Archive for August, 2017

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MALI Summer Institute: Day 2

August 4, 2017

Wowzer!

Kate Cook Whitt

Day 2 kicked off with an amazing STEAM presentation from Kate Cook-Whitt. The opening was titled This is your Brain on Art: Neuroscience and the Arts  – “Examining the World Through Different Lenses: Art and Science”. Kate is an Assistant Professor of Education at the Center for Innovation in Education (CIE) at Thomas College. Participants agreed that Kate’s presentation was outstanding!

Teacher Leaders participated in several great mini-sessions, some led by teacher leaders and teaching artists leaders themselves including:

  • Nancy Frolich, Social Justice mini-lesson

    Social Justice and the Power of the Arts with Nancy Frohlich from Leaps of Imagination

  • 7 Strategies of Assessment with Jeff Beaudry from USM and visual art teacher leaders Holly Leighton and Samantha Armstrong

  • National Board Certification with visual art teacher leader Danette Kerrigan

  • Connecting the STUDIO HABITS of MIND to the NATIONAL STANDARDS in the Visual Arts classroom with visual art teacher leader Jane Snider

  • Things Into Poetry session with Brian Evans-Jones

    Things Into Poetry with poet teaching artist leader Brian Evans-Jones

In addition Bronwyn Sale and John Morris provided a session called Teaching for Creativity. The afternoon brought all three strands together (teaching artist leaders, new PK-12 teacher leaders and returning PK-12 teacher leaders) for a session with teaching artist leader and potter Tim Christensen. We engaged with a small medallion of clay using the process Tim is so in tune with: sgraffito.

The rest of the afternoon was spent on leadership, advocacy, and putting it into action on the follow up plans for the next year. Strand 1, the Teaching Artist Leaders met with Jeff Poulin, electronically, from the Americans for the Arts.

Day turned into night and educators gathered around the Thomas College fire pit for drumming and a chance for Tim to fire the clay pieces created earlier in the day in the propane fire pit. This provided a wonderful opportunity to connect with colleagues from across the state. What a great way to end an outstanding day!

Strand 1 with Jeff Poulin, Americans for the Arts. Kate Smith, Design Team member, holds the computer during the question and answer period

Jennie Driscoll, Elise Bothel visual art teacher leaders

Jen Etter, music teacher leader

New teacher leaders David Coffey – music and Amy Donovan-Nucci – visual art

Tim Christensen firing the clay pieces

Fun around the fire pit!

Posted in assessment, Communication, Community, Creativity, Curriculum and Instruction, Dance, Food for thought, Integration, Leadership, Media Arts, Music, Opportunity, Professional Development, Research, Resources, Standards, Standards Based Education, Theater, Visual Arts, VPA, YAHOO | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

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MALI Summer Institute: Day 1

August 2, 2017

Off and running

The first day of the Maine Arts Leadership Initiative (MALI) was filled with energy, ideas, and participants jumping in with both feet. Lindsay Pinchbeck provided the opening on growth mindset. One of the pre-readings was Carol Dweck’s Mindset, a highly recommended read. Participants looked at their own learning and how they respond to different subjects. It provided a place to start working on teaching, learning and assessment.

Almost 70 educators fit into three strands of visual and performing arts educators, teaching artists, new teacher leaders, and returning teacher leaders. The threes strands schedules differed slightly as the learning was customized to their needs. The highlights for the day included standards and assessment, communication, networking, visual storytelling, drumming, creativity and much more.

Lindsay Pinchbeck on Growth Mindset

Participants had a choice for the last session of the day to visit the Colby College Art Museum, work on their individual follow-up plans, or to make drums out of 55 gallon cans.

The evening ended around the fire pit with drumming facilitated Kate Smith and a storytelling session. To say the least: “a good time was had by all!” I am sure you tell that by the photos.

 

 

 

Ryan Leighton from the Maine Arts Commission

Posted in Communication, Creativity, Food for thought, Leadership, Opportunity, Professional Development, Resources, Standards Based Education, VPA | 2 Comments »

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Bags Are Packed and Ready to Go!

August 1, 2017

MALI Summer Institute

The Maine Arts Leadership Institute (MALI) gets underway today at Thomas College in Waterville. Almost 80 educators will come together to learn and share in a collaborative environment. PK-12 Teacher Leaders, Teaching Artists, and Teaching Artist Leaders will have the opportunity to build on their knowledge and consider how they will share the information during the next year. This is the 7th year that the initiative has offered summer learning and the schedule is chock full of rich sessions being delivered by teacher leaders as well as other educators who have much to offer.

The focus on teacher choices and teacher-centered learning will foster opportunities to consider how we do our important work of educating young people in visual and performing arts. The sessions include: standards and assessment, communication, networking, visual storytelling, drumming, creativity and much more.

As Karen MacDonald said recently as she prepares for the ECET2 conference coming up next week at Colby: “My basement is starting to look like a conference staging area”. I couldn’t agree with you more Karen! My bags are packed and I’m ready to go!

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