me arts ed

Happy Youth Art Month and Music in Our Schools Month!

Hanni and I are celebrating the importance of what visual and performing arts teachers do everyday! Please join us…. at Arts Advocacy Day at the State House, sponsored by Maine Alliance for Arts Education, March 10th, 11AM-1PM. FMI please visit the MAEA website.

Devenneys four at Tidemark

Mom Mary Devenney is an art teacher at Erskine Academy, Dad Joe is a photographer, older daughter Angie is teaching photography at Riley School in Rockport and last I knew daughter Nina was taking college classes. How cool, a family exhibit in downtown Waldoboro, http://knox.villagesoup.com/ae/story/devenneys-four-at-tidemark/308936

Exhibit opens this Saturday at Portland Museum of Art

Skowhegan Middle School student, Frank Chin art teacher

The Maine Art Education Association has once again collaborated with the Portland Museum of Art for a Youth Art Month exhibit at the Portland Museum of Art. The celebration reception is being held this Saturday, March 6th, 5:00-7:30.

Students, parents and friends are invited to gather in the auditorium at 5:30 to see students in K-5 receive their certificates. At 6:30 the students in grades 6-12 will be receiving their certificates. If you can not attend the opening on Saturday the show will remain in place until the end of March.

Art in the Heart will be hosting a student exhibit at the Bangor Mall, March 14-28th and the Northern pARTners art educators will be hosting “Essence of the North” student exhibit at the Aroostook Centre Mall March 15-April 9th.

Post Baccalaureate in Art Education

This past week I had the opportunity to spend the day visiting Maine College of Art (MECA) in Portland. I was interested in learning more about their teacher training program, Post-Baccalaureate in Art Education. Michelle Zelkowitz, Chair of the Art Education Department and Coordinator of the Post Bacc program had a full schedule for me and served as my guide. My day was delightful!

I arrived as a group of 1st and 2nd graders from the Many Rivers Program at Hall Elementary School were gathering in the Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) at MECA as part of the Adventures in Art program.  They were involved in the Token/Response game led by the art teachers in training. I have only seen the game played with middle school students and was impressed with how well the children responded. The MECA students were knowledgeable about the subject matter and skilled at engaging the students in a meaningful way with the planned activity.

The children learned about collaborations and each had a chance to put a piece of recycled colored plastic strip (from a bag) into art work that reminded me of a giant hooked rug. One of the girls had put a house symbol next to the piece and when asked to explain why she said “because I would want this to be in my house forever.”

The students had a more in-depth extended learning opportunity to create art using paint and paper and they even made their own chops. When I listened to the MECA students explain the multi-step lesson I was fascinated by the attention the children exhibited. The follow through to creation was evident. More amazing was that there were about 40 children and 16 adults in a fairly small space. The theme of collaboration was apparent throughout the lesson ending with stating the first word that came to mind about each others art work. The word was painted onto the art work.

As I traveled throughout the day with Michelle as tour guide, I had the opportunity to meet many of the MECA staff including the Vice President and Dean of Academic Affairs, Chris Whittey. Michelle is one of the program directors and she works closely with Kelly McConnell who is one ball of energy!

After a yummy lunch in the cafeteria we drove to King Middle School, one of the three middle schools in Portland, to visit an English Language Learners (ELL) self contained classroom. It was great to see the MECA students flexibility as they shifted their attention to older students.

Michelle and Kelly

Back at MECA I had a chance to visit with 9 of the 11 MECA students in the Post-Bacc program and learn more. Through the collaborations with the ICA the art education students facilitate an exploration of the current contemporary art exhibit which gives them experience in a museum setting. They also work in the school setting to develop dialog among students on contemporary arts and design and relevant art activities for children.

The students shared impressive portfolios. I was humbled by their articulate passion and desire to do well as art teachers.  I wish them all well as they complete their program this Spring and enter into the special world of being an art teacher.

My day ended with a tour of the MECA classrooms where I yearned to be in the studio taking classes once again.

MLTI Webinar facilitated by Ruben Puentedura, March 4th, 3:15 or 7:15

If you’ve never attended an MLTI webinar I highly recommend them and this one could be just what you are looking for. An opportunity to learn about digital storytelling, read more…

There is still time to register! Bringing images to life in video effectively involves more than just sequencing them in a slideshow — it requires an understanding of how the language and techniques of film interact with the processes of digital storytelling. We will look at this interaction, and use the knowledge derived in two applied projects: one that focuses on using still images as its sole raw material source, and a second one that brings video shot on inexpensive pocket camcorders or computer webcams into the mix.

This webinar will be offered at 3:15 p.m. and 7:15 p.m.. You can register online at http://maine121.org/webcasts/.  Registrants will receive a link to the WebCast as well as login information.

The complete March 2010 webinar schedule and links to registration are also available at http://maine121.org/webcasts/.

March 4:  Images In Time (Digital Storytelling and Media Production)
March 11:  Access to Classroom Learning by Students with Blindness and Low Vision (UDL and Accessibility)
March 18: Perceiving Reality – Visualization (Making Meaning)
March 25: Original Research (Research Process)

WebCasts will be held each Thursday at both 3:15 pm and 7:15 pm. To learn more about these webcasts, please visit: http://maine121.org.