Archive for November, 2013

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Congratulations Karen Hight

November 21, 2013

LCREA Names 2014 Teacher of the Year

Karen Hight & Susan Hartford

Karen Hight & Susan Hartford

Karen Hight has been named the county’s 2013 Teacher of the Year by the Maine Education Association’s Lincoln County Retired Educator’s Association (LCREA). The LCREA was proud to
honor this dedicated educator from Great Salt Bay School in Damariscotta at a luncheon at Le Garage restaurant in Wiscasset on October 17.

Mrs. Hight is in her 26th year of teaching art. During her tenure, she has taught about 400 K-8 students per week. In her “art island”, Mrs. Hight gives her students a safe place to develop their creativity. She believes with proper guidance all people can be taught art.  When you listen to Karen talk her passion for her students and art is evident. Mrs. Hight has given up her “prep” times to give her middle school students and open studio time when they can work on their own extra art projects.

The eighth grade graduating classes have devised beautiful memory banners for their graduation ceremonies. Each of the past 25 banners are examples of the art education that has been instilled in the class during the previous nine years. The banners depict the class’s memories and each one is unique as the students themselves.

Karen is a remarkable artist in her own right. Many of her paintings grace the walls of area’s residents. She has displayed her art at Round Top. Her original greeting cards hold special meanings for each recipient.

Mrs. Hight said that the community has been very supportive of her and her program over the years. Due to economic events her budget has remained the same for many years, but the cost of supplies have steadily risen. When she received her monetary gift from LCREA, her first thought was not of herself, but that she could purchase clay for her students.

At the meeting Karen was accompanied by her husband Chris and Kim Schaff, principal of Great Salt Bay School. Dick Marchi former principal and many of her former colleagues were there to express their pleasure and support of her nomination.

Each year Lincoln County Retired Educators honor a local teacher who has be nominated by the members to be their “Teacher of the Year”. This area is fortunate to have many dedicated educators. Karen Hight is definitely one of those teachers.

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MegaEllsworth

November 20, 2013

Ellsworth High School

It will be more like a hattening, I mean a happening! Tuesday, November 22, 8:15 – 3:15, Ellsworth High School visual and performing arts teachers will converge on Ellsworth High School for the Mega-regional workshop. Hopefully we will see you there. The cost is $20 and 5.5 contact hours are being awarded at the completion of the day.

To register please go to http://mainearts.maine.gov/Pages/Education/MAAI-Mega-Regionals#. And click on November 22, 2013 Ellsworth High School.

Schedule

  • 8:15am: Registration begins
  • 8:45am: Opening Session Morning Workshops
  • 9:10 -10:20am: Session I
  • 10:20 -10:35am:Break
  • 10:35 – 11:45am: Session II
  • Lunch 11:45am – 12:45pm: Participants on their own (Ellsworth site only: Student Council providing lunch for a donation)
  • 12:45 – 1:00pm Afternoon workshops: Session III Large group

Breakout Workshops 1:00 – 2:00pm

The Arts and Proficiency: What, Why and How?

Let’s work together to explore what is proficiency in the arts? How do teachers in the arts articulate what proficiency is? What does proficiency look like at different grade levels? Either as a veteran of standards-based work or just curious to know more, this interactive session will get to heart of the fundamental questions we have in front of us in Maine. Participants are strongly encouraged to bring samples of student work, including recorded and/or visual artworks.

Breakout Workshops 2:00 – 3:00pm

Think Tanks on Technology

This interactive session will focus on technology and its importance in our 21st Century arts programs in Maine. Topics will include the Media Arts National Core Arts Standards draft, practical usage for facilitating arts assessment and communicating results, creative ways of utilizing technology, Digital Arts and Music programs, and hands-on learning of technology. We have much to share and much to learn from each other, so be ready for engaging discussions, demonstrations and questions about technology and 21st Century arts programs.

Participants may attend two of the sessions included below. To register please go to http://mainearts.maine.gov/Pages/Education/MAAI-Mega-Regionals#. And click on November 22, 2013 Ellsworth High School.

Session 1

Progressive Assessments and Creativity

Explore progressive rubrics that build upon each other from “developing” to “exemplary”. We will also investigate practiced rubrics and checklists from specific to general. These templates will be used in a grade level activity to assess student work. Participants will examine student works of art in grade level groups and share insights with assessing creativity. Grades 6-12

Leah Olson Ellsworth High School Visual Arts

Empowering Students Through Assessment Techniques and Strategies

“What did I get and how did I do?” Participants will explore and analyze how involving students in the assessment process (from planning, choosing criteria and selecting various assessments) can empower them in their art experience. This workshop will introduce participants to The Studio Habits of Mind as a guide to creating formative and summative assessments. Students can become the advocates of their art programs through understanding the standards and assessments! Grades 5-12

Jane Snider Hancock Grammar and Lamoine Consolidated Schools Visual Arts

Gifted and Talented in Music Education

Explore strategies for identifying students as gifted and talented in music. Participants will discuss issues around what to assess, how to assess, when to assess, and common pitfalls in assessing large numbers of students. Grades K-12

