Alabama Art Education Association

With the merging of cultures that is so predominant in our society today I feel that it behoves up to be briefly knowledgeable with the Art HIstory of the Asia World.

We who are teachers in Alabama are seeing more and more Asian students in our classrooms and we are feeding them what we know best which is our art, culture, and biases. We never think of the rich cultural bases of the Eastern World. This was brought home to me when I was teaching Art Appreciation this summer and 3/4 of my class was Asian. I was emabarassed that I was feeding them only my culture when I am majorly aware of the very strong culture that they were also bring to the table. ( I want to say at this point I have always been troubled by this having grown up in many locations that have a very Asian rich society.) I have tried for a number of years to find colleges or universities in the south that might be able to help with this situation but alas there have been none. Skip ahead to today and my classroom...I decided...got a wild hare...to see what I might be able to do. and 14 hrs. later I finished the PowerPoint that is in the Member Only section of this website.

It is almost unnecessary to say that the Asian students in the class were very pleased and proud that I took it upon myself to do this for them. (I also had the opportunity to ask them if I had gotten all my facts dates and explaination correct. They said it was letter perfect except for the fact that I only had a small fraction of the artwork that is considered to be the "Chinese Mona Lisa". When I found out how large it really is, I was indeed impressed and the students who have actually seen this image were pleased and proud to share with me and the class what the actual viewing experience. It was one of those...teachable moments. That is why I actually left the partical image in the power point.

I also uploaded two videos my students made that are excellent examples of  traditional Chinese painting and Contemporary Chinese Graphic Design. The later, will very much be a terrific spring board for a discussion about Modern Art and its use of propaganda, socialism, emotionalism, satire, and re-actionary imagery.

Enjoy the fruits of my hard labor.

I saw this add in a magazine today. There are still to many art teachers who allow or encourage this in students without the proper knowledge that what they are doing is wrong. I believe there is a time and a reason for copying but when we as art teachers allow this work to go into shows we over step our bounds and we loose that teachable moment. We need to be more like teachers and use these moments to teach ethics and honesty.

If you disagree with this accessment please feel free to blog me about it.

Students are getting to me at the college level and do not understand this basic concept.

In an interview last year on WNYC, Richard Kessler, executive director of the Center for Arts Education, discussed the impact of Mayor Bloomberg's educational priorities on the arts programs in the New York City schools. This was in connection with a study released by the CAE concerning graduation rates of students in schools that had strong arts programs.

Called "Staying in School," the report, released on October 19, 2009 revealed that:

§   High schools in the top third of graduation rates had almost 40 percent more certified arts teachers per student than schools in the bottom third-or, on average, one additional arts teacher per school.

§   High schools in the top third of graduation rates had almost 40 percent more physical spaces dedicated to arts learning per student than schools in the bottom third.

§   High schools in the top third of graduation rates had 35 percent more graduates completing three or more arts courses than schools in the bottom third.

However, the results, in large part, of Mayor Bloomberg's "assessment" campaign in which testing in reading and math have been emphasized over any other objectives in classroom teaching, has yielded the following according to findings issued by CAE, an Annual Arts in Schools Report for 2007-08:

Only 7% of elementary schools have arts instruction in the four arts disciplines: Music, Art, Theatre, Dance; 67% of elementary schools and 47% of middle schools offer only one or two arts disciplines. In the high schools although 79% offered instruction in two arts disciplines only 27% offered all four. With the continual cuts in the school budget, this trend could only have been exacerbated since that report was issued.

For more information read:http://www.tikkun.org/article.php/20110223115123553

Which Web tools are educators using? More educators are using online tools to improve classroom management, enhance and reinforce lessons and provide students with multiple ways to express what they are learning. Web-based tools such as Weebly, Edmodo and Wikispaces allow teachers to create classroom websites for posting announcements, assignments and student work. Other tools such as Chatzy allow students to communicate in real time, while applications such as Vocaroo allow students to record voice messages and post them online. Harvard Education Letter (March/April 2011)

Hey Ya’ll,

We are back from Seattle and the National Convention was amazing! We got a lot accomplished for Art Education. By the way, don’t forget to send your newsletter articles to Beth. You can look at your year report that you sent me and reword it for print for Beth. Your reports were outstanding and I know general members want to know what you have been doing so please send your articles to Beth! Remember, all you have to do is change a few words around to make your report into a newsletter article so Send it to Beth!

