Modern materials make interesting and instructive ceramic art education projects easy and fun. Polymer clay is a new material, invented during World War II, which lends itself to many ceramic applications. Not a mineral clay at all, polymer clay is a form of PVC (polyvinyl chloride) with plasticizing agents to make it soft and workable until it is baked at low temperatures, such as those of an ordinary kitchen oven. As a rule of thumb, polymer clay objects should be baked at between 265° – 275° F (129° – 135° C) for fifteen minutes per quarter-inch (6 mm) thickness. Polymer clays are naturally translucent but can be made more opaque by the addition of white china clay or kaolin. Metallic or pearlescent type effects can be obtained by adding mica. Thus the basic material lends itself to many ceramic art education techniques.At primary school levels hand shaped sculptures can be created easily and fired in an oven for permanence. Younger children also enjoy making buttons, beads, and other jewelry items such as earrings, pendants, and barrettes. Not only can basic ceramic working skills be taught with these simple projects, but the children derive much satisfaction creating gift items for family members and friends with their own skills and imaginations. In addition to the traditional polymer clay which remains pliant until baked at low temperature, there are also polymer air dry clays which don’t even require an oven to harden.Middle and upper school students enjoy more advanced projects such as tile-making, and covering existing objects made of other materials, such as cardboard, metal, and glass. Polymer clay is easy to work with simple tools found around the house, such as knives, needles, rubber stamps, scissors; and the use of extruders makes it possible to create many interesting shapes. Some project ideas for making useful and gift items include vases, candy bowls, votive candle holders, cold drink holders, switch plates, jewelry boxes, knick-knack shelves, napkin holders, salt and pepper wells and shakers, chess and other game pieces, toy animals, picture frames, album covers, and many more. Small flat pieces of baked polymer clay can be used to make mosaics, collages, and basic reliefs as well as incorporated into paintings, since they can be decorated with paint, colored pencils, ink, chalk, glitter or foil, either applied either on the surface or as inclusion. Acrylic painting on the surface of polymer clay bonds with it upon baking. Polymer clay can pick up and preserve photographs and other images from magazine and newspaper pages. Pasta machines can be used in working with polymer clay to create unique color gradients in thin polymer clay sheets, which can be used in conjunction with slump, drape or hump molds to create serving platters, trays, bowls, and boxes.

There are many people that dream of a career in the hospitality industry and the most popular job is, of course, the head chef. To attain this role within a quality restaurant you will need to go through a culinary arts education course that will prepare you for working as a professional chef. These courses include the actual hands on preparation of food as well as the theories and lessons you will need to work in the industry. The courses run for anywhere from three to five years and even longer in you choose to complete a double degree.There are many schools offering culinary education including everything from local community colleges through to world class cooking schools such as Le Cordon Bleu. Most of these schools offer professional degrees in culinary arts and will provide you with an opportunity to get a great job in the industry. However, it is more than likely you will need to get experience as an assistant, or sous chef, before you will be promoted or offered a job as a head chef. Like most other graduates you will need to make your way up the industry until you reach the top.It is important to compare the different culinary arts education courses that are offered. Consider that some of the courses will not offer a formal degree so it is a good idea to put plenty of research into your decision. Create a short list of schools as it is a good idea to apply to more than one school in case you aren’t accepted by your first choice.

