Residency - EXPO Elementary - Ulla Tervo-Desnick - 6 hrs
I'm beginning to brainstorm what sorts of ideas I could incorporate into my arts-infused project for the second graders. Ulla's class has been reading The Birchbark House by Louisa Erdich, a novel focusing on the life of an Ojibwe family. Not only are they reading and learning about the Ojibwe, but each child has decorated their own bandolier bag using markers, pens, pencils, and yarn. Ulla tells me that the kids will continue to learn and expand their knowledge on Ojibwe history and customs, meaning this would be a viable subject for their art project.
One thing that has definitely made EXPO Elementary stand out from any other elementary school I've visited and my own is the fact that there is an iPad readily available for each child to use. I think this is incredible! I would have never trusted my seven-year-old self with such an expensive item (In fact, I barely trust myself to take care of my laptop...I think I'll be lucky if this thing ends up lasting me the next year and a half!), but the kids are really good with them. Ulla tells me that there are definitely art programs available for them to use on their iPads, and that there is definitely potential in creating an arts lesson using them. Other than that, I'm definitely getting to know the kids better, and have learned everyone's names! I can't wait to find out what adventures next week may bring.