Posts Tagged ‘MALI’
August 24, 2017
Finalist for Maine Teacher of the Year
We learned yesterday that SeDoMoCha Elementary School Music Educator and Maine Arts Leadership Initiative Teacher Leader Kaitlin Young is one of three finalists for the 2018 Maine State Teacher of the Year (TOY). Kaitlin teaches PK-8 music in the Dover-Foxcroft school. At a ceremony at the State House in Augusta in May, Kaitlin was honored as the 2017 Piscataquis County Teacher of the Year. The last two months have been busy for Kaitlin as the TOY process continued. It is so great to have Kaitlin representing her school and visual and performing arts educators from across Maine.
Kaitlin recently completed a Master of Music Education, concentration in Kodaly Pedagogy, from the Hartt School, Hartford, CT. She received her Bachelor of Music in Music Education, from the University of Maine at Orono in 2010.
Kaitlin and MALI colleague Kris Bisson, Marshwood Middle School music educator, at the summer institute. Both Kaitlin and Kris recently completed their master’s degrees. Congrats!
Kaitlin’s principal, Julie Kimball said:
“Kaitlin has an incredible passion for teaching music. Our elementary and middle school concerts have grown in such size that we have outgrown our building and need to hold them at our local high school. Her ability to connect with our community members during these events is fun to watch. At the end of each concert, she has an activity that involves audience members of all ages.
Kaitlin is a true leader when it comes to advocating for her fellow peers. She leads our unified arts team and is a member of our teacher evaluation team.
Even more spectacular than our incredible concerts is Kaitlin’s passion for educating students and their families. Her energy is infectious! Thanks to Kaitlin’s desire to educate her fellow colleagues as well as our families about our music program, we are shifting to informances in addition to our traditional concerts. Her informances will offer families the ability to see what their child is learning during music classes by having opportunities for families to come to school and take part in a music class with their child.”
Joining Kaitlin as finalists are Kasie Giallombardo from Nokomis Regional High School, Penobscot County and Jen England from Noble High School, York County. Congratulations to all three finalists.
YAHOOOOOOOO Kaitlin! I am sure that visual and performing arts educators join me from across the state wishing you the best of luck as you continue on your Teacher of the Year pathway!
Kaitlin learning the technique of sgraffito on clay at the MALI summer institute
Posted in YAHOO | Tagged Kaitlin Young, Maine arts education, Maine arts leadership initiative, Maine Teacher of the Year, MALI, music educator, Piscataquis county teacher of the year, TOY | 1 Comment »
August 21, 2017
Maine Arts Commission Teaching Artist
Tom Luther, one of our new Teaching Artist Leaders with the Maine Arts Leadership Initiative (MALI) made the news today. Tom is a musician and teaches piano and digital/computer music. He works at the Midcoast Music Academy in Rockland.
He has created a plan for his MALI work called Standards without Standards. How Teaching Artists Can Create a Flexible Learning Template. Tom spent three days with other teaching artists and PK12 arts educators at the MALI Summer Institute at Thomas College earlier this month. His application for Teaching Artist Leader included: “I’ve found teaching to be an intensely creative act, as well as a tremendous tool for personal growth, both for myself and my students. Teaching has helped me become a better listener and observer.”
You can read the entire article from the Village Soup by CLICKING HERE.
Tom’s bio
Tom Luther is an improvising composer, pianist, and media artist working in acoustic and electronic environments. He has performed throughout the state of Maine with his modern jazz group TLQ (Tom Luther Quintet), an ambient music trio called Algorithm, and as a soloist. Luther is also a media artist, working with video, live installations, and interactive objects. In his work, Luther applies traditional composition, improvisation, generative, and interactive techniques, drawing freely from his experiences in numerous musical forms. The messages and stories are universal, and genre is simply a cultural idiom appropriate to a certain group at a certain time. Luther explores these notions through adapting techniques from different genres to create hybrid works that straddle the worlds of jazz, classical, electronic, and ambient music, bending genre and blurring the boundaries that define them. He has released two albums of his music with the TLQ, “Everything Is Blue” (2012) and “Necessity(2015). His interactive installation “Spine” premiered at Waterfall Arts in 2015, and he has shown two multi-media works as the Kelpie Gallery’s annual “Wet Paint on the Weskeag” fundraiser. Luther was a featured solo performer at “Jazz on a Summer’s Eve” at the Camden Opera House, and performs regularly with TLQ and as a sideman with the Mike Whitehead Group. He is currently working on a new ambient/downtempo trio, and an interactive floor puzzle that creates music. Luther is a graduate of the Hartt School of Music, and studied privately with pianist and composer Anthony Davis.
