Archive for the ‘Integration’ Category
September 16, 2013
Maine Department of Education Cross Discipline Literacy Network (CDLN)
The CDLN is a professional learning network for K-12 educators that provides professional development related to literacy instruction across content areas through both webinar technology and face-to-face networking sessions. You can obtain all of the details about 2013-14 CDLN at: http://www.maine.gov/doe/literacy-for-me/cdln.html. You will also find the archived 2012-13 webinars on the site. This year’s CDLN has been slightly modified to include Dine and Discuss sessions for the face-to-face component, as well as 8 different webinar strands. We strongly encourage you to check out this low-cost, high-quality opportunity. It is a great way to learn from and with other Maine educators across content areas and grade levels. The cost is just $30 per year, and the registration deadline is October 15.
We have three music and art educators collaborating to facilitate sessions this year:
Waterville Senior High School Visual Arts teacher, Suzanne Goulet will be working on a Dine and Discuss, face to face session. Lisbon High School Visual Arts teacher, Pam Ouellette, Songo Locks Elementary School K-5 Music teacher, Linda McVety, and Winthrop Middle School Visual Arts teacher Lisa Gilman will be facilitating three separate topics of online webinars (2 each).
Thank you to these Visual and Performing Arts teachers for stepping up and taking on leadership to collaborate and provide opportunities for Maine educators.
Posted in Curriculum and Instruction, Integration, Music, Opportunity, Professional Development, Visual Arts | Tagged arts education, CDLN, cross discipline literacy network, Maine, webinars | Leave a Comment »
July 23, 2013
Music and Art classrooms featured
You asked for it and now you’ve got it… during this past school year the Maine Arts Assessment Initiative (MAAI) created 4 videos in response to “What do visual and performing arts classrooms look like in a standards-based environment?” That question came up over and over during the first phase of MAAI so we decided to incorporate the search as part of phase 2. The MAAI has continuously listened to the needs of the field and this is one of those “asks” that we responded to.
Debi Lynne Baker taught visual art for many years and most recently K-12 in Greenville. She used technology in her teaching including movie making with her students. She was the perfect person to create the first 4 videos. With hours of footage taken at each school, Debi was able to edit and come up with 4 unique videos under 20 minutes that each tell a story. What you will learn is that there is NO ONE answer to the question and you will also find that the videos provide so much more than just answers to the question!
As we consider creating more videos as part of phase 3 we’d love to hear your feedback on the videos. Please post your comment on the blog or email me at argy.nestor@maine.gov. Thanks!
See for yourself the following MAAI videos at the Maine ARTSEducation YouTube channel located at http://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-lElK9bBU_o96Wrg-kNbeg
- Part I: York High School Music Program with Rob Westerberg, students and colleagues
- Part II: Hancock Grammar School Art Program with Jane Snider, students and colleagues
- Part III: Mount Desert Island High School Art Program with Charlie Johnson, students and colleagues
- Part IV: Biddeford Intermediate School Music Program with Andrea Wollstadt, students and colleagues
You will find other arts education videos on the Maine ARTSEducation channel created by MAAI participants.
Posted in assessment, Communication, Community, Creativity, Curriculum and Instruction, Food for thought, Integration, Leadership, Professional Development, Research, Standards, Standards Based Education, VPA | Tagged Andrea Wollstadt, arts education, Biddeford Intermediate School, Charlie Johnson, Debi Lynne Baker, Hancock Grammar School, Jane Snider, MAAI, Maine, Maine arts assessment initiative, Mount Desert Island High School, Rob Westerberg, standards-based education, student centered, teacher leaders, visual and performing arts education, York High School | Leave a Comment »
July 21, 2013
Research: Thomas Wolf & Gigi Antoni
We know arts education programs exist within school and beyond school. In many places – in and out of schools – people are considering new approaches for opportunities to learn in the arts. There are many factors that influence the reason for this and how it is carried forward. Thomas Wolf and Gigi Antoni, two well respected individuals teamed up and put together a report call More Than the Sum of its Parts: Collaboration & Sustainability in Arts Education. Arts educators have always been good at collaborating, and forming partnerships. Now, more than ever this is necessary. And, doing it in an intentional manner can have a longer lasting impact and hopefully a deeper one.
