Archive for the ‘Integration’ Category

« Newer Entries
Older Entries »
h1

Visit to Etna-Dixmont School

February 28, 2013

Jen Nash, Music teacher Extraordinaire

5th gr For quite a while elementary music teacher Jen Nash and I had been trying to schedule a time for me to visit her school and it finally happened the week before February break. I had the full visit from meeting teachers, administrators, lunch in the teachers room, playground duty, and the best part was being in Jen’s classroom.

I arrived in time for a kindergarten class. I am always impressed with elementary music teachers and the energy it takes to teach and Jen was no exception! Moving from one activity to the next challenging the students as they were introduced to a variety of concepts and building on ones mastered from previous lessons. Ongoing assessment was evident throughout the lesson. Jen keeps her ipad close by making notes throughout.

The students went on a “bear hunt” and flipped between being a blur of movement to silent movers to climbing and slithering and sliding through different environments.  Throughout the lesson students were engaged in their learning, enthusiastic, happy, and able to move at their pace. Their motor coordination, movements, personal space, interactions with their classmates were tapped throughout the song. And all the while they were singing and dancing! Jen interwove literacy throughout the lesson providing students the opportunity to know success as they relied on each other and worked individually.

kindI had the chance to be there for an individual saxophone lesson, 5th grade band, and the middle jazz band practice as they readied for the competition scheduled later in the week. Which, by the way, they received a 1-rating and will go on to the state competition – congratulations! During my visit Jen played the sax, trombone, and the drums.

I had a chance to speak to principal Jane Stork who is proud of the work that Jen and the students are doing in music education. Superintendent Greg Potter stopped by for a visit as well. I lucked out for lunch since it was the teachers once a month pot luck. The theme was Mardi Gras and the choices were all very yummy!

A great big THANK YOU to Jen for inviting me and the opportunity to see her and the students “in action” – a wonderful day at Etna-Dixmont School!

Jen has been an integral part of the Maine Arts Assessment Initiative (MAAI) as a first phase teacher leader. When I arrived in her classroom I noticed written on the board the saying: “Music… can name the unnameable and communicate the unknowable.” ~Leonard Bernstein. Jen told me that she had gotten the idea to write a quote on the board by phase 2 teacher leader Jane Kirton from Sanford High School. It was a reminder to me that the MAAI is about fulfilling its mission of “Creating an environment in Maine where assessment in arts education is an integral part of the work all arts educators do to deepen student learning in the Arts” AND so much more! The importance of bringing arts teachers together to exchange ideas, ask questions, provide alternatives, and share best practices is ongoing. I invite you to join the work and play at one of the upcoming  MAAI Mega-regional and/or regional workshops.

trumbone jen

jazz band

blur kind.

sax alyssa

IMG_0049

Posted in assessment, Creativity, Curriculum and Instruction, Dance, Integration, Leadership, Music | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment »

h1

Another Arts Teacher’s Story: Andrea Wollstadt

February 26, 2013

This is the 20th in a series of blog posts telling arts teacher’s stories. The first 19 were told last year by the phase I Maine Arts Assessment Initiative teacher leaders. The  series continues with the stories from the phase II teacher leaders. These posts contain a set of questions to provide the opportunity for you to read educators stories and to learn from others.

Andreaphoto2Andrea Wollstadt teaches general music to grades K, 4, and 5 and when the schedule allows she conducts a children’s choir. Andrea has been teaching music for 16 years and has taught every grade level- from Kindergarten to college-age students, and every music-education subject: band, chorus and general music. She presently works in the Biddeford School District where she has been teaching for 5 years. Andrea is one of those super teachers who sees approximately 600 students once a week.

What do you like best about being a music/art/drama/dance educator?

I absolutely love helping students discover what they are passionate about in music. Some students are real performers – they love to sing and dance in front of an audience. Other students are much more reserved – they enjoy writing music. I also have students who are very physical–they love drumming and finding the beat through movement. Helping students find that one thing in music they really connect with – that is the reason I teach!

What do you believe are three keys to ANY successful visual and performing arts education?

