Finding the Fine Arts in the Generalist Teaching World

Grade 1/2 students have been building and decorating their very own eggs shakers! This may seem like a crafty little activity. And for sure, students are excited to get into the paint and get their hands dirty as they try to manage holding and painting a 3D object. But not only is this a great fine-motor activity, it began as a scientific experiment in making predictions. Students were shown a variety of different materials and asked to make a hypothesis about what material would make the best sound inside a shaker. They were then given the materials to test and make observations, which became a language arts lesson in itself. Finally, students made their conclusions and began the construction of their egg. To see the pride, and to listen to their plans of how they will use them is exciting. At one point handing out the materials, the students had a full on shaker dance session as they grabbed paint brushes and paper towels. One group of girls has already planned a get tog...

In February, students were in for a treat! January finished off well with our drumming unit, grade 1/2's telling stories through drum and sound effect, grade 3/4's playing a multitude of games, and grade 5/6's applying their knowledge of new rhythms to create their own jam session in small groups. This coming month, students in grade 5/6 will connect directly with the Air and Aerodynamics and Flight units in Science as they explore classical music and the connection to birds of flight . They will apply their knowledge of themed musical composition to a piece they will compile on Garage Band. I say good luck to them, and good luck to me! as this the Garage Band program for some reason makes me the most nervous of any. Don't get me wrong, I have been to my fair share of Garage Band workshops, but with the server issues and student lack of solid technology experience, I have tended to shy away from it. But not anymore! Let me break down this new musical end...

Hi everyone! There will be an official Generalists meeting this saturday, March 5th at 11:30am! We are going to meet at LDV Pizza in Bridgeland  (Map:  916 1 Ave NE, Calgary, AB ) . Their private room is really nice for spreading out. They have customer parking around the corner and there's plenty of street parking as well. We'll take some time to share our roles in the education system and begin brainstorming some ideas for getting our great programs and ideas out there. Please bring and resources you'd like to share right away, and any technology you may need. If you are interested in joining, please email me at facgeneralist@gmail.com to RSVP. Hope to see you there!