Our Dot Day celebrations spanned several days and then it took me a bit longer to pull everything together but here’s a look at the students’ creativity.
Kindergarten:
After brainstorming what a dot could become, the children were given a “swirly gold frame” from Fablevision’s Dot Day Handbook and a dot sticker to make their own creation.
First Grade:
First graders decorated their dot by using the sheet from the ColAR website. ColAR Mix is an augmented reality coloring book app that brings images to life! Dot Day Fun! Watch Your Dot Come to Life describes what special things happen to a dot when viewed through this app. Talk about oohs and ahhs from students! What I found amusing was watching the teachers getting just as involved as the children!
Second Grade:
Second grade took this activity a step further. After discussing that, yes, even young children can make a difference in other people’s lives, we brainstormed how this could happen. The students wrote their thoughts on their dot then decorated with crayons and markers. Then the fun began with the ColAR Mix app.
Third Grade:
After talking about how Vashti’s teacher made a difference in her life and then how Vashti guided a little boy to “make his mark,” the third graders were challenged to illustrate how they could make a difference in someone’s life. Students used the Microsoft Paint program to create their pictures. Since not all students wrote how they would make a difference, what they were thinking might not be readily observed but all had something in mind. We had a fabulous discussion about how even the little things you do are important! Here is a look at what they drew.
Fourth Grade:
By the time the students came to me, they had either read The Dot or had watched a video of it but that didn’t mean they didn’t want to hear it again! And, when the students found out that I also had Peter Reynold’sIsh and Sky Color, we couldn’t even begin the activity until I had read BOTH books! The students decided they just wanted to create. Some created images from a dot while others made some type of “ish” picture. Then I decided to let them experiment with the ColAR Mix app. They weren’t as “wowed” as the younger children but they did enjoy doing a walk-around to see what their classmates had created.
Co-Curricular Classes:
The music, art, and Spanish teachers incorporated dots into their lessons too. From dot paintings to dot music to oxcart wheels to mirrors, the students’ imaginations flowed!
Another Dot Day has passed but the creativity will continue!
Judy Holloway, our music teacher, celebrated International Dot Day by having students write “dot” music. They wrote musical patterns on a staff and shared with their classmates.
Mrs. Weth’s third grade class decided to write a song to be performed. Some children played instruments while others danced to the music. What fun!
I LOVE International Dot Day. Based on the book, The Dot, by Peter H. Reynolds, students around the world celebrate “creativity, courage, and collaboration” on September 15th (ish).
Our students have been “making their mark” this week in a variety of ways. Here is a quick glimpse at some of the things we have done so far. As I pull everything together, more will be posted.
Kindergarten
After brainstorming what a dot could become, kindergarteners were given a “swirly gold frame” from Fablevision’s Dot Day Handbook and a dot sticker to make their own creation.
First Grade
First graders decorated their dot by using the sheet from the ColAR website. ColAR Mix is an augmented reality coloring book app that brings images to life! Dot Day Fun! Watch Your Dot Come to Life describes what special things happen to a dot when viewed through this app. Talk about oohs and ahhs from students! What I found amusing was watching the teachers getting just as involved as the children!
Second Grade
Second grade took this activity a step further. After discussing that, yes, even young children can make a difference in other people’s lives, we brainstormed how this could happen. The students wrote their thoughts on their dot then decorated with crayons and markers. Then the fun began with the ColAR Mix app.
Third Grade Picking up litter to help wildlife
The third graders had the same charge as the second graders but they used Microsoft’s Paint program for their drawings. I’m hoping to use the Tellagami app to have the students insert their picture and then tell about their ideas on making their mark in their community.
Tomorrow the teachers will dress in their best dot clothing and students receive Dot Day certificates, stickers, and Dot Candy. What a fun, creative week we’ve had!
We’ve spent the past couple of weeks discussing quality posts and comments on our class blog. After listening to a wonderful video, How to Compose a Quality Comment, created by Mrs. Yollis’ 2nd and 3rd graders, our third graders started a post with directions to write about something that others might not know about them. For example – hobbies, a place they’ve visited, etc.
This week I wanted to show the students how to upload an image. Since they had drawn dot pictures for International Dot Day a few weeks ago, we decided to write a post about that. The class quickly learned how easy it is to add images to a post. Then they moved on to the writing. I asked them to consider the following questions as they wrote:
When you first drew your dot in MS Paint, did you have any idea what you would do with it?
Did an idea come to you right away or did it take awhile to figure out what your dot could become?
Describe what you drew and how you decided on that.
Could you relate to Vashti, not able to think of something to draw? How did you feel about that?
My dot is an alligator’s eye. I couldn’t think of an idea at first, but then I thought of an eye. I thought of doing a normal eye, but then, anybody could do an eye. I thought and thought and then it came to me, Whose going to do an alligators eye. So I did an alligators eye. I did some changes to it and then I was proud of it. I was done.
