Implementing the playlist model of blended learning allows me to spend any extra time connecting with my students on a deeper level. I know it will be a work in progress throughout the course of the year but it’s a challenge I will take on with great enthusiasm. I also plan to reach out to other #FCPSVanguards in Schoology and/or Twitter in an effort to hear suggestions on building relationships with high school students in a virtual setting.

How I organize Visual Art studio projects in Schoology

It’s almost Febrary and I’m finally starting to feel like the models and strategies I’ve implemented are running smoothly, my students are engaged, and our blended mindset is developing.

First things first…STUDENT MINDSET

It took a while for my students to adjust. When they aren’t used to a particular style of teaching and learning, it takes time to model and explain it to them. Each time we start a new project, I review the purpose of blended learning and how the resources in Schoology (and myself as their instructor) should be utilized. For example, the playlist is a set of directions or path of learning students should follow while I work with small groups and individuals one on one.

How did I live without SCHOOLOGY?

Ok, I loved Google Classroom too but this is a game changer in my opinion.

VIEW THIS SLIDESHOW TO SEE HOW I ORGANIZE VISUAL ART PROJECTS IN SCHOOLOGY. Message me on Twitter @ArtfulAnderson with any questions or clarification about what I shared. :)

Below are some examples of the actual resources I’ve used in my class.

Project Playlist Example

Project Slideshow Example

Tutorial/Video Example - Playposit

Images for Inspiration Example - A student’s rough draft

Artist Statement

Am I doing this right? …is a question I often ask myself about blended learning. I still have a lot to learn so the answer I usually have for myself is “No clue, but it’s a work in progress.” With that said, if anyone is reading this and has suggestions, comments, ideas on how to help me build my capacity as an art teacher building a blended learning environment, I’M ALL EARS! :)

Real-Time Feedback

Art teachers have anywhere from 125 - 275 students each year (at my last school I was on the higher end of that number). Lets do the math…150 students (I’ll go low), 10-12 projects a year……just kidding, I’m an art teacher…I’m not doing the math LOL, but you get my point right? That’s a lot to grade. Not to mention, visual journal assignments, creativity activators (warm-ups), thumbnails, rough drafts, artist statements, etc. ” The projects we grade aren’t right or wrong therefore they require feedback if we are going to have any impact on the student and it needs to be accessible in real time so there are no surprises when we enter grades at the end of a project. We as art teachers can walk around the room offering verbal feedback with no problem right? My question is, do the students remember what we say in passing? Is there a way for them to access notes on what we discussed? Here are a few realistic ways I plan to implement real time feedback next year.

1. Verbally discussing the project with the student. Of course…this is a given. My laptop will be open to document our discussion (see #2 below).

2. To take it a step further, instead of my normal cruisin’ clipboard where I hand-write my notes, I’m going to make it DIGITAL. Each project will have a google doc (uploaded to Schoology as an assignment) where I can document daily (or a prescribed time frame) feedback to each student. I may still keep a hard copy but making sure to transfer notes as quickly as possible will be a priority. The objectives and criteria will also be included on this document so they know exactly what I’m looking for. See example here.

3. Weekly progress grades. By having one-on-one discussions with students, diligently utilizing my digital cruisin’ clipboard, and making a point to “conference” with each student (at the very least) weekly. I will be able to assign a weekly progress grade for each student. One where participation isn’t the focus but visible progress to reach a goal. This may not be “real-time” but it will certainly be a way to communicate with students and parents on their struggles and successes.

As art teachers, we have to make sure our students understand the grade they received and the reasoning behind our critique of their work BEFORE they see their grade at the end. I’m sure there is nothing worse as an art student to work diligently on a project for weeks possibly only to receive a grade with zero feedback…or generic feedback at best. “Nice work,” “Great color scheme.”

I know what you’re thinking… HOW/WHEN do you plan to type notes for every student each day? I’ll be honest…I don’t think documenting feedback needs to be done daily. If you are touching base with each student once a week, documenting the discussion you have, and offering verbal feedback any other time, I think that’s plenty. However, if you have the time to type up a sentence during or after an important discussion or critique, it will only enhance their classroom experience.

