WPU Annual Professional Development Schools Conference on May 26, 2021

WP Art PIR's Triada Smaras and Simone Sandler presented together with several others at the WP Annual Professional Development Schools Conference on May 26, 2021.

The topic "Using the Smithsonian Learning Lab-A Collaborative Team-Centered Approach with PDS Schools in the Paterson Public Schools to Teach Lessons Around Equity & Diversity" was presented by:Neil Grimes, Education and Curriculum Materials Librarian,David and Lorraine Cheng Library, William Paterson University; Triada Samaras, Arts Integration Specialist, Professor-In-Residence; Professional Development Schools (PDS), William Paterson University; Kayo Denda, Librarian for Women’s Gender and Sexuality Studies; Rutgers University-New Brunswick Libraries; Simone Sandler, Arts Integration Specialist, Professor-In-Residence; Professional Development Schools (PDS), William Paterson University.

Below are artworks from the Taub School (the formerly DBTA). In this school, 8th grade bi-lingual students worked with the theme of Bangladeshi-American Identity in their art.

Below are artworks from School 21. In this school students third grade students studied the theme of social justice and protest art and created virtual billboards expressing their points of view.

Don Bosco Technical Academy Gets a New Name and a New School Building!

(Above:  Kindness Tree at Joseph A. Taub School by Art Teacher Patty Kaminski and her students.)

Paterson Don Bosco Technical Academy has a New Name!

The new school name is the:

JOSEPH A. TAUB SCHOOL 

"TOGETHER WE CAN AND TOGETHER WE WILL"

"The new middle school being built on Union Avenue will be named after the late philanthropist Joseph Taub, whose foundation has funded youth basketball and other programs in Paterson for decades.   LINK

"DTBA is committed to educating not only our students' minds! Our teachers also educate the students' characters. The Kindness Project was adopted as an initiative to build strong positive character traits. The leaves of our Kindness Tree are hearts, colored coordinated to which grade is in and has been "caught being kind." Acts of kindness are aligned to one of the Six Pillars of Character. Special thanks to Mrs. Kaminski for creating and painting such a lovely tree. We here at DBTA cannot wait to see our budding tree bloom with Kindness! " LINK

Social and Emotional Learning in Paterson this Fall

Art PIR Simone Sandler is working virtually this year with students at School 9.  Here are some photos of first and second graders.  This project deals with social and emotional learning. Ms. Sandler's focus this year is also on cultural diversity. 

 

More Arts Integration Lessons Taught in Google Classroom

Below, WPU Art PIR Simone Sandler co-taught a variety of arts integration lessons with classroom teachers using Google Classroom to communicate with Paterson students.

Students at School 9 and Dr. Hani Awadallah School are learning about the Great Barrier Reef. After observing different animals that are endangered to our environment and our earth, students wanted to learn how to make a shark.  Here are some screen shots of the steps taken in creating their drawings of sharks.

In another lesson, fourth graders were studying colonial times. Students looked
at portraits from different museums and then created their own
portraits in the style of artists of the times.

These photos show how first graders interpreted the concept of abstract art as the students.

The work below is inspired by the artist: Mondrian.

In the lesson below, students learned how to create Zentangles, a drawing technique that 

promotes mindfulness.

 The first graders at School 9 had to design a snow globe after viewing different dome shapes.  Students were then challenged to create a snow dome using found objects in their homes. Students wrote several sentences about their creations. 

The photo below shows how first graders interpreted the concept of abstract art as the 

students were exposed to the artist Picasso. The heart was used as the main shape for this lesson. 

In addition, classes attended virtual field trips at these on-line sites: M &M Factory;  

Crayola Factory; Space Ship and Slime; New Jersey Farm hydroponics; Northern Lights; 

Lego Factory; How Glass Marbles are made; Ramen Noodle Factory;  Various Art museums 

A Digital Holiday Lesson at School 21

At School 21 Art Professor in Residence Triada Samaras worked together with Art Teacher Raquel Ford to create a digital art lesson for the middle school students.  In Google Classroom, Ms. Ford taught these students how to use Google Drawings to create patterns on holiday mittens they created using their Chromebooks. Ms Ford is currently teaching on-line to her Paterson students.

Google Drawings is a feature of Google Drive. Ms Ford has been teaching several digital art techniques using this software during Fall 2020.  In this lesson students applied various acquired skills including drawing, creating a background, creating patterns and using symbols.  She encouraged students to create their own unique mittens for their holiday celebrations.

"Google Drawings is hosted on Google Drive where all files created with the application are saved by default." (edit) "Google Drawings allows multiple users to open and edit drawings simultaneously in real-time. It allows importing images from the computer or from the Web as well as inserting shapes, arrows, scribbles and text from predefined templates. Objects can be moved, resized and rotated. The software also allows for basic editing of images, including cropping, applying masks and adding borders" LINK 

Using a variety of digital artmaking tools in Google Drawings, students can work at home designing with color and texture even if they do not have paints, colored markers and other art materials.  

Google Drawings is also an app in Chrome.

Later Ms. Ford and her students placed the completed images in a Google Photos Album for the students to see. In the future Ms. Ford and Professor Samaras are planning an interactive Google Drawings lesson in which groups of two or three students will create an artwork together and simultaneously.

For more information see:

35 Creative Google Drawings Activities for Classes

https://ditchthattextbook.com/35-creative-google-drawings-activities-for-classes/

A Southeast Asia Project at DBTA

Art Teacher Patty Kaminski and Art Professor-in-Residence Triada Samaras collaborated to create an arts integration lesson at Don Bosco School that integrates art making, religious/spiritual traditons, technology and the culture of Southeast Asia.

Above: Ms. Kaminski's Mehndi Lesson in Google Slides

In this lesson the concept of Mendhi Design was presented to the students. "What is Henna Mehndi?," Ms. Kaminski asked her students in Google Classroom.  At Don Bosco Technical Academy many students originate from Bangladesh and are familiar with Mehndi. 

                          Above: Image of Mehndi on the back of the hands

In Google Slides, students learned that Mehndi is a form of art that traditionally uses dried leaves of the Henna plant to make a paste that is applied to the body. Mehndi is a form of body art and skin decoration that dates back to Ancient India. LINK

Above: Image of Mehndi on the inside of the same hands

 Mehndi is still a popular form of Body Art in Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, the Maldives, Africa and the Middle East. Mehndi has roots in spiritual and religious tradions in these regions.  For example Mehndi is often used on the hands of Hindu and Muslim brides. LINK  

Next, Ms. Kaminski showed her students Mehndi designs in Google Classroom.

Students began their artworks by tracing their own hands. Inspired by Mehndi images and designs placed in Google Slides for them, they created unique designs into their traced hand shapes.  Later they used black sharpie markers were to outline and highlight their designs.

This arts integration lesson utilised culturally responsive teaching strategies as well as social emotional learning and global perspectives.  

Some student artworks can be found below: