Weekly Updates

Check this page for updates every week!

May 5-8

• THURSDAY MAY 8, 8:30-11:15. Final Class meeting. Directions have been sent out in email. Contact me if you have not received them.

• BRING 3 BLANK CARDS AND ENVELOPES. We will get those thankyou cards written at the meeting!

• FINAL TA PACKETS DUE MAY 8, 8:00AM IN EMAIL TO LMI. This includes Teaching Artist Resume, Teaching Philosophy, 3 Paragraphs describing 3 Practicum experiences in email to me. I will blue line the resumes and get back to you in email next week.

• GALLERIES AND LESSON PLANS DUE TO CAROL BEFORE MAY 8. ALL galleries and lesson plans are due to Carol in the manner she has asked you to submit before our final class meeting with the exception of Gretchen and Alissa, who are finishing up their lessons this week.

• REIMBERMENTS FORMS AND RECEIPTS. Place in my mailbox this week or bring to final class meeting.

• EXTRA SUPPLIES. Return to my office this week. Please put your names on them so I know who brought them back so I can give you credit!

• EVALUATION FORMS. I am still waiting for the following:
  Self evaluation forms:
  2 – Gretchen
  2 – Jake

Video evaluations
2 – Gretchen
2 – Margit
2 – Amanda
2 – Jake

April 28 - May 2

• GALLERY BUILDING MEETING. Unfinished galleries:
  Alissa - Perpich
  Gretchen - Expo
  Jake - Field
  Jenna - Barton

Galleries finished and turned in:
Alissa, Amanda, Gretchen, Margit - Barton
Amanda - White Bear
Jake and Nicole - Jackson
Jenna - Perpich
Margit - Hudson

Things to remember:
PULL MiniSite to their workstation when working.
PUT LMI TA Gallery parts INTO Photoshop FROM the server (server ones are newer)
EDIT the IndexPage and SubPage BEFORE running gallery.

• FINAL CLASS MEETING MAY 8, 8:30-11:15. All galleries to be turned in completed to Carol before the all class meeting. Email Teaching Artist Resume, Teaching Philosophy, 3 descriptive paragraphs of Practicum experiences prior to the meeting. I will check them in at the meeting. Directions will come.
  
  
• ASSESSMENTS AND EVALUATIONS. I am missing self assessments from the following people:
  Gretchen - 2 self , 2 video
  Jenna - 1 self, 2 video
  Margit - 1 self, 1 video
  Jacob - 2 slef, 2 video
  
  
• RETURNING MATERIALS. All materials you use are signed out from the TA closet. Please return any left over materials that I have paid for as well as materials signed out from the closet by the final week of classes. Any hard materials that are not returned - such as scissors, extrat paint, brushes, etc I will have to bill you for. The closet lock works again so you will need to return them to me during office hours or contact me about the return.
  

April 21-28

• TA MANDATORY GALLERY BUILDING WORKSHOP. Thursday April 24, 6:00-9:00 in Summit Digital Access Lab. Bring images from each residency finished to date, adjusted, names appropriately and sized. Bring Bbedit lesson plans. Contact Carol@cva.edu with questions on the requirements, or where the information is stored on the servers.

• FINAL ALL-CLASS MEETING / BRUNCH. Do not forget our final meeting on May 8, from 8:30-11:15 at my house. Directions will come in email. Your TA PACKETS - see Spring assignments - are due to me in email and all gallery materials are to be turned into Carol in working order before the final meeting. I will check them in at the meeting. This includes the Teaching Artist Resume, TA philosophy, three descriptive paragraphs of Practicum experiences, and all of your reimbursement requests, self and video evaluations if you have not turned them in as yet. Contact me if you have questions.

• TWO PRACTICUM PRESENTATIONS. I look forward to Jake and Gretchen's presentations this week. I expect your lesson plans soon. Let me know if you need materials from the TA closet.

• RETURNING MATERIALS. All materials you use are signed out from the TA closet. Please return any left over materials that I have paid for as well as materials signed out from the closet by the final week of classes. Any hard materials that are not returned - such as scissors, extrat paint, brushes, etc I will have to bill you for. The closet lock works again so you will need to return them to me during office hours or contact me about the return.

April 14-18

• REFLECTION DUE DATES. Self evaluations needs to be turned in to me within a week of your presentation. The video evals a week afteryou receive the CD from me.