In the recent economic downturn, many Americans have decided that there needs to be very strict budget cuts for schools. One of the unfortunate casualties to this plan has been Arts Education.There are limited options to this problem. I am not going to promote cutting other organizations such as clubs or sports teams, because I do not feel it is our right. Any form of involvement in school activities should be encouraged. Activities will not be successful, if they are all funded by bake sales. Trust me, I know from experience. People want to cut the funding for programs they are not personally interested in. I do not believe that is right. Taking money from the football team to give to the band is not a solution.Nevertheless, before you sign on to this seemingly simple tax-cut, think of these crucial benefits that come with involvement in the Arts.1.The Arts involves critical skills that generate success.-Reading music is composed of being able to configure fractions instantly in the head so fast that you can perform them at a moments notice. Music majors may cringe at the sight of a balance sheet or strategic profit model, until they realize it is the equivalent of Beethoven’s ninth symphony.-Being an actor you have to be able to present, negotiate and close. Just because it happens on stage rather than over a desk makes no difference. The ability to create the suspension of disbelief is the same as a sales pitch. The skill set of a well-rounded businessperson is instilled and rehearsed day after day becoming innate.2.The Arts creates the kind of employees you want to hire.-All disciplines of the arts from painting to singing and everything in between have a vital benefit; they require insurmountable hours of practice. The dedication to goals and achievement are something you will want for your organization.-Creative minds that indulge in the arts are not in it for the money, clearly. They do what they do for the thrill and empowerment they get from creation. Hire these people, give them room to grow and you will benefit from their strengths. Do not get me wrong, they might need training, but the foundation to create and bolster is there.-It has been well documented that the arts contributes to higher attendance and good behavior in schools. Showing up is half the battle, and in the business world can get you into so many doors by simply being persistent. Artsy people are nothing, if not persistent.3.The Arts invents employees, which will make you look good.-This may seem like a stretch, but let’s be honest, as a manager you always want to look good. This can only go as far as your employees and your effectiveness. You do not need to hire an employee who is going to be constantly late. You need an employee who is always early, because they know from auditions just how beneficial it is.-One of the toughest lessons students in the Arts have to learn is about rejection. The fact that I have to write this article is proof. But, students who come from an Arts background grow a tough skin. No, you do not need to hire the first chair violinist as your next sales person. But, I can guarantee you that an Arts major will be closing a major deal, because they will not take no for an answer. For people in the Arts rejection is a challenge, and the end result for you will be profit.-Prospects have hobbies and interests too! When hiring an employee, an Arts person can find a way to relate to almost anyone. Studying for roles, reading countless plays and observing the public an Arts trained employee can become the ultimate resource for human interaction. Arts people are essentially all trying to use their art to reach other people. We understand communication, an in the end it is essential to all business.-In order to be an effective manager you must employ minds that are not exactly like yours. You need to be able to challenge, delegate and improve. If you want another drone from a business school, who has never looked outside a textbook then that is your choice. If you choose to pick a person with a background in the Arts, you will be getting someone who has lived many of the pillars of successful business on a daily basis, not just read about them.When it comes to the subject you’ve got to ask yourself this: Is it more important to save a few bucks by cutting Arts Education or investing in the future minds entering the workforce? Let’s take a quick recap for most of the people, who will just scroll to the summary:1. The Arts involves critical skills that generate success.
2. The Arts creates the kind of employees you want to hire.
3. The Arts invents employees, which will make you look good.

Do you have a budding artist in the family? Does your son or daughter love to draw or paint? Does he constantly pester you for coloring books or art materials? If so, encourage them to continue what he or she is doing. Those meaningless scribbles might be the start of a bright future. Your kid might not become another van Gogh or Salvador Dali but he or she will surely benefit from a good art education.Unknown to many, a strong art education is important, as it helps children develop skills that they need to be successful in life. Among the many benefits of art education are self-directed learning, improved school attendance and better creative skills. Recent studies have shown that the creativity and innovation used in the artistic process are highly valued by employers.Creative arts programs play a big role in shaping students’ self-image and increasing their skills in math, science, geography and language. Early exposure to visual art, music or drama is known to promote brain activity. It encourages learning and helps people understand other subjects easily. Art also promotes creativity and inventiveness and helps develop self-esteem, self-discipline and self-motivation.But that’s not all. Art activities help kids understand the human experience. It teaches them to respect other people’s’ ways of working and thinking, helps develop creative problem-solving skills, and enables them to communicate their thoughts and ideas in many ways. Unfortunately, the hard times have affected the way people see art. Often, art programs are the first to be sacrificed in implementing cost-cutting measures. Several schools have limited classroom space and art “studios” are mostly found in a cart that is transferred from room to room. This greatly limits the art education that students receive.How do we solve this problem? Start by encouraging kids to draw. All you need is a pencil and a piece of paper, yet this simple process provides the basis for other creative activities, such as painting and sculpture. Drawing is a direct link to reading, writing and math. This is the most accessible art form available that will go a long way in making your child a better person someday.

