REFLECT RESPOND RENEW ANTHOLOGY

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O N D Museum of Art - DeLand’s 2016 -17 Art of Reflection and Response Teacher Institute Participating Volusia County Teacher and Student Anthology

Experience the Power of Art

Museum of Art - DeLand 600 N. Woodland Blvd. DeLand, FL 32720 Museum of Art - DeLand Downtown 100 N. Woodland Blvd., DeLand, FL 32720 MoArtDeLand.org 386.734.4371

Established in 1951, the Museum of Art - DeLand, Florida, is a vital and interactive non-profit community visual arts museum dedicated to the collecting, preservation, study, display and educational use of the fine arts. The Museum of Art - DeLand, Florida, is a 501(c)3 organization incorporated in the State of Florida and is a member of the American Alliance of Museums and the Florida Association of Museums.

Gallery Hours & Admission Tuesday - Saturday 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Sunday 1 to 4 p.m.

Museum Members and children under 12: No Charge Admission $5 Special Exhibitions $10

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Copyright 2017 Museum of Art - DeLand, Florida. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or any other method without written consent by the Museum of Art - DeLand, Florida.

Sponsored in part by the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs, the Florida Council on Arts and Culture

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A Special Thank You “I would like to extend a personal thank you to the following individuals for their support and participation in this year-long program.”

Pam Coffman Curator of Education Museum of Art - DeLand Art of Reflection and Response Teacher’s Institute Director

The Family of Dr. Evans C. Johnson for their generous sponsorship of the Art of Reflection and Response Teacher Institute.

Betty Drees Johnson for her unwavering patronage and support of the Museum’s education programs for children, youth and the Art of Reflection and Response Teacher Institute.

Beth Dobberstein, Volusia County Schools Visual Arts Specialist, for her support in the implementation of and participation in the Art of Reflection and Response Teacher Institute.

Suzi Preston, Volunteer, for her on going support, expertise and collaboration in the implementation of the Art of Reflection and Response Teacher Institute.

To our new teachers participating in 2016-17: Sarah Altier - Volusia County Schools ▪ Randi Berkery - Galaxy Middle ▪ Marla Chirnside - Timbercrest Elementary ▪ Carolyn Dakis - Pine Ridge High ▪ Timothy Deary - Galaxy Middle ▪ Beth Dobberstein - Volusia County Schools ▪ Cheryl Gentry-Thomas - Pride Elementary ▪ Laura Matthews - George Marks Elementary ▪ Kaitlin Peterson - Southwestern Middle ▪ Dr. Rajni Shankar-Brown, Ph.D. - Stetson Universtiy ▪ Christina Sills - Forest Lake Elementary ▪ Khorletta Sutton-Cressor - Deltona Middle ▪ Catie Tappan - Chisholm Elementary ▪ Marcy Weaver - Timbercrest Elementary ▪ Judy Williamson - Pine Ridge High ▪ Jean Zimmermann - Campbell Middle

To our returning teachers participating in 2016-17: Angela Costa - Volusia Pines Elementary ▪ Katherine Crane - Manatee Cove Elementary ▪ Beth Doran - Heritage Middle ▪ Samantha Hughes - New Smyrna Beach Middle ▪ Petra Ramirez - Deltona High ▪ Karen Richter Southwestern Middle ▪ Darlene Stewart - Ivy Hawn Charter School of the Arts ▪ Rebecca Strunks - Forest Lake Elementary ▪ Dr. Shari Watkins, Ph. D. - Horizon Elementary

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Introduction In July of 2014 the Museum of Art - DeLand launched a new professional development program, the Art of Reflection and Response Teacher Institute. Eighteen K-12 Volusia County teachers embarked upon a yearlong journey that provided them with the opportunity for personal and professional growth by reinvigorating their creative spirit, connecting with like-minded colleagues, and refreshing their classroom teaching with new ideas. Even though the teachers had to give up three days of summer vacation and numerous Satur2016-17 new teachers participating in gallery activity. days, the Institute was an overwhelming success.

When it was time for the program to end, there was unanimous agreement that a second year was in order.

The 2015-16 Institute was equally successful with eighteen K-12 teachers beginning a new year of the program and sixteen teachers returning for a second year. The 2016-17 sessions marked the third year of the Institute with sixteen new teachers and nine returning teachers completing the training.

Throughout the course of 2016-17 both dedicated groups of teachers engaged in listening, sharing, responding, and reflecting upon concepts such as: personal creativity and inspiration, collaboration, arts integration, teaching strategies, risk taking and the connection between visual and verbal literacy. The Institute’s approach to professional development encourages more involvement and ownership from the teachers; gives them more time to discuss, share and reflect on how they are incorporating material into their classroom practice; expands opportunities for feedback; allows teachers to set longer term goals; provides ongoing support from the Museum and their peers; and allocates sufficient time to assess their progress toward the goals they've set, and most importantly acknowledges the professional experience, ability and desire of the teachers to be champions of change.

The Art of Reflection and Response Teacher Institute emphasizes the connection between visual and verbal literacy by incorporating an arts integration, inquiry-based model that goes beyond creating art projects in class; it is a teaching strategy that helps teachers merge arts standards with core curricula to build connections and make engaging correlations across content areas. Incorporating the intersection between Florida Language Arts and Mathematics Standards and Visual Art encourages the development of actively engaged students and provides enhanced opportunities for teacher collaboration. Through modeling, guided practice, research, reflection, and application, participants discover ways in which inquiry-based learning through visual arts can be used to develop literacy skills, support the core curricula, and differentiate instruction for English-language learners and gifted and talented students.

Perhaps the most important thing we have learned from the Art of Reflection and Response Teacher Institute is that inspired and creative teachers produce inspired and creative students. As we prepare for the 2017-18 Institute we are confident that all of the knowledge, sharing and teacher feedback that we have gained over the past three years will enable us to provide a truly worthwhile, educational and meaningful experience.

Perhaps the best assessment of the Art of Reflection and Response Teacher Institute comes from the teacher participants‌ 4

Teachers’ Comments “As a mentor for beginning teachers, I have been equipped with lessons which will enable my mentees to embrace cross-curricular learning. I have shared learning activities from the Institute with novice teachers who in turn have learned that core standards can be taught and enhanced by promoting visual literacy and diverse methods of assessment. We live in a visual world; our students are constantly bombarded with images. New teachers (and veteran ones) must empower students with the skills to decode and analyze these images. I’m so grateful to have had the opportunity to discover so many ways to make this happen.”

- Sarah Altier, Mentor Beginning Teachers DeLand and University High, Manatee Cove ,Starke, Orange City, Blue Lake and Freedom Elementary and River Springs Middle School, 2016-17 Participant

“My participation in the Institute has benefitted me in numerous ways. The Institute’s primary benefit to me was personal and professional. I am much more in touch with my creative ability on a personal level. The Institute taught me how to recognize and then seize opportunities to be creative. Because of the increased knowledge I have gained of my personal creativity I have also become a more creative and encouraging teacher in the classroom. I am in tune with what art can offer to a history classroom. Additionally the Institute has increased my understanding of the importance of verbal and visual literacy. Being able to view the incredible works of art in the galleries has enriched my sense of personal and professional creativity.”

- Timothy Deary, U.S. History, Grade 8 Galaxy Middle School, 2016-17 Participant

“Overall, the Art of Reflection for me was like a hot shower that washed away all of the dirt and grime that had built up on my teaching soul. I emerged from the steaming cleanse refreshed and wiped the fogged mirror clean in order to take a true look at who I am as an educator, and person. I would take this PD one-thousand more times if offered, and I am truly grateful for the experience so early on in my teaching career.”

- Kaitlin Peterson, Language Arts and Creative Writing, Grades 7 - 8 Southwestern Middle School, 2016 - 17 Participant

“I have always been split evenly between right and left brain inclinations. I love logical thinking, but I want it presented in a creatively stimulating manner. For this reason, I am often dissatisfied with PDs. Usually the presentations are either logical but boringly uncreative or creative in content but impractical for everyday classroom implementation. The Institute has been the perfect blend of creative ideas that serve a practical purpose in the classroom.”

- Rebecca Strunks Gifted, Grade 4 Forest Lake Elementary School, 2015-16 and 2016-17 Participant

“This institute was one I looked forward to attending and I never felt like I was actually giving up a Saturday to attend. I am looking forward to revamping my classroom and lesson plans next year to be able to integrate more of the activities we learned. I teach a subject that moves at a fast pace and there is little wiggle room with the content it’s nice to know that so many of the techniques we used can be integrated into my classroom with the documents and visuals we already use.”

- Judy Williamson, U.S. History, AP Economics, AP American Government, Grades 11 - 12 Pine Ridge High School, 2016-17 Participant

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The selected artworks and writing included in this publication were produced by both groups of the 2016-17 Art of Reflection and Response Teacher Institute participants and from students in their respective classes. The Museum’s Department of Education worked collaboratively with Beth Dobberstein, Visual Arts Specialist Volusia County Schools, and Suzi Preston, Volunteer, to develop and implement this professional development program and accompanying classroom materials and resources.

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2016-17 New Teacher Participants Art of Reflection and Response Teacher Institute

Sarah Altier - Volusia County Schools Randi Berkery - Galaxy Middle Marla Chirnside - Timbercrest Elementary Carolyn Dakis - Pine Ridge High Timothy Deary - Galaxy Middle Beth Dobberstein - Volusia County Schools Cheryl Gentry-Thomas - Pride Elementary Laura Matthews - George Marks Elementary Kaitlin Peterson - Southwestern Middle Dr. Rajni Shankar-Brown, Ph.D. - Stetson University Christina Sills - Forest Lake Elementary Khorletta Sutton-Cressor - Deltona Middle Catie Tappan - Chisholm Elementary Marcy Weaver - Timbercrest Elementary Judy Williamson - Pine Ridge High Jean Zimmermann - Campbell Middle

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Sarah Altier Mentor Beginning Teachers ▪ DeLand and University High Schools , Manatee Cove, Starke, Orange City, Blue Lake and Freedom Elementary Schools and River Springs Middle School In The World is Flat, New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman makes the case for innovation in 21st century learning by advocating for creativity in education, postulating that “The secret sauce comes from our ability to integrate art, music, and literature with the hard sciences.” The question for educators such as myself is how to implement this integration in our current standardized test-driven educational environment. Fortunately (and wonderfully) The Art of Reflection and Response Teacher Institute provided teacher participants with a bounty of strategies which will foster connections between core subjects and the arts.

As a mentor for beginning teachers, I have been equipped with lessons which will enable my mentees to embrace cross -curricular learning. I have shared learning activities from the Institute with novice teachers who in turn have learned that core standards can be taught and enhanced by promoting visual literacy and diverse methods of assessment. We live in a visual world; our students are constantly bombarded with images. New teachers (and veteran ones) must empower students with the skills to decode and analyze these images. I’m so grateful to have had the opportunity to discover so many ways to make this happen.

Personally, I have enjoyed my collaboration with amazingly dedicated and resourceful professionals who have inspired me to grow as a teacher, a mentor, and as a creative woman. How refreshing it was to be with collegial, like-minded people who are dedicated to their craft and to the arts! At one time or another I believe I heard every participant reference doing “what’s best for kids.” There was a common commitment to making curricula accessible to English language learners, struggling students, and gifted children through the differentiated strategies learned at the Institute.

The honesty and professional generosity of my colleagues was inspiring. I believe we all came away from this experience with renewed passion for our profession and with rejuvenated spirits. Throughout the seven months of the Institute, I frequently heard comments such as “I stopped painting (or writing, or performing, etc.) when I became a teacher because I no longer had time, but this class has reminded me how necessary my art is to being my full self.” Passionate teachers inspire passionate learners, and the Art of Reflection and Response has rekindled personal and professional passion in the educators who participated. My thanks to the Museum of Art – DeLand and the sponsors of the Institute for this unique professional learning experience.

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Sarah Altier - Teacher As a mentor of beginning teachers I work in nine schools observing and providing feedback on novice teachers’ classroom practices. Frequently new teachers feel tied to the Teacher’s Edition or modules and hesitate to incorporate integrative lessons which encourage critical thinking and interdisciplinary connections. My objectives for my mentees were: 1) To stimulate creative approaches to lesson planning among my mentees, and 2) To encourage them to connect visual and verbal literacy using authentic assessments rather than relying on paper and pencil tests for formative evaluation of their students’ capabilities.

I found the “Eavesdropping Activity” to be a valuable tool in meeting my mentoring goals. The lesson objective was to use images to relate “Close Looking” to “Close Reading” and for students to write a response which indicated an awareness of the details in the image and captured the tone of the image through proper word choice.

I introduced this lesson to one 1st grade teacher, two 2nd grade teachers, one 3rd grade teacher, two 5th grade teachers, two middle school Language Arts teachers, and two high school history teachers. All of them implemented the activity at varying levels of commitment. I used resources from the Institute such as “Close Reading and Close Looking” and “Key Questions to Ask When Analyzing Media Messages” to scaffold my mentees’ understanding of the activity. Together, we browsed images that might be appropriate for the lesson.

One high school history teacher used an image of a World War I trench with his students. They were instructed to note all the “characters” in the image and reminded that “writing allows us to give voice to the human, the non-human, and even the invisible.” They were then to select two interesting characters from the image and reflect, using questions from the Eavesdropping Activity resource such as “What are they thinking, feeling, and/or wondering about?” Students were to look for clues as to the characters’ personalities and to create the characters’ ‘voices’ as they wrote a dialogue.

My mentee reported that opening up the characters to possibly being inanimate objects was the key to success of this lesson. Students enthusiastically embraced the freedom and creative possibilities of this assignment, and their teacher reported that one of the best “eavesdropping” dialogues he received was not between two soldiers in the image, but between the seated soldier and his helmet. The student wrote an interaction where the soldier writing from the point of view of fear, since he was down low in the trench, was thanking his helmet for saving him from the German bullets that had recently been bearing down upon him. The helmet, ‘speaking’ from a point of view of a parent or guardian angel, was reassuring the soldier that all would be well. The soldier gives a relieved smile in response.

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Sarah Altier - Teacher A middle school English teacher used the Norman Rockwell image below to implement the Eavesdropping Strategy.

Again, the students were creative in developing the “characters” in the image, with many of them speculating what might be up the staircase which would result in such a terrified look on the little boy’s face. Dialogues ranged from those between the shocked little boy and the Ghost of Christmas Past on the stairway, between the dog and the little girl, and a silent (thoughts only) dialogue between the parents.

In both cases, students were able to do a “Close Look” of the image, noticing details of not only what was in the image, but what might have been left out of it. They noted facial expressions, clothing, and objects, using these details to make meaning. They were able to determine the tone of the image, and to write a dialogue which used diction to convey that tone. They reflected upon their work with questions such as “How did you decide which characters to focus upon and develop?” and “Why did you give the characters the voices and relationship that you did?” Ultimately the students were able to make associations between visual and verbal literacy, and to relate the close reading process with critical evaluation of images through visual evidence and close looking. Most important to me, their teachers learned a valuable lesson in stretching their teaching practice and encouraging their students to demonstrate learning in diverse ways

Sarah Altier Eavesdropping Activity In this activity a dialogue is created between two characters in an image - animate or inanimate. Another option is to write the dialogue between a character or object in the image and something which is not shown – such as a person or object outside of the framed image.

1st voice (Woman): You’re so pretty! As pretty as I! 2nd voice: You are not pretty; your feathers aren’t as fine as you think they are.

1st voice (Woman): Ingrate! Everything you have you owe to me!

2nd voice: Fair plumage does not fair make. You’ve given me what I have, but it’s nothing that counts.

1st voice (Woman): Beauty is all that counts.

2nd voice: I hate to be mundane, but beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

1st voice (Woman): Don’t parrot trite sayings to me – try for some originality!

Woman with a Parrot by Theresa Bernstein, ca. 1917

2nd voice: Everyone in this room looks at me three times for every one glance at you!

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Sarah Altier - Teacher Eavesdropping Activity continued 1st voice (Woman): [voice becoming brittle] Mere curiosity . . . mere gawking!

2nd voice: You use me as an accessory to distract people from the real you. Look! Which one has more substance?