Let’s continue the conversation on real time feedback on Twitter using #ArtfullyBlended :)

Art Teachers, What do you grade?

Do you grade everything? Say NO! Is there a minimum number of grades you have to enter each week? Each term? Hit that. Don’t drive yourself crazy grading every. little. thing. It’s unnecessary. Here’s what I grade during one studio project. From start to finish, these studio projects take anywhere from two to four weeks in my classroom.

1. Beginning of project “STUFF.” - I’m going to come up with a better name for this category I promise…but it’s only ONE grade. Whether it’s a hyperdoc (or content playlist), thumbnail sketches, or other assignment, it’s ONE grade.

2. The rough draft. It’s an important part of the process and certainly needs to be graded.

3. THE FINAL PROJECT. Here’s an example of our studio project rubric.

4. Weekly progress grades. Sample rubric. All the creativity activators (my fancy term for warm-up), exit tickets, gallery walks, etc. are lumped into this category. Of course, there are times when class critiques are a major production and should be graded as well.

5. Visual Journal Entry and/or Discussion Topic. Each project has an accompanying (and related) visual journal assignment and periodically, a discussion topic as well. Sample Visual Journal rubric. | Sample Discussion Rubric.

6. Artist Statement. Sample.

I make a point to keep things consistent so students (and parents) know exactly what grades to expect.

What’s your method? Use #ArtfullyBlended to tell me about it!

Note: These rubrics are subject to change as I work through my summer course, plan, and attend pre-service training.

The Artful "In Class Flip."

“The beauty of our instructional model is that the teacher is not replaced—they’re multiplied.” I love this direct quote from a recent Edutopia article and it’s SO TRUE. Nowhere in my instruction am I sitting back relaxing letting the online resources do the teaching. After creating the online content, you will feel like you’ve been cloned. You can answer questions immediately, offer real-time feedback, and have more meaningful conversations with your students about their work.

With engaging online content and specific goals to reach mastery of the standard being taught, you will redefine the process of learning for your art students. Instead of waiting for you (one teacher in a sea of 35 students) to answer their question (that is no doubt preventing them from moving on in even the slightest way) provide inspiration, or coach them to the end goal, the in-class flipped model will be a life saver. When they get stuck, they will know what resources are available to assist in problem solving or idea creation. If they don’t, their neighbor will, or their neighbor’s neighbor will…and you will have already discussed “Ask three before me” right? *Wink.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD A .PDF WITH ACTIVE LINKS.

So, what does the in-class flip look like for art teachers? Videos, hyperdocs, and online content….something like this:

The week before a NEW project starts, the teacher will assign online content for students to explore. This can happen during class, during extended learning time (the extra period middle schoolers in our county have during the day), study hall for some, on the bus, in the media center, during the first ten minutes of class each day leading up to the new project, etc. (the prescribed time is up to you. What works best? Some will no doubt choose to explore it at home.

When the new project starts, you can still start with whole group instruction but the assumption is that all students have explored the content already and are going into it with a basic understanding of the concepts. This will lessen the time spent lecturing/demo-ing and increase the amount of time you can work with students as they progress through the project. What’s even better? The online content doesn’t go away. You can refer them back at any point to review, rewatch, or take a closer look.

Download your copy here with active links to see some of my online content.

5 Simple Relationship Building Strategies

Blended learning environments were designed to allow for more teacher-student interaction and less “I talk, you listen and learn”. If you are committed to creating a student-centered space like this you will quickly see how time spent lecturing or demo-ing will open up creating more opportunity to connect with your students.

Here’s my go to list of relationship building strategies you can start with your students TOMORROW. Yes, I know it’s the last week of school (and some are out already) but what a way to end the year don’t you think? If nothing else, make a plan to start next year. I’m not going to tell you anything you don’t know already…I’m simply hoping you will make a promise to you and your students to make connecting with them a priority.

