Escherian Stairwell at the Rochester Institute of Technology in New York. Thanks to Kal Elmore for sharing this link.
Archive for June, 2013
Title I Funds for Arts Education
June 20, 2013Letter from USDOE – Clarifying Districts/Schools Can Spend Title I Funds on Arts Education
During times when funding is tight, it is particularly heartening to read the letter below from the head of Title I at the U.S. Department of Education. Dr. Chism sent this letter to all state Title I coordinators specifically to remind them that the arts, as core subject areas, are eligible for funding through Title I.
Title I funding is the largest category of federal funding that goes to schools. It is often incorrectly believed to be solely for supporting tested subject areas, but – as you will read in this letter – the arts are, in fact, eligible. There are certain other priorities and conditions associated with Title I that must be met, several of which are articulated in the letter.
Those of you who work in Title I schools will want to read this letter carefully and consider whether you have arts-related ideas that quality for such funding.
June 6, 2013
Dear Title I State Coordinators:
Student Achievement and School Accountability Programs (SASA), within the U.S. Department of Education, have recently received inquiries about the role of arts education within the Title I, Part A (Title I) program. In response to those inquiries, I would like to take this opportunity to address how the arts can be used to achieve educational achievement of children served under Title I. As a general observation, I note that the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended (ESEA), defines the arts as a core subject, and, as such, the arts play a significant role in the development of children and their learning process.
As local educational agencies (LEAs) in your State work with you and your team to plan their Title I programs for the 2013-14 school year, I believe that this is an appropriate time to note that activities that support the arts, in conjunction with other activities, can form an important part of an LEA’s Title I program. In maintaining consistency with Title I requirements, an LEA may use Title I funds to support standards. Please keep in mind that whether Title I funds may be used for a particular activity depends on how that activity fits within the context of Title I. In particular, the activity must help facilitate Title I’s overall purpose of improving the achievement of students who are failing, or most at risk of failing, to meet the academic content and achievement standards developed by the State.
In addition to advancing the overall purpose of Title I, using funds for arts education also must be consistent with other applicable requirements. Title I funds in a schoolwide program school must address the specific educational needs of students, particularly the lowest-achieving students in the school identified by the needs assessment and articulated in the comprehensive plan. Title I funds in a targeted-assistance school must address supplemental educational needs of students who are failing, or most at risk of failing, in order to meet the State’s academic achievement standards. The use of Title I funds must also be reasonable and necessary for the proper and efficient performance under the Title I program (Office of Management and Budget Circular A-87, Attachment A, C.1.a, codified at 2 C.F.R. Part 225).
To determine the eligibility of Title I funds being used in support of arts education, an LEA must analyze such use in the context of its Title I program and the needs of its students. Depending on those needs, an LEA may use Title I funds to support activities related to the arts, provided those activities are part of an instructional strategy that is designed to improve the academic achievement of at-risk students so they can meet the State’s academic standards. As the use of Title I funds is tied to each school’s needs it would be expected that those funds would generally support different activities from school to school.
Thank you for your efforts to provide a high-quality education to students, particularly the low-achieving students served by Title I. I hope that as you continue this excellent work in the 2013-2014 school year and beyond, LEAs and schools will successfully identify those activities, including activities that support arts education, that are tailored to improving the academic achievement of low-achieving students.
Sincerely,
Monique M. Chism, Ph.D. Director, Student Achievement and School Accountability Programs
Summer Reading: Articles – Resources
June 19, 2013Below are several resources that you might find helpful and useful to your teaching. THANK YOU to everyone who emails links to interesting articles, research, and in general SOME REALLY GREAT STUFF! to share with others!
