We need to add an “A” for art to the national STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education agenda and turn it to STEAM, writes guest columnist John Maeda.

John Maeda is president of Rhode Island School of Design and the author of “The Laws of Simplicity and Redesigning Leadership,” which expands on his Twitter feed at @johnmaeda

By John Maeda

Special to The Seattle Times

I tell people that I am a native of Seattle, but that I only knew it before it became cool. The creative economy hadn’t really happened yet — Boeing was the booming Microsoft equivalent back then; there was nascent grunge music and no coffee culture to speak of.

But amid the rain, and the fog, and the rain, and the rain, Seattle was home to the beginning of my journey traversing the fields of technology, art and design.

Eighteen years later on my journey, my foremost conclusion is that there is great power in these fields taken separately, and even more when they are put together. It’s why I believe we need to add an “A” for art to the national STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education agenda — to turn it to STEAM. Read more →

Watch How Smart Can We Get? on PBS. See more from NOVA scienceNOW.

This is a great series about what it means to be smart. What were the circumstances that grew Einstein’s brain?

Nurture creates nature vs. nature creates nurture. The hypothesis is that playing a musical instrument (the Violin in Einstein’s Case) helps to access intuition.

How creativity and creative thought manifests ways of conceptualizations that can be attributed to problem solving. The actual act of creating art and focus on problem solving allows people to enter the “Zone”

Thus allowing for processes to appear, emerge to the top and to access other intelligences and perhaps intuition itself. Musicians that learn to play an Instrument as a young person developed “bumps” on the brain that may increase intuitive thought.

Growing the brain is important and to keep it in shape mandatory.

There are several classes being offered for adults at the North Valley and Highland Senior Centers. Please see our web page and sign up. You can pay for the class online or come to class and pay. Please remember to sign up if you are interested. We try to have at least 3 people and the  limit is 8 people per class. Classes may cancel if we do not have the attendance needed. Whether you are experienced or a beginner you are welcome. Depending on the experience of the class each lesson will be geared towards the students interest.

The workshops covers primarily landscape painting however, if you are interested in figurative work I can work with you on your projects. Consider working on at least two painting while in attendance.

If you have take the program before come back and work on another project.

Below are the links for the North Valley Senior Center fliers:

painting_w_soft_pastels_flyer_NVSC

Mixed Media_flyer_NVSC

Watercolor_pastel_class_flyer_NVSC

Watercolor_Resist_flyer_NVSC

Below are the links for the Highland Senior Center fliers:

painting_w_soft_pastels_flyer_HSC

Watercolor_pastel_class_flyer_HSC

Watercolor_Resist_flyer_HSC

Remember to sign up so we know that you are interested in the program.

Registration for the Born to Draw Saturday Morning Classes Begin on Saturday January 26 for the first Session.

Born to Draw Saturday Mornings

Jacob age 11 completed charcoal drawing is the Summer Session of Born to Draw

2 sessions:  Total length of class time 2 hours including set up and clean up

Session 1: January 26 – March 2, 2012 10 am – 12 noon

Session 2: March 23 – April 27, 2012 10 am – 12 noon

Read more →

Schools draw on the community to bring art and music to students.

BY EDUTOPIA STAFF

Almost every one of us can point back to a creative pursuit, in or out of school, that enhanced our skills, knowledge, or understanding. Yet the majority of secondary school students in the United States aren’t required to enroll in arts courses, many elementary schools nationwide lack art classes or activities, and arts and music instruction is often the first thing to go when schools feel the pressure to improve test scores. Read more →

http://www.edutopia.org/stw-arts-integration-resources-lesson-plans#graph1

I suggest that teachers and homeschooling parents check out edutopia if you have not already. there is a wealth of information on integrating art into core studies.

Edutopia’s Schools That Work series profiles K-12 schools, districts, and programs that are dramatically improving the way students learn. Focusing on evidenced-based successes, we create how-to videos and actionable tip lists to help you transform your schools. We get close to the teachers, students, principals, and other administrators who have changed the future of their schools, and show you how they did it.

