Student Chapter News
Lesson plans, teaching strategies and creativity!
Art education students from UNK, UNL and UNO and their art education professors enjoyed a day of networking and collaboration with NATA Mentor Teachers at the 1st Annual Spring Forum workshop hosted by the NAEA Student Chapter at UNK. The weather and last minute conflicts did reduce the projected number of student participants, but the day was considered a total success.
Registration began at 9:30AM on April 9th, followed by a welcome and introductions by Amber Kosmicki, NATA Student Representative and Bob Reeker, NATA Co-President Elect. Participants rotated through three 1 and 1/2-½ hour workshops and enjoyed a 45-minute lunch break to network with their peers and professional colleagues.
All workshop participants receive a packet of curricular materials, lessons, assessment tools, and enjoyed the art making process featured in each session. During the creative process the students had the opportunity to ask questions and discuss effective teaching strategies.
Workshop A, Singing Earth: Clay Ocarinas, was presented by DeAnn Hanisch. DeAnn is a leader in art education and a 10-year veteran teacher from Burke High School. During this workshop, participants were introduced to the world of clay instruments through visual reproductions, aesthetic discussion and an art-making experience. During the art-making experience, participants learned the basic anatomy of a clay whistle while designing their own clay ocarinas. The workshop concluded with an opportunity for participants to reflect upon their artistic experience, review assessment strategies and discussed similar experiences that could be assessed in their own classrooms.
Workshop B, Twenty-First Century Learning in the Middle School Classroom, was presented by Jan Jones, a Kearney Public schoolteacher who has an exemplary record as a middle level and elementary art educator. The “Four C’s”, Communication, Collaboration, making Connections and Creative problem solving… reinforced Jan’s monotype art lesson. Participants learned that familiar terms to art, when supported by clear learning goals, differentiated instruction and closure, always promises to strengthen lessons. Jan introduced a contour drawing assignment that was developed into a mono print. While the prints dried in preparation for the final step, Jan shared a sampling of other lessons and the overall curriculum that she implements in her classroom.
Christy Kosmicki, a leader in art education with 30 years of classroom experience, presented workshop C. Her session, entitled Cubism: Thinking inside and outside the grid!, focused on exploring the complexities of Cubism. The participants generated 4 to 6 preliminary ideas/drawings using the grid as a ‘drawing armature’ and then began developing a finished design using conté crayon. The lesson could easily be adapted to a wide variety of media and skill levels. Participants left with a broaden understanding of Cubism, a style created collaboratively by Picasso and Braque between 1907-1914. They also left with a new understanding of how Cubism inspired works by Duchamp, Chagall, Lichtenstein, Marc and Lawrence. Christy led students in the development of 5 cubistic innovations: 1. the grid as scaffolding 2. simplification of form, 3. overlapping planes, 4. simultaneous views and 4. figure deconstruction & reconstruction. Participants discussed a sample rubric and resource material for art unit files.
On behalf of NATA, I would like to publically thank the following for their financial support of our 1st annual Spring Forum.
- University of NE at Kearney Art and Art History Department
- University of NE at Kearney
- Davis Publication
- Dick Blick
- Nasco Arts $ Crafts
- Sax School Specialties
- Triarco Arts & Crafts.
I believe I speak on behalf of all the students who attended the Forum that we greatly appreciate the art clinicians who donated their time, expertise and collaborative spirit and we look forward to attending the 2nd annual Spring Forum on the Omaha campus in 2012.