Try these…

1. Handwritten “Thank You” Notes. - Everyone appreciates a hand-written note….even our students. If the thought of writing an actual thank you note (in a card) seems a little daunting, grab your stack of vibrantly colored post its and pre-write THANK YOU in your fun art teacher handwriting and leave space at the bottom to write what you’re thanking the student for. You can then write it on the spot as the thought comes to mind. I usually hand-draw a few templates and make copies. I cut them up at the beginning of each term and keep them on my desk. Sometimes instead of “Thank You” I start off with “WOW.” Set a goal to write one or two each class. This is a great way to build relationships with struggling or challenging students and a way to let the quiet, compliant students know you’re thinking about them and appreciate their constant amazing-ness.

2. Weekly Conferences. As art teachers, it’s easy to get caught up in redecorating that gallery wall or creating a new visual resource while our students are diligently working on that painting or sculpture. Don’t act like you don’t. Our students don’t always need help and that’s the reality of our classroom…especially a blended classroom where students are more self-directed and able to access resources online. This is the perfect time to pull as many students as you can (or sit with each of them in their own space) and have a quick conference. Two to three minutes is all it takes. Here are some questions you can ask them. 1. What’s going well with this project or what do you like about this project? 2. What isn’t going as well? 3. What can I help you with or do you have any questions I can clarify? 4. Tell me something I might not know about you..something about your life…what you did this weekend…what you’re going to do…etc. It’s possible that you can have a small group conference too but don’t overlook anyone. Regardless of how you do it, be sure you hear from each student individually at some point during the week.

3. Say “I’m Sorry”. Yep. You, the teacher, can be WRONG sometimes. There have been many days I’ve gone home in pure regret of how I handled a situation with a student or even with a whole class. I’m NOT (and you aren’t either) too big to say you’re sorry. Maybe you used a bit of sarcasm when you shouldn’t have. Or maybe a third of the class was behaving inappropriately and you took it out on the whole class because you were overwhelmed and didn’t know how to handle it in that moment. Maybe you didn’t understand why they didn’t understand a set of directions and became visibly frustrated. Art teachers, friends, you can start fresh…each and every day! If you reacted to the whole class, start the next class by saying you’re sorry and use it as an opportunity to restate your expectations, reteach the content so they DO understand, and/or just be human and let them know what bothered you. If you handled a situation with an individual student a little to harshly or feel that you were unfair and didn’t allow them to explain themselves, fold up a post-it and write an “I’m sorry” note stating that you want to start fresh and letting them know you’re available to chat about whatever happened previously. I’ve had great success with this little gesture in the future. I promise, it doesn’t make you weak. it makes you compassionate.

4. AWARDS or Shout-Outs! Artist of the month is an easy one. Dedicate a classroom space for this prestigious honor. Maybe you could also create a “leadership” award, or a “most creative” award, or a “helping hand” award for each project. Recognize those students who are going above and beyond because a little shout out goes a long way! Does your school do morning announcements? Send an announcement to the crew shouting out the successes of an entire class. Get creative with your shout outs! Don’t forget to make a big ol’ production out of it too. The whole class should be clapping and excited for the student being recognized. What a confidence booster!

5. Parent Contact - Both positive and negative). We all communicate with parents of challenging students on a regular basis right???? Although that keeps us busy, do not forget about those students who are positive role models, showing respect, and working hard each and every day. If a challenging student makes a change in their behavior, send an email or make a quick phone call. As I said at the beginning of this post, I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know. I hope you will make a promise to yourself right now (for the last week of school or the brand new school year) to put forth the extra effort to remain in contact with parents in an effort to build incredibly positive relationships with your current or future students. I know it may seem a bit less personal, but draft a generic positive email and copy and paste it into the body of your email, add the students name and fire it off to the parent whenever you get a free 30 seconds. It’s easier to create a positive template than a negative one so there should be no excuses on that one. :)

So, how are you going to make sure to implement these strategies regularly? I know what I’m going to do…I’m going to put it on my calendar. I’m also going to use a goal-tracking system to make sure I hit my “building relationships” goals each week. Maybe you could plan to write 3 thank you notes a day and contact 5 parents each week about their child’s positive behavior. That’s one a day. Easy peezy. Sit down and pre-write thank you note starters and/or design your own notes to copy. Could your goal tracker be as simple as checking off a positive interaction with a student on your class list each day? What other ways do you commit to building positive relationships in your classroom? Share it with us at #ArtfullyBlended on social media.

