Bridging the distance with art and music

ATHABASCA - In this new normal for students, teachers and instructors are coming up with creative ways to keep students of all ages engaged in subjects outside of their core curriculum. 

Educators are turning to YouTube and other platforms to create unique and engaging content, like Landing Trail Intermediate School social studies teacher Greg Tkach and art instructor Crystal Korth. Partly to offer options for students, but also to check in with students who may be experiencing a hard time adjusting to social isolation. 

Korth hasn’t had time to teach art lately but is taking all her lessons and putting them into a format that students can access at home. 

“I haven't done it for a little while but I'm thinking with this sudden need for it I'm trying to put together some art lessons so I can try and reach some students,” Korth said. “I just am not sure my delivery method yet but I'm trying to put all my hard copies into an electronic format that could be followed and hopefully develop some step-by-step instructions and videos.” 

It has always been a plan of Korth’s to move her art projects into a different format and the COVID-19 pandemic sped up the desire and need to complete it. 

“For me, it's just given me more of an opportunity to actually start working on some of these projects that I've been postponing for so long,” she said. “Teachers might have some of these projects, but they don't actually have a way to deliver it. They have lots of pictures that can show what the final product looks like, if you send it to a parent, but they're so used to just teaching them.” 

Korth said her focus will be using items anyone could have in their home so no one feels obligated to go shopping. 

"It'll be more focusing on recycled items or things that they do have,” she explained. “If you don't have pencil crayons, use a marker. Providing opportunity for substitutions or showing technique, but letting people adapt to what they do have.” 

Tkach has taken on making YouTube videos, with his first two videos focusing on music for his Mr. T’s Extravagant Awesome Fantastic Fine Arts channel on the platform and his premier video already has over 250 views. 

“Our awesome principal and vice principal Joe (MacIsaac) and Shona (Hunter) said, ‘Hey, are you willing to do some videos?’” Tkach recalled. “They are more of an optional activity for students and their families to do if they would like.” 

The videos are also meant to be a break for the students' mental health, something positive and fun so they aren’t always focused on core curriculum Tkach said. 

"Quite a number of students have responded quite well to it so, it's been a pretty good start,” he said. “This is a very stressful time for them. This is a huge change of not only routine, but just their everyday life.” 

Not everyone has access to an instrument so Tkach comes up with ideas for items students have around the house or an activity that could be done with homemade items. 

“The first video I do the rhythm sentence and students are encouraged to use an object or just clap their hands, stomp their feet,” he explained, referencing the movie ‘Stomp.’ 

In the video Tkach demonstrates many ways to reenact the rhythm sentence including while shoveling snow. 

“My second video is on cups and creating pitches or notes with cups and water and playing a scale that way,” he said. “Just give students an artistic opportunity and creative opportunity to use what they have at home.” 

Students are encouraged to send in their own videos for classmates to see through Google Classroom, but their work remains private. In fact, comments are turned off on Tkach’s YouTube channel so students don’t post anything for strangers to snoop around in. 

“Anything that they share video wise, it doesn't go out publicly it stays within our Google Classroom,” he stressed. “It's secure, it's private, so that nobody else can see it and we can share with other students and our staff, but not in the public.” 

Tkach hasn’t just been creating videos about music either. He issued a challenge this week for people to put Easter-themed art in their windows so families can drive or walk around and “hunt” for artwork. 

“I posted my third episode this week to see how many students (and) community members could post something Easter-related into their windows as a way to spread some community cheer,” he said. “The response has been pretty good!”