Monday, September 29, 2008

Art in Special Education – Ten Tips for Success

Article by Anne Vize
Published on Sep 26, 2008

Art is a fabulous subject to share with special needs learners. It is a vehicle for developing literacy, numeracy, communication, creativity, higher order thinking and social abilities in a positive and enjoyable setting. Give art a go with your special needs learners, who may have a hidden talent.

Art activities in special education
There are many satisfying and enjoyable tasks you can share in the art program with special needs learners. Some require a significant amount of preparation, but others can be done simply, cheaply and easily. As with many teaching situations, there are some tips to make your life easier.

Tips for success in teaching art... http://www.brighthub.com/education/special/articles/8574.aspx
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Monday, September 22, 2008

Adendum to "Meditation: Creating an energy talsman"

Whole Brain Thinking

Do we still have unimaginable potential just waiting to beunlocked? When you examine the functioning of the human brain, the answer is a resounding, "Yes!" The human brain includes right and left hemispheres. These operate in different contexts as they perform different functions. In most people, the left hemisphere is primarily detail-oriented, while the right hemisphere is visually oriented.

The right-brain provides these functions: Dealing with thoughts in their natural, symbolic form. Artistic ability - visual imagery. Memory. The experience of emotions. The dream state. The reception of intuitive impressions. Right-brain development can include artistic and musicalability, which can be used to make your immediate surroundings look and sound beautiful. Quality of life can be enhanced enormously with moreright-brain attention. Imagine, the luxury of living in a world where communities are designed to calm your senses and inspire you with the sights, sounds and smells of a beautiful environment.

Your spiritual connection is developed through the right sideof the brain. Meditation provides inner peace and the development of intuition, which, in turn, provides necessary insights into your life's path. As right-brain activity is enhanced, your normal functioning becomes more whole-brain, and both hemispheres begin to be used in balance.

To operate in the right brain means to grasp concepts withoutwords, feeling them, knowing them, letting the left-brain logic wait until our sense knowingness has had the chance to become more than it was before.This was exerpted from an article written by Owen Waters, author of"The Shift: The Revolution in Human Consciousness" http://anacoana.blogster.com/whole-brain-thinking_210908120606
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Looking at beautiful art can act as a painkiller

Beauty is truth, the English romantic poet John Keats once wrote, but according to the latest scientific research it is also a painkiller.
Looking at a beautiful piece of art has long been said to have the power to heal emotional wounds but the new research also claims it offers a distraction from physical pain.
Click here for full story.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?xml=/earth/2008/09/17/sciart117.xml
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Autism: 'supercharged' mind?

Children who develop autism have "supercharged" brains that are so clever and sensitive that they make everyday experiences utterly overwhelming, new research claims.
According to a theory developed by Swiss neuroscientists, the condition is not caused by a brain deficiency but by a system overload which causes the world to seem frightening and overly intense.
Husband and wife team Kamila and Henry Markram of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne, believe the idea could explain the erratic nature of the condition.
"Our hypothesis is that autistic people perceive, feel and remember too much," Kamila Markram told the New Scientist.
Click here for the rest of the story.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/health/2976839/Autism-is-caused-by-a-supercharged-mind-scientists-claim.html
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Meditation: Creating an energy talsman

"If you want to get in touch with your inner voice, you must quiet your conscious mind. For some people, this involves a mind-relaxing activity such as running, walking, or fishing. Other people must sit quietly for a few minutes. Do whatever works for you in order to let those inner messages surface. Try meditation, which has been scientifically proven to increase mental clarity and thinking ability and integrate left- and right-brain functioning. Meditation also can improve physical, mental, and emotional health." (Bali Sunset)

We are offering a new class. Participants create a talsman that represents their personal energy source. The process of creating the talsman quiets and centers the spirit. Afterwards, the finished talsman serves as a reminder during stressful events of this positive energy flow. Perfect for retreats!
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Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Promote empathy thru art ed

...The approach is integrated with art, drama and music so that, "children develop emotional literacy and the ability to find the humanity in themselves and one another". The social climate of classrooms change when students develop a sense of how others feel, both fellow students and teachers who have feelings too. Aggression is reduced by empathy. "Children change from the inside out, developing intrinsic motivation and intrinsic pride instead of reward-driven superficial, fleeting satisfaction". ...Various special interest groups also recognise the importance of teaching empathy-those concerned with (Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), autism, English Language Learners (ELL).

I have exerpted this article here. See link for full article. http://www.mmegi.bw/index.php?sid=2&aid=15&dir=2008/September/Monday15
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Monday, September 15, 2008

Purple

According to the "ColorAnswer Book", purple has an aura of mystery and intrigue. It also says tha people who gravitate to it are "intuitive , imaginative, and highly creative, with quick perception of supernatural ideas. Purple people have a greater sense of the intangible. They don't have to see it to believe it."

