Archive for December, 2013

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Technology Remaking Arts Ed

December 31, 2013

National Guild For Community Arts Education

Here is a video called Catching Up to Kids: How Technology is Remaking Arts Education. It was created by Don Marinelli who is the Co-Founder of Entertainment Technology Center, Carnegie Mellon University.

The description:
Do you often find yourself wondering how technology is transforming how students learn about, create, and share art? How it may alter longstanding traditions of teaching and learning? How it may transform established business models? You’re not alone. So we asked Don Marinelli, co-founder of the world-renowned Entertainment Technology Center (ETC) and a former professor of drama and arts management at Carnegie Mellon University, to share his thoughts and experiences from the frontier of arts and technology integration. ETC brings artists and technologists together to work on substantive, real-world projects combining the latest digital media technologies with myriad artistic, educational, and entertainment efforts. Learn how technology is changing student learning and educational paradigms—and how you can harness its potential.

Click here for the video and see how it fits into your understanding, beliefs, and practices of arts education.

Posted in Curriculum and Instruction, Food for thought, Theater | Tagged | Leave a Comment »

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Art and Missing Children

December 30, 2013

Using art to raise awareness

Screen shot 2013-12-30 at 8.39.29 PMEvery year many children are reported missing; while some cases have positive outcomes, others do not turn out as well. It is no surprise that this is a serious issue that plagues every country around the world. As the guardians of our children, it is up to us to ensure their safety. In an effort to raise awareness about missing children and keeping all children safe, the U.S. Department of Justice, through its Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) coordinates a national poster contest for fifth grade students. The poster contest is designed to increase awareness about child abduction, remember the children that have been abducted, and provide an opportunity for communities to engage in educational discussions on safety and prevention.

The theme for the poster contest is “Bring Our Missing Children Home.”  Participating students are to create a poster that reflects the theme and complete an application describing their poster and the importance of collaboration in bringing missing children home. Each state hosts its own poster competition, and the winning poster from each state is submitted by the state manager (or the organization responsible for overseeing the poster contest in that state) to OJJDP for selection of the national winner. For more information about your state’s contest, please contact your state manager at http://mecptraining.org/poster-contest/state-contest-managers/.

The winner of the national contest, along with their teacher and parents, will be awarded a trip to Washington, D.C. The national winner will be honored at DOJ’s annual Missing Children’s Day ceremony. For more information about the contest and how to participate, please visit, www.mecptraining.org/poster-contest.

On behalf of DOJ, participation from Maine is highly encouraged! If you have any questions feel free to view our website at www.mecptraining.org or email mc.day@fvtc.edu.

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damali ayo

December 29, 2013

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Earning Credit for Real-World Experiences

December 28, 2013

Upcoming Webinar

Beyond School: Earning Credit for Real-World Experiences

In Providence, R.I., the school system values learning that happens both inside and outside the classroom. The 23,500-student district is in the third year of a collaborative project with the nonprofit Providence After School Alliance that enables students to earn digital badges and even course credit for experiences that take place beyond the schoolhouse doors.

The expanded learning opportunities include working on engineering projects, video-editing, community service, and business start-ups. The project began as a pilot in 2011 with just 30 students. It’s now in two high schools with plans to expand to four, serving 200 students by next year.

Join Education Week for this webinar featuring representatives from the school district and the nonprofit partner organization that teamed up on the project. Find out what they’ve learned along the way to broaden community support and better serve students through real-life experiences.

Guests:
Alex Molina, deputy director, Providence After School Alliance, R.I.

Patrick Duhon, director of expanded learning, Providence Public Schools/Providence After School Alliance, R.I.

This webinar will be moderated by Caralee Adams, contributing writer, Education Week.

Underwriting for the content of this webinar has been provided by the Wallace Foundation.
Register now for this free live webinar by clicking here.

Monday, Dec. 16, 2013, 2 to 3 p.m. If you are unable to attend you can access the archived webinar by clicking here.

A recent webinar entitled Using Classroom Portfolios to Evaluate Arts Educators is archived at the link above. It was live on December 9, 2013, 2:00 PM.

Posted in Food for thought, Professional Development | Tagged | Leave a Comment »

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Cross Discipline Literacy Webinars

December 27, 2013

Critical thinking promoted in the arts classroom

Argument writing promotes critical thinking in all content areas and helps prepare students for college and careers.  If you are interested in learning more about argument writing, there is a recorded webinar that can help you get started. Lisbon High School visual arts teacher, Pam Ouellette, worked on developing a recent webinar with two other teachers: Paula Stevens (science and technology, Stratton) and Heather Manchester (literacy coach/instructional strategist, Poland Regional H.S.).  Several Lisbon High School teachers contributed argument writing assignment examples (Jonathan Carsley, Laurie Howe, Judy Roy, and Jen Fox). Pam is a teacher leader with the Maine Arts Assessment Initiative as well.

CDL Webinar:  Writing Evidenced-Based Arguments -Part I

This Webinar informs about…

  • the difference between persuasive and argumentative writing
  • argument writing in the Common Core
  • the role of argument writing in different disciplines and gives examples of argument assignments in various disciplines
  • strategies to organize evidence to support argument using coding and graphic organizers (Venn diagram and discussion web)
  • strategies to assist in the development of argument writing for your students

LINK TO RECORDED WEBINAR:
http://stateofmaine.adobeconnect.com/p6p2vnqan49/

There will be a second part to this webinar on February 4th, 3-4pm.

