Welcome to the 2009-10 School Year

This is an exciting time with the blending of technology and the tradition curriculum. I am looking forward to a our new projects.

Summer Break

I am having a fantastic summer, keeping my brushes wet and taking classes.
I have posted a link that I think you will enjoy; remember to keep your sketchbooks updated so you can share them with us when you return.

http://www.mrpicassohead.com/create.html


When you return for the 2008-2009 school year, we will be posting examples of our work (you will get to see what I painted during the summer) and commenting on the projects.

Enjoy the rest of your VACATION!!!

BLOG SUMMARY

• This blog will be an opportunity to showcase student examples of the TESSELATION PROJECT

• Make a comment on your work; stating what you learned and what you would change.

M.C. Escher Interview

http://www.mcescher.com/

Click on the Escher at work tab and the link will probide an actual interview of Escher, where he discusses his background, training and work.

Step By Step --- How It Is Done

Jim McNeil's
Demonstration of a TRANSLATION tesselation---LOOK HOW EASY

click and view

http://www.jimmcneill.com/demo.html

Tessellating French Fries

Did you think that a tessellation could be made from french fries?
Click and view--- http://www.tessellations.org/index.htm
There are other animated tessellations that you may view.

Next ---click the Tessellations Tab
What are tessellations?
How did tessellations begin?
Symmetry- What are the 3 types of symmetry?

Introduction to Tesssellations

This example was done by an art student of Woody Duncan
as seen on the art-rageous site

Tessellations can be as simple as bricks or floor tiles.

A tessellation is a pattern made using congruent shapes--shapes that are exactly the same in size and outline.

I have added a link that will give you examples of tessellations

view them and post a comment describing your favorite

next identify what type of symmetry the tessellation exhibits.

1. Translational 2. Rotational 3. Reflectional (mirror)

• http://www.art-rageous.net/Tessellations.html

Tesselations Project

Tesselations Project: "Tessellation - any repeating pattern of interlocking shapes.
For example - designs featuring humans, animals, birds or designs, which fill the page without overlapping to form a pattern.
MC Escher - an artist and mathematician that utilized 'tiling' based on geometry in many of his works of art; as well as optical illusions and skewed perspective."

Taking the first step

Blogs are very powerful tools to use in education, and I’m glad to see more and more teachers taking the time to setup and develop blogs for their classroom. I actually just introduced blogging to my seventh grade geography students this year, and I’ve got nothing but positive responses.

There are so many different things that teachers can do with blogs, like publishing homework for students that are absent (which is mostly cut and paste), enhancing the classroom experience by adding supplemental videos and graphics, and especially by creating a dialogue that is unhindered by the constraints and pressures of the school setting.

Teachers can also collaborate with each other on projects online which basically take the geography of location out of the equation, freeing up more time to concentrate on the bones of the material. For example, I may be teaching in the same school as Mrs. Denson but we don’t share a common lunch or planning period to collaborate on projects and this will allow us to communicate more freely.

Thanks for adding me as a guest contributor to your blog.

Mike McCormick