Homeschooling - Part One - Visual Arts
Someone recently asked me if I enjoy homeschooling my child. They also asked me whether or not it is a lot of work to prepare lessons, worksheets and other resources. The answer to both questions is a resounding YES!!!!
I do love homeschooling Liam. I enjoy being with him and learning WITH him. I love seeing his intellect grow firsthand. I also love the feeling that I get from knowing that he is where he wants and needs to be right now and that I can help to facilitate the experience. That most likely will change sometime in the future, so I am enjoying it while it lasts.
Preparing lesson plans, worksheets and other resources needed each day is alot of work. Sometimes it feels like a mammoth task but I still love doing it. I absolutely love the idea and task of being able to take a topic or information (required for learning something specific) and turning it into an interesting, fun, hands-on, learning experience that is tailored to suit the learning style of the student. I love that I'm good at it. I love to see the interest it creates, and the results, that my work brings.
One of my favourite resources for learning about Visual Arts is the Concordia University Chicago website. I use this site every month. I take what they have to offer, then edit and add in some ideas of my own. We don't do all the activities, but I do find many of them to be very interesting and do-able at home. Liam particularly loves Visual Art and has had some fun experimenting this year. He is NOT artistic but he does appreciate art and enjoys learning about it and trying his hand at it. He enjoys the photographic element of visual art and tends to favour the activities that involve taking photos the most.
I really enjoy this whole new world that has opened to me by the discovery of this website. There are 10 lessons per grade, from 1st to 8th Grade. I even had fun doing the activities from the 1st Grade lesson packet! Its a great place to start for ANYONE who does not know much about art.
Each lesson focuses on one piece of art. It teaches about the artist and the art piece. There is a directed observation portion that helps one to really look at and appreciate the piece and then there are suggestions for things to do.
Go to www.cuchicago.edu click on Concordia Experience, then The Arts, then Art Exhibition and finally click on Art Lessons. You will be amazed by what you find there. I love this site and think that it is a great resource. Thank You Concordia University Chicago!
We choose a new artist/artwork every 3 weeks or so. We learn about the artist and place his/her picture on our historical timeline with some basic facts and also place them on our world map. We spread the activities out over the next three weeks and then produce a piece of art of our own. Sometimes an activity will include a fieldtrip or outing. What a fun way to learn about Visual Arts!
I do love homeschooling Liam. I enjoy being with him and learning WITH him. I love seeing his intellect grow firsthand. I also love the feeling that I get from knowing that he is where he wants and needs to be right now and that I can help to facilitate the experience. That most likely will change sometime in the future, so I am enjoying it while it lasts.
Preparing lesson plans, worksheets and other resources needed each day is alot of work. Sometimes it feels like a mammoth task but I still love doing it. I absolutely love the idea and task of being able to take a topic or information (required for learning something specific) and turning it into an interesting, fun, hands-on, learning experience that is tailored to suit the learning style of the student. I love that I'm good at it. I love to see the interest it creates, and the results, that my work brings.
One of my favourite resources for learning about Visual Arts is the Concordia University Chicago website. I use this site every month. I take what they have to offer, then edit and add in some ideas of my own. We don't do all the activities, but I do find many of them to be very interesting and do-able at home. Liam particularly loves Visual Art and has had some fun experimenting this year. He is NOT artistic but he does appreciate art and enjoys learning about it and trying his hand at it. He enjoys the photographic element of visual art and tends to favour the activities that involve taking photos the most.
I really enjoy this whole new world that has opened to me by the discovery of this website. There are 10 lessons per grade, from 1st to 8th Grade. I even had fun doing the activities from the 1st Grade lesson packet! Its a great place to start for ANYONE who does not know much about art.
Each lesson focuses on one piece of art. It teaches about the artist and the art piece. There is a directed observation portion that helps one to really look at and appreciate the piece and then there are suggestions for things to do.
Go to www.cuchicago.edu click on Concordia Experience, then The Arts, then Art Exhibition and finally click on Art Lessons. You will be amazed by what you find there. I love this site and think that it is a great resource. Thank You Concordia University Chicago!
We choose a new artist/artwork every 3 weeks or so. We learn about the artist and place his/her picture on our historical timeline with some basic facts and also place them on our world map. We spread the activities out over the next three weeks and then produce a piece of art of our own. Sometimes an activity will include a fieldtrip or outing. What a fun way to learn about Visual Arts!
Go Mandy! I wish I was in your Art class too! Enjoy the experiences Liam.
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