FlipGrid Daily Prompts (Activate or Exit)

Flipgrid is an engaging online tool for creativity activators (warm-ups) or exit tickets where the experience is similar to that of posting on Instagram. The prompts below will be used to promote goal setting, self-directed learning, and feedback. What other daily themes would be fun for students?

Dear Art Teachers,

Dear Art Teachers,

Are you curious how blended learning can work in your classrooms? I mean, It seems so easy in core content areas doesn’t it? How in the world are we supposed to effectively implement blended models when our projects are so unique, subjective, hands-on, and well…..unpredictable? If you think blended learning has great potential like I do, read on. I have some ideas :) I designed (and successfully taught) a sample unit/project plan with blended strategies you could implement tomorrow. Or start planning for next year *Wink. I think you’ll be surprised how seamlessly it could fit into your daily instruction. Feel free to reach out @ArtfulAnderson on Twitter or comment below to chat further!

To download a .pdf with active links click HERE.

I hope you will share this post with other art educators, who like us, see the benefits of enhancing their instruction with aspects of a blended learning but don’t quite know where to start. Use #ArtfullyBlended to continue the conversation on Twitter.

Artfully,

Mrs. Anderson

MAJOR FAILS...Learn from mine. :)

Transparency is the name of the game here…

I’m not afraid to tell you what royally failed with my last blended activity. I’m also excited to tell you what worked! It was a great learning experience, engaging project for the kids, and successful overall but I will definitely be more prepared next time. My goal is to help you avoid some of the mistakes I made so that your blended project goes as smoothly as possible.

Now that you know what they are, let me explain.

1. Our students are not as tech savvy as we think. I’m going to be frank. Some may disagree with me as I know there are outliers but overall, they need to be taught or given the time to learn each and every feature of a given technology resource. Don’t worry, there are ways to expedite this process but ultimately, they need to be provided with as much information as possible. Sure, they know how to navigate a social media site, or strategically hide tabs when we walk by, surf YouTube, or code an entire website (ha), but they don’t know how to use the educational technology we put in front of them. Just like learning to navigate a text, they need to be taught how to navigate a website or program. We as teachers need time to learn the tool and often don’t implement something for that very reason…not enough time. How many of you are guilty of that?

2. The project I’m referring to in this post was a WeVideo Shadow Puppet Show. I’m a little embarrassed to say I assigned the project without ever having created an entire WeVideo myself. I just thought it would be a lot easier than I thought. I’ve certainly created videos before but not in WeVideo. If I had taken the time to create a short video I would have anticipated problems they had wayyyyy before they encountered them. I feel like it’s a rookie mistake that I made ten years in. Oops. #lifelonglearner.

3. Teach them respectful communication skills, effective collaboration skills, and troubleshooting techniques BEFORE they dive into the project. You’ll thank me later. The “Ask 3 before me” strategy can be your best friend in these situations. I’m sure you see how quick students are to ask for help the moment they get stuck and the easy thing to do is simply answer. Immediate gratification is what they’re looking for so teach them grit and perseverance instead. If they’re waiting around for an answer from you, the teacher, precious learning time is lost. :) Strategy: Provide a troubleshooting checklist students can refer to whenever they get stuck. Here’s a sample but I update it as needed to reflect the project. It can be as simple or as detailed, or as visually pleasing (use Canva.com) as you’d like.

4. We use Google Drive regularly. Although its a resource my students are familiar with, the process to stay organized, collaborate, and share work unique to this particular project, was not. Err on the side of caution and provide either written, verbal, or video (screen cast) directions they can refer to when they get stuck. Just for fun, take a look at their Google Drives. Chances are, they’re a mess….just like half their binders. In fact, possibly worse than binders because it’s “new”. I already have a post in the works on Google Drive organization and a screen cast to go along with it that you can share with your students (if your school/district uses Google of course). Stay tuned.

