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Mrs. Smith's Classroom

  • Lake Taylor High School
  • Norfolk, VA
  • Nearly all students from low‑income households Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more

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Past projects 7

  • A smART Start! Starting Art Class Strong.

    Funded Dec 3, 2024

    We are so grateful for your funding. I know my students will appreciate the ability to create and learn through purposeful play with the materials we will recieve due to your generosity. I love mixing things up with my students to keep our learning new and fresh, and you've helped so much. We appreciate your continued support of the arts and we can't wait to continue being amazing artists and creative humans this school year!”

    With gratitude,

    Mrs. Smith

    This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose Community and one other donor.
  • One, Two, Three... Draw!

    Funded Nov 28, 2023

    My students absolutely love the games we have received for the class. Day one, students were given the task to figure out the games and then teach me how to play it. You'd never guess how much a student loves to educate the teacher!

    Because these games are all art specific, they connect to class learning, including drawing from imagination and prompts, utilizing art history knowledge, and demonstrating comprehension of color theory.

    These games are great for early finishers, a wonderful reward, a great review option, and will be perfect as an end of year opportunity to gamify the arts and just have fun with peers. Thank you for continuing to support my students and the arts in our community!”

    With gratitude,

    Mrs. Smith

    This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose Community and 3 other donors.
  • Crossing the Finish Line; It's the Little Things

    Funded Feb 23, 2023

    Thank you for assisting my students in having what they needed to finish the year strong. With materials, they were able to complete and tie up loose ends on end of the year projects.

    Our school district closes funds and the ability to order materials by Spring, and this means that if any needs come up in April, May, or June, it is up to students or myself to find any last minute resources. This can add stress to students trying to add that finishing touch to their artwork.

    This year, students could use the materials donated to finesse their artwork and not have to cut down their ideas and leave projects less than optimally finished. This always makes the end of the year easier, because artwork made now is just as important as artwork made in September.”

    With gratitude,

    Mrs. Smith

  • A Ukranian Tradition: The Art of Pysanky

    Funded Apr 18, 2023

    My students loved the new experience of creating Pysanky eggs. Honestly, they especially loved using fire in school. It made them feel special. Layering the colors and seeing how they mixed and overlapped, and of course the final reveal once melting the wax is a truly unique art experience.

    Learning about another culture's experiences, history, and traditions was also special for my students. They have all heard about Ukraine and what is happening there now, as they are living through a huge event in history. Learning about the people and culture, and discussing how traditions can be carried on through such difficulties proved a great discussion for my students.”

    With gratitude,

    Mrs. Smith

  • Print Perfect

    Funded Jan 11, 2023

    My students loved experimenting with their printing materials. They were excited to try the wide variety of stencils in the gelli printing process. Students used gelli plates to create a variety of experimental monoprints. Papers were created and collaged to create mixed media pieces.

    One student was even awarded for her collagraph print in our annual district High School exhibition. It was a fun opportunity to play and experiment, which kids need more of these days. Thanks so much for your continued support!”

    With gratitude,

    Mrs. Smith

  • Digital Drawing for Awesome Artists

    Funded Jul 21, 2021

    Having received our new iPad and iPad pencil has been greatly beneficial in the classroom so far this year. Though not the most technically savvy, I am continuing to learn various ways that I can incorporate this technology into the classroom. One of the ways in which the ipad has proven helpful so far is to help my kids with observational drawing skills. Some of you may have had the experience in school where your art teacher came over and drew directly on your paper. Some students love this, but of course students like myself always hated someone else putting their mark on my paper. Having students upload a photograph through our learning management system, I could then take a screenshot and then draw directly on the photo to help students see issues and then send the photo back to my students so they could make corrections directly on their drawing.

    I have also realized that I can connect the ipad to our also new this year technology of a smartboard. I can then show demonstrations on the iPad directly on the big screen, and have been able to incorporate this with apps such as Google Drawings and Google Slides to help students with things such as learning how to create a digital grid or a digital photo collage.

