Posts Tagged ‘Thomas College’

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Bags Are Packed and Ready to Go!

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 , , , | Leave a Comment »

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CIE Summer Institute

June 30, 2017

Superb learning opportunity

I just returned from Thomas College where Catherine Ring and I worked as a team to create a resource for STEAM at the Center for Innovation in Education Summer Institute. The conversation on STEAM appears to be happening across the state in a small way but after three days of talking STEAM, proficiency-based education and digital learning I am sensing that we are at the edge of a giant leap forward. The most interesting part is that the conversations were not just with visual and performing arts teachers but with teachers of all grade levels and content representing all regions of the state.

From a participant: STEAM is important because it engages the whole brain in learning.

Tim McNamara

The summer institute opening keynote was provided by Tim McNamara, director of High Tech High School in Chula Vista, California. He works in a true student-centered environment where students are not only surviving but flourishing, as they find and explore and learn through their passions. His stories were so inspiring!

The inspiration continued throughout the three days with a very moving performance by Brook Haycock. Her docudramas encourage questioning and thinking.

The final engaging activity was facilitated by Explo. Yes, they brought 35 moose into the room. Teams collaborated to create anything you can imagine for the moose to transport all kinds of goods.

In between participants chose from a variety of workshops. Some of them: Innovative Learning Experiences, Interdisciplinary Unit and Course Design, STEAM Power – Why it Works, How it Looks, Flipping’ Fake News, and A=Arts. All teAms cAn steAm with Music.

Hope Lord “playing” a note on a bottle.

In between attending workshops each team continued work on their project. Catherine and I will continue our STEAM resource work and provide it for you in the future when it is ready to be launched. It will be a living document so if you have any STEAM resources that you’d be kind enough to share please email the link or the resource at argy.nestor@maine.gov.

Providing feedback to each other on plans.

From a participant: The arts breathe life into everything that they touch – STEM is no different. The A in STEAM makes practical solutions beautiful – a chair becomes a sculpture, sound becomes music. When the arts are in the mix, it elevates the process and the product. A deeper, almost emotional connection seems to be made – kids get excited, I get excited. ~Chip Schwehm, Boothbay Region High School

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

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Teaching Artist Opportunity

May 26, 2017

Calling Teaching Artists – You’re Invited!

Summer Professional Development

Tuesday, August 1, 8:00 to 4:00

Thomas College, Waterville

The Maine Arts Commission invites teaching artists to attend an all day professional development opportunity on Tuesday, August 1. This will take place on the first day of the MAC Maine Arts Leadership Initiative summer institute on the beautiful campus of Thomas College in Waterville.

Teaching Artist Tim Christensen working with a Camden Rockport Middle School student during a residency

This year’s Teaching Artist professional development day is designed to focus on the role of the teaching artist and the relationship between the teaching artist and the K-12 arts educator.

The day includes workshops designed specifically for Teaching Artists focusing on a variety of topics: practices for Teaching Artists including standards, assessment, advocacy, marketing yourself, and more.

What will you get when you attend the Maine Arts Commission professional development day?

  • Information on applying your expertise as an artist to the structuring of your lessons and residencies.
  • Hands-on experience in relating the learning standards and assessments to your work.
  • Opportunities to network with PK-12 visual and performing arts teachers from Maine schools.
  • Participation in sessions that are planned to fit your needs as a teaching artist.
  • A light breakfast, a yummy lunch, and afternoon snacks

Teaching Artists interested in attending must register by CLICKING HERE.

Teaching Artist John Morris working with students in MSAD#33

To apply for the Maine Arts Commission Teaching Artist roster artists are required to attend the summer professional development opportunity. The Commission will be accepting applications in the fall of 2017. CLICK HERE for the MAC Teaching Artist roster.

Presented by Maine Arts Leadership Initiative (MALI) of the Maine Arts Commission. To learn more about the MALI please CLICK HERE. Facilitated by Teaching Artist John Morris and Music Educator Kate Smith.

If you have any questions please contact Argy Nestor, Director of Arts Education, Maine Arts Commission, argy.nestor@maine.gov or John Morris at JohnMorris08@gmail.com.