Which one more freedom? [silence] 1st voice (Woman): [quietly] I wish I could fly away. I wish I could break free of this gilded cage.

2nd voice – You can . . . step away.

1st voice (Woman): Sometimes I hate you.

2nd voice: We’ve known each other for a long time – you can’t fool me. I know you’ve always hated me. [parrot flies away] 1st voice (Woman), to 2nd voice (her mirror, which is out of frame): Upon reflection, you’re right.

Personal Creativity Mind Map by Sarah Altier 11

Randi Berkery Grade 6, Reading â–Ş Galaxy Middle School I was hesitant to sign up for this Institute, as I feel I lack creativity. I then decided why not? I am thrilled that I did sign up, as it benefitted me personally by becoming an art novice. I now look at pieces of art with enjoyment and interest. I also feel it has increased my creativity professionally by working with wonderful colleagues and facilitators.

Through my participation in the institute I have realized that integrating art helps in creativity. There is not one concrete answer to visual and verbal literacy. Each person views each piece of art or piece of writing differently depending on their background knowledge.

I feel the new knowledge I have learned from the institute will help my teaching practice, by letting my students display their creativity. I have learned various activities that will help my reading curriculum. Some activities which were only completed in written form can now be done by creating a collage or a drawing. I now feel that I want my students to think outside of the box and feel comfortable in doing so.

I am planning to take the art institute in the summer as I want to build on what I have learned in the current institute. I want to increase the arts integration in my classroom by using pieces of art, magazines, poetry and various other creative pieces. I want my students to enjoy my class and have them become aware of the creative talent within themselves.

One final thought, through this institute I have experienced many emotions. I have thought about my childhood, my current life, and the future. It was amazing that looking at pieces of art would evoke so many emotions. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time and will forever be grateful for the opportunity.

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Randi Berkery - Teacher Lesson/Activity: Freak the Mighty Illustration Grade 6 Reading I teach 6th grade at Galaxy Middle School and the subject I teach is “Intensive Reading”.. The title of the novel we read is Freak the Mighty. The purpose of the lesson plan was to read Freak the Mighty and take notes on the story as well as complete summatives and formatives. The students enjoyed the novel, which was read aloud by me.

Throughout the novel, I told the students to imagine the characters and the various scenes taking place. The boys were best friends and got into various situations together.

For this lesson, students were each given a large piece of construction paper and asked to recreate (by drawing) any scene from the novel. They were able to choose any scene except the one on the cover of the novel. My students were given markers and colored pencils to create a scene.

As I reflect back on the lesson, I feel it went well. Some student can’t draw well, but used their creativity to complete the assignment. I feel the assignment went well, as my students did not complain. They were actually excited to be able to draw instead of writing. Overall this assignment was Successful!

Jeishalian Ortega, Grade 6, Teacher - Randi Berkery

Personal Creativity Mind Map Randi Berkery 13

Marla Chirnside Grades K - 5, Art ▪ Timbercrest Elementary I enjoyed this course because it re-invigorated my creative juices on a professional and personal level more than any other professional learning activity that I have participated in. I had the opportunity to write, create art, refocus on personal creativity and work through some personal feelings.

Through this course, I learned about and attended a Gallery talk with artist Philip Smallwood. It was enjoyable and informative to meet the artist after seeing his work and writing about one of his pieces during the course. I was also able to attend one of a series of talks by Pam Coffman, Curator of Education, at the Museum. The topic of the talk I attended was “Who was Theresa Bernstein?” (She was a Polish-born American artist, painter and writer.). This event was also informative and enjoyable.

Marcy Weaver, the other Art Teacher at Timbercrest Elementary, and I invited Pam Coffman to present a lesson to a combined classroom of approximately 50 fifth graders. That it was a very engaging lesson for the students came as no surprise to Marcy or me because it was a lesson we had completed ourselves during our time in the course. I remember having an “ah-ha” moment when Pam said that having the students talk about their artwork after it was finished was an important part of the process (or something to that effect) because I remembered thinking about how there were times during this course when I felt I wanted to share my thoughts about my work. I particularly wanted to share my thoughts about the Collage I created for this assignment because I felt like I needed to explain some things about it (like how I had tried to tear many of my pieces into hearts), so I was glad to have the opportunity to write down my thoughts and read them to my classmates. Talking about my work to my classmates gave me a sense of closure, and because of that, I invited my students to come to the head of the class, on a volunteer basis, and talk about their completed Collages. A great many of them enjoyed that opportunity, and I have had them share about some of their other projects ,also since that time. It is something I will continue to do with other projects and grade levels.

Talking about their projects also helped to reinforce another thing that I have been working on with my students , and that is risk taking. Each teacher in the institute was gifted with a book to help shape their year with their students. The book I received was Shut Your Monkey - How to Control Your Inner Critic and Get More Done by Danny Gregory. The book’s focus is risk taking. Many of my students are perfectionists and shut down when they feel their art project isn’t perfect. Risk taking, breaking from the “norm”, accepting mistakes as part of growth, or learning, or creativity are challenging concepts for many of my students. I have been encouraged this year to hear some students quoting to each other the sign hanging in my room that states “Mistakes are proof that you are trying.” And I have been reminded on a personal level to TAKE MORE RISKS BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT CHANGES YOUR LIFE!

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Marla Chirnside - Teacher Lesson/Activity: Creating Collages from Magazines, Grade 5 Art Find and rip out appropriate pages from magazines for students to create a collage. Deliberately do not give many parameters. Students will need a paper to glue their creation on, and access to scissors, markers, colored pencils, crayons, etc., should they choose to use them.

Once the collages were completed, I asked for volunteers to stand up and talk about their collages. Some of them had deep meaning to the students, some of them were themed, some of them were given lots of thought and some were merely random photos placed together.

Goals include revising artwork as a necessary part of the creative process to achieve an artistic goal, and analyzing personal artworks to articulate the motivations and intentions in creating personal works of art. Also, to exhibit suitable behavior as a member of an art audience and explain the importance of artwork and to show why respect is or should be given to the work of their peers. Two of fifth grade Math goals that can apply to this project include analyzing patterns and relationships and classifying two dimensional figures into categories based on their properties.

With the minimal amount of specific instruction that was given, I was amazed at the caliber of some of the end results.

This assignment was one that Pam Coffman had the participants of the Art of Reflection and Response course complete, and she volunteered to come to any of the participants’ respective schools and present this assignment. I am very glad that Marcy Weaver and I invited Pam to come and present this assignment to approximately fifty fifth graders (our two classes combined). It was a very engaging project for the students, and many of them volunteered to talk about their collages when they were completed. I will be using this project again in the future.

Olivia Puranda Grade 5, Teacher Marla Chirnside

Darryn Merthie, Grade 5, Teacher - Marla Chirnside

Hannah Rosario, Grade 5, Teacher - Marla Chirnside

David Garcia-Chica, Grade 5, Teacher - Marla Chirnside 15

Marla Chirnside - Teacher Lesson/Activity: We Wear the Mask, Grade 4 Art I read to the students (an edited version of) the poem “We Wear the Mask” by Paul Lawrence Dunbar. I asked for volunteers to discuss the meaning of this poem and what they thought that the author was trying to express.

This is the version that I read: “We wear the mask that grins and lies, It hides our cheeks and shades our eyes,-- This debt we pay to human guile; With torn and bleeding hearts we smile, And mouth with myriad subtleties. Why should the world be over-wise, In counting all our tears and sighs? Nay, let them only see us, while we wear the mask. We smile, our cries from tortured souls arise. We sing, but oh the clay is vile beneath our feet, and long the mile; but let the world dream otherwise, We wear the mask!”

After the discussion, I asked the students to create a mask by drawing on a paper plate their own personal representation of their impression of the meaning behind the poem and to make a unique work of art giving a voice to their analysis of the poem.

When these projects were completed, I asked for volunteers to stand up with and talk about their masks. I believe this process was meaningful to the students that chose to participate in sharing their thoughts and feelings about their personal masks and I plan to do this project again in future years.

My goals included having English Language learners and other students communicate for social and instructional purposes, and to provide a concluding statement relating to the information presented. Other goals included applying meaning and relevance to document their self, or others, visually, in art work, create artwork that shows procedural and analytical thinking to communicate ideas, and to use the artmaking process, analysis, and discussion to identify the connections between art and other disciplines.

I enjoyed this project and I was amazed at the insightful responses that many of the students gave when asked about their analysis of the poem, and the amazing depth of feeling some of them shared when they talked about the masks they created. I believe this project got their creative juices flowing and was also cathartic.

The sad side is when my dad gets home late and I don’t get to hang out with him, The happy side is when I get home and I get to see and play with my cats.

Scotty Bradley

Scotty Bradley, Grade 4, Teacher - Marla Chirnside

Jorge Del-Hierro, Grade 4, Teacher - Marla Chirnside

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Marla Chirnside - Teacher

Marla Chirnside Collage and Reflection I believe that God is Love and that Love is the Living Spirit. To quote the song written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, “All you need is Love ...Love is all thee is….” To quote Ralph Waldo Emerson, “Love is the essence of God.” In the Bible, in more than one place is the statement, “God is Love.”

I believe that we are all one energy, like the individual drops of water that merge to form the vast ocean, and that ultimately our existence is all about Love. Love is the tie that binds. Love is what unifies us, reaching from in utero through to the vast expansion of the cosmos of a gazillion billion endless number of universes. After we leave the physical aspect of ourselves, making that transition called death, I believe that what is left of us is that energy we call Love.

When you look out into the sky at night, gazing up at the stars, and can connect in the silence to that Love of God, that feeling is elicited from the power that makes it possible for our eye, the windows of our soul, to shine with the understanding that GOD IS, that I AM, and that everyone in life is part of God.

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Carolyn Dakis Grades 9 and 10, English ▪ Pine Ridge High School My participation in the 2016-17 Art of Reflection and Response Teacher Institute has benefited me both personally and professionally.

I have begun to realize the importance of regularly (daily) accessing my own personal creativity a part from doing so in my life as a teacher. Until now it was almost as though I had forgotten about the creative pursuits which in the past have given me joy: cooking, journaling, and creative writing, especially. In addition, working on the mind map helped me to realize the things I can do to give expression to my creative energy – for example, creating collages, collecting fabrics from vintage shops that will inspire me to make things for my home and classroom, composing vignettes to accompany treasured photos, and cultivating plant life.

I have also learned how to be still with a work of fine art and not rush to try to understand it.

For the first time I am really appreciating my students who routinely sketch in class and those who carry sketch pads. I am beginning to also appreciate how these students conceptualize and retain new material by way of visual images – pictures – rather than words (as I do). This is extremely important since it is my responsibility to design instruction that addresses all learning styles.

In addition, the various instructional activities – e.g. - writing, eavesdropping, poetry – are invaluable.

As a result of my involvement in the institute I have become more flexible in my approach to designing instruction. Although as an English teacher I am required to incorporate a certain amount of writing into each lesson, I am also encouraging students to represent their impressions and ideas in the form of images they create.

The concept of risk-taking was new to me. I am beginning to see how important it is for both my students and I to be willing to take risks and make mistakes.

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Carolyn Dakis - Teacher Lesson /Activity: Poem and Response Grade 9 English Language Arts   

The students will understand the meaning of allusion and direct reference.

The students will be able to identify and interpret the figurative language in Kate Tempest’s poem “My Shakespeare.”

The students will also be able to identify the source material for these metaphors and will represent them with both Modern English and their own graphic illustrations.

This is a multi-media lesson in more ways than one: The lesson opens with our viewing of the video of Kate Tempest performing (in a hip-hop/rap style) her poem, “My Shakespeare.” This poem is replete with figurative language in the form of allusions and direct references to numerous different Shakespeare plays and sonnets.

The students will then read the poem silently to themselves, before watching the video again with the text of the poem there for their reference and review.

The students will work in groups of 4-5. Each group will examine the passage assigned to them, to identify all figurative language. They will then research (digitally) to identify the source of the allusions and references in their passages.

The students will individually decide whether they would like to do one of the following to demonstrate their understanding of the metaphorical allusion: Compose a paragraph of no fewer than 10 sentences: Identify the source material, provide context to explain the meaning of the figurative language.

Illustrate the figurative language using the paper and markers provided.

Each group will share their work with the class.

Illustration by: Paola Delacerda, Grade 9 Serena Anderson, Grade 9 Angelina Fuentes, Grade 9 Teacher - Carolyn Dakis 19

Timothy Deary Grade 8, U. S. History ▪ Galaxy Middle School My participation in the Institute has benefitted me in numerous ways. The Institute’s primary benefit to me was personal and professional. I am much more in touch with my creative ability on a personal level. The Institute taught me how to recognize and then seize opportunities to be creative. Because of the increased knowledge I have gained of my personal creativity I have also become a more creative and encouraging teacher in the classroom. I am in tune with what art can offer to a history classroom. Additionally the Institute has increased my understanding of the importance of verbal and visual literacy. Being able to view the incredible works of art in the galleries has enriched my sense of personal and professional creativity.

My personal creativity was stimulated by this Institute. I felt that I was really challenged to come up with new ways to be creative in my writing. I remember viewing the work of Walter Meigs and Miles Batt and being struck by the images and wanting to write about them. Creating a mind map of my personal creativity brought me clarity and focus. Professionally I found it to be very beneficial to listen to colleagues and how they used the ideas from the Institute in their classes. In the classroom I have become a more encouraging and creative teacher. I have tried very hard to encourage and implement the idea that failure is a part of learning and that trying for perfection is really a pursuit of excellence.

The incorporation of art into my history classroom is still in a beginning phase but I feel very inspired to continue to do this. History instruction can only benefit from the incorporation of great works of art and literature. In my experience students think of literacy as being able to read. Visual literacy, the ability to “read” a painting and its symbolism is equally important to the ability to think and to communicate. The Institute showed me this valuable skill and taught me how to integrate it into my instruction.

I will be able to build on what I have learned in the Institute to incorporate future arts integration and creative activities in my classes by using the suggestions and activities that were presented to me. I found that the opportunity to listen to colleagues from different disciplines was also very helpful. I have gained the knowledge and skills to use in order to continue integrating art into my classes. There were numerous opportunities during this time that I was able to not only view great works of art but also had the input of knowledgeable people and numerous teachers from whom I gained knowledge. There are numerous works of art and literature that correspond to the study of American History.

There is already a heavy concentration on written primary source texts now, I see how I can incorporate the use of paintings and sculptures into the study of American History. Written texts are vital to the study of history, especially primary source written texts. Art, paintings, offer another perspective on the events we study. For instance, I was taught that the painting showing “Washington Crossing the Delaware” was inaccurate because it showed Washington standing up. I used this painting in my class and as a result of student questions I found at least one historian who has said that the painting is more accurate than previously thought. The book that I consulted stated that the boats used on the night of the crossing had ice cold water in the bottom and it would have been more comfortable to stand. Inquiry into this art broadened my students understanding of a crucial battle in the Revolution.

I am very grateful to the Institute. I have learned a tremendous amount about myself, about art and about creativity. I have been enriched by the experience. The study of history, for me, has been expanded beyond the exclusive use of primary source texts to include art and paintings. On a personal level I have been encouraged to take risks with my creativity and by extension my teaching. Overall the highlight for me was being able to see so much incredible art. It has been an excellent experience and it has made me a better teacher.

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Timothy Deary - Teacher Lesson/Activity: Did you get the Message? U. S. History Grade 8 Objective: Students will understand how George Washington is depicted in art and to explain the way that the crossing of the Delaware is depicted visually.

Description of Activity: Students will be shown the painting “Washington Crossing the Delaware”. They will also be asked the following questions: What is the subject of the artwork?

What details of the painting are you drawn to?

On what is your attention focused and why?

How do you think the artist feels about the subject of the crossing of the Delaware?

What details of the painting tell you the way the artist feels?

Students are given time to think about their answers and asked to share them with the class. The teacher will prompt students to think about the following issues while they are viewing and thinking about the art.

What was the state of the American Revolution at the time of the Battle of Trenton?

What was the state of the American Revolution after the Battle of Trenton?

What effect did the leadership of George Washington have on the course of the American Revolution before and after the Battle of Trenton?

After a class discussion students will have time to write answers to the questions.

