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Posts Tagged ‘Maine’

Announcing Mega-Regional Workshops

November 12, 2013

Ellsworth High School, UMF, USM, and UMaine

Feedback on the biennial statewide conference Arts Education: Leading the Way that was held at UMaine on October 24th continues to come in. But that is not all that the Maine Arts Assessment Initiative (MAAI) is providing for professional development this school year.

I am soooooooo excited to announce the professional development opportunities that continue to take place by the MAAI teacher leaders. There are 35 sessions scheduled at the 4 locations listed below that the MAAI calls Mega-Regional workshops.

You can click on each site above to get to the details or go to http://mainearts.maine.gov/Pages/Education/MAAI-Mega-Regionals#. In the AM at each Mega-Regional session teachers will select 2 workshops from a variety (each site offering different workshops). There are two PM sessions that teachers will have a chance to drill down on important arts education topics that are impacting all of us in today’s education environment:

The Arts and Proficiency
Think Tanks on Technology

The cost to attend a Mega-Regional workshop is $20.00 with 5.5 contact hours provided. Registration is required to attend the all day, 8:15 – 3:15, Mega-Regional workshops.

Please note: Each mega-regional workshop has a different link for registering! The MAAI teacher leaders are anxious to share their workshops with you and look forward to what you bring to the workshops. These are multiple opportunities for the Maine Arts education community to come together to deepen our knowledge!

If you have any questions please email me at argy.nestor@maine.gov. I look forward to seeing you at a Mega-Regional workshop.

Phase 3 MAAI summer institute, MECA, June 2013

Also scheduled are 34 Regional workshops taking place in various locations all over the state. You can find the information on these workshops by clicking here.

Posted in assessment, Communication, Curriculum and Instruction, Leadership, Opportunity, Professional Development, Standards, Standards Based Education, VPA | Tagged arts education, Ellsworth High School, MAAI, Maine, Maine arts assessment initiative, mega regional workshops, Portland, proficiency based education, regional workshops, teacher leaders, UMaine, UMF, usm | Leave a Comment »

Graduate Courses Offered

November 11, 2013

Posted in assessment | Tagged arts educcation, gifted and talented, graduate course, imagination, Maine, New England Institute for Teacher Education | Leave a Comment »

Maine Youth Excellence in Art

November 5, 2013

Call for Student Art

Presented by the First Lady of Maine

Ann LePage

In partnership with the Maine Arts Commission

CALL FOR STUDENT ART

Scope:

The Maine Arts Commission, in partnership with the First Lady of Maine Ann LePage, is issuing a call for student art for inclusion in the Spring 2014 Maine Youth Excellence in Art exhibition at the State Capitol Complex in Augusta. Art teachers from public, private and parochial schools in Maine are invited to submit one piece of two-dimensional artwork that represents artistic excellence from a K-12 student. Selected works will hang in various locations including the State House, Cross Office Building (second floor), the Blaine House and the office of the Maine Arts Commission for approximately four months. Selected artists, their families and submitting teachers will be invited to an opening reception at the Blaine House hosted by the First Lady Ann LePage where they will receive recognition for their artistic achievements.

Process:

One piece of 2-D art work may be submitted per school. Each school should have one designated teacher to submit the chosen artwork for that school. The program will exhibit approximately forty-five student works. Selection will be made on a first come, first served basis per Superintendent Region. Five pieces of work will be accepted from each of the nine Superintendent Regions. The regions are as follows:

Aroostook
Cumberland County
Hancock County
Kennebec County
Mid Coast
Penquis
Washington County
Western Maine
York County

If you are unsure of which region your school is located in, please refer to the directory on the Maine Department of Education website or at this link: https://www.medms.maine.gov/medms_public/ReportPortal/ShowReport.aspx?CurrentLocation=%2fPublic+Reports%2fDirectory+of+Maine+Schools%2fPublic+Schools+By+Superintendent+Region

As an added element to this year’s showing we would like to collect a statement from each artist. If the child’s work is selected, we will ask the submitting teacher to provide a brief (one sentence) statement/quote from the student about their thoughts either toward making art in general, or about the specific piece that they are entering. These statements will be printed on each artwork’s label for the public to read. We believe this added element will assist in enlightening the audience about the essential need for art making in providing children with a comprehensive learning experience.

Teachers interested in submitting should e-mail Julie Horn at the Maine Arts Commission with any questions and/or a request to participate in the program. Please use the subject heading “SPRING 2014 MYEA” in your e-mail to Julie at julie.horn@maine.gov. Your confirmation e-mail will include further instructions and all necessary paperwork. Information is posted on the Maine Arts Commission site at https://mainearts.maine.gov/Pages/Education/MYEA#.

