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Call for MALI Teacher Leaders

May 21, 2020

You’re invited!

Visual, Performing and Literary Arts Teacher/

Teaching Artist Leader SEARCH: MALI – Phase 20-21

APPLICATION DEADLINE: MONDAY, JUNE 1Join us for a GREAT opportunity! The Maine Arts Leadership Initiative invites YOU, with other selected Maine teachers and teaching artists, to be part of a year-long exploration in leading your school communities and the profession in effective teaching and learning in the arts.  If you are selected, you will be expected to attend the 2020 Summer Institute, taking place virtually June 15, July 24, and in-person August 5, pending state policy.   

This year’s Institute will explore Leading with Resilience; Embedding Social and Emotional Learning in our Teaching, Ourselves, and Our Communities; and Arts Advocacy.  

If you are selected, there is no cost to attend the Institute; however the expectation is that you integrate your learnings in your classroom, your school community, and share with other educators in your region of Maine and beyond.  Full participants will receive documentation of up to 35 contact hours.   

If interested, please complete the online application form, linked here and below, by June 1.

Questions? Contact Martha Piscuskas, Director of Arts Education at the Maine Arts Commission, Martha.Piscuskas@maine.gov  207-287-2750

Year-long Expectations for Teaching Artist/Teacher leaders (TA/TAL):

  • Attend New Teacher/TA introduction cohort zoom on Monday June 15
  • Complete pre-reading/viewing and participate in online discussion (on google classroom) 
  • Attend and participate in 2 virtual discussion meetings on Wednesdays – June 24 & July 15 – (w/mixed cohorts and breakout rooms)
  • Attend August 5, Wednesday in-person day in Waterville (tbd) if possible
  • Commit to two reflection sessions as a MALI TA/TAL one with cohort, one with “thought partner”
  • Develop a personalized Growth Plan for the coming year, and practice/learn ways to share it with others
  • Engage in Fall “thought partner” one-on-one check in 
  • Attend winter retreat – tentatively February 28, 2021.  Will include update on personal goal and/or action plan 
  • Author a guest blog post on the Maine Arts Ed daily blog

JOIN US!  Become a Teacher Leader and Change Lives 

APPLY TODAY!

Questions on the Application:

Name/contact information

Administrator Name/contact information (if classroom teacher)

Paragraph of Interest — Selected individuals will be expected to be active leaders in helping to develop and support excellence in teaching and learning in Maine. A full commitment to the Institute timeline is expected as seen in the online information sheet.  Please attach a brief overview of your interest and current/past experience (if any) in Leadership. Include your experience collaborating with other arts educators and experiences relevant to the initiative.  (Please no more than ~ 500 words, about 1 page.) 

Resume/CV —  If you are a Teaching Artist, please also include websites or documentation of your teaching work.  

Letter of Reference – CLASSROOM TEACHERS: This should be from your administrator.  TEACHING ARTISTS: This should be from a school or community  organization with whom you have worked.   Please attach a Letter of Recommendation in which the person includes comments and/or examples reflecting your leadership potential and your ability to work collaboratively.  Selected individuals will be responsible for sharing their newly developed expertise and related classroom experiences with other arts educators.

Maine Arts Leadership Initiative 

Background Information

MALI MISSION

MALI’s OVERALL OBJECTIVES 

  • Create and implement a statewide plan for teacher leadership in arts education. This includes professional development opportunities, locally, regionally and statewide, which will expand on the knowledge and skills of teachers to better prepare them to teach in a student-centered and proficiency-based learning environment.
  • Develop and implement standards-based high quality teaching and learning statewide for Visual and Performing Arts 
  • Continue to build on expanding the team of arts educators and teaching artists representing all regions of Maine
  • Provide workshops and other professional development opportunities for educators 
  • Founded in 2011
  • 108 teacher leaders and teaching artists leaders have attended summer institutes on assessment, leadership, technology, creativity, proficiency-based standards-based and student-centered teaching and learning
  • Teacher leaders have presented workshops at three statewide arts education conferences, with over 600 educators attending
  • Teacher leaders facilitated regional workshops across Maine and 15 mega-regional sites across Maine
  • Maine Arts Ed Blog — 78 teachers profiled in Another Arts Teacher’s Story series 
  • Arts assessment graduate courses offered by New England Institute for
    Teacher Education
  • Nine arts education assessment webinars for Maine educators facilitated by Rob Westerberg and Catherine Ring – archived
  • Video stories of seven teacher leaders that demonstrate a standards-based arts education classroom located on Maine ARTSEducation YouTube channel
  • Teacher Leader Resource Team development of items for resource bank
  • Maine Arts Assessment Resources website
  • Partners have included MDOE, USM, MAEA, MMEA, University of Maine Performing Arts, and New England Institute for Teacher Education, Bates College