The report is almost 100 pages and was created by The National Guild for Community Arts Education, Big Thought and WolfBrown It makes for a good summer read as you search for inspiration and a spark to impact your teaching come September. Let us know what you think by making a comment below.
Posted in Community, Creativity, Food for thought, Integration, Leadership, VPA | Tagged Big Thought, Gigi Antoni, The National Guild for Community Arts Education, Thomas Wolf, WolfBrown | Leave a Comment »
July 11, 2013
President’s Initiative
I wrote about the series on NPR that includes the Turnaround Arts Initiative and finally had a minute to go to their website. Very good information there, that I recommend taking a close look at. The following information is taken (just a part) from the Turnaround Arts website at http://turnaroundarts.pcah.gov/.
The President’s Committee Turnaround Arts Initiative was created by the U.S. Department of Education and the White House Domestic Policy Council. The partnership was designed to help transform some of the nation’s lowest performing schools through comprehensive and integrated arts education. Developed from the recommendations in PCAH’s recent report Reinvesting in Arts Education: Winning America’s Future Through Creative Schools, the Committee’s landmark research publication of May 2011, Turnaround Arts will test the hypothesis that high-quality and integrated arts education can be an effective tool to strengthen school reform efforts-boosting academic achievement and increasing student motivation in schools facing some of the toughest educational challenges in the country.
The first federal study of research data on the effectiveness of arts education in over a decade, Reinvesting in Arts Education: Winning America’s Future through Creative Schools (May 2011) analyzed the challenges and opportunities in arts education in America. Turnaround Arts puts into practice several of the recommendations in the report, including using arts education as a powerful tool for whole school reform in high poverty, low-performing schools, and the need for a wider range of evidence on its impact.
Studies included in this report show that when students participate in the arts they are four times more likely to be recognized for academic achievement, have higher GPA/SAT scores, and demonstrate a 56 percent improvement in spatial-temporal IQ scores. They show significantly higher levels of mathematics proficiency by grade 12, are more engaged and cooperative with teachers and peers, and are more self-confident and better able to express their ideas. These benefits are particularly pronounced in high-poverty, low-performing schools, and work in tandem with other pedagogical approaches. Arts education works best as a part of overall school and education reform strategy.
I love the three images with text that I’ve included in this post that go along with the initiative. I think you will agree that they are very well done and coooooool! You can read more at the Turnaround Arts website at http://turnaroundarts.pcah.gov/.
Posted in Communication, Food for thought, Integration, Leadership, Research, VPA | Tagged Turnaround Arts Initiative | Leave a Comment »
June 27, 2013
Brigham Young University
Engineering students from Brigham Young University, about 17 of them, worked closely with students on the dance team to design dresses that had LED lights embedded in them. Each dress included eight LED-light strips, attached to a computer chip and battery. The results, from the year long project, exemplify the great collaboration. Click here for the article and more photographs.
Posted in Creativity, Dance, Integration | Tagged Brigham Young University, collaboration, Dance, engineers | Leave a Comment »
June 24, 2013
Institute starts tomorrow!
This is an exciting week and today and tomorrow are jock full of preparing for it! As you know (if you’ve been following the blog) we have launched phase 3 of the Maine Arts Assessment Initiative (MAAI) and tomorrow is the first day of the summer institute. This is a week that I tell myself “Argy, no one ever died of lack of sleep!” since there are so many details to pay attention to. Fortunately, the MAAI leadership team is a wonderful group of educators who have guided the initiative every step of the way. It is an ongoing volunteer job that they have committed to and I want to THANK each and every one of them:
- Catherine Ring, New England Institute for Teacher Education, Executive Director
- Jeff Beaudry, USM Associate Professor, Ed Leadership
- Bronwyn Sale, Bates College, Lecturer in Education
- Bill Buzza, Edward Little High School, Music Educator
- Pamela Kinsey, Easton Schools, Music Educator
So what is the excitement all about? For starters, we have 14 new teacher leaders and 21 returning taking on leadership roles for phase 3. Thirty-five teacher leaders will be creating assessment workshops that will be based on research, practical knowledge and experience, professional development at the institute, and will be on topics that are relevant to visual or performing arts education. They will provide the workshops over the next school year at the regional, mega-regional, and statewide level. The dates for all of these workshops will be made available in the near future. How fortunate we are in Maine that 35 (52 counting all the teacher leaders from the past) visual and performing arts educators are committed to helping other arts educators. This is a HUGE commitment and I certainly appreciate their willingness to take on the leadership role! THANK YOU to the teacher leaders who represent pre-school, elementary, middle, and high school, dance, music, theatre, and visual arts, and all regions of Maine.
