Harvard Remote Learning

 

Here are some drawings for Harvard Magazine. In this age of COVID, even a school with a 40-billion dollar-endowment has struggled with the limitations of remote learning. This article is about how they’re attempting to make the virtual experience more engaging and meaningful for students. The drawing above addresses ways in which Harvard is attempting to make zoom called more interactive, and multi-dimensional (with polls, charts, breakout sessions, etc) 

A history professor is exploring the idea of 3D tours of cultural monuments and ruins.

  

Music students are collaborating remotely to compose group compositions.

Harvard has an excellent IT staff to support needs of professors.

Enormous thanks to art director, Jennifer Carling, for another super-fun assignment!

Grade Inflation

This illustration for Princeton accompanies a story about the trend of grade inflation in higher education. GPAs have shifted upwards at Princeton as well, but the ceiling varies from department to department. As an example, your chances of getting a higher grades are much better if you're an English or Slavic Language major, as opposed to an Earth Science or Chemistry major. Below are sketches submitted for this project:

Thanks to art director, Marianne Nelson, for another fascinating assignment! 

Please visit my website to see more fun projects!

Tiger Confessions

Here's a new piece for Princeton Alumni Weekly. It accompanies a story about a private Facebook group for Princeton students,  Tiger Confessions. In this group, students can anonymously express thoughts they're uncomfortable  expressing in person to others. These confessions can run the spectrum from happy, sad, embarrassing, to just plain humorous. In a recent post, a student discussed committing suicide, which caught the attention of the school administration. They reinforced the idea that, while it is worthy to have forum such as this, there are mental health professionals available, who can help address difficult issues and emotions which students confront.  

Here're some of the sketches I submitted for this project.

A special thanks to art director, Marianne Nelson, for this fascinating assignment.    

Thanks for visiting. You can view my illustration portfolio here.

American Educator

This piece for American Educator accompanies a story called Community Schools - A Promising Foundation for Progress. These schools are strategically integrated with their local communities in order to support economically-challenged families. They work with local community centers, health organizations, civic and business leaders to provide families with a safety net beyond the ABC’s of education. These institutions are super valuable in communities which are confronted with poverty. A big shout out to all my public school teacher friends. Your dedication makes this world a better place!

Various resources are available to families in need.

Families in need are the focus of community schools

Community schools are a solid foundation in economically challenged areas

A special thanks to art director, Jennifer Berney, for this fantastic project.

You can view my complete illustration portfolio here!

Princeton Eating Clubs

This piece for Princeton Alumni Weekly accompanies a story about the university’s famed eating clubs. Change is in the air as 9 of 11 of these clubs now have elected female presidents. Their goal is to make these unique meeting places more diverse, inclusive and safe. A special thanks to art director, Marianne Nelson for this tasty assignment!

Here are sketches I submitted for this assignment.

You can view my illustration portfolio here!

Riverdale Country School

Here’s a little drawing commissioned by my friends at Riverdale Country School. It’s unique shape was designed to fit on envelopes containing promotional material about the school. I was asked to illustrate this quote by the school’s founder, Frank Sutliff Hackett:  “It is not the work done which inspires enthusiasm, but the work to be done -- the long vista and the yet unfolded close.”

A special thanks to Cicely Upham and Marie Capasso for this fun assignment.

Here are sketches submitted for this assignment

Thanks for visiting. You can view my illustration portfolio here!

A Powerful Network

These illustrations for Rutgers Magazine accompany a story about the school's powerful network of industry mentors. Students and graduates get direct experience learning from executives on Wall Street, the publishing media, and many other fields. Thanks to Lara De Meo Hoyt for a super fun assignment! Please check out my new website here!

Harvard Advocate

Here's a new piece for Harvard Magazine. It accompanies a story about how various clubs on campus are evolving towards more diversity and inclusiveness. The Harvard Advocate, which is a club for writers is represented in this group portrait.Thanks to art director, Jennifer Carling, for a super fun assignment! Please check out my new website here!