Susie

Color is one of the aspects of design that most people, including designers, tend to feel least confident about. Not only do we have a limited vocabulary for describing it, but each of us responds slightly differently to different shades. Often we associate specific colors with particular memories, and none of us sees the same hue in exactly the same way. (Something that you would describe as blue may very well look green to me.)

But we do have similar reactions to palettes, which is why the most popular tones in a particular period tend to say something about that time. Bright hues cheer us up. Warm shades seem reassuring. Grays can be gloomy. Ten years ago, the Color Marketing Group expected confident blues to dominate the next decade, but muted neutrals took over after the trauma of Sept. 11, 2001.

For more information about colors and color theory.

Click the link below.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/17/arts/17iht-DESIGN17.html

America: Now and Here began when the artist Eric Fischl invited a group of friends and peers, all leading visual artists, musicians, poets, playwrights, and filmmakers, to submit a work of art reflecting their points of view and hopes for America. Fischl established a not-for-profit to share America: Now and Here with communities across the country through programs, media and a traveling multi-disciplinary exhibition and event.

America: Now and Here is positioned to launch a national dialogue about America through art, to spark local activities and fuel imaginations, and generate innovation from coast to coast.

Through this national creative experience America: Now and Here positions art as a catalyst for bringing people together to discuss important issues and big ideas relevant to what we hold dear: America.

This movement offers an unprecedented opportunity to the American public to engage with art, poetry, film, plays and music by more than 150 of our country’s celebrated artists.

Promoting creativity and innovation as the foundation of our society, America: Now and Here will invite participation through:

A cross-country tour Website and social mediaPublic programs and youth engagement. For more information and fabulous imagery Go to the link below.

http://americanowandhere.org/art

Yes it is that time of year again to nominate those fabulous people in your system, neighborhood, school. or community for awards in the Arts. Do you know any unsung hero in the arts? Sing for them. They are fabulous you know it and their students and parents know it and even the community knows it...Let the state and perhaps the nation know too. Shine a light on them. Nominate them for making a difference. To find out what is available for nomination go to http://www.arteducators.org/grants/naea-awards.

Send information to phorne@baysideacademy.org or phyllis.horne@yahoo.com

Please recognize the incredible art teachers that are working and making a difference in the state of Alabama.

1. Am I excited to see my colleagues when I show up for work on Monday morning?

Lots of people sign on with a company because it's got a cool reputation, or it's prestigious, or it's got a great stock price. But quickly you realize that "working for" a company is an abstraction. The reality is that you work with the people closest to you -- those in your department, in your unit, in your region. Most experts say that over the long term, employees aren't loyal to a company as a company. They are loyal to the people they work beside day after day. Can you imagine not spending 40 or 50 hours a week with the people you work beside every day? If so, maybe it's time to make a move and fine a group of colleagues who stimulate you and motivate you.

2. Do I have a voice at work -- does anyone who matters listen to what I say?

There's nothing more depressing and demotivating than feeling that you don't matter as a person -- even if you're part of a group that's working well in a company that's doing fine. In this age of participation and communication, people are hungry for a say, a voice, a sense that their opinion counts. If you feel like your opinion doesn't count, maybe it's time to find a company where it does.

3. Am I learning as fast as the world is changing?

I first heard this question from strategy guru Gary Hamel, and I ask it of myself all the time. In a world that moves so fast, the most dangerous thing in anyone's career is the sense that you're standing still -- that you're not learning, that you're not being challenged, that you're stuck.

4. Am I making enough money?

Strange as it sounds, this is the worst reason to leave a job. Virtually every study I've seen shows that there's almost no connection between how much money you make and how satisfied you are with your job. There really are things that money can't buy -- and happiness at work is one of them.

These questions were borrowed from an article but they are also important to you in your career as and educator.