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Farnsworth Art Museum

August 22, 2023

Goings on in Rockland

As we know the summer is filled with opportunities around the arts. The Farnsworth Art Museum is no exception; they provide exhibits, classes, lectures and other learning situations. Here is some the latest information from the Farnsworth, even a job opportunity.

ARTS@THEINTERSECTION 2023

In its first year, Arts@theIntersection worked with schools in Knox, Lincoln, and Waldo counties, lifting up the voices of midcoast youth. Museum staff start by building trust with students in their own classrooms. They engage with teachers to understand the relationships at play in each class, then build programs and community connections to best meet both teacher and student goals.

“Arts@theIntersection gives students a voice in their education and a choice about how they can engage with it most effectively.” ~Alexis Saba, School Programs Manager at Farnsworth Art Museum.

Learn more at THIS LINK.

The Farnsworth’s education staff are all part of the Learning & Engagement Department. They have a job opening for the Academic and Program coordinator.

The Farnsworth Art Museum seeks a creative and collaborative Academic Programs Coordinator to join the Learning & Engagement department. The core responsibilities of this role include supporting arts integration and K-12 programming at the museum, primarily the Farnsworth’s Arts@theIntersection year-long program. The Farnsworth Art Museum is located in Rockland, Maine and the Academic Programs Coordinator role is an on-site position with some travel required throughout the area. 

Reporting to the Senior Manager of Academic Programs, the coordinator will provide support for the implementation of our Arts@theIntersection program, a year-long arts integration program working with midcoast Maine area middle and high school students. This position will also work closely with Learning and Engagement staff members to develop core components of K-12 online learning units to align with current education standards and collections-based learning in museum environments.  This position  supports department program implementation as needed.

The duties, qualifications and application are located at THIS LINK.

PICTURE BOOK: DANIEL MINTER’S BLUE

Join Coretta Scott King and Caldecott Honor winner Daniel Minter for a reading of Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond’s Blue: A History of the Color as Deep as the Sea and as Wide as the Sky, which he illustrated. The book addresses the question, ‘where did the color blue come from-and how did it evolve to be the color we know today?’ 

Tomorrow, Wednesday, August 23, 10:30-11:30, the Farnsworth Library. For more information CLICK HERE.

Posted in Communication, Community, Creativity, Curriculum and Instruction, Food for thought, Integration, Leadership, Opportunity, Professional Development, VPA | Tagged , , , | Leave a Comment »

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Books to Consider

August 8, 2023

Books to help support education and educators

All teachers want to be prepared and to broaden their horizons so they can be better prepared personally and when interacting with their own students. Below is a list of books that were brought to my attention by the Maine County and State Teacher of the Year Association. These are Rainbow Reads 2023 booklist.

PICTURE BOOKS

  • Calvin, RJ and Vanessa Ford & Kayla Harren (illustrator). In this joyful and impactful picture book, a transgender boy prepares for the first day of school and introduces himself to his family and friends for the first time.
  • If You’re A Kid Like Gavin: A True Story of a Young Trans Activist, Gavin Grimm, Kyle Lukoff, & J Yang (illustrator) A celebratory and empowering story from young trans activist Gavin Grimm, two-time Stonewall Award-winning and Newbery Honor-winning author Kyle Lukoff, and illustrator J Yang follows the true story of how a young boy stood up for himself—and made history along the way.  A Publishers Weekly and Kirkus Best Book of the Year!
  • Love, Violet, Charlotte Sullivan Wild & Charlene Chua (illustrator) Perfect for Valentine’s Day, a touching picture book about friendship and the courage it takes to share your feelings.
  • Mama, Mommy, and Me in the Middle, Nina LaCour & Kayla Juanita (illustrator) A little girl stays home with Mama when Mommy goes off on a work trip in this tender, inviting story that will resonate with every child who has missed a parent.
  • True You: A Gender Journey, Gwen Agna & Shelley Rotner (illustrator) There are different ways to show and be who you are in this affirming photographic picture book that offers a celebratory and informative look at kids and their wide-ranging gender identities.