Purple is my favorite color. It is my neutral. It finds its way into almost very piece of my work. This post introduces a new line of posts...Over the next weeks/months, I will highlight a work and discuss my thought processes in creating it. Your comments are welcome.
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Beyond the Surface: The art of color

Just found this site today. Lots of great info re: the use of color... http://paulturounetforum.com/2008/09/13/the-art-of-color/
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Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Down Syndrome Quilt


Republican Vice Presidential nominee, Sarah Palin has a son with Down Syndrome. Down Syndrome is a genetic defect caused by the presence of an extra chromosome. Persons born with this syndrome have varying degrees of mental retardation and specific physical characteristics. They often have heart and intestinal defects. There is also a positive aspect to Down Syndrome. People with Down Syndrome are generally very happy, loving, and caring individuals.

In 1995, nationally-known fiber artist, Bailey Earith created a quilt to celebrate contributions of people with Down Syndrome. The project entitled "The Down Syndrome Quilt: In Celebration of All That We Are", features a quilt and companion book. The quilt contains 118 squares, each contributed by or for a person with Down Syndrome. These squares came from across the country and were assembled by Bailey in her studio. The companion book contains photos and letters describing the contributions of the individuals represented on the quilt. The stories are poignant and heart-warming.

According to Rebecca Anastasia, who helped coordinate the project, "The Down Syndrome Quilt is a magical melding of old and new. To initiate this project of old-time craft...Bailey posted a note requesting quilt squares to several electronic bulletin boards." Down Syndrome organizations picked it up and the project was born.

The quilt and book were unveiled in Washington, DC at the National Down Syndrome Congress Convention. Since the project was developed over the Internet, this was the first time many of the participants were able to meet. The quilt and book traveled the country for 2 years before being retired. Due to renewed interest, the quilt is being brought out of retirement.

The quilt and book are available for display. Bailey is available to lecture on the history of the project and stories from the quilt. Interested parties can see our web site (http://www.baileyfiberart.com/) regarding either of these opportunities.

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Monday, September 8, 2008

Joy of Found Objects

COLLECTING: I believe that collecting the "stuff of art-making" is part of the creative process. It is a lot of fun and very energizing and inspiring. Just this weekend, I found pounds of silk and some wonderful organic beads! I love working with found objects.
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Importance of Art in Life

"I have been immersed in the visual arts in Atlantic Canada for approximately 40 years. From a personal point of view, the arts are central to our daily lives and as essential as any other necessity of life required to have a quality life and achieve fulfilment." --Bernard Riordon, director and CEO of the Beaverbrook Art Gallery
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You Gotta Have Art: Patients Benefit From Creative Expression