  1. Flexibility – I believe you have to be flexible. What works in one school may not work in another. You have to look at each school, and the culture of the school, and figure out what will be the best possible program for students.
  2. K-12 collaboration – There needs to be a connection between all music staff K-12. Musically educating students does not stop when they leave your classroom! I think it’s important to look at the entire K-12 program and make sure it all makes sense and works together to create the most effective program. In my current position I am at an extreme disadvantage because I see students in kindergarten, and then not again until 4th grade. I work very hard with the music teachers in grades 1-3 and middle school. We make sure the transition from school to school is seamless. We have similar philosophies, we use similar language, and we have had many discussions on standards.
  3. Personal connection – I believe developing a personal connection with every student is THE most important aspect of teaching for any subject and all grade levels. This task can be quite daunting for arts teachers. I currently see between 550-600 students once a week! I want to get to know my students as much as possible. What kind of music do they like? Are they a fan of Katy Perry or Eminem? Are they more interested in performing, or do they like individual composition projects? It’s so important to get a sense of who they are!

How have you found assessment to be helpful to you in your classroom?

Assessment allows me to take my classes from enrichment to education. If I never assessed my students I would never know where they are in their skills, and then I would not know how or what to teach them. The skill level in any of my classes varies greatly. I need to assess students so I can differentiate my instruction. I can offer more challenging activities for gifted students and easier activities for students who struggle. Assessment also allows me to figure out exactly how to help the students who struggle. If a student is not singing on pitch I need to figure out – are they above or below the pitch? Is this more of an ear-training problem or a vocal problem? OR is this possibly a student who has the ability to sing on pitch but does not demonstrate this ability in class due to shyness? Assessment can help me answer these questions and remedy the problem.

What have been the benefits in becoming involved in the arts assessment initiative?

I think of the assessment initiative as a giant “think-tank.” The biggest benefit to me has been the exposure to new ideas and perspectives from other arts teachers. I love all the creative ideas generated from our meetings and discussions. Even though I am a music teacher I am not really a creative thinker. I am much more of a concrete “black and white” type thinker. I really rely on other teachers for inspiration. The assessment initiative has provided that.

What are you most proud of in your career?

My technology skills. I have to say this–my sister is an audio engineer in Nashville and she would laugh hysterically if she new I was bragging about my technology skills! (I guess it’s all relative.) I am certainly no “techie,” but when I started teaching music I had ZERO skills and ZERO equipment. Over the years I’ve learned how to advocate for the equipment I really need. I have also taken classes and basically pestered people to help me learn what I needed. I am now a self-professed “Garage-Band Queen.”

What gets in the way of being a better teacher or doing a better job as a teacher?

Time, Time, TIME!! There is never enough time with ANY of my students. The once a week classes are never once a week. There are constant interruptions to the schedule and most of the time I’m lucky if I see a class 3 times in a month. There’s never enough time to teach all the things I want/need/should be teaching!

What have you accomplished through hard work and determination that might otherwise appear at first glance to be due to “luck” or circumstances?

I really work hard every year to get to know each and every student. I learn all their names, I learn what kind of music they like, and I try and learn a few things about them. Whenever possible I make connections outside of our music classroom. I attend evening functions like family night, literacy night, etc. I also attend Winterfest, Chalk-on-the-walk, and other Biddeford activities. If I see my students in the grocery store I always walk over to chat for a few minutes.

Look into your crystal ball: what advice would you give to teachers?

Find the joy in the day to day activities and don’t sweat the small stuff. Take the time to stop and chat with kids, really listen to them sing (even if it is a JustinBieber song!) I get great joy when they get excited about musical things. Revel in that joy and look for it in each day.

If you were given a $500,000.00 to do with whatever you please, what would it be?

Easy – build a state of the art music studio on our property next to our house. My husband and I would use the studio for recording and private lessons. We would also use the money to outfit the studio with top of the line instruments.

Imagine you are 94 years old. You’re looking back. Do you have any regrets?

No. My days as an elementary music teacher are never boring. I wouldn’t change a thing!

Thank you Andrea for telling your story!

 

 

 

 

Posted in Communication, Community, Curriculum and Instruction, Food for thought, Integration, Leadership, Music, YAHOO | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

h1

ASCD Article

February 15, 2013

February 2013

Published in this months issue of the ASCD Educational Leadership publication is an article written by Robert Root-Bernstein and Michele Root-Bernstein called The Art and Craft of Science. The authors provide many examples of individuals and their success in science that is founded on their experiences, knowledge and skills in art.

The article begins with this:

Scientific discovery and innovation can depend on engaging more students in the arts.
Suppose you have a talented child with a profound interest in science. This child has a choice of going to an academically elite high school or to a high school where the curriculum focuses on training mechanics, carpenters, and designers. Where do you send her? It’s a no-brainer, right? To the academically elite high school.
Except that Walter Alvarez, a doctor and physiologist of some renown, decided to send his scientifically talented son, Luis, to an arts and crafts school where Luis took industrial drawing and woodworking instead of calculus. Big mistake? Not exactly. Luis Alvarez won the Nobel Prize in physics in 1968. He attributed his success to an uncanny ability to visualize and build almost any kind of experimental apparatus he could imagine (Alvarez, 1987).
Suppose you have a baby Einstein. The question is, would you know it? After all, Einstein was certainly not a standout in his mathematics and physics classes. Yet he also ended up with a Nobel Prize.

