NAEA 2021 Conference & PDs

Wohoo! This year my Towson professor, Dr. Kay Broadwater, three teacher colleagues from my post-bachelor program and I virtually presented at the National Art Education Association Conference March 4 – 7th. Last year while still pre-service teachers at Towson, these ladies and I had put in so much time into fundraising to go to the 2020 conference in Minneapolis, MN, only to not be able to go because of the pandemic. We turned this disappointment into fuel to take our online lessons and present them at the conference.

My unit centered on Augmented Reality and Afrofuturism. Check out what the students made! YouTube video of my presentation forthcoming 🙂 I am so proud of my students!

The other awesome thing about going to this conference was that I got to learn from a lot of other teachers. Some of the tidbits I took away:

• ART 21 has tons of Educators’ Guides that give Lessons and Units ideas around Artists
  • Link: https://art21.org/for-educators/tools-for-teaching/learning-library/
• Good conversation starters:
  • require more than a yes or no
  • have multiple interpretations!!!
  • engages with the theme
  • fosters curiosity about explicit and implicit meaning
• Conversation starter examples; https://art21.org/read/type/conversation-starter/
  • Recommended 2 – 3 artists per unit for inspiration, but there are 100s on their website.

• It’s okay to “change the room again” to help organize things
• Include my personality!! it’s my second home 😀
• Stools > chairs
• Keeping the counter space clear makes it looks more organized
• COLOR CODE EVERYTHING!! And add tables a number
  • Label the shelves so students can turn in work in an organized way
  • colored masking tape around the edges to reinforce color tables
  • table labels can have dots that correspond with manager jobs
  • Clusters Ls table formation
• Portfolios: save work in a drawer: color code
  • “table portfolio” go inside each grade level larger portfolio
  • caddies all in one spot…. for pandemic classroom, each student needs their own caddy
  • sketchbook have their own cubby or basket….
• Drying racks in the corner
  • Clothespins can hang art without damaging the art
• Bulletin board: in progress work, vocabulary, directions, incentives, etc.
  • Process visual posters
  • Palette path incentives (like free art day – choice center) near the door
    • displaying the names of the students who achieve
    • Create choice center
• Exhibit the art
  • use a reusable plastic report binding strip to slide presentation sheets in and out
• Materials
  • Foam palettes protect acrylic paint in palettes
  • ex: water color. ALSO change the colors to go from light to dark

I’m taking a mindfulness course with other BCPS teachers right now with Evolved Minds. We have learned sitting, standing, walking, lying down meditations, as well as gratitude and loving kindness. It is a good way to practice in and after class.

Thanks for reading and all your support!