• HOURS TO DATE. Check your Practicum hours. A few of you look scant for this time in the semester. With the end of the semester arriving this is of great concern. If you do not have if you do not have 67 hours logged by this week please contact me. Double check the hours log today!

• USE CONTACT LIST. If you need to reach me use the phone. I only check my email once a day. Please remember that I am off site visiting your presentations when I am not in class or in my office other than during my office hours.Please sign up --they are filling up. If you cannot make my office hours call me to set a time up. It is just too slow to do it by email.

• SCHEDULING PRESENTATIONS TWO WEEKS OUT. Contact me at least two weeks ahead of time to schedule presentations or I may have filled your spot with another commitment. I save dates as best I can up to two weeks out. Double check the schedule before scheduling with your teacher. If my initials are after a students time during the week I am scheduled into that presentation. I am waiting for Jake, Gretchen, and Nicolle.

• MATERIALS. You will want to pick materials up from the TA closet during my office hours. If you cannot do it then call me to set up an other time. You have found that I am not in my office other than office hours. Materials must be signed out and when returned crossed off the sign out list or you will be responsible for replacing them.

• TA MANDATORY GALLERY BUILDING WORKSHOP. Thursday April 24 6:00-9:00 in Summit Digital Lab. Bring images from each residency finished to date, adjusted, names appropriately and sized. Bring Bbedit lesson plans. Contact Carol@cva.edu with questions on the requirements, or where the information is stored on the servers.

April 7 - 11

• FINAL PRESENTATIONS. Gretchen, NIcolle, Jake, Jenna have not scheduled final presenation dates with me. Check calendars and work with teachers to set that up this week.

• UPDATE APRIL CALENDAR. I have notice there have been some changes to your April calendars. Please update them with me this week. You can do this over email.

• INDIVIDUAL MEETINGS. Gretchen, NIcolle, Jake, Jenna need to schedule individual meetings about their next lesson plans soon.

• MANDATORY ALL CLASS GALLERY BUILDING MEETING - APRIL 24, 6:00-9:00. You must have your photos appropriately named, sized and ready and your lesson plans in Bbedit prior to this meeting. If you do not know how to get to the info in the labs for work contact Carol Zen- carol@cva.edu - the more work you have prepared before this meeting the faster it will go for you. If you are finished with your residencies you will want to have all of your photos named and ready and both Bbedit lesson plans prepared.

March 31 - April 4

• SCHEDULE FINAL PRESENTATIONS. Please sign up on the schedule outside my office for a meeting to discuss your final presentation. I want to meet with you 2 weeks before you present and see your lesson plan a week prior to your presentation. Please check the calendars to see when I am available.

• RECEIPTS. I will pay these as soon as you get me the forms and receipts. You have $25 per classroom. FInd forms as the bottom of the Practicum page.

• EVALUATION FORMS. Do your self and video assessments immediately following your presentation and turn into my box in the library or Summit. It important that you reflect immediately rather than waiting. Many of you have not turned in these forms. They must be submitted in order to pass the course.

• MANDATORY 2ND GALLERY BUILDING MEETING. Bring the digital photos from both ouf your presentations and your BBEdit lesson plans to this meeting on April 24 in the Summit 302 Lab from 6-9:00. If your pictures are ready and lessons in BBedit you may be able to get this done in one evening! Follow Carols's directions to submit finished galleries(2) and linked lesson plans(2). If you need assistance see our digital tutor Steve Stenzel.

March 24-28

• TA student response to Margit's question from Week 8. What are some good ways to lecture a class of younger students with out them loosing interest? Please make a comment in your Weekly Journal Entry Week 9 replying to Margit's question. Consider how you have you kept students attention when presenting information? What have you seen artists or teachers do that has been successful when working with younger students

• Lesson Plans and Presentations. Please check calendars before setting your final lesson presentation, dates are filling. Meet me a week before your presentation for a planning session. Email the planning backwards model to me one week prior.

• Teacher and Artist Assessments. I sent out all assessment forms over break. I am forwarding them to you as I receive them.

• Schedule changes. Let me know if you have schedule changes from the updated calendars so I can keep them current.

• Check Weekly Hours Log for accuracy. Nicolle, you are missing a number of hours and journal entries.