These educators also share their resources — rubrics, lesson plans, assessments, and training tools that will help you build your own successes.

And one more thing: We connect you with teachers and administrators from around the country who are collaborating to make similar improvements in education.

We are working to pin down time and dates of two 6 week Session

Born to Draw Saturday Mornings

Jacob age 11 completed charcoal drawing is the Summer Session of Born to Draw

2 sessions:  Total length of class time 2 hours including set up and clean up

Session 1: January 26 – March 2, 2012 10 am – 12 noon

Session 2: March 23            – April 27, 2012 10 am – 12 noon

Course Proposal and Syllabus: 

Session 1

Born to Draw: A Children’s Drawing Program

The Born to Draw program is designed for children k-6^th Grade. The Children’s Spring Workshop will for children 7-11 years of age. The course is designed to teach observational drawing though Shape Relationships. The students learn formal elements of drawing such as mark making, line, shape, placement, angels, textures, value, color, and perspective.

Each class is geared for the child to complete a drawing within the allotted 40-50 min or less time frame. The Born to Draw Step by Step Drawing program features animals and still life. Children should know basic shapes of the square, triangle, circle and oval. I encourage parents to have their children attend both sessions.

The classes will be offered for two 50 min sessions with a five-minute break and time for set up and clean up included in the class.  Total length of class time 2 hours.

Drawing and Art Techniques

Depending on the age and the child’s development and skill levels. If children want to continue for another session we will continue to working on developing drawing skills.  Throughout the class the children will experiment with different medium Color pastels, watercolor, charcoal, pen and ink.

Painting by Cezanne Still Life – 1890-94 oil on canvas

Session 2

Drawing Still Life

Drawing from 3D objects increases your children’s knowledge of the effects of light on form, volume and line. Observational drawing teaches one to learn to see. Students will work with still-life setups, start with simple materials and compositions, then move to more complicated media exploring textures and concepts. This is a great class to begin studies in art or to improve drawing skills.

Painting of Giorgio Morandi Modern still life

In this session the students will be introduced to great master artists like Cezanne, Matisse, Morandi, O’Keeffe and Steir.

The second session builds on the first session, however, all beginning drawers are welcome.  Beginners who have not had the Born to Draw classes’ prior will start with the curriculum of the first session.

Children’s Drawing classes that teach from the Born to Draw Children’s Drawing Program iBook date have changed.

The new dates are July 2 through July 23rd for a 4 week Session at $45.00 art supplies included.

The Born to Draw Children’s Art Program was developed by Elaine Cimino who has taught studio art for over 20 years. These classes have been taught as part of artist–in-residence in the public schools in Northern New Mexico.
The classes are geared by age groups. No previous experience necessary.
Limit is 8 children per class.

Read more →

The Arts and Achievement in At-Risk Youth study uses four separate longitudinal studies (three from the U.S. Department of Education) to track children, teenagers, and young adults who had high or low levels of arts engagement in or out of school. Those activities included coursework in music, dance, theater, or the visual arts; out-of-school arts lessons; or membership, participation, and leadership in arts organizations and activities, such as band or theater.

WASHINGTON, DC.- At-risk students who have access to the arts in or out of school also tend to have better academic results, better workforce opportunities, and more civic engagement, according to a new NEA report, The Arts and Achievement in At-Risk Youth: Findings from Four Longitudinal Studies.

Read more →

Using the Born to Draw Children’s Drawing program From the New iBooks series, participants will learn observational drawing through mark making, line, shape, placement, textures, value, color and perspective. Each class is geared for a child to complete a drawing of an animal or a still life during class time. Other activities include making a portfolio, learning about the color wheel, and more. Materials will be provided.
this class is a more formal drawing class that children will develop skills that they will have all through life.

Read more →