International Dot Day 2015

I first did a project for International Dot Day last year.. but it was on a relatively small scale. This year I decided to think bigger and make this a larger scale collaborative project.  My school operates on a 7 day Specials rotation schedule based on colors, ROYGBIV.  Each color day got to design an 8" dot using the color tones for their color day in Art (ex. Red day students mixed paint colors and decorated their dots in red tones, Orange day students mixed and painted with orange tones, Yellow day with yellow tones, etc.). Once dry, the students cut out the circles and we assembled one from each day into a truly beautiful 'dot cluster!'  These dot clusters look amazing and make the walls oh so happy! 

For those of you who are not familiar with Dot Day, this "holiday" is inspired by the Peter H. Reynolds' book, The Dot.  The Dot tells the story of a teacher who reaches out to an uninspired student (Vashti) in a very creative way, helping her to break through and to make her mark!  It is a fun and colorful story of self discovery.  In fact, Peter H. Reynolds was inspired to write the book after one of his very own teachers changed his life by making connections or 'connecting the dots' between Math and Art.  

So last Tuesday, September 15th, was International Dot Day and I encouraged my coworkers (as reading time allowed) to read The Dot with their classes and to create their own dot and make their mark.. whether it be in the form of artwork, dancing, singing a song, writing a story or a poem, even acting out a story of a dot!  I reminded them and I will also remind you, the reader, that NOW is the time to celebrate the joy of creative teaching.. make your mark and see where it takes you! 

And as for yours truly, I decorated the school walls with the ROYGBIV collaborative dot clusters and wore as many dotted things as I could find in my closet all. week. long!