The Teaching Palette

Technology Transformation

Posted on 20. Mar, 2011 by Theresa McGee in All Posts, Tech Stuff

New technology is emerging everyday.  It seems almost impossible to keep up, let alone find ways to integrate it into your art curriculum.

Not sure how to start with your technology transformation? The infographic below can help you begin your technology journey.

View larger image on Flickr.

I originally created this graphic for SchoolArts Magazine in the Tech4Arted Column.

The resources listed in the image above are hyperlinked below:
Get the technology you need with grants. See Supplementing Your Art Budget and Expand Your Art Room Budget.

Don’t do it alone . . . develop your PLN: (Personal Learning Network)
Twitter (here is my list of art educators on Twitter to get you started)
Art Ed 2.0
Art Education Blogs
Art Ed Yahoo Group

Web Tools:
108 Web Tools
Wix (website creator)
Glogster (interactive poster)
Aviary (image editor)
Art Babble (art videos online)

Another great place to start for beginners:

How have you integrated technology into your art curriculum?

Supplementing Your Art Budget

Posted on 20. Feb, 2011 by Hillary Andrlik in All Posts, Cool+Creative, Educators in Art

It’s a constant battle every year to stretch the art budget and this year may be among the toughest. Try applying for grants or participating in art contests to help finance a resident artist, bolster your supply budget or assist in the purchase of equipment. Below is a list of resources that will get you started. Also, check out our post from last year “Expanding Your Art Room Budget” for tips on finding writing support along with an additional list of grant opportunities.

Corporate Grants

Samsung Grants – Our new 2011 “Digital Preparedness” Grant Program is simple. We are offering 50 SAMCAM 860 Document cameras to worthy applicants based on need and quality of response. An independent evaluation team will review the applicants and notify the winners. Winners will be notified no later than May 30, 2011.

SMART Education Programs – Visit SMARTS grants and fundraising section for additional tips, resources and best practices to help your school or district find the external funding you need for your technology goals.

The Teach@15 Award program helps schools serving any grades 7-12 meet their technology needs. Teens (age 13-18) who are registered members on at15.com (“Members”) can nominate their schools (depending on eligibility) to win a Teach@15 Award. Teen members can vote once a day for 15 days for one nomination. Every 15 days, Best Buy will award 3 schools with Best Buy Gift Cards based on member votes. The school with the most votes will win $1,500, second most votes wins $1,000 and third most votes wins $500.

Find Your Dream ActivClassroom – Conduct a PTA sponsored fundraiser during the 2010-2011 school year at your local school and Promethean will match the dollar amount raised, up to $3,800 per school, towards the purchase of any combination of qualifying Promethean ActivClassroom products.

Visual Arts Contests

Blick’s 2011 Linoleum Block Print Contest - Teachers! Here’s an opportunity to increase your art budget and gain national recognition for your students. The contest is offered in three grade divisions: 4–6, 7–9, and 10–12. A total of 15 students will win art supplies for their schools. ENTRIES MUST BE POSTMARKED NO LATER THAN MARCH 15, 2011.

Doodle 4 Google – A competition where K-12 students use their artistic talents to think big and redesign Google’s homepage logo for millions to see. This year students in the U.S. will redesign the Google logo around the theme, “What I’d like to do someday…”

Art Teacher Toolbox Offers an extensive list of visual arts contests broken down by grade level and features an extensive list of resource sites with more contest opportunities.

AVerMedia Photo Blog Contest – Create a blog post about what 3D object you would like to examine more closely with your class using a document camera and you might win! Entries must be received by March 31st, 2011.

2011 Adobe Design Achievement Awards - Higher education students and faculty can submit entries created with Adobe software to earn a chance at winning recognition, travel, Adobe software, and winners receive cash prizes. Entry categories include:

Local and National Arts Organizations

Alaska State Council on the Arts – The Alaska Artists in the Schools (AIS) Grant Program is designed for schools and/or districts that wish to augment their regular Visual, Literary and Performing Arts Curriculum with Teaching Artist.

Arkansas Arts Council – The Arkansas Arts Council administers both federal and state funds, financial aid and state grants for programs and services benefiting arts organizations, Arkansas schools and Arkansas artists. Federal funds are appropriated by Congress to the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) which in turn grants funds to the Arkansas Arts Council. State funds are appropriated by the Arkansas General Assembly. Grant monies from the Arkansas Arts Council are awarded annually.

Model Development and Dissemination Grants Program – The program supports the enhancement, expansion, documentation, evaluation and dissemination of innovative, cohesive models that demonstrate effectiveness in:

• Integrating into and strengthening arts in the core elementary curricula;
• Strengthening arts instruction in those grades; and
• Improving students’ academic performance, including their skills in creating, performing, and responding to the arts.

New Hampshire States Council on the Arts – Artist Residencies in Schools (AIR) provide partial funding to bring juried teaching artists into classrooms and public schools to support creative learning and skills development in the arts. AIR grants support partial costs for artist residencies in a variety of arts disciplines, including all forms of visual arts (ceramics, drawing, painting, printmaking, weaving, etc.), dance, film/video, music, theatre, traditional arts and creative writing.

