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Developing Minds: Representing Experiences: Ideas in Search of Forms

Reading this article provided me newfound confidence in getting kids to draw in middle school. It was something that I avoided for awhile because of the overwhelming feeling the class gets when they have to draw. As Dr. Burton described, its palpable the air of anxiety, stress and discomfort with seeing something and the inability to create what we see perfectly. This strive for perfection while at the most chaotic, chasmic clash of independence, dependence, insecurity, and rebellion makes drawing nonsensical in the past. Kids would be melting. 

But I have more encouragement and more things to say now. So, for this quarter, my goal is to get them away from the computer. I want them making things. 

We will do 2-3 weeks of observational drawings, 1-2 weeks on memory drawing and close-out the quarter with memory drawing. 

The buckets are: Create and Connect

I want them to connect with themselves and their communities. The people, places and things are a part of our community. Now its time to acknowledge and celebrate with our tools of the dying media - pencil and paper. 

I'll sprinkle in some Literature for Arts Integration. 

Students can find or make poems or writings to connect with their artwork. 

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