- The Wallace Foundation has recently published a report called Advancing Arts Education through an Expanded School Day which looks at lessons learned from Five Schools. Access and download the report at http://www.wallacefoundation.org/knowledge-center/arts-education/Community-Approaches-to-Building-Arts-Education/Documents/Advancing-Arts-Education-through-an-Expanded-School-Day.pdf
- Important Student Voices… Nikhil Goyal Gives Passionate Speech written by Peter DeWitt, June 12, 2013 for blog Finding Common Ground. The blog post includes: As educators this should be our goal. To see our young students grow up and come into their own. All students should have the opportunity to find their voice and use it so others will benefit from hearing it. To read the entire post and see the speech given by the 18 year-old, please go to: http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/finding_common_ground/2013/06/important_student_voices_nikhil_goyal_gives_passionate_speech.html
- Does Arts Education Matter? written by Peter DeWitt, May 15, 2013 for blog Finding Common Ground. The blog post starts with: The public education system is at serious risk of only focusing on numbers, and we all know there are more important things in life than numbers. Read the entire post at: blogs.edweek.org/edweek/finding_common_ground/2013/05/does_arts_education_matter.html?cmp=SOC-SHR-TW (Thanks to Brooke Holland for sending this link, elementary art teacher in RSU 40)
- The Arts and the Common Core resource. Ideas and resources aligned with the Common Core for Arts Education. Click here for the .pdf: http://commoncore.org/maps/documents/Art_in_the_Maps.pdf (Thanks to MAAI teacher leader Leah Olson, Hampden Academy art teacher for sending this info)
- To the Best of Our Knowledge is a radio show. On May 17, Haystack Mountain School of Crafts Director Stuart Kestenbaum and MIT’s Neil Gershenfeld were guests on the show discussing their partnership with the lab at Haystack. You can listen to the show at: http://ttbook.org/book/crafting-technology#.UZuzGKhNRs8.gmail. (Thanks to Stu for sending me this info)
- Great Teachers are Virtuosos written by Walt Gardner, May 6, 2013 for the blog Reality Check. The blog post starts with: “As in all other fields, virtuosos possess gifts that can be identified but not duplicated. If that were not the case, schools of music would produce Mozarts, and schools of drama would graduate Brandos. But they don’t. Nevertheless, these schools are curiously spared the criticism leveled at schools of education. The double standard is particularly troubling today because of the high stakes involved. It’s also one of the reasons that teachers are demoralized.” Read the entire post at: http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/walt_gardners_reality_check/2013/05/great_teachers_are_virtuosos.html?cmp=ENL-EU-VIEWS2.
- The Value of the Arts in Education & Life written by Stephanie Milling, May 2, 2013 for the Americans for the Arts blog called ARTSblog. The blog post starts with: “As a university administrator and associate professor, I frequently interact with parents who visit our campus with respective students. The one question that is always interesting to field is, “What will my child be able to do with a degree in (fill in your respective arts area here)?” Read the entire post at: http://blog.artsusa.org/2013/05/02/the-value-of-the-arts-in-education-life/
- KnowledgeWorks is a social enterprise focused on creating sustainable improvement in student readiness for college and careers. They are publishing a series that “includes a working definition for competency education, examples of states doing the ground breaking work in this area and an appropriate role for the federal government to remove policy barriers and to create diagnostic and assessment tools to measure effectiveness.” You can download the .pdf at: Competency Education Series: Policy Brief One at: http://www.knowledgeworks.org/competency-education-series-policy-brief-one.
- The New York Times, Business Day section Investments in Education May be Misdirected written by Eduardo Porter, April 2, 2013. Why is arts education important to early childhood development? Read the entire article at: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/03/business/studies-highlight-benefits-of-early-education.html?smid=fb-share.
- The Washington Post, Bill Gates on A Fairer Way to Evaluate Teachers, April 3, 2013. The article starts with “… there is a window of opportunity in public education to create systems that encourage and develop fantastic teachers, leading to better results for students.” Read the entire article at: http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/bill-gates-a-fairer-way-to-evaluate-teachers/2013/04/03/c99fd1bc-98c2-11e2-814b-063623d80a60_story.html (Thanks to Bronwyn Sale, Bates College, for sending the article).