So what is Elementary Art Education?Elementary Art Education is the process of building children’s confidence, and skills in working with a wide variety of materials. Such as drawing, painting, construction, printmaking and several others depending on your school art curriculum.It requires the children to use their imaginations, their surroundings, and from life in general. But most importantly using the principles of Art Design not only builds a child confidence but also strengths their other academic skills”It is True Elementary Art Education does not solve problems, but it does make our children aware of their existence.” Years of research show that it’s closely related to almost everything that we as parents want for our children and demand from our schools, academic achievement, social and emotional development, civic engagement, and equitable opportunity.Why is Teaching Elementary Art Important?Recently, economic and social pressures have considerably impacted Elementary Art Education. In many cases, this has resulted in severely reduced budgets that cuts the Art Education Programs too many times, art is not considered to be part of the curriculum and is taught only at the discretion of the classroom teacher. This needs to change, Teaching Elementary Art is crucial in the overall development of a students’ approach to the world. Art teaches to the right side of the brain, developing and learning creative skills that enhance a student performance in academic achievement and in all areas throughout life.Involvement in Art Education Programs is associated with increased math skills, reading, perceptive ability, critical thinking, and verbal skill. Elementary Art Education can also improve motivation, concentration, and teamwork. A strong Arts program helps close a gap that has left many children behind. Arts class enables those children from a financially challenged background to have a more level playing field with the children around them.”How dull, how very drab the lives of our children would be, if they looked, but did not see, touched, but did not feel, listened, but never took a curtain call.” – Wilson RilesIn closing, Teaching Elementary Art addresses important issues of academic achievements that our children require to succeed in life. When you think about the purposes of education, We’re preparing our children for jobs. We’re preparing them for life after school. And we’re teaching them to be human beings who can enjoy the deeper forms of beauty. Art Education plays a major roll in this development, students flourish when creativity drives learning.”

An art education degree is a sure key to unlocking a world of unlimited opportunities. Apart from the demand of childhood educators, art educators, business educators, music educators, special educators and other classes of educators being always high these degree can land you in various other lucrative careers. This includes being an education expert, researcher, scholar, writer, motivational speaker and even an historian. You can also with an art education degree freelance in photography, design and writing while still in your main profession.A sure passion for teaching needs to be the main driving force to go for this degree. These must be backed with competencies in emotional, visual and tactile ways to impart knowledge to someone as this degree involves teaching toddlers, adolescents, and mature people and in other cases people with special needs. You must have that ability to emotionally handle all these classes. After analyzing yourself the next step is selecting your preferred university. There are many universities in America that offer an art education degree. Depending on your mode of study whether studying on campus or online you will be able to find an accredited university in your desired geography after searching the U.S department of education comprehensive database of accredited post secondary institutions.Accredited universities include the following: Capella University, university of Phoenix in Phoenix Arizona, De Vry University, Walden University and also Kaplan University. You will find more accredited universities in Degrees.net and many of the best art schools are listed. Walden University in Minnesota is an ideal university if you want online masters. It has been recommended by the Minnesota board of teaching and receives postgraduate online students from all over the world. Specialty subjects in the post graduate program are teacher leadership, integrated technology in class, education leadership, adolescent literacy and theology and other general fields. All these are offered by the Richard W. Riley College department of Walden University. Also among the best art schools is the Southern New Hampshire University. It offers among the best online studies. It was awarded awards for best online degree by The New Hampshire Business Review. You will need 120 credit hours to complete your masters online if you choose Southern New Hampshire University.Different states have different teacher certification and different teacher regulation bodies. Some universities will offer you a teaching license to teach in various states while others will license you to teach in only one state. Before being awarded teacher certification you will have to sit and pass some examinations. In Minnesota you will have to pass PRAXIS 1 and PRAXIS II tests. For more about teacher licensing and practice in Alabama you should contact the Alabama State Department of Education, they will steer you in the right direction. In Washington you would need to get in touch with the office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction.In whichever state you choose to carry out your art education degree verify with the state education department if the chosen institution is accredited. In case you choose an art school online ensure it has the leading technology, electronic portfolios, podcasts and Virtual Field Experiences. ™