MIDDLE GRADE

  • A High Five for Glenn Burke, Phil Bildner A heartfelt and relatable novel from Phil Bildner, weaving the real history of Los Angeles Dodger and Oakland Athletic Glenn Burke–the first professional baseball player to come out as gay–into the story of a middle-school kid learning to be himself.
  • Ana on the Edge, AJ Sass Perfect for fans of George and Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the World: a heartfelt coming of age story about a nonbinary character navigating a binary world.
  • The Insiders, Mark Oshiro A Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year An ALA Rainbow Book List Top 10 Title for Young Readers Three kids who don’t belong. A room that shouldn’t exist. A year that will change everything. Perfect for fans of Rebecca Stead and Meg Medina, this debut middle grade novel from award-winning author Mark Oshiro is a hopeful and heartfelt coming-of-age story for anyone who’s ever felt like they didn’t fit in.
  • The Real Riley Mayes, Rachel Elliot A Stonewall Book Award Honor * A Sid Fleishman Humor Award HonorFunny and full of heart, this debut graphic novel is a story about friendship, identity, and embracing all the parts of yourself that make you special.
  • Sir Callie and the Champions of Helston, Esme Symes-Smith In a magical medieval world filled with dragons, shape-shifters, and witches, a twelve-year-old nonbinary hopeful knight battles for the heart of their kingdom. A thrilling middle-grade series opener that explores identity and gender amid sword fights and magic, and proves anyone can be a hero.

YOUNG ADULT

  • The Family Outing: A Memoir, Jessi Hempel A striking and remarkable literary memoir about one family’s transformation, with almost all of them embracing their queer identities.
  • The House in the Cerulean Sea, TJ Klune
    “The House in the Cerulean Sea is a heart-swelling wave of sweetness and hope. Mild-mannered government caseworker Linus Baker is sent on a secret assignment to an island orphanage he’s never even heard of. The astonishing inhabitants he gets to know there will change his life and make him reassess everything he thought he knew. This book will leave you believing in the good in everyone — even those society has given up on — and contemplating how huge changes have to start somewhere.” 
    — Haley Stocking, Phinney Books, Seattle, WA
  • Imogen, Obviously, Becky Abertalli With humor and insight, #1 New York Times bestseller Becky Albertalli explores the nuances of sexuality, identity, and friendship in this timely new novel.
  • Loveless, Alice Oseman This is the funny, honest, messy, completely relatable story of Georgia, who doesn’t understand why she can’t crush and kiss and make out like her friends do. She’s surrounded by the narrative that dating + sex = love. It’s not until she gets to college that she discovers the A range of the LGBTQIA+ spectrum — coming to understand herself as asexual/aromantic. Disrupting the narrative that she’s been told since birth isn’t easy — there are many mistakes along the way to inviting people into a newly found articulation of an always-known part of your identity. But Georgia’s determined to get her life right, with the help of (and despite the major drama of) her friends.
  • The Magic Fish, Trung Le Nguyen In this gorgeous debut graphic novel, fairy tales are the only way one boy can communicate with his Vietnamese immigrant parents. But how will he find the words to tell them that he’s gay? A powerful read about family, identity and the enduring magic of stories.

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Book Banning

August 1, 2023

‘Best interest’

I live in a community where some individuals have requested that the school board have certain books removed from our classrooms and library book shelves. The conversation went on for months with both sides taking time to express their opinions. Some advocacy is based on fact and research while others are based on personal beliefs/choices and emotions. These conversations are similar to others going on across our state and the country. We all have opinions and lately I’ve been wondering how individuals can express their options in a way that provides a ‘point of view’, not in a way that comes across as “I am right and if you don’t agree with me, you are wrong”. Most importantly, I wonder how opinions can be expressed without negatively impacting the education of young people? After all, we know they’re watching and listening.

