Three amazing sessions
This is the third blog post that provides information about the learning opportunities being happening in September from the Maine Arts Commission – the Pre-MICA At the HEART of Education, Thursday, September 27 at USM, Portland campus, Abromson Center. And, yesterday’s post with the overall details for the Maine International Conference on the Arts being held, same place, on Friday, September 28. This post includes the details on the ARTS EDUCATION track with 3 sessions for your interest. Below you will find the details.
CONFERENCE REGISTRATION
Kaitlin Young
Kaitlin Young is one of five speakers that will start off the day presenting in the Maine Artists Idea Lab. It is a fast-paced and engaging peach kulcha-style format that will knock your socks off with the newest innovations. an Idea Lab.
ARTS EDUCATION SESSIONS
- 11:00 – 12:00 How do teaching, learning and assessment work together in a positive, productive standards-based Visual and Performing Arts classroom?
Description
The use of “standards” and “assessments” in visual and performing arts (VPA) education have been discussed, planned for, and developed over many years. A panel of educators will share the work they have underway. Participants are invited to join the conversation – bring your thoughts, questions, and curiosity on why standards and assessments are used in the arts.
Facilitator
Jeff Beaudry
Panel
Jen Etter, Kelly Hrenko, Michelle Kaschub, Holly Leighton, John Morris
Bios
Jeffrey S. Beaudry, Ph.D., Professor, Educational Leadership, University of Southern Maine
Jeff Beaudry
Dr. Beaudry is focused on high impact, classroom and leadership strategies, and how they relate to assessment literacy, assessment for learning (formative assessment), evidence-based practices, and STEAMSS (STEM and arts and service learning). Dr. Stewart MCafferty and Dr. Beaudry just co-authored a book, Teaching Strategies to Create Assessment-literate Learners and Educators, which Corwin Press released in May, 2018. The book provides the research base and multiple examples of practices of high impact strategies of assessment for learning. He also wrote a textbook, Research Literacy: A Primer for Understanding Research, and a book of teaching case study about concept mapping and critical thinking. Jeff passionate about the use of visual thinking in teaching, learning and assessment. He is also very proud of his time as co-director of the Southern Maine Partnership, a regional collaboration of schools and the University of Southern Maine.
Jen Etter
Mrs. Etter is a music teacher at York Middle School in York, ME. She is currently in her 11th year of teaching chorus, general music and beginning band at YMS. Within her district, Jen serves on the Leadership Team and played an integral role in helping to transition the York School Department to a proficiency based, student centered model of instruction and assessment. She has presented on proficiency education at the regional and state level and is passionate about spreading the story of how this has transformed her classroom. Jen has been a teacher leader with the Maine Arts Leadership Initiative since 2013 and in 2014 was selected to featured in the Initiative’s video series on standards-based, student centered learning. She is extremely proud of the work of this organization and feels blessed to have had the opportunity to be involved with MALI. It is a privilege to be able to work with such amazing arts educators from around the state of Maine.
Kelly Hrenko, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Art Education, University of Southern Maine
Kelly Hrenko
Dr. Hrenko’s current scholarship is within the field of integrated arts and multimodal creative literacies. She uses her position as a teacher educator in the visual arts as a place where several intersections occur; between art and culture, community and school; and interdisciplinary education. She comes from the Midwest where she worked in public and Native American BIA schools, assisting k-12 teachers as they work to integrate the visual arts and native cultures across curricula. Dr Hrenko’s recent publication, Decolonizing Vacationland (Hrenko & Paul, 2017) in Staikidis and Ballengee-Morris (Eds.) Transforming Our Practices: Indigenous Art, Pedagogies, and Philosophies, shares examples of culture based work from Maine classrooms, in partnership with Maliseet teaching artist Mihku Paul. Additionally, Dr. Hrenko works closely with Side X Side, a local arts education non-profit, to support the integration of creative teaching practices and arts-based curriculum across k-12 subject areas.
Michele Kaschub, Ph.D., Professor of Music, Coordinator of Music Teacher Education, Director-Center for Collaboration and Development, University of Southern Maine
Michele Kaschub
Dr. Kaschub is Professor of Music and Coordinator of Music Teacher Education in the School of Music, as well as Director of the Center for Collaboration and Development at the University of Southern Maine. Prior to teaching at the college level, Dr. Kaschub taught 6-12 general and choral music in Camden, ME, and elementary music in Glencoe, IL. Her research interests include children’s composition, composition pedagogy, choral music education, curriculum design/assessment, and the professional development of teachers at all levels. She is co-author of Minds on Music: Composition for Creative and Critical Thinking (Rowman & Littlefield, 2009) and Experiencing Music Composition in Grades 3-5 (Oxford University Press, 2016), co-editor of Composing Our Future: Preparing Music Educators to Teach Composition (OUP, 2013) and Promising Practices in 21st Century Music Teacher Education (OUP, 2014), and has contributed chapters to several pedagogy texts and articles to multiple professional journals. Michele is currently the Chair & Academic Editor of Music Educators Journal, the most widely disseminated journal for music practitioners in the world. An active clinician and guest lecturer, she has presented research papers and workshops at conferences throughout the United States and abroad.
Holly Leighton, B.S., Art Education, K-12 Mattanawcook Academy, RSU 67, Lincoln
Holly Leighton
Ms. Leighton is an art teacher at Mattanawcook Academy, RSU 67, Lincoln, Maine. Holly began her teaching career in the district 20 years ago at the Ella P. Burr Elementary School by developing and implementing the first art program at the elementary level in RSU 67. Holly is currently in her 4thyear as the art teacher at the high school. Over the past 4 years Holly has participated in district courses and workshops led Dr. Beaudry and Dr. Stewart MCafferty on assessment literacy which has become an important part of her teaching philosophy. She has continued working with them by attending USM Literacy Conferences and co-presenting at workshops. Holly believes in creating a classroom environment of trust and respect where formative assessments are welcome and occur continuously between teacher and students and between students themselves. Holly is proud to have become a MALI Teacher Leader and a Teacher Leader at Mattanawcook Academy.
John Morris
Mr. Morris is a dance educator and teaching artist based in Bridgton, Maine. Born and raised in Maine, John performed and taught dance for many years in New York City, before living in the United Kingdom for four years with his wife and stepdaughter. John promotes creative exploration and expression in his teaching, specializing in improvisation and inter-disciplinary collaboration. His writing on creativity and dance has been published in “Creativity Across Domains: Faces of the muse,” edited by James C. Kaufman and John Baer. In addition, he has created a resource for the Maine Arts Leadership Initiative Resource Bank on creativity and dance. He also has a background in large-scale arts assessment, as a consultant for the NAEP arts assessment and the A.P. Studio Art assessment. John is a member of the MALI design team, and is on the Maine Teaching Artists Roster.
- 2:00 – 3:00 When Teaching Artists and Arts Teachers Connect, Students Win Description: During the past 4 years, teaching artists and arts educators in the Maine Arts Leadership Initiative have collaborated to provide meaningful, purposeful and authentic learning opportunities for students. Educator collaborations provide opportunities for learners that can surpass what a teacher, working alone, can offer. Hear the stories from these collaborators, bring your questions, share your experiences and imagine the possibilities in more Maine schools and communities.
Description
During the past 4 years, teaching artists and arts educators in the Maine Arts Leadership Initiative have collaborated to provide meaningful, purposeful and authentic learning opportunities for students. Educator collaborations provide opportunities for learners that can surpass what a teacher, working alone, can offer. Hear the stories from these collaborators, bring your questions, share your experiences and imagine the possibilities in more Maine schools and communities.
Facilitator
Kate Smith
Panel
Brian Evans-Jones, Kris Bisson, Tim Christensen, Lori Spruce, John Morris, Carmel Collins
Bios
Kate Smith
Mrs. Smith is an energetic music teacher currently teaching music to preK-third grade students in South Berwick, Maine. Kate earned her music education degree from USM and a Master’s degree in Technology in Education from Lesley University. Kate was honored as 2014 York County Teacher of the Year for her passion for innovation and creativity. Kate serves as a teacher leader and design team member for the Maine Arts Leadership Initiative, the Parade Coordinator for South Berwick’s annual Lanternfest and a coordinator for Central School’s farm-to-table program. Kate lives in southern Maine with her husband and three children.
Brian Evans-Jones and Kris Bisson
Mrs. Bisson is Director of Choruses and a music educator at Marshwood Middle School in Eliot, Maine. She received her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Music Education from the University of Southern Maine and has served as adjudicator and guest conductor for several district choral festivals. She is a teacher leader for the Maine Arts Leadership Initiative, and a member of the National Association for Music Education and the American Choral Directors Association. Her passion for student engagement is reflected in each class she teaches.
Mr. Evans-Jones is a former Poet Laureate of Hampshire, UK, now living in South Berwick, Maine. He studied Literature and Creative Writing at the University of Warwick, UK, and received his MFA in Poetry from UNH in 2016. His poems have appeared in magazines and competitions in America and Britain, and he was the poetry winner of the 2017 Maureen Egen Writers Exchange Award from Poets & Writers. Brian has taught creative writing to children and adults since 2005, and has run poetry residencies and workshops in schools, historic houses, prisons, libraries, and other community and educational venues.
