Benjamen Zander is a true inspiration and awesome motivational writer. I wrote down two gems this week from chapters 7-9.
Page 119: Performance is not getting your act together, but about opening up to the energy of the audience and of the music, and letting it sing in your unique voice.
For our Celebration of the Arts last week, the 1st graders were darling. I tried to get them to see they just needed to get up and have fun and feel the music for their dance and accompaniment with instruments. I was out there trying to pair up students whose partner wasn’t there, and I got to dance with several students that were alone. The energy of the audience was electric, and we truly had a lot of fun.
Page 126: The Practice of Enrollment
1. Imagine that people are an invitation for enrollment.
2. Stand ready to participate, willing to be moved and inspired.
3. Offer that which lights you up.
4. Have no doubt that others are eager to catch the spark.
The arts are what truly lights me up, and I am always throwing sparks out hoping to inspire students to love the arts. Children truly are “eager to catch the spark.”
Zander, B., & Zander, R. S. (2000). The art of possibility:
Transforming professional and personal life. New York: Penguin
Books.
Showing posts with label arts in education. Show all posts
Showing posts with label arts in education. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Monday, April 19, 2010
Karlene Young Wk 3 Free Choice - A Celebration of the Arts!
On April 16th, Coral Canyon Elementary had a Celebration of the Arts after regular school hours on a Friday afternoon. It was 90 minutes long, and was an amazing day. A big majority of the student body of 620 came back with their parents to participate. We estimated probably 400 students and another 300 parents and family members attended. We had the teachers display a large amount of the student’s artwork. Some were from class projects, and some from Mrs. Dodge’s Art class. They do amazing work. The district brought us eight art display boards that we filled as well. The student body had all made butterflies as a tribute to one of our first grade teachers that just passed away with cancer. We called it our “Butterfly Garden.” It filled our lobby and went down the halls. We had many strung on fishing line across the ceiling as well. It was beautiful.
I made some nice frames from mat board, and printed about 40 photos from my Film Techies’ work. I had 4x6, 5x7, and 8x10 prints. The display also had a poster explaining the different shots we learned in shot composition, with examples of each. It looked very professional. I had each print labeled with who took the photo and tried to include each student that was in the classes.
The choir (not under my direction) performed to start off, and later fifth grade performed a waltz and then had their parents come out and waltz with them. I taught all of fourth grade the Virginia Reel, our state dance. We only had about 15 of the 100 fourth grade students not show up and dance. For an after school program, that was outstanding! They were totally wonderful! It seems no matter how rough the rehearsals go, they always seem to pull it off with flying colors when they have an audience to perform for. We also had six of our school storytelling winners retell their stories in the library where people could come in and listen.
Third and second grades have done two rounds of Reader’s Theatre in my drama classes. The teachers chose two groups that they wanted to perform, and they performed in their own classrooms for their parents. They did a great job. They are very expressive and love to perform. I make sure they all have some sort of mask or hat or other small costume piece, and they feel like a movie star.
Then first grade did a whole grade reenactment in the gym of a book entitled “Giraffes Can’t Dance,” by Giles Andreae. I have enough costumes from past plays that I was able to get costumes or masks on all 115 students. We had learned it as separate classes, and then the teachers let them choose which animal they wanted to be, and each group of animals came out to do a dance. The jungle dance at the first featured a jungle band with African drums and other rhythm instruments. The whole grade got out there and boogied. Then the Warthogs waltzed, the Rhinos Rock and Rolled, the Lions tangoed, etc. We did easy little instructions for each separate dance and they mainly just acted! It’s a great book; I would recommend it to any teacher looking for a fun story to act out. They were very cute, and the parents loved the performance.
The afternoon ended with a screening of this semester’s Film Techies films and stop-motion. Everyone seemed to love them. We also aired them on the news again this week. It was an enormous amount of work, but well worth it. The parents love to see their children perform. It is a requirement of the BTS grant program I teach under, and I look forward to an even better celebration in the future.
I made some nice frames from mat board, and printed about 40 photos from my Film Techies’ work. I had 4x6, 5x7, and 8x10 prints. The display also had a poster explaining the different shots we learned in shot composition, with examples of each. It looked very professional. I had each print labeled with who took the photo and tried to include each student that was in the classes.
The choir (not under my direction) performed to start off, and later fifth grade performed a waltz and then had their parents come out and waltz with them. I taught all of fourth grade the Virginia Reel, our state dance. We only had about 15 of the 100 fourth grade students not show up and dance. For an after school program, that was outstanding! They were totally wonderful! It seems no matter how rough the rehearsals go, they always seem to pull it off with flying colors when they have an audience to perform for. We also had six of our school storytelling winners retell their stories in the library where people could come in and listen.
Third and second grades have done two rounds of Reader’s Theatre in my drama classes. The teachers chose two groups that they wanted to perform, and they performed in their own classrooms for their parents. They did a great job. They are very expressive and love to perform. I make sure they all have some sort of mask or hat or other small costume piece, and they feel like a movie star.
Then first grade did a whole grade reenactment in the gym of a book entitled “Giraffes Can’t Dance,” by Giles Andreae. I have enough costumes from past plays that I was able to get costumes or masks on all 115 students. We had learned it as separate classes, and then the teachers let them choose which animal they wanted to be, and each group of animals came out to do a dance. The jungle dance at the first featured a jungle band with African drums and other rhythm instruments. The whole grade got out there and boogied. Then the Warthogs waltzed, the Rhinos Rock and Rolled, the Lions tangoed, etc. We did easy little instructions for each separate dance and they mainly just acted! It’s a great book; I would recommend it to any teacher looking for a fun story to act out. They were very cute, and the parents loved the performance.
