on the web lately:

●A new quarterly ezine, called VIA, launched this month, a terrific new resource for teachers, administrators, and advocates of arts-integration.  The Arts Room is thrilled to be part of the inaugural issue!  VIA is available on the Education Closet website.

●The First Annual Poetry Slam held at Mt. Hope High School last week was a rip-roaring success!  More than 120 people came to see the young poets perform, and the students in English teacher Kerry Mastriano’s Music as Literature class did not disappoint.  Look for an article in the Bristol Phoenix and Warren Times-Gazette this week, and check out Patch’s excellent coverage of the event (the video of senior Victoria Bedford performing her good-natured spoof of slam and teen-angst is a must-see!). 

●”Who knew tape could be so inspiring?”  We love this art project from the Kids In The Studio blog, especially for its emphasis on process rather than end result (though we think it’s neat to see how the blogger’s 2-year-old daughter’s painting has such a different energy than her 9-year-old son’s painting!).  We first caught a glimpse of this in a tweet on the Kidoinfo site, and can’t wait to try it ourselves! 

●Meet a kindred spirit, who understands why we don’t mind that we can’t see the top of our kitchen table.  Read her sweetly moving essay, “On Living With Artist Children”, over at Kindness Girl, take a deep breath, and remember what’s really important.

●We love a good bedtime story, so we couldn’t let today go by without pausing to celebrate A. A. Milne, born on this day in 1882, and best known as the creator of that uncomplicated, beloved little bear.  Did you know Winnie-the-Pooh first came to life in a bedtime story that A.A. Milne made up about the adventures of a little boy named Christopher Robin (his son) and his plush bear?  If you’d like to make up a bedtime story for your kids tonight, but aren’t sure how to begin, try this.