Search results matching tags 'art' and 'music'

Sounds of The Birds and the Bees!

Anonymous — Wed, 01 May 2013 10:00:00 GMT

THE MONTH OF MAY! WELCOME!!!

It's time to turn another page on your calendar. Debbie Clement of RainbowsWithinReach here. Queen of this collaborative effort. Happy monarch of sharing: rainbows, polka dots and learning new things. I'm so excited about today's article. It's FILLED with sights and sounds and inspiration and joy and color and ideas and giggles and fun and snippets and projects and spring!

I've learned about SoundCloud in the last 24 hours. For the first time in my seventeen career as the 'music lady' and five years as a blogger, I can now share a little taste test of my ditties. I have also learned how to link a photo to another article! This is a LOT! I'm learning! I'm growing!
Oh happy spring-time!!!

This is the official beginning of the genuine, no-kidding race down the homestretch. The finish line is in sight for traditional classroom teachers. Have you begun your countdown? How many more Mondays do you have on your calendar?

Let's get started with some of those May flowers that we've anticipated from all of the April showers!

The clever spring bulletin board photos above are from Amber Osterman's "Kindergarten Rocks" hallway. I was able to make a serendipitous visit to her elementary in Osseo, WI on Monday. We met over the weekend at the 35th Annual ECE conference at UW-Stout. The blooms below were created in their art room.

Last week I was in Dixon, IL with our very own Carie Ramirez and photographed these next beauties! They are part of my Art History 101 article published over the weekend. The concentric circles are reminiscent of the work of Kandinsky.

BIRDIES. BABY BIRDIES. LITTLE BABY BIRDIES.

Spring is the season of new life. What greater delight is there than watching a nest being built, eggs being laid, and baby birdies emerging. Look at this project. Primary colors! Media in three dimensions. Bingo!

Now. Look what I have learned!

Embed a sound-clip of my own "Little Birdie" sing-a-long.

Listen along to a snippet.

You'll hear just how simple it is.

I use it with finger puppets.

"Busy, Buzzy Bumblebees"

YES! I also have a very simple little dittie all about bumblebees. It's called "Busy Bumblebee." You can take this one on a test drive, too. There are a total of four verses with a whole lot of alliteration!

"LADYBUG, LADYBUG"

Since the theme this month is 'Songs-of-Flight' take a look at all of these little red ladybug projects! Do you think that that ladybugs bring luck? They always make me smile. There are all sorts of possibilities when it comes to ladybugs!

Preschool Ladybugs on the Bulletin Board for Spring

Now for the final snippet of the month, my "Ladybug" dittie.

You'll notice the simplicity of my songs.

These three all have predictability in the lyrics.

Plenty of repetition.

Oodles of rhyme.

Perfect for Prek+K!

BIG NEWS!! All three of my little winged 'songs-in-flight' have now been converted into Mp3s and then placed into a happy bundle of togetherness and inserted into a zipped file.

The zipped file has then been uploaded under our very own cyber shopping, umbrella-of-excellence, at the EARLY EDUCATION EMPORIUM. Look for this image for your purchase and instant download. There is a simple lyric sheet included. Whooohoooo! Progress!

***Now let me see how else I can be a resource for you during this merry month of May! This is the part of the article where I practice embedding a photograph that links directly to another article from 'my' blog. So if you see something that looks interesting, just click on the picture and enjoy! Amy Ahola taught me just yesterday!

-- Debbie --

I'm now at 119,542 followers!

Click this link to go there directly!

As 'queen' of "PreK+K Sharing" Debbie Clement writes the first article here every month. She writes from her perspective of inter- disciplinary interest: quilting together ALL of the arts of music, movement, story-telling and the visual Arts as well.

Debbie has written and recorded over 100 original songs for children onto 6 CDs that she has under her RainbowsWithinReach banner. An additional 3 CDs have been designed for Zaner-Bloser and Redleaf Publishing.

She travels the country sharing her original zest. The photo at left was taken a couple of weeks ago in Dixon, IL. The quilt was created under the direction of Carie-the-kindergarten teacher (who contributes articles here on the 17th of the month) in response to Debbie's first picture book "You're Wonderful." Click on the photo to see another 14 quilts created in her building!!

Debbie is a Pinterest Princess and invites you to join 119,500+ followers of her curated boards. She has also been deemed at 'expert' in the Early Childhood channel at Sulia. Never been there? Give it a try!