Posted in Curriculum and Instruction, Leadership, Opportunity, VPA | Tagged , , | Leave a Comment »

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Winter Weather

December 26, 2013

Harsh and Beautiful

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I know that many Mainers are without power and have been for a couple of days. In the harshness of the winter the beauty is also evident. Times like these I am in awe as I look closely at branches, snow piles, icicles. I find myself wanting to take several pictures so I can look back and remember the beauty.

In the middle of Christmas day after the sun warmed the earth to about 15 degrees I took some photos while out for a family walk. We have about 24 inches of snow with almost an inch of ice on everything. It is a winter wonderland and a day to remember!

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Wreaths

December 25, 2013

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Wreaths hang on the doors of homes during all parts of the year but especially at Christmastime. In Maine quite often the wreaths are created out of evergreen. In my younger days I would make wreaths but in the past few years I purchase them to save time and to support the local economy. Each year I save the metal ring knowing I will, in the future, make them again.

Wreaths have been used for years as part of ceremony’s and cultures around the world. They have much history and symbolism attached to them. I understand that evergreens are a symbol of strength as they last even throughout the most severe winters. Maine is experiencing a harsh winter (so far). I have two wreaths on the doors of my home and I took one to the Maine Arts Commission to hang on the front door there as well. I know we’ll all make it through this winter, whatever the weather sends our way! I hope you are safe today and perhaps you’ve hung a wreath on your home. Merry Christmas!

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Annual Holiday Show

December 24, 2013

Lake Region High School

Lake Region High School dancers performed their annual Holiday Show for the students at Steven’s Brook Elementary School in Bridgton.  Their theme for show this year was “The World of Disney.”  Six dances were performed for children in grades 1 through 3 to a variety of songs from popular Disney films.  The children clapped, sang, and cheered as the dancers performed in a multitude of shimmering silver, red, and gold costumes, with the ever popular Santa!  The performance concluded with the dance instructor, Carmel Collins and the dancers, teaching the younger children a short Holiday dance to share with their families and friends.  This event is made possible through the Dance Out Reach Program, whose mission it is to make positive learning and cultural connections between schools and community through the arts.

Top row: Faith Duquette, Katherine Springer, Joseph Sargent, Carmel Collins (teacher), Kaytlyn Terry.
Middle row: Adrianna Merrill, Alexandria Sargent, Chianna Garey, Sara Camacho.
Bottom row: Kaci Tripp, Michaela Tripp.

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New England Band Festival

December 23, 2013

Representation from Maine

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Gray – New Gloucester High School was represented by bassoonist, Kelcie Brown and clarinetist, Bryce Neal, with Samuel Hazo

On November 25th, Plymouth State University in Plymouth, NH hosted the All New England Band Festival, made up of outstanding instrumentalists from high schools throughout the northeast. Maine was well represented by students from Gray-New Gloucester, Windham, Lake Region, Telstar, Skowhegan, Chevrus, York, Sanford and Brunswick High Schools – a testament to the fine music educators in our state.

The evening concert began with a performance by the Plymouth State University Symphonic Band, under the direction of Mark Stickney, our festival host, followed by the Concert Band, conducted by composer Thomas Root, who is professor of music and director of bands at Weber State University in Ogden, Utah.  The Symphonic Band finished the evening, under the baton of composer Samuel R. Hazo.

Thank you to Gray-New Gloucester music teacher Carol Clark for providing the information for this blog post.

Posted in Music, Opportunity, YAHOO | Tagged , | Leave a Comment »

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National Endowment for the Arts

December 22, 2013

Information that came through last week on the NEA list-serv

Screen shot 2013-12-15 at 9.14.21 PMPlease click on the highlighted segment in each item below.

PODCAST

NEA Jazz Master Richard Davis believes when playing that “with the passion that you are trying to get out of the instrument you are really making love to the instrument. And the instrument responds by accepting the sound you’re producing and in a sense it’s making love to you.” This week we present part one of Jo Reed’s chat with the master bassist.

ART WORKS

Painting Through the Pain: “We’re not expecting any of them to go into the arts. It would be nice, but it’s not the goal.” That quote’s from Andrea Gates-Ingle who along with her now-husband Stephen Ingle created Project Aim–one of this year’s National Arts and Humanities Youth Program (NAHYP) honorees–to help young oncology patients actively engage with the arts.
 
NEA Arts: Decoding Music’s Resonance: In this excerpt from the new issue of NEA Arts, we meet Parag Chordia who not only makes music thanks to his arts training, but also is figuring out why we like music so much thanks to his training in the sciences.

Love is Enough for Joy at Ifetayo Cultural Arts Academy: In this piece we meet another NAHYP honoree–the Ifetayo Cultural Arts Academy in the Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. We spoke with founder Kwayera Archer Cunningham about how Ifetayo’s young people use the arts to help them own their identities and their voices.

Caught Between the Photographer and the Sitter: A new exhibit of photographic portraits at the Phillips Collection asks, “Is portraiture a reflection of the sitter’s truth? Or that of the artist? Or a type of collaboration, something negotiated between them?” What do you think?

Notable Quotable: NEA Jazz Master Jamey Aebersold: Jamey Aebersold thinks if you can hold a conversation, you can improvise. Well, we may be paraphrasing a bit…

Posted in Standards Based Education, Technology, Theater, Uncategorized, VPA | 1 Comment »

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