For More Information

APPLY TODAY TO BECOME A MALI TEACHER LEADER

Posted in assessment, Communication, Community, Creativity, Curriculum and Instruction, Leadership, Opportunity, Professional Development, Research, Resources, Standards Based Education, VPA, YAHOO | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

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Patti’s COVID Teaching Story

May 20, 2020

Music teacher

Thirty eight year veteran music teacher Patricia Gordan teaches in two schools in RSU#14; Raymond Elementary and Windham Primary. Patti is a Maine Arts Leadership Initiative Teacher Leader. Almost a month ago now Patti shared that this has been the most difficult time in her teaching career. In this blog post Patti shares some of the work she has been doing with her students during this time – ‘schooling away from school’. Thank you Patti for sharing your story!

She read Janie Snider’s story from April 27 and when Janie said, “I am their resource!” Patti yelled, “YES!” Her story really resonated with Patti and perhaps that will be the same for others when you read what Patti’s story and what she misses most.

“I want to hold hands and play a circle game with my Kindergarteners. I want to teach a folk dance to my 3rd graders. I want to sit next to a 4th grader and actually help her cover the finger holes correctly on her recorder so that she can produce a pleasant sound. I want to be the audience in front of twenty students on Orff instruments and thrill to their beautiful music, and see their faces light up when I enthusiastically compliment them. And I miss, miss, desperately MISS the angelic voices of my 3rd/4th grade chorus. I hope I can do the virtual choir with them on their favorite song that we’d been working on, “Send Down The Rain.”

Patti had just tried to play all four of the students’ “instrument parts” by herself.

IN PATTI’S WORDS

My chorus at Raymond Elementary is made up of 3rd and 4th graders and a few invited 2nd graders. “Send Down The Rain” is one of five songs we began practicing in January for a May concert which will not happen now. This song was their favorite and they sang it with such feeling, even at the beginning of March when it was not yet polished. 

I always put lyric sheets and practice tracks on the Raymond Elementary music website for them so they can practice at home and that was already done when we left. What I’m looking into is to have them perform that one song as a virtual choir.

A 4th grader emailed me this morning after she’d sent me videos, two different times, of herself playing recorder and I’d sent her back some tips. She said she was trying her hardest but that she was “bad at recorder.” (We play recorder third trimester and had had ONE recorder lesson before we were sent home.) It broke my heart because I wasn’t there to help her and it’s very difficult to teach a nine year old how to play the recorder by email, even though they can watch the recorder instruction videos on the website. Of course I told her she was not bad at recorder and that I admired her tremendously for her perseverance.

The lyrics to “Send Down The Rain, which help Patti and her students! 

Send Down The Rain

I live in the desert, only trouble comes my way as I try to make a living off the land. All the trees have withered, and the birds have flown away,
And my shattered dreams have gone with the shifting sand.

(Arias) Send down the rain.
(Cantos) To wash the dusty sky.

(Arias) Send down the rain.
(Cantos) To water the thirsty land.

(Arias) Send down the rain.
(All) To soothe my burning soul (Cantos-again) (Arias-my burning soul again) Send down the rain.

Lord I’ve had it with trouble, disappointment, broken dreams, And I long to see the lightnin’ flashin’ ‘round.
You know I’m a believer, and you know I’m prayin’ hard
To hear the rollin’ thunder’s mighty sound.

(Arias) Send down the rain.
(Cantos) To wash the dusty sky.

(Arias) Send down the rain.
(Cantos) To water the thirsty land.

(Arias) Send down the rain.
(All) To soothe my burning soul (Cantos-again) (Arias-my burning soul again) Send down the rain.

(Arias) Send down the rain.
(Cantos) Oh, Lord, I see the lightnin’,

(Arias) Send down the rain.
(Cantos) Oh, Lord, I hear the thunder.

(Arias) Send down the rain. (All) hoooo.

Posted in Communication, Community, Food for thought, Music | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

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In Today’s News

May 19, 2020

Broadband improvement, Principles call for arts return, Let’s pause

Here are three important items in this weeks news that impact the arts, arts education and most importantly arts educators!