Pumpkins & the Pumpkin Patch

Anonymous — Sat, 06 Oct 2012 01:59:00 GMT

Well, I can't sleep (go figure!) so I decided I should update the blog. I can't do anything else when everyone is sleeping. I was busy cleaning my house, rearranging my girls' bedroom and getting ready for my scrapbooking crop tomorrow and figured I would wait until the weekend to update but now is as good of time as any.

The week started off at Rufener's Pumpkin Farm. What a BEAUTIFUL day we were lucky enough to have. The sun was shining, the weather was warm and it was just perfect for a field trip. The kiddos had a great time on the hay ride, going through the corn maze, picking their own pumpkins out of the field, playing in the soybeans, seeing the animals, riding the train and climbing on the tractors. It was such a great field trip. I am so proud of how well all of the kiddos behaved also, using their manners and having great listening.

Ms. N was in charge of planning an activity for the TTH class on Tuesday and Thursday. On Tuesday, she followed up from the field trip by asking the kiddos what they saw at the pumpkin farm and then having them paint their own pumpkin patch. These turned out really cute (although most are not pumpkins) but it is what resembled it to them.

On Thursday (and Friday), Ms. N cut up a pumpkin and put it in our sensory table. She had the skin, seeds, and everything else. She called the kiddos over a couple at a time and asked them to touch it, explain what it felt like, play with it, ask questions about it, etc. A few of the kiddos were a little timid about touching it.

We talked about the letter P this week also. The MWF class completed another letter in their Phonics Booklets on Friday.

We also practiced cutting straight lines in the MWF class, which those papers were filed in their portfolios for Parent-Teacher Conferences in November.

Ms. S (one of our Kent State field students) read a music book with the kiddos last week when she was in on Friday. The book also had an interactive app on her iPad. Friday when she was in again, she brought in her iPad and showed the kiddos the same music book but also how the kids in the book moved along to the music.

Both classes also completed their journal page "In September" for their portfolios. At the end of every month, we talk about the things we did during the month, and then the kiddos tell us what their favorite thing was and draw a picture of it. For September, we talked about fall, apples, sorted leaves and apples, made applesauce, taste tested apples, started school, made new friends, learned new things.

Ms. K was in charge of music and activities after lunch this week in the MWF class. She had the kiddos exercising, dancing and singing. Friday, I shared with them the new music book we got from Scholastic called "Pete the Cat: Rocking in my School Shoes". They LOVED this book too!

This week I also signed up the Preschool for a website called ABCMouse. It is an educational website that I have heard about in the past and has received top awards. Every child was enrolled into the website and I am organizing lessons on there that coordinate with what we are learning at school. The children will be able to log in at home with their parent(s) and complete the activities. It is further emphasis on the skills I am teaching at school and also improving their computer skills...moving that mouse is a hard skill to figure out and learn!

The week of October 8th, we will begin talking about Halloween (nothing scary!) and the letter H. Ms. N is going to be in charge of planning and teaching all day on Tuesday and Thursday for the next two weeks. Ms. K is going to be planning an activity for rotation on Tuesday and Thursday next week also.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Rainsticks to Sing With!

Anonymous — Wed, 16 May 2012 08:00:00 GMT

A RAINY DAY WITH MISS CAROLE!

Rainsticks have become very popular as classroom instruments in the past 25 years. You can find them at powwows, in music stores, in international craft stores and at educational conferences. They are fun, really do sound like rain, and whatever their origin, they’re a delightful addition to world music.

Where do rainsticks come from? The Aztecs? Africa? Ecuador? No one is really sure. My 4’6” rainstick is from Chile – signed and numbered – made by the Diaguita Indians and used to thank the gods for rain. When turned, the pebbles inside cascade past thorns, making a tinkling sound. My students smile, then giggle, then sit open-mouthed in wonder at the sound. With such a large rainstick, it takes almost a minute for the last “drop” to fall!

What is a rainstick? Authentic rainsticks are the dead stalks of a cactus with the thorns that once stuck outward hammered INWARD. Filled with pebbles or seashells and sealed, it makes a magical sound very much like a rainstorm, starting softly, growing in volume and intensity, then tapering off to a pitter pat of the final rocks travelling from one end to the other. The shorter the stick, the shorter the storm!

How can YOU make a rainstick? There are MANY ways to make rainsticks – here’s my favorite. Please let me know how YOU do it. I’ve found this to produce a great musical sound, be sturdy, and my 4’s and 5’s really enjoy making them – and taking them home at the end of the year!