You can read the entire article at this link.

 

Posted in Creativity, Food for thought, Integration, Visual Arts | Tagged , , , | Leave a Comment »

h1

Arts and Literacy

January 22, 2013

How well do you play with others?

DanseThe second live webinar installment of the Arts component of the Cross Discipline Literacy Network (CDLN) is this Thursday from 3pm to 4pm.

“How to play with others” is an investigation in to using strategies and frameworks so that each content area is enhanced and strengthened in the learning environment.

There are many changes and adaptions afoot in the arts world and understanding the developments available to us will help to create relationships with our non-arts education colleagues that embrace and support the unique gifts that the arts bring us.

This is an invitation to join Jen Nash, Lisa Gilman, Suzanne Goulet and specials guests, Catherine Ring and Argy Nestor in these discussions.

Please consider sharing some of your successful integrations with us!

To join the meeting:
1.    Go online to http://stateofmaine.adobeconnect.com/pk202112912/

2.    Select ‘Enter as a Guest’ and type your name in the corresponding field.

3.    To listen and speak during the meeting, you will need to be connected by telephone:

·         The meeting can call you at a phone number you provide at log-in, or

·         You can dial directly into the meeting: 1-877-455-0244, Passcode 8332185782.  (Use this second option when joining the meeting from sites where your phone can only be reached through a switchboard.)

Thank you to webinar facilitator Suzanne Goulet for the blog post and for the Danse logo!

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

h1

ASCD Resources on the Arts

January 21, 2013

Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development

ASCD has numerous articles on Thoughtful Arts Education, published on January 17, 2013. Below I have listed the articles and resources, and links to each of them.

Posted in Curriculum and Instruction, Integration | Tagged , | 2 Comments »

h1

Mega-regional workshop UMF

January 19, 2013

A success!

art sessionAll the reports tell us that the first Maine Arts Assessment Initiative/MLTI Mega-regional workshop was a worthwhile professional development for all those involved. Twenty five educators participated in the MAAI workshop that was held at University of Maine in Farmington.

theatre segmentUMF students were still on winter break so the campus was fairly quiet during the all day event. Participants attended three sessions led by MAAI teacher leaders during the day and had a variety of choices at the free workshop.

  • Drew Albert and Ashley Smith presented Getting Started: Incorporating Meaningful Assessment Within the Large Ensemble
  • Leone Donovan presented Title: A Skeptic’s Exploration of Rubrics
  • Susan Jones presented Theatre Games: Learning Through Doing
  • Gloria Hewett presented Formative and Summative Assessment Two Big Words with Practical Applications in an Art Class
  • Susan Beaulier presented There is no I in ART; Working Together to Promote Quality Art Education for all Learners
  • Alice Sullivan and Jim Wells presented Using Digital Tools to Capture Music Assessments
  • Ann Marie Hutton and Lindsey Farnham presented Making Art with MLTI
  • Tim Hart presented Capture the Performance! Using MLTI tools to record, review and share music, dance and theatre assessment pieces

Great job MAAI teacher leaders and MLTI technology integrators. The next three Mega-regional workshops are scheduled and all educators are invited to attend but we ask that all participants be pre-registered by going to http://www.maine.gov/education/lres/vpa/assessment.html and click on the dates for the following sessions.’

  • March 1, USM, Portland Campus
  • March 22, Presque Isle High School
  • March 29, Ellsworth High School
Participants and facilitators at the end of a productive day!

Participants and facilitators at the end of a productive day!

Posted in assessment, Communication, Community, Creativity, Curriculum and Instruction, Food for thought, Integration, Leadership, Professional Development, Standards Based Education, Technology, VPA | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

h1

Prof Dev Opportunities!

January 7, 2013

Register today for the Mega-regionals

SONY DSC

First and second phase MAAI teacher leaders and leadership team members

Professional development opportunities are taking place in numerous locations in Maine during the next few months. Workshops are part of the Maine Arts Assessment Initiative (MAAI) and being offered by teacher leaders from the first and second phase of the MAAI. You can read about the regional workshops and the Mega-regional workshops at http://www.maine.gov/education/lres/vpa/assessment.html. There are a variety of workshops being offered including sessions being co-facilitated by MLTI technology integrators and MAAI teacher leaders. These teachers have made a huge commitment to the MAAI and are looking forward to sharing their ideas and expertise with you!

