Author Illustrator School Visit: Read Across America

READ ACROSS AMERICA! Author-Illustrator School Visit

Once a year and once a lifetime! That's what's been happening for me over the last week. My heart is full! My brain is full! My memory card is way beyond full! Read Across America happens once a year. Coming to AZ to see the Grand Canyon, make a school visit and spend two days in SEDONA (including a JEEP VORTEX tour and a helicopter ride over the Red Rocks!)

Let's start with the school visit. MEMORABLE! Take a look at this mosaic welcome outside of this amazing Elementary school! That's my kind of welcome! 

I walked into the front hallway and look what was on display in and around the school showcase. Immediately I knew this was a building with an incredible art teacher! A former art teacher can recognize excellence while standing in the vestibule. These 'polka-dot' painted flowers caught my attention within the first ten seconds! LUV!!!

Right around the corner, still in the front entry way were these canvas collaborative class paintings. 

So awesome. Hmmmmmm. How big were the canvas? 

Maybe like 12" by 18" -- not huge. 

Each student's image was on what looked to be rice paper/tracing paper.

They were then something like modge podged together. 

(Just guessing.) 

Back to READ ACROSS AMERICA! 

Also in the front hallway were hand painted 'chairs-for-charity.' 

Note-to-self: I need to have a whole RoundUP of chairs.

I've seen quite a few awesome ones lately. 

Down the hall? Outside the library. 

Seuss-like stools! 

Hand painted Seuss! 

Then there's a classic welcome bulletin board a la Chicka-Chicka! 

Luv the 3-D look of the palm leaves! 

Well done! 

I have an earlier Chicka-Chicka RoundUP and must move this beauty over there. 

Finally, I have reached my hostess' classroom! 

Which is actually the first room on the hall. 

Meet Jennifer of blogging fame, "Simply Kinder." 

We have been cyber friends for ages.

We met in Vegas last summer at "I Teach K" -- where I got to be Diva Debbie and give the opening keynote.

We have been cyber-conversing about my visit for years. Literally. 

Years.  

I was able to arrive an hour before my first presentation, so that meant I went zipping around her room to capture some goodies to share here. She has her anchor charts all laminated and hanging ready for their use. 

Since we had flown west from our home in FL, for my day-long presentation to the ECE community of Denver at their annual JCCCA day, we'd brought along our new WOBBLE SEATS! To say that Ms. Jennifer's students were adoring this innovation in seating is truly an understatement. They were so excited to each get their own WOBBLE turn! 

It was awesome to have a captive audience in 'test-drive'  mode for our newest project. I just blogged all about them for the first time earlier this week. Here's the link to our Wobble site, with specifics for ordering your own. 

Real quick I popped across the hall to grab up some additional pictures for you of excellence in early education! Take a look at the organization of these MANY manipulatives. Be still my heart!

Each bucket of goodies had a photograph on it's end of the materials inside. On the shelf is a laminated picture and label of the bucket that belongs there. BRILLIANT! 

Yes. It would take quite some time to get this system set up and organized, but once it is up and operational students know for all time where things belong and can work independently to clean up and put things back in order. As much as I LUV color -- having the buckets in one 'non-color' (white) certainly simplifies the whole look and makes the photos of the materials POP!  FIVE STARS! 

I need to move some of these photos into my Top 10 article on classroom organization. 

Teachers have LUV LUV LUV'd this earlier RoundUP. 

Then it was on to my shows!

Post by Sunburst Elementary School PTO.

I can have this smiling face on-line, because this good lookin' cherub is the dear son of our Simply Kinder author. It was literally his birthday on the day I was visiting. So the two of us had prearranged that I'd ask for a volunteer having a birthday to help me. Here's Mr. Birthday holding my quilt -- as we compare it to the picture book version of the same design. 

This image is from my first picture book, 

"You're Wonderful." 

My picture books are available directly on my website or at Teachers Pay Teachers. 

My goal in each of my author-illustrator presentations is to 'sing & read' each of my three picture books and share the original quilts I created as the book illustrations. When I have at least 45 minutes for the program, I am able to intersperse one of my active/jumping brain break songs -- between each of my books. This has the kiddos up and down, up and down, and up and down for  a third time. Ta-Dah! 

The BIG ENDING of my presentations is my newest picture book, 

"Red, White and Blue." 

Here we are looking at the quilt and book versions of the fire fighters who responded first on September 11th. 

I make sixteen small quilts to create a 32 page traditional picture book. 