Every year before the July 4th parade in Whitefield, a small town located not a 30 minute drive from Augusta, an artist gathers with other artists and friends to shed light on a ‘challenging topic’ to include in the parade. Artist Natasha Mayers has been doing this for years. Some of you are familiar with the marvelous film that was made to document Natasha’s life story called Natasha Mayers: An Unstill Life. The film chronicles her life as an artist and activist. You can access the trailer and rent the entire film at THIS LINK.

Some of the many participants presenting ‘banned books’ at the Whitefield parade

For this years parade the group focused on books that have been banned and created giant books that are included on a list. They passed out more than 100 children’s books wrapped in caution tape, with bookmarks listing banned books. I’m sure many of you are familiar with some or all of these books, I’ve listed them below.

Its one thing to be aware of banned books but it’s another to express your opinion or to take action. I’ve given some thought about my beliefs and I’m reading, listening and watching. One of my summer goals is to read more of the books on banned book lists. When I participate in a conversation it will be based on my reading and my understanding through my own lens. I attended my town’s candidates forum this spring where the candidates were asked their opinions on banning books from our schools, specifically the book Queer Gender by Maia Kobabe. The two individuals who strongly opposed hadn’t read the book, one had looked at the pictures. I’ve noticed that many people who are opposed to certain books also have strong feelings about the curriculum being taught in our schools. In addition, their rhetoric includes wanting the power to make curriculum decisions. As a teacher I am totally committed to working with parents to educate the child. But I am opposed to parents making decisions for other families. Should parents be making decisions for their own children or all children? Some advocates are attempting to undermine the wisdom of teachers and educational experts who are trained to make curriculum decisions and choices about teaching and learning. I realize that not all educators are ‘experts’ and I’m not suggesting that educators make all the decisions. Policy’s and procedures are in place with curriculum committees that include teachers, administrators, and school board members to guide and make decisions on curriculum.

Handing out books to children

I’m not offering answers, only questions. My baseline question that has always guided me: what is in the best interest of all students? Some folks are saying ‘best interest’ has become murky. Well, no one said that education wasn’t messy business. It feels like we’re at a critical moment so I ask you: will you be part of the problem or part of the solution? How can arts educators use artistry to help at this moment in the history of education?

Banned books for teens and adults

FICTION, FANTASY, ETC.

  • The Bluest Eyes, Tony Morrison
  • The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, Sherman Alexie
  • The Call of the Wild, Jack London
  • The Hate U Give, Angie Thomas
  • The Handmaid’s Tale, Margaret Atwood
  • The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, Mark Haddon
  • The DaVinci Code, Dan Brown
  • Black Boy, Richard Wright
  • Brave New World, Aldous Huxley
  • The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho
  • Running with Scissors, Augusten Burroughs
  • Looking for Alaska, John Green
  • The Outsiders, S.E. Hinton
  • Mrs. Dalloway, Virginia Woolf
  • The Bell Jar, Sylvia Plath

NONFICTION

  • A People’s History of the United States, Howard Zinn
  • Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out, Susan Kuklin
  • The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story, Nikole Hannah-Jones
  • The Autobiography of Malcolm X & Alex Haley
  • Silent Spring, Rachel Carson
  • You Can’t Read This: Why Books Get Banned, Pamela Jain Dell

COMICS & GRAPHIC NOVELS

  • Maus, Art Spiegelman
  • Persepolis, Marjane Satrapi
  • March (series), John Lewis & Andrew Aydin
  • Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic, Alison Bechdel
  • Queer: A Graphic History, Meg-John Barker
  • Yummy: The Last Days of a Southside Shorty, Gregory Neri & Randi DuBurke
  • Blankest, Craig Thompson
  • This One Summer, Mariko Tamaki

