Blog on Vacation

Since I am taking a few days off for vacation so will the blog! I think it is important that we take good care of ourselves if we want to be at our best and do good work! So, off I go and the blog will take a short break as well! I hope you will take this opportunity to go back into the archives and take a second look at posts or perhaps read some that you missed due to busy schedules. See you when I return with photos of places I’ve been – enjoying the sweetness of summer!

Fox Island Thoroughfare between North Haven and Vinalhaven from the Equinox after a dinner at Nebo Lodge on North Haven. What a treat, the sunset while the full moon rose.

Teacher Evaluation in Non-Tested Areas

Webinar

My national organization, SEADAE, provided a webinar on July 25 with Adrienne Dorrington, from the National Education Association to learn about Teacher Effectiveness. You can access the archive with the information below.

Streaming recording link:
https://seadae.webex.com/seadae/ldr.php?AT=pb&SP=MC&rID=125348127&rKey=4b270d6012474a59

Download recording link:
https://seadae.webex.com/seadae/lsr.php?AT=dw&SP=MC&rID=125348127&rKey=68a03ff0a6a8eb3a

 

Yo-Yo Ma Says..

Putting the A for Arts in STEM

Webinar

On July 16 my colleagues from South and North Carolina who work for the Department’s of Education in those states provided a webinar called Putting the A for Arts in STEM. You can check out the 56-minute archived webinar at the information below.

Streaming recording link: https://seadae.webex.com/seadae/ldr.php?AT=pb&SP=MC&rID=125079667&rKey=91ef9ffaed00cbcc

Download recording link: https://seadae.webex.com/seadae/lsr.php?AT=dw&SP=MC&rID=125079667&rKey=5af7534f692ac5a2

This is included in the slide show and information:

*At TED 2002, Mae Jemison, a doctor, dancer, and the first African American woman in space, said, “The difference between science and the arts is not that they are different sides of the same coin… or even different parts of the same continuum, but rather, they are manifestations of the same thing.

*The arts and sciences are avatars of human creativity.”

Funding Opportunities

Check these out

GRANTS AND FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

Mockingbird Foundation: Grants for Music Education
The Mockingbird Foundation awards grants to schools and nonprofit organizations to effect improvements in music education for children. Mockingbird is particularly interested in projects that encourage and foster creative expression in any musical form (including composition, instrumentation, vocalization, or improvisation), but also recognizes broader and more basic needs within conventional instruction. Mockingbird encourages applications associated with diverse or unusual musical styles, genres, forms, and philosophies. Projects may include the provision of instruments, texts, and office materials, and the support of learning space, practice space, performance space, and instructors/instruction. Mockingbird is interested in targeting children 18 years or younger, but will consider projects that benefit college students, teachers, instructors, or adult students. Maximum award: $5,000. Eligibility: public schools K-12, 501(c)3 organizations. Deadline for letter of inquiry: August 1, 2013.

National Endowment for the Arts: Art Works
NEA Art Works grants support projects that have learning as their primary outcome, in any artistic discipline, that are standards-based and align with either national or state arts education standards. Innovative projects are strongly encouraged. Maximum award: $100,000. Eligibility: 501(c)3 organizations. Deadline: August 8, 2013.

STEM/STEAM

FableVision Learning

 

Standards-Based Arts Classrooms Videos

Music and Art classrooms featured

You asked for it and now you’ve got it… during this past school year the Maine Arts Assessment Initiative (MAAI) created 4 videos in response to “What do visual and performing arts classrooms look like in a standards-based environment?” That question came up over and over during the first phase of MAAI so we decided to incorporate the search as part of phase 2. The MAAI has continuously listened to the needs of the field and this is one of those “asks” that we responded to.

Debi Lynne Baker taught visual art for many years and most recently K-12 in Greenville. She used technology in her teaching including movie making with her students. She was the perfect person to create the first 4 videos. With hours of footage taken at each school, Debi was able to edit and come up with 4 unique videos under 20 minutes that each tell a story. What you will learn is that there is NO ONE answer to the question and you will also find that the videos provide so much more than just answers to the question!

As we consider creating more videos as part of phase 3 we’d love to hear your feedback on the videos. Please post your comment on the blog or email me at argy.nestor@maine.gov. Thanks!

See for yourself the following MAAI videos at the Maine ARTSEducation YouTube channel located at http://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-lElK9bBU_o96Wrg-kNbeg

• Part I: York High School Music Program with Rob Westerberg, students and colleagues
• Part II: Hancock Grammar School Art Program with Jane Snider, students and colleagues
• Part III: Mount Desert Island High School Art Program with Charlie Johnson, students and colleagues
• Part IV: Biddeford Intermediate School Music Program with Andrea Wollstadt, students and colleagues

You will find other arts education videos on the Maine ARTSEducation channel created by MAAI participants.

In Today’s News

Film Festival – Waterville

In today’s Kennebec Journal Kaitlin Schroeder provides a review of the Maine Student Film & Video Festival held this weekend at the Waterville Opera House. This was the 36th annual competition where 100 people gathered to watch and help recognize students for their technical and artistic talent. Many of you know Huey, the filmmaker who founded the event. He noted the serious topics (like homelessness) that many of the films had. He said: “I think it shows that students take the world more seriously than we think they do.” You can read the entire article by clicking here.

Surreal Self-Portraits

Media arts

When we talk about Media Arts, the new and 5th discipline being included in the National Core Arts Standards there are multiple ideas. What is media arts and what does it look like, who is teaching it, and which students are taking the courses? Is it being integrated into course work, grade level content, or is it standing alone? When I search the images on Zev’s site, demilked, a 14-year old from MA I think it is an example of Media Arts. This isn’t all it is but it is included in the term Media Arts. See for yourself and consider what and how you’re teaching.

Collaboration & Sustainability in Arts Ed

Research: Thomas Wolf & Gigi Antoni

We know arts education programs exist within school and beyond school. In many places – in and out of schools – people are considering new approaches for opportunities to learn in the arts. There are many factors that influence the reason for this and how it is carried forward. Thomas Wolf and Gigi Antoni, two well respected individuals teamed up and put together a report call More Than the Sum of its Parts: Collaboration & Sustainability in Arts Education. Arts educators have always been good at collaborating, and forming partnerships. Now, more than ever this is necessary. And, doing it in an intentional manner can have a longer lasting impact and hopefully a deeper one.

The report is almost 100 pages and was created by The National Guild for Community Arts Education, Big Thought and WolfBrown It makes for a good summer read as you search for inspiration and a spark to impact your teaching come September. Let us know what you think by making a comment below.