Kris Bisson,Kaitlin Young, Argy Nestor,Catherine Ring
Last Thursday and Friday I attended the Maine Association for Middle Level (MAMLE) Conference at Point Lookout. I have fond memories of returning to the site in Northport – so many amazing learning opportunities for arts educators have taken place there for many years. The MAMLE conference has always been a place where middle level arts educators are welcomed and the conference goers are appreciative of what is offered. This years theme was Filling Our Cups: Teaching in Challenging Times.
Kris Bisson
Kris Bisson, Music Educator at Marshwood Middle School in Berwick and Maine Arts Leadership Initiative (MALI) Teacher Leader presented a session called Integrating your community in the classroom: service learning project models. Kris is the perