Latest thoughts
Building community within a learning environment is an invaluable experience that will engage, surprise, and inspire students. Utilizing drama/theatre strategies (pantomime and improvisation) strengthen your classroom community and is an excellent catalyst for demonstrating collaboration, effective communication, and joyful learning. The basic structure of this lesson consists of a warm up, main activity, and closing reflection.
This year, I led my first Professional Development (AXIS) small learning group series titled “Illumination Through Illustration”. The series focuses on teachers learning different ways to utilize illustration in arts-integrated lessons for their classrooms.
Arts Integration 101
Building community within a learning environment is an invaluable experience that will engage, surprise, and inspire students. Utilizing drama/theatre strategies (pantomime and improvisation) strengthen your classroom community and is an excellent catalyst for demonstrating collaboration, effective communication, and joyful learning. The basic structure of this lesson consists of a warm up, main activity, and closing reflection.
The process of creating our Kinetic Sculptures showed what can happen when you get art moving: artistic expression and problem solving at its finest!
Science lessons were presented to the students over the course of two months, during which we implemented varying methods of Arts-Integration into Mrs. Auzout’s lesson plan. Through teaching highly complex bodies work at a first-grade level. They were then able to recall the previous body parts that help the brain function and called upon the various creative and social emotional skills they learned along the way through Arts-Integration!
When I was a classroom teacher, I saw some of my kindergarten students who were typically wary of class discussions come to life when we discussed a painting by Diego Rivera. Discussing art with students in Arts-Integrated lessons bridges the community of artists throughout the world with the work students do in the classroom.
I have found that when there is intention embedded in the way I design my activities, and I am open to accepting that intention does not equal impact, it opens the door for authentic, powerful and completely unpredictable student expression. When I perceive that an activity isn’t working for a student the way I expected, I have found that asking myself, “what is the purpose of this activity?” is a great way to re-calibrate.
News
We’re celebrating 25 years of education through imagination
Are you curious about how the arts can shape a brighter future for our students? We invite you to watch the video of Elise's recent presentation to the Orleans Parish School Board.
KID smART is proud to join hands with Kirk Merritt, the talented Wide Receiver of the New Orleans Saints, in a transformative collaboration that merges the arts with sports
Delve into a decade of transformative experiences at Project Zero Classroom (PZC), where Elise, our Executive Director, shares her inspiring journey of guiding and collaborating with educators.
With great sadness, I'm writing to inform you of the passing of KID smART's co-founder, Campbell "Hutch" Hutchinson. Hutch and his co-founder and love, Allison Stewart, had the spark to create KID smART almost 25 years ago.
Listen to Executive Director Elise and Arts Integration Specialist Zeb discuss the benefits of arts-integration with Dr. Ross on Talk Dat
Events & Workshops
Cocktails for KID smART, got a whole lot more… sparkly!
Over 200 of you came out to create and celebrate the arts at BEST FEST!
At KID smART's Arts Literacy Institute, thirty-five educators from across New Orleans gathered for a transformative experience, discovering how arts integration can revolutionize literacy learning in their classrooms.
Discover how KID smART's Homegrown Institute is nurturing joyful learners and empowering educators to ensure every child reads with confidence by 4th grade.
A powerful sense of community made this year's ART JAM an unforgettable celebration of creativity! Read more to learn about the magic that unfolded at our 10th-anniversary event!
Cocktails for KID smART was a huge success, exceeding expectations and raising nearly $160,000 - the largest amount ever raised for this event.
Guests were treated to an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at Aimée's creative process and the stunning artwork she has created for our event
Step Inside A KID smART Classroom
Building community within a learning environment is an invaluable experience that will engage, surprise, and inspire students. Utilizing drama/theatre strategies (pantomime and improvisation) strengthen your classroom community and is an excellent catalyst for demonstrating collaboration, effective communication, and joyful learning. The basic structure of this lesson consists of a warm up, main activity, and closing reflection.
The process of creating our Kinetic Sculptures showed what can happen when you get art moving: artistic expression and problem solving at its finest!
Science lessons were presented to the students over the course of two months, during which we implemented varying methods of Arts-Integration into Mrs. Auzout’s lesson plan. Through teaching highly complex bodies work at a first-grade level. They were then able to recall the previous body parts that help the brain function and called upon the various creative and social emotional skills they learned along the way through Arts-Integration!
I have found that when there is intention embedded in the way I design my activities, and I am open to accepting that intention does not equal impact, it opens the door for authentic, powerful and completely unpredictable student expression. When I perceive that an activity isn’t working for a student the way I expected, I have found that asking myself, “what is the purpose of this activity?” is a great way to re-calibrate.
5th grade is learning about the Middle Ages. At first thought, you might think, “What fun! Knights, and castles, and dragons, Oh, my!”, but what’s really happening is as unexpected as it is welcome. What’s happening in these 5th Graders doesn’t usually occur until college. These 10 year-olds are questioning. Everything.