Outcome and Reflection: Overall students appeared to understand the connection between Washington’s leadership and how it was portrayed in the painting. Students were much more willing to talk and discuss their answers than they were to write them. Student’s description of Washington included the words proud, leader, strong and determined, hero, victorious, patriotic etc...

The details the students were drawn to include the ice, the fact that there were horses in the boats, the Flag that was on the boat, the fact that Washington was standing up, the men in the boats and the way the artist painted light shining down on Washington in an otherwise dark painting. In my mind the artist’s use of light was central to the overall theme of the painting and with prompting some students were able to verbalize what it meant. One of the difficulties that a lot of students have with history is when there are more abstract concepts to be grasped. In this case students understood that the Revolution was coming to an end unless there was a major boost and the victory at Trenton gave the Americans that boost. Students did well with the concrete symbolism in the paintings. They had a harder time with the abstract symbolism of light and being guided by God etc. There were some who understood. Some students focused on the visual that they said made it look dangerous and indeed it was a dangerous mission. Through this connection they were able to make the statement that Washington was a brave and important leader in the Revolution.

I think that students were surprised that we were looking at a painting to analyze the American Revolution as opposed to a text. Consequently I think that some of their answers were less detailed than would be expected with a text. Here is where the desire to be perfect comes in. Some students shut down and did not put their all into it.

I will definitely continue doing this in my class. I think that it is a worthwhile activity but it is also one that requires practice for students to be comfortable with.

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Timothy Deary - Teacher Did You Get the Message continued

Washington Crossing the Delaware by Emanuel Leutze 1850

Did you get the message? - “Washington Crossing the Delaware” Owen Scalafani , Grade 8 Teacher - Timothy Deary The subject of the painting is Washington crossing the Delaware River.

I am drawn to Washington’s pose and the American flag in the background.

After looking at the painting for a while I am focused on the American flag and the surrounding Patriots in the boat.

I believe that the artist that painted this picture feels that the event depicted took courage and bravery and that he represents that in the painting. He shows it by the way George Washington is standing and moving across the river in the boat.

The artist uses bright colors in portions of his painting and poses Washington in a brave way and depicts the flag flying in the wind. The use of bright colors shows that the artist focuses on Washington and his leadership.

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Timothy Deary - Teacher Ballerina Girl She’s got eyes like a spring born fawn and in the night’s darkness, in those eyes are the reminder of dawn.

Sometimes when she comes to me in the morning light, calling softly, in the sweetest voice, words drawing the total attention of my line of sight.

She’s got curls twisted tight, sometimes worn in braids, sometimes coming from the warmest bath and drops of water catch the bedroom’s shining light.

She plays with wild imagination, running circles on the lawn, engaging the cats in serious conversation.

She grew inside my heart, conceived in dreams and the need to love, and sent to me in the most vulnerable state with God given grace to play my part.

She is my beautiful dancer with wings, she dances and smiles, seeks my applause and approval, her smiles sound the notes her heart sings.

I carry that smile with me, is painted on my eyes and into the contours of my heart.

Captured in snapshot pictures for all to see.

She paints ballerina portraits.

Arabesque and arms above her head.

Young and enthusiastic offering a most dedicated endorsement.

She offers solace from never ending days, delivered to me by movements, her magic, in my heart it stays.

She sails away on ships out in the ocean, begin again the brand new day.

Twirl and dance in tights little curls, take the chance, move for me and take away my sadness, no one happier to dance…….

Timothy Deary 1/15-1/31/17

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Beth Dobberstein K-12 Visual Art Curriculum Specialist â–Ş Volusia County Schools

The Conversation by Beth Dobberstein, 2017, watercolor and ink transfer The idea for this piece of art was inspired by an activity that I participated in during a Reflection and Response workshop where we pretended to be eavesdropping on a conversation in a painting.

Artist Statement: The Conversation captures the words spoken between my father and I before and after his recent death. The fragile conversation is represented with delicate lines that wander in various directions similarly to how our conversations meandered through various topics. The words are encrypted - too precious to be spoken out loud or read by strangers. The colors are warm and calming as was my father. They are reflective of our love of nature and the beauty found in creation. The Conversation will continue to be seen but will never be heard. In memory of Larry I. Zessin (1941 -2016)

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Cheryl Gentry-Thomas Grades K-5, Art â–Ş Pride Elementary School This Art of Reflection and Response Teacher Institute has given me an intense experience unlike any workshop I have ever taken with Volusia County Schools over my past 20 years teaching. My personal growth with peers at all levels from across the county has carried me to a higher level of personal thought through creative student connections in my classroom. Enhanced forever is my teaching experience by the vast variety of topics covered throughout this institute and use of The Museum of Art - Deland.

Throughout this class I have held true to my personal heart; I have grown my students along side of me with their observations, writing, drawing, and verbal experiences. Students were given personal guidance and asked many questions that helped to spark new ideas, creating their characters, theme, and plot using both their visual and verbal literacy skills and expanding on them. I saw their creative interests grow before my eyes with each word.

Students took a personal understanding of their writing in my art room and demonstrated sheer enjoyment as they read their work to their classmates. They shared specific artworks with other classes, giving freely knowing the risk was there not to get their work back and they were not disappointed. They loved this creative experience we shared within all my classes.

As teachers, our participation in the teacher book study activity in the Institute was exciting; we grew and shared student lessons from a large surprise selection of books given out at random in this class. These books were all amazing!

As I continue, I want to reflect in the area of growth and new knowledge for teachers as well as our students; we were able to experience and enjoy the open-ended ideas. As a teacher, I see where some students may need a bit more guidance and monitoring but that allows for a closer connection between teacher and student processes. Since the inception of this class, I have built strong teacher connections outside of my school; I continue to build student connections through their understanding of the creative process. I am looking to build upon and guide students to find their creative side. The student lessons, discussions, and experiences in my classroom have been priceless. It sparked their creative interest in all students at all learning levels. Amazing, thank you!

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Cheryl Gentry-Thomas- Teacher Lesson/Activity: Eavesdropping Grades 4 and 5 Art Students were shown a piece of artwork. I went on to share with them, what if the images in the picture or painting could talk with one another. What would we hear them saying?

First we began with a little art history by understanding the artist, his boyhood, his experiences, and later education and life.

Students were asked to create a list of 20 or more words to describe what they see, sense, might smell, feel, etc. Next they were asked to select three characters from the setting within the landscape they were looking at. They created their own character names along with traits. We focused in on a theme and plot for their story so it would help guide their thoughts and ideas. Once they had this they were moving forward on their stories. This was exciting and students had a great experience writing and sharing their stories. At the conclusion students created a visual 8Frame Colorized Comic to recreate a snapshot from their favorite part of their story along with dialogue bubbles. Students shared with the class that they enjoyed the creative process of this lesson. They liked the engagement and enjoyed the entire freedom of their creative processes from writing and creating their images for their 8 Frame Comic.

Group Portrait by Alan Gough, oil on canvas, 1990 The Forgotten Field by Aryana Trujillo Pickens, Grade 5 Theme: A Birthday Celebration for Ben who has existed there many years as everything has become old.

Characters: Ben is a stick that is stuck in the wire for 60 years. Unlike Triplets are the three gate posts located in the ground at the gate. Super Stone Squad is a family of 18 rocks.

Ben: Ben woke up; it is my birthday he thought! Wake up he yelled to everybody! Hey, Unlike Triplets, do you know what day it is?

Unlike Triplets: No we do not know what day it is? Well the 18 rocks really did know but they did not want to tell Ben. This was because they were throwing him a surprise birthday party. Ben was turning 60 years old today and we had a special surprise from us to him on this magical day.

Ben: Oh, I thought you knew what today was but never mind; Ben just turned away, wandered back and went back to sleep.

Unlike Triplets: Hey Super Stone Squad, hop along and go get those spray cans of paint over there. So, the Super Stone Squad got the cans of paint and started to spray them over the tops of the brown grassy field.

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Cheryl Gentry-Thomas - Teacher The Forgotten Field continued Super Stone Squad: I cannot believe my eyes! Those old spray cans from 50 years ago still work. Yes, things around here have really gotten old including this grass. It used to be so bright and green and now it is all brown and dead looking. Well let’s get started with our colorful creation and complete our painting.

Ben: (Ben woke up and much to his happy surprise, everything was beautiful. The grass was now pink and sparkly.)

Wow, thank you guys, I am so old today. I have spent the last 60 years of my life stuck in a fence. But, I have the very best friends of all with me today at my 60th Birthday Party!

Ben loved the new brightly colored grass as it was special to him! Ben would say how much he disliked the old dead brown grass but his friends were able to brighten up his 60th Birthday! Ben expressed how much he appreciated his friends and how much this meant to him. The End…

Getting Back to Family by Nykeria Johnson, Grade 5 Theme: The rock tries to get over the gate but the gate would not let him go over. At the end the gate comes to his senses and lets him go over to join his family.

Characters: Roland is the first rock in the ditch. Powland is the tallest of the three gate posts. Barbie is the barbed wire at the gate.

Roland: Man, I would sure love to go across this gate and meet my family.

Barbie: Well you are not getting across me, so just have fun and go all the way around.

Powland: Why won’t you be kind and let him across?

Barbie: Because I don’t like him.

Powland: Why don’t you like him?

Barbie: I don’t like him because he is a rock. Why would I like a rock?

Roland: Barbie, why are you being so mean to me?

Barbie: That is none of your business, only I know!

Powland: Well, I am a post and you are just a piece of barbed wire, right!

Rowland: Right!

Barbie: Well, I guess I had better come to my senses and help you over me …. Well just kidding!

Powland: Wow, I never thought you could be so ruthless Barbie!

Roland: Yeah, Barbie has really hurt my feelings.

Barbie: Roland, I did not mean to hurt your feelings, I was kidding around.

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Cheryl Gentry-Thomas - Teacher Getting Back to Family continued Roland: Well you did, and I feel bad!

Barbie: I apologize for my poor behavior, I am sorry. You can cross over me.

Roland: Well thank you Barbie for letting me cross over to my family.

Powland: Yes, very thoughtful of you Barbie!

Barbie: You are both welcome and they were all good friends!

The End

Nykeria Johnson, Grade 5, Teacher - Cheryl Gentry-Thomas

Lesson/Activity: Dream Self Inspired by The Right to Write, by Julia Cameron Grade 3 Art My student lesson was designed to help refocus a student’s sense of self-direction, values, and worth. I feel this lesson may be used with intermediate grades in elementary as well as older levels in promoting ambitions and personal goal setting.

Students took part in a discussion with their peers at each of their teams. They shared about things that they might wish to be or do in their lives. Somethings might be simple from the color of ones hair to clothing styles. Discussions included types of pets, music, activities, and friends. Other things discussed included doing something better such as running faster, reading more, answering questions better, writing better, or becoming more active and playing sports.

The big question was what would they like to do in life and where will they see themselves in the future. Discussions included homes, cars, families, travel, and how they would plan for this. What would it look like to them? Would it be difficult?

After student discussions and creation of a pre-list students wrote a more complete/permanent list that would reflect their own Dream Self, someone they could connect to and personally identify with.

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Cheryl Gentry-Thomas - Teacher Dream Self Lesson continued My Dream Self List by Vanessa Neville Grade 3 1. I want to be a doctor.

2. I want to be a mom.

3. I want to have 6 kids, 3 boys and 3 girls.

4. A love of reading books.

5. I want to have a big family.

6. I want to have a pet monkey.

7. I love to exercise and run.

8. I would love to have a fancy car.

9. I would love to go and attend the “Ellen Show”.

Once the list was completed, I exchanged the papers with another class. This was a bit risky but students were excited to read, interpret, and create art from what each student listed for their Dream Self. They shared with me that it was exciting and fun to work from another student’s list. I allowed students to create openly with no rules, just sheer freedom and trust; I told them to use what they know and create a beautiful piece of art. Some were slow with ideas and I helped them with understanding how to create some new yet different visual ideas that they did not know about. I helped others where they had a difficult time reading and I drew small visual pictures to help guide them.

Once the drawings were all complete and each item was checked off, we used a variety of mixed media to then colorize the artwork. When finished the artist had to sign the artwork for the person they drew it for. Another risk was that the artist would not get their work back as it would go to the person that they made it for. Students did have concerns about not getting their artwork back, but after sharing and discussing with them they came to understand and respect the project and their risk taking. In closing for this lesson the students had a short critique and thanked one another for their artistic talents. We had a lot of fun as it created a lot of excitement, communication, and enhanced their thinking and visual processes. This lesson was well accepted and enjoyed by all of my students and me. We all grew together taking lots of risks, we had fun exploring through our ideas, drawings, writings, and appreciations of one another.

Sha’Tavea Jones Grade 3 created from My Dream Self List

by Vanessa Neville Teacher - Cheryl Gentry-Thomas 29

Laura Matthews Grade 3, Gifted ▪ George Marks Elementary School As a young girl, I was always toting around my Crayola Caddy. It was a large collection of all things Crayola on a spinning lazy-susan. I spent hours making crafts, drawing and writing poems or stories. I learned the art of calligraphy and had my own set of pens. All my cards were homemade. Later, in high school, I joined the drama club and was in charge of make-up and helped create sets. As I sit and reflect, I realize this list could go on and on. I was always told that I was creative and I accepted this label cheerfully. However, I never considered myself artistic. To me, that was different. I rationalized that I could draw – but only if I was looking at something. This created a lot of self-doubt; a feeling that stayed with me for a very long time.

Last summer, I embarked on a new journey of self-discovery. The Art of Reflection and Response Teacher Institute was designed for just that purpose: defining and discovering a part of me that I had acknowledged but not given enough credence to. I realized how valuable my own creativity is and that I shouldn’t box it away and only pull it out once in a while. I realized that art and creativity go hand and hand. Maybe I am an artist. All artists do not create the same art, but they all convey and evoke emotions and messages through their work. Through this program, I have attained new skills in appreciating art. My previous experience in looking at art was simply that – looking. There are so many things to consider and ponder. So many things to see. This class also showed me how images and art can be easily integrated into our current Florida Standards. Art can be considered text and can support the text, providing rigor and depth.

At the beginning of my reflection journal I copied down a quote, “Only a dead fish goes with the flow.” How fitting that I look at it now at the end of this class and feel amused. Do we, as teachers, teach our students to be dead fish? Certainly not! My goal is to create dreamers, thinkers, and doers. Even my class website is the “Imagination Café”. So I have learned to be a risk-taker. I have used several activities that I have learned in this class with my students. Each and every activity has proven worthwhile with student engagement at a solid 100% whenever we incorporate art, creativity, music and poetry. This past week, we began reading a new novel, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, by Kate DiCamillo. The illustrator, Bagram Ibatoulline, created beautiful art to accompany this great tale. I found some of the art in color and projected it for students to view. Immediately, they were drawn to it. Without prompting, they made connections. They noticed colors and how they made them feel. They even changed their point of view from the emotions they felt when reading, to a new emotion they felt when looking at the picture. They noticed details that were mentioned in the story. I sat back and realized that they have learned to appreciate art and I am excited for all they will imagine, think and do.

The Art of Reflection and Response Institute has not only been a journey, but it has been therapy for my soul. It has inspired me to be a better teacher. I looked forward to each and every meeting and enjoyed every activity we did. I have never attended any other professional development workshop that has had as much impact on me both personally and professionally. I am truly honored and very grateful that I was able to take part.

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Laura Matthews - Teacher Lesson/Activity: Using Art To Teach Others About Issues 3rd Grade, English Language Arts and Social Studies This week-long lesson took root with the essential question, “What can art teach us about civil rights?” and followed the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday. The goal included reading and learning about the life and message of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The lesson incorporated written text, music, quotes and visual art. After students discovered the many ways art was used, they were able to apply this new understanding to create their own art in order to teach others about an issue close to their own hearts.