5. Unclear expectations. To save myself a lot of headache I have found it beneficial to review classroom expectations anytime the class is taking on a new, unfamiliar format. Discuss how each of your expectations relate to the current project and blended learning model. Technology behaviors should be held to the same expectations as regular in-class responsibilities. It is also imperative that students understand what blended learning means, how it benefits them, how it supports the project, and any new expectations that come with it. If a student asks “Why are we doing this?” You should feel confident in your answer to prove that it supports and enhances their learning thus preparing them for the future.

Oh, one more thing…before using a digital tool or online resource, check it on a STUDENT DEVICE to make sure it actually works and that they have access to it. Assign a student beta tester. :)

Brave enough to share some of your major fails? Let’s hear em! #ArtfullyBlended

BALANCE...and I'm not talking about the Principle of Design.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock (don’t worry rock dwellers, I’m often under a rock too), you’ve heard the buzz around screen addiction. Many might ask if teachers who include technology , or schools who are 1:1 with devices are contributing to the problem. I’m not going to get into this controversial topic, but I will say that I think BALANCE is key. Educating students and parents on the topic may help as well.

Here are some ways to promote balance in your blended classroom. Before I start, I think we are in a special situation as art educators because our courses will never lose their hands-on component. They will never lose the artful discussions, the feedback, and the face to face conversations that take place in the studio. Shew! The other important fact to note is that blended means blended…blending traditional instruction with technology where you see fit to benefit the student, not just adding technology for the sake of adding technology.

Here are some ways I’ve maintained a healthy balance of tech vs no tech in my classroom.

1. Closed & Centered: At my current 1:1 school, Chromebooks are closed and centered on the table (or in a predetermined class location) until instructions specify otherwise. Discipline ladder procedures are consistently followed and expectations are set early on. Although having a Chromebook open doesn’t seem as serious as calling out, or being tardy, or other common classroom disruptions, it needs to be treated as such so students are held accountable.

2. Refer to the SAMR model. If the technology resource you are adding to your activity doesn’t truly modify or redefine your lesson, consider ditching the idea.

3. AVOID THE GOOGLE BLACK HOLE. As artists, we use images for inspiration on the regular. In fact, probably with every project right? If you let your students use devices to research images for inspiration, SET LIMITS, whatever they may be. Use a timer, and set a goal when students are asked to complete a task like this. Google can be a black hole of distractions that students can never crawl out of. They may not have the self-control yet to manage this. You can also give them a handful of predetermined search terms or link websites with images to explore in your LMS at the beginning to expedite their search.

4. CELL PHONE PARKING SPACES - If you’re willing, having a specific location in the classroom where students keep cell phones (as long as they aren’t using them as their supplemental device), is beneficial for a number of reasons. Students won’t sneak texts in their laps, they won’t get paint or clay or whatever other material all over them, and the temptation to explore all the social media goodness those little devices have to offer isn’t as strong. I also found that asking students to keep cell phones face down works in some classes too.

5. If I create a Station Rotation with 4 stations, it will only have two technology stations MAX. Three stations? Only one tech station.

   And…..ROTATE.

6. Rotate between live demonstrations, video demonstrations or tutorials, student demonstrations, etc. don’t do the same thing over and over. Switch it up.

7. Rotate between virtual critiques and live critiques (more on virtual critiques to come in a future post).

8. Rotate between real-time feedback using technology to whole group or one-on-one feedback discussions.

If you’re in school where tech resources are readily available, how do you achieve a healthy balance of tech vs no tech activities in your classroom? In contrast, if you’re in a situation where tech tools are few and far between, how do you provide your students the opportunity to use online resources?

Tell me in the comments or share it on social media using #artfullyblended

End of the Year Art Projects

I was inspired by an article I recently read by @theartofed titled “Using the end of the year to try out new ideas.” Actually, it may be a podcast too so even better, you can listen to it while commuting to work.

