In this article, the author provides some tips for presenting at local, state and national art education conferences. He hopes that these personal reflections and guidelines will be helpful in planning and executing a memorable presentation.

Since the earliest times, humans have made objects--oil lamps carved out of stone to light their way, baskets and pots to hold grain and water, blankets and clothing to protect them from the elements. At some point, their need for the functional was enhanced by their desire for the beautiful. They began to decorate their lamps, pots, baskets,…

The best way to combat apathy in art class is through authentic art education. Authentic art education involves making meaningful connections with students. Students are motivated by their environment, their peers, and their media. Sometimes this means eschewing the canon of old masters in art education and embracing more current trends. The…

In this article, the author describes an art project inspired by the work of the Canadian artist, Calvin Nicholls, who makes amazing low-relief sculptures from archival paper. Student works include owls in flight, a hawk, a kingfisher, a rat on a chain, a moth, and other creatures. (Contains 1 online resource.)

In looking at the interesting shapes and sizes of old computer parts, creating robots quickly came to the author's mind. In this article, she describes how computer parts can be used creatively. Students will surely enjoy creating their very own robots while learning about the importance of recycling in the society. (Contains 1 online resource.)

Seizing ideas from chance encounters and combining them in new ways produces innovative and exciting art experiences for students and teachers alike. Such was the case when the author received a book of postcards with photographs of original art made from discarded computer mice by San Francisco artists. In this article, the author describes an…

Cutting a few CDs apart with scissors, the author found that the process created somewhat brittle shards. As a result, she started to paint a few with acrylic, finding to her amazement that the paint gave the CDs a leathery, more manageable texture. Upon further experimentation, she found that if the CDs are painted somewhat translucently in…

Taking students outside is a great opportunity to make art. In this article, the author describes how her students collaborated with forms in nature to create their own visual structures to communicate ideas. This lesson can be done on the beach, in a sand box on the school playground, in grassy areas, or nature can even be brought into the…

As an art teacher, the author has shied away from designing instructional units around the big idea of "ecology." Personally passionate about the topic, she feared that she would not be able to guide students effectively away from finished products that looked more like "save the earth" posters than layered, metaphorical, and sophisticated works…

In this article, the author talks about the conceptualization and creation of "Looking and Learning," a collaborative project that provided an opportunity for her and her curriculum students to become familiar with some wonderful artists and artworks. With the Looking and Learning project, the author and her students emphasized creating curriculum…

With No Child Left Behind, schools are cutting extracurricular activities, doing away with aides, and even getting rid of art and physical education so that reading specialists and writing tutors can be hired. But what can the art teachers do to assist in teaching reading and writing skills? The author believes they need to provide their students…

Around Scout Island Education Center, a site used by schools in Fresno County to explore the area's natural environment, a total of 200 cylinder-shaped concrete stools display tiles representing small mammals, flying insects, birds, wildflowers, and more. Twenty sets have been created by elementary, middle, and high-school art students as part of…

One of the most important ways to increase the quality of classroom management is to look objectively and carefully at one's organizational skills. By streamlining one's ability to organize, one can work smarter and not just harder, thus saving time for more important things. This article offers some strategies for organization in art. Paying…

The process of finding inspiration for a class project is fascinating and intriguing. In this article, the author describes a class project inspired by the gyre, a widespread circulating rotation or vortex of ocean currents, known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. This particular gyre is the location of an enormous floating mass of garbage,…

In this article, the author describes a lesson inspired by the book, "Who Will Tuck Me in Tonight?" by Carol Roth. The author used this lesson to teach her primary students how to use a ruler to make straight lines and how to use lines and shapes to draw animals. She also used the lesson to teach them about crayon resist. (Contains 1 online…