    One thing covid has has taught us is that technology has its place in the classroom and at home, and is definitely a permanent fixture within the classroom setting. Incorporating the iPad with classroom assignments, Google, and our LMS Canvas continues to show me new and innovative ways I can combine the use of technology with more old school methods. We are continuing to learn how to use this technology and I am actually looking forward to teaching my kids perspective drawing with the iPad which I believe will prove very helpful in what can be a more complicated skill. Having these tools helps not only engage students but genuinely helps them learn in in a way that is comfortable to them.”

    With gratitude,

    Mrs. Smith

    This classroom project was brought to life by Emerson Collective and 8 other donors.
  • Art Meets Tech! Being Creative in 2020

    Funded Aug 14, 2020

    Thank you so much for your help this year. These are definitely some interesting times which require some innovation to inspire motivation. Being a teacher in 2020 sure has been a challenge. I really don't know how I would've survived these first few months without coming into the virtual classroom with the materials and technology needed to be prepared for this teaching and learning environment. When teaching art, uploading worksheets and YouTube videos just doesn't cut it. Students need to see, in real time, how to start a process, work through issues, and utilize techniques to apply live to their own works of art. Teaching predominantly incoming freshmen who haven't taken an art class in years and who tend to feel unsettled and not good enough can prove quite difficult when I can't be there to literally guide their hand, so having everything I can to make teaching and learning easier helps to boost their much needed confidence and teach skills to build on.

    The tools and technology we've most benefited from is of course the web camera/document camera. Being able to show an image of the object I am drawing AND my hand moving across the paper at the same time truly helps students see how to hold a pencil, how to move from line to shape to form, and how to add values and textures. With visual demonstration, we've learned how to transform these basic elements into successful drawings of personal objects and how to create complex multiple step patterns. With my second computer screen I can see what the students see while I demonstrate and share my screen while also being able to monitor my students. I can actually see their faces (or their profile pictures) and don't miss a raised hand or chat message while I'm demonstrating and teaching. I honestly don't know how teachers using one screen can manage Zoom lectures.

    My students greatly benefit from my ability to demonstrate live techniques and processes and still be able to respond to questions and comments during lecture. This creates some sense of a normal classroom environment because we can share, discuss, ask questions or request clarification in the moment. This allows me to change on the fly to better instruct my students. Behind the scenes, of course, a headset, mouse, and all the cables in the world make it work. It's a lot of little things that greatly impact the big picture. In allowing students to create complicated patterns step-by-step with me, they could better include them in projects. To see how I put elements together, students can now use those techniques to create more realistic observational drawings. In being able to learn skills and techniques, students move from overwhelmed to actually loving art. Worksheets and videos don't give the immediate in the moment feedback that students need, and with our new virtual classroom environment, the right tools are vital to our everyday learning processes.

    As our virtual learning has gone from the beginning of the year to the middle of the year and what now seems to be a yearlong process, I am so glad I have what I need to be able to give my students everything that they need. They are building their confidence and skillset with every new technique and demonstration, and will continue to grow within their work and ability to create and express themselves throughout this strange year we're all surviving through. Thank you so much for making this possible.”

    With gratitude,

    Mrs. Smith

These tech based materials are necessary to ensure I can teach my students virtually. With art, it is so important to SEE. Demonstration is key, especially in introductory courses. These materials, document camera, webcam, and headset, will allow me to provide synchronous and asynchronous demonstrations, live assistance, and clear communication, allowing my students to remain engaged, correct and learn in real time, ask questions and avoid frustration. Especially now, a creative outlet is so important. We will learn how to tell our story, and express successfully. Thanks so much for helping us achieve this year's goals!

About my class

These tech based materials are necessary to ensure I can teach my students virtually. With art, it is so important to SEE. Demonstration is key, especially in introductory courses. These materials, document camera, webcam, and headset, will allow me to provide synchronous and asynchronous demonstrations, live assistance, and clear communication, allowing my students to remain engaged, correct and learn in real time, ask questions and avoid frustration. Especially now, a creative outlet is so important. We will learn how to tell our story, and express successfully. Thanks so much for helping us achieve this year's goals!

About my class

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