We began with the quote, “Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend,” by ML King, Jr., asking students to write in their journals about what they thought this quote meant. After sharing ideas, students were then whisked back in time as we listened to the Freedom Song by Pete Seeger titled, “We Shall Overcome.” As students listened, a stream of photos from the civil rights era were displayed. The buy-in was successful, and students shared their thoughts, feelings, and emotions as they saw pictures of signs over water fountains and public buildings denoting “whites only”, and black men marching and holding signs reading “I am a man”. They quickly recalled Rosa Parks and Ruby Bridges and their struggles, making connections to other texts. They even made immediate connections to our world today. Students listened to another Freedom Song, “We Shall Not Be Moved,” by Mavis Staples. It was then, after giving them this emotional connection, that we read our text about the life of Martin Luther King, Jr. Later, students listened intently as we watched the “I Have A Dream,” speech in its entirety.

Next, we examined visual art. A painting by Normal Rockwell called, “New Kids in the Neighborhood (Negro in the Suburbs),” dated 1967, depicts a pair of black children next to a moving van and a group of white children staring back at them. Students were invited to examine the message and the emotion the artist was trying to convey. Students debated over who was moving in and what the kids thought of each other. They noticed their clothes, expressions, and what they were holding. They were asked to provide text evidence for every claim. They quickly noticed the date and we talked about the sequence of events including the signing of the Civil Rights Act. It was still while MLK, Jr. was still alive they noted. A second painting was shown by Benny Andrews called, “Witness (detail),” dated 1968. The painting is a close up of only the eyes and forehead of a man. This painting brought about so much discussion it was difficult to keep track of it all. They noted colors, warm and cooler tones. They saw the emotion in the eyes and contemplated the title and date. Was he a witness to MLK, Jr.’s murder? Was that a gunshot wound on his forehead? Are those tears streaming down his face? Is this a portrait of MLK, Jr. himself? Is it referring to all that he witnessed? Again, they were drawn in. More importantly, they had fully connected and comprehended the text.

The culminating activity was an invitation for students to think of an issue in our world today that is important to them and use art to teach others about their issue. Issues were varied, from topics like world hunger, homelessness, animal cruelty, pollution, global warming, bullying, contemporary slavery and racial tension. One student even pulled in politics. Students were given freedom to choose from various media including paint, oil pastels, crayons, colored pencil, water color, magazines, and any embellishments. Once completed, students wrote about their art in their journals and then presented to the class. Students were able to give feedback to their peers about the representations and interpretations of their art.

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Laura Matthews - Teacher Using Art To Teach Others About Issues continued What I learned about using art was that it brought about a far deeper and emotional connection to a period in history that students typically have a difficult time relating to. It provided non-traditional text to make connections, view cause and effects, and examine different points of view. Students were highly engaged and learned far more about the era than they would have from reading written text alone. They were able to apply it to the world they live in making the learning authentic.

No Litter In The Ocean by Raahi Raol, Grade 3, Teacher - Laura Matthews

Global Issues by Johnathan Collins, Grade 3, Teacher - Laura Matthews

Stay Strong by Simone Stephenson, Grade 3, Teacher - Laura Matthews

Little Girl by Sophia Santos, Grade 3, Teacher - Laura Matthews

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Laura Matthews - Teacher Lesson/Activity: Fictional or Channeled Maps, Gifted Grade 3 I absolutely love maps and have always been fascinated by them, so I was thrilled when Personal Geographies: Explorations in Mixed-Media Mapmaking, by Jill K. Berry, was my random gift book that “chose” me from the institute.

I found an activity that tied in very well with another activity that I was already doing. My class had a home project for which they had to write a creative story about a peculiar house. This project is completed by all classes in our gifted department, so each class had a theme. Our theme was “Castles.” They had to build a model of their castle to represent the details and event of their story.

It just so happened we had also been learning about the elements of maps in social studies, so I used the activity in the book called, “Fictional or Channeled Maps.” I showed students various fantasy maps found in books, such as the map of “Pooh Corner” found in many Winnie-the-Pooh story books. We also found maps in other fantasy books such as Percy Jackson and Harry Potter. I researched and found that there are instructional websites for making fantasy maps and I shared ideas with students for drawing symbols for forests, roads, paths, water, and so on. Students then displayed their castles around the room and used black drawing pencils to create fictional maps. They had to include the elements of a map, and all castles had to appear on the map. The final touch was using brewed tea to sponge paint the maps to give them an old map appeal. They turned out fantastic and all students were completely immersed and engaged in this activity.

Castle Map

by Johnathan Collins, Grade 3, Teacher - Laura Matthews

Personal Creativity Mind Map

By Laura Matthews 33

Kaitlin Peterson Grades 7 and 8, Language Arts and Creative Writing ▪ Southwestern Middle School

On the first day of our PD, I came across a quote that made an extreme impression on me: “Art should comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable”- Cesar A. Cruz At first, as a lover of words, I was impressed by the quotes duality. I imagined the art the speaker referred to was what one typically thinks of by the word “art”; painting, music, poetry, or sculpture. All those things which I love, but rarely attempt myself. But as I let the words sink in, and continued to work with my fellow teachers at the institute…I realized that good teaching is an art form. And great teaching comforts those students who need a smiling face, or compassionate listening ear. Great teaching pushes those students that have become complacent in their own academic achievements, or introduces them to new concepts that create emotional and intellectual growth. In its essence, teaching should comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable. That is why this quote, and the work I have done at the museum helped me to grow my artistry. I may not paint masterpieces, but I’m working on the sculpting of young minds.

Overall, the Art of Reflection and Response Teacher Institute for me was like a hot shower that washed away all of the dirt and grime that had built up on my teaching soul. I emerged from the steaming cleanse refreshed and wiped the fogged mirror clean in order to take a true look at who I am as an educator, and person. I would take this PD onethousand more times if offered, and I am truly grateful for the experience so early on in my teaching career.

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Kaitlin Peterson - Teacher Lesson/Activity: How this PD gave me the courage to lie to my students… Language Arts Grades 7 and 8 It was a challenge to simply pick one lesson that was either entirely plagiarized or heavily influenced from my time with Pam at the museum this year. Alas, I thought I should share the one that I would not have had the guts to do prior to this PD. In November my media specialist, Kelly Pait-Sanders, came to me because she had an idea for a lesson to use for her observation and she wanted to know if my classes could participate. I immediately agreed, and what started as “I want to show your kids the value of the media center” turned into “let’s make sure we send out an e-mail so all the teachers are aware of the lie”. Let me explain…

Lesson Concept: My students are studying argumentative/persuasive writing techniques and Aristotle’s Modes of Persuasion. Mrs. Pait-Sanders and I have my students enter the media center which has moving boxes strewn about, caution tape lining the bookshelves, and signs saying “ship to Deland Middle on December 19th”. Mrs. Pait-Sanders then takes students through a Nearpod interactive presentation where she lets them know the very bad news: our media center is going to be turned into a parking lot. Initially, there is doubt among the 7th and 8th graders as they whisper and claim it can’t be true…

The Details: The Nearpod included sample blueprints for the new parking lot, as well as a fake letter from the State of Florida explaining that media funding was no longer available and our school needed more parking. It also asked for students to poll when and how they had ever used the media center. Next, students were asked to sign a petition to save (or not to save) the media center through google forms and detail their argument in a short essay. Mrs. PaitSanders and I also had to exercise our acting chops and seem both upset and angry at this reality to keep the students from seeing past our ruse. Before this presentation to students, we cleared the entire idea and event with administration, who were extremely supportive and had our backs. We also e-mailed all the teachers in the entire school and told them to keep up the charade for a little while. We told my students their words and responses would be sent to the Florida senate in the hopes that they would listen to their words, since they hadn’t listened to the faculty and staffs objections. We asked them to argue whatever side they agreed with, even if it meant they wanted a parking lot. Following the writing, students illustrated campaign posters arguing their point. These posters had to use a visual representation, a compelling call to action, and specific factual evidence; employing all three of Aristotle’s ethos, pathos, and logos.

The result: Out of 120 student, not one asked “is this a grade” when they were writing their short essay and signing the petition through google forms or creating their persuasive media posters.

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Kaitlin Peterson - Teacher How this PD gave me the courage to lie to my students continued Two students argued for the parking lot, every other student emotionally and compellingly argued to save their media center citing equal access to books and resources for all. One student wrote that their parents didn’t have the money for books, and the school library was a place they could always go to check them out. Others explained that the technology in the media center, had helped them when they needed to complete research and other projects for school.

Overall, their writing was real and raw and more than just a check mark in an assignment box. These kids felt as though their words could, and should, enact change. We talk a lot about the power of words in my classroom, but this assignment illustrated this point clearer than I could have ever explained. Even those students who had never used the media center personally saw its necessity for others, showing empathy and understanding beyond themselves (a monumental accomplishment for 13 year-olds). Three days after they wrote to the State Senate, our principal announced that their writing and words had saved our media center and they jumped for joy and rejoiced…although some questioned the timing and convenience.

The day before winter break Mrs. Pait-Sanders and I came clean with the students about the fiction we had created regarding the fate of our media center. Initially, they were upset we had lied to them, but the candy we passed out while simultaneously fessing up helped. I asked them if they thought they would have cared or written the same way if I had said “pretend the media center might be closed and argue to keep it”…they admittedly said they wouldn’t have cared as much or written in the same way. They understood our fib was for good and are excited to help me “come up with the new scheme” for next year’s students because the media center rumor spread too far to be used again so soon. It also helped lead into a discussion with my students about satire and how authors create fictions to comment on real life events. While Jonathan Swift may have used infant cannibalism to comment on England’s economic tyranny over the Irish people, my colleague and I used a parking lot to comment on the importance of a media center in our schools and the sad fact that they are often closed to students for months at a time due to testing. Thank you, Art of Reflection and Response, for giving me the courage to do that.

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Kaitlin Peterson - Teacher How this PD gave me the courage to lie to my students continued

Trinity Loeffler, Grade 8, Teacher - Kaitlin Peterson

Max Kemper, Grade 8, Teacher - Kaitlin Peterson

Kai Vedder, Grade 7, Teacher - Kaitlin Peterson

Hayden Tyler, Grade 7, Teacher - Kaitlin Peterson

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Dr. Rajni Shankar-Brown, Ph.D. Associate Professor, Director of Education Graduate Programs and the Jessie Ball duPont Chair of Social Justice Education ▪ Stetson University Creating Ripples: Art of Reflection and Response Teacher Institute Being able to partake in the Museum of Art-DeLand’s 2016-2017 Art of Reflection and Response Teacher Institute has been a priceless gift. I am honored to have been invited to participate in this amazing program as a teacher-scholar in residence. The Institute provided inspiration, information, tools and a supportive environment to positively impact teaching and learning. The Institute promoted creativity in education, which is momentously needed in society. I am forever grateful for this transformative experience and the countless ripples it has created. Heartfelt thanks to Pam Coffman for enthusiastically sharing her talents with the larger community and for passionately envisioning, developing and facilitating this outstanding Institute; not to mention ensuring that we had hot coffee at 8:30 a.m. and throughout our Saturday gatherings. Furthermore, the generous financial support toward the Institute provided by the family of Dr. Evans C. Johnson is profoundly appreciated.

Embarking on this yearlong professional development offered multiple opportunities to authentically reflect, learn, connect, grow and replenish. Being able to pause or retreat from the daily hustle and bustle of life was not only enjoyable but also revitalizing, offering intentional space and time for self-care. And as Parker Palmer explains in The Courage to Teach: Exploring the Inner Landscape of a Teacher’s Life (2007), “Self-care is never a selfish act - it is simply good stewardship of the only gift I have, the gift I was put on earth to offer others. Anytime we can listen to true self and give the care it requires, we do it not only for ourselves, but for the many others whose lives we touch.”

Our discussions encouraged critical inquiry and I continually found that our beloved community, as a group of dedicated educators sharing and learning together, awakened restorative healing and valuable motivation. As a teacherscholar dedicated to preparing highly competent teachers and educational leaders, being able to build close relationships with practicing educators and collaborate was tremendously beneficial. The Institute included educators across content areas and grade levels, which made this learning experience even more invigorating and impactful. Both skillfully and with tireless enthusiasm, Pam Coffman and Suzi Preston guided us through a variety of creative activities, including visual poetry, impromptu collage, meditative journaling, and imaginative writing as a compositional response to the museum’s diverse art pieces.

Having the Art of Reflection and Response Teacher Institute take place at the Museum of Art-DeLand was truly magical.

To be able to think, reflect, respond, create, and grow inside such an inspired space was both transformative and liberating. Sharing a space with brilliant artists (Philip Smallwood’s mesmerizing watercolor lifescapes; Carole Feuerman’s life-sized bathing beauties; Miles Batt’s rebelling landscapes nesting cardinal-colored round tabs found on the back of interoffice envelopes; Ernest Trova’s industrial-looking and space-inspired ‘falling man’ sculptures polished to a perfect shine; and many, many more) was totally and utterly inspiring. Actually, “totally and utterly inspiring” is a severe understatement. The truth is that I cannot begin to describe the magic that organically unfolded inside of the museum, along with the profound, rippling impact of the art itself.

I left every session nourished, invigorated and appreciative. The Institute afforded precious opportunities to renew my professional sense of purpose, restore personal clarity, and practice reflective techniques to refine my curriculum and instructional practices. It was delightful to tangibly see and feel growth, individually and collectively as a community of teachers and learners. It was humbling and exciting to also be invited to share my expertise as a social justice education teacher-scholar and to educate, uplift, and empower fellow teachers. The Institute has visibly created ripples, the effects of which are transformative and far-reaching.

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Dr. Rajni Shankar- Brown, Ph. D. I walk away from this experience with not only an arsenal of resources and enhanced understanding of arts education, but also with a deeper awareness and fuller understanding of myself – as an educator, mother, artist, scholar, activist, dreamer and human being. One of the featured artists at the museum whose work we had the joy of engaging with during the Institute was Natvar Bhavsar. After significant reflection on the Institute and my journey as one of the 2016 -2017 participants, I keep returning to Bhavsar’s powerful exhibition “The Dimension of Color” and the remarkable technique he employed to create his luminous color field paintings. Simply and yet complexly put, the collection of paintings in this exhibit beautifully and symbolically capture the essence of my experience participating in the Institute. Bhavsar sifted, scattered, sprinkled and built up stained dry pigments over shifting dimensions -- paving the pathway for exciting expeditions, creating a colorful kaleidoscope with which to view the world, and evoking nirvana. Similarly, as a participant in the yearlong Art of Reflection and Response Teacher Institute, I sifted, scattered, sprinkled and built up; not stained dry pigments, but rather, stained versions of myself over shifting dimensions – stained versions of teaching over shifting dimensions – a powerful amalgamation paving the pathway for exciting expeditions, creating a colorful kaleidoscope with which to view the world, and evoking nirvana. Using reflection and response as our tools, we sculpted and re-sculpted ourselves and education over the past year.

I absolutely loved being a part of the Institute, a priceless gift indeed. All that was gained is already proving to have a glorious and lasting ripple effect. And let us not forget that ripples are the voices of tides. Art, in all its shapes and forms, can be a powerful vehicle for education and for social change dedicated to bending the arc toward justice. I look forward to continued, meaningful collaborations with the Museum of Art-DeLand, specifically through the Art of Reflection and Response Teacher Institute. After completing this yearlong journey, I am creatively empowered and grounded even deeper in the art of reflection; I am enlightened and energized by the limitless possibilities awaiting just ahead; and above all, I am filled with immense gratitude.

Awaken by Rajni Shankar-Brown, ink on paper

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Dr. Rajni Shankar- Brown, Ph. D. Reflecting on and Responding to Ernest Trova’s ‘Falling Man’ Series.

Calling (Hu) Man

By Rajni Shankar-Brown The question is not why.

Why is he falling?

The question is not who.

Who is falling?

The question is not will.

Will I fall too?

Resist. Reflect. Rechannel. Reformulate. Realize. Reawaken. Rebuild.

The question is what.

What will we do?

To catch each other Lift each other Carry each other Stand by each other Heal and replenish one another Eradicate seething hatred Exhaust festering divisiveness What?

What will we do?

To bend the arc toward justice With grace and love.

What?

The question is how.

How will we rise?

Collectively How will we restore each other?

How will we preserve and share our personal treasures?

How will we birth sunlight in relentless shadows?

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Dr. Rajni Shankar- Brown, Ph. D. Calling (Hu) Man continued How will we repair or reinvent broken systems that persist?

How will we transform oppression into liberation?

How? How will we intentionally create a more equitable world?

How will we advocate for education?

