A3/A4 Class on 9/8

While there isn't a traditional daily sketchbook for today, I do have something I want us all to do together today.
To begin with, please have your drawing on your table, and your ipad open to the Canvas app*. Please remove everything else from your table for us to begin.


*Yes, the app. Please do not go on a web browser. If you need help with the app please ask.

Back To School Night (BTSN) 2017

You've already heard some from me, but since we're at the time of the year for BTSN, I, of course, have more.

 

Over the past few years I have noticed more and more students who have strained under the pressure of homework and grades and college applications and feeling like they need to take certain classes in order to be qualified for certain “good” colleges.

Really, it’s just too much.

What about the joy of learning?

Or learning how to be a good learner?

Or focusing on the learning and content knowledge as the thing and not stressing about points?

Not worrying about “needing” certain classes, but what classes make us happy. Which courses help us learn now AND in the future?

Yes, I get it, you want your kids to go to college, but as Frank Bruni argues in the book Where You Go Is Not Who You’ll Be, there is, largely, an illusion over what are “good” colleges and what aren’t. It is up to the student (your kid) to get the education. They should not rely on the college/university - or even the high school. They have to own it and make it themselves. Everyone else is only offering opportunity.

By the way, I highly recommend reading the above mentioned book. It’s pretty short and is excellent.

School can be played as a game, but should it be used as such? Probably not.

Students thinking they need to have a certain number of AP courses in order to compete for certain colleges isn’t healthy. At all.

And really, if a school has less than a 20% acceptance rate they probably aren’t getting in anyway. That’s just how the numbers work. You can be “perfect”, and a legacy, and not need any financial aid, and still get denied. It’s kind of a crap shoot, unfortunately.

It isn’t the end of the world, it’s just the beginning of a different opportunity.

Don’t pressure them so much. Your kids will be fine. Trust me. We have more than 100 teachers and staff here working really hard to give them as much as we can. As an added benefit, pressuring them about school less will only increase the possibility of a positive relationship between parent and offspring.

Personally, I’m more concerned with them using the knowledge and experiences in this class to make themselves better and to inform the depth and happiness of their life long after they leave my class(es). If you think about it, all of life is influenced by Art and creativity. The ways of really looking in here, and how they have to problem solve...that’s the good stuff, that stuff will make an impact on personal and professional aspects of their life going forward. Not the same can be said for every class they take here, unfortunately.

Which brings me to the big change for this academic year.

I am largely going gradeless. Really that just means grading less.

I still expect them to do the right thing, be respectful, and perform at a high level, but I’m not going to be awarding - or taking away - points for behavior (or as some name it, compliance).

I am not going to worry about projects being late. Yes, there are times when I cannot accept anything any later in a semester because I have to have time to deal with it at the end of the term, but that comes later, right?

I will still be making note online for all of these things, but it won’t negatively impact their grades.

If I prioritize the standards and content of the course, if I really believe that the products we make (their experiences) are where the learning comes from, that is what I need to consider when determining a grade. Those other things matter, but by not giving them points it actually allows for more personal conversations and fewer frustrations and hurt feelings if all is handled well.

We will be focusing on giving a lot (A LOT) of feedback this year throughout the process. It’s amazing how little students constructively talk to each other, or ask for help from each other about their work. I need them to get over this hump and not feel like they themselves are expected to have all of the answers - or that I am the only one with all of the answers. Yes, I have more experience and a broader range of language to offer, but they also have experience and knowledge to offer, so why not?

That use of feedback in an effort to get better is important. I have a peer at another school that has a motto, “Do. Reflect. Do Better.”

You have to admit, that’s pretty solid. If the students do that, if they can constantly make baby steps towards better they will have an amazing experience in this course.

Notice that this doesn’t mean achieving a certain level and then staying there, though. There is a difference. I am going to challenge your kids to continually do better, and I set the same challenge for myself. It isn’t easy, but it is worth it.

I had some great experiences over the summer, some of which I have shared with you through links already, but I thought I would share a couple of books as well.

One is Shift This, by Joy Kirr.

Another is Creating a Culture of Feedback, by Ferriter and Cancellieri.

If you have time, or are intrigued, I would recommend them both to you. It will change how you think about what your kids could have in school as contrasted with how you were taught. You won’t agree with, or understand, everything (especially in Shift This there are some strategies that just aren’t for me), but I like things that are interesting, and both of those books are that if nothing else.

I want the students to know it is about the learning, not the grades. I want them to have fun. I want them to be better.

I also want the same for myself. I want to have an amazing year where I am energized and interested and get to know a bunch of really great people - your kids.

I don’t shy away from tall tasks, so I hope they won’t either.

Here’s to the year, welcome!

Smith

P.S.

Here are some other interesting links I’ve read recently you might find interesting:

Why This Tech CEO Keeps Hiring Humanities Majors

That “Useless” Liberal Arts Degree Has Become Tech’s Hottest Ticket

Vermont Medical School Says Goodbye to Lectures

Why Our Screens Make Us Less Happy

Have Smartphones Destroyed A Generation

Why School Sucks

Why Do Schools Use Grades That Teach Nothing?