• BBedit for lesson plans placed on assignment link. You must pull this document directly into BBedt to hold format. If you have trouble contact Carol.

• Have a great week. I am looking forward to seeing your work the second half of the semester!

• THANK YOU NOTES. Please make certain the Thank You notes promised before springbreak are finished.

March 17-21

• CVA Spring Break. Many of you will be working over springbreak. I will look for your journals on the traditional day.

March 10-14

• DESCRIPTVE REVEIW IN JOURNALS and MORE. Thank you for making journals more descriptive this week. I would like you to continue with the the remainder of the protocol though ...Describe, speculate and question...speculate on what do you think the students are learning. Consider the Artist Habits of Mind that we used earlier in the class as well as the Habits of Mind-research on what intelligent people when they do by Arthur L. Costa, Ed.D. and Bena Kallick, Ph.D. My goals is that you all see that you are teaching more than--shading, or planar analysis, or illustration techniques. Review the website above before writing your next journals to help you speculate on the breadth of student learning going on in the classrooms you are observing and working in.The final goal of the journal inquiry is to identify questions raised by the work you are doing in the classroom. We can all then respond to those questions in next weeks journals as we discussed at our midterm meeting or if you prefer by email but cc the whole class. Let me know if you have questions. I will add comments in the journal area as well.
• ALL TA STUDENT MEETING. It was a joy to catch up with all of you at once at the meeting. Do contact Carol for further instructions on the galleries. You will want to prepare you photos and your BBedit lesson plans before the next all class meeting on Thursday April 24, 6-9 in the computer lab Summit.
• SCHEDULE LESSON PRESENTATION. As most of you begin your final residency please check the calendars to see when I can oberve before making final dates with your teachers. Contact me as soon as you have a date in order to save it with me.
• THANK YOU NOTES. Did you get those written. Do it before you begin your next residency. Come on!...I know you intend to. It gets harder and harder the further you are from the experience.
• TEACHER /ARTIST/INSTRUCTOR ASSESSMENTS. Look for these in your PO boxes as the semester contineus.
• SELF EVALUATIONS AND VIDEO ASSESSMENTS. Place in my boxes-LIbrary or Summit. FIll out thoroughly.
• RECEIPTS. Place in my box and I will pay ASAP.
• MATERIALS. If I pay for materials I expect the extras back for future TA projects. Bring to my office. Please sign out materials on the list on the closet door before taking them, note when and what was returned . Return materials as soon as you are finished so other may use them.
• UPDATED Calendars. I appear to missing updated March, April and May calendar from April and May from Amanda, Alissa (have they stayed the same?), Jake, Margit, and NIcole, Please check the calendars to make certain your hours are correct. The CVA office uses this information if we need to find you for any reason.
• BREAK. Have a great break next week. Those of you who are going to Paris...think of me at the Eiffel Tower, Isle de la Cite, the Latin Quater, the Louvre, the Pomp--and walking the Champs Elysees with a fleeting thought of all of us!! Sauntering the Seine and accompaniing Julie on the Metro. I will be thinking of you! Ahhh...the Marais--some hidden young fashion houses in old buildings the last time I was there.
• HAVE A SAFE AND LOVELY BREAK--ALL! I will be in town most of the break so if you need me please do give an email or call. You who are working over break you can send your journals and I will get them up.

March 3-7

• THURSDAY MARCH 6, 7:00-10:00PM--MANDATORY ALL CLASS MEETING. Meet on third floor Summit digital access lab. Bring the following:
  • DIGITAL PHOTOS OF STUDENT WORK. Bring photos of student work from residency and a storage device toback up work.Flash or CD.
  • DIGITAL COPIES OF PLANNING BACKWARDS MODEL in MS Word or BBedit from you first presentation.
  • CALENDARS. Bring updated calendars for March, April and May.
  • I am looking forward to bringing us together to share experiences. It has been vast!
• EMAIL PROTOCOL When receiving a personal email please resond that you have recieved it. Thanks!
• THANK YOU NOTES. When you finish with a residency or shadowing a hand written thank you is in order.Mention something special you ahve learned from the experience and how you hope to share it in the future.