Tim Christensen
Mr. Christensen is a well known ceramic artist, and teaching artist, living in the woods of Downeast Maine. In his practice working in sgraffito on porcelain, he seeks to understand and record the complexities of the systems operating, and changing, in our world today. In his teaching practice, he helps facilitate learning through the use of visual art as a language, supporting students, teachers, and administrators as they unlock the wonders of our world through art and visual literacy. He has worked in clay since 1999, and been teaching since 2003.
Carmel Collins
Ms. Collins is both a visual arts and dance teacher at Lake Region High School, Maine. She teaches a variety of arts classes that include ceramics, drawing, fundamentals and the latest addition graphic design. The dance program offers dance showcase (primarily a performance class) and dance academy, as well as supporting a dance outreach program which serves the district schools. She has served on several educational boards and acted as teacher leader for MALI several times, and served as a member of the reviewing committee in the formulation of the NCCAS. In addition to her classroom duties Carmel also serves the district as K-12 fine arts coordinator and serves on the teacher evaluation committee.
John Morris
Mr. Morris is a dance educator and teaching artist based in Bridgton, Maine. Born and raised in Maine, John performed and taught dance for many years in New York City, before living in the United Kingdom for four years with his wife and stepdaughter. John promotes creative exploration and expression in his teaching, specializing in improvisation and inter-disciplinary collaboration. His writing on creativity and dance has been published in “Creativity Across Domains: Faces of the muse,” edited by James C. Kaufman and John Baer. In addition, he has created a resource for the Maine Arts Leadership Initiative Resource Bank on creativity and dance. He also has a background in large-scale arts assessment, as a consultant for the NAEP arts assessment and the A.P. Studio Art assessment. John is a member of the MALI design team, and is on the Maine Teaching Artists Roster.
Lori Spruce
Mrs. Spruce is a visual art educator at Brewer High School in Brewer, Maine. She teaches multiple art classes including Art 1, Painting, Photography, Graphic Design, and Advanced Placement Studio Art. Lori received her Bachelor’s Degree in Art education and Studio Art from the University of Maine in Orono. She is proud to have been instrumental in creating the digital media arts program that is now offered at her school that includes a traditional black and white photography darkroom as well. She is also the curriculum leader for the visual and performing art department at Brewer. She is a teacher leader for the Maine Arts Leadership Initiative, a member of the Maine Arts Education Association, and Art in the Heart of Maine. Lori lives in Lamoine, Maine, with her husband and son and is a painter in her artist time.
- 3:15 – 4:15 Empowering Your Voice for Arts Education
Description
We often underestimate the power of our passion and voice for arts education. Yet, we’ve seen students, educators, artists, arts organizations and community members find their voice, build their stories and messages, back them up with research and evidence, and become leaders and advocates for arts education in powerful ways. In this session, we will explore ways to empower our voices, use helpful resources that are just clicks away, and be on our way to making an impact with our hopes and dreams for the arts in education!
Presenter
Ms. Ring is Executive Director of the New England Institute for Teacher Education and teaches graduate level courses to educators across the state of Maine. She co-founder of the Maine Arts Leadership Initiative and has served on the core leadership team since it was established in 2010. Catherine completed her Education Leadership studies at the University of Vermont and received her Master of Arts from Vermont College of Norwich University. For her thesis, entitled “Education and the Arts, Toward Creative Intelligences,” she researched the role of the arts in learning and has worked closely with classroom teachers, helping them to integrate the arts into their regular curricula. As Principal, Catherine helped to bring to her school district the Kennedy Center’s National Partnership program. She assists school districts throughout Maine with differentiated instruction, arts integration, and gifted and talented programs. Catherine is the 2014 Advocate of the Year by the Maine Art Education Association. Catherine returned to the art classroom in 2016 and is teaching on Isle au Haut.
On a chilly Saturday in March I traveled south to the beautiful Noble High School for the Fifth Annual Benefit Performance for Dancers Making a Difference, 
Dancers Making A Difference is an official 501c, and this year the proceeds from the performance in early March are designated to the Maine Arts Commission’s Dance Education Grant Fund. The money raised was a little more than $5,000 and will be combined with the $3,500 raised in November at a dance performance held at Thornton Academy by a combined group of dance studios and school dance programs. The grant will be announced in the near future and is earmarked for PK-12 school programs where no dance education is available to students. 