How will we protect and nurture our children?

What and How?

Reflecting on: Falling Man. Responding with: Calling (Hu)Man. Recognizing our shared humanity Rising As we catch and lift each other up Illuminating light from a multitude of angles Like Trova’s judiciously assembled and polished sculptures CALLING (HU)MAN.

Grow Love Romila Sitara Shankar Brown, Age 6 in response to Trova’s “Falling Man” Series

Diversity In Motion Valen Siddhartha Shankar Brown, age 13 in response to Trova’s “Falling Man” Series

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Christina Sills Grade 2 â–Ş Forest Lake Elementary School As a teacher sometimes you wonder am I doing the right thing? Am I impacting my students? I can honestly say after this class the answer is yes. I have always been a creative person, but was afraid to fully embrace it in my classroom.

However, after my creative boot camp and the wonderful colleagues in this class with me, I felt rejuvenated as a professional.

This class provided me with the knowledge to instruct students on using their cognitive skills to reflect verbally and using visuals in literacy and in cross-curricular approach. I was able to take the creative outlet and add it to our everyday life. I have been able to take the modules and lessons and add a creative spin on things. From looking at photography, analyzing songs, visualizing poetry and so much more.

I personally grew so much as a teacher this year. Out of this class I improved my Growth Mindset, the engagement of my scholars, personal reflections as well as student reflection. I can not wait until I take another year and grow as an educator and give my students that culture of learning through the arts.

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Christina Sills - Teacher Lesson/Activity: Diary of an Immigrant Grade 2 Social Studies English Language Arts Objective: The students will create a diary about the trip of an Immigrant coming from their home country to America.

I want the students to be able to provide the thoughts, feelings and actions of their adventure to America. I also wanted the students to create a quilt piece that shared a tradition that was brought to America from their family as some of my own students are Immigrants.

Activity: We started the project by discussing family traditions and how it connects with the culture of their family.

Students took a plain paper and drew a picture of the tradition before sharing it with the class. On the back of, the students decorated it as if it is a quilt. These pieces were tied together to create a tradition quilt.

I then showed different photographs of immigrant children from 1892 to 1954. Wanting my students to connect and relate to these children. I also showed pictures of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. We also read Anca’s Journey, so they could gain background knowledge on what it was like for an immigrant child. My students then picked out from a pile of pictures one that they wanted to use to represent their character. Some students also chose to find their own picture.

Throughout the next two weeks, the students went through the writing process to create their diary piece. They wrote an intro that includes the character's name, the country they came from and the appropriate city in America that they landed. Such as Ireland, going to the Boston Harbor, China going to Angel Island in San Francisco and Europe coming to Ellis Island.

The body of the paragraph included, why they left their home country and how they felt about leaving. An event that happened during the trip, as well as how, did their character react when they reached America.

Lastly they conclude their paragraph with their final thoughts now that they are in America. Adding an illustration for their writing.

My students loved this project so much and so many creative writing pieces came from this. Two of my young ladies asked for a book as they wanted to take their work of art and go farther with it. I was so impressed to see the challenge of writing to become a fun exciting two weeks of writing.

Liberty Johnson, Grade 2 Teacher - Christina Sills

Alexandra NuĂąez, Grade 2 Teacher - Christina Sills 43

Christina Sills - Teacher Diary of an Immigrant continued

Jared Carter, Aiden DeGraff, Damian Dorsey, Isaiah Fogle, Liberty Johnson, Alexandra NuĂąez, Danika Romero, Grade 2, Family Traditions Quilt Project Teacher - Christina Sills

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Christina Stills - Teacher Conversation based on the painting, Hopeful by Philip Smallwood

by Christina Sills Boy: Afternoon sir, are you hungry?

Man: Don’t worry son, I’ll be alright.

Boy: Are you sure? My mommy will fix me another when I get home.

Man: I’m sure, I’ll get something this evening.

Hopeful by Philip Smallwood Boy: My friend doesn’t want to play with me anymore.

He said I cheated, but I didn’t.

Man: There is always tomorrow sometimes you just need to cool down.

Don’t let the past keep you from the future.

Boy: Really? Good ‘cus I was worried that Mathias wouldn’t want to play with me anymore. We never fought like that before.

Man: I’ve been there, things may seem dark but there is always a light. Learn from your experiences. I always say when skies are gray keep walking because it was meant that way.

Boy: Like right now?

Man: Yes, son, fate told you to say hello. That doesn’t happen much with me anymore.

Boy: Why is that?

Man: Because not everyone is ready for my wisdom. The special few take time to learn from one another.

Boy: Well I am really glad fate told me to talk to you. Thank you.

Man: So am I, and make sure you tell your mother that this is a real good sandwich.

Boy: Oh I will! She makes the best peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Are you here everyday?

Man: Most days; I like to watch the people around me. See how they flow and pass. See that young woman over there.

She comes here same time, every day, to walk her dog. People have a routine and it’s hard to break.

Boy: Oh like how mom makes me brush my teeth every morning. Even though I already know how to.

Man: Exactly, the routine of life. However, don’t forget in that routine there are people all around you going through the same flow. You never know when a small gesture can bring a lot of happiness.

Boy: I won’t, I better go. I’ll be late for rehearsal. I hope to see you tomorrow. I’ll ask mom to pack an extra sandwich.

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Khorletta Sutton-Cressor Grades 7 and 8, Reading â–Ş Deltona Middle School Participating in the Institute has benefited me a lot, both personally and professionally. The reason for this is as follows. Personally it gave me the strength and motivation I needed to venture out and not only imagine, but to create work based off of other pieces of work that I have seen as well as to create my own works of art, and make changes along the way. It also gave me the opportunity to plan a painting with a twist session at school. At this point, I have written the plan and priced everything, but I have not actually put it in place yet. Professionally I have had the opportunity to implement some of the ideas we have done in the Institute in the classroom with great success, where students were learning and enjoying the information at the same time.

Participating has increased my skills by encouraging me to learn more about creativity and research more ways to implement it within my lesson plans, classrooms and my family life. Since taking this journey, I have been going to more museums, seeing more art exhibits and attending more festivals that surround the arts.

I believe that this new found knowledge is very important to my teaching practice. This gives me more tools in the tool box that aid students in connecting to their work. Especially being a reading teacher, I see that most students have somehow lost their imaginative spirits. So giving them a moment or two to add this back to their tool box is a great key to understanding the information at hand.

I am planning on signing up for a second year of the Art of Reflection and Response Teacher Institute, as well as other classes that may be available to expand my art knowledge, which allows me to add other activates to my repertoire. I am also considering writing a grant next year to show how important arts are in reading as well. And of course with everything Research, try, try again and work.

This has been a great opportunity for more than just art teachers because it aids in fine tuning students’ collaborative and cross curricula skills and knowledge.

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Khorletta Sutton-Cressor - Teacher Lesson/Activity: Writing Inspired by Visual Art Grade 8 Reading The project for this unit has three parts: a written piece art project an oral presentation Written Piece Due: Students will create a presentation that pairs visual art with writing. Students need to select the work of an artist whom they admire. Next, create an original work inspired by the artist they have chosen. Follow the rubric attached to obtain the most points.

Choose artwork: Choose a famous artist’s painting, sculpture, ext. to inspire you.

Create an original written project: a poem, short story, or essay that is related in some way to the selected artwork.

Artwork Due: Students will create a presentation that pairs visual art with writing. Students need to select the work of a famous author whom they admire. Next, create an original work inspired by the author they have chosen. Follow the rubric attached to obtain the most points.

Choose written piece: Choose a famous author’s poem, novel, short story to inspire you.

Create an original art piece: a drawing, painting, or sculpture that is related in some way to the selected written piece.

Presentation Due: For the oral presentation, students will explain the rationale for their author and artist selection, describing how the work inspires them and what they choose to create based on the inspiration.

Reflection: For this Lesson plan, and the lesson for that matter, came out very well. Some of the students went way above and beyond what I thought they would have done, of course comparing to other work they had done in the class. But since they were given just a few opportunities and the rest was up to them they came through with shining colors. This would be a lesson plan I would do again, just to be able to see the student’s inspiration and artistic abilities.

Student Works Teacher - Khorletta Sutton-Cressor

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Khorletta Sutton-Cressor - Teacher “Who Am I”

by Khorletta Sutton-Cressor I am me that is who I am I am my best work of art As I sit and chisel away at my physique I am still me I smile as I walk with a grace and determination I speak as I think Which maybe I shouldn’t, By yet again That is me, Who am I? You may ask as I stroll past I am me who you see As transparent as can be.

But don’t let the smile and shyness fool you.

I am me.

Artworks by Khorletta Sutton-Cressor

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Catie Tappan Grades K - 5, Art ▪ Chisholm Elementary School The Art of Reflection and Response Teacher Institute has greatly benefited my life this past year, both professionally and personally. During our time together we didn't just learn about new teaching strategies, but we participated in them, shared our work, and discussed ways to use them in our own classes. Being able to see these lessons in "real time" and work out any issues made classroom delivery a breeze. We were given time to explore the ever-changing and varied exhibits, something I regrettably, never seem to have time for. These were inspirations to draw from when we were given creative assignments and when I found time to get back to my own art. Professionally, I have witnessed an increase in students’ abilities to discuss and share opinions about the art we learning about and the art we are creating. Teaching students to critique art with thought and care can be intimidating. Getting them to write is even worse!

Lessons like Find a Poem and Descriptions/Interpretations eased us into the process of using context clues to investigate the art and use their student voice to share their thoughts. It was magical to witness. Personally, I have been inspired to take time for myself and my art more so than any other time during my career in Volusia County. I have created 4 pieces and have 2 more in the works! It's been refreshing to get back to myself.

Unlike many of the workshops offered to teachers, this one was built on a foundation of the Visual Arts. Creativity, not math, science or grammar rules, was the star of the show here. I loved working with social studies, history, general ed., reading coaches and gifted teachers in an area I was very comfortable with. It gave me insight into what goes on outside the Art Room and allowed me to hone my skills in visual literacy. As an Art Educator I have always maintained the importance of creativity in all aspects of a student's education and the ease of using the arts in all subject matters. I continually offer my creative skills to teachers at my school as a means of delivering information in a more interesting manner. Verbal Literacy was an area I was lacking in my classroom and the writing exercises we did increased my confidence in tackling writing assignments. We were given examples and time to work on them from the student perspective, giving me a deeper understanding of the delivery and effectiveness.

The impact of this new learning has been monumental for my practice and for student growth and comprehension.

According to a study in the New York Times, the average adult spends only 15-30 seconds looking at a single art work.

My students spend even less! These lessons have pushed me to create lessons that get my students to actually explore every minute detail, look for every use of the Elements and Principals of Art, imagine every possible storyline. We are now spending at least 5 minutes looking at one artwork, only because I give them a time limit! This has also helped them rethink their own images and reasons behind the choices they make in their own work. We are implementing our Art vocabulary more often, giving students a deeper understanding of those words and their use. I love when I hear a student use a new term with confidence or point out its application in other subject areas!

For future lessons, I plan to continue using these writing assignments to further push my students understanding, interpretation and appreciation for art. Many of these can be done in collaboration with collogues throughout the county or between grade levels. I hope to develop lessons that will assist students in assessing their own portfolio of work, especially as an end of quarter wrap up. Many of the exercises we did to inspire art-making have yet to be used in my classes, but I am already anxious to start the next grading period and explore with my young artists!

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Catie Tappan - Teacher Finally, I want to express my gratitude to the Museum of Art Deland and Betty Drees Johnson for sponsoring this inspirational institute. And to Pam Coffman and Suzi Preston, for challenging us to push ourselves and our students further in our learning. It has been one of the most stimulating and exciting classes I've taken since my Masters program! The dedication by everyone, classmates especially, was inspiring. This course has nurtured my neglected right brain (creativity) and allowed me to rediscover my passions and creative force. It truly was an emotional and life changing journey. I hope to continue in future courses and highly recommend this course to fellow teachers who feel stuck or uninspired! Thank you!

Lesson/Activity: Find A Poem Grades 3 - 5 Art Objective: One of the many challenges faced in Art class is getting students to really observe a work of art, whether it's their own, a classmates or a famous artist. I have observed that even my most engaged students will only spend few seconds looking at an artwork and make minimal observations. The objective for this lesson is to increase not only the time spent observing an artwork, but also increase vocabulary and stimulate conversation about the content.

Prepare for this lesson by selecting 6-8 works of art that will engage the students (depending on their age/knowledge).

Have paper and pencils ready with a poster placed at each table. When students arrive, instruct them to look around the room for 2-3 minutes before selecting an artwork that they find the most interesting. Once they have made their selection, direct them to write down as many words or phrases as they can about the image. Encourage them to use the Principal and Elements of art, describing words (adjectives), action words (verbs), and the feelings the image evokes (frightening, exciting, gloomy, joyful, etc.). Tell them they have 5 minutes to do this without talking to others. If need be, encourage a little competition between students (writing down the most words, etc.). Once the 5 minutes are up, give students 5 more minutes to discuss with their table the words they wrote down, the observations they made and to ask each other questions about the content/message/story. At this time, they may add to their list of words.

Once the discussion time is over, review different types of poems with the class, using PowerPoint or handouts. For example, we learned about Haiku, Acrostic and "free flowing" poetry. Depending on time and skill level, encourage students to write one poem in each style using the words from their observation and share time. At the end of class, share their poems while classmates observe the work they wrote about. Display student poems and coordinating art on campus or local library. This lesson may be used to focus on one artist in particular, to observe their own art to wrap up a lesson, and to critique others in a safe and kind manner.

Reflection: Students were more willing to share the observations they made and compare with each other the similarities and differences. Studies have shown that people tend to spend just a few seconds observing a work of art. This forced my students to look closer, finding areas of interest they may have passed before or make inferences as to what was happening in the picture. Titles helped with context clues and we had some very in depth conversations!

I learned that my students can really get into art history! I learned that I could successfully lead a lesson in the subject of language arts, which was intimidating for me. We all learned that you can express yourself in other forms of art like poetry as well. I was really impressed by the students poems and even more so when they asked about the artist or art work. They had become invested in the piece and now had a connection to it.

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Catie Tappan - Teacher Find A Poem Student Works

Still The day is still There’s only walls, doors And a mother and child What’s the child doing?

Giving the pot to the mother There’s a wall Do they live in the city?

Are they poor?

They must be, The house is dull There’s a chair There’s a pillow on it Is the chair rough?

Maybe we will never know After all, everything is so….

Still.

-Emma Corr, Grade Inspired by The Pantry by Peiter de Hooch

Two cats three cats, wonderful cats Yellow cats blue cats primary color cats Two tails three tails -Lily Redding, Grade 4 Inspired by Two Cats by Fran Marc

There were three cats They were yellow, blue, and red They look very weird It makes you feel happy and excited The cats were twisted and turning They slept outside a house just up the hill One curled up under the blanket They are a one of a kind in all ways -Garret Beltz, Grade 4 Inspired by Two Cats by Fran Marc

Smooth flowing sky Outside the lovely trees Outside is quiet as can be Trees here and there and everywhere Houses big and small In the sky, big moon Nicely beautiful that moon is Growing trees are planted in the fields -Peyton Ramsey, Grade 4 Inspired by The Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh

Frightened by the storm Lightening from the sky Dark colors and green grass -Kaiden Lister, Grade 4 Inspired by Horse Frightened by the Storm by Eugene Delacroix

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Catie Tappan - Teacher Find A Poem continued Teacher Reflection on Find A Poem Lesson One of the projects we explored during the Art of Reflection and Response was a method to observe and discuss works of art. It's called Find a Poem and uses observations skills, context clues and vocabulary. Students first have 5 minutes to write down as many words or short phrases describing what they see in the art; objects, colors, etc. They can also write down how the work makes them feel or how the subjects make them feel. When time is up, students must rearrange the words into a form of a poem. They can create a haiku, a rhyming or free flow poem or an acrostic poem.

Once they were done, the poems were displayed alongside the art on our schools gallery wall.

Impact I immediately observed that students were less resistant to participating in a critique activity. They liked being able to choose the art they were going to write about and having a choice in the poetry format. Students were even willing to share the observations they made and compare with each other the similarities and differences. Studies have shown that people tend to spend just a few seconds observing a work of art. This forced my students to look closer, finding areas of interest they may have passed before or make inferences as to what was happening in the picture. Titles helped with context clues and we had some very in depth conversations!

