It was such a pleasure talking with Laura & Matt Grundler, who host the #K12artchat on Twitter and The Creativity Department podcast. We talked about helping kids navigate a world that wasn’t built for them, as both parents and teachers. Laura and Matt both shared their paths as artists and educators, which included struggles with school and learning challenges, giving them empathy for students. I also loved hearing about how they weave visual journaling into not only their curricula, but also their lives. They both talked about journaling to process emotions and information, and a beautiful collaborative journal practice to continue learning about each other. TIL about wakelet and tweetdeck!
As creative collaborators and arts advocates, Laura and Matt Grundler strive to help connect the dots for educators by building a professional learning network infused with art. They understand the power of creativity to transform learning and work to empower educators to leverage this power. The Grundler’s are art educators from Plano, Texas. They are also proud parents, bloggers, and founders of the popular Twitter Chat #K12ArtChat and “The Creativity Department” podcast.
After teaching middle school art and high school art, Laura received an MA in Educational Leadership and worked as an assistant principal before moving into the role of district Visual Arts Coordinator. Matt started as a graphic designer; however, after finding the commercial side of design to be unsatisfying, he soon found his niche as a K-5 Art teacher and now teaches middle school art. Both Laura and Matt are passionate about raising their three creative kids, sharing their love of art education with their professional learning network, and continuing to grow every day.
Their school district has recognized their work, featured in the local press, and honored by Texas Art Education Association with the 2nd ever Lone Star Advocacy Award for their commitment to arts education. They have also been recognized by the National Arts Education Association with the Art and Technology Community Service Award. Laura and Matt consulted with and wrote for the Institute for Arts Integration and STEAM, Scholastic Arts Magazine, Adobe Edu, and Davis Arts. Their latest project is K12ArtChat, the Podcast in partnership with Davis Publication and School Arts magazine. The Grundlers have a passion for working with creative educators, consulting and presenting about creativity, arts education, and STEAM locally in Texas and throughout the United States.
Links:
- www.grundlerart.com
- @creativitydept on Twitter
- @k12artchat on Facebook
- @creativitydept on Instagram
- Matt’s IG: @artgrund76
- Laura’s IG: @grundlerart
