K12ArtChat the Podcast The Creativity Department

In this episode The Creativity Department is joined by New York Times bestselling children’s book author/illustrator Jarrett J. Krosoczka to talk about the role the art room and art teachers played in shaping his life and creative journey.  Hear about the many amazing children’s books Jarrett has created including the Jedi Academy series and the Lunch Lady series as well as the two young adult graphic memoirs – Hey, Kiddo and Sunshine – based on his life experiences. Listen in to hear all about Jarrett’s “ah-ha” moment and discover the power art has to build emotional intelligence, connection, and coping skills, right alongside creativity and problem-solving.

Often seen as an exclusively scholarly realm, research feels completely removed from the intuitive, hands-on work we do with students. In this episode, the Creativity Department is joined by Ami Kantawala, Adjunct Associate Professor for Art Education at Teacher’s College. Listen in to learn how embracing research as an extension of the creative process allows us to be reflective practitioners using our lived experience, inquiry, and curiosity to deepen engagement with students.

NAEA’s 2024 National Convention is right around the corner! New to this year’s conference is the Digital Playground, an area where attendees can try out a variety of hands-on art related activities! In this episode, the Creativity Department is joined by returning guest Tim Needles, as well as Illinois Art Educators Sherri Kushner, and Kerry Parrish who are running activities in the Digital Playground. Listen in to hear about activities such as laser cutting, Adobe Express demonstrations, a cell phone photoshoot, and much more! 

Youth Art Month is here! Throughout March, schools across the country celebrate student art with events that nurture and promote their student’s creativity! Not sure how to get involved? The former Vice President of Texas Youth Art Month, Tiffany Silverthorne joins the Creativity Department to talk about what kind of events she’s run in the past, how much her students were inspired by them, and how much advocacy it brought to her program! Listen in to hear more from Tiffany!

In this episode, the Creativity Department is joined by the authors of Fashion Fundamentals by Davis. Gretchen Kaine, Marji Wachowiak, and Terese Giobbia share their arts education experiences, what drew them to fashion and design, how they’ve incorporated fashion into their art rooms and how you can do the same! Learn about using fashion to strengthen problem-solving, introduce students to other cultures, and how to weave fashion design into your already existing lessons. Listen in to hear more from Gretchen, Marji, and Terese! 

In this episode, the Creativity Department is joined by Kent State University’s Professor of Art Education, Robin Vande Zande! She shares her experience and strategies for implementing the Design Process in the Art Room. Design Education is not only teaching students about “design” in the aesthetic sense, more importantly it is about teaching them the process of fully realizing an idea through brainstorming, research, prototyping, presenting, reflecting, and revising their ideas. Listen in to learn more from Robin!