- National Public Radio did a 3-part series on the Arts and Education, Elizabeth Blair, April 16, 2013. This segment, which you can listen to is called Creative Classes: An Artful Approach To Improving Performance. To listen go to: http://www.npr.org/2013/04/16/176671432/creative-classes-an-artful-approach-to-improving-performance.
- Education Week How Do You Evaluate Teachers Who Change Lives? written by Lorraine Bellon Cella, April 16, 2013. The article includes: “Then I saw him. A new teacher. A small, wiry man. Young, cute. Long black hair. Smiling. Talking with students, not at students. Sitting on a student’s desk—not behind a huge oak barrier or a lectern. He actually had legs!” Read the entire article at: http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2013/04/17/28cella.h32.html?tkn=VMOFqkHfH2OZx0JFU3kpjcMB%2FgFzBJVM0%2BMr&cmp=ENL-TU-NEWS2
- The Art of Education blog included a post called Integrating Photography Into the Common Core written by blogger Jessica Balsley, April 25, 2013. The beginning of the post reads: “Photography possesses many natural connections to the Common Core, and is an engaging subject for the art room.” Read the entire post at http://www.theartofed.com/2013/04/25/integrating-photography-into-the-common-core/.
- Education Week, Teacher article: Inspiring Creativity Through Nonfiction Texts written by Nathan Sun-Kleinberger, April 3, 2013. The article includes: “…my coworker Kira sent me an email expressing her fear that the common-core literacy standards would further slow our students’ creativity. She wrote, “Our kids seem to fear being creative, and I can’t help thinking that this informative text-driven direction we’re headed will continue to cultivate that fear.” Read the entire article at: http://www.edweek.org/tm/articles/2013/04/03/tln_sunkleinberger_literacystandards.html?tkn=SYYFp5Lmt9MIBiu%2F37173PW1u4uzySZv%2FyDT&cmp=ENL-TU-NEWS1.
- The Salt Lake Tribune article More Utah Schools to get Elementary Arts Programs written by Lisa Schencker, March 31, 2013. The article starts with this: “Students are accustomed, in geometry lessons, to drawing, comparing and measuring shapes. But on a recent day in Angela Challis’ class at South Jordan’s Welby Elementary School, fourth-graders became the shapes. They squeezed into red, pink, blue and purple costumes to demonstrate the meanings of congruent, not congruent and similar. The kids performed dances, twisting their bodies into poses, while singing definitions.” Read the entire article at: http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/56046450-78/program-arts-schools-kids.html.csp.
- BBC News, Education & Family, Bored Children Lead to Imagination written by Hannah Richardson, March 22, 2013. The article includes: “Children should be allowed to get bored so they can develop their innate ability to be creative, an education expert says.” Read the entire article at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-21895704. (Thanks to Peter Bernard for sharing this article).
- CNN: Schools of Thought. Everything I need to know I learned in music class written by Andrew Schwartz, March 20, 2013. Included in the article: “…But through that transition, I’ve realized why music needs to be a cornerstone of education. Music is an art and a science, and it’s one of the best ways kids can learn creativity and those mythical critical thinking skills. The focus of the curriculum isn’t forcing everyone to learn about Bach or Mozart. It’s about learning how to think, rather than what to think.” Read the entire article at: http://schoolsofthought.blogs.cnn.com/2013/03/20/my-view-everything-i-need-to-know-i-learned-in-music-class/ (Thanks to Jen Nash for sharing this article).
- New Book Releases: Creativity and Critical Thinking from Bookmarks blog written by Amy Wickner, March 4, 2013. This is the first paragraph of the post: A quick look back at some Education Week blog stats reveals that “innovation” was the K-12 buzzword of 2012. So much so, in fact, that educators are already expressing resistance to that term and its kissing cousins, the phrases “21st-century skills” and “digital natives.” One major takeaway from the past year’s coverage of innovation in education is a renewed emphasis on critical thinking and creativity as important skills to cultivate among students and K-12 professionals alike. A suite of new releases explores what it means to build these abilities in the classroom. Read more at http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/bookmarks/2013/03/new_book_releases_creativity_and_critical_thinking.html?cmp=ENL-EU-NEWS2.
