I have been enormously blessed with a wonderful husband, four adult children, one grandchild (so far) and a bevy of nieces and nephews. My husband and I, along with our brothers and sisters, are great supporters and champions of one another’s children.
This week I am preparing for a visit to Milwaukee. I’ve been invited to share some thoughts on Being Visual and educational strategies at the Menomonee Fall’s Optimist Club. I always enjoy the opportunity to meet people, share ideas and learn from those interactions. I must say this group especially intrigues me. There are a number of organizations with professionals from all walks of life who work together to impact their community. However, the Optimist Club is focused entirely on work that directly benefits children.
Education.com is a great resource for parents and educators. They have dedicated themselves to providing information to parents in order to help kids reach their full potential. The site is one of my favorites and contains articles, activities and thoughts from experts in their fields. The information is organized and presented by age group and covers everything from seasonal craft and play activities to parenting tips, to education tools and strategies. If you aren’t familiar with the site, I encourage you to take the time to visit www.Education.com. I am sure you will find it so valuable you will find it a must to bookmark.
My heart for art and creating was very full this weekend. When our kids were young,we had a dedicated art room full of supplies and they were always involved in some sort of art, craft or creative play. Now that they are adults, I love seeing that each of them still enjoys spending time making and doing.
I was recently invited to speak at a private school in Cleveland to share some thoughts from Being Visual. Having the opportunity to speak about Being Visual at a private school in Cleveland proved to be an amazing opportunity to witness first-hand how vital the role of art education is to a child’s successful academic career. Agnon is a wonderful school, with evidence all around that the arts are highly valued and considered key to a strong educational experience. While talking to the Headmaster, Jerry Isaak-Shapiro, I also found out about their integrated curriculum and commitment to minimal testing. The parents at this school are involved in their children’s education and seemed as committed to their own education, as they were to their children’s.
Recently, I met with a group of parents to share information about learning styles and ways to help our visual children do better in the classroom. We had a great discussion afterwards with several parents sharing their observations and asking questions. I sincerely enjoy these talks and being able to share the important role that learning styles play in a child’s academic and overall development and success.
A mother seated in the front row raised her hand. She asked a question about her 9 year old daughter that touched upon the emotional side of learning that so many young visually oriented children experience.
I’m back from vacation and getting ready to travel again. This time I am en route to Cleveland to promote the Being-Visual philosophy on Art Education in a live taping of a segment at Fox 8 Cleveland and to present a speech on “What Every Parent Should Know About their Child’s Education” at the Agnon School.
First stop Fox News. I have been invited to appear on WJW-TV – Fox News in the Morning on Wednesday, October 3. During our session I’ll talk about what it means to be a visual learner, ways your child may be struggling in school and how you can help. I’ll share some ideas for making learning more visual and tactile.
As children we have so many ideas about what we want to be when we grow up. As parents we know our children’s dreams and plans will change as they grow and get to know themselves better. We strive to provide our kids the education and opportunities that will prepare them for whatever they decide to pursue. When children participate in the arts, music, dance or the visual arts, it’s not necessarily because they’ll be artists as adults – but because it’s key to a rich educational experience.
As an art kid, I spent hours and hours drawing, making and creating. To this day, I love art. Throughout elementary, high school and college, I took as many art classes as possible. Yet, while I was passionate about drawing, there was always a bit of frustration that accompanied the experience. I discovered that instruction in art education is essential to empowering children to communicate visually.
Writing Being Visual and bringing it to market has been a long process. The research, writing, editing and design processes have been an adventure ripe with self-growth and revelations, but I must say – I’m exhausted! My friends, family and professional associates are excited to see Being Visual on Amazon, but now they’re asking, “What’s next ?”
So, what is next…?
We’re going to Disneyworld! (do you see the Super Bowl confetti pouring down around me?)