Banned books for children

PICTURE BOOKS

  • Donovan’s Big Day, Leslea Newman
  • It’s a Book, Lane Smith
  • The Day in June, Gayle Pitman & Kristyna Litten
  • The Snowy Day, Ezra Jack Keats
  • In Our Mother’s House, Patricia Polacco
  • Flabby Cat and Sleepy Dog, Jeanne Willis
  • Little Red Riding Hood, Trina Schart Hyman
  • Nappy Hair, Carolina Herron
  • Goodnight Moon, Margaret Wise Brown
  • Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?, Bill Martin
  • Nasreen’s Secret School: A True Story From Afghanistan, Jeanette Winter
  • The Paper Bag Princess, Robert Munsch
  • The Dumb Bunnies, Dav Pilkey
  • Strega Nona, Tomie DePaola
  • The Stupids (series), Harry Allard & James Marshall

CHAPTER BOOKS

  • The Watsons go to Birmingham, 1963, Christopher Paul Curtis
  • Julie of the Wolves, Jean Craighead Goerge
  • The Giver, Lois Lowry
  • Melissa, Alex Gino
  • A Wrinkle in Time, Madeleine L’Engle
  • Go Ask Alice, Anonymous
  • Charlotte’s Web, E.B. White
  • The View From Saturday, E.L. Konigsburg
  • An Indigenous People’s History of the United States, Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
  • Joey Pigza Loses Control, Jack Gantos

COMICS & GRAPHICS NOVELS

  • Bone (series), Jeff Smith
  • Drama, Raina Telgemeier
  • The Breakaways, Kathy G. Johnson
  • Class Act, Jerry Craft
  • They Called Us Enemy, George Takei

Posted in Communication, Community, Creativity, Curriculum and Instruction, Food for thought, Resources, Visual Arts, VPA | Tagged , | 2 Comments »

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Opportunity for Teachers

July 25, 2023

LGBTQIA+ Interest Group

The state visual arts professional organization, Maine Art Education Association (MAEA), is offering an interest group called MAEA LGBTQIA+.

At the end of the 2022-23 school year MAEA president Cory Bucknam provided several book titles for independent reading during the summer. At the next LGBTQIA+ meeting on Monday, September 11th at 5:00 over Zoom the participants will discuss these two books.

  • Fiction: Small Joys, Elvin James Mensah
  • Non-fiction: Pageboy: A Memoir, Elliot Page

The MAEA LGBTQIA+ Interest Group was Inspired by the National Art Education Association’s (NAEA) LGBTQ+ Interest Group. A few passionate MAEA members wanted to create a version of that in Maine. Not all MAEA members are NAEA members, and the organization wanted to give teachers access to a group that supports those who identify as LGBTQIA+ and also help all teachers to support their LGBTQIA+ students and coworkers.

The LGBTQIA+ Interest Group will meet monthly, with virtual meetings to prevent excluding members because of geography, and possibly a few in-person meetings throughout the state for fostering connections and socializing. The LGBTQIA+ Interest Group has three main goals group:

  1. Continue developing a vision and mission for the group
  2. Learning for ourselves (example: the summer reading group)
  3. Sharing learning with others (example: creating a resource page on the MAEA website)

Below, a list of books MAEA provided members.

Heart Stopper by Alice Oseman
Baby by Torrey Peters
On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong
The Late Americans by Brandon Taylor
Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender
Juliet Takes a Breath by Gabby Rivera
Small Joys by Elvin James Mensah
All My Mothers Lovers by Ilana Masad
Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin
Grace Needs Space! by Benjamin Al Wilgus and Rii Abrego
The Lesbiana’s by Sonora Reyes
Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas

While we’re on the topic, the state professional organization representing music educators, Maine Music Educators Association (MMEA), created this Pride statement:

As Pride Month draws to a close, MMEA shines a light on LGBTQ+ artists and music educators and all their contributions within our classrooms. While Pride is the focus during the month of June, our LGBTQ+ colleagues, students, families, and community members value representation and affirmation within the education community all year long. Thank you for continuing to create an inclusive music classroom where all individuals feel welcome.

MMEA Pride Statement (written and adopted 2021)

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Maine Arts Journal

July 18, 2023

UMVA Quarterly

It seems to me like each issue of the Union of Maine Visual Arts (UMVA) journal is better than the one before. The summer issue, In Balance/Imbalance is no exception; filled with thoughtful and thought provoking articles.

