me arts ed

Hopes for America

Two articles written by Jocelyn Noveck and Marlina Davis respectively, recently appeared on the AP and included information on President and Mrs. Obama’s beliefs about the arts and education.

The First Lady was in New York City not to long ago to tour federal agencies. While there she stopped into the Metropolitan Museum of Art to help re0pen its new American wing. Mrs. Obama said that she and the president “hope to give America’s children better access to the arts”.

When being introduced the First Lady was reminded that she and the President went to a museum on their first date. She went on to say “The arts are not just a nice thing to have or to do if there is free time or if one can afford it. Rather, paintings and poetry, music and fashion, design and dialogue, they all define who we are as a people and provide an account of our history for the next generation.”

The same evening, the first lady went to the American Ballet Theatre’s spring gala at the Metropolitan Opera House along with Caroline Kennedy and addressed the audience with “learning through the arts reinforces critical academic skills in reading, language arts and math and provides students with the skills to creatively solve problems.”

President Obama has proposed a policy to increase federal support for the arts that include additional funds for the National Endowment of the Arts and efforts to expand partnerships between schools and arts organizations. The First Couple believes “arts education is essential for building innovative thinkers who will be our nation’s leaders for tomorrow.”

If the First Lady came to your school what would you want to say to her about arts education? Please add your comment here!

Senior Shelby Black works with elementary art class for her senior project

Shelby with first graders

Student artwork from Mrs. Copp’s first grade Paris Elementary class was featured as the final state of OHCHS student Shelby Black’s senior project. Shelby’s project was based on the importance of arts education to prepare students for the Conceptual Age economy and workforce.

Black’s project entitled “Inspiration Celebration: Preparing Children for the Conceptual Age” for cused on teh importance of arts education in the core curriculum. Black’s project was overseen by the Western Maine Art Group as part of a year-long internship with the nonprofit arts organization in Norway.

Black said: “I have learned how important art is, especially in education. I believe that art isn’t just something to enjoy. It is something fundamentally important to humanity and we should do everything that we can to ensure that all students experience arts education in preparation for the Conceptual Age.

In her research Shelby learned that the world is shifting from an information-based economy to a Conceptual Age where right-brain skills such as creativity, innovation, and design contribute more heavily to the global market place. These right-brain skills are developed through arts education which is the foundation of Black’s project illuminating the critical need of arts education in the core curriculum.

Black will continue her studies next year by majoring in International Studies and Theatre at Elmira College in New York. For more information on Shelby’s project and the Western Maine Art Group please click here. If you have students who are using the arts in their senior projects please share the information here.

KIDS Consortium offers training

You’ve either had your students involved in service learning or you’ve heard about it. The Obama administration has promoted reaching out and becoming involved in your community, giving of yourself to help make the world a better place.

The KIDS Consortium is offering a summer service learning institute for educators. Arts educators for years have had students involved in service learning, we just never called it that. Here is an opportunity to take the community involvement you do to another level. There are funds available for service learning projects. This learning opportunity will include the opportunity for you to learn more about some of the funds that are available for service learning.

Heres the details:

• August 11-14, 2009, Hilton Garden Inn Riverwatch, Auburn
• Practical, hands-on course designed to help K-12 educators create standards based units with authentic application for students
• Earn 2 or 3 graduate credits (optional) through Salem State College/Northeast Consortium. Reasonable rates!
• The unit you create will be ready for school in September
• Scholarships available
• Registration fee: $500 which includes 4 days of instruction, KIDS as Planners Guidebook, resources and strategies for designing, implementing, and assessing quality service-learning projects, breakfast and lunch

You can learn more by clicking here. Questions? Please contact Terri Marin @ 784-0956 or tmarin@kidsconsortium.org

Share here your experiences with service learning projects by clicking on Comments.

Last chance to participate: Census Closes May 31, 2009

“Doing the Census helped to broaden my view of what my program could include. I am a new teacher and the survey really made me think what I wanted to offer students and how to get the money for it.” Penny Ricker, K-8 Visual Arts Teacher, Blue Hill Consolidated School

For the past year, we have been collecting information from Maine arts educators so we begin to understand and document the state of our field – what we have and what we need. Every bit of hard data helps us make the case for strengthening public and legislative support and funding to strengthen arts education programs. To those of you who have taken the time to fill out your survey, thanks! For those of you who haven’t , it’s not too late. You have until midnight, SUNDAY, MAY 31ST! Now is the time to participate and ensure that your voice is heard and your school is represented!

The survey takes about 45 minutes and can be accessed on the website of the Maine Alliance for Arts Education at http://www.maineartseducation.org or by clicking here. Scroll down on the right-hand column on the home page for instructions, the survey, and treats for all who complete the survey. Or, if you’d reather fill out a hard copy, please email your request to Jen Ryan at Jen_Ryan@pz.harvard.edu.

Thanks for participating in this important work for Maine arts education!

Post submitted by Carol Trimble, Executive Director, Maine Alliance for Arts Education

Gifted Education Press Quarterly available

The summer online edition of GEPQ can be accessed by clicking here and contains the following articles:

Editorial Comments by Maurice Fisher

Gifted Education in China: A Transition toward Student-Centered Instruction by Stephen T. Schroth, Jason A. Helfer, Diana L. Beck, Katherine M. Latshaw, Zachary A. Bahr, Education Studies Department, Knox College, Galesburg, IL

Parent/School Communication with Gifted Education by Kai Brunkalla, Walsh University, North Canton, OH

N. Scott Momaday: Native American Creative Writer, Artist and Activist by Dorothy Clare Massalski, University of Arizona, Tuscon, AZ

Little Dorrit (1857): A Novel for Gifted Students by Michael E. Waters, Center for the Study of the Humanities in the Schools

The journal contains other valuable information that you might want to look at when you have a few minutes. For those of you working with G/T plans it could help with your thinking.

Remember there are resources for G/T at the arts education webpages at the Maine Department of Education. You can access them by clicking here and many links on G/T at the arts ed portaportal which you can access by clicking here and typing in meartsed for the guest name. If you have other G/T resources, ideas, and/or suggestions, PLEASE share them here by clicking on comments. Thanks!