Important:

Only two-dimensional artwork will be accepted. Submitted art work must fit the maximum dimension of 18” x 24.” When submitting smaller artwork it has to be mounted on an 18” x 24” mat or poster board. There is a combined maximum thickness of 3/16’’ for artwork and mat together. The artwork can be exhibited vertically or horizontally (please indicate) and will be placed in pre-existing frames. Artwork submitted that does not fulfill these size requirements will be considered ineligible. All artwork must be labeled on the back with the student’s name, school, and grade. Please do not send artwork in cylinders or mailing tubes.

Deadline:

Artwork and paperwork must be received by Friday, December 6, 2013 for consideration in the exhibition.

The Maine Arts Commission assumes no responsibility for lost or damaged artwork.
The Maine Arts Commission reserves the right of final selection and display of all works for this exhibition.

First Lady Ann LePage with 2011 recipient William Zidle from Village Elementary School in Gorham, Maine

Posted in Opportunity, Visual Arts | Tagged arts education, First Lady Ann LePage, MAC, Maine, Maine Youth Excellence in Art, MYEA | Leave a Comment »

Kevin Honeycutt

November 4, 2013

Recently at the ACTEM conference

If you didn’t attend the October Association of Computer Technology Educators of Maine you’re in luck because the keynote session given by art educator Kevin Honeycutt was recorded and worth watching. Thanks to Kern Kelley and his student video team for the recording located at https://sites.google.com/site/nokomiswarriorbroadcasting/Conferences/actem.

And thank you to Bob Sprankle recorded all of Kevin Honeycutt’s Friday sessions at ACTEM along with Dan Russell’s session. The audio only versions are available at http://bobsprankle.com/bitbybit_wordpress/?cat=506.

If you are not a member of ACTEM I suggest you take advantage of what ACTEM has to offer! Check them out at http://www.edline.net/pages/actem.

Posted in Curriculum and Instruction, Food for thought, Technology | Tagged ACTEM, Kevin Honeycutt, Maine | Leave a Comment »

Another Student’s Story: Sara Richardson

November 1, 2013

Sara Hallie Richardson

Sara RIchardson is a singer songwriter (and a former student of mine) from South Portland and tells her story for the meartsed blog readers.

While keeping a part time job to support the obvious necessities, I write and perform music to sustain my passion.

I went to University of Maine in Orono (2008) where I graduated with a BA in Music. While there, I took an independent study on electronic music with Beth Wiemann. I feel incredibly lucky to have had her as a mentor as that independent study led me to achieve the Research and Creative Achievement Award and the Outstanding Achievement Award in Arts and Communication Media.

What I value most from my arts education is the encouragement to be independent. To find, through your own workings and methods, your very own sense of Self.

The three life-long tools that I’ve learned from my arts course are:
1. Practice. 2. Patience. 3. Perseverance (I am a singer! Alliteration!)

I am a different person due to my involvement in the arts because…
It has taught me to connect with people through intuition, emotion, and compassion and to cope with challenges and obstacles that one experiences through life. I find a way to share my personal story and have it relate on a universal level as well, furthering that connection with others.

If I could change any part of my arts education,
I would have asked more questions. Music and art is ever-changing and evolving. The more you analyze it, the more interesting and expansive it can be.

Performing has always been extremely inspiring for me. It requires great focus as well as the ability to relax and let loose. To find that balance has always been a huge awakening. Recently, an audience member had informed me that one of my songs had gotten him through his kidney transplant. He told me he was convinced that my words and voice had helped heal him. That was something I will never forget.

Making music is extremely healing. This world can easily distract us with fear, anger, hate, violence, and pain. Through music, I can find solace and safety. If we all can connect to what we know is true through self-expression (art+music), we will all be better off.

You can learn more about Sara and her work at her website: shrichardson.bandcamp.com

View her at videos: http://youtu.be/7mUCGrpsgKo and http://youtu.be/tvdwkDQTAeA

Catch Sara at her upcoming shows:

Nov. 3rd Theater in the Wood, Intervale, NH 7pm

Dec. 6th at the State Theatre Big Band Syndrome, Portland, ME 7pm

Thank you for telling your story Sara! If others have students or former students whose story should be heard please email me. Thanks!

Posted in Communication, Music | Tagged Another Student's Story, arts education, Maine, Sara Richardson | Leave a Comment »

Jean Butler on the Conference!

October 31, 2013

Director, Arts are Essential!

Wow, Maine is COOL!
I attended two Maine Arts Conferences this week: Arts Education: Leading the Way and the Maine International Conference on the Arts, both at the University of ME in Orono.

I thoroughly enjoyed both conferences, learned new things, saw many talented artists perform, connected with some old friends and made some new ones. What stands out the strongest in my memories is how committed Maine’s arts advocates and the Maine Arts Commission are to providing educators, artists and arts educators with professional development, support and arts tools to achieve excellence in your students’ education and meet LD 1422 High School Graduation Requirements.