 

Posted in assessment, Communication, Community, Creativity, Curriculum and Instruction, Dance, Food for thought, Leadership, Media Arts, Music, Opportunity, Professional Development, Standards, Standards Based Education, Theater, Visual Arts | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

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Senior Showcase

May 7, 2017

Thomas College

What a treat to visit Thomas College recently for their senior showcase. The somewhat nervous dressed up seniors were gathered at the Center for Innovation in Education to share research they had each conducted as part of their semester.

In the words of Dr. Katie Rybakova, assistant professor of education at Thomas:

“On April 26th at 4:00 pm, our senior pre-service teachers gathered together in a research conference poster presentation format to showcase their unit plans and data analysis. Over the course of the semester, our pre-service teachers created a research-driven unit that they then taught in their student teaching placement. They utilized pre and post test data collection to show their student learning gains, learning in the process about how to collect and assess data to help them become more effective teachers! During our senior showcase, they presented a snapshot of their units using research posters and we could not have been prouder of this group of teachers.”

Shauna Gordon

Each student was articulate and poised while sharing information and answering questions about their research. The connections with the arts was evident in several of the research projects. Shauna Gordon worked with grade 3 students and provided a lesson called “Just A Bill” where students listened to a School House Rock song called “I’m Just a Bill” that told the steps of turning a bill into a law. Shauna shared how much the students connected with the song and the direct impact of learning the song. Because of the lesson 91% of the students correctly answered the question about the bills and laws.

You can learn more about the education program at Thomas College at THIS LINK.

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

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CIE Summer Institute

April 6, 2017

Thomas College professional development

Bring a team from your school to the Center for Innovation in Education Summer Institute at Thomas College, June 27-29. Great opportunity to collaborate on planning for your students!

Docudrama, song writing, invasive European green crabs, and an all hands-on deck problem solving challenge—what a combination! Only at the Center for Innovation in Education’s Summer Institute: Weaving a Tapestry of Learning this June will you get to explore the connections among these activities and create powerful metaphors for learning related to the role the Arts play in STEAM curriculum and instruction.

For more information CLICK HERE.

  • PreK-12 participants are encouraged to come in teams to work on projects specific to your school.
  • Grants are available to defray registration costs for up to 5 people on a team.
  • Format: Nationally known speakers, concurrent sessions by outstanding Maine educators, and team time with a coach to work on individual projects.
  • Interactive, reflective, & practical
  • CEUs available
  • Graduate credit available (must pay the Thomas graduate course fee)

Of special interest to Arts educators:

  • Brooke Haycock from the Education Trust uses a docudrama format to stimulate participants’ thinking: “…transform research into performance, exposing the stories behind the data and driving straight to the heart of debate around equity in schools.” https://edtrust.org/team/brooke-haycock/
  • Members of the EXPLO organization will lead us through a hands-on, interactive challenge that integrates the arts into the problem solving necessary to meet the challenge. https://www.explo.org/our-history/

Coaches include:

Posted in Opportunity, Professional Development, Technology, VPA | Tagged , , , | Leave a Comment »

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Full STEAM Ahead

April 10, 2016

Center for Innovation in Education, Thomas College 

Experiencing the art and science of teaching through creative innovation

Grant Application for Full STEAM Ahead Institute
June 29-30, 2016 at Thomas College, Waterville. Maine

The Full STEAM Ahead Institute provides participants an opportunity to develop…

  • A STEAM unit fully integrating the principles of proficiency-based learning for implementation back in the classroom.
  • Ways to integrate technology emphasizing critical thinking, creative problem solving, and design principles.

Screen Shot 2016-04-03 at 10.17.01 PMThe Center for Innovation in Education is offering grants to pay the cost of registration for school teams numbering up to five people — a $1250 value. If a school wishes to send additional people, then the $250 registration fee will apply to them.  Registration includes a continental breakfast and lunch each of the two days plus CEUs.  Overnight accommodations are not part of this grant, however they can be arranged through Thomas College or local hotels.

The purpose of the Institute grant is to make professional development opportunities in STEAM, proficiency based learning, and digital learning accessible to all schools.

Because the success and sustainability of school-based initiatives depends on administrative support, we request that grantees obtain the backing of their school administrator.

Proposals are due by May 15, 2016

Institute participation is limited to 50 people.

The application is available by CLICKING HERE.

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