You may cringe when I say this but why not try something a little scary, a little new, and a little techy that has been at the top of your “want to try” list. If you’re anything like me, you’re trying to keep supplies to a minimum, the kids engaged, and tying up loose ends at the end of the year. Here goes…

Sneak in a quick blended activity! See what works, what doesn’t, and if nothing else, jot down some of the successes and failures and learn from them for next year.

Here’s an idea….

• Create a quick station rotation with the following stations:

  • Station 1: Flipgrid response to “What was your favorite project and why?” (Students will need a device). If necessary, pair them up to respond.

  • Station 2: Create a mini-masterpiece on a 6x6 inch square piece of paper in the style of art you found most interesting, inspired by an artist you enjoyed most this year, etc. Teachers, if they don’t want it, laminate it, tuck it away, and create some awesome wallpaper next year. (Students will NOT need a device).

  • Students can work on digital portfolios (if they have photos of their artwork). If you already have a format for digital portfolios, great, if not, try Thinglink. It’s quick and easy. Students can create a ThingLink with images of their artwork and links to videos, audio, or text discussing the piece. They’re easy to share too. (Students will need a device)

  • FINISH ALL THE UNFINISHED WORK. If your students are like mine, a handful of them have a portfolio full of unfinished work. Some work slower than others and that’s completely normal. You probably didn’t even take off points. Wouldn’t it be great if you built in a time for those students to finish that work and have something to take home that they’re proud of?

This station rotation might take two days max. Can you check out the chromebooks, ipads, or laptops or are they being cleaned and collected already? If you’re in a position where devices are few and far between, partner students up with personal devices for flipgrid and replace the digital portfolio station with a one-day project cutting up and collaging old artwork laying around.

Are you brave enough? …… We’re art teachers, of course we are! Let me know how it goes. :)

Artfully,

Mrs. Anderson

Bookmark this site.

BlendedLearning.org

Before I start dumping information into this blog it’s important to fully understand what blended learning IS and what it IS NOT. Do a bit of research before deciding you’re going all in. I know I have this site book marked and tagged on all of my devices to reference any time a new idea pops up. I want to make sure I’m truly enhancing learning not just supplementing it and sometimes that’s a difficult determination to make.

With that said, check out the website above. Contact me if you have any questions, feedback, suggestions. Again, I’m no expert…I’m just an art teacher trying it out. Happy to chat and talk it through with you. You will probably be able to help me as well. In fact, any experts out there??? Reach out to me! Let me know if I’m doing this right. :) :) :)

I can be found @ArtfulAnderson on Twitter. I look forward to hearing from you!

10 Instagram artists to share with your students.

I just finished a project where instead of focusing solely on the more “historical” concepts of art I infused the project with ARTISTS OF TODAY. Specifically, artists who are day in and day out making a living, side-hustling, or being fulfilled by their creative hobby. I thought, why not? Maybe this topic will resonate with squirrely middle school students in Spring. (All of you art teachers are thinking…good luck my friend). Right? I don’t blame them, it’s gorgeous outside!

Overall, I think it was a success! Of course they pretended to be bored and uninterested but I could see right through them. HA! I caught glimpses of students writing down specific artists’ names and Instagram handles. I saw mini masterpiece creativity activators authentically inspired by the artwork I was showing them. Some also had questions during and after class that suggested they were interested in learning more. So….as I said, a success! Win small, win often my husband always says.

I decided I would show them as many artists as I could in two weeks so here’s how I did it. Each day, the creativity activator (my fancy, more interesting term for “warm-up”) consisted of an artist (with an image of their work or Instagram feed) and a prompt. They were responsible for one prompt each day for two weeks. It looked like this…A total of four mini masterpieces, four “I see…I think…I wonder…’s) and two simple “Likes & Dislikes.” I’ll post an image of how we set up our sketchbooks soon.

The artists included are some of my favorites to follow on Instagram today. I was mindful in showing them a variety of styles, personalities, and concepts to engage as many as I could but would certainly research a wider variety of cultures and ethnicities next time around. Stay tuned for an updated list in the near future to reflect a much farther reach. In the meantime, here are some artists I follow regularly and therefore can talk about in detail without hesitation. In parenthesis are topics to which you could connect these artists easily.