Personal Learning I learned that my students can really get into art history and that I could successfully lead a lesson in the subject of language arts, which was intimidating for me. We all learned that you can express yourself in other forms of art like poetry. I was really impressed by the students poems and even more so when they asked about the artist or art work. They had become invested in the piece and now had a connection to it. I plan to use this lesson again, but with student made art instead.

James Klopp, Grade 3, Teacher - Catie Tappan Lincoln Holl, Grade 4, Teacher - Catie Tappan

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Catie Tappan - Teacher

Nature’s Course by Catie Tappan, Acrylic and beading

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Marcy Weaver Grades K - 5, Art â–Ş Timbercrest Elementary School This year I have grown so much through my participation in The Art of Reflection and Response Teacher Institute. To be honest, I was a little apprehensive to take the course because I was worried it would be a waste of precious time (since the commitment was a year -long!) and I would walk away with only having a few beneficial teaching tips that would fit into my classroom. Little did I know this course would not only help me incorporate wonderful new activities into my Art room but also strengthen my view on trying new things and include more literature within my art assignments. I have also been empowered by this course to do more of my own art and the inspiration of other colleagues has had a huge impact on my way of teaching. I am very thankful that I took this course!

Being an Art teacher, I realize the importance of creativity and strive to incorporate literacy into the arts. But the difference this year is I have created lessons incorporating literacy and implemented them, rather than just being aware of visual literacy. Many demonstrations that were given during the institute opened my eyes to learning that simple activities on visual literacy can be done during my art classes that still are within our limited time constraints.

For example, responding to art when looking at a piece of artwork and writing a story on what students think that artist was dreaming about –is a simple assignment, yet encourages the students to really look at the piece of artwork.

Another thing that I have learned during my time at the Institute that has been very interesting to me as a teacher is allowing lots of time for students to reflect and share their pieces of artwork. They LOVE sharing and talking to their peers about their artwork!!!!! I have found this time being very powerful and I have learned a lot about my students through them sharing their feeling and beliefs on their assignments.

I feel with the help and knowledge I gained to teach and integrate visual literacy into the arts during my time at the Institute has given me the courage to take risks in my classroom and try new things such as: messier projects like collages and really looking deeper into artwork and writing about them.

This Institute would not be the same without the facilitator of this course. I give all of my thanks and have a true appreciation to Mrs. Pam Coffman! Without her this course would not be effective or beneficial to me! I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to learn from her and hope to continue to use these new teaching techniques that she taught me within my classes to come!

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Marcy Weaver - Teacher Lesson/Activity: Found Collage Grade 5 Art I had a fantastic opportunity to teach a lesson on an activity that we had done during our time at the Institute. Not only did I get to take part and have a sample to show for my students, my co-worker and I decided to invite OUR teacher, Pam Coffman, to come in a help teach the lesson to our fifth graders.

The lesson was on collage. With this particular project the fifth graders learned very quickly that time was short and creativity had to be their first instinct. With the help and guidelines given from my co-worker, Mrs. Coffman, and myself the students had about twenty minutes to look through dozens of magazine pictures and with their creativity on theme and color they were supposed to come up with a story. The students absolutely loved creating their story and were really into their own works of art. Afterwards, students were invited to share their collage with their peers and listen to others share their stories.

Breana Alonso, Grade 5, Teacher - Marcy Weaver

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Marcy Weaver - Teacher

Personal Creativity Mind Map by Marcy Weaver

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Judy Williamson Grades 11 and 12, U. S. History, AP Economics, AP American Government â–Ş Pine Ridge High School The Art of Reflection and Response Teacher Institute has benefited me personally and professionally. I no longer shy away from being creative in class and I encourage my students to engage their brains in new and creative ways. The results in class have been positive with my students being a bit more willing to think outside the box.

I feel like the activities we participate in during the workshop are easily integrated into the classroom. I teach US History and the visual literacy activities are so useful in getting students to see more and to see academically when looking at images such as political cartoons.

This institute was one I looked forward to attending and I never felt like I was actually giving up a Saturday to attend. I am looking forward to revamping my classroom and lesson plans next year to be able to integrate more of the activities we learned. I teach a subject that moves at a fast pace and there is little wiggle room with the content it’s nice to know that so many of the techniques we used can be integrated into my classroom with the documents and visuals we already use.

So many of the creative activities that were shared during the institute can be integrated into a unit mastery project.

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Judy Williamson - Teacher Lesson/Activity: Political Cartoons Grade 12 AP Government I gave my AP government students several political cartoons to analyze. Each image represented a different issue and the images reflected various opinions.

Students had to address the following: 1. What do you see? Literally what is in this cartoon, captions, title, labels, animals, people, and objects, what actions are taking place?

2. Now infer, what do those items listed above represent? What symbols are used to represent groups people and so on?

3. What is the message of the cartoon and explain how you know this. Is there bias present in this image? What interest groups would support or oppose the message of this cartoon?

4. What is your opinion of this cartoon? Do you agree or disagree? WHY? After the analysis activity students are asked to create their own political cartoon having to do with any subject within United States government. The cartoon needs to use one or more of the following techniques used by political cartoonists: Caricature Exaggeration Humor Stereotypes (caution needs to be used here) Students will then show and explain their images to the class.

Reflecting on the lesson, I will use this several times throughout the year but I will assign my students a topic to address such as, the government and the environment, the government and education, or I will pick a hot topic amendment such as the 1st or 2nd amendment and have them create a political cartoon based on that. My students really enjoyed the assignment after their initial groaning about having to draw. They even enjoyed showing the class what they created, which hardly ever happens.

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Judy Williamson - Teacher Political Cartoons continued

Udline Ariol, Grade 12, Teacher - Judy Williamson

Udline Ariol, Grade 12, Teacher - Judy Williamson

Genesis Murray, Grade 12, Teacher - Judy Williamson

Michael Cilwik , Grade 12, Teacher - Judy Williamson

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Judy Williamson - Teacher

I challenge you, to go outside and listen, listen to the trees listen as the wind rustles through the leaves listen to the birds as the emerge with the morning listen to the insects as they greet the warm dawn listen to the squirrels as the rise from their slumber Push aside your worries and your fears Go outside Just go outside and listen, listen to the trees.

- Judy Williamson

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Jean Zimmermann Grades 6 - 8, English Language Arts, General, Advanced and Gifted ▪ Campbell Middle School This course has been one of the most enjoyable professional development courses that I have ever taken. Not only did I grow as a teacher, but I grew as an individual and that alone improves my work with my students.

Previous to this course, I had only used written text in my Language Arts classes. Now I bring art work into the lessons asking students to find evidence in photos, paintings, drawings, sculpture in order to support their analysis of the works. The skill seems easier for them to learn through visual art than just written text – especially since I have many students who struggle with reading. Using the visual arts allows all my students equal access to the skills they need for the future. When students are ready, then I help them transfer their skills to written text which, again, makes the process easier for many of my students – especially my struggling readers. Because now instead of asking them to learn a new skill while struggling with the written word, they know they skill and their struggle is only with the written word which I have discovered eases some of their frustration with the work.

Is art the panacea for everything that’s not right for my students? Of course not, but art is an access point for them that makes their learning not only easier, but more enjoyable as well.

I believe all teachers would benefit from this course and I highly recommend it.

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Jean Zimmermann - Teacher Lesson/Activity: Eavesdropping Grade 6 English Language Arts The activity that I created in response to something that I learned in the Art of Reflection and Response Institute was an eavesdropping activity.

Eavesdropping is a strategy in which students are to close “read” a piece of art and imagine a conversation that occurs between two elements of the art work.

This quarter, my curriculum map for English Language Arts (6th grade) asks students to write a short play. Such an activity requires the use of dialogue between characters.

To inspire creativity and give students something to write about, I brought in a selection of pictures and photos of art as well as interesting magazine layouts. I instructed my students to select a picture that spoke to them and gave them “think-time” in which they were to imagine what a conversation between two of the elements would look and sound like.

Then I had the students write with the only stipulation being that each time a different character spoke they were to start on a new line of their notebook paper.

The second half of the lesson was for students to go back and learn to correctly punctuate the conversation.

This was engaging to students because they had choices available to them – the original picture selection, which elements to have the conversation and what the conversation consisted of. Even my students who don’t like to write found their pictures had a great deal to “say” to them.

This activity supported the summative task of play-writing and supported the standards about writing fiction and the elements of fiction.

Potatoes by Abigail Aponte, Grade 6 Top Potato: “So, where are we going?”

Left Potato: “Oh no! I hope I don’t end up in McDonalds!”

Bottom Potato: “Or Wendy's!”

Right Potato: “I’ve heard a rumor that we are going to go to Walmart.”

All Potatoes: “No! That’s even worse! Why?” Bottom Potato: “Too many people will wanna eat us!!!”

Left Potato: “Maybe we’ll get thrown away. . .”

Right Potato: “Guys, stop! Remember what happened to Charlie? He went to McDonalds! They burned him!”

Top Potato: “Whoa, calm down! (Sigh) “Let’s just see what happens. We have no control over it anyway.”

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Jean Zimmermann - Teacher Eavesdropping continued We Are Who We Are by Jordan Cowan, Grade 6 Chair 1: “Why are you staring at me?”

Chair 2: “Why do you think I’m staring at you?”

Chair 1: “Uhh . . . you’re eyes are frozen?”

Chair 2: (sighs) “I CAN’T MOVE!” Chair 1: “Ohhhh.”

Chair 2: “We’re just two lonely chairs who can’t do anything and I’m too pretty to be sitting here.”

Chair 1: “You are not! I’m the prettiest!”

Chair 2: “No, I am.”

(Both start bickering about who’s the prettiest) Table: “Will you two shut your chair mouths? I’m the prettiest here. I’m trying to sleep.”

Chair 2: “I wish we can move around. That would be an amazing life.”

Chair 1: “If I could move, “I’d be showing off my nice silver lets and go to a party.” (Sighs) (Chair 1 imagines his life with legs that can move. Starts dancing to “I’m Sexy and I Know it” pretending he’s at a party.)

Chair 2: “But we are who we are, ya know?”

Chair 1: “Yep, I guess we’ll just keep sitting here for the rest of our lives getting sat on and all that other gross stuff.”

Chair 2: “Yeah, but it is what it is.”

Chair 1: “True.”

(Silence for about 10 seconds.)

Chair 2: “I still think I’m prettier than you.”

(Chair 1 and 2 start bickering again.)

Table: Oh God, here we go again.” (Sighing)

Two Wolves and a Baby by Hanah Ellis, Grade 6 Dan: “This baby is so cute.”

Dana: “I know.”

Dan: (voice gets deeper) “And it looks juicy.”

Dana (voice deepens) “Yes it is.”

Dan: “It is supposed to turn into a wolf soon.”

Dana: “Well maybe we can get a little taste.”

Dan: “No, we can’t.” (Starts to drool) Dana: “Yes, we can.” (Drooling) Dan. “No, you want to have a baby?”

(Sucks up drool and holds baby. Goes back to normal.)

Dana: Yes, dear.” (Sucks up drool and rubs baby’s back.)

Dan: “I love you, child.”

Dana: “I love the child too.”

Dan and Dana: “We love everybody.”

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Jean Zimmermann - Teacher Eavesdropping continued Heading Home by Layla Long, Grade 6 Mother: “It’s time to go home.”

Youngest Child: “But I want to wait for Father.

He said he’d be here.”

Middle Child: “We can come back tomorrow.””

Oldest Child: “Mother, why doesn’t she understand?”

Youngest Child: “Understand what? Where is father?

Mother, why isn’t he here?”

Mother: “We’ll see him again.”

Youngest Child: “When? If you can’t tell me, I’ll wait as long as it takes.”

Oldest Child: “Just listen to Mother.”

Mother: “We may not see father today but he is in our hearts and as I choose to believe, one day we will see him again. In a place far away where it’s more beautiful than a meadow full of daisies and daffodils, more beautiful than the ocean your feet stand in. But for now, we honor your father for he has fought for and has been a hero for our country.”

Oldest Child: “Let’s go home and enjoy dinner in honor of our Father.”

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2016 - 17 Returning Teacher Participants Art of Reflection and Response Teacher Institute

Angela Costa - Volusia Pines Elementary Katherine Crane - Manatee Cove Elementary Beth Doran - Heritage Middle Samantha Hughes - New Smyrna Beach Middle Petra Ramirez - Deltona High Karen Richter - Southwestern Middle Darlene Stewart - Ivy Hawn Charter School of the Arts Rebecca Strunks - Forest Lake Elementary Dr. Shari Watkins, Ph. D. - Horizon Elementary

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Angela Costa Grades K - 5, Art ▪ Volusia Pines Elementary School Participating in the Art of Reflection and Response Teacher Institute for the third consecutive year has once again proven to be beneficial to my teaching experience.

To me, the most important content this year was about risk taking and living a creative life. Through Pam and Suzi’s well planned instruction, we were guided through lessons that encouraged our own risk taking thus enhancing our creativity. As a result, I was better prepared to try new things in the classroom when I believed it was ok to fail. Ultimately, something valuable always came from the venture to try new methods whether they were “successful” or not.

This theme is well aligned with our district’s emphasis on the Growth Mindset model which emphasizes having an open mind rather than a closed mind. Children must understand that trying something, despite repeated failure, is nothing to be feared. Rather it is instructive and usually leads to a solution or success.

The Art of Reflection and Response Teacher Institute is an entertaining and reassuring respite from the demands of teaching. It is a source of valuable insight and lesson sharing. Through its emphasis on the museum art it is uplifting.

Mostly, the Institute helps inspire me to be the best teacher I can be.

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Angela Costa - Teacher Lesson/Activity: Translating Art Grade 5 Art Students were combined into groups of three. One student was the artist and the other two were the describers. The artist drew a picture based on clues or descriptive words relayed by the describers as they looked at a painting in a book. The collection of books were generously given to Institute participants from the Irvine Museum in California.

One of the objectives was to encourage students to observe acutely. Once observed, details had to be relayed in the most clear and descriptive words to relay information precisely. Students had to guide the artist, clarifying as they went along. Together the group translated a painting.

The students were challenged by the lesson. Initially it took the groups a few minutes to get used to the process. At first, a few papers were discarded and tools were swapped before they got comfortable. I think using pencil made the project take longer than I expected because the teams wanted to get details “perfect� and used erasers a lot. The artists said the process was stressful for them but they also enjoyed the challenge. Some of the describers said they were bored waiting for the artist to complete each detail. I think overall it was an interesting and illuminating lesson.

Some of the conclusions were as follows: words and vocabulary are important, words are limiting, it is not always easy to see all of the details in front of you, we all see things differently, and collaboration can be fun. Finally, while students worked together to recreate an existing painting, the end product was something somewhat similar but also something entirely different and new.

Group I Artist: Angel Moorman Describers: Rylen Duval, Hayley Rizzuto and Bryan Monserrate Group II Artist: Akeelah Brown Describers: Aysia Brown, Davonte Mims

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Angela Costa - Teacher Translating Art continued Akeelah Brown, Grade 5, Teacher - Angela Costa

Papa Gontier Roses

by Paul de Longpre

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Angela Costa - Teacher Translating Art continued Angel Moorman, Grade 5, Teacher - Angela Costa

On the Beach by Donna Schuster 69

Katherine Crane Grade 4, Gifted ▪ Manatee Cove Elementary School

When I was asked to write about what I would say to a prospective participant of the Art of Reflection and Response Teacher Institute, I wrote “It’s the unicorn of professional development.” It’s true. It’s the interesting, creative, funny, inspiring, useful PD everyone’s heard about but never seen. I was sad when sick children kept me home one Saturday morning. I lingered at the last session. It’s my unicorn.

I think what makes the institute so impactful is that it truly makes you reevaluate your teaching- and not just the “what” of your teaching, but the “why.” Why am I teaching language arts this way? What can I do to make this more engaging for the kids? How can I get these kids, who are so used to working inside a prescribed box, to break free?