February 25-29

• MARCH 6, 7:00-10:00PM--ALL CLASS MEETING. Our mandatory all class meeting will take place on March 6 from 6-10 pm in Summit 302. I will bring dinner for you. We will meet for an hour to review your pracitcum experiences to date. A digital workshop with Carol Zen on building digital galleries will follow. Bring digital photos of student work from your first presentation. You will want to represent each student. In order to save yourself time use the photo tips from Feb 11-15 below.
• PLANNING BACKWARDS. Use the planning backwards model from the Assignment page for planning presentations. This should be submitted to me a week prior to your presentation. I will get it back to you within 12 hours via email.
• ASSESSMENTS FROM TEACHERS AND ARTISTS. I have sent thank you and assessment forms to teachers and artist you have let me know you have completed your time with. This includes Marie Olofsdotter, Mary Austin, and Ulla Tervo-Desnick. When I receive a digital copy of the assessment I forward it to you. If it comes to me via snail mail you will find it in your box. Let me know when you finish with a residency or shadowing so that I can contact your Practicum mentor.
• JOURNAL QUESTIONS. Jake has raised some important and thoughtful questions on the place of critique and beginning work in his journal this week. Please make comment to him regarding your thoughts on these questions in your journals thiscoming week or send him an email and cc us all.
• UPDATE CALENDARS. Put updated March and April calendars in LMI Mailbox in Summit or Library.

February 17-21

• DOUBLE CHECK SCHOOL CALENDARS. Schools vary on release days. You need to make certain you are not planning on Practicum hours on days school is not in session.
• SEE GRETCHEN'S JOURNAL WK 4 FOR ASSESSMENT STRATEGIES. She used a successful assessment technique that allowed her to understand the success of her project.
• STILLIFE QUESTION FROM LAST WEEK. Gretchen gave insightful feedback on the stillife question from last week. Please conitnue to comment on one another questions!
• FINISHING FIRST RESIDENCY . DO NOT forget to take digital photos of all student work for your galleries. Last week I gave pointers on how to take good digitral photos to save yourself time in Photoshop!
• THANK YOU NOTES. Hand written thank you notes go a long way in honoring those you have worked with. Make certain you do this with your artists and teachers as soon as you finish your shadowings and residencies. You will find addresses on Practicum page under contact list.
• EMAIL PRESENTATION DATES TO LMI. If you have verbally given me your presentation dates you still must email them to me in order to make certain they are on the calendar. Check the calendars to see that they are correct.
• SIGN UP TO MEET FOR PRESENTATION CONTENT. If you have not met with LMI about your first presentation do so this week. Sign up on the calendar outside her office dooe during office hours. If you cannot make those contact her via email.
• CHECK WEEKLY HOURS. See weekly hours log for acurracy.

February 11-15

• THE JOURNALS are expecially good this week. You have so much to share with one another ....make certain to read them! Both Jenna and Margit have raised questions about building stillife in a small classroom. Please resond to them in your jounrals next week or email ideas and thoughts and as always cc me.
• PRESENTATIONS. If you have not set a time with your 1st residency teacher for your presentation yet do this week. Check the course calendars to see when I am available to observe before scheduling with your teacher and contact me with the date ASAP. Sign up for a meeting with me on my calendar outside my office --if my schedule does not work with yours contact me via emai--to meet about your presentation week before you present.
• RESIDENCY/SHADOWING CONCLUSION. A number of you have finished up or are close to finishing your Teaching Artist Shadow or first residency. Please let me know when you have your last day with the artist or in the classroom so that I can send a thank you note to the teacher and artist and an assessment form. I will put assessment forms in your mailbox as soon as I receive them. See residency schedule outline from last week.
• THANK YOU NOTES. Send a handwritten thank you note to both teachers and shadow artist when you are finished. NOT digital. Addresses are linked on the practicum page.
• DIGITAL PHOTOS OF STUDENT WORK. As you finish both residencies (not shadowing) make certain you have taken GOOD digital photos of all the your student work for your digital galleryies we will be making at our next all class meeting in March. You want to represent each student you work with in your presentation
• PHOTO TIPS. Good digital photos represent you and your students work, Here are some tips:
  • Center artwork and bring to edges of viewfinder.
  • Line up edges of artwork with edges of view finder. Watch for keystoning. Either stand right above the work on a chair( do not cast your shadow) or hang the work on the wall. This will save you MUCH time as we preapare the photos for the gallery.
  • Use natural light or flourescent light NOT incandescnet ( light bulbs) or you will have to work with photoshop to adjust. Again a time saver.
  • If the artwork is not 2D, make certain to set up a black or grey background that shows off the object and not allow any back to interfer with the artwork.
  • Fill the viewfinder with the artwork, but not cutting it off.
  • Save your photos to disk right away for safe keeping!
• I look forward to seeing you soon and reading journals this coming week! Let me know if you have concerns or questions.