- Testing in art for teacher evaluation. This is what is happening in NYC. Click here to read the entire article from the New York TImes written by Javier C. Hernandez, June 2, 2013: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/03/nyregion/new-york-teacher-assessments-extend-to-art-and-gym.html?emc=eta1&_r=0
Another Arts Teacher’s Story: Ashley Smith
June 18, 2013This is the 36th in a series of blog posts telling arts teacher’s stories. The first 19 were told last year by the phase I Maine Arts Assessment Initiative teacher leaders. The series continues with the stories from the phase II teacher leaders. These posts contain a set of questions to provide the opportunity for you to read educators stories and to learn from others.
Ashley Smith has taught for two years at Brunswick High School where she is the Choral Director; she directs 
three choirs and teaches piano and guitar.
What do you like best about being a music educator?
My favorite part about being an arts educator is that I get to share my love of music with others who have the same passion. Growing up, my most memorable experiences were those created in the music classroom. It is such a joy to go to work everyday and create those same experiences for my students.
What do you believe are three keys to ANY successful visual and performing arts education?
- Belief. Although there are many components to a successful arts program, this has proved to be the most important for me. You must first believe in yourself, you must believe in your students, and above all, you must believe in what you are doing.
- Commitment. With so much to do and so many people to take care of, it is important to stay true to yourself. As a music educator you have the unique opportunity to create a program that is reflective of yourself and your philosophy. Hold true to your vision, and it’s impossible not to succeed.
- Support. Nothing can be successful on it’s own. For any program to flourish, it needs the support of colleagues, friends, family, and community. Most importantly, it needs the support of your students. Support your students, and they will support you.
How have you found assessment to be helpful to you in your classroom?
Assessment in the music classroom is an amazing thing! No matter how you do it, assessing your kids keeps them accountable for learning the information and you accountable for teaching it. I’ve found that it doesn’t have to be in the form of a big written test or a large-scale project, it’s whatever works for me. Assessment has not only helped me to re-evaluate my teaching practices, but it has been a great way for my students to realize what they have actually learned. There is nothing better than having a student say, “I didn’t know I could do this!”
What have been the benefits in becoming involved in the arts assessment initiative?
The greatest benefit of joining the MAAI has been meeting so many passionate arts educators. It has been so encouraging to collaborate with other teachers who face the same challenges on a day to day basis. I am an infinitely better teacher for having worked with such devoted arts educators. It’s good to know I’m not alone!
What are you most proud of in your career?
My students. Their hard work and dedication never cease to amaze me. They continually go above and beyond what is expected of them and they truly embody my vision of what the BHS Choral Program should be. They have embraced me and my philosophy and they are always ready and willing to accept whatever challenge I throw their way. I learn something new from them everyday, and they are a continual reminder of why I love what I do. I couldn’t be more proud of all that they have accomplished in the past two years, and I greatly look forward to all of their future successes.
What gets in the way of being a better teacher or doing a better job as a teacher?
Honestly, being a teacher is what gets in the way of being a better teacher. There are so many tasks and duties to fulfill that the most relaxing part of the day is actually TEACHING. With so many things pulling us in different directions, it’s nice to know that our time in front of the students is really our time. It’s not the actual teaching part that we have to worry about, it’s everything else that goes along with it.
What have you accomplished through hard work and determination that might otherwise appear at first glance to be due to “luck” or circumstances?
I must say that my biggest accomplishment has been the atmosphere that the students and myself have worked to create in the choral department here at BHS. I have always been a firm believer that the music classroom should be a place of mutual respect in which all students feel comfortable to express themselves freely. I have been lucky to learn alongside my students, working to create a space that fosters growth and creativity. I have found that the students take real pride in this environment, and they will work tirelessly to protect what they have worked so hard to create
Look into your crystal ball: what advice would you give to teachers?