The afternoon ended with a screening of this semester’s Film Techies films and stop-motion. Everyone seemed to love them. We also aired them on the news again this week. It was an enormous amount of work, but well worth it. The parents love to see their children perform. It is a requirement of the BTS grant program I teach under, and I look forward to an even better celebration in the future.
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Wk 1 Comment to Lucee Tangwell- Reading Blog
Wk 1 Lucee Tangwall’s Reading Blog
Recently, I read the book A Million Miles in a Thousand Years by Donald Miller. As I read that book, my worldview was wrecked and challenged by some of the things he discussed. I began to look for connections to my own life as well as to my job as a middle school teacher; brainstorming led to dreaming and formulating plans of implementing Miller’s ideas into my own practices.
For years I have struggled with the apathetic approaches my students have toward Math. With reasons unbeknownst to me, the majority of my students have little desire for learning. How do I, as one teacher, lead the unwilling? How do I convince students that learning 7th grade Math matters in the great scheme of life? Miller suggested that each person is a character in a bigger story; each life has meaning and purpose, and it is in that realization that a person begins to really live (Miller, 2009). Upon reading this book, I have spent much time brainstorming ways in which I can provide a role for my students to play in a bigger story that will give them purpose and meaning to what they do.
Surprise met me as I read the chapter “Giving an A” in The Art of Possibility by Rosamund Stone Zander and Benjamin Zander; the validation offered to my newfound passion was profound and encouraging.
Starting from the conviction that adolescents are looking for
an arena in which to make an authentic contribution to
the family and to the community, the first thing we would
notice is how few meaningful roles are available for young
people to fill. Then we might see how, in the absence of a
purpose greater than themselves, adolescents retreat to the
sidelines as though their existence were inconsequential.
(p. 40)
Once again, I go back to my brainstorming. How can I foster a “meaningful role” for my students within the math classroom? On a larger spectrum, how can my school foster a “meaningful role” for all students that goes beyond the classroom? I have some ideas, but details are yet to be formed.
Miller, D. (2009). A million miles in a thousand years. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson.
Zander, B., & Zander, R. S. (2000). The art of possibility:
Transforming professional and personal life. New York: Penguin
Books.
Sources: Lucee Tangwall’s Wk 1 Reading Blog. URL: http://web.me.com/ltangwall/Media_Asset_Creation_Blog/Week_1_Blog/Entries/2010/4/3_Reading_Blog.html
Retrieved on: April 3, 2010
Wk 1 Comment to Lucee Tangwall – Reading Blog
Lucee-I enjoyed your thoughts. I am teaching elementary school Drama and love it. I taught 2 years of high school English and Drama, and went back to elementary because of the exact things you’re talking about. Younger children can find the joy in learning more than high school and especially 7th grade students. I feel like religion plays a big part in students seeing the bigger picture, but you can’t foster that. I have always felt that the arts can give children so much joy and build their self-esteem; that is what I would recommend. Get them interested in music or art or drama or dance. Let them feel the joy of creating a work with others. That’s an important and vital part of education, I feel. Of course, math is too! It’s not an easy question you pose!
Karlene
Recently, I read the book A Million Miles in a Thousand Years by Donald Miller. As I read that book, my worldview was wrecked and challenged by some of the things he discussed. I began to look for connections to my own life as well as to my job as a middle school teacher; brainstorming led to dreaming and formulating plans of implementing Miller’s ideas into my own practices.
For years I have struggled with the apathetic approaches my students have toward Math. With reasons unbeknownst to me, the majority of my students have little desire for learning. How do I, as one teacher, lead the unwilling? How do I convince students that learning 7th grade Math matters in the great scheme of life? Miller suggested that each person is a character in a bigger story; each life has meaning and purpose, and it is in that realization that a person begins to really live (Miller, 2009). Upon reading this book, I have spent much time brainstorming ways in which I can provide a role for my students to play in a bigger story that will give them purpose and meaning to what they do.
Surprise met me as I read the chapter “Giving an A” in The Art of Possibility by Rosamund Stone Zander and Benjamin Zander; the validation offered to my newfound passion was profound and encouraging.
Starting from the conviction that adolescents are looking for
an arena in which to make an authentic contribution to
the family and to the community, the first thing we would
notice is how few meaningful roles are available for young
people to fill. Then we might see how, in the absence of a
purpose greater than themselves, adolescents retreat to the
sidelines as though their existence were inconsequential.
(p. 40)
Once again, I go back to my brainstorming. How can I foster a “meaningful role” for my students within the math classroom? On a larger spectrum, how can my school foster a “meaningful role” for all students that goes beyond the classroom? I have some ideas, but details are yet to be formed.
Miller, D. (2009). A million miles in a thousand years. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson.
Zander, B., & Zander, R. S. (2000). The art of possibility:
Transforming professional and personal life. New York: Penguin
Books.
Sources: Lucee Tangwall’s Wk 1 Reading Blog. URL: http://web.me.com/ltangwall/Media_Asset_Creation_Blog/Week_1_Blog/Entries/2010/4/3_Reading_Blog.html
Retrieved on: April 3, 2010
Wk 1 Comment to Lucee Tangwall – Reading Blog
Lucee-I enjoyed your thoughts. I am teaching elementary school Drama and love it. I taught 2 years of high school English and Drama, and went back to elementary because of the exact things you’re talking about. Younger children can find the joy in learning more than high school and especially 7th grade students. I feel like religion plays a big part in students seeing the bigger picture, but you can’t foster that. I have always felt that the arts can give children so much joy and build their self-esteem; that is what I would recommend. Get them interested in music or art or drama or dance. Let them feel the joy of creating a work with others. That’s an important and vital part of education, I feel. Of course, math is too! It’s not an easy question you pose!
Karlene
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