American Art Therapy Association website: You Gotta Have Art :Patients Benefit From Creative Expression By Carol Strickland; Special to The Washington Post, Tuesday, April 8, 2008
As health-care costs skyrocket, a down-to-earth approach to healing is emerging, complementing high-tech medicine with high-touch arts.The approach is based on the assumption that incorporating music, visual art, writing and performance into clinical care can increase feelings of well-being and even improve health -- an assumption that medical researchers are beginning to recognize the need to test with evidence-based studies. Growing belief in the healing value of the arts was on display last month at a symposium at New York's Museum of Modern Art titled "The Value and Importance of the Arts in Health Care." Participants -- physicians, hospital administrators and artists -- were as upbeat as if they were promoting a miracle drug: Integrating the arts into health care is in vogue, said Leonard Shlain, a laparoscopic surgeon in San Francisco, "because it works."The Society for the Arts in Healthcare, which sponsored the symposium along with MoMA and Vanderbilt University Medical Center, has seen its membership rise. As of 2006, the society estimated that more than half of 2,500 U.S. hospitals that were surveyed offer arts-based programs, said Anita Boles, the group's executive director.Carol Herron coordinates an arts in medicine program at Texas Children's Cancer Center in Houston that involves visual artists, musicians, dancers, mimes, writers and puppeteers."We do children a disservice if all we do is treat the disease," she said. "We need to treat the whole child and the whole family."And at New York University Medical Center, using art to reduce stress has become a priority, according to Marianne Hardart, director of creative arts therapies."There's not anyone it doesn't work with," she said, including adults, adolescents and younger children.Not all institutions are willing to incorporate approaches of this kind, though, Hardart said. "In medical settings geared toward physical and chemical interventions, we're often considered an adjunct instead of an integrated piece."That's partly because the research supporting these programs is slim.Some of the documented benefits - based largely on short-term appraisals of small numbers of patients - include enhanced quality of life, patients' increased cooperation with painful procedures and helping staff understand a patient's point of view. Mounting evidence from the few early empirical studies also report reduced fatigue, depression, anxiety, pain and stress, which may boost the patient's immune system.Letting Go of the PainTracy Councill, who developed an art therapy program called Tracy's Kids at Georgetown University Medical Center's Lombardi Cancer Center, recalled an art project by an 11-year-old lymphoma patient who had been in isolation for months following painful bone marrow transplantation. When he came back as an outpatient, "he made a clay sculpture of a sarcophagus with a mummy-looking thing," she said, which he glazed "with a lot of red to look like blood." This grisly object, she explained, served as "a displaced way of putting that aggression for all the stuff he'd been through into art -- a good way for him to be finished and let go."Artwork can help medical staff perceive fears that patients sometimes can't express verbally. Matthew Gerson, vice chairman of the board of the Prevent Cancer Foundation, which funds Tracy's Kids, described a 12-year-old patient awaiting bone marrow transplant who made a puppet he called Dr. Bones. In the course of dramatizing a story, the child revealed his terror that his own bones would be removed. The art therapist was able to correct the misconception.As part of a rehab team at NYU, art therapist Alice Landry works with adults who have suffered brain or spinal cord injury. A project such as woodworking or jewelry, she says, "creates a metaphor for them rebuilding themselves." Her patients demonstrate not only emotional but functional gains. After four weeks, a multiple sclerosis patient who initially couldn't pick up a bead was stringing beads and adding clasps, she said.Fabien Navidi-Kasmai, 15, diagnosed with a form of Hodgkin's lymphoma when he was 11, illustrated his five-day course of chemotherapy at Georgetown: "I drew a picture of me getting hit by a truck," he said in a phone interview, "then I'd get up and get hit by a train. I'd get up again and be hit by a plane. It really helps to get those feelings out on paper." The lure of the art studio made him drag himself out of bed. "Unless you've been through it," he said, "it's difficult to grasp the concept that art has the power to make having cancer a good experience."Uplifted SpiritsAziza Shad, medical director of the pediatric hematology oncology unit at Georgetown, said the facility was designed around its open art studio. "The focus of our clinic is the art therapy program."As soon as they sign in and before blood is drawn, children race to the art table. They forget they've come for examination, as they laugh, chat, draw or do clay work. Shad believes strongly in the program's benefits: "Those children who participate in the art therapy program do so much better physically."Karen Robinson, who lives in Washington and whose son Max was 5 when he received a diagnosis of acute lymphoblastic leukemia, found the Georgetown clinic welcoming: "We knew that this was home," she said. "It helped us mind, body and soul."Another Tracy's Kids program has opened at the Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders at Children's National Medical Center. Max Coppes, executive director of the center, said that once the art studio was installed, children began grabbing their IV poles and rushing over to work on their projects. "My prediction is, this will become a huge success," he said.Besides providing feel-good activity, the arts can enhance a hospital's physical environment. Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston spent more than $1 million to spruce up a 200-foot-long hallway its patients used when going to the Dana Farber Cancer Institute for treatment.Estrellita Karsh, who originated the project (she is a former medical writer and the widow of the famed photographer Yousuf Karsh), said the passage used to be "traversed by very depressed-looking people, hunched over with their shoulders down." After installing a mural of 149 birds carrying medicinal sprigs, the corridor was renamed "the Bridge of Hope." "Nobody," Karsh said, "goes through with their head down now." One 3-year-old girl, bald from chemotherapy, used to be prodded along to her treatments. Now, the girl points to "her" bird, a scarlet ibis, and talks to it: "Are you a good girl?""There's no question there are numerous facets to caring and healing, and the physical environment is a critical one," said psychiatrist Gary Gottlieb, Brigham's president. "It has been shown that people's optimism, their mental outlook and their mood affect outcome in the treatment of chronic diseases and a number of cancers."Anecdotes and EvidenceSome educators are schooling medical students not only in the art of medicine but also in the broader arts: drawing, art history and poetry. Edith Langner, faculty director of the Arts in Medicine Project at Columbia University Medical Center, takes second-year med students to MoMA and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where she hones their observational skills. Looking at portraits trains the students to examine patients' faces, she says.Yet resistance persists. Many doubt the humanities belong in medical education, and when they are included they're often marginalized rather than fully embraced. The field of art and health care, as William J. Ivey, former chair of the National Endowment for the Arts, put it, is "anecdote-rich and evidence-poor.""If, on scientific examination," Ivey said, "our anecdotes and intuitions turn out to be correct, we can then -- with the evidence required -- move forward in policy areas."Even a physician such as Coppes, who is convinced of the value of art therapy, explains, "I'm an academic, so if something is not demonstrated in a double-blind, randomized study, it doesn't exist."Karsh, the medical writer, remains adamant in her faith: "Anecdotal accounts always seem to precede scientific corroboration," she said.
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Thursday, September 4, 2008

Autism Support at Midwestern State University

In February, the professor of special education was brainstorming with teachers and a graduate student in her special education class about starting a program at MSU that would help high-functioning autistic students attend college. Today, just six months later, she sits in a house near campus where three such students will live and attend MSU with the help of several live-in special education graduate students.

Click here: Corpus Christi, TX KRISTV.COM Midwestern St. has autism support program
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Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Color affects emotions

Studies have shown that the colors we surround ourselves with affect our mood.

Blue - Serenity and Calm
Gray - Invisibility
Green - Nurturing and Earthy
Orange - Energetic and Creative
Pink - Open Heart
Purple - Unique and Special
Red - Powerful and Confident
White - Fresh Outlook / New Beginnings
Yellow - Cheerful and Happy
Black - Blending In

At Bailey Fiber Art Studio, We have the pleasure to work with color all day. Then we offer those colors to you. Our web site (http://www.baileyfiberart.com/) has lots of pictures...See what colors speak to you!
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