Mainers hope COVID-19 pandemic is catalyst for statement broadband improvement

Yesterday Governor Mills announced that “All Maine students will have access to the internet.”  Sadly Maine rates third for slowest internet service. Sedomocha School music educator, 2018 Maine Teacher of the Year and MALI Teacher Leader Kaitlin Young spoke to NewsCenter on the topic. Kaitlin said: “Connection is no longer a luxury, it is a necessity”. Missionbroadband.com – complete a survey anonymously to give your opinion and join Kaitlin in using your voice to make a difference. Thank you Kaitlin for advocating for Maine students!

COVID-19 coronavirus: Principals call for the arts to return to the classroom

In his May newsletter, New Zealand Principals’ Federation president Perry Rush argues for greater arts education in schools that goes beyond dance groups, school productions or instrumental music lessons. He says it means using the arts to prompt expressive language and creative endeavour in ways that integrate with other subjects and parts of the curriculum.

Rush, the principal of Hastings Intermediate, says in a world where alternative facts and fake news abound, the importance of the skills the arts teach – critical thinking, problem solving, creativity, insight and empathy, among them – is self-evident.

“Any society that strips its education system of what it means to be human and denies its young citizens the opportunity to explore and celebrate human expression, should be concerned about how this affects a healthy functioning democracy. There has never been a time to be more vigilant and protective of the humanities and artistic expression than now.”

National Council of Teachers of English Blog

Mandie B Dunn is assistant professor of English education at the University of South Florida in Tampa. She sites the importance of taking time to pause and think about what we’ve lost and consider what that loss means for our well-being and for our relationships with students. We’re looking ahead to what school may look like in September rather than taking time to take care of ourselves.

Posted in Communication, Community, Creativity, Curriculum and Instruction, VPA | 2 Comments »

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Gulf of Maine and ECOARTS

May 9, 2020

The Bigelow Project

Gulf of Maine ECOARTS (GMEA) is an arts/science educational nonprofit focussing on changes in biodiversity in the Gulf of Maine due to human impact. The central focus of GMEA’s initial project – THE BIGELOW PROJECT – is the two year building of a collaborative sculpture installation of an ecosystem that will be hung and displayed in 2021/22 at the Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences in Boothbay. The sculpture, all made with 90% recycled/purposed materials, will be created by over 130 students – middle grades through college levels, and a team of 7 professional Maine artists. The project is designed as a work of art in itself – evolving from an original idea in one person’s brain into a collaborative working and planning community of about 200 students, teachers, artists, scientists, and advisors.

On Wednesday, April 29th, Gulf of Maine ECOARTS launched a special year-long online program. Each Wednesday we will POST an interview with some of the teachers, artists and scientists that are part of the Bigelow Project community.  The posts can be found on Gulf of Maine ECOARTS Facebook page, Instagram, our Youtube channel (other films there too) and soon – on the website.
The project has come a long way in a year and a half, and although the Coronavirus pandemic interruption of the Outreach branch of the project has shaken things up a bit, we’re making various readjustments and moving forward. The installation at Bigelow Lab is still slated for 2021, marine animals continue to be designed and built by the artists, the students will pick up where they left off in the fall, some of art and science teachers continue work this spring on a special project involving sculpture and science regarding threatened and endangered bird species in the Gulf of Maine.
You can follow this work on the projects FACEBOOK,, Instagram, and please help spread the word through social media platforms and tell your friends and colleagues.

Posted in Communication, Community, Creativity, Curriculum and Instruction, Opportunity, Visual Arts | Tagged , | Leave a Comment »

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Poetry Parlor

May 5, 2020

Maine Teaching Artist Helps Poets Boost Their Skills Online

Brian Evans-Jones is a Maine-based poet and Maine Artist Leadership Initiative (MALI) Teaching Artist Leader. After moving to South Berwick from Britain in 2014, he has taught poetry and writing in schools across Maine, from Kittery to Calais to Van Buren. Now he’s expanding his reach by teaching poetry online to adults.

His new project, Poetry Parlor, is an online membership club for anyone who wants to learn about writing poetry. Each month, members read and discuss a high-quality poem by a contemporary poet, and then write a poem of their own based on what they’ve learned. Members then get feedback on their poems from other members, in a video from Brian, or via a monthly Zoom call with Brian (depending on membership level). There’s also a private Facebook group for members to interact and support each other. So far 18 poets have tried out the Parlor, with some very positive feedback about what they’ve learned.