- Drew Albert
- Allysa Anderson
- Susan Barre
- Sasha Bladen
- Andrea Chase
- Amy Cousins
- Melanie Crowe
- Jennie Driscoll
- Jen Etter
- Judy Fricke
- Patti Gordan
- Suzanne Goulet
- Mari-Jo Hedman
- Gloria Hewett
- Lisa Ingraham
- Charlie Johnson
- Susan Jones
- Jane Kirton
- Beth Lambert
- Lisa Marin
- Jen Nash
- Jen Neal
- Jenni Null
- Brian McPherson
- Linda McVety
- Leah Olson
- Jeff Orth
- Pam Ouellette
- MaryEllen Schaper
- Ashley Smith
- Jane Snider
- Shari Tarleton
- Shannon Westphal
- Andrea Wollstadt
- Rebecca Wright
The teacher leaders and feedback from the over 800 arts educators who have participated in some way in the first two phases of the initiative have identified these focus areas for phase 3.
- Standards
- Depository
- Advocacy
- Outreach
We will hit the ground running using these Essential Questions to guide the standards segment of the work.
- What is proficiency in the arts in reference to the Maine Learning Results?
- How do teachers in the arts articulate what proficiency is?
- What does it look like at different grade levels?
- How will we do this in Maine?
This work is a direct response to preparing Maine arts educators for LD 1422 which goes into effect with the graduating class of 2018. I hope that you are having conversations around these same questions at the district level to be ready for students graduating showing proficiency of the standards. This will transition us from discussing “seat time” or “one credit in Fine Arts” to talking about what will be in place for students to “fulfill the standards and the guiding principles”?
So, as I spend today and tomorrow gathering resources, organizing groups, answering questions, packing the car, crossing items off the forever long “to do” list, I can’t help but smile! I know how fortunate I am to work in a state with outstanding arts educators and people who truly care about the quality of arts education programs. Each student benefits from the work that each teacher does! I look forward to the traditional group photo that shows the teacher leaders at the end of the institute – tired and full of new ideas ready to hit the ground running! You can look for that photo as well – posted on the blog at the end of this week!
Posted in assessment, Communication, Community, Creativity, Curriculum and Instruction, Dance, Food for thought, Integration, Leadership, Music, Opportunity, Professional Development, Research, Standards, Standards Based Education, Technology, Theater, Visual Arts, YAHOO | Tagged arts education, MAAI, Maine, Maine arts assessment initiative, phase 3, visual and performing arts | Leave a Comment »
May 31, 2013
Wrapped up with a bow!
A GREAT BIG THANK YOU TO:
Jen Nash, K-8 music educator, Etna-Dixmont, RSU 19
Lisa Gilman, 7-12 art educator, Winthrop Middle and High School, AOS 97
Suzanne Goulet, art educator, Waterville Senior High School
The three visual and performing arts educators hosted 4 webinars during the 2012-14 school year for the Cross Discipline Literacy Network. They did a fabulous job planning and facilitating the webinars that illustrated the connections between the arts and literacy from multiple angles and integration methods.
They invited guests to participate as well so there was a wealth of information shared on each webinar from people with tons of knowledge. Guests included: Catherine Ring, Jude Valentine, Katrina Billings, Pam Ouellette, Karen Montanaro, and Jake Sturtevant.
