Artist Trading Cards, Becoming more Global with Creatubbles! (with your help)

You have seen me talk a lot about Creatubbles lately in post on this blog.  I'm really digging it people!  I can't stop singing their praises.  And today they had a HUGE announcement.  I know there are some other Art Teachers that might have high interest in joining this movement... Are you one of them?  Today Creatubbles announced this...

With more than 6,000 passionate members in the Creatubbles Art Teacher Forum Facebook group, hailing from over 100 countries (and growing!), we see the potential for something really special to happen on a global scale.

Our dream at Creatubbles is to enable teachers and their students from around the world to connect directly, through creativity.  With the #CreativeGeneration Global Art Challenge we are looking for 5 teachers who are interested in taking a lead role in this mission.

Would you like to help connect children through creativity?  Do you have an idea for a creative project that can be turned into a gallery on Creatubbles?  Is it something that any teacher in the Art Teacher Forum Facebook group or elsewhere can join and participate in with their students?

Read more by clicking here... 

You know I'm all over this.  I really want to get my Artist Trading Card Gallery supported with this opportunity. Our cards are so amazing that I really want to share them with the world.  I have been adding some cards onto the gallery, but I would love to see more.  

Recently, I requested the ATC's swap participants (physical trade) to also participate in the digital version.  I also invited my #K12ArtChallenge friends to post their works on the Creatubble gallery that I have started.  A few have joined, but I think more will/should come and make this gallery BIG and BOLD!!  WHOSE WITH ME (now is when you pick up your paint brushes, place them in the air and yell, "I AM NIC HAHN!  I WILL JOIN YOU!").  Great!  Here's how you can.

• Visit my Gallery on Creatubbles, It's called MiniMatisse Global Artist Trading Card Swap.  (catchy title, don't you think?)

• Check out the Creatubbles Art Teacher Forum and give me a 'LIKE' 

• Bonus Points, Start and account, post your cards to my Gallery... participate. 

This project is already amazing!  Let's make it more Global... bringing in more young artist from around the world.  Help me out people! 

Artist Trading Card Cheat Sheet

My goal for Artist Trading Cards this year is to make independent ATC creators. This means, less paper cutting for me and less of the same questions.  This also means MORE students who might bring this activity of Artist Trading Cards to work on them outside of class.  Here is step number one to make an independent learner. 

Give the students resources! This is their 'Artist Trading Card Cheat Sheet'.  This will be the first card that will go in their ATC's Sleave portfolio.  As you can see the first thing it explains is what to write on the back of an Artist Trading Card. Sure, in my class I have a stamp to place on the back (see previous post) , but this will help them know what to write even if they are not in my class. 

The lower portion of the ATC Cheat Sheet explains their log in information for Creatubbles.com.  As I posted on earlier, my students (and the #K12ArtChallenge) will be using this platform for a digital portfolio.  This was so stink'n easy to set up.  I made a spreadsheet of my classes and they distributed a list of usernames and passwords for all of my students.  I placed what was the same for all of them, but they will have to write their code (where you see 1,2,3).  This is so they can log in.  The lower URL code is going to come in really handy because that is what my students will put on the back of their card to tell people how to access it online. So when you get a trade from my students, you will be able to look online to see the digital work, and perhaps read and Artist Statement, hear the students voice or see a youtube explaining the work of art!

I would like to share this worksheet with anyone who can use it.  Click here to get to my Teacher pay Teacher page.  A generic sheet has been shared with you for free.

Update: Artist Trading Card Swap

Do you want the good news or the bad news or the good news... 

OK...  

The Good:

• The 1st Annual MiniMatisse Global Artist Trading Card Swap is a MAJOR success! We now have 101 schools signed up and over 10,700 cards expected!

The Bad:  

• It's my first time, I'm being sponsored by my Parent Group to provide this for free.  I'm nervous and want to assure that this is a success! That means, I need to close the trade off this year to new participants. 

The Good news AGAIN!!:

• There is a way for everyone to participate digitally! I am so happy to introduce Creatubbles.com.  I have created a 'Gallery' for all participants (ALL students who make ATC's) to upload their work onto our gallery.  

Let me introduce Creatubbles!! This is an online Digital Portfolio that I will be using with my 4th grade this year to document their Artist Trading Cards.  There is so much that I love about this site, but let me just tell you a couple of reasons why you should join us in adding your artwork on Creatubble...

1. This site is SAFE!  It is advertised 'The safe social platform for creative kids'.  Isn't that what we are all looking for?  A totally safe platform for our students. 
2. It's a beautiful site!! Easy to use, intuitive to users. 
3. It connects students worldwide. Students can comment and 'bubble' (similar to a like on Facebook)
4. Students have control!  They can create their homepage, add their art outside of school, create artist statements, add voice and video.  