The idea for Poetry Parlor began when Brian thought about how he could reach more poets. He said, “I’ve taught poetry to adults since 2008, but I hadn’t found the same opportunities to teach it in Maine that I used to have in England. I really love teaching adults, and I was missing it, so I thought about online teaching. I particularly wanted to help writers who were passionate about learning poetry, but who didn’t have time or money for a college course—and of course online is more flexible for them. Plus, I’ve always loved helping writers create community for support and learning. So I came up with the Poetry Parlor, and it has been just so exciting to see members joining in, creating poems and already learning a lot, even after just two months.”

Poetry Parlor started in March, and May is its third month. New members are welcome at any time; if you join late in the month, your membership will be applied to the next month’s activities. Brian says, “We have a committed, friendly, and very supportive community of poets in the Parlor, ranging from someone who has a book coming out, to someone who wrote his first ever poem this month! I’m look forward to welcoming more folks who’d like to try us out.”

For more information and to join, please go to CLICK HERE.

HELP US CELEBRATE THE 4,100th blog post – For the next two weeks Brian is offering 50% off the first month of Standard membership of the Poetry Parlor. Use the code: MAINEARTSED50 when signing up for a membership. In addition, if you check out Brian’s site and return to this blog post and ‘leave a comment’ below about Brian’s Poetry Parlor you will receive a FREE handmade face mask! If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact me at meartsed@gmail.com.

Posted in Communication, Community, Creativity, Food for thought, Leadership, Opportunity, Professional Development | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments »

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Down to the River

May 3, 2020

Online chorus

Posted in Communication, Community, Creativity, Music | Tagged , | Leave a Comment »

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MLTI Student Conference

April 30, 2020

Online – Maine Learning Technology Initiative

Posted in Communication, Community, Opportunity | Tagged | 2 Comments »

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Open Art Teachers Studio

April 29, 2020

Create, talk and share

The Maine Arts Leadership Initiative (MALI) is sponsoring Open Art Teachers Studio: Quarantine Edition. Five sessions are being offered on Wednesday’s May 6 – June 3, Zoom, 3:30 – 4:30. An opportunity to create, talk & share for K-12 visual arts educators. Contact hours available. You may attend one or more and receive contact hours for the sessions in which you participate.

REGISTER TO ATTEND

REGISTER TO ATTEND

 

DETAILS 

  • Open Art Teachers Studio is a time (1 hour) and place (Zoom) where K-12 Visual Arts Educators can come together and create! Each session begins with a unique & creative teacher-led hands-on experience followed by discussion.
  • We believe that having a time to create and share as adult artists is vital to our continued success as Visual Arts Educators.
  • First half of the hour is creating & the second half is for sharing current activities, successes, trading resources, troubleshooting, networking, and to support one another.
  • Join us for the 5 session series:
    Wednesdays, 5/6 – 6/3, 3:30 – 4:30 pm
    Come to one or Come to All!
    First session: Portraits! Come prepared with materials you feel most comfortable with
    to create a portrait in any style! Questions – reach out via email:
    Martha Piscuskas, Director or Arts Education, Maine Arts Commission Martha.Piscuskas@maine.gov
    Melanie Crowe, Hampden Academy Art Teacher, MALI Teacher Leader – mcrowe@rsu22.us
    Iva Damon, Leavitt Area High School Art Teacher, MALI Teacher Leader – iva.damon@msad52.org
    Bronwyn Sale, Bates College Instructor – bsale@bates.edu
  • Contact hours available: Sponsored by Maine Arts Leadership Initiative

Posted in Communication, Community, Creativity, Curriculum and Instruction, Opportunity, Professional Development, Visual Arts | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

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Transmission Times Project

April 28, 2020

Record your stories

It’s a crazy time we’re living in with COVID-19 changing all our lives. Not only is it emotionally challenging, but it’s history in the making.

So let’s capture this moment by recording it!

You’re invited by creator Katie Semro (bio below) to participate in an audio diaries project called Transmission Times. Let your voice and your story become part of history. The process is simple, record audio diaries, send them in, and your voice becomes part of the Transmission Times Archive. It also may become part of The Transmission Times podcast.

FROM KATIE

I’ve started an archive of audio dairies from people all over the world during this pandemic so that we can document this time for future generations. I’m also using some of the entires to make a weekly podcast so we can connect with each other over our shared, though separate, experiences.