Why Grades Are Not Paramount To Achievement

Daily Sketchbook 9/6

I know we will only do a "traditional" daily sketchbook entry in class once this week, but I would like to challenge you do take one of the below bear drawings and begin it in your sketchbook. I don't expect it to be finished in terms of full shading, but you can get the gist of it down in pencil.
Next I would ask that you keep adding to it.
Ultimately I'd like to see a bear with some sort of human element added to the composition.
This could take you several days of daily sketchbook work, really. Between getting the bear and the human element sketched out. Then getting it inked. Then what? What else could make the page look interesting?

Don't forget, Friday when you come to class I will have something for us all to do for the first few minutes of class (even though you won't need to do a "daily sketchbook" activity to upload to Canvas). Please just be at your seat ready to participate.

Daily Sketchbook 9/1

This is a different day than usual. Every Friday you come to class I will have a beginning routine for us, but it will not require you to upload a photo for your daily sketchbook.
For now, until I have time to talk to you, just put your materials on your desk (or where you are working), and give me your attention. I will want to start as soon as the bell rings, or as soon as the announcements are over, so please work with me on this. If it takes too much time, I will have to make up that time that time with you at the end of class.
Cheers and happy Friday!

Daily Sketchbook 8/30

You have two options for today.
Option 1: continue working on your drawing from Monday in class (the Man Ray inspired image)
Option 2: draw a series of contour drawings of your hand (approx 3-4 min each) on a double page spread in your sketchbook (these should be life size or larger and will prob overlap at least a little bit)

Note: Personally I would rather you use option 1 so that you get in the habit of multiple days of working on the same image so you know what it feels like to have little bits of work gradually add up to larger bits of work. Ultimately the decision is up to you though.

Daily Sketchbook 8/28

Yesterday was Man Ray's birthday, so choose one of the below images as your inspiration for the piece you will do in your sketchbook today.
Remember, eliminate the shadow and photograph the entire page before uploading to Canvas. Also, make sure you are uploading to the correct assignment please. Ask if there are questions.

Did you see my petit homage on the insta last night?

Hello Parents.

Hi there, and welcome to Art class - and the Art class blog. I don't post much here for parents, but it may be a place you want to check out a few times this year in order to know about what is going on in class.
You can also check out even more information in Canvas, so please bookmark that site and review it frequently.

I don't want to say a lot today, but I do want to take this time before we get to Back To School Night to begin a little bit of communication with you. Please read the following letter as this introduction from me.

I am excited for this school year, and for some of the changes I have in store for the students. I hope to see you in a couple of weeks, and as always, if you have questions, I'm only an email away.

Have a wonderful afternoon.

Thad

Daily Sketchbook 8/24

Get three of the 3x5" cards that are (or should be) at your table group. In PEN ONLY print your first and last name in small-ish letters in the upper right hand corner. There is an example on the board for you to follow.
Next, in the upper left hand corner but a capital A on one card, a capital B on the second card, and a capital C on the third card. Again, these letters should be in the upper left hand corner.

At this point it would be beneficial for you to review the types of things you have done in your past Art classes here at lghs. For example, you have done observational drawing (still life), drawing and painting from photographs, setting up your own composition (Art 2 acrylic), color exploration, artist of the month, pen and ink drawings, exploring watercolor techniques, creating your own rationale/explanation for a work of your own, and the list continues.
Some of these things are quite "beginning" and about learning something from scratch, and some of them are quite advanced and require a lot more thought.

Next it would be good for your to read the following page of CA Advanced Art Standards.

Finally I want to get your input on the note cards that will relate to your work this semester.
On the "A" card I want you to provide information about what it takes to receive an "A" in this class for you for this semester.
On the "B" card I want you to provide information about what it takes to receive a "B" in this class for you this semester.
On the "C" card I want you to provide information about what it takes to receive a "C" in this class for you this semester.

Clearly there need to be both similarities and differences between these three cards. You may wish to confer with some peers in order to come up with your final - and thoughtful - answers. I will be reviewing these and will circle back to you if your answers are not deemed sufficient enough, so please take your prior knowledge into account in order to come up with an explanation on each card.

When you are happy with your result you should lay them next to each other to photograph and upload them to the daily sketchbook assignment. Please had your three cards to me when you are finished and begin on your observational drawing assignment.
You may find it necessary to begin this, but then finish it later in class after you have had some time to think about it and process the information.

Art 3 & 4 Independent Practice Due Dates

So there's a bit of weirdness for the schedule this semester because of certain dates that we do not have classes. The independent practice pieces are due on the following due dates. There is only ONE PLACE to upload them for the entirety of the semester.
Please mark these dates in your calendar.

9/1
9/22
10/4
10/20
11/3
11/16
12/1
12/15

Have fun!

Daily Sketchbook 8/22

Make sure you have your ipad (today you will get your number from me), open a new 8x10" canvas in procreate, and wait for directions.
Thank you.