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:
24” mailing tubes with end covers

bandaids

1 ¾” roofing nails (about 50-60 per tube)

a hammer

white craft paper

hot glue

filling (I use rice, popcorn and assorted beans)

paint or markers

white glue

yarn for decoration

1. Pre-punch about 50-60 holes in each tube. Yes, it’s time consuming, but worth it. Watch a little Dancing With The Stars, and you’ll be done in no time!

2. Children put a bandaid on their thumb, pad of bandaid on pad of thumb. Put out plates of nails, and have the children press a nail into each hole. This usually takes about 20 minutes.

Be sure to take both ends off a tube and have the children look inside – it looks just like a cactus rainstick!

3. Hot glue one end of tube shut.

4. Children pour in about 1 ½ cups of filling.

5. Hot glue the other end to seal.

6. To make a Cover: Cut craft paper into strips, 24 x 7”. Children can decorate with paint or markers. Dry. With white glue, attach covers to rainstick – use enough glue so that it makes the nails inaccessible.

7. Wind yarn around one end of tube, about 3” from the top for decoration.

Now you’re ready to do some “Singing in the Rain!”

You can find this great action song on my “Dancing Feet!” cd. If you know “Tootie Ta” – this is another take on an add-on song with silly, fun movements! You may know the song, written by Freed and Brown in 1929! It was a great movie, too!

Bottoms up!

CHORUS:

I’m singing in the rain

Just singing in the rain

What a glo-ri-ous feeling

I’m happy again!

Teacher leads, children echo:

Thumbs up! (echo)

Shoulders back! (echo)

Repeat chorus, adding one movement with each repetition:

Knees together!

Bottoms up!

Tongue out!

Eyes closed!

With RAINSTICKS: We pick up our rainsticks, turning them over and over during the choruses, putting them down to do the motions. It’s a great exercise in anticipating sequence and pattern. Without Rainsticks, sway hands overhead during the chorus.

I’ve heard from students that rainsticks made this way are still making music 10 years later!

If you have questions – and definitely if you have a different way to make a great rainstick – spill the beans!

Yours for a Pitter Patter!

Miss Carole

Macaroni Soup! ActiveMusic for Kids!

My Hands Sing the Blues: Romare Bearden’s Childhood Journey (by Jeanne Walker Harvey)

Anonymous — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 21:38:00 GMT

Summary of My Hands Sing the Blues: Romare Bearden’s Childhood Journey (by Jeanne Walker Harvey):

Written as a first-person flashback, Romare Bearden (African-American artist) reveals one of the inspirations for his art—his past. Memories of listening to stories from his Great-grandmother, remembering life in the rural South, and riding on a train from North Carolina to New York City, reveal more than mere biographical data. Author Jeanne Walker Harvey writes in rhythmic, poetic language mirroring the jazz and blues music that also inspired the artist and reflects the rich culture heritage of Bearden and other African-Americans of his generation. Illustrator Elizabeth Zunon uses glowing oil paints with mixed media collage (paralleling Bearden’s own style). The pictures depict his memories along with images of rural life and segregation during the 1910’s and 1920’s when he was young. A focal point on many of the pages is trains both as narrative emphasis and as a way to make known Bearden’s passion for them.

Evaluation:

My Hands Sing the Blues is a work of art in and of itself. The stunning blend of illustrations and poetic language make this book a must read. I love how Harvey brilliantly incorporates the blues music style in the text which makes it soothing and striking. While this book is an ideal selection to have on hand during Black History Month, its appeal is not limit to that event. There is a wide range of activities it can be used for by teachers from art and literature to history and music. Parents can enjoy reading it to their children just for the fantastic storytelling, melodic language, and brilliant illustrations. I highly recommend this book for all audiences.

Teaching Opportunities:

Language—Use the examples of onomatopoeia, alliteration, and rhyme to teach these sound devices to younger children learning beginning reading skills or older students learning about poetic language
Art—The exquisite use of collage will inspire budding artist to practice this art media; students can, like Bearden, use their life experiences or music as inspiration
History—Glimpses and references to the Harlem Renaissance, segregation, and the Jim Crow laws are craftily incorporated
Literature—In a study of biographies, utilize as an example and discuss how it is like a type biography and how it is different; also can be used in a study of multicultural/African-American literature or poetry
Music—Play samples of jazz and blues music; parallel the language and imagery of book to that of the music
Literary Flashback—Define what a flashback is in literature; use the picture book as model, discuss how/why writers use it
Writing—Students can write a story with a flashback or write lines of poetry imitating the blues inspired stanzas
Moving—The artist looks back at his memory of moving from the South to the North; discuss how he probably felt and allow students to talk about their own moving experiences

Truth or Lie: Activity for any classroom

Anonymous — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 14:23:00 GMT

I recently responded to a blog challenge by a video recording of myself - you can see it by clicking here. Most EFL teachers are probably aware of the activity where students are asked to say some things about themselves, and the others are to guess if they're true or false. I suggested taking this a step further and have the students bring video recordings of themselves saying those things. But

I’ve shared Activity TV in the past but thought I would...