There are activities that we teachers completed during our sessions at the institute that I have implemented in my classroom, but I think what was most impactful is less tangible-my mindset changed. What was different for me in this second year of the institute was the definition of creativity. I really expanded my interpretation of creativity and how I can encourage it in my students. It isn’t just for the “artistic.” Creativity is problem solving. It’s science. In gifted teaching circles, we often speak about how the jobs our students will have don’t exist yet. The problems they’ll solve don’t exist yet, so the solutions don’t either. It’s our job to teach them to be creative problem solvers. Did I know this before attending the institute? Of course. Did the institute provide a booster shot? Yes. Did it reinvigorate me and what I want to do for my kids? Absolutely.

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Katherine Crane - Teacher Lesson/Activity: Interpreting poetry through Bearden inspired collage Grade 4 Language Arts Lesson Objective: To interpret student created poetry through Romare Bearden style collage The students will write a poem in the style of William Carlos Williams’ “The Red Wheelbarrow.” The students will think about what the poem means and what themes it invokes.

The students will research Romare Bearden and view several of his collages. The class will discuss the ways in which artists express points of view in their creations. Bearden used fragments of paper, fabric, photos, and drawings, as well as paint and inks to make his collages. After viewing and discussing Bearden’s works, the students will create a collage interpretation of their poem.

The students embraced this assignment. Initially, there was some silliness when creating their collages. Combining unlike images or creating faces out of several cut-outs was entertaining, but when I asked, “How does that interpret your poem?” the silliness stopped and the creative work began. I was really impressed with their work. Some students had difficulty filling the space, and wondered how to create a background without losing their focal point. Another student found his collage took such a turn from his poem that he asked if he could rewrite the poem. Other students ended up writing poems and creating collages with themes beyond their years- even if their analysis demonstrated their naïveté.

My initial intent was to do this collage project with Langston Hughes poetry for our study of the Harlem Renaissance, however the timing didn’t work out. I have to admit, I’m glad the timing was off. I believe their collage interpretations of their own poems allowed them to be more creative and was, possibly, more challenging for them.

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Katherine Crane - Teacher Interpreting poetry through Bearden inspired collage continued Poems based on “The Red Wheelbarrow� by William Carlos Williams

The Colorful Wall

by Keller Longenecker

The Lime Binder

by Moriah Ziacoma

so much depends upon

so much depends upon

a colorful wall

a lime binder

filled with happiness

covered with creations

next to the office building.

beside the orange pencil.

The Tall Man

by Daksh Talati

The Blue Trailer

by Braelyn Beasley

so much depends upon

so much depends upon

a tall man

a blue trailer

visiting with gray birds

sitting with golden hay

next to the green grass.

beside the corn field.

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Katherine Crane - Teacher Interpreting poetry through Bearden inspired collage continued Collages inspired by Romare Bearden

The Lime Binder by Moriah Ziacoma, Grade 4 Teacher - Katherine Crane

The Colorful Wall by Keller Longenecker, Grade 4 Teacher - Katherine Crane

The Blue Trailer by Braelyn Beasley , Grade 4 Teacher - Katherine Crane

The Tall Man by Daksh Talati, Grade 4 Teacher - Katherine Crane

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Beth Doran Grades 6 - 8, Art â–Ş Heritage Middle School Coming back to the Art of Reflection and Response Teacher Institute for the second year I found that it was very different for me than the first year. I knew what to expect and was not quite so far out of my comfort zone. I decided that I would approach it in a different way. I wanted to go inside my own head for a while, take time for myself and examine how my own creativity works.

A friend once told me that they like to go to church because it gave them an entire hour of peace to themselves. This class is like that for me. As teachers we all get so wrapped up in our students and our lesson plans and everything else that is going on in our lives outside of school that we do not take time for ourselves. As creative people this is bad!

Experts say that to be the best you can be you must take time for yourself. Teachers rarely do this. Not only am I able to be selfish, I also get to hang out with other creative people. I got many new ideas for lesson plans, new ideas to inspire my students, and new ideas to inspire myself. The people in this class are all creative and encouraging and motivating! I especially enjoyed the part of each class where we just went around the room and shared experiences using ideas from the class, both personally and with our students. People often got very emotional discussing the things that they were expressing visually or in writing. This shows just how important tapping into our creativity is for our emotional wellbeing.

Personal Creativity Mind Map by Beth Doran

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Beth Doran - Teacher Lesson/Activity: A Conversation Between Two Sculptures Grades 6,7, 8 Art Upon my return to Art in January I wanted my students to know right from the start that writing would be an integral part of our art class. Five out of six classes are 3D Art so I chose two sculptures: Degas’ Little Fourteen-Year-Old Dancer and Rodin's The Thinker. We discussed the time and place of the creation of each sculpture and what is believed to be the motivation behind each of the sculptures. The students then were told to write either a story or a script describing the dialogue between the sculptures. I was pleasantly surprised by how readily the students embraced the assignment.

They got very excited and talkative at first but then settled down and wrote some very interesting stories. This is an activity that I will use again.

A Conversation Between The Thinker (Auguste Rodin) and Little Dancer of 14 Years (Edgar Degas)

By Christian Cannon, Grade 8 The Thinker and The Dancer would have an interesting conversation. The Thinker would tell the Dancer to “stop performing for others, live for yourself” and things of that nature. The Dancer, however, would reply with joy and optimism. I feel that The Thinker has had many life experiences and has been through hardships. Because of this The Dancer looks like a delicate, pure, yet prestigious child. The Thinker would say things like “nothing lasts forever so live while you can”, not to scare the dancer but to encourage her to live life to the fullest until her time runs out. I think The Dancer is obviously aware of her mortality but thoughts of death will rarely cross her mind. “Life’s too short to worry about the future” and bright sayings such as those will frequently come out of her mouth. And although they both know nothing is forever they’ll spend their days with a different mindset.

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Samantha Hughes Grades 6 - 8, Art 2-D and Art 3-D ▪ New Smyrna Beach Middle School The Art of Reflection and Response Teacher Institute has helped me in so many ways. It has inspired me to do more of my own art work. It has also inspired me to be more creative and insightful for my students. It has reminded me of how it feels to be a student and be asked to be creative right on the spot. Through the collaboration with other teachers, I have gained a plethora of ideas and resources. However, most of all, it has inspired me to reflect, assess and deeply think about my own creativity and how I use that creativity to reach students. I believe that the Institute’s effect on how I teach art and creative thinking has broadened the student view of what creativity is all about.

Personal Creativity Mind Map by Samantha Hughes 76

Samantha Hughes - Teacher Lesson/Activity: Be A Part of the Art Grade 7 Art BE A PART OF THE ART This activity was presented to a seventh grade Art class at New Smyrna Beach Middle School. The students in the class were introduced to Plein Aire paintings by looking at the work of other students that went on a field trip to paint at Canaveral National Seashore. Plein Aire is a French style of painting translated as open (in full) air. Students viewed the paintings and pastel drawings on the Canaveral Seashore Paint Out 2016 website gallery. They were able to experience the work of the professional artists that visited New Smyrna to paint all over town and at the seashore. As a class, we studied Richard Lundgren’s pastel drawing, Behind Canal Street. We talked about not just looking at a painting, but reading the painting. We discussed how briefly a person may look at a painting and the details that the viewer might miss if the painting was not looked at with some time and consideration for details.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of the activities was to encourage students to look deep into the painting for meaning and artist’s intent.

The student artists were encouraged to imagine what it would be like to be inside the painting. The students were assigned the task of actually being a part of the painting by making up short stories that they shared about being a character in Behind Canal Street by Richard Lundgren. The students created all types of situations from being a shy cat in the alleyway to writing from the point of view of the glaring light post.

The next part of the activity was for students to really get “into” their own work. Students created their own pastel drawing of one of their favorite places. Then, they pretended that they were a character in the drawing. They could be any character that they chose. They could be a living character or an inanimate object. They could be someone or something pictured in the painting or not.

REFLECTION Much to my surprise, the students could not wait to share their stories about their own work. They agreed that by knowing that they had to be a character in the painting they really tried to add interesting details to their pastel drawing. The students applauded each other in both storytelling classes. They enjoyed the activity and expressed the fact that it did really make them “not just look at a drawing but really LOOK at the drawing”.

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Samantha Hughes - Teacher Be A Part of the Art continued

Art and Writing by Madelyn Budvarson, Grade 7 The wind ripped through my fur as I raced through the trees. My paws, kicking up the grit and dirt from the narrow path below. The gentle flow of the stream rang in my ears; muzzle parted and tongue rolling over my jaw. I slowed to a trot, my fluffy gray tail lashing behind me. My gaze found the dense overhang above, the clashes of dark and light greens allowing little sunlight to filter through. This forest is my home. The distant thrumming of paws and barks from my pack caught my attention and I turned again, racing back into the trees.

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Petra Ramirez Grades 9 - 12, Art 2-D, 3-D and Drawing â–Ş Deltona High School My participation in the Institute has benefited me personally and professionally because I love to visit the museum to get inspired as an artist by the artworks exhibited. I become up to date with the new trends of contemporary art. My overall art knowledge increases by learning more details from our instructor who offers us gallery walks which are enhanced with different activities we can do with our students to keep them engaged and nurture their critical thinking skills. What I also appreciate is to have the opportunity to meet, exchange and work with other teachers, not just art teachers but also Social Studies, English, Gifted, Drama etc. teachers.

My work in the institute has given me new tools and techniques to encourage more integration and creativity in artmaking and writing. Working with non-art teachers revealed how much we have in common. Teaching the same topics in different classes (for example Harlem Renaissance) will have a more profound impact on our students and by seeing how connected we are the students will see the big picture.

The knowledge I have gained throughout the institute has impacted my teaching in the form of more reading and writing assignments in my art classes which makes my students think more critically and thus also better artists. The focus on creativity this year was very important. Unfortunately, creativity is sometimes suppressed in schools. We should do everything possible to encourage it.

I will continue build on what I have learned and already successfully apply to my teaching practice. In addition, I will try the activities I have not applied yet in my classroom to see how they work. I am confident they will work as well.

Personal Creativity Mind Map by Petra Ramirez

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Petra Ramirez - Teacher Lesson/Activity: Personal Creativity Mind Map Grades 9 - 12 Drawing Objective: To develop a mindmap about your creativity used every day for different activities over a period of 6 weeks.

Prior Knowledge: What is creativity? Which activities require creativity? What is a mindmap?

Lesson/Resources/Learning Activities: Teacher and students developed a mindmap to keep track of their individual creativity in different areas. First students and teacher discussed creativity during a PowerPoint presentation with quotes and general information such as excerpts "What does a creative life look like?", "31 ways to be creative", "creativity cycle" etc. Students were also provided with a Personal Creativity survey. Following this introduction students learned about the purpose of mindmaps (alternative for diary, organizational/planning tool etc.) and were told that they would use it to become more aware of their creativity being used (for example how often and in which areas) in the next six weeks. My students and I started our mindmaps with a central picture depicting our own creativity which was enhanced with branches that grew as a result of a creative activity. Students continued with their regular class assignments but had 5 minutes daily to reflect about a creative activity they did and add it to the mindmap( if they performed any). We started with at least 7 major areas that required creativity. Over time the branches accumulated and out of them grew out smaller branches for the next 5 1/2 weeks. Every Friday we compared the progress of each mindmap. I modeled by joining the students in developing my own creativity mindmap. My mindmap started with big area branches such as 1. Teaching, 2. Poems, 3. Home decorations/renovations, 4. painting, 5. sculpting, 6. stories, 7. dreaming, 8. drawing. Students' examples differed but had branches such as 1. Drawing, 2. Music, 3. Bedroom decorations, 4. Posters 5. writing, 6. Photoshop, 7. Video games. For more examples, please look at the mindmap images.

Reflection The impact was increased engagement in art making and being creative. Students seemed to become more aware of their own creativity in different areas not just art. The strategy made the students reflect on a regular basis about how important creativity is to be successful in many areas of life. They also learned a creative method to keep track of their daily creativity instead of a diary. The impact of this strategy is best revealed in their mindmaps and the many conversations we had when looking at them. "Does soccer require creativity?" Some insisted "yes", others " no" etc....... The strategy also was challenging because it forced us to get out of our comfort zones. A few students did not fully understand the concept of creativity and added branches (activities) which did not require creativity. I addressed it and some of them reflected again and came up if activities they were involved in which required creativity. The mindmap itself required a lot of creativity, first how to illustrate the center and then each branch with the specific activity.

I will continue to use mindmaps to track creativity because the outcome of the implementation was very positive.

When I compared my mindmap with those of my students, I realized that their branches looked pretty balanced while mine has one branch that stands out with a lot of sub-branches. It is the "teaching branch". This taught me that most of my creativity goes into teaching even though I always have been a passionate artist as well. In order to be a better art teacher and artist model, I need to create more art again. I have learned a variety of approaches to enhance creativity at my workshop at the Museum of Art in DeLand. My plan is to implement them as well.

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Petra Ramirez - Teacher Personal Creativity Mind Maps continued

Creativity Mind Map Rachel Panacek, Grade 10

Katherine Cintron, Grade 10

Creativity Mind Map Aubriana Parke, Grade 9

Creativity Mind Map Serena White. Grade 10

Creativity Mind Map Macy Moore, Grade 10

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Karen Richter Grades 6 - 8, Art ▪ Southwestern Middle School Every year I search for new ways to reclaim my students’ childlike sense of wonder and possibility; to be daring in their experimentation with subjects and media; to be fearless and unafraid to risk failure; to be compassionate as their classmates reveal their inner thoughts and dreams; and to be humble enough to hear a critique of their work without confusing it with a critique of their soul. The Art of Reflection and Response Teacher Institute is food for my artist’s soul. It is rejuvenating to be surrounded by other teachers who share the same passion for their students and their subjects as I do for mine. Not a session goes by without filling up pages and pages of my journal with ideas, quotes, titles of books to investigate, websites to go to, not to mention my own original poems and “spark” ideas for my personal paintings and collages. I have utilized every activity we have tried at the Institute with my own students. Their favorite activities are creating handmade books and creating a dialogue between two characters (animate and inanimate) within a work of art.

I am now officially a three-year veteran of the Institute and I hope to continue attending again, next year. It recharges my spirit and reminds me that I am not alone- but that I am part of one of the most amazing team of professionalsteachers- entrusted with the education, care, and nurturance of all of our children.

Altered Book as Mind Map

by Karen Richter

Mind Map as Game Board

by Karen Richter 82

Karen Richter - Teacher Lesson/Activity: Creativity Mind Map Grades 6 - 8 Art At the beginning of the school year I always try to plan projects that incorporate foundation skills, basic techniques, and that allow me a sneak peak into their thought processes. I assess prior knowledge, technical ability, and problemsolving skills. I can determine their level of craftsmanship and if they prefer concrete or abstract ideas/challenges. This year I posed a challenge to my art students to create a mind map that would show the viewer how they arrive at “Creativity.� Students were encouraged to begin their drawings with a symbol to represent themselves and then illustrate several different but important aspects of their lives, such as their family, hobbies, favorite things, goals, and most notably, how they express their creativity. I also encouraged students to think about what helped them feel creative- sort of like thinking of the conditions for the perfect storm. I learned about all the different ways my students express their creativity-playing an instrument, cooking, participating in sports, dancing, painting, and so on. The students learned what they need to help them feel more creative-music, food, temperature, parents, friends, and more.

When the second grading quarter began I asked students to take their mind maps out of their portfolios and look them over. We used them as a blueprint to create a mini-book, an accordion fold-out for their altered book or art journal, or for a larger and more detailed mind map created on an actual road map. Students elaborated on the various aspects of their lives they had incorporated in their initial mind map. They provided details and examples to better explain to the viewer how they are creative, when, where, with who, and even what they aspire to do creatively in the future.

Middle school students live in a self-centric universe. This project appealed to their natural state of mind and allowed them to find like-minded fellow students in their classes. This re-imagining of their initial mind map also allowed them the opportunity to spiral back to a concept and make adjustments and improvements as needed.