You can do it! So often when you are teaching music or art you may be the only person in that discipline at your school, and as a new teacher that can be very overwhelming. There is no doubt that you are going to make mistakes, but that’s what it’s all about. We always encourage our students to take risks, and we have to push ourselves to do the same. Don’t lose sight of the big picture, you are doing what you love and you are making a difference.
If you were given a $500,000.00 to do with whatever you please, what would it be?
After our exciting riser collapse last week, I would have to say that my first order of business would be purchasing new risers for my kids! I would use the rest of the money to travel with friends and family and to create opportunities for my students like the ones that I was lucky enough to have growing up.
Imagine you are 94 years old. You’re looking back. Do you have any regrets?
As a second year teacher, I can’t help but stress about the small stuff. I get so worried about doing everything right that I often forget to enjoy each moment as it is happening. At the end of each year, I find myself looking back and realizing just how lucky I am to have had such amazing experiences with so many amazing young people. Fortunately, I am far off from 94, and if this is my biggest regret than I daresay I have lived a pretty fulfilling life!
Trees, Timber and Tradition
June 17, 2013Cameras in action
Potter Liz Proffetty recently borrowed the digital cameras from the Maine Department of Education to teach a really interesting technique to the Pre-K -6 students at Southport Central School.
The school was asked to participate in an installation in the Children’s Garden at the Boothbay Botanical Gardens. The theme was “Trees, Timber and Traditions.” Though each grade (pre K-6) used the theme of a clay leaf shaped tile, each grade approached the theme slightly differently. The pre-school class used stamps and pressed objects from nature into their clay leaves to create texture. Grades 1-3 drew and painted various landscapes onto their clay tile. Grades 4-6 first created the clay leaf, painted and glazed them and then used photos that they took at the Boothbay Botanical Gardens during a field trip. The photos were transferred to the clay tile using a relatively new technology that allows the ink from the laser printer to bond with the glaze on the clay leaf.
The students enjoyed using and combining modern technology of digital photography, editing and laser printing and the ancient medium of clay to create a collaborative public art piece. The work will be on view at the Botanical Gardens in the Drawing Cottage throughout the summer.
If you are interested in borrowing the digital cameras to use with students please contact me argy.nestor@maine.gov.
Everyone Deserves a Break
June 16, 2013Schooner trip
I understood when I left last Sunday for a vacation that I’d return to hundreds of emails. Sure enough, I did! The good part was that I had to turn in my Blackberry before I left since it was acting funny and needed to be replaced. And, I went to a place that I knew I couldn’t get online so I left my computer home. I know, some of you are thinking why would anyone take their Blackberry and computer with them on vacation?! Good question! I usually take them with me because it lessens the load if I answer emails as I go. However, I must say that since I didn’t take the technology tools with me it felt like a REAL vacation, for the second time in the almost 7 years that I’ve worked at the Maine Department of Education.
For Christmas my husband surprised me with a schooner trip on the Isaac H. Evans out of Rockland. The trip was ABSOLUTELY GREAT! The captain and owner of the boat is Brenda Hathaway, a former student of mine, from many years ago. The boat holds about 25 people, including clients and crew. We had almost two days of good weather and two days of pouring rain but the rain didn’t dampen our spirits at all! The first night included a beautiful sunset, the temperature was mild throughout, even on the damp days. Everyone on board was interesting, very nice and fun to hang out with. They traveled from many places including Australia, Florida, England via Virginia, Maryland, Vermont, and Maine. We talked about education, politics, wildlife, weather, family, and a variety of other topics.
We sailed to Holbrook Island for a lobster bake on the beach, to Searsport and visited the Penobscot Marine Museum, to Rockport Harbor and back to Rockland. For years we’ve walked the Breakwater at the Samoset and waved to folks as they sailed by. It was so exciting to be on a schooner waving to the people who had walked to the Breakwater lighthouse. And, so interesting to be on the water looking at the shore along a small part of the mid-coast that I know so well from land. It was like a whole new world viewing it from the water. I could have been a thousand miles from home.