“I’m collecting audio diaries from people around the world during the pandemic so that we can document this time for future generations. My hope is that we can not only create an archive to record this moment for future generations, but also that by taking time to reflect on our experiences we can help ourselves get through this time.”
The details including a sign up can be found on the TRANSMISSION TIMES WEBSITE. Consider occasionally recording your thoughts on your smartphone or another way and submit your audio files.
The recordings will all go into an ARCHIVE, and some of the entries will go into a weekly PODCAST so we can connect with each other over our shared, though separate, experiences.
      “My hope is that by taking this time to reflect, we each can better handle the impact of      this time. And I also hope that by sharing our stories we can encourage and inspire each other, as well as leave a record of this moment — that is more than just the news reports.”
Please share and invite friends, family, etc, whether in Maine or elsewhere—the project is international.
Katie’s bio
I’m Katie Semro, independent audio producer and health coach, living in Southern Maine with my husband and 2 kids. I was trying to figure out what would help me get through this time and I thought that maybe recording an audio diary would help. And then I though that it would be really amazing to do it on a bigger scale, a kind of collective audio diary. So the idea for an archive was born. (By the way Katie is the wife of writer, poet, and Maine Arts Leadership Initiative Teaching Artist Leader Brian Evans Jones).

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Janie’s COVID Teaching Story

April 27, 2020

How the pandemic impacted Janie’s teaching

Janie Snider teaches has been teaching for 27 years in Washington and Hancock counties. Presently she teaches  Visual Art and is the Technology Integrator at Hancock Grammar School. Ms. Snider’s art curriculum provides art experiences for students in Kindergarten through eighth grade. The art classroom is designed as a  student-centered, standards-based curriculum. Ms. Snider has been involved with (MALI) Maine Arts Leadership Initiative since 2012, focusing on best practices that will provide all students with a successful art education.

 In this blog post Janie shares how she’s adjusted to ‘schooling away from school’ or “Art from Home” as she calls it! Janie has her lessons posted on the school website from her art classroom webpage. She is changing up her website to be more interactive.

In the early days of the closure I was in “survival” mode. I had to quickly develop some packets to go home physically with my students. I created “Art from Home” packets for grades K-4 and 5-8 considering their needs.

INITIAL QUESTIONS 

  • What are their needs?
  • Do they have supplies?
  • What can they use?
  • Do they have internet?

My goal was to try to meet these needs for at least the next two-three weeks! How can I reach them all?

I was overwhelmed by the amount of resources being offered via the web. Museum virtual openings, various websites for arts & crafts, teachers pay teachers, colleges and educational sites all available. I was busily sharing this info with colleagues, parents, friends and family until I couldn’t think straight. I spent about two weeks in my non-working clothes on the couch with three devices going and the news in the background. It was not working, my frame of mind was jumping from frantic planning to complacent non-belief thoughts.

Luckily, I woke one day with the ah-ha moment, “I AM THEIR RESOURCE!!!” What my students need is me and I need them! I need the one-to-one, class-to-class connection! So I settled in and redesigned my art studio/toy room. It has a whole new component, an art classroom! Google classrooms are evolving and with the addition of Google meets I’m feeling so much better. I can see their faces, can answer questions, make jokes and see their smiles! I must say I miss my daily hugs, so it’s (((Air Hugs)))! My 2nd grade class was amazing, they were all engaged, listening when needed, drawing with me, asking questions, muting and unmuting, giving thumbs up and showing me their work!! We were sharing an ART EXPERIENCE and my heart was filled with JOY!!

I have always known that the arts are vital to the growth of our inner spirit and our overall well-being. We see it everyday now in how people are choosing their time and self-care. They are creating artworks, listening and performing music, dancing and creating videos and performances to share with the world! However, what I have come to realize is the inequality of the playing field for my students. Not all of my students have the technology and supplies to create nor the guidance to support and nurture their creativity! As the teacher, how can I do my part to change this now and in the future? I am working on the answer to this question so that it will inform my teaching and learning.

How to raise student engagement in a digital setting is a priority! Creating best practices and strategies to enhance their art experience is essential to me! Contemplating the standards and skills are part of this new process. Personally for me, continuing to explore and use the studio habits in this digital planning and instruction is a good framework. I believe these habits/skills contribute to resiliency and that is something positive!

I am taking good care of myself! Im in a routine, daily yoga, a walk, dance three times a week, eating healthy, working in my yard and gardens. Being out in nature is really important for me, it enables great reflection and moments of insight! I find my mental state shifts between GRIEF and GRATITUDE and I allow both of these to exist as a daily part of my experience!

I think many positives will come out of this dark time, such as, light! A light that shines on many social and environmental issues. I’m thinking many people will emerge with a deeper appreciation for family, nature, arts, science, healthcare, education and the quality of how we use our time!!! I think we will look back and see how much inspiration and creativity flourished in during this time!

Posted in Communication, Food for thought, Visual Arts | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments »

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