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I have now had a chance to catch up on a few things, so I will review some
of the presentations and workshops I attended at LA.

Maggie White's presentation on "Teaching Students about Abstraction" was
very good and she had all of the research on this in her handout so that we
could use this in our classroom.

A good one was "Visual Thinking Instruction for High School and Beyond"
which was presented by Dennis Dake and Lory Chaplin about a concept called
"New Art Basics Movement". He is a professor at Iowa State (I believe) and
Lory is a graduate student there. I have a website on the bottom of the
handout, but it can not be accessed without a user name and password. I was
hoping to be able to share this with you.

Another really good presentation was "Secondary Division Showcase: NAEA
Secondary Art Educator of the Year" by Mark Coates who showed slides of the
work by his students.

Paid hands-on workshops:
-"Matisse to Batik" by Barbara Crenshaw - this was really good...I enjoyed
it. I have shown my students my examples and they are ready to do it
themselves.

-Both the "Capturing the Light - Landscapes" and "Painting the Impressions -
Still Life" workshops were very good with David Chang, Professor at Florida
International University. He uses gouache to lay down the complementary
colors first and then pastels on top of this. I sat right behind him and
used my new Sony Mavica digital camera (without the flash) to take periodic
photos as he worked. This will be a great help when I'm working with this
on my own and need a "refresher class".

Last year, my student teacher decided to have the students make paper and by
the time we got through (neither of us had done this before)...the room was
covered in paper pulp...yuck! So, I purchased a papermaking kit there from
Arnold Brummer and then attended his workshop. This kit makes it so, so, so
simple.... and Mr. Brummer was so entertaining as he gave us the history of
paper. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to him and working through his
hands-on lesson.

I enjoyed visiting the Getty Museum, although we were too busy trying to
find someone to talk to regarding the ArtsEdNet list...so I didn't get to
see a lot of it.

Also...a lot of good ideas can be obtained from the vendor boothes...just
about every one was demonstrating different media...there's a lot to be
learned by spending a few minutes at each vendor booth. Judy Nagel always
has her artist demonstrating how to use different products...and isn't Judy
just wonderful! She is so bubbly and friendly all the time...a true
pleasure to be around.

The ice cream party is always fun...and just sitting around talking to
people you don't know..but sometimes find you have a lot in common with is
always great!

Meeting the ones from the list for breakfast was great...it's a good way to
make sure we have some time to chat while we're there. I missed talking to
Sidnie Miller this time...but I know she came to mine and Bunki's
presentation. Also...some from other conventions were missed...hope all of
you will be there next year.

And also...I hope ALL of you are already thinking about what YOU can do at
the next conference...I know I am. I'm jotting down all of my ideas...so
I'll remember them when school is out and I have a little more time
(hopefully)....

I went back to school on Wednesday...then took a group of students on an
all-day field trip to Raleigh on Thursday...then came home that
afternoon...and taught a workshop on Microsoft Word for our school system
that night. It was the last one in a series...and I was ready for it to be
over with.

By the way...the art teachers in my school are planning a "fun day" next
Tuesday in celebration of "nothing"...but we're taking all of our students
out each class period and letting them do flower chalk drawings on all the
sidewalks around the school. All of the students are looking forward to
it...probably more to just being outside than to do the actual drawings.

Everyone needs to start planning for next year...finding someone to sponsor
you, beg your principal... Check out local arts councils...they give out
grants...businesses will sponsor you...maybe even $100. Every bit helps!
One year I approached our technology dept in central office and told them I
would take all the paid workshops in technology plus the presentations, if
they would help me. They paid about $400 in registration and fees.

Also...check the www for cheap flights...they're out there!

And some of you were talking about how expensive the food was there...We
looked around and found some good places to eat on the 4th floor of the
Bonaventure that were cheap and good. I saved a lot on my food by eating up
there a lot...but we also ate in the restaurant downstairs beside the pools
of water. Wasn't this a very relaxing place to sit...around the edges of
the pools of water with the fountains spraying up...and sipping Starbucks
Caffe Mocha...yummy! Another good place to meet others...it was relaxing
just to get away for a few days...

And the elevators...surrounded in glass allowed a good look at the city
around us...and the weather...it couldn't have been better...and best of
all..."no earthquakes"...

When I got back, my HS students wanted to know everything I did, what I saw,
what I learned, and how LA looked...everything about it. I didn't take
enough pictures for them.

I hope I haven't forgotten anything
Carolyn

Carolyn Roberts
Kinston High School
Kinston NC
b2w6w4kn

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