New Jersey State Arts Council - Guidelines and application forms are available for grants through the State Arts Council’s Artists in Education (AIE) Program to help ensure the arts are a basic part of a high-quality education for all New Jersey students. Residencies are offered in all grade levels and focus on the processes of creating work in a specific arts discipline. Professional artists work in collaboration with classroom teachers to create substantial and sequential arts programs that help schools meet the Core Curriculum Content Standards and help students hone critical skills that prepare them for the 21st Century. All NJ public and private elementary and secondary schools in all districts are eligible to apply for a residency grant. The deadline for schools to apply is Friday, March 4, 2011.

Greater Hartford Arts Council – The Greater Hartford Arts Council’s Neighborhood Arts & Heritage grants are available to organizations to support creative projects and programs by cultural, heritage, historical and social service organizations in the Greater Hartford region. Grants range from $500 to $5,000, not to exceed 50 percent of entire project/program budget. GHAC funding may be applied towards a variety of purposes including artist or instructor fees, materials and supplies, marketing and facility rentals.

Kenedy Center Alliance for the Arts – A list of project grants form their Arts Education Network.

National Endowment for the Arts – The Arts Endowment’s focus is on identifying and supporting model programs and projects that provide in-depth knowledge, skills, and understanding of the arts to children and youth in schools and communities.

Check out this amazing LiveBinder with a bunch of additional grant resources and writing tips:

If you know off any local, regional or national grant or contest opportunities for the visual arts, please list it in the comments section below. It’s up to the arts community to support each other and keep the arts alive in schools. Remember, The Teaching Palette has an international audience so no matter how small the grant opportunity, please share it.

Expand Your Art Room Budget with Grants

Posted on 29. May, 2009 by Hillary Andrlik in All Posts, Clssrm Mgmt, Cool+Creative, Organization and Preparation, Tech Stuff

As I was ordering supplies for next school year, while wrapping up the current school year, I noticed how much less I was able to get for the money. So how can we stretch our budgets and find additional resources to teach the curriculum?

One way to supplement the material needed to teach the curriculum is through grants. Half the battle is locating a grant that applies to your field. The other half is finding the time to complete the application process for the grant. As this school year comes to a close, consider using this summer to explore available grant opportunities.

For example ClassWish is a new nonprofit that offers an alternative to the traditional grant process. Teachers visit the site to create a wish list of the things they need to equip their classroom. ClassWish helps attract parents, alumni, local business and other potential supporters to see what is needed and to inspire their help. Their contributions are tax-deductible and ClassWish provides a receipt and ships the supplies directly to the teachers at the school.

Below is a list of other grant opportunities:

• Adobe Youth Voices The Deadline is tonight! Eligibility requirements are that you must be a public or tax-exempt 501(c)3 organization. School or out-of-school program that serves low-income, disadvantaged middle and high school youth. And it must be located in San Jose/Silicon Valley, San Francisco, Seattle, New York, Boston, or Ottowa.

• DonorsChoose A nonprofit web site where teachers submit project proposals for materials or experiences their students need to learn. Then individual donors can visit the site and choose different proposals to support.

• Best Buy Teach Awards Grants ranging from $1,000 to $10,000 is awarded to educators based on teacher applications stating how they would incorporate student use of technology into their classroom.

• National Endowment for the Arts The Arts Endowment’s focus is on identifying and supporting model programs and projects that provide in-depth knowledge, skills, and understanding of the arts to children and youth in schools and communities.

• Illinois Arts Council A variety of grants to support artist-in-resident, artist fellowship and quick start micro grant for schools and school districts.
  

• National Art Education Association A variety of grant opportunities to advance individual and collective work in visual arts education.
  

• Target Through national sponsorships and local grants, Target supports thousands of arts activities, festivals and outdoor concerts.

• Grant Gopher Helps locate grants and teaches you how to apply for grant money and avoid scams.

• Fund For Teachers Enriches the personal and professional growth of teachers by recognizing and supporting them as they identify and pursue opportunities around the globe that will have the greatest impact on their practice, the academic lives of their students and on their school communities.

• Calypso Systems Opportunity for K- 12 schools to apply for classroom presentation technologies such as projectors, amplifiers, speakers, CATV tuners, microphones, button panels, and graphical user interfaces.

• Missouri Arts Council Funds projects with an artistic component that helps meet the nonprofit organizations strategic goals.

• The Braitmayer Foundation The Foundation is interested in K-12 education throughout the United States.

• DCCAH DC Commission on the Arts & Humanities offers several funding programs for individuals and nonprofit organizations located in the District of Columbia. Individuals are not required to provide matching funds. Organizations are only required to provide matching funds as indicated.

• Expressing Youth Voices in Pittsburgh Tell us how you would transform Pittsburgh’s public spaces with your artistic vision. We are looking for well-designed, sustainable public art that expresses the voices of youth. Winning ideas can receive up to $25,000 in funding to implement their “Art in Public” Deadline for entry is May 20, 2009. Public voting begins June 9, 2009.

• We Are Teachers A micro-grant that’s awarded based on number of votes by other educators. Just click on past winners to see how the process works.

Need help with the application process? Check out Grant writers on Ning for writing support.

If you know off any local, regional or national grant opportunities for the visual arts, please list it in the comments section below. Let’s help our fellow art educators gain access to the tools they need to teach. Remeber, The Teaching Palette has an international audience so no matter how small the grant opportunity, please share it. You never know who’s reading. Thanks!

Click here to view an expanded list of grant opportunities in our latest post “Supplementing Your Art Budget”!