Anonymous — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 00:35:33 GMT

I’ve shared Activity TV in the past but thought I would share it again because my students have been using it this week to create origami frogs and airplanes.

They are loving the activities (tutorials), which they can stop and rewind to understand a tricky fold. We are using a projector with our computer so the tutorial is nice and large and we do not move on until everyone has the fold. Students are helping one another and they are all enjoying these lessons. The kids want to make these at home to so I put links to the projects on our blog: The Wonderful World of Near North.

I’m looking forward to doing some of Activity TV’s science projects as well as the magic tricks. This is a great site for helping kids learn to follow directions step by step as well as working to help each other.

There are 17 categories to choose with many activities in each category. Categories include paper airplanes, origami, crafts, puppets, juggling, cartooning, magic, jewelry, cheerleading, family gifts, room projects, music, dance, trivia, science, crafts, and puppets.

Have you tried 3x3Links before? From the site: 3x3Links enhances...

Anonymous — Sun, 09 Jan 2011 01:04:26 GMT

Have you tried 3x3Links before?

From the site: 3x3Links enhances the speed-dial experience known from Opera, Chrome and the Firefox extension by allowing you to take your start page with you, organize it your way and to use high-speed keyboard shortcuts.

As a bonus, it can store up to 729 links by using folders, display website logos instead of thumbnails,
and performs really fast by using the new HTML5 LocalCache feature.

I just created one called Do It! Online for Kids. I think 3x3Links is a neat way to put links together that students can access easily. It was easy to get the hang of how to put it together after creating a category or two.

DoIt! Online for Kids includes nine online activities for each category. I chose sites that help develop creativity in many genres and that no registration would be needed. The sites can easily be accessed at home as well as school. I may change sites from time to time especially in Holiday It!

The categories are…

Draw and Paint It!

Build It!

Comics It!

Poetry It!

Read It!

Holiday It!

Music It!

Write It!

Color It!

***If you try 3x3Links let me know how it worked for you and share what you created by clicking here.

Mighty Books has many free online books that are very charming...

Anonymous — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 12:46:46 GMT

Mighty Books has many free online books that are very charming and really entertaining. The books have both audio and text. I just listened to How Mona Lisa Got her Smile and know students would really enjoy it. They have several really nice books that are art and music related as well as other subjects too.

Screenshot

To access their “hundreds” of books the description rate is $24.95 per classroom. This site would help make a fantastic listening/reading center. If the quality of the books is the same as the free ones I definitely think it is more than worth the price.

Check it out and see what you think.

Another great find via @marynabadenhors. If you don’t follow her on twitter you should. She always finds and shares the best resources.

I haven’t blogged about HelpKidzLearn in a while and I...

Anonymous — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 23:50:13 GMT

I haven’t blogged about HelpKidzLearn in a while and I want to share my favorite interactives with you. The ones I will share today are centered around developing creativity and thinking skills. These games are for beginning learners K-1.

Train Tracker Puzzle game where students must build the tracks. The train really travels around the track they build. Lots of thinking involved in this game.

Mosaic Painter Create a mosaic that also makes music.

Card Maker Easy to use card maker for younger students. Birthday, Christmas, Easter, and Halloween cards can be made with just a few clicks of the mouse then they can be easily printed.

Shape Pictures (transport) Students can create vehicles by dragging shapes onto the screen.

Making Music Students will love making music on this colorful virtual piano.

*More online musical experiences in my “Let Kids Make Music” LiveBinder

Build a Sandcastle Just what it says…hit the blue arrow for more options.

You can find all of these and more in my “Help Kidz Learn” Jog. They will all open directly for easy student access.

Screenshot of virtual piano

Activity TV features cool activities for kids, many of which...

Anonymous — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 14:15:00 GMT

Activity TV features cool activities for kids, many of which lend themselves to science, art, and music lesson components. Every project has a video, printable instructions, and other related information.

Activities are categorized according to theme as well as level of difficulty. Along with seasonal and holiday activities they also have:

Below is a screenshot of some of their activities.

I have added their fantastic paper airplane activities to my “Paper Airplanes and Other Flying Machines” LiveBinder. These are great for students learning to follow directions.