In today's episode, Tim sits down with Oscar Keyes and Erika Ogier to explore how educators can effectively bring digital art and creative technology into their classrooms. Erika, an elementary art teacher, and Oscar, a multimedia librarian and art education faculty member, share their collaborative journey in developing a curated list of tech tools tailored to the realities of K–12 education—tools that are free, user-friendly, web-based, and login-optional. They discuss the myth of the “digital native,” emphasize the importance of foundational tech skills, and highlight how digital art can foster creativity and digital literacy across age levels.

• Join the Art of Ed Community
• See Erika's website and find more information
• Check out the Piskel app
• Explore Kleki

Today, Tim is joined by  Jen Leban for a discussion centered around technology, focus, and the changing dynamics of student engagement. Tim begins with some reflections on learning, creativity, and multitasking, and Jen dives into the impact of the attention economy on how students receive, process, and learn information. The conversation continues and covers the concept of continuous partial attention, the use of AI, and how the arts can help us continue to learn in creative ways.

• Join the Art of Ed Community
• Continuous Partial Attention
• Listen to the Your Undivided Attention podcast
• The Disengaged Teen

When Tim and Amanda put out the call for mailbag questions last week, an overwhelming majority were about simple lessons or one-day lessons to help get through the end of the year.  So in this episode from the archives, Tim shares some ideas for simple one-day lessons that can fill the inevitable gaps when needed. Listen as he talks about how quick lessons can engage students, how you can make those lessons worthwhile, and why it's okay to step back and take a breath every once in a while. 

• 7 Lessons For When You're In A Pinch
• Read more about art challenges
• Jennifer Sell's post on water droplets
• Check out the Creating Art Outside PRO Pack

In the May Mailbag episode, Tim and Amanda answer a wide range of listener questions, from wrapping up the school year to prepping for next year, handling difficult coworkers, and even navigating retirement. Amanda shares exciting updates about The Art of Ed Community, including Teacher Appreciation giveaways and a special Art Club Live event on May 8th. The duo also chats about Impact Week, their personal gardening adventures, and tips for end-of-year activities, from messy projects and outdoor art to room clean-up strategies. The episode wraps with a fun speed round of listener questions, offering quick ideas and helpful resources for art shows, paint distribution, clay projects without a kiln, and more.

• • Join the Art of Ed Community
  • Ask The Experts: Painting and 13 Palette Ideas
  • 40 End of Year Cleanup Jobs for Students
  • Art Show Secrets
  • The Perfect One-Day Lesson
  • Air Dry Clay Ideas and Podcasts

Kyle Wood returns to the show today to talk with Tim about some of their favorite lesser-known artists in art history, and share ideas on why we need to move beyond the traditional art historical canon. Ranging from Abstract Expressionism to Surrealism, Impressionism to Cubism, they pass right by the Picassos and Pollocks and talk about Janet Sobel, Remedios Varo, Charuvi Agrawal, and so many more artists that can expand your students' views on art history. They finish the show by discussing how a more representative set of artists in your curriculum can lead to understanding, engagement, and empowerment for your students.

• Join the Art of Ed Community
• Listen to Who Arted? and Fun Facts Daily from Kyle
• Art Ed Radio Ep. 009: No More Dead White Guys!
• 6 Contemporary Artists
• Storytelling, Art History, and Student Engagement

Community manager Jen Leban joins Tim today to talk about the importance of spring cleaning and the Art of Ed Community challenges that have helped teachers get their rooms in order. Their discussion highlights the importance of decluttering supplies, tells a few stories of bizarre items found in classrooms, and stresses the balance between being resourceful and hoarding. They urge everyone to start small—even five minutes a week—to create a more organized, functional space in the art room.

• • Join the Art of Ed Community
  • Art Room Makeover
  • View the community discussion on strange discoveries
  • Tips and Tricks to Match Your Organization Style

Author and psychologist Sheila Sharpe joins the show to talk with Tim about her new book, Artist, Lover, Forger, Thief. After sharing some early career stories from her time in the classroom, Sheila talks about her painting career and her time as a psychologist. She then tells how those experiences informed the book, delving into art forgery stories, the growing problem of art crime globally, and her goal of weaving an entertaining thriller while also educating readers about this shadowy side of the art world.

• • Find Artist, Lover, Forger, Thief on Amazon
  • Read reviews of the book on Booktopia
  • See Sheila's website
  • Find Sheila on Instagram

Better late than never, Amanda and Tim are back with the April mailbag! They begin with a discussion on their trip to NAEA and interacting with the art teacher community. And maybe a little garden talk because spring is here? They then get into a conversation on how we help kids accept being told no, a discussion on shifting jobs, and follow that with advice on putting together a curriculum and dealing with different expectations when it comes to which artworks are appropriate in your classroom.

Full episode transcript below.

• • Be part of the Community discussion on Accepting 'No'
  • 3 Considerations When Taking a New Job
  • Listen to last month's mailbag with a discussion about spiraling curriculum
  • What Do New Teachers Need to Know About Curriculum?
  • Join the Art of Ed Community

Andrea Slusarski returns to the show today to talk with Tim about creativity, pop culture, and making connections in the classroom! They begin with a discussion on how pop culture and visual culture can be used to connect with students in the art room, and how pop culture can inspire our creative endeavors. Listen as they talk about ideas on how to connect when we don't understand our students' cultural interests, the touchstones that we share across generations, and how what kids are seeing every day can lead to deeper discussions about art and art history.

• • Challenges to Foster Creativity
  • Cultivating Creativity in Our Students
  • Listen to Slu on being a teaching artist
  • Join the Art of Ed Community

In today's episode from the archives, Tim is joined by educator Yunga Webb to talk about her role and efforts at the North Country School in upstate New York to help students find their place and belonging through the power of the arts. Listen as they discuss the programs at her school, the activities she does to foster belonging in her classrooms, and the work we can all do to create a community and a space that offers belonging for all of our students. 

• Take a look at the North Country School
• A Simple Way to Increase Student Engagement
• Learn more about AOEU's NOW Conference