Andrea Wollstadt Biddeford Intermediate School Music

From Real Time to Report Time

“From Real Time to Report Time” – Developing a Meaningful Assessment System.This workshop will focus on techniques for the elementary music classroom that make developing rubrics, gathering student assessments and organizing report cards a manageable task.  Sample rubrics and report cards will be presented.  Participants are encouraged to bring their own rubrics and/or report cards to share with the group.  Grades 1-8

Alice Sullivan Princeton/Woodland Elementary Schools Music

Session 2

Digital Portfolios: Organizing curriculum and student work to show growth and proficiency

Learn about Evernote, a digital notebook that allows online file sharing to organize student work, documents proficiency, and allows teachers to share documents with students. This workshop is relevant to all arts teachers, visual and performing. Grades 3-12

Shannon Westphal Ellsworth High School Visual Art

“All The World’s A Stage”

As we move to standards based grading, how do we ensure that we are able to assess student work outside of the classroom? Particularly in the visual/performing arts students may be meeting standards out in the world at large. This workshop seeks to explore internships and contracts with students for standards met outside the classroom via performance, apprenticeships, private study, etc. Grades 9-12

Rebecca Wright Ellsworth High School Theatre

Maine Learning Results: Guiding your Ensemble Curriculum

This workshop will encourage the participant to look beyond the concert to developing life-long arts producers and consumers in the ensemble setting. Suggestions to meet each of the Maine Learning Results and tools for assessment will be shared. Grades 6-12

Sue Barre Waterville Junior and Senior High Schools Music

The Digital Classroom

Digital materials and techniques will be presented and examined for providing an open and collaborative dialogue among learners, teachers, and administrators. An essential question for this workshop is “What might student and teacher portfolios look like as evidence of teaching/learning and what should they contain to meet requirements of proficiencies and accountability?” A demonstration of Google+ and it’s available apps and uses will give participants an example of structures possible through web-based collaboration. Grades 9-12 all subjects

Charlie Johnson Mount Desert Island High School Visual Arts Digital Media/ Photography and Kathleen Murphy (student)

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New England Summit on Arts Education

November 19, 2013

Save the Date – July 29, 30, 31, 2014

More information will be available in the near future as the

Maine Arts Assessment Initiative

Leadership Team and Teacher Leaders plan this

SUMMER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITY

for YOU!

Save the DatesJPEG

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Waterville Senior High School

November 18, 2013

Screen shot 2013-11-13 at 8.39.51 AMScreen shot 2013-11-13 at 8.40.15 AM

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Dance! CRMS

November 17, 2013

Camden-Rockport Middle School Dance and Social Studies

cumbia 2013National Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated from September 15 to October 15 in the United States. It celebrates the Latino citizens of the United States and where they came from.  The Camden-Rockport Middle School holds an assembly in mid-October for this celebration.

Under the auspices of a Bisbee Grant, Erma Colvin, a Maine-based dance educator works with all the 8th Grade Spanish students in teaching them dances from Hispanic countries. They spend three weeks in the fall preparing for a school-wide assembly. This year dances from Columbia, Mexico, Spain and Argentina were taught.

Part of the grant stipulated that the dances be taught in Spanish. This was accomplished with the help of Aaron Henderson, the 8th Grade Spanish teacher at CRMS and Nohora Estes, a native Spanish speaker who teaches Spanish at the Riley School in Glen Cove. She worked with Erma and Aaron on dance vocabulary to teach the students. Participation in the dances was part of the students grade requirement. Authentic costumes were created. The CRMS Tech Club provided technical assistance in setting up the performance space.

Thank you to Erma Colvin for providing this post.

tango 2013

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Building Community Through the Arts

November 16, 2013

English and Science Classes at Bangor High School and Brewer High School Create Original Dance and Drama

IMG_0190Four academic classes from Brewer High School and Bangor High School have been working on original dance and drama pieces for the past several weeks, and will be performing them for the public on Wednesday, November 20 in Orono. The students’ creative work is part of “Building Community Through the Arts,” a program organized annually at these schools by the Maine Alliance for Arts & Education (MAAE). The artist residency program, now in its fourteenth year, brings professional Maine choreographers and playwrights into academic secondary school classrooms to help students create group works which combine curriculum themes with the social issues the students themselves choose to address.

At Bangor High School this year Susannah Owen’s sophomore English class has been creating a dance piece based on its reading of Steinbeck’s “Of Mice and Men,” and Michele Benoit’s Introductory Chemistry class is creating a dance based on the behavior of elements. Both classes are working with Maine choreographer Katenia Keller.

At Brewer High School Michelle MacDonald’s two creative writing classes are creating works of drama with Maine playwright/ director Jeri Pitcher. For most of the students this is their first experience in creative theater and dance.