Fortunately the webinars are archived so you can access them alone or perhaps with your colleagues. It would be a great way to spend professional development time with colleagues in your building, district, or region. Each webinar provides a place to start a conversation and continue with work you might have underway with literacy, the Common Core ELA, integration, and much more.
The webinar are listed below along with the links where you can access them.
Lisa Gilman
Jen Nash
Suzanne Goulet
Posted in assessment, Communication, Community, Creativity, Curriculum and Instruction, Integration, Leadership, Opportunity, Professional Development, Standards Based Education, VPA, YAHOO | Tagged arts education, CDLN, cross discipline literacy network, Etna-Dixmont, integration, Jen Nash, Lisa Gilman, literacy, Maine, Suzanne Goulet, Waterville Senior High School, Winthrop Middle and High School | Leave a Comment »
May 2, 2013
Articles on STEM STEAM
- Fletcher Kittredge, chief executive of Internet and telephone company GWI of Biddeford said workers need a foundation in creative thinking more than they need training in technology that may quickly become obsolete.”Start out with an art degree. Being able to be creative, to interact with people, is more likely to be important for someone’s career,” Kittredge told the Joint Select Committee on Maine’s Workforce and Economic Future. “A lot of what we think of as STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) — that’s out of date. It’s like teaching someone to use a slide rule.” Read the entire article from the Maine Sunday Telegram, August 28 written by Jessica Hall.
- Read about Biddeford artist Ann Thompson and the work she is doing putting together STEM and Art. You can read about her work in this article from the Sun Journal, Marcy 31 written by Scott Taylor by clicking here.
- Why STEM should be integrated into literacy, storytelling
While teachers in the humanities often are encouraged to integrate science, technology, engineering and math topics in classroom instruction, integration must be a two-way street, write Jonathan Olsen and Sarah Gross, teachers at High Technology High School in Lincroft, N.J. In this blog post, they write about the potential benefits of connecting more STEM lessons to storytelling, artwork and literacy, a change that potentially could draw more students, including girls, to the STEM field. Read the entire article ScientificAmerican.com/Budding Scientist blog, April 16 by clicking here.
- Art + Science = Opportunity. On the National Endowment for the Arts blog there was a post on January 17 that provides several examples where artists, scientists, and community come together. The post written by by Bill O’Brien, NEA Senior Adviser for Program Innovation, includes background information, links to a report that was created from National Science Foundation funding that convened 125 artists for a summit entitled Art as a Way of Knowing. Check out the blog post by clicking here.
- The Art and Craft of Science. Ed Leadership, a publication of ASCD included this article in their February 2013 edition written by Robert Root-Bernstein and Michele Root-Bernstein. This article supports what Fletcher Kittredge says in the first article above but goes beyond to discuss those who have been recognized for their contributions including Einstein. To read the entire article please click here.
Posted in Communication, Creativity, Food for thought, Integration | Tagged STEAM, STEM | Leave a Comment »
March 2, 2013
Yesterday at USM
Almost 75 arts educators attended the mega-regional workshop yesterday at USM Portland. The early feedback points to a success! The workshops offered a variety of opportunities on arts assessment, creativity, curriculum, instruction, technology, and others! This post includes some photos of yesterdays event and a later blog post will include workshop resources for those of you interested.
In the meantime, the Maine Arts Assessment site at http://maineartsassessment.pbworks.com has a plethora of resources that I invite you to view and use. Yesterday’s workshop information and the two coming up in Easton, March 22 and Ellsworth, March 29 is located at http://www.maine.gov/education/lres/vpa/assessment.html. You must register to attend. The MAAI workshop are a collaboration with MLTI and are FREE with contact hours included.
Thanks to the MAAI teacher leaders, leadership team, and MLTI technology integrators for their outstanding contributions yesterday. Thank you also to USM for providing the space for the workshop and to USM faculty Jeff Beaudry for his leadership with the MAAI.
Posted in assessment, Communication, Community, Creativity, Curriculum and Instruction, Integration, Leadership, Professional Development, VPA | Tagged arts educators, MAAI, Maine, March 1, mega-regional workshop, usm | Leave a Comment »
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