This issue includes a piece written for the education column, Insight/Incite by Sharon Gallant, a veteran Gardiner High School Science teacher who has taken many workshops and classes on Bookmaking. Sharon is the 2023 Kennebec County Teacher of the Year and she is always seeking understanding in all facets of bookmaking. She is recognized for a teaching style that is participatory, interdisciplinary, and academically sound. She was selected for a 100 hour apprenticeship with Richard Reitz Smith to expand her bookmaking knowledge and to create a book which will be a reference tool for teachers wanting to use bookmaking in the classroom. I wrote a blog post about Sharon’s work in the classroom earlier this year at THIS LINK.

Véronique Plesch’s introduction says it best, for the summer issue of the UMVA journal:

Although each of our contributors conceives and experiences the dual notions of balance and its lack or loss in remarkably varied and personal ways, what emerges from this issue is that balance is fundamentally dynamic in nature. As a process, it is impermanent and fleeting. It is a negotiation, a dance with the entropic forces of chaos. It is a drive, a desire—perhaps even an unattainable goal. It is the pursuit of such goals, even of those that may never be fully reached, that effect profound change. Artists can contribute by spreading awareness of the imbalances that surround us. The concert of their voices motivates us and gives us the necessary strength to face the task at hand to rebalance our world. 

If you’d like to learn more, become a member of UMVA, and support this fabulous organization you may do so at THIS LINK. If you’re interested in writing for the journal please contact me at meartsed@gmail.com or go to THIS LINK.

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Amazing

July 11, 2023

AI

I think the video embedded below was a Coca-Cola commercial for this year’s Super Bowl; yup, back in February 2023. I don’t know exactly how it was created but Artificial Intelligence, AI was part of it. This came out about the same time that I started to see more information and reading about AI. Some people closest to my circle were concerned, and still are, about the negative impact AI might have on education, learning (or the lack of), creativity, and originality. I find it difficult to take a stand, for or against. For me there is too much grey area on the topic. Take this commercial, for example. I’m guessing that we can all agree that it is well done on all levels, creative and inspiring. It includes many known art works. An entire lesson could be formed around or built on the idea. An integrated lesson for music and visual art and actually many subject areas.

One comment from someone in the advertising community said: “that’s the proper way to use ai stuff. not to make the entire content, but to work alongside traditional methods”. I do agree!

I dug a little to learn about it and this is what I found: The new campaign from Coca-Cola features a combination of film, 3D, and Stable Diffusion, which is deep learning, text-to-image AI model. Traditional production methods coupled with artificial intelligence will bring the next level of creativity to the advertising industry.

I suggest that as educators responsible for the arts, use this as an example of how we can utilize AI for the expansion of the creative process. What do you think?

Posted in Communication, Creativity, Curriculum and Instruction, Food for thought, Integration, Media Arts, Music, Resources, Technology, Visual Arts, VPA | Tagged , | Leave a Comment »

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Juneteenth

June 19, 2023

Teaching Resources

I’m happy to see that there are so many teaching resources available on Juneteenth. I realize that with many schools across the country that the most meaningful teaching on the important topic needs to take place during other times in the school year or perhaps in communities. Educators know that ‘teachable moments’ happen anytime and in many places.

Finally our country, in 2021, made June 19th a federal holiday known as Juneteenth, Juneteenth Independence Day, Emancipation Day, Jubilee Day or Freedom Day. It commemorates the day in 1865 when over 250,000 enslaved Black people in Texas were informed that the Civil War was won months earlier and they were finally free.

Below are some of the plethora of teaching resources available. I took them from two resources, both have put them together from a variety of sources. Of course, I suggest that you take a close look at them to be sure they fit your needs as a teacher and the students you serve.