The public is invited to view the performances, which will take place at the Church of Universal Fellowship, 82 State Street in Orono. Admission is free. “Building Community Through the Arts” is funded this year with support from the Maine Humanities Council. Performances will run from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm; for more information visit the MAAE website, www.maineartsed.org

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George Stevens Academy

November 15, 2013

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Khan Academy Goes to MOMA

November 14, 2013

Charlie Johnson’s info on Khan Academy

IMG_1875Charles Johnson is not new to the world of Art education. He has taught for over 38 years, was a 2008 finalist for Maine Teacher of the Year, a Phase 1, 2, and 3 Maine Arts Assessment Initiative Teacher Leader, and teaches at Mount Desert Island High School where his leadership skills are used on a daily basis. A video was created last year for the MAAI standards-based education work of Charlie and his school. Charlie partnered with MDIHS principal Matt Haney for the workshop he presented recently at the Arts Education: Leading the Way state arts education conference at UMaine. This blog post was written by Charlie after he took a look and a second look at Khan Academy and learned what is being offered for Art education. You can use Charlie’s findings and go a step further and check it out for yourself. Thanks Charlie!

I looked at the Khan Academy web site and signed on as a member a couple of years ago after reading Inevitable (Schwahn & McGarvey) and feeling that a lot of direct instruction might be placed in the hands of students if there were some web resources that were engaging and contained quality content. On first entering the site, I was pleased by the range of content across a number of subjects, mostly math. I did find some “Art History” resources, but they left me cold for high school age students as the recordings were done over still photography of work in museums, the narration was somewhat dry, and the sound quality was varied, even within single videos.

This fall I noticed that one of my advisee students had signed up for AP Math, and so I asked him how he made such a leap from the year before. I knew he was interested in math, but had gotten a slow start at his elementary school. His answer was simple, Khan Academy. He had gone through the Algebra series on Khan and pretested for entry into advanced placement class at our school.

His experience was in the back of my mind when I got this recent notice from a “LinkedIn” group I belong to, the National Art Education Association. I would, by the way, suggest any art education professional look at these “groups” as they often have tremendous teaching help and advocacy information posts as well as many discussions around art education topics. The link this group took me to is http://ow.ly/qutGe and while it has an interesting video on the oil painting technique of Ad Reinhardt, it was the direct MOMA tutorial link to Khan Academy that really got me “all wrapped up”! https://www.khanacademy.org/partner-content/MoMA took me to a “partner-content” (I wish Khan would do one with the National Gallery as well) page where there are dozens and dozens of links to contemporary artists speaking about their work, seventeen videos on the 1913 Centennial Celebration of MOMA’s holdings, videos on printmaking, artistic styles and arts interviews. The deeper I got into the site, the more I discovered.

This is a new and improved Khan (Art) Academy from just a couple of years ago, with well designed (YouTube) video, interesting (and to the point) “mini lectures” on historical pieces and their contexts, and numerous “how-to” segments that give foundational information about the techniques and equipment for producing art in a variety of media. I would strongly suggest taking a tour through this collaboration between MOMA and Khan. It may not be for everyone, but it is much more student-friendly and interesting, suggesting that Salman Khan “gets it”, has a “growth” mindset, and is constantly striving to improve.

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Mt Vernon Elementary School Exhibit

November 13, 2013

 

Olde PO Cafe Exhibit

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Announcing Mega-Regional Workshops

November 12, 2013

Ellsworth High School, UMF, USM, and UMaine

Feedback on the biennial statewide conference Arts Education: Leading the Way that was held at UMaine on October 24th continues to come in. But that is not all that the Maine Arts Assessment Initiative (MAAI) is providing for professional development this school year.

I am soooooooo excited to announce the professional development opportunities that continue to take place by the MAAI teacher leaders. There are 35 sessions scheduled at the 4 locations listed below that the MAAI calls Mega-Regional workshops.

You can click on each site above to get to the details or go to http://mainearts.maine.gov/Pages/Education/MAAI-Mega-Regionals#. In the AM at each Mega-Regional session teachers will select 2 workshops from a variety (each site offering different workshops). There are two PM sessions that teachers will have a chance to drill down on important arts education topics that are impacting all of us in today’s education environment:

  • The Arts and Proficiency
  • Think Tanks on Technology

The cost to attend a Mega-Regional workshop is $20.00 with 5.5 contact hours provided. Registration is required to attend the all day, 8:15 – 3:15, Mega-Regional workshops.

Please note: Each mega-regional workshop has a different link for registering! The MAAI teacher leaders are anxious to share their workshops with you and look forward to what you bring to the workshops. These are multiple opportunities for the Maine Arts education community to come together to deepen our knowledge!

If you have any questions please email me at argy.nestor@maine.gov. I look forward to seeing you at a Mega-Regional workshop.

Phase3MECAJune13

Phase 3 MAAI summer institute, MECA, June 2013

Also scheduled are 34 Regional workshops taking place in various locations all over the state. You can find the information on these workshops by clicking here.