Left to Right Creativity Mind Maps, Perla Martinez, Noelia Villafuerte, Noelia Villafuerte - Grade 6 Teacher - Karen Richter

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Karen Richter - Teacher Creativity Mind Maps continued

Creativity Mind Map by Grace McIver, Grade 6

Creativity Mind Map by Abigail Spriggs, Grade 6

Mind Map Altered Book by Maya Watts, Grade 6

Mind Map as Inspired Self-Portrait

by Trinity Loeffler, Grade 8

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Darlene Stewart Grades 6 - 8, Drama â–Ş Ivy Hawn Charter School of the Arts When I consider my own creativity, I must consider that I am a theater artist first and foremost. What this means to me is that my own creativity is supported and contributed to by many other people. No true theatre piece is ever completed by one person alone. Countless others contribute ideas, work, their own creativity and labor.

The other point that kept coming to my mind as I tried to create my creativity mind map was the fact that I can never trace one source for creative ideas. In theater, as in other art forms I expect, many things contribute to the creation of art‌..Knowledge, imagination, inspiration, vision, collaboration, instinct. All of these pieces form the picture of creativity. But I struggled with how to bring it into a visual art form?

After attending the last session of The Reflection of Art and Response Teacher Institute training when we were talking about putting mind maps on game boards, I had an epiphany. My mind map should be a puzzle. When I create art or anything else (writing, a birthday cake, a costume, a lesson plan) it seems that pieces of a puzzle fall into place until they create an overall picture. That picture is the outcome of many layers and pieces that fit together to create something new. So, my mind map of creativity is a puzzle. It includes various ways I think about creativity, words, pictures, colors that inspire me.

Personal Creativity Mind Map as Puzzle by Darlene Stewart 85

Darlene Stewart - Teacher Lesson/Activity: Integrating Fine Art and Drama to create Performance pieces for the Fine Arts Show Grades 6 - 8 Introduction to Drama Two years ago, the Art Teacher and I were brainstorming Arts Integration Projects when we came up with the idea of bringing works of art to life. The idea was to choose a famous piece of art and create a living picture that would come to life using actors. Our idea was based on the living statues in Epcot. Many times we kept returning to the idea, tabling it for future reference, but finally we decided we would try a project using the idea this year. We began with the Art Teacher choosing some iconic pieces of art that showed various styles, characters and interesting story line.

The following possible Art work was selected by Drama students: 1st choice: Seurat’s Sunday Afternoon 2nd choice: Edward Hopper with clown 3rd choice: Degas’ Dancers 4th choice: The scream 5th Choice: Multi-Marilyn (students decided not to use this one after initial selection.)

6th choice: Mexican Flower carrier Back up Art Pieces included American Gothic and Frida’s self portrait Art Students began painting the backdrops and have already completed 4. After a discussion on time and materials, we decided if the Drama Students write scenes for Art that hasn’t been created, we will project the original art work behind the scene or supply a picture to reference during the scenes inspired by a certain piece of art. That way if we don’t have a life size backdrop for each scene, we can still use the student’s writing.

Using various writing prompts supplied (and tried) at the Art of Reflection and Response Teacher Institute, I have led my students to begin creating monologues and scenes using the art work selected. As I write this lesson plan, we are at the creation phase and will next be moving into the editing phase. Many of the scenes are short and need expanding.

We will work on editing next and then proceed to the performance phase of the project. Some scenes are not at all what I expected when viewing the art work myself. Many scenes have strange situations arising in the middle of a seemingly innocuous situation. The Art that prompted the clearest responses had familiar characters and situations.

Although students often chose to write from the perspective of the animals in the art. The most difficult scenes/ monologues to write seemed to be based on Art that students were uncomfortable with like “The Scream.” Too many students had preconceived ideas when they viewed “The Scream” and were therefore blocked to anything but a horror film. I look forward to discovering where these scenes/monologues will travel once edited and produced as theater pieces.

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Darlene Stewart - Teacher Integrating Fine Art and Drama to create Performance pieces continued

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Darlene Stewart - Teacher Written Work Created by Darlene Stewart during The Art of Reflection and Response Teacher Institute Activity: Story Corps—interview a character in the Art work using various questioning techniques.

Interviewer: We are here today with the four muses to speak frankly about inspiration. Tell our audience, ladies, what is your first memory……

Starlight: I remember a pinprick of light and then it slowly got larger and larger until I realized I had come into being….

Moonbeam: No. No. For me it was more of a gentle glow that waxes and wanes depending upon the season.

Dawn: I remember a flash of brilliant bright light. It seared my eyelids. I couldn’t look directly at it. It was so bright.

Twilight: No. All of you don’t experience the full range of being. I have been here through it all. Beginning--,Longevity-Ending--. I remember the varieties of light----shine----scorch----twinkle----fade----each part has its own unique perspective.

Interviewer: What unique perspectives? What does it mean to each of you to be classified as a muse? How does that impact your existence?

Twilight: It is all. Everything. I am in all things. The base of anything with meaning.

Moonbeam: Oh, what ego—we are nothing by ourselves, but serve to inspire others with the light of creativity.

Dawn: New things begin with us, but we only spark the idea—we do not bring it into being.

Starlight: I grant the dreamer permission to dream. I give them hope. I start them thinking. Then it is up to the artist to create.

Interviewer: If you would change one thing—what would it be?

Twilight: I would be the artist. My inspiration is wasted on them.

Moonbeam: I would like to last longer than a moment in time.

Dawn: I would like to have more influence. So many are oblivious to my beauty.

Starlight: I wouldn’t change anything.

Interviewer: Any Last words you would like to leave our listeners with?

Starlight: Shine for as long as you are able.

Dawn: Make each moment count Twilight: Life is brief---Seize the day.

Moonbeam: To be invasive is to seep into worlds and change them.

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Rebecca Strunks Grade 4, Gifted â–Ş Forest Lake Elementary School Over the past two years I have had the privilege of attending one of the best professional development opportunities available in Volusia County. The Art of Reflection and Response Teacher Institute has allowed me to grow professionally and form valuable relationships with teaching peers. I have been inspired by the ideas and instruction from the PD facilitators, Pam and Suzi, and by the examples shared by the other teachers in attendance. Most of the inspiration has been in the form of professional ideas, but some ideas have led to personal inspiration.

I have always been split evenly between right and left brain inclinations. I love logical thinking, but I want it presented in a creatively stimulating manner. For this reason, I am often dissatisfied with PDs. Usually the presentations are either logical but boringly uncreative or creative in content but impractical for everyday classroom implementation. The Institute has been the perfect blend of creative ideas that serve a practical purpose in the classroom. For example, the ideas for using art to begin lessons on main idea or theme have proven very effective. By beginning the topic with art, something that interests the majority of students, my students are more engaged with the content. Students don’t mind repeatedly looking at the details of an illustration, and this activity segues very well into doing the same thing with a piece of text. Beginning with the visual first has helped more students make connections with using details to determine the main idea or theme of an assigned text.

While art works very well with explaining or analyzing texts, it also benefits math, science, and social studies instruction. This year I had my students look at photographs from the 1800s to get a better understanding of the time period.

We talked about how the photos were taken, how the subjects were arranged, and how the subjects were clothed or decorated. My students were much more engaged during this task than they would have been if we had simply read an informational text. They demonstrated a greater understanding of the time period and events we were focusing on. I have also seen better results with skills in math and science when art has been included in the instruction.

The professional benefits (for myself and my students) alone have made this PD experience very worthwhile, but I have also benefited from the personal opportunities for creative expression the sessions have provided. Allowing myself to buck the trend of approaching lessons clinically, rather than creatively, has triggered some latent creative pursuits and inspired me to be more creative in my life outside of work. I have been more open to trying new avenues of personal expression and spent more time engaging in artistic hobbies. Pursuing my creative interests has proven to be relaxing and energizing during my free time, which has in turn benefited my professional life.

I have thoroughly enjoyed my experiences in the institute and look forward to continued growth professionally and personally. The ideas shared and relationships formed made it well worth getting up early a few days over the summer and on a few Saturdays during the school year!

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Rebecca Strunks - Teacher Lesson/Activity: Character Trait Visual Interpretations Grade 4 English Language Arts The objective of the lesson was to have students determine character traits for a character of their choice and create a visual interpretation of the character trait through a medium of their choice.

This lesson took place after my class read the novel The Lightning Thief. While reading the book, we discussed the different characters and how we could determine character traits based on the acronym FAST (Feelings, Actions, Speech, Thoughts). Upon finishing the novel, I asked my students to determine three character traits for the character of their choice from the book. Once they had determined three character traits, they needed to create some type of visual interpretation of the character trait. To get them started, I gave the students a menu of possible options, such as designing a new outfit for the character that reflected a specific trait, or, since it was right before Christmas, designing a Christmas gift for the character based on a trait. One of the options was a free choice square. Students were then given access to various arts and crafts materials such as clay, paint, paper dolls, foam trees and stockings, markers, etc. Students had several days to work on this task, and once the students created their visuals, they had to write a brief synopsis of the selected character trait and cite evidence from the text to support the character trait.

My students really enjoyed this activity. Typically my students are resistant to writing about character traits and do not put much thought into determining character traits. However, when they were able to create a visual interpretation, they really put thought and effort into their work. I did not have to prompt students to stay on task for this assignment.

Instead, I found myself needing to warn them not to be too elaborate or they would not have enough time to finish.

Although the students still had to complete a written description, no one complained about the writing piece. Throughout the activity, students went back into the novel to find evidence and collaborated with classmates over various ideas. The art focus of this lesson had students engaged in the task, even though it was only days before winter break (which is normally a difficult time to get students engaged in anything academic). Based on student engagement and product output, I think this lesson was very successful in increasing my students’ abilities to determine and analyze character traits in literature.

My character is Percy Jackson. The trait I’m showing is that he is intelligent. He is intelligent because in chapter 15 of The Lightning Thief, Percy and Annabeth find a way to get out of the Tunnel of Love ride and didn’t die or get hurt when the boat crashed. This shows he is intelligent because he was smart enough to think of a plan and knew the correct time to jump over the gates.

Kylea Pena

Kaylyn Igoe , Grade 4

Kylea Pena, Grade 4

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Rebecca Strunks - Teacher Character Trait Visual Interpretations continued

Luke is clever because he seemed to be nice and Percy's friend in the beginning of the book, but he ends up setting up a plan along with Kronos's help (through mind control) to kill Percy. Luke is clever because he was intelligent enough to be able to come back from a quest and he's clever enough to almost kill Percy.

Artwork and Writing by Lucas Wilder, Grade 4

In The Lightning Thief, Annabeth was sneaky. She had an invisibility cap, and in chapter 8, page 123, she tricked Percy. She was watching him when he was fighting. On that page he (Percy) said, “You put me here because you knew Clarisse would come after me, while you sent Luke around the flank.” He also said, “You set me up.” This evidence proves Annabeth is sneaky.

Artwork and Writing by Tevin Colon, Grade 4

Leighanna Difo

Tatiyana Graham

Emery Morales

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Kaylyn Igoe

Dr. Shari Watkins, Ph. D. Grade 5, Gifted â–Ş Horizon Elementary School It has been a privilege to be a part of this learning opportunity for a second year. It has changed me in several ways.

The inhibitions and self-doubt I had about my own creativity have been replaced with the willingness to express my unique viewpoints and actively participate in each class. My previously limited repertoire of ideas for combining literacy with art has been replaced with a variety of strategies that foster critical thinking that I will continue to implement, as well as a yearning to find creative ways for my students to demonstrate learning, while expressing their own personalities. My students have also benefitted by the rigorous, open-ended questioning and discussion techniques that promote deeper learning and personal reflection.

Perhaps my favorite part of this professional development was to listen to how other teachers have implemented the many ideas that artistically integrate writing and language arts with their classes in elementary, middle, and high school levels. I personally enjoyed listening to the successes of others and seeing the student work that was shared each month. Several times these discussions sparked an idea that I couldn’t wait to try with my own class. Many of these ideas were also influenced by the strategies taught by Pam Coffman and Suzi Preston, our amazing facilitators. Their love of art and willingness to share their talents have been inspiring and I am grateful for their leadership. I also appreciate the patronage and support of Betty Drees Johnson, for sponsoring the Institute.

I will personally miss coming to this class each month, but a seed has been planted. This Institute has been an inspiration for my own creative pursuits. My next step will be to take other art-related classes to nurture my own creativity. It is my hope that this continued creative outlet will enhance my growth as an educator and further enrich how I teach my students.

Personal Creativity Mind Map by Shari Watkins

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Shari Watkins - Teacher Lesson/Activity: If It Could Talk Grades 4 and 5 English Language Arts Purpose/Objective: Personification Resources: Small objects, paper bag, white paper (speech bubbles), construction paper or cardstock, scissors, craft glue, pencils, markers Description of the Activity: The teacher collects enough small objects (one for each student) that will all fit into a paper bag. Have each student reach into the bag without looking and pull out one object.

After each student has an object, tell them to write about what that object would say if it could talk. (Ex: How does this object feel? Is it proud to serve a purpose? Can it be reused?)

After the students write a rough draft, they will read their texts to a small group. Each member of the group will give positive and constructive feedback.

Students will then rewrite (or type) their texts on a speech bubble.

Students may decorate a piece of cardstock or construction paper by adding a border or an appropriate background.

The object and speech bubble will be attached.

Extension: Student may upload a photo of their project to the SeeSaw Digital Portfolio application on an electronic device. Then, they can record their voice reading what they wrote and share the recording with their classmates.

Outcome/Reflection: The students enjoyed selecting an object from the bag and creating their own dialogue, thus bringing the object to life. They were proud of their scripts and were anxious to share their writing with the class. Perhaps the best part was how their individual personalities were projected into their writing. If I were to do this again, I might have two different students write about each object and allow them to compare their scripts. It would be fun and be a powerful medium in which to demonstrate varied personal ideas and writing styles.

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Shari Watkins - Teacher If It Could Talk continued

Stella Busby, Grade 5

John Cuono, Grade 5

Kate Thompson, Grade 5 94

Museum of Art - DeLand Board of Trustees Judy Thompson, President Gen. Lee Downer, (Ret.) Vice President Dr. John Wilton, Secretary Linda Colvard Dorian, Past President Mary Jeanne Ludwig, Treasurer Dennis Aylward Samuel Blatt Bill Booth Sal Cristofano Manny De La Vega Jewel Dickson Linda Colvard Dorian John Horn Ray Johnson Suzanne Lonky Frances Massey Robin May Greg Milliken Dagny Robertson Marty Suarez Dr. Ian Williams

2016 - 17 Museum of Art - DeLand Legacy Circle, Endowment Fund, Leadership Circle Foundations, Corporate Members, Patrons and Community Partners Dennis Aylward, Dr. Bruce Bigman and Carolyn Bigman, Samuel and Donna Blatt, Bill and Terri Booth, Earl and Patti Colvard, Sal Cristofano and Laura Gosper, Manny De La Vega, Dr. Wayne Dickson and Jewel Dickson, Robert Dorian and Linda Colvard Dorian, Lee and Susan Downer, Dr. Susan Griffis, Christie G. Harris, John and Karen Horn, Ed Jackson and Pat Heller-Jackson, Betty Drees Johnson, Ray and Betty Johnson, Ed and Pauline Lacey, Barney and Linda Lane, Doni Lennon, Tim and Mary Jeanne Ludwig, Van and Frances Massey, Eugene May, Robin May, William May, Greg and Beth Milliken, Linda Pinto, Dagny and Tommy Robertson, Stephen and Claudia Roth, Patricia Schwarze, Fred and Jeanne Staloff, Harry Sugarman, Judith Thompson, Dr. Ian Williams and Dr. Nancy Hutson, Dr. John Wilton and Nancy Wilton, Dorothy M. Gillespie Foundation, Boulevard Tire Center, Collaborative WEALTH, Daytona Auto Mall, DeLand Breakfast Rotary, DeLand Fall Festival of the Arts, DeLand Rotary Club, Inc., De La Vega Restaurante y Galeria, E.O. Painter Printing Company, Fleishel Financial Associates, Krewe Nouveau, Lane Insurance, Inc., Lacey Family Charitable Trust, Mainstreet Community Bank, Massey Services, Inc., Museum Guild, Publix Supermarket Charities United Parachute Technologies, West Volusia Beacon, W. W. Gay, State of Florida Division of Cultural Affairs and the County of Volusia.

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