Last year the students in St. Agatha, MSAD #33 benefited from the first funding awarded and had dance educator/teaching artist John Morris spend a week in December at their two schools meeting with every student in grades K-12. You can read about the residencies in three blog posts dated
During the week, I also worked with music classes at the elementary school in the district. Along with music teacher Charles Michaud, we explored connections between the elements of music and dance. In addition, I worked with Ms. Cerceo’s visual arts classes to explore the same theme of identity and community.
I encountered students in the elementary school at every age and developmental level who were eager to move, explore, and make connections to other content areas, including music, visual art and language arts. They were curious, inventive, and open to exploring the arts in a structured way to express their thoughts and feelings.
Ms. Cerceo and I were in contact long before the residency began, brainstorming ideas together using a shared Google Doc that allowed us to work around our busy schedules. We arrived at a theme (identity and community) that would be timely for her students to explore in visual art and writing, and that I could work with easily in dance.
Ms. Cerceo maintained regular contact with her administrators about our plans. As a visiting teaching artist, it was both reassuring and freeing for me to know that I had their support. I felt free to fully engage with the students in the creative process of dance-making.
I could tell that the students were used to focusing on the process of structured creative exploration in their classes. Also, because their teachers had prepared them for my visit, they were excited and positive about our working together. One fourth grade student even sent me a video in advance, inviting me to create a dance with her!
Stars and Stairs, Where am I now and Where am I going? How can the use of Stars and Stairs in your classroom help to inform you and your students of their learning progression and actively engage them in the learning process. This will be a round table discussion. Looking at your standards and your curriculum how can you use the Stars and Stairs model in your classroom. All grade levels. All content.
Dive into iBooks Author to harness the power of developing multi-modal, Multi-Touch iBooks. You’ll learn features which make iBooks come to life for learners by incorporating audio files, 3D widgets, image glossaries, study cards, jailbreaking templates, and much more. Be prepared to create an art history chapter together. You can also use this app for making comics and graphic novels or creating art portfolios. This session is great for MLTI beginners and experts. MLTI MacBooks with iBooks Author preinstalled is encouraged. Grades 7-12
Many arts educators in K-12 education have never had the opportunity to work with a teaching artist. Knowing where to start and identifying the most important steps to take can feel daunting. This workshop provides a framework for creating a high-quality teaching artist residence in the schools. We will focus on the steps needed to create a powerful residency, and the nature of an effective collaboration between teaching artist and arts educator. We will provide experiential work and guidance in addressing the complexities and sometimes different languages of the teaching artist and the school-based educator. All grade levels. All content.
Playing and composing songs on your own is a blast for some, however there’s something special about making music in collaboration with other like-minded folks that just can’t be beat. In this hands-on, music making session, participants will use GarageBand to learn the basics of song writing and music production. Participants will have plenty of time to explore and experience the fun of collaborative music creation. Musicians of any and all skill levels are welcome. Make sure to bring your Mac and/or iOS device with GarageBand installed. All grade levels.
When you are deeply engaged in Arts Integration you realize it is about learning with you mind, body and heart in the present moment. This hands on workshop explores this idea through drama, music, movement, poetry, storytelling, and the visual arts. Come prepared to experience arts integration through your own individual lens in a safe environment. All grade levels. All content.
A combination of sketching and traditional note taking results in rich educational documents to support learning. Studies show that sketching leads to better retention of information and helps clarify ideas. Sketching is one of our original forms of communication. Visualizing ideas is a great way to learn. Why not bring this creative form of learning into your classroom? Explore how visual notes support learning. Discover techniques to create, share and integrate visual notes into your instructional practice. Visual notetaking, often called sketch noting, uses two parts of your brain, which is referred to as Dual Coding Theory. This has been found to improve learning. Research has shown that people who doodle while listening retain 29% more information (Andrade, 2009). Join this hands-on session and start sketching your notes today. Please bring your updated MLTI iPad, if available, with Notability installed. Arts supplies will also be available. All grade levels. All content.
This workshop focuses on a collection of techniques that aim to support literacy in the art classroom. From using word walls, sight words, and phonemic awareness participants will leave with a fresh perspective on incorporating literacy while still adhering to their art curriculum. K-5 Visual Arts, adaptable for middle school.
Guiding the Young Padawan to Become a Jedi Music Master
The Cloud Ate My Portfolio: No More Excuses…Start a Digital Portfolio Today
Beginning with early Atari and Nintendo video games, the 8-bit aesthetic has been a part of our culture for over 30 years. No longer just nostalgia art, contemporary 8-bit artists and chiptunes musicians have elevated the form to new levels of creativity and cultural reflection. In this session, we will focus on tools that assist in creating 8-bit images, animations, and music. Please bring your MLTI MacBook. All grade levels.
