My Education Junction

A few weeks ago I mentioned that Nick was going to begin doing a nature study with a slight twist. We have been basing his journal pages on various photos he has taken. Now we are shifting gears as far a photography goes. As the weather becomes colder it becomes harder for Nick to find good photo taking opportunities. Of course there are plenty of things to take pictures of. He has been taking lots of sunsets and buildings, but our butterfly and mantis days have come to a close. We are on the hunt for new and interesting things.

I am posting a nature journal page. I wish I had added it sooner, but this is something we just started doing. I will be adding it to the printables category. It will be there for you to use when warmer days come back around.

 Nature Study Journal Page(PDF)

Filed under: Arts & Crafts on November 6th, 2007 | 1 Comment »

In my last post, I meant to mention that I had come across a great art site called Art Renewal. They have an extensive collection of art online. They also have a very large forum in which members can discuss their favorite artist and his/her works. Art Renewal also has podcasts, which I am sure will be interesting. They even have a podcast on Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema. How lucky is that? But my luck didn’t end there, because many of his images were available for download.

Another great resource in Alibris Books online. They have quickly become my favorite online bookstore. I purchased an Alma-Tadema book from them just days ago, and I have already received it. I bought it used but you would never know  by looking at it. I paid $2.96, and it was a hardcover to boot! Another reason why I love this ebookstore is because I often find books there that I have difficulty finding elsewhere, and they always have the best price.

So far we are having a lot of fun. I hope Nick continues to enjoy the experience. In the meantime, what artists have you studied? Who did you and your children enjoy the most?

Filed under: Arts & Crafts on October 28th, 2007 | No Comments »

The more I read Charlotte Mason the more I want to incorporate her ideas into our daily practices.  The problem is I am never content to do things as they were intended, and I wonder if my constant need to tweak does not ruin the original purpose of the exercise.

After visiting several other blogs, I decided I would begin an artist study this week. I chose Sir Lawrence Alma Tadema. I put together a collection of prints and decided I would give Nick a picture to study each week. I started by giving Nick some background information on Alma-Tadema, and then I had him study the first painting I had chosen. I then asked him to describe it as best he could. He did describe it accurately, but at the same time I found his description rather flat.  

I know I often expect too much. I wanted his words to give me a sense of what I considered to be a visually rich painting. The ocean was simply blue. The woman wore a white dress. What I wanted to hear out of my 7 year old’s mouth is that the sea was mediterranean blue, and that the woman wore an ivory dress with a mauve sash at her waist, while her hair was the color of burnt sienna. I know it is stupid to think that he would say mauve or burnt sienna. Mediterranean blue is a leap. Then I started to wonder how he would ever describe a painting if he did not have the vocabulary to convey what it is  he saw. 

I decided we would do another exercise. We picked three basic colors and then expanded upon them using a thesaurus. Then I asked him to write a short story about the painting. I wanted to know what the subjects of the painting were thinking. What were they doing? Why? Maybe we keep a color notebook too? And then I wonder, am I taking this in a direction where something that was meant to be simple is now convoluted?

I find myself doing this alot. If I can make the process more complicated then perhaps I am making it better. Sometimes it does make it better. Sometimes it doesn’t. Sometimes it only serves to make everything too much. How does someone curb their need to over complicate matters? Any advice? 

Filed under: Arts & Crafts on October 27th, 2007 | 1 Comment »

I would  have to say no, and I would guess that my children would second my response. One of my major complaints with our local school system has been the lack of an art program. Art, music and theatre have never been held with the same high regards as language arts, math, science and history. I believe the lack of a robust arts program thwarts creativity, and creates an environment where talented students go unchallenged and ultimately are unappreciated.

I am much happier with Nick’s current program. While he previously had art class once a month, he now has it 2-3 times a week. In addition to his current program, he will begin a pottery class at our local museum. But is this enough? I suppose so, but I have been looking for a way to expand upon his picture taking with little success.

We have been spending 2-3 hours a week taking photos. Each time we go I find his abilities improve. I am thrilled with the results. But I think a large part of taking pictures is the ability to see the potential that is before you. It means you must be incredibly observant and have a keen eye for detail. This is not something easily explained. It is something that comes from practice.