Americans Who Tell the Truth

National Education Association

BACKGROUND READING AND INFORMATION

VIDEOS

  • Juneteenth
    BrainPOP presents a short video on the history of Juneteenth, along with classroom activities and discussion questions for elementary students.
  • Juneteenth Explained
    Video-creation software company Vyond created this short, animated video for younger audiences that concisely presents the history of Juneteeth. 
  • Why Juneteenth is Important for America
    The Root released this video about the importance of Juneteenth in 2018. It includes information on the violent backlashBlack Americans faced from white Americans opposing their freedom.
  • Meet the Grandmother of Juneteenth 
    Opal Lee fought for decades to have Juneteenth recognized as a national holiday. Watch her interview on Good Morning America in 2021, after attending the ceremony where President Biden made June 19 a federal holiday.

LESSONS AND ACTIVITIES

  • NMAAHC Kids: Understanding & Celebrating Juneteenth
    The Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture offers a PDF guide to understanding and celebrating Juneteenth for children.
  • History of Juneteenth and Why it’s Now a National Holiday (grades 6-12)
    In this this lesson from PBS, students will explore and discuss the history and context around the Juneteenth holiday in the United States. Topics explored include the history of racial injustice in the U.S., the Civil War and the limitations of the Emancipation Proclamation. Additionally, students are encouraged to explore the modern significance of Juneteenth and its long-term impact. 
  • Teaching Hard Hard History: American Slavery
    No discussion or lesson on Juneteenth is complete without an understanding of slavery in the United States. Learning for Justice offers a framework and the ability to build a learning plan around the history of slavery in the United States.
  • Celebrate Juneteenth!
    The National Council of Teachers of English’s Read, Write, Think website offers a classroom activity designed around having students compare Juneteenth and the 4th of July using Venn diagramming.

RECOMMENDED BOOKS

ISTE – International Society for Technology in Education

  • The National Museum of African American History and Culture The Historical Legacy of Juneteenth is an article with photographs from the Smithsonian that provides context for Juneteenth. It covers the Emancipation Proclamation, the Thirteenth Amendment and Reconstruction.
  • PBS Learning Media Juneteenth: All About the Holidays is a short video that offers an introduction for younger students. This PDF offers grades 3-5 vocabulary words and photographs.
  • Juneteenth.com This World Wide Celebration website offers historical information and archives of Juneteenth celebrations in the news and connects those celebrating the holiday. 
  • The Morningside Center “Juneteenth. Why is it Important to America?” is an article that includes a lesson plan with a short video and discussion questions about the holiday.
  • The Library of Congress Collections The Library is full of original sources. Check out The Birth of Juneteenth, Voices of the Enslaved, and Juneteenth Celebration: A Local Legacy. Harriet Smith, a slave in Hays County, Texas, tells interviewer John Henry Faulk about the day she and the other plantation slaves were freed.
  • Read Write Think. This classroom activity asks students to make a Venn diagram comparing Juneteenth and July 4. Several resources are linked here, including the Emancipation Proclamation housed at the National Archives and Records Administration’s site.
  • The New York Times So You Want to Learn About Juneteenth? is an article that puts the celebration in the context of the 2020 protests sparked by the murder of George Floyd at the hands of police.
  • Learning for Justice Teaching Juneteenth. This article from Learning for Justice, formerly Teaching Tolerance, uses the holiday to empower students to advocate for societal change.
  • The History Channel What is Juneteenth? This overview of the holiday offers facts and a short video with links to many other related topics.
  • TED-Ed What is Juneteenth, and Why is it Important? Karlos K. Hill and Soraya Field Fiorio tells the story of a young slave in Texas who learns the slavery has ended and her enslaver is keeping it a secret.
  • Teach for America Celebrate Juneteenth offers articles, lesson plans, and ideas for books and movies to celebrate Juneteenth.
  • Democracy Now! James Earl Jones reads Frederick Douglass’s historic speech, “What to the Slave is 4th of July?”

