This book encourages kids to "Make your mark and see where it will take you!" Sir Ken Robinson once said, "Creativity is as important as literacy!" Creativity is a 21st Century Skill and we focus on those 21st Century Skills equally as much as we focus on the Common Core Standards! They are just as important to your child's success as the standards, if not more!
This book has a great message for both children and teachers! It teaches children to celebrate their creativity and helps them build confidence in their own abilities! It teaches us teachers how powerful our encouragement and our words can be! We can use words to build them up or to criticize. In this room we choose to build these precious children up! This day was a day to show them that! It also teaches me that the process of creating art is more important than the product! What the students create should not at look the same as everyone else's creations! Nor should it look like what I think it should look like! Where is the creativity if I direct what their art should look like! Each one should be unique to the student who created it!
We figured that celebrating International Dot Day was a perfect way to celebrate the process of creating! I set out some experiences and materials for the kids to make a mark and see where it takes them! The kids also created dots out of other things they found in our room!
The kids wanted to have a Dot Gallery like the one in the book. They could not wait for me to display their art for all to see! We decided to put it in the hallway, but we had enough to fill our room too!
Creativity will be celebrated in our room all year. Encourage your children to make their mark, the way they want to make it! You will be amazed at the confidence you will see growing each time they have the opportunity to create!
Hi Darla,
ReplyDeleteI love your page! I teach at an Australian International School in Bangkok and I teach 4-5 year olds. I love this inquiry. In fact, I'm teaching it with a coworker as part of my afterschool club--Collaborative Murals! Thanks for the great ideas! Great ideas for exploration and inquiry based learning!
Hi Darla,
ReplyDeleteI was wondering if you would mind if I emailed you a couple questions related to your program? I teach kindergarten in Whitby, Ontario. I couldn't find an email address for you, that is why I commented on your web page (I hope that is alright). Thank you so much for sharing all of the beautiful pictures that give such insight into your classroom learning. The children look so engaged and excited about their learning!! Very inspirational!! Thank you
Amanda Langeveldt
amanda.langeveldt@gmail.com
Hi Amanda!
DeleteI don't mind at all! My email is dmyers@wcsd.k12.oh.us. I look forward to hearing from you!
Sincerely,
Darla Myers
Dear Darla,
ReplyDeleteI just sent you an email inviting you to participate in a symposium I created. I am deeply impressed with your work and see it as important to share, especially in Los Angeles where the kindergarten classrooms are so barren. Please let me know if you do not receive my email. Mine is wendyzacuto@gmail.com, and my blog is wendyzacuto.com. Bless you and your work!!
We've been doing Dot Day in kindergarten long before I even knew Dot Day was a real thing! Thanks for some more great ideas to add to my repertoire.
ReplyDeleteWe've been doing Dot Day in kindergarten long before I even knew Dot Day was a real thing! Thanks for some more great ideas to add to my repertoire.
ReplyDeleteI love all you do. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDelete