Posts Tagged ‘making a mark’

A Quick Peek at International Dot Day Celebrations

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.

Picking up litter to help wildlife

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!

Yum - Dots!

Yum – Dots!

“There’s No Right or Wrong?”

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!”