Posted in Communication, Community, Creativity, Food for thought, Leadership, Music, Technology | Tagged MAC, Maine arts education, Maine arts leadership initiative, MALI, Midcoast Music Academy, teaching artist leader, teaching artist roster, teaching artists | Leave a Comment »
August 9, 2017
MALI: Enriching Arts Education in Maine
Hello there! My name’s Alex and this summer I’m working as an intern for the Maine Arts Commission. So far, I’ve had the opportunity to learn about the inner workings of the state-run cultural agency, what they stand for, the projects they support, and the events that they sponsor.
A typical week for me usually involves photographing public art, writing blog posts, compiling monthly arts events, and working on some graphic design. But last week, I took a break from my standard routine and joined nearly 70 arts educators at Thomas College where the Arts Commission hosted the Maine Arts Leadership Initiative (MALI).
Being the non-Maine native that I am, at first I had absolutely no idea what the institute was about. All I knew was that Thomas College’s quiet summer campus was all of a sudden bustling with crowds of energetic art teachers. Armed with my camera and my Nalgene water bottle, I set out to figure out what exactly was going on.
Luckily, I had the chance to sit down with Catherine Ring, one of the founders of MALI. She explained to me that the institute’s mission is to enrich arts education in Maine by enriching the skills of teachers themselves. In the 7 years since its creation, MALI’s professional development training has created an army of veteran “Teacher Leaders” who have shared their creative knowledge with over 1500 educators around Maine. At MALI, Teacher Leaders turn their experiences into lessons, sharing their creative methods with other arts educators through workshops, presentations, and webinars.
Catherine also said that a large part of being a Teacher Leader is acting as a liaison with their respective school districts, functioning as a representative voice for art teachers and students in their region.
It’s during these three action-packed days that the MALI summer institute aims to enhance arts educators’ skills, which in turn leads to empowered students who enjoy stronger ownership over their creative learning processes.
And what’s even more exciting is that by the end of the three days, each teaching artist and teacher leader will create and outline an individual action plan for the upcoming school year. The project could be anything from leading a workshop for an entire school’s faculty, to using grant money to create a new gallery space for a school community.
It was inspiring to see the level of care the teachers have for bettering themselves and their lesson plans for their students. There’s so much that goes into prepping for the school year, and these arts teachers are dedicated, passionate, and itching to inspire.
During the institute, I crept into classrooms filled with teachers taking part in workshops, attending lectures, and sharing ideas for the sake of creative collaboration. Leaders spoke about assessments of creativity, the importance of problem-solving, and the values of media in the classroom, amongst many other topics. There was laughter, there were snacks, and there was something in the air that made Thomas College’s Admissions building come to life.
What I observed over the three days is that MALI works to better student’s education by strengthening the roots of creativity and learning. MALI’s intentions are so admirable that the feeling of personal and community enrichment was palpable. As much as MALI is a teaching space, it also functions as a meaningful point of community for visual and performing arts teachers and teaching artists who may feel isolated in less populated school districts. Just sitting in on the events for a few minutes offered me a glimpse into the importance of arts education on every level, from leader to teacher, teacher to teacher, teacher to student. I have no doubts that MALI has made a significant impact on arts education in Maine, and I’m sure the students feel that as well.
Alexandra Moreno is an intern at the Maine Arts Commission, a rising senior at Bowdoin College, and a happy human. She enjoys writing, collaging, and fun.