You do not need to register for the Regional workshops however, you will need to register for the Mega-regional workshops. All workshops are FREE and contact hours are being provided by the Department. After you read the sessions descriptions you may decide to attend more than one workshop. (Are you allowed to do that? Of course you may!)

All participants need a laptop with the 2012-13 MLTI image. If you do not have one there is a place to designate that when you register. We will lend you one for the workshop. PLEASE register at least one week before the event in order for us to insure that we have a laptop for you to use that day!

Details are posted and access to the registration page can be found at http://www.maine.gov/education/lres/vpa/assessment.html. The first Mega-regional workshop is taking place next Monday, January 14 at University of Maine, Farmington. I hope to see you at one of these professional development opportunities designed especially for Maine Arts educators!

More information on the MAAI can be found at http://maineartsassessment.pbworks.com.

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

h1

Common Core and The Arts

January 3, 2013

More info on ELA and Math

I am seeing more information and resources being made available on the Common Core ELA and Math and the connections with Arts education. I have include two below.

This link is to an article published in November 2012 in Edutopia written by arts integration specialist Susan Riley. This is the first paragraph of the article: These days, integration in any area, be it STEM or the arts, seems to be the buzzword to curriculum designers everywhere. There are so many resources floating around out there with the claim of integrating content areas. Yet, true integration is often difficult to find. Indeed, integration is a rare yet seemingly “magical” approach that has the capacity to turn learning into meaningful practice. Please click here for the entire article. Also at this link you will find other related topic articles.

In December there was a webinar titled “The Common Core State Standards and Its Implications for the Arts” and the archive is now available via the U.S. Department of Education’s website. Click on Arts in Education – Model Development and Dissemination. Click on the word document found at 2012-2013 Arts in Education COP webinars. I have not had a chance to listen to this but do know that Scott Shuler was a participant. Please add a comment at the bottom of this post with your feedback on the webinar.

Posted in Communication, Curriculum and Instruction, Integration | Tagged , , , | Leave a Comment »

h1

Happy New Year!

January 1, 2013

Reflecting

I have taken some time today to reflect on 2012 and realize how fortunate I am to work with incredible arts educators in Maine and throughout the United States. Educators who are dedicated, passionate, and fully committed to providing an outstanding arts education for every student!

The year has been filled with many successes, some challenges, and sad losses! I wish I had time to go back through all the blog posts that I wrote in 2012 to help me remember all of the successes, challenges, and losses but instead I will provide the highlights.

Successes

The biggest success is the Maine Arts Assessment Initiative (MAAI). The second phase of MAAI officially kicked off in the spring with the identification of 20 teacher leaders. These arts educators joined the 18 teacher leaders from phase one. They participated in a 4-day institute in August at the Maine College of Art (MECA) in Portland where they expanded their knowledge in the areas of assessment, leadership, technology, and creativity. They have created workshops that are being delivered throughout this school year at the regional and mega-regional level. (Registration for the mega-regional workshops is now open – FREE and contact hours are available.) The topics of the sessions are as varied as the individual teacher leaders. I am so grateful for their commitment to the work that is making a difference for arts teachers and in arts classrooms across Maine each day. The impact on students learning is amazing!

And, uniquely the Mega-regional workshops are being co-sponsored with the Maine Learning Technology Initiative (MLTI). At these workshops their will be at least one session that is integrated with an MLTI integrator to provide a first time opportunity for educators!

The MAAI would not be possible without the commitment of the leadership team who have consistently shepherded the work. A GREAT BIG THANK YOU to Catherine Ring, Rob Westerberg, Jeff Beaudry, Bronwyn Sale, Pam Kinsey, and Matt Doiron. Their willingness to lead has made a difference! Close to 1000 arts educators have taken advantage of the professional development opportunities during the last year and a half.

The MAAI is aligned with the Maine Department of Education’s Strategic Plan: Education Evolving: Maine’s Plan for Putting Learners First.

In July Catherine and I flew to Denver for a national conference on arts assessment held at the Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design. I was proud to let others know of the grassroots efforts that Maine arts educators are involved with.

Art educator Chris Milliken, on sabbatical from Wells schools, has been following and doing research on the MAAI during this past year. He will join art teacher Lisa Marin and present a session on their findings at the Mega-regional workshop at Ellsworth High School on March 29, 2013.

