Practicing for the sing along and potluck was for sure a learning experience and most definitely a memorable one. I think the potluck was a good experience because some of the shyer folk seemed to come out of their shell and do what they needed to do to perform because they felt
enlightened from being “in the moment,” and that’s warming thing to witness. Just getting into the feeling of music in a spirit of optimism is creativity in and of itself – it’s that willingness to let it flow. When everyone puts in a good vocal effort, then others are no longer afraid to be heard (and why should they be anyway). I sing in the shower all the time, and then think “the walls are pretty thin, I hope the neighbors can’t hear!” Then I reconsider to myself and think that it didn’t sound that bad to begin with.. ;-) My mom, I swear, develops a lot of her songs for her school when she is in the shower at 5 am, and my dad on the tractor when he “thinks” no one can hear him. I thought the energy present was self evident. I think the sing along was a good choice because it lets the Christmas feeling flow to the audience and they become involved without feeling “forced” to watch a more dramatized skit, for instance, that may not have connected as well with the audience. I observed Willow smiling and singing through most of it, and even saw Colin singing! * Yeah* Good work classmates.
my ADDM group. The images in it, and the story is so soothing. It creates that almost “dusky Yukon feel,” but in a “summer evening in a cabin by the ocean” kind of way. I am a huge fan of visualization activities using art and while I did not get a chance to try this one out on practicum, I will for sure in my next one practicum. The 
night time imagery and emotive feelings in this story are extremely powerful– this is probably my favorite children’s book of the last few months. I hope many of you can use it in the future. Its about a boy who dreams of being a whale from his bath tub…. And the dream takes him to rescuing and 
interacting with whales in many different ways. “We took up the Whales in the dark of the night, and slipped them into the sea from our garden.” A Garden of Whales by Maggie Steincrohn Davis. Fabulous art integration here. 
painting idea because I knew it was different and catchy. To add to that, I know Stephanie has a rain stick with Aborigine dot designs on it that would serve as a good anticipatory set, and a good tool to use for classroom management when you want to obtain students’ attention. The rainstick is tilted, allowing the beads to fall, and creating an atmospheric effect like the sound of rainfall (the intensity 
varies with the angle). I think the Aborigine belief was that if it was played it could bring about rainstorms. It can be used for sound effects or as a percussion instrument. This is a creative classroom management technique that is a lot more authentic then flashing the lights, clapping, or screaming! Thanks, 
and people with cameras there… they glowed in their moments or recognition (great). Just listening to some of the students explain to their parents (or guardians) how they did their piece of art and why they named it as such was really neat – the parents I spoke to were so very impressed with the idea of an elementary art show. The cake and the flowers topped it off for sure (mostly because Megan, Amber, and Andrew were serving ;-)) Thanks.
I contributed to this artshow by way of the following: carrying down/setting up chairs before hand, leading stary visitors (with Sherry) to and from the art show from other parts of the university, leading families back through the university on their way out, greeting and entertaining my students and their families (making them feel important!), handing out pamphlets, showed my students around immediate university area, hhelped clean up afterwards (returning stuff upstairs and stacking chairs). Lovely show classmates - Thanks.
come up with the designs themselves. I did one example myself (at left with orange beaks) to show them how one might look, and then I let them do whatever they wanted - I think that was a good choice. I decided that fluorescent pink beaks and orange feathers wouldn’t “floor me” after all. The bird seed got a bit messy though, but it was manageable!
went into these drawings; Importantly, it was one of the few lessons that didn’t require modifications to adjust for the lower learning levels. I think students get sick of writing, and forced to produce written work on and on in LA, and I think visualization provides an “outlet” to a different form of expression through art. Not all of what recall and remember is going to come out in a “word friendly” form, so I really love ex
ercises that use/illustrate a different form of thinking. It is interesting to see the same stories expressed in 27 different ways. What I noticed at my inner city practicum placement was that art was something many children enjoyed because it was one of the few subjects that many felt they were good at, or didn’t require constant teacher nags to succeed. Art is something many of these students did quietly under their desk, or when they were suppose to be silent reading.
it another form of art. I think everything from gardening to fashion, to Jenn’s greeting cards, to Amber’s decorative cakes, to Dan’s photographs, to Zakkiya’s outfits, to Trina’s music, to Dena's Vancouver Island pics, to Jodi’s rural scenes (to name a few) and on and on…. are forms of art we identify with – so really, the “im not artistic” claim never really applies to anyone. There is always going to be some “neat” little way we organize something or do something that is a creative expression of who we are. 
response out of me then I believe is worthwhile (for me and children). It’s a great thing for children to be able to express feeling through art from music. My dad is a very good accordion/piano player, he’s one of these people that plays from ear these Scandinavian dance songs and what not……. and just sitting in the living room or somewhere in the house when he is playing is semi hypnotizing …. so soothing. 