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Truths and Lies

April 25, 2023

Union of Maine Visual Artists Journal

Four times a year the Union of Maine Visual Artists (UMVA) publishes a journal. The UMVA is a non-profit organization that promotes and advocates for the visual arts, artists, and all arts supporters. Included in each publication is a column that focuses on education called Insight/Incite. The recently released spring issue theme is Truths and Lies. The Insight/Incite column includes a piece authored by Lynda Leonas. Congratulations to Lynda who teaches K-6 visual art in Auburn Public Schools. She presently serves as the president of the Maine Art Education Association (MAEA). The title of Lynda’s piece is Re-envisioning Art Enrichment Assessments: The Policy of Gifted and Talented Programs.

You can read the piece at THIS LINK. Access the entire journal at THIS LINK. Information about becoming a member is at THIS LINK. If you’re interested in writing for the journal please email Argy Nestor at meartsed@gmail.com.

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National Poetry Month

April 1, 2023

Celebrate – April

“I’ll tell you a secret: we don’t read and write poetry because it’s pretty. We read and write poetry because we belong to the human race; and the human race is filled with passion. Medicine, Law, Commerce, Engineering… they are noble and necessary races to dignify human life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love are things that keep us alive” – Dead Poets Society (1989), Robin Williams

Perhaps just because I am more tuned in to poetry at this point in my life but it seems like there are so many more poetry resources and a ton of information on the topic that comes into my email. My favorite poetry emails are from the Academy of American Poets. Everyday I get an email with a Poem-a-Day included. You can sign up for free. Not only is it in text but also a click away to a recording of someone reciting the poem, often the author. At the end of each poem is an ‘about this poem’ which gives a context for the poem. I find this very helpful since my ‘poetry education’ has been slight. In addition, there is information about the poet.

Each month there is a poet who serves as the ‘guest editor’. The host sometimes has a theme for the month and the daily poem connects with the theme. It’s an interesting way to absorb poetry. Most of the poems are very serious but not always. Sometimes the layout of the poem is non-traditional and it connects directly to visual art, which of course, I enjoy. I copy and paste my favorite poems into a word document and print it to keep in my ‘sayings and poetry’ book. I use this book when I’m looking for inspiration or to use in a handmade card. It is filled with my favorite sayings and poems, a lifetime of ‘good stuff’. I find a morning that starts with listening to a poem from the Academy of American Poets is a wonderful way to start the day. You might want to consider doing so for yourself or consider sharing with your students.

In celebration of National Poetry Month the Academy of American Poets is hosting their 20th annual Poetry & the Creative Mind. The event takes place online on Wednesday, April 26, 2023 at 7:30 and is open to the public. The poets include the following and the event will be hosted by Richard Blanco and Kimiko Hahn.

  • Andrew Bird
  • Alan Cumming
  • Ethan Hawke
  • Emily Igwike – National Students Poet Program
  • Daniel Dae Kim
  • Eric Kim
  • Ada Limon – U.S. Poet Laureate
  • Jonathan Majors
  • Shantell Martin
  • Liam Neeson
  • Rosie Perez
  • Molly Shannon
  • Malala Yousafzai

This is a fund raiser however, it’s not necessary to contribute to attend. The proceeds support National Poetry Month and the Academy of American Poets Education Program, providing thousands of free resources to teachers.

You can register for this event for FREE at THIS LINK. Perhaps you’ll be inspired to include poetry in your life in a new way!

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One Boy’s Story

March 14, 2023

Imagination, Focus, and Autism

I love this story and the way it is presented for the viewer to stop and listen and think. The creativity and Anthony’s autism remind me of the importance of doing all three. What does each child have hidden inside them? How do I support young people to tap into their passion? The support of his mother is amazing, something I wish for all children. Anthony is using his tools and creativity that contribute to his success now and hopefully into the future. I can only imagine what the future holds for this child.

https://biggeekdad.com/2022/02/the-boy-who-loves-cars/#.Y_OC2HY9UqM.link
https://biggeekdad.com/2022/02/the-boy-who-loves-cars/#.Y_OC2HY9UqM.link

Posted in Communication, Creativity, Food for thought, story | Tagged , | 2 Comments »

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