February 4-8

• A fabulous start to the semester. Both Gretchen and Alissa presented in their classrooms at Expo and Barton. Please read their journals. They were very successful. Congratualtions to both of you!
• Let me know as soon as you finish at a Residency or with a Shadowing so that I can also send a thank you note and your assessments. You need to send thank you notes also!
• An Outline of Residency Presentations follow:
  • Discuss your lesson presentation with your teacher this week. You want to begin to brainstorm content, subject matters and materials/techniques. Check the calendars for dates that I am available before setting a date with your teacher. Talk to me directly if you cannot schedule when I can come.
  • Set up a meeting on the calendar outside my office door a week or two prior to your presentation to review your lesson plan. Send the plan following your visit and before you present. I will review and get back to you ASAP.
  • Please check with me before purchasing any materials. We want to use up what we have! Sign out materials. You have a $25 budget per classroom.
  • After your presentation meet with me for reflection, fill out a self evaluation and put in my PO box and return all materials directly to me.
  • I will put my evaluation in your PO box along with either a DVD or videotape of your presentation. After viewing this fill out your video evaluation and return the video tape to me. Let me know if you prefer a video or DVD before your presentation.
  • Take GOOD digital photos of all students work for your gallery.
  • I will contact your teacher about your assessment and put them in your PO box after I receive them.
  • Immediately following you last day in the class send your teacher a thank you note!
  Let me know if you have questions or concerns.

January 28-February 1

• It was great to see you all last week for our first TA class. It looks as if you are all ready to begin either in a shadowing or a residency this coming week.
• Thank you for getting my your calendars. As additional dates, times and presentation dates are decided on inform me by email.
• Make certain to contact me as soon as you can about presentation dates checking my availability on the calendar and with my by phone or email before you set the date.
• See my office hours. You can sign up on the calendar outside of my office door to brainstorm projects or review lesson plans. If my office hours do not work for you email and I will meet you at a convenient time.
• Please check the TA closet for supplies prior to purchasing and return supplies as soon as you project is finished.
• I will have your class calendars up by Thursday nite.
• I look forward to observing Akissa this week at Barton.
• Let me know if you have any questions or concerns.

January 21-25

• TA Practicum all class meeting will be held in the CVA Library on Thursday, January 24
  from 6:00-8:45pm. All TA students are required to attend.

• Start scheduling your Practicum immediately so that you are on site the first week of school. Begin by scheduling the shadowing experience first and then contact teachers to
  schedule. Try to have schedule in place by January 21 so that you can begin contact
  time the first week of school. This will help you from falling behind on hours.
  1. Shadowing experience is expected to range from 12-15 hours.
  2. Residency experiences are expected to range from 30-35 hours each.
  3. All three are to total 85 hours by May 9.
  
  
• Finish scheduling 2 Residencies and Shadowing if possible this week. Put 5 calendars
  in LMI box in the Library or Summit by Friday, January 25, 3:00pm. Fill in what you can and update as your schedule become more solid.

• Journals are due by email to LMI by every 11:00pm Saturday evening. Report even if you
  have not participated in residency or shadowing activity. Participate in all weekly journals, class discussions and collaborations with teachers. Use e-mail weekly journal to communicate dates, sites, and an accurate accounting of hours spent in shadowing or residency experiences, schedule changes, and a descriptive review of weekly observations and interactions on site (200-400 words). Due by 11:00 PM each Saturday.
  
  Use the following Descriptive Review format for all journal entries.
  1. Your name, classroom and teacher and hours that week, shadowing artist and hours that
      week.
  2. Describe key events and learning activities that took place while working in the classroom.
  3. What do you think the students were learning?
  4. What questions were raised for you?

• When you begin working in a classroom, check the web calendar for LMI's availability
  and schedule your lesson presentation. If you are currently shadowing your artist, wait until your first week in the classroom residency. Reserve the presentation date with LMI through email after discussing it with your teacher.

• Check updates each Monday and your email daily.