My favorite workshops for artists were the back to back combination: ‘Performing in and for Rural Areas’ and the ‘International Block Booking’ sessions. My favorite workshops for artist educators and arts educators were Argy Nestor and Karen Montenaro ‘Teaching artists and artist teachers’ and Judy Fricke’s ‘It’s hard to pick your nose when you are clapping your hands – the Importance of Music in Early Childhood.’

Lastly, the culminating Keynote Speech by Mike Daisey was a call to arms to artists, art educators, artist educators and arts advocates that we cannot afford to wait, we need to step up our advocacy for the arts and our children. (it’s from the 60’s, but still apt) “If you are not part of the solution, then you are part of the problem.”

Compliments to all the workshop leaders! They were absolutely awesome. Very nice balance of arts educator and artist educator support!

The above was emailed to me from Jean Butler, Director of Arts are Essential, Inc. Jean attended both conferences and I had the opportunity to spend some time with her during the MICA conference. Jean can be reached at Jean@arts-are-essential.org. She has been doing “arts education work” for nearly 30 years. You can learn more about Arts are Essential at http://www.arts-are-essential.org/.

Posted in Communication, VPA | Tagged arts are essential, arts education, Jean Butler, Leading the Way conference, Maine, MICA | 2 Comments »

Conference Participants Say it Best!

October 30, 2013

Comments from the field

The following are comments from teachers about their experiences at the Arts Education: Leading the Way conference and the Maine International Conference on the Arts held last Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at UMaine, Orono. Please provide your reflections at the bottom of this blog post by clicking on “Leave a Comment” or email them directly to me at argy.nestor@maine.gov.

So excited to be a part of and see my colleagues and friends leading the way in the Maine Arts Assessment Initiative. The conference offered a multitude of opportunities to gain knowledge into the challenges we face teaching and assessing the arts in 21st century learning.

It’s a breath of fresh air to be in an atmosphere where you can network with colleagues and share a rich diversity of ideas from such a knowledgeable group. The pacing of the whole event was fantastic and kept us all engaged throughout the day.
~ Jimi Neel, York Middle School Music Educator

A first of its’ kind for me (24 yr educator)….. bringing arts educators, artists educators and teaching artists together.
Left with many tools to implement – gallery connections with Amanda in Moncton NB, Liam with Maine College of Art, experiences with 3D printers and digital laser cutters and fellowship. A rural state/region with much talent to share – MICA brought us together to applaud, share, adapt and laugh. ~ Suzanne Goulet, Waterville Senior High School Visual Arts Educator

Lynn Tuttle’s presentation of the upcoming national arts standards was awesome! She has a remarkable ability to explain incredibly complex issues in a simple, direct and entirely comprehensible manner that takes away all the fear of change. The keynote presentation and workshop that followed showed how classroom-friendly the new standards intend to be and encouraged all of us in attendance to look at these with a serious eye to how they can improve what we do in the classroom.

The remainder of my day was spent exploring student-centered classroom in two workshops led by Sasha Bladen and Jeff Orth. Both workshops presented concrete ideas, with lots of helping hints and handouts, of how to put more learning control into the hands of our students without giving up the core need to have them accomplish meaningful tasks and meet the standards without getting lost in the chaos. I was guilty of having half my mind listening and the other half jotting down notes of how to use this in my classroom Monday morning!

It was great just to be in the same room with so many peers facing the same questions and challenges and sharing ideas and support. I met some helpful colleagues who may become important contacts in the coming months. Thank you Maine Arts Commission, DOE and Argy, for putting together this terrific weekend! ~ Rick Osann Bonny Eagle High School Theatre

As usual, art teachers are just awesome! When they come together, they soak up news and information and help to create enormous energy. All participants were there to learn and grow and take advantage of the opportunity to make more sense of assessment and standards based education. The art teachers who participated are dedicated, motivated, and ready to take on this challenge. ~ Kal Elmore, Bangor High School Visual Arts Educator

Words will never do justice in describing a day with my peers working, learning, and reflecting on best practice and assessment strategies. The work our peers have pored into these presentations is reflected in their thoughtful, informative, and enthusiastic sharing. The state of Maine holds a wealth of knowledge ready to be offered to anyone who wants to grow in their profession. I urge everyone to consider attending one of the upcoming Mega-regional workshops! ~ Heidi O’Donnell, President Maine Art Education Association, Art Educator, Belfast High School

Posted in Communication, Food for thought, VPA | Tagged arts education, feedback, Leading the Way, MAAI teacher leaders, Maine, statewide conference | Leave a Comment »

What a Conference!