1. @alisaburke (Mandalas, Abstract Art, Flowers, Pattern, Pen & Ink, and much much more). Check her out!

2. @not_sorry-art (Still Life, Painting, Color Theory)

3. @goodloebyron (Animals, Abstraction, Watercolor, Acrylic, Representational Painting & Drawing)

4. @teilart (Architecture, Perspective, Color Theory, Line)

5. @inslee (Portraiture, Painting, Figure Drawing)

6. @susannah_bee_art (Abstract Art, Color Theory, Landscape, Shape, Composition, Elements of Art, Non-Objective Art)

7. @ohjoy (Design Careers, Marketing, Creative-preneurs, & Other career-related topics)

8. @sarahmartinezart (Watercolor Art, Landscape, Abstract Art)

9. @audra_style (Jewelry Making, Pattern, Color, Functional Art, Wearable Art)

10. @hollycarton (Self Portraits, Portraiture, Watercolor, Painting, Themes, Interpretation)

As soon as you sneak a peek into these artists feeds, you will certainly come up with an endless list of topics that would also connect. I think I’ve only scratched the surface. Again, I’m going to work on this list to explore different cultures, historical references, and the like. I’ll let you know when part two is posted.

Hope you enjoyed. PLEASE please please share some other Instagram artists in the comments below. Maybe you can also help me build the part two.

Artfully,

Mrs. Anderson

What is Artfully Blended?

HI THERE!

My name is Lindsay. I’m a middle school visual art teacher, total curriculum nerd, fine artist, lover of the color lime green, and tech fanatic. So, why did I decide to take on yet another creative project? Because I have a ton of free time that’s why. HAHAHA. Totally kidding. I’m a wife, mom, teacher, and artist…what do those two words mean again? :) It’s because I love what I do and completely immerse myself in the ever-changing world of innovative education practices. Sometimes it’s overwhelming. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it fails. That’s the beauty of it….the process of learning and evolving for those who matter…your students…and you.

New teachers, you’re figuring it out right? You’re looking for innovative practices that work, challenge you, engage your students, and create a sense of adventure right? In contrast, burnout is a real thing among teachers who have been teaching for 10+ years and I believe that consuming, growing, and experimenting prevents that burnout. I’m also a big believer (although I don’t always practice what I preach) in tackling change in a small way each year…or maybe each semester. Hopefully I can provide you with tangible “doable” ways to make those small changes and enjoy the process.

So what will I be sharing with you?

I created Artfully Blended to communicate my version of what blended learning can look like in the art classroom. I’m NO expert but having been involved in a variety of technology initiatives, numerous professional development courses on the topic of blended learning, and most recently a 1:1 middle school, I continuously strive to create a unique and engaging learning experience for my young artists. I also spent the last three amazing years in a “black hole” of a classroom (that I loved don’t get me wrong) where my art students had very little access to technology (not because we didn’t have it in the school but for those REAL reasons that make it difficult…schedule, sign-ups, wifi, etc.). It made me a better teacher because I I challenged myself to offer blended learning experiences whenever and wherever I could with the resources I had. I’ll share some of those as well.

Want to know why I used the word amazing above? Contact me…I would love to share some of my career-changing experiences with you.

My goal is to be completely transparent. I want to share my huge successes, major flops, and everything in between. Not to mention, REGULAR “not techy at all” ideas too! I hope you’ll stick around and follow along.

You can keep up with posts by following @ArtfulAnderson on Twitter and the hashtag #ArtfullyBlended < You’ll probably be following Dunkin Donuts too with that hashtag but I think you’ll be able to differentiate. ;)

FINALLY, Just for reading my first post, scroll down to save an image perfect to share on your social media feeds. it would mean the world to me if you sent a link to this blog along with it or tagged @artfulanderson in your post.

Artfully,

Mrs. Anderson

iPhone: Hold to save. | Desktop: Right click, save image as … SHARE

Artfully Blended

My definition of “artfully blended” is creating a learning experience for artists of all ages by implementing meaningful aspects of blended learning into daily instruction.

What do you think? Are you interested? If so, stay tuned. More to come!