Dot Day Crazy:
So you think Dot Day is boring. Not when you’re an eight-year old girl who goes to TVS. In computer class the Thursday before Dot Day we made pictures made out of dots on the computer. At first I didn’t think I was going to come up with any ideas and by the end of computer class, I didn’t have anything on my computer it was blank as a whiteboard……….Just like Vashti. But Mrs. Arrington, my teacher, said we could continue working on our dot pictures the next Thursday in computer class. I tried and tried but I couldn’t think of anything and when I did, I would like it but then decided against it. Coco said a quote from the book to me. “Just start with a dot and see where it takes you.” I still couldn’t think of anything to make…But then I thought about the quote. Just start with a dot and see where it takes you. I made a dot that I liked and erased part of it. Than I made a ring around it. It kind of looked like a planet. And so forth I made a sun and a moon and a black background with stars and it was space. And my quote for you is just start with a dot and see where it takes you.
I just love these descriptions! Can you tell these girls like to write? Be sure to visit Mrs. Weth’s blog. The students would love to get comments about their dots!
Our second graders are now finished with their dot creations, also drawn in Microsoft’s Paint program. Again, we had a wide variety of illustrations. Some chose a more abstract approach while others decided to make their dot into an animal, etc. Ren drew a skunk thinking about M&Ms!
Ava drew her dog inside a picture frame.
Raegan used bright colors as she created her picture with a big dot and a little dot.
Now, enjoy the ALL the second grade dot pictures. We have a grade filled with creative students!
In the lab, the third graders learned the Windows 7 version of Paint as they created dot pictures for International Dot Day 2012. Two weeks ago, the computers in our lab were upgraded from Windows XP to Windows 7. Of course, that meant a new Paint program but the students decided that, although it didn’t look quite the same and it took some getting used to, they preferred the new program to the older, familiar one!
After reading, The Dot, by Peter H. Reynolds, and brainstorming what a dot could be, the instructions were to “make something from a dot.” There were questions of, “Can I draw . . .” but my answer was, “You are the artist, so you make that decision.” We had dot designs, happy faces, peace signs, pigs, dogs, caterpillars, and more. Rachel used her dot as an eye for an alligator.
Lauren and Sasha drew a huge circle and then illustrated their picture inside that dot!
Here’s our slideshow of the dot pictures created by our first graders using Microsoft Paint. This was their first introduction to drawing on the computer and everyone seemed to enjoy it!
Maybe it’s the colors used, but Brynn’s drawing reminds me of the illustrations from The Dot, by Peter H. Reynolds!
What a fun day (and week) we have had celebrating International Dot Day! Music, art, library, and computer classes participated along with a couple of homeroom teachers. Every K-4 student received a certificate and a Dot candy (which was excitedly accepted!!). Here are just a few of the highlights.
Melissa Black, our creative art instructor, had fourth graders use Pointillism to make their mark on Dot Day. They loved using a variety of colors and tiny dots to make their paintings. First, second, and third graders chose a paper dot that was glued to drawing paper. Mrs. Black told them to use that dot as part of a bigger picture. Not everyone finished but I was amazed at how creative the students were!
Here’s what Judy Holloway wrote about music classes. “We are doing Sound Dots in music. As part of learning rhythmic patterns and melodic patterns, students write what they perform on instruments; sometimes called rhythmic or melodic dictation. Third graders made colorful rhythmic patterns and second grade wrote Do Re Mi on staff paper. First grade will take colored markers and respond to music that is staccato (dots!) and legato by drawing designs on the whiteboard.”I was able to visit a second grade class (Mrs. Shapard’s group) as they played a variety of instruments and sang a dot song that had been written by another class.
Jane Cooper’s 2nd grade class “dotted” the equator and prime meridian on their international maps as they talked about latitude, longitude, and other map skills. Allison Shapard’s 2nd grade class used brightly colored dots to discuss arrays in math.
In the computer lab, the students are using Paint for Windows 7 to see where their dot takes them. I first asked, “Who thinks you are an artist.” Almost all first and second graders raised their hands. As we moved to third and fourth grades, fewer hands went up. That was interesting! Once we started talking about different types of “artists” the children realized the term could cover all kinds of areas – music, photography, sports, even lego-building!
Next, we read The Dot (the big screen, interative version – I highly recommend this one!) then brainstormed what a dot could be with lots of creative answers thrown out. Then the creativity began! Very few finished so we’ll continue next week. I was absolutely amazed at the drawings!
Are students so conditioned to giving a correct answer that they get “stuck” if there’s not a “right” one?
I read The Dot by Peter Reynolds to our second graders when they came to the lab yesterday. My statement to the children was, “Raise your hand if you are an artist.” I was delighted to see every hand waving in the air; a few were a bit more tentative than others! We talked about being an artist in different areas – music, lego builder, photographer, athlete, etc.
We then brainstormed what you could do with a dot made on Microsoft Paint program. Answers ranged from animals to planets to solar systems to flowers and more.
As the students returned to their computers to get started on their dot picture, I heard a small questioning voice, “There’s no right or wrong?” He seemed as if he was confirming to himself that, yes, it was okay to explore.
“Yes,” I announced, “You are the artist. You decide what to draw and share!”
Our school is signed up for Dot Day. The certificates by FableVision have been printed. A glog is ready for the students to learn more about Peter Reynolds and The Dot.
Several of our teachers are doing special activities with the students they see. In the computer lab, we’ll be creating dot pictures using Paint. Can’t wait to get started and watch our children “MAKE THEIR MARK.”