Posted in assessment, Communication, Community, Creativity, Curriculum and Instruction, Food for thought, Leadership, Opportunity, Professional Development, VPA, YAHOO | Tagged Catherine Ring, Maine arts leadership initiative, MALI, MALI summer institute, summer institute, summer intern, teacher leaders, teaching artist leaders, Thomas College | Leave a Comment »
August 8, 2017
What’s it really all about
As I take a few minutes to reflect on the Maine Arts Leadership Initiative (MALI) Summer Institute that was held last week at Thomas College for three days I can’t help but think about what MALI is really all about. If I had to select one word it would be COMMUNITY. As many of you know there are about 1200 visual and performing arts educators in the state and I really don’t know how many teaching artists there are throughout Maine. Both were well represented last week. Bottom line, each of the participants were teachers, striving to be better at teaching and the desire to connect with others who care deeply about arts education.
Wow, I am so humbled by their commitment and proud of what they accomplished in three days!
Reasons for MALIs success
- Teachers teaching teachers is a critical component
- MALI is a community that provides ongoing support. Teachers learn that they have peers throughout the state experiencing the same or similar situations that they do day to day. They no longer feel like islands.
- This summer’s institute had three strands; one for Teaching Artist Leaders, one for returning TLs and one for new TLs. The strands are customized for the unique group and individual needs. The strands came together for cross pollination and collaborations are formed.
- All of the ideas are based on research and what is in the best interest of teacher development.
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Phase 7 New Teacher Leaders
A Design Team guides the work of MALI and plan every detail of the summer institute. They are totally committed to contributing above and beyond.
- The MALI community grows each year with some teacher leaders returning year after year.
- Through their work TLs find their voice and are invigorated to return to their school districts. Many are recognized in their new leadership role and are invited to the table at the local level. They serve on district leadership committees, lead the school and district professional development work for all subjects and grade level teachers, and are honored for their leadership.
- The institute schedule is different each year to adapt to the changing needs but the foundation is built on What is good teaching? What is good learning? What is good assessment?
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Teaching Artist Leaders Phase 6 and 7
In 2015 Teacher Leaders created a set of Belief Statements on that include the topics that are vital to Maine arts education today: Arts Integration, Advocacy, Assessment Literacy, Creativity and 21st Century Skills, Educator Effectiveness, Effective Teaching and Learning, Proficiency Based Learning and Student Centered Learning, and Teacher Leadership.
- Teachers are connected and become Critical Friends to help support each other’s teaching.
- MALI models teaching tools
So, what makes involvement in the MALI community so special?
Looking closely at Tim Christensen’s pottery are Jenni Driscoll, Jean Phillips, Tim, and Charlie Johnson
Participants comments
Next steps
Some of the MALI Teacher Leaders (TL) and Teaching Artists Leaders (TAL) will be sharing their learning in a workshop format at the local or regional level. Others will be continuously sharing in a social media mode. The Phase 7 summer institute was really about customizing the learning for each educator. I will keep you posted as they wrap up their plans for the school year I will share the information here on the blog and also on the Maine Arts Assessment site and through the communications that are delivered by the Maine Arts Commission.
Please let me know (argy.nestor@maine.gov) if you have any questions and are interested in applying to be involved as a Teacher Leader or Teaching Artist Leader for Phase 8.
Posted in Communication, Community, Creativity, Curriculum and Instruction, Dance, Food for thought, Integration, Leadership, Media Arts, Music, Opportunity, Professional Development, Standards Based Education, Technology, Theater, Visual Arts, VPA, YAHOO | Tagged MAC, Maine arts education, Maine arts leadership initiative, MALI, meartsed, teacher leaders, teaching artist leaders | 2 Comments »
August 5, 2017
The learning continues
Our theatre folks, teaching artists leaders Dana Legawiec, Nicole Cardano, and teacher leader Jean Phillips
On the third day of the Maine Arts Leadership Initiative (MALI) summer institute ideas fell into place and the teacher leaders had multiple opportunities to come together to share their ideas and follow up plans. Traditionally the third day is stressful but also the most exciting since everything comes together.
