International Dot Day is celebrated across the globe every year on the 15th of September. The day signifies the celebration of – the artist in us, creativity and a teacher student relationship. Peter H. Reynolds’s picture book ‘The Dot’ has not only been adorned by children but has inspired people around. In classrooms, many teachers continue to use the story to encourage their students to make a difference in their lives.
‘The Dot’ narrates the story of a little girl named Vashti, who thinks that she can’t draw. During one of her art class her art teacher asks her to make a mark on a blank paper and sign it. Vashti did as asked of her and when she came in for her art class the next day she found the little ‘dot’ in a golden frame hung right behind her teacher’s chair. This motivated her to draw better dots, bigger dots, dots with many colours and thus lead her to open up her brand new paint box. Vashti was now confident and believed that she was creative and could draw.
On 15, September, 2009 a teacher named Terry Shay took the book ‘The Dot’ to his class and introduced it to his students. This simple introduction turned into ‘International Dot Day’ . Every year on or around 15th September a million people, students, teachers across the globe celebrate creativity, courage and collaboration. After reading or listening to Vashti’s story all the students feel motivated to try to find their inner creativity.
Celebrating International Dot Day is one way to collaborate with the teachers/ students worldwide as teachers are encouraged to document and share the way they celebrate International Dot Day. Every year the number of people and number of countries increase. People join in to collaborate by sharing and posting their ideas about how best can we celebrate this day. This year it has been celebrated by more than 15 million people across 181 countries in different parts of the world.
This celebration is all about making your mark and see where it can take you…The Geckos of ‘The Gaudium School’ also celebrated ‘International Dot Day’ by making their mark and showing their creativity. Some of them just made a simple dot like Vashti, while few of them tried to make something using cut out of the dot. Others grouped up and made their mark on a chart paper. All the Geckos and their teacher were enthusiastic and exhibited their creativity. They were confident and ready to pass the same encouragement and enthusiasm to others.
Pablo Picasso’s famous quote “Every Child is an artist” came to life as we celebrated ‘International Dot Day’ today!
Some highlights:
Leave A Comment