This week, the answer to my problem presented itself.  While visiting The Homeschool Experiment, I had the opportunity to watch a video regarding Young Rembrandt art classes. Shortly thereafter, I made my way to Higher Up and Further In where I read about nature journals. At this point it struck me that a nature/photo journal would be a great way for us to incorporate Nick’s photography with lessons in drawing and observation. I will also have Nick label each of his pictures and provide details of his subject. He is very excited, as am I.  I think this will be a great project, and I am excited to begin posting our efforts! Thank you, ladies

Nick’s first entry will be ….

Filed under: Arts & Crafts on October 6th, 2007 | 1 Comment »

Maybe you remember my ReadyMech post. Since then I have found yet another awesome printable toy site. This one is crazy.  Crazy I say! It’s called the Flying Pig. They offer free printable projects, plus they have a store where they sell additional projects.

Now tell me that isn’t cool….

Filed under: Worksheet and Printable Sites, Arts & Crafts on September 5th, 2007 | 3 Comments »

My parents came to visit yesterday, and my mother brought a clipping from the local newspaper about a photo contest the newspaper is holding. Nick would like to enter some of his photos.  In the meantime, we are trying to figure out where we can take more pictures. It seems as though we are runnning out of venues- at least within our town. One picture Nick is desperate to take is that of the full moon. Unfortunately, we do not have a lens powerful enough. I have decided I will be putting back some of my sponsored post money to buy him a lens. I also need to get him in a class, because I am of little help when it comes to shutter speed, aperture or whatever other settings he needs to know about. That brings me to this handy link- BetterPhoto. I signed up for a sample class today. I can’t wait to see what it is like. Thus far, it is a a great site. They offer a kids page with various photo assignments, so kids can practice their craft. What I find particularly cool is that they have teamed up with Big Brother Big Sister to offer a teen photography mentoring program.  So whether you, your child or your teen is a picture taker, I am sure you will find something of interest on BetterPhoto.

Filed under: Arts & Crafts on September 2nd, 2007 | No Comments »

I am a fan of Etsy. It is pure eye candy for someone like me. Little did I know there was a blog called Etsy Labs which gave you little tidbits of advice and instructions for projects. One day I stumbled upon this blog by way of Fusing Plastic Bags. Just Marvelous! I love to find new ways to use old things, and this was right up my alley. After experimenting with fusing a Target bag, I started to consider other possibilities.

My children are soon to be 4 and 7. They may not be babies, but I do remember when they were. One of my constant complaints was that I never had enough bibs. When we were on outings, it did not matter how many I packed, I was bound to lose a few, ruin a few and run through all of them. This lead me to the practice of buying “bibsters”-something I should not be admitting to amongst frugal folks. But I did it. It was a relief not to worry about staining them, the subsequent washing of them, or worrying that I would not have enough presentable bibs to make it though the day. The problem is that one goes through many disposable bibs and aside from being wasteful they become costly. That lead me to thinking that any mom could have an endless supply of “bibsters” for free if she wanted to make them by fusing bags.

CareBears need bibs too:)

Just for the fun of it, I made my own bib. After I was done, my son asked me if I was making a cooking apron for him. Now I had not thought of that, but surely I could make a cooking apron out of plastic bags. And so I did.

Here’s Ava using her apron as she goes to work to make mud pies. It would also work well for as a painting smock.

If you would like to try your hand at fusing plastic bags, stop by Etsy and check out the directions. It is a very simple process. All you need are disposable plastic bags, wax paper and an iron. Many people create totes out of fused plastic. You can also make pillows and placemats. Just imagine, if you set your mind to it, you could probably create a whole wardrobe out of fused plastic bags!

More thrifty fun: Kitchen Picasso, 10 Easy Recipes for Playdough, 10 Things You Can do with Empty Plastic Bottles,

Coffee Can Ice Cream and Decorating on the Cheap

Filed under: Arts & Crafts on August 27th, 2007 | No Comments »