The day started with the opportunity to learn about each other. We grouped and regrouped – how many years have you taught, what discipline, etc.? And, moving around the room doing so, mixed up the groups continuously and was a lot of fun!
We continued the day with an opportunity for new and returning teacher leaders to act as “critical friends”. In MALI the critical friend role is a leader who assists and supports another leader. This is done in a constructive way to help the teacher move forward with their ideas. Critical friends often continue the supportive beyond the summer institute.
Lindsay Pinchbeck, Design Team member, Kris Bisson, music teacher leader and Lynda Leonas, visual art teacher leader
Teacher leaders generated a list of topics/questions that were of interest. They selected a topic to discuss in small groups. The format is similar to an un-conference or Edcamp. Some went away with more questions and ideas that were new to them.
The rush was on to complete plans that describe actions for the next year. The day ended with participants sharing their plans in a Gallery Walk. Plans were filled with comments written on stickie notes to help each teacher leader continue working on their individual plans.
As we ended the day exhausted participants went away filled with the energy and ideas that everyone freely shared. We look forward to seeing the final plans in a couple of weeks!
WABI TV 5 visited during the day and featured the institute on the evening news.
The dancer stands alone, John Morris!
Critical friends: Samantha Armstrong and Hope Lord – visual art teachers
Critical friends – Jen Nash, music teacher leader and Laura Manchester, visual art teacher leader
Posted in assessment, Communication, Community, Creativity, Curriculum and Instruction, Leadership, Opportunity, Professional Development, Standards Based Education, VPA | Tagged arts education, Maine arts education, Maine arts leadership initiative, MALI, MALI teacher leaders, teacher leaders, Thomas College | Leave a Comment »
August 4, 2017
Wowzer!
Kate Cook Whitt
Day 2 kicked off with an amazing STEAM presentation from Kate Cook-Whitt. The opening was titled This is your Brain on Art: Neuroscience and the Arts – “Examining the World Through Different Lenses: Art and Science”. Kate is an Assistant Professor of Education at the Center for Innovation in Education (CIE) at Thomas College. Participants agreed that Kate’s presentation was outstanding!
Teacher Leaders participated in several great mini-sessions, some led by teacher leaders and teaching artists leaders themselves including:
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Nancy Frolich, Social Justice mini-lesson
Social Justice and the Power of the Arts with Nancy Frohlich from Leaps of Imagination
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7 Strategies of Assessment with Jeff Beaudry from USM and visual art teacher leaders Holly Leighton and Samantha Armstrong
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National Board Certification with visual art teacher leader Danette Kerrigan
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Connecting the STUDIO HABITS of MIND to the NATIONAL STANDARDS in the Visual Arts classroom with visual art teacher leader Jane Snider
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Things Into Poetry session with Brian Evans-Jones
Things Into Poetry with poet teaching artist leader Brian Evans-Jones
In addition Bronwyn Sale and John Morris provided a session called Teaching for Creativity. The afternoon brought all three strands together (teaching artist leaders, new PK-12 teacher leaders and returning PK-12 teacher leaders) for a session with teaching artist leader and potter Tim Christensen. We engaged with a small medallion of clay using the process Tim is so in tune with: sgraffito.
The rest of the afternoon was spent on leadership, advocacy, and putting it into action on the follow up plans for the next year. Strand 1, the Teaching Artist Leaders met with Jeff Poulin, electronically, from the Americans for the Arts.
Day turned into night and educators gathered around the Thomas College fire pit for drumming and a chance for Tim to fire the clay pieces created earlier in the day in the propane fire pit. This provided a wonderful opportunity to connect with colleagues from across the state. What a great way to end an outstanding day!
Strand 1 with Jeff Poulin, Americans for the Arts. Kate Smith, Design Team member, holds the computer during the question and answer period
Jennie Driscoll, Elise Bothel visual art teacher leaders
Jen Etter, music teacher leader
New teacher leaders David Coffey – music and Amy Donovan-Nucci – visual art
Tim Christensen firing the clay pieces
Fun around the fire pit!