The Heart of Advocacy
Theatre as a Tool: Using Theatre Across the Curriculum
All 2016-17 Megas Dates and Locations
Stars and Stairs, Where am I now and Where am I going? How can the use of Stars and Stairs in your classroom help to inform you and your students of their learning progression and actively engage them in the learning process. This will be a round table discussion. Looking at your standards and your curriculum how can you use the Stars and Stairs model in your classroom. All grade levels. All content.
Dive into iBooks Author to harness the power of developing multi-modal, Multi-Touch iBooks. You’ll learn features which make iBooks come to life for learners by incorporating audio files, 3D widgets, image glossaries, study cards, jailbreaking templates, and much more. Be prepared to create an art history chapter together. You can also use this app for making comics and graphic novels or creating art portfolios. This session is great for MLTI beginners and experts. MLTI MacBooks with iBooks Author preinstalled is encouraged. Grades 7-12
Many arts educators in K-12 education have never had the opportunity to work with a teaching artist. Knowing where to start and identifying the most important steps to take can feel daunting. This workshop provides a framework for creating a high-quality teaching artist residence in the schools. We will focus on the steps needed to create a powerful residency, and the nature of an effective collaboration between teaching artist and arts educator. We will provide experiential work and guidance in addressing the complexities and sometimes different languages of the teaching artist and the school-based educator. All grade levels. All content.
Improve content literacy with a tool box of formative assessments and literacy strategies to gauge what your students already know, how well they are learning content, and help drive your classroom instruction. All grade levels. All content.
Playing and composing songs on your own is a blast for some, however there’s something special about making music in collaboration with other like-minded folks that just can’t be beat. In this hands-on, music making session, participants will use GarageBand to learn the basics of song writing and music production. Participants will have plenty of time to explore and experience the fun of collaborative music creation. Musicians of any and all skill levels are welcome. Make sure to bring your Mac and/or iOS device with GarageBand installed. All grade levels.
Participants will learn how to use graphic notation as a visual tool to reach all learners in the music classroom. (This is a great STEAM lesson!) Grades 4-6
When you are deeply engaged in Arts Integration you realize it is about learning with you mind, body and heart in the present moment. This hands on workshop explores this idea through drama, music, movement, poetry, storytelling, and the visual arts. Come prepared to experience arts integration through your own individual lens in a safe environment. All grade levels. All content.
A combination of sketching and traditional note taking results in rich educational documents to support learning. Studies show that sketching leads to better retention of information and helps clarify ideas. Sketching is one of our original forms of communication. Visualizing ideas is a great way to learn. Why not bring this creative form of learning into your classroom? Explore how visual notes support learning. Discover techniques to create, share and integrate visual notes into your instructional practice. Visual notetaking, often called sketch noting, uses two parts of your brain, which is referred to as Dual Coding Theory. This has been found to improve learning. Research has shown that people who doodle while listening retain 29% more information (Andrade, 2009). Join this hands-on session and start sketching your notes today. Please bring your updated MLTI iPad, if available, with Notability installed. Arts supplies will also be available. All grade levels. All content.
This workshop focuses on a collection of techniques that aim to support literacy in the art classroom. From using word walls, sight words, and phonemic awareness participants will leave with a fresh perspective on incorporating literacy while still adhering to their art curriculum. K-5 Visual Arts, adaptable for middle school.
Use stations and sites fostering independence to help students collect assets for creating art infused iMovie productions. This session will showcase how a green screen and some photos can provide opportunities for all learners to showcase their creative side. MLTI MacBooks with the most current version of iMovie is encouraged. Grades 7-12. All content. 
This workshop will demonstrate a scaffolded instruction process and assessment system created to guide middle school band students through the basic levels of performance to highly skilled musicianship. Grades 4-12
This is a step by step experience designed to help you to consider how to use a digital portfolio to help students self-asses and manage the evidence of their learning. Access to Google Drive, Drawing, email, built in camera and mic ideal…but not required. . All content areas. All levels.
Beginning with early Atari and Nintendo video games, the 8-bit aesthetic has been a part of our culture for over 30 years. No longer just nostalgia art, contemporary 8-bit artists and chiptunes musicians have elevated the form to new levels of creativity and cultural reflection. In this session, we will focus on tools that assist in creating 8-bit images, animations, and music. Please bring your MLTI MacBook. All grade levels.
Educators will leave with the knowledge of how to create and present a variety methods to advocate for issues pertinent to their arts educational causes and how to organize those methods to feel comfortable in beginning personal advocacy efforts. All grade levels. All content.
Introduction to the process of using devised theatre as a teaching tool. I will take participants through that process and give them strategies for using devised theatre across curriculum areas and grade levels. All grades levels. All content.
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