We had multiple opportunities (if we chose) to help out on the boat, raise and lower the sails, raise the anchor, set out the food, and clean up from meals. At one point we were sailing like I’ve seen in the pictures, with one side of the boat all but touching the water, the water coming over the bow. The food was ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS, every single meal! The cook, Margi, from Waterville, not only made great food, but is a very funny person!
Needless to say I highly recommend a schooner trip, everyone should consider doing it at least once. It was on my “bucket list” and I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity! It was a great chance to learn about something that has so much history. Several times I thought about how easily I could apply what I was learning in the classroom with students. A schooner trip allows for relaxation with some excitement. You can go in your cabin and be alone if you choose or hang out and talk with others. You can help sail the boat or watch others working. There are numerous opportunities to take great photos (I took almost 500), make art and music, and appreciate both. The best part was the quietness of sailing. That surprised me – a little wind, moving along slowly and total PEACE!
I loved teaching and there are days that I miss it. But, when the end of the school year came for me during my 30 years teaching I found myself completely exhausted and would spend the first week staring and sleeping. Everyone deserves a break and I hope that each of you can take some time and enjoy life as much as I did this past week! You can view more photos from my trip by clicking here.
Watershed Center for Ceramic Arts
June 15, 2013Newcastle, Maine
Ever wonder what they do at the Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts in Newcastle? This blog post provides you with information on the mid-coast facility. Watershed was established in 1986 with a dual purpose: to provide time and space for clay artists and to promote education and awareness regarding ceramic arts among the general public.
Twenty-six years later, over 1,200 artists from across the nation and abroad have experienced residencies at Watershed. During their 2-week residencies, artists live on our 32-acre facility in rural, mid-coast Maine, with room, board and 24/7 access to studio space provided. Without the distractions of day-to-day living, they are able to focus on their art and allow their creative energies to explore the medium anew.
Traveling clay program
Maine art teachers in Maine may know about Watershed through our “Mudmobile” programs. The “Mudmobile” is a traveling ceramics resource center in a van that provides engaging experiences working in clay to schools, community centers and senior citizen facilities. Thousands of young people and adults around the state have experienced clay through Mudmobile programs, including public events such as the Common Ground Fair, for over 15 years!
Mudmobile instructors are professional artists who share their joy of working in clay with students and community members. Watershed instructors partner with the host site to create a lesson plan that ties into the needs of each program. The focus is on process not just product, with clay lessons that connect to science, math, history or cultural studies.
Our fun and educational ceramic projects are designed to introduce children and adults to historical uses of clay, current art making in clay, Maine’s geology and environmental stewardship. The materials used in Mudmobile classes make use of Maine’s natural resources. Students use glacial marine clay with food-safe, nontoxic glazes.
If you are interested in having the Mudmobile visit your school contact Watershed to reserve a program by contacting Fran Rudoff, Executive Director of Watershed by emailing her at director@watershedceramics.org.
Community Presentations: Upcoming Events and Opportunities
Watershed also strives to provide opportunities for Maine residents and visitors to experience and appreciate ceramic art in all its forms. Resident artists share and demonstrate their work in public venues during the summer and fall months. Our annual “signature” summer event, Salad Days, gives local residents the chance to enjoy a variety of pottery, incredible local food, lively music, conversations with neighbors and resident artists, and a lot of good fun.
Salad Days: July 13 – Visit Watershed and learn about programs first-hand. Join us for Salad Days 2013! Relax to live music while eating lunch under a shady tent at flower-laden tables. A $35 donation to Watershed (which supports our programming!) entitles you to a handmade salad plate created by ceramic artist Tess Stilwell and the chance to enjoy a buffet of salads (locally grown produce, prepared by Watershed artists and local restaurants). After eating, visit resident artists’ studios and explore Watershed’s thirty-two acres of art-filled meadows, woods, gardens, and the neighboring sheep farm. Potters and ceramic artists will be on-site performing demos and visitors of all ages may try working with clay.
Concurrent with Salad Days, Watershed will also be hosting our annual Invitational Pottery Sale, along with a Serving Bowl Exhibit. Shop for unusual and lively works of art made by ceramic artists from around the country.