Take a look at what Susan Riley from Education Closet has to say about it. 

A little more about Creatubble... 

Here is where our Artist Trading Cards some in.  I have made a 'Gallery' for our trades.  I'm very excited to have students upload their works to the site.  It's an open gallery so anyone participating can upload their ATC's (even teachers). This gallery is new and developing, but it will grow.  Future post will explain how the cards can be tracked easily, and how students can write about their art, leave messages, and even add video.  Stay tuned, in the meanwhile, be sure to check out the site and sign up for a FREE account.

Click here for the MiniMatisse Global Artist Trading Card Swap

Self Portrait, Mini Portfolio and Final Project- Part 2

As I explained in a previous post (click here).  Kindergarten and 1st grade students worked on a self-portrait portfolio.  Most classes got the first 3 pages done in the portfolio.  As a warm up the next class visit, students were asked to draw the final page, 'What did you learn' (post-assessment).  Many students explained that they did a lot of practicing on their own.

Then I gave instruction on how to draw a self-portrait one more time.  This time it was on a 9 X 12 sheet of white drawing paper.  The followed along but this went much faster than the previous class.  They drew their face with pencil and then traced with marker.  While some students were finishing up tracing their lines, I had them watch a video about coloring (see here).  We also went over our coloring rubrics again. (click here)  These really helped.  I heard lot's of chatter about 'I want to get a 3 -or- I want to get a 4'.  

As the students were working I went around to each table and wrote a little note about each student in their portfolio.  I was able to get through most students in each class period.  I feel it's really important that parents not only know that their student is getting a good education, but that their art teacher loves them, sees them, and appreciates the person that they are (even if I still don't have all 850 names down).  This picture and mini portfolio will be in their conference folder on Thurs. and Friday.

Line Portfolio

We just wrapped up conferences for our 1st trimester.  Our first grade had been working on a line portfolio.  This book/portfolio was designed over several weeks.  We started out learning about and practicing several lines.  Then we painted them onto what would become the cover.  The following week we colored the covers.  I used markers for one class but found out that the black tempera paint rubbed off on the markers, so we switched to color crayons.  This cover was very much inspired by Cassie Stephens. 

Each book was put together before the next visit to art.  On the 3rd day, we tried drawing the lines that we had been practicing.  This was a great way to tell parents what we have been working on.  Each page had it's own kind of line; diagonal, vertical, horizontal, thick, thin, curved, zig zag, and the last was a page that allowed students to use their lines to make a picture. 

Before parent got these little treats in their students conference folders I included a half sheet saying what we had learned in class this trimester. It looked like this...

I was amazed by the variety and the beauty of these books.  I hope the parents were impressed. 

Final Project, 7th Grade

Hello 7th grade!

This post is for Jan 15th, 16th, 17th and 18th.  You will be wrapping up this quarter with a couple of digital options.  Let's start with the requirements...

Go to your google drive and create a google presentation.  You can embellish it with different fonts, backgrounds, and pictures from our flickr account.  To insert a image into a google presentation try to copy and paste... if that doesn't work, please learn more by clicking here 

Here's what I want to see on the presentation.

slide 1: Your name, hour you have class, and grade
slide 2: Variety:  How did we learn it?  What does it mean?  Comment on
your work.
slide 3: Unity:  How did we learn it?  What does it mean?  Comment on your
work.
slide 4: Emphasis:  How did we learn it?  What does it mean?  Comment on
your work.
slide 5: Balance:  How did we learn it?  What does it mean?  Comment on
your work.
slide 6: Two point perspective:  How did we learn it?  What are your
thoughts about the method?  Comment on your work.
slide 7: One thing you wish we would have had more time for and why.

Please put the effort into this project.  You have 4 days to show me and your parents what you did this quarter.  Be creative, make it beautiful!!  When you are done making you google presentation I would like you to send the link to both me and your parents for final review. When finished with the presentation you can do the following extras.

• Create a digital notan.  This is a project using Sumo.FM (click here) which you will log into using your google account.  Listen to the tutorial of the project (use headphones if you have them) and give it a try (click here for tutorial).  Challenge yourself with the notan (make lots of transitions, and intricate shapes)
• If you finish up with a notan, make another one or experiment with Sumo.FM.  It a fun program.    Please send me the link to your artwork that you have 'saved to sumo.fm' so I can see it.
• You can do anything off my art resources page. (click here)
• Check ut parent portal so you know your grade for art (and your other classes).(click here)