Illustration detail

Below are sketched I submitted for this assignment:

Home Sweet Home

Here's an illustration I created for Middle Tennessee State University's Honors College. The cover story addresses how this institution helps home-schooled students to transition into a university setting. A special thanks to Sherry Wiser George for a very fun assignment.

You can view my illustration portfolio at my new site!

Loomis Chaffee

Loomis Chaffee is an excellent boarding school located in Windsor, Connecticut. These illustrations appear in their magazine, accompanying a story about dorm curriculum. The article touches on issues students face, such as ethics, health and safety. A special thanks to art director, Patricia Cousins for a super-fun assignment.

Here's a social room in a boys dormatory

Turning off devices leads to a better night's sleep

The Loomis Chaffee mascot is in the center.

Stress relief is one of the concepts addressed in this story

fire saftey

The school's main building sits at the center of this piece.

 Please visit my new website to check out more cool stuff!

Thanks for visiting.

American Educator

These drawings will appear in American Educator - a publication geared towards public school teachers and administrators. They accompany an article, From Reaction to Prevention, Turning the Page on School Discipline.  It looks at current discipline practices enforced in public schools - and suggests ways to make them more effective. I was asked to to create simple positive images to soften the intense subject-matter of this story.

Creating an engaging and inclusive classroom.

encouraging conflict resolution

emphasizing a safe and ordered environment

This piece opened the story...

A special thanks to creative director Jennifer Chang for another fascinating assignment.

If you'd like to discuss a project you need illustrated, please contact me at

danielbaxter@webjogger.net  
or visit my new illustration website here!

A Toolbox for Students

Some methods of studying are more effective than others.  These illustrations ( for American Educator) accompany an article outlining the best ways for students to study; utilizing practice quiz's, flash cards, study calenders, etc. You can see a few of these study methods illustrated below. This has been the perfect assignment to usher in the new school year. I'll be sharing this article with my daughters, who are in high school and college. I'm sure they'll both benefit - having toolboxes full of effective study methods.

Students learn material best when their minds are engaged in the subject.
One effective study method is to read a question, (while covering the answer)
and then attempt to answer it in writing.  This forces students to think about
 (and understand)  the material, as opposed to simply memorizing the answer.

Practice quiz's are an effective way to engage a student's mind
with the lessons they are learning.

Cramming is not an effective way to study - because you don't retain
much of the material you're memorizing. Students will have more success
 by creating a schedule and studying incrementally over time.

Students will benefit from having these study toolboxes

A special thanks to art director Michelle Furman for another enlightening assignment.

Thanks for viewing...and good luck on your next exam!

Lighting the Way...

Here's a recent illustration for American Educator Magazine. The story outlines five principles of reading  which are critical for elementary school students to learn.  The authors argue that teaching colleges need to be more rigorous at conveying these five principles to prospective school teachers. Creative director, Jennifer Chang suggested the idea of five lightning bugs symbolically lighting a path for students walking towards a teaching college. This was the perfect project to usher in the glow of summer.

This was the winner of three sketches I submitted for this story.

I take great pride in brainstorming visual solutions for challenging articles. But I'm always open to ideas which art directors or editors put forth.  This was a fun one to bring to life (and to light).

Thanks to Jennifer Chang for another enlightening assignment.

You can view my new illustration website here!

Happy summer reading!

The Science Gap

Here's a drawing for a local publication, About Town. It accompanied a story about the Rhinebeck Science Foundation, an organization attempting to close the 'science gap' in the local school system. They offer resources and opportunities for students to build on their existing science education. For illustrators, focusing on a straightforward concept like 'closing the gap' makes brainstorming easy. It's good to know organizations such as this are providing important building blocks for young minds.

Here are ideas I submitted for this story:

 Thanks to Paul DeAngelis for another fun assignment.

You can see more fun About Town drawings here and here.

Thanks for visiting. Come back soon!