My dear husband Allen has my quilts professionally scanned, 

in preparation for the book's print being added on the computer. 

Here's Jennifer's anchor chart for community helpers, 

those first responders whatever the emergency. 

Jennifer took 252 pictures of me in action. She sent them to me via Dropbox. I have to figure out how to get them out of that format to crop and add them over here. Technology. I'm learning all the time! She really got some amazing shots! 

Are you following me on Instagram? 

I was able to upload these Seuss decorated doors in real time. 

They were an 'insta-hit' with my IG followers!

After all the singing and dancing and reading was accomplished, I did make it to the amazing art room for a quick intro to the incredible mind and effort behind all of the delightful student art I'd seen through out the building. Take a look at all of this imagination in UPcycling 'craft tubes.' 

I just loved these beauties! The paint pots looked like happy polka-dots in my eye. 

Here's the link to my song "Glad I'm at School" as captured in the above video. 

These next images are part of my travelogue. 

We started a week ago at home in FL. We flew to Denver for JCCCA. 

From there we started south in our rental car. 

Here are a few of the happy clouds above New Mexico. 

Then it was on to Arizona! 
Let's find us some Red Rocks! 

First stop?
Monday: The GRAND Canyon!

I have learned how to take 'panorama' shots on my new phone. 
I have also learned how to get them into the clever 'frames' of phone aps! 

Second stop. 

Tuesday: Glendale for the author-visit day. 

We got to travel thru the land of the stately Saghura cactus. 

Day #3 of AZ! 
SEDONA!!!
We took a VORTEX Jeep tour up and through the rock formations. 

Highlight of Day #4? 

HELI-COP-TER!!!!!!!!!!

Helicopter tour above, around and through the formations, 

from on-high! 

In making the quilt illustrations for "Red, White and Blue" I wanted to show the diversity in our LAND as well as our people. I wrote this song immediately after September 11th and wanted to show as much as possible the great amazing country that is America. 

To that end I created a 'purple mountain majesty' quilt and wanted to then contrast it to the RED ROCKS of the Southwest. This is my first visit 'back' to Sedona since my book came out. So this is the first 'posed' picture of me holding my book IN Sedona! While in Glendale, I had one of the first graders shout out, "HEY! That's Sedona!" and my heart skipped a beat. 

I am so very grateful for each and everyone of you that 'shares' my posts. 

Every single pin, tweet or + brings some additional visibility to this self-published author and I'm so appreciative. 

Time to WOBBLE! Wobble Seat! New VENTURE!

EXCITING NEW WOBBLE WONDER! 

Sound the trumpets. A word from our 'new sponsor.' 

This is a whole new era for the Woman-who-LUVS color! I have a VERY exciting announcement to make. I'd like to introduce you to the "Kore Wobble Seat." Last fall I was introduced to this revolutionary concept in seating for the first time. I was IMMEDIATELY attracted to the vibrant colors, but as soon as I sat down and actually 'wobbled'? I WAS SOLD! Totally and completely sold. I knew immediately what a HUGE gift this rocking-moving-wobbling 'seat' could offer to children. Children EVERYwhere! Starting with my own WonderPeeps..... and moving out from there. 

Take a look at our WonderBoys (that would be grandsons) as they play with their Legos by the hour, during their recent visit to us in FL at the beginning of the year. 

[FYI: that is our 7.5 year old second grader on the 18" high green 'Teen' size Wobble Seat. On the yellow Wobble is our 5.5 year old Kindergarten sized all-boy Lego builder. I thought is would be helpful for you to know their exact ages -- in thinking about the size Wobble best suited to your Wonders.] 

This is year number 18 for me of going in and out of schools around the country as the music-lady and now morphed into an author-illustrator of traditional children's picture books. For ten years prior to that I worked full time in a private preschool for young children with special needs. There was also a chapter of my being the Art teacher in an elementary school for students K-6th grade. In all of those thirty years, I've never experienced a 'new invention' that has excited me more, than when I sat and began to wobble. Seeing it is one thing. Experiencing it is a whole new level of WOW!

Here's what it looks like over one rainy afternoon. 

There are so many aspects of this Wobble Seat that 'speak' to me. In this age of more and more sedentary lifestyle choices, this 'wobbling' gives activity to even 'passive' moments. While working with Legos, or playdough, or writing an essay or even playing video games -- the body is still in motion, always reacting to the movement created by the curved platform base. 

