8weeksofsummer Goals

This post is week 1 of 8 in the 8 Weeks of Summer Blog Challenge for educators.

Learning Goals

I’m always learning and teaching. I’ve taken Adobe courses, Managing Misinformation [although, due to a death in the family, I couldn’t finish this excellent in depth course], and continue connecting with my #CLmooc peers.

I want to dig into Civic Online Reasoning and include that as a focus point for discourse and learning.

I’m working with the local Friends of the Library in support of our small library, which often involves volunteering to help kids with projects at the programs.

I’m helping others with their professional development as a moderator/mentor for Jennifer Gonzalez’s JumpStart Course, and that is a reciprocal mentorship where I learn from the participants as much as I help guide them. Isn’t that so true — how we learn while helping others.

But one thing I’m doing differently this year is some learning I did not take time for in the past– something to learn because I want to learn it. And today, Joy Kirr tweeted about just that:

I’m not an artist, but I always included bits of art and calligraphy and design into my lessons, especially because design is so much a part of today’s literacies: sharing digitally means to think about not just the text, but the images, visual, video, audio, layout, etc. for your audience and purpose.

And because copyright is so important, creating your own images and visuals is very important and helpful in explaining and analyzing information.

So art and drawing is very important — these are avatars and that type of drawing and digital art my students and I learned together to create interesting informative summaries and posters for our work.

And now I’m learning much more about digital illustration and would love to have had this knowledge and the practice strategies to get started for my students.Students could create characters for different purposes and use those in their communications to explain their issues and projects. In blog posts, comics, and brochures, these add a “voice” and interest to draw readers in.

I am no artist, but I’m learning, and it’s a gift I could have given to my students.

So, as Joy said: What are your passions that are part of you?  Make those part of your goals for professional development this summer!

 

 

6 Comments

on “8weeksofsummer Goals
6 Comments on “8weeksofsummer Goals
  1. So glad to have you back in the #8weeksofsummer blogging challenge Sheri!

    It strikes me that when you ask students to create original artwork you are also helping them create space. Space where they are not mindlessly following directions or keeping busy in other ways. That space is rare and is where original ideas are born.

    • Hi Penny — I hadn’t thought of creating art as creating their space, but really it is. It lets them broaden the idea of who they are in the world and builds their confidence in their own worthiness. Thanks for the thought. ~ Sheri

  2. I love that we’re in this #8weeks challenge (67 days!) together!

    I’m so glad you’re going to bring your love of art to the classroom, Sheri. Have you connected with @heckawesome yet? She teaches at the other middle school in my district and has her students create “learning mascots” which may be something up your alley… https://youtu.be/KKkPw6eV9yk

    Enjoy your summer and art!!

    • Hi Joy — it’s great to be part of something together. I am enjoying my art, and I love the “learning mascots” Carrie applies in her classroom. What a super idea. See you in the blogosphere! ~ Sheri

      • Sheri,
        What a joy to read this post and all you are doing and reading. You are doing retirement well. I love that portrait you made–such a powerful woman you painted. Is it someone you know?

        I am joining in the #8WeeksofSummer challenge a week late, but I hope I can keep it up and inspire my blogging again.

        All the best,
        Denise

        • Hi Denise, Glad we’re in the same challenge again. I’m hoping to inspire more people to continue blogging or to start blogging. Perhaps we can both work on that.

          No, the illustration was based on a choice of several photos online I found; I chose “seniors” because we’re awesome people 🙂

          I look forward to reading your goals too. ~ Sheri

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