Literacy is a statewide focus with the Literacy for ME being launched this fall and arts education has stepped up to become an integral part of the cross content literacy connections. Arts educators Jen Nash, Suzanne Goulet, and Lisa Gilman have been facilitating literacy webinars. Suzanne is also co-facilitating face to face sessions.

We have had 4 wonderful art exhibits at the Maine Department of Education during this past year from Maranacook Community Schools, Bangor Elementary and Middle Schools, Lake Region High School, and Messalonskee High School. Along with the exhibits we had receptions at the Blaine House with music and dance performances from each school/district. Participating and collaborating are First Lady Ann LePage, the Maine State Board of Education, and the Commissioner of Education, Steve Bowen.

First Lady Ann LePage partnered with the Barbara Bush Foundation to create a new baby journal to present to parents at hospitals across Maine when their babies are born. We did a call for K-8 artwork and 867 young artists submitted work. Thirty two pieces were selected to be published in the book which will be completed in June 2014.

The Maine arts education list-serv has grown to 1200 and the meartsed blog is growing as a source of information, not only for arts educators but for all educators. If you are not on the list-serv but would like to be, please email me at argy.nestor@maine.gov. On December 5, 2013 the blog set a record high day of 976 visitors. And a record high week happened during that same time of 2508 visitors. Thank you for taking the time to visit and informing others about what is available on the Maine arts education blog.

Challenges

  • Common Core standards for ELA and Math were released this year and teachers are being asked to incorporate them into their curricula.
  • We are waiting patiently for the next iteration of the national arts standards to be released in March March 2013.
  • Arts education in Maine is underserved. As the economy continues to be a challenge so is providing adequate arts education programs and teachers.
  • Determining how to provide quality arts education to be ready for the “proficiency based graduation requirement” slated for the graduating class of 2018.
  • What will determine “teacher effectiveness” for arts educators (the non-tested content)?

Sadness

In March music teacher Beth Polletto died in a car accident driving to school. Beth taught at Gray New Gloucester and Georgetown Central School. In May art teacher Jackie McTigue died in a car accident on her way to school. Jackie taught at Glenburn Elementary School. Both teachers were amazing arts educators and have left a huge hole. My friend and colleague 2nd grade teacher and Maine’s 2010 Teacher of the Year Kevin Grover died on Thanksgiving day after returning from a run. He is greatly missed by family, friends, and colleagues.

Looking forward

photoBeing forever optimistic, I know that 2013 will be filled with many more successes and that the challenges will be small mountains for us to climb. I invite you to collaborate with your colleagues to face the challenges and enjoy the successes. I hope you will continue to use the meartsed blog for resources and to access information. Many of you have heard me say “none of us is as smart as all of us”. Please continue to share information that I can pass on to others through the blog. I appreciate it!

I am confident that 2013 will be filled with opportunities for arts education to move forward. For example part of phase 2 of the MAAI is videotaping arts classrooms to respond to your request “what does a standards based arts education classroom look like?” So, Debi Lynne Baker (newly retired art teacher) will be visiting arts classrooms in the next few months and creating 4 short videos with examples. This is just one example of resources being developed for arts teachers.

I enjoy the challenges that my work at the Maine Department of Education provides for me. I especially love the opportunity to interact with you, the readers of the meartsed blog. So please take a moment when possible and drop me an email at argy.nestor@maine.gov or make a comment at the bottom of a blog post. You can subscribe to the blog by clicking on “Sign me up!” located on the right side of the front page of the blog.

I hope your year is filled with love and laughter and that you continue to provide outstanding opportunities for your students in arts education! Best Wishes for a wonderful 2013 and THANKS so much for all the good that you do in education!

Only one photo and one quote included in today’s post. Hopefully the photo will put a smile on your face and the quote will provide you with some “food for thought” as we dive into 2013!

The purpose of arts education is not to produce more artists, though that is a byproduct. The real purpose of arts education is to create complete human beings capable of leading successful and productive lives in a free society. – Dana Gioia, Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts

Posted in assessment, Communication, Community, Creativity, Curriculum and Instruction, Dance, Food for thought, Integration, Leadership, Music, Opportunity, Professional Development, Research, Standards, Technology, Theater, Visual Arts, YAHOO | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

h1

Resources, Links, Research

December 31, 2012

Interesting “Stuff”

A great way to end 2012 with some interesting resources including links to articles, research on arts education, podcasts and other types of resources. Enjoy!

Thanks to the National Endowment for the Arts for some of the above language.

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

« Newer Entries
Older Entries »