Finally, appraiser Jane Prentiss, of Skinner Auctioneers and Appraisers, will be at Watershed providing appraisals for consignment. Find out what your antiques, art, and collectables are worth. For details, visit our appraisal event page. Please note that advance sign up is necessary.
Artist Presentations: June 19 and July 30 – Watershed is partnering with the Harlow Gallery in Hallowell (and the Kennebec Valley Arts Association) to host public presentations and receptions for ceramic artists who are in residence at Watershed this summer!
June 19 features Patti Warashina, Carol Guthro and Peter Olsen from Seattle, who will be sharing their distinct styles and aesthetic perspectives.
July 30 features Eva Campagne from Montana and Amanda Small from North Carolina. Their session is entitled, “N.E.W.” Nature. Eight. Ways. While at Watershed, they will be investigating repetition and patterns in the natural world and how it inspires, influences and forms the way they work with clay.
Fall Workshop: September 27-29 – Join Thaddeus J (TJ) Erdahl for a beautiful weekend at Watershed! You can explore creating figurative sculptures that imply a sense of personal history. The technical focus will be on developing rich surface layers. Demonstrations will deal with the entire surface process from leather-hard slip and engobe application techniques to post bisque water erosion, sanding procedures, and wash application. Pieces will be finished with post firing heat set encaustic and wax procedures. Test tiles and pinched mini test “heads” will be used for further surface experimentation. Participants need to bring a small leather hard sculpture. Work will be fired to 04. All levels are welcome!!
To learn more about registration and details please go to: http://watershedceramics.org/artists/workshops/.
NPR Series on Arts Education
June 14, 2013On creativity
Earlier this month National Public Radio did a series on art education called The Turnaround Arts Initiative. The series includes an interview with artist Chuck Close. Below are the links to the shows.
http://www.npr.org/2013/04/16/176671432/creative-classes-an-artful-approach-to-improving-performance
http://www.npr.org/2013/04/14/177204419/the-case-for-the-arts-in-overhauling-education
http://www.npr.org/2013/04/16/177507491/chuck-close-reflects-on-learning-school-lessons-through-art
http://www.npr.org/2013/04/17/177040995/more-than-50-years-of-putting-kids-creativity-to-the-test
The End of the School Year
June 13, 2013How to prepare
Thanks to Charlie Johnson, MAAI teacher leader and MDI High School art teacher for sending me this blog post from Tales from the Traveling Art Teacher blog posted on May 22, 2013. The blogger is Heidi O’Hanley who has some wonderful ideas on her blog. This one might be very useful to those of you who are organized and starting to think about the end of the school year and the classroom/management tasks it involves. Heidi presented a session at the National Art Education conference in Fort Worth, Texas in March called Art on a Cart Research. Yes, you guessed it, Heidi teaches from a cart in three schools. Check out Heidi’s blog and find the post called How Do you Prepare for the End of the School Year? at http://talesfromthetravellingartteacher.blogspot.com/.
Share Your Expertise
June 12, 2013GREAT opportunity
Southern Kennebec Child Development Corporation (SKCDC)-Child Care Options is searching for professionals who work in the early childhood, school-age, or other related fields and would like to share their expertise and experience in the arts (theatre, music, painting, arts & crafts, games, etc.). SKCDC-Child Care Options is sponsoring a one-day conference focused on the arts on Saturday, November 16, 2013 at the Augusta State Armory and are looking for presenters for this event. The audience will be child care professionals who care for children birth-13 years old. Workshops will have approximately 30-50 participants.
SKCDC-Child Care Options is seeking presenters to do a 1.5 hour workshop and deliver it twice (3 hours). Presenters will receive a $150.00 stipend.
If you are interested in submitting a workshop proposal for this event contact, Rita Fullerton, SKCDC-Child Care Options Director at rita@skcdc.org or 1-800-525-2229 ext. 27.
This is a great opportunity to connect with child care providers who are educating young child – your expertise is needed!
me arts ed 