October 28, 2013

Arts Education: Leading the Way conference

Another statewide conference is history and from all the reports it was a SUCCESS! If you were able to join us THANK YOU! A GREAT BIG THANK YOU to the Leadership Team and the Teacher Leaders who worked long hours to plan and provide AMAZING workshops. If you were there and didn’t provide feedback at the end of each session and again at the end of the day please be sure and do so! It is not too late! We really appreciate you to taking the time to provide the feedback to help us build on the needs of arts education. Below you can see photos from the conference, thanks to Heidi O’Donnell for taking and sharing pictures!

Justin Zang sang the National Anthem

Greetings from the University from Jeff Hecker, Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost

Opening Session included a presentation on the draft of the National Core Arts Standards

Lynn Tuttle, from Arizona, presents the information on the draft of the National Core Arts Standards

Students at the center!

Janie Snider, art teacher leader, from RSU24 presenting her workshop called Empowering Students Through Assessment Techniques and Strategies.

Bronwyn Sale accepting the Carol Trimble award for her commitment, collaborative spirit, and contributions to the Maine Arts Assessment Initiative.

Collaborative artwork contributed to by the conference participants. Thanks to Charlie Johnson, Lisa Marin, and Leah Olson for helping!

Closing session – the University Singers under the Direction of Dennis Cox with Laura Artesani on the piano

Posted in assessment, Communication, Community, Creativity, Curriculum and Instruction, Food for thought, Leadership, Professional Development, Standards Based Education, Technology, VPA | Tagged arts education, Arts Education: Leading the Way, biennial conference, MAAI, Maine, Maine arts assessment initiative, Orono, statewide arts education conference, teacher leaders, UMaine | Leave a Comment »

Amazing Teacher Leaders

October 27, 2013

Maine is the winner!

We are so fortunate in Maine to have amazing teacher leaders in the Arts who have stepped up to offer workshops they’ve created based on their learning in the Maine Arts Assessment Initiative. On Thursday, October 24, the biennial statewide conference was held: Maine Arts Education: Leading the Way. We had 223 arts educators attend and the MAAI teacher leaders did a fantastic job offering over 35 workshops. You can probably tell from this photo taken at the end of the day that it was a SUCCESS! More info on the conference in other blog posts coming up. If you were one of those who attended, THANKS for coming!

Posted in Professional Development | Tagged arts education, MAAI, Maine, Maine arts assessment initiative, statewide conference | Leave a Comment »

Getting Ready-Leading the Way

October 22, 2013

Just around the corner!

Visual Arts Director Julie Horn and Chris Higgins Administrative Assistant work on preparing name tags

Preparing for a conference is time consuming and takes several months but the last week before the event is pretty intense! This week is no exception. Yesterday was spent on many details including copying, creating nametags, individual schedules, checking numbers, names, stuffing folders, etc. The more I rush to complete the tasks the ‘to do’ list seems to grow longer.

I think back to the first statewide arts education conference that I helped plan in 2007 and I realize how much I’ve learned over the years. Carol Trimble who was the Executive Director of Maine Alliance for Arts Education and I periodically chat about that conference which was held at The Samoset in Rockport with almost 300 attendees. We turned away several teachers since there wasn’t enough space. Scott Shuler gave the keynote, Karen Montanaro and Camden Hills singers performed at the Farnsworth reception and we had over 25 workshops. The next one was held in 2009 at Point Lookout with the 2007 National Teacher of the Year, music teacher Andrea Peterson provided the keynote and First Lady Karen Baldacci danced with us at the opening evening reception. In 2011 the biennial conference was held at USM and was focused on the first teacher leader group of the Maine Arts Assessment Initiative. It was a fabulous success – teachers teaching teachers created a huge learning environment for all attendees. Each conference was unique and provided fabulous learning opportunities.

I am really looking forward to the conference this Thursday, October 24, Arts Education: Leading the Way. You can still register, there is still space in some workshops. Lynn Tuttle will provide an update on the National Core Arts Standards during the opening session. I am guessing it won’t just be educational but also fun! The door prizes will be given during the closing (I need to remember a hat and funny glasses) along with a performance by the University Singers. We are thrilled to be having music students from UMaine attending and providing assistance! Thank you to Laura Artesani for her help with the details and arrangements!

Work details are also happening for the Maine International Conference on the Arts being held in the same location on Friday and Saturday. If you are interested in attending either conference please go to https://mainearts.maine.gov for information and for a link to registration.

I need to get back to the details…. I know I will see at least 185 (last count from registration) of you on Thursday – YAHOOOOOOOO!

Posted in Opportunity, Professional Development, YAHOO | Tagged arts education, Arts Education:Leading the Way, Chris Norris, Collins Center for the Arts, Julie Horn, MAAI, Maine, Maine arts assessment initiative, Orono, UMaine | Leave a Comment »

me arts ed

Posts Tagged ‘Maine’

Announcing Mega-Regional Workshops

Graduate Courses Offered