What I've Been Up To: Ceramics Fall 2014 Slideshow

Hello!

I was a busy lady this fall taking a ceramics course up at Plymouth State University. I hadn't taken ceramics since high school so, at first, I felt pretty overwhelmed! The course was offered during the day and I was the oldest student by 20 years or so :-)

My classmates were sweet and fun to be around and very helpful to me--some of them were ceramics majors and/or had taken ceramics all through high school so they were full of great info and project ideas. There were also a bunch of future art educators in the class and it was interesting to hear what they were learning as undergrads versus what I'm learning in the grad program I am enrolled in.

Anyhow, I thought I'd try a bit of technology and tried to make a slideshow using PhotoSnack. Let's see how it goes!

Enjoy!

Technology in the Art Room: Digital Books

The other day I posted about Books In The Art Room. I've since heard of a couple additional sites that you may want to check out. Trust me, they are worth it!

Here are a few sites that have digital picture books to use in your classroom:

• www.storylineonline.net (SAG Actors read children's books)
• www.speakaboos.com (a colorful, interactive site for traditional read-along stories)
• www.readtomelv.org (Las Vegas celebrities read children's books)
• www.schooltube.com (like youtube but without the commercials. There are read alouds and picture books as little movies. Search other topics such as "Kandinsky," etc.)
• www.pbskids.org (I like: www.pbskids.org/lions/stories) hunt around for additional online stories
• www.nhptv.org/kn (you could get lost in this resource--there's so much!)
• www.wegivebooks.org (you'll need to register to use this site, but it is pretty neat and there are lots of free popular books you can read online. Their selections do change, though, so make sure the book you want is still available before you present your lesson!)

(Thank you to Program Associate & Technology Guru, Tiffany Dube at Plymouth State University and Selina Smith at Classroom Magic for their help with this list).

Amherst PTA Online Auction Has Begun!

YAY! The day is here! The Amherst PTA's Online Auction has begun. This is a wonderful fundraiser for our local schools and there are so many wonderful things to kick-start your Holiday Shopping. Click here to enter the auction site and browse. The auction ends promptly November 17th at 11:00pm ET.

There are categories such as:

• Fun At School (lunch with principals and teachers, etc.)
• We Love Sports (karate lessons, etc)
• Eat, Drink and Be Merry (Wine, GC at Restaurants)
• Pamper Yourself (Gift baskets, jewelry, etc.)
• Let's Go Shopping! (More GC's, etc.)
• More Great Stuff (Classes and items for yourself and for giving)

I donated two things to the auction: the first is the Kandinsky-inspired canvas with the learning quote "You Learn Something EVERY Day IF You Pay Attention." This is perfect for home or classroom! We can all use a reminder to pay attention, right? NOTE: If someone outside of driving distance to Amherst, NH (say, over 30 miles--but still in the continental U.S.) is the winning bidder of this piece, I'll pay to ship it to you.

The other thing I donated is full tuition for my "Gifts From The Art" Class held in Amherst at Wilkin's Elementary School in December 2012. This is a fun 2-day class where children can create art-inspired gifts for their family and friends for the holidays. It really is a blast and the children create all sorts of amazing pieces. This one you'll have to be in Amherst to attend. Right now, this class is open to 2nd-4th graders. Here's the post about last year's class.

Both of my items are in the "More Great Stuff" category.

OK, so there's my commercial--get bidding!