The very first person to purchase a Wobble Seat from me, is a Pediatric Occupational Therapist. See what Amy has to say from her professional training perspective. 

I am so grateful for Amy's specific insight. What I know is that children who are 'active/kinesthetic' learners are going to appreciate the opportunity for movement. I know that teachers will be grateful for the relief from telling their students to "sit down, put all four legs on the ground." This Wobble Seat will be such a unique sensory integration opportunity for children and for some it will be an answer to prayer. Literally. 

Just think if some of that distracted kinetic (sometimes frenetic) energy could be directed into positive behavior and self control. What is some of that 'fijit' energy could be directed, through positive and calming movement? Be still my heart. 

More good news in the pipeline. The KORE company has listened to the early adopters and is already in the process of creating even SMALLER, SHORTER Wobble Seats for even younger/tinier littles. There is a 10" chair in the making that will be ready in the next couple of months! OH HAPPY DAY! 

But back to the good news already at hand. In an effort to have lots of feedback to share, I have my immediate circle of family and friends already using the ADULT Wobble Seat options. Meet my dear friend Susan, Senior Editor at Zaner-Bloser. She has already been wobbling at the corporate office for a couple of months! She chose the 'Everyday Chair' as her desk chair replacement. I got to see her wobble-in-action recently while we talked at corporate about the filming of our joint videos together. 

I'll get Susan to give me her two cents via email and insert it here.

In the realm of FULL DISCLOSURE: the website that I am sending you to for more information and consideration of a purchase...... is 'mine.' My husband Allen built it, the website, for me for as a Christmas present! That's how strongly I believe in this product. Your trust in me can now be expanded to include the Wobble Seat. 

Allen will be directly overseeing the orders as they are shipped from the manufacturing warehouse and is willing to answer your questions. You may start with one Wobble Seat and then want to jump to a dozen or more. He can help you with the pricing for bulk orders. 

We are looking into all sorts of possibilities. Affiliate marketing for my blogging friends is at the very top of our list. I will let you know when we are ready to roll that out. We are also investigating what it takes to have the Wobble Seat choices get approved for Donor Choice grants. 

As with me in all things, it is baby steps first. My enthusiasm is genuine. I have already written and recorded a "WOBBLE SONG." I will be more than happy to send that to you in Mp3 format, when you purchase your Wobble Seat.

So let's all start wobbling, burn some extra calories while you sit at your computer and in the process reconnect with your CORE! 

Tissue Paper "Hungry Caterpillars" Reflect Eric Carle

I had an earlier RoundUP of all things Mr. Carle. 

You simply MUST go back and see those dozens of ideas! 

In the hopes that this image has garnered some Art teacher attention, I have included the first three installments of my Art History in the Elementary articles. Just click the picture for the ideas and inspiration. 

"Dinosaur Romp" Active Song goes DIGITAL!

"DINOSAUR ROMP!"

YIPPEE!!! I have translated another of my original children's songs into DIGITAL format! In the zipped file you get an MP3 version of the song, a powerpoint format of the lyrics and some Pdf's for some fine motor dino fun. 

The song has a hard-driving beat. 

Think AC/DC goes to PreK.

Think T-REX on wailing guitar. 

You're going to need your air guitars for this one! 

Let me demonstrate my AIR Guitar for you. 

That's how you really wail. 

Throw back your shoulder and it howl. 

That's a dinosaur hat on my head from the dollar store....

so be on the look-out! 

Here's another Dinosaur hat variation. 

I remember finding this on a vacation trip in a novelty store. 

Be on the look out. 

As I ALWAYS promise you: 

"If you put something on your head, you will have more eye contact from the kids!" 

The best way to go on a Dinosaur Romp is to think of playing "Follow the Leader." 

YOU get to be the leader -- unless you invite me! 

Here is a classroom of PreK's with their air guitars 

and following along as we stomp through the prehistoric swamp.

Dinosaurs make the PERFECT art project. 

They lend themselves to 'interpretation.' 

Take a look at an entire Bulletin Board full of handpainted and PERSONALIZED Dinosaurs in the Preschool setting. 

True Confessions................ 

The zipped file is not quite zipped up. 

We have safely arrived in sunny DENVER!!! 

Got back here to Clement central around 'our' east coast midnight. 

Still need to get this together, but the RockieWonders are monopolizing my heart. 

Maybe later today?

Or more likely..... tonight after they go to bed! 

Yes. That's the plan.

Zip and upload after they hit-the-hay!