Our district has a phenomenal Arts in Education program. You can follow them on twitter @TCSarts. Last week, I met with the Arts in Education director and an art teacher to brainstorm how we can spread info about the program within the community, get more community members involved, and increase communication and collaboration between teachers. As a former French teacher, I hold fast to arts enriching the lives of many. Thus, the idea for Artsy Thursdays was born! I want to dedicate blog posts on Thursdays to sharing ways to incorporate the arts, whether music, fine art, drama, or dance, into your classroom. As with any resource, please check your network connection for accessibility before using them in the classroom and preview any media before using it in class depending on the age of your students.
If you have five minutes, I recommend listening to @daveguymon's podcast from today - Take 5 - with three music tools I will blog about on a future Artsy Thursday. Here are the three Artsy Thursday tools for this week!
1. Incredibox - Beware, these melodies will definitely get stuck in your head! I found Incredibox via twitter. Incredibox was created by I have had success with Incredibox with colleagues and students alike. Students can create their own four measure song and record it once they create a free account. There's also a special surprise if you figure out the code to unlock up to three levels. Incredibox has two versions of beats, melodies, voices, choruses and effects available - Incredibox v.1 launched in September 2009 and Incredibox v.2 lauched in 2011.
2. Retronaut - Eudora Welty, an award-winning author from Jackson, Mississippi, said "A photograph keeps a good moment from running away." This site offers a variety of photographs of famous celebrities and historical photos to critique or discuss. Not only could you use these photographs for verbal critiques, but the photographs could also be used as a writing prompt for journal entries, debates or stories in foreign language, English or Social Studies classes.
3. The Louvre Online - How could a former French teacher not end on a French note? The Louvre has put together the Closer Look series for more perspective on the Mona Lisa, the Code of Hammurabi, the Consecration of Napoleon and ten other famous pieces. Use this site in class to provide a virtual tour of the current exhibition or myriad of masterpieces housed in this former palace. Have students peruse the art themselves or have a whole group virtual field trip and ask students to critique the art in English or any language. Use the Canson Artwork of the Day as a daily writing prompt to spur creative writing. The possibilities are endless!
If you have five minutes, I recommend listening to @daveguymon's podcast from today - Take 5 - with three music tools I will blog about on a future Artsy Thursday. Here are the three Artsy Thursday tools for this week!
1. Incredibox - Beware, these melodies will definitely get stuck in your head! I found Incredibox via twitter. Incredibox was created by I have had success with Incredibox with colleagues and students alike. Students can create their own four measure song and record it once they create a free account. There's also a special surprise if you figure out the code to unlock up to three levels. Incredibox has two versions of beats, melodies, voices, choruses and effects available - Incredibox v.1 launched in September 2009 and Incredibox v.2 lauched in 2011.
2. Retronaut - Eudora Welty, an award-winning author from Jackson, Mississippi, said "A photograph keeps a good moment from running away." This site offers a variety of photographs of famous celebrities and historical photos to critique or discuss. Not only could you use these photographs for verbal critiques, but the photographs could also be used as a writing prompt for journal entries, debates or stories in foreign language, English or Social Studies classes.
3. The Louvre Online - How could a former French teacher not end on a French note? The Louvre has put together the Closer Look series for more perspective on the Mona Lisa, the Code of Hammurabi, the Consecration of Napoleon and ten other famous pieces. Use this site in class to provide a virtual tour of the current exhibition or myriad of masterpieces housed in this former palace. Have students peruse the art themselves or have a whole group virtual field trip and ask students to critique the art in English or any language. Use the Canson Artwork of the Day as a daily writing prompt to spur creative writing. The possibilities are endless!