Posted in assessment, Communication, Community, Creativity, Curriculum and Instruction, Dance, Food for thought, Integration, Leadership, Media Arts, Music, Opportunity, Professional Development, Research, Resources, Standards, Standards Based Education, Theater, Visual Arts, VPA, YAHOO | Tagged 7 strategies of assessment, Americans for the Arts, Brian Evans-Jones, Bronwyn Sale, creativity, Danette Kerrigan, Elise Bothel, Holly Leighton, Jane Snider, Jeff Poulin, Jen Etter, John Morris, Kate Cook Whitt, Kate Smith, Leaps of Imagination, Maine arts education, Maine arts leadership initiative, Maine education, MALI, MALI summer institute, Nancy Frolich, National Board Certification, Samantha Armstrong, social justice, STEAM, Thomas College, Tim Christensen, VPA education | Leave a Comment »
August 1, 2017
MALI Summer Institute
The Maine Arts Leadership Institute (MALI) gets underway today at Thomas College in Waterville. Almost 80 educators will come together to learn and share in a collaborative environment. PK-12 Teacher Leaders, Teaching Artists, and Teaching Artist Leaders will have the opportunity to build on their knowledge and consider how they will share the information during the next year. This is the 7th year that the initiative has offered summer learning and the schedule is chock full of rich sessions being delivered by teacher leaders as well as other educators who have much to offer.
The focus on teacher choices and teacher-centered learning will foster opportunities to consider how we do our important work of educating young people in visual and performing arts. The sessions include: standards and assessment, communication, networking, visual storytelling, drumming, creativity and much more.
As Karen MacDonald said recently as she prepares for the ECET2 conference coming up next week at Colby: “My basement is starting to look like a conference staging area”. I couldn’t agree with you more Karen! My bags are packed and I’m ready to go!
Posted in assessment, Community, Creativity, Curriculum and Instruction, Food for thought, Leadership, Music, Opportunity, Professional Development, VPA, YAHOO | Tagged Maine arts education, Maine arts leadership initiative, MALI, Thomas College | Leave a Comment »
June 21, 2017
First day
Today marks the “official” first day of summer. I realize that most schools are out for the summer break and that some schools are still in session. Whatever is happening in your life right now summer plans can be underway, if they aren’t already. What will you do this summer? How will you spend your time? Thought about any books to read? Any professional development to attend? Any videos to view or courses to enroll in? Rewrite lessons, units, or course syllabi?
There are a variety of professional activities to engage your mind in many different ways. Once you take a deep breath and catch up on a little sleep, consider setting some goals for yourself. What will you do and where might it take you?
Consider the following online resources that you can take along almost wherever you go and get your summer thinking underway:
More information and suggestions for summer professional development that you can take the lead on will be posted on the blog in the near future.
Posted in assessment, Communication, Community, Creativity, Curriculum and Instruction, Food for thought, Leadership, Opportunity, Professional Development, VPA | Tagged AFTA, Americans for the Arts, ArtsU, Maine arts leadership initiative, MALI, resource bank, The Kennedy Center | Leave a Comment »
June 13, 2017
Congrats!
CONGRATULATIONS to the 12 PK-12 Maine visual and performing arts educators and 6 teaching artists for stepping forward and taking on the role of “leader” in Maine arts education. The Maine Arts Leadership Initiative (MALI) is launching Phase VII!
Leaders will attend a 3-day summer institute at Thomas College Center for Innovation in Education and focus on their own learning; “teacher centered”. They will explore their own learning and over the next year share their learning using multiple medium. The Phase VII MALI planners are excited about this direction as they put together an agenda focused on growth mindset and hands-on engaged learning sessions.