“The Arts” and “Culture”. These are two terms that are thrown around in today’s society, but what have they really come to mean? Have what were once profound and highly developed concepts recently been pushed towards obsolete, or worse, a mere tool for other endeavors?For previous magnificent cultures, such as the Egyptians, Greeks or Italian Renaissance, the arts have been so critical as to even define the society’s mark on history. But today, much of our children’s education of the Arts has turned into merely a support structure for other subjects, namely Math, History, Science, and English. The repeated standardized testing and scoring of our children to determine their aptitude for any given subject has proved that involvement of the arts will help boost test scores and ultimately improve knowledge retention. However, does this mean that the Arts should be heavily utilized as a method to enhance one’s Math understanding? Surely visual elements will assist most thinkers to conceptualize things like geography, world history, or biology, as we know from the prevalent use of maps and images in text books, but to understand the full purpose and potential of Art requires a deeper and more innate appreciation for the term and its many forms.More to the point, Art does not have to improve a child’s reading level to prove its intrinsic value in our society.A foundation of Arts education serves a critical need for young ladies and gentlemen by developing appreciation of sculpture, music, paintings, drama and dance. People who have attempted projects in these fields can then enjoy them more fully, knowing the level of difficulty to develop mastery of the crafts. Young people can gain self esteem, fine motor skills, and an expressive voice, as well as build career enhancing traits like patience, creative problem solving, and good craftsmanship. The arts are also used for community building and services, challenging social norms and providing methods for community reflection and growth. To not afford students these tools would significantly limit a society’s growth potential.In summary, the Arts should not be viewed as stepping stone for generating higher level reading, but instead carry their own value and merit based solely on the innate human need for beauty, expression, and creativity.

Anyone who has ever had a child come home from an art class for kids and excitedly present their latest masterpiece has or is struggling with this dilemma. Knowing the great care and effort they put into each stroke of the pencil or paintbrush, it can be extremely difficult on both of you when you are forced to deal with the growing piles of work.You don’t want to make your child feel like their work is unappreciated and you want to remember the fun and growth they had via their children’s art education, but there is only so much you can keep. Did you know that there are several ways for parents to deal with the artwork while still making your kids happy?SelectionDeciding what to keep from a children’s art education and what to toss can be difficult. Many parents eliminate quick scribbles quickly to control the speed at which these items can multiply. Others sit with their child once a month or quarterly and choose one or two pieces created at an art class for kids to keep and toss the others. Other parents will keep only items that demonstrate a new skill or represent an important moment in their life.Once the keepers have been selected, there are a few systems to keep these works organized. Large envelopes, scrapbooks, or file folders are a common choice. Plastic containers or boxes work well. For truly priceless items, wrap them in acid free paper to preserve them as best you can. For the really special ones, buy old pictures from a yard sale or inexpensive ones from a craft store and display them for the world to see. A shadow box works great for the cotton-ball-and-cereal-covered items that are beautiful, but oh so hard to store safely.Digital And Printed MethodsChildren’s art education has one benefit today that it didn’t have several years ago thanks to technological advances. When a child comes home from an art class for kids, take a picture or scan their new creations. You can save these images onto a disc preserving them in perfect condition for years to come. Some parents use these to work with their kids to make personalized calendars. Some companies will also do this for you in addition to offering several other printable products, such as mugs or plates. Other companies will print the images into a bound book that you can keep for yourself and even order extra copies to give to friends and relatives.Share The WealthFor grandmothers, grandfathers, and other proud relatives who live a great distance away, items from a children’s art education are often missed causing them to lose out on this part of your son or daughter’s life. You can collect the items from an art class for kids and ship them on a weekly or monthly basis to family members so that they can enjoy their artwork as much as the kids do. For the largest paintings and drawings, use them to wrap presents for a personal touch.As much as a children’s art education can produce an intense sense of pride and important memories, it can also create a vexing problem for parents. With a few helpful hints, you can make you and your child happy by being creative when preserving these irreplaceable pieces. The entire family can enjoy an art class for kids for a long time after the class is over.