CONGRATULATIONS to the following new MALI Teaching Artist Leaders and PK-12 Teacher Leaders:
TEACHING ARTIST LEADERS
- NICOLE CARDANO – Theater
- BRIAN EVANS-JONES – Creative Writing
- DANA LEGAWIEC – Creative Theater
- TOM LUTHER – Music
- MARIE PALLUOTTO – Visual Arts
PK-12 TEACHER LEADERS
- KRISTINE BISSON – Music 6-8 Marshwood Middle School, Eliot
- DAVID COFFEY – Music 6-12 Belfast High School, Troy Howard Middle School, Belfast
- AMY DONOVAN-NUCCI – Visual Art K-3 Horace Mitchell School, Kittery
- ADELE O’BRIEN-DRAKE – Visual Art 6-8 Leonard Middle School, Old Town
- CINDI KUGELL – Visual Art 9-12 Oxford Hills High School, Oxford
- HOPE LORD – Visual Art 6-8 Maranacook Middle School, Readfield
- LAURA MANCHESTER – Visual Art K-6 Montello Elementary School, Lewiston
- LORI SPRUCE – Visual Art 9-12 Brewer High School
- WILL STECHER – Music PK-4 Newport and Corinna Elementary Schools
- DANIELLE SULLIVAN – Music PK-8 Etna-Dixmont School
- DOROTHY TRIPP – Music K-5 Manchester and Readfield Elementary Schools
- KAITLIN YOUNG – Music PK-8 SeDoMoCha Elementary/Middle Schools, Dover-Foxcroft
If you’d like to learn more about MALI please
CLICK HERE. The website created by MALI called Maine Arts Assessment Resources is located at
THIS LINK. And, for the Resource Bank please
CLICK HERE.
Teacher Leader Jean Phillips, Theatre Wiscasset High School
Posted in assessment, Communication, Community, Creativity, Curriculum and Instruction, Food for thought, Leadership, VPA, YAHOO | Tagged arts education, Maine arts education, Maine arts leadership initiative, MALI | Leave a Comment »
May 8, 2017
Why I Teach?
Ever sit down and ask yourself “Why do I teach?” During my long career as a teacher in the classroom I asked myself that question sometimes at the end of an especially rough day. It helped me put the work into perspective. The only time I asked the question during the sweet moments was usually when someone else made the observation about how fortunate I was to touch the lives of young adolescents.
I often reflect on my days in my middle school classroom when I feel the pull of wanting to be back there. So, last summer when there was a movement around #why I teach it was fun to begin asking the question of arts educators who crossed my pathway. If you haven’t thought about it recently, please take a moment during Teacher Appreciation Week, ask yourself the question and email me your answer or click on “comment” below and let the Maine Arts Education blog readers know your thoughts.
Below are some that came from arts educators who attended the Maine Arts Leadership Initiative Mega conference at Hebron Station School on March 17, 2017.
I TEACH BECAUSE…
- I love seeing the ‘ah ha’ moments.
- To give back the support and knowledge that I received when I was a young, aspiring artist!
- Teaching the arts is my passion! My students teacher me something new every day!
Perhaps you’ve written down in a bubble your reason for teaching in the past at a MALI event but thoughts and ideas and reasons for teaching may have changed. If you’ve never done it or if you have in the past, please take a moment during Teacher Appreciation Week and know that what you’re doing is essential and the most important job in the world. That’s my belief and hope that you share it! Thanks for the work you do each and every day.
Posted in Creativity, Food for thought, Opportunity, VPA, YAHOO | Tagged #WHYITEACH, MAC, Maine arts education, Maine arts leadership initiative, MALI, teacher appreciation | Leave a Comment »
We learned yesterday that SeDoMoCha Elementary School Music Educator and Maine Arts Leadership Initiative Teacher Leader Kaitlin Young is one of three finalists for the 2018 Maine State Teacher of the Year (TOY). Kaitlin teaches PK-8 music in the Dover-Foxcroft school. At a ceremony at the State House in Augusta in May, Kaitlin was honored as the 2017 Piscataquis County Teacher of the Year. The last two months have been busy for Kaitlin as the TOY process continued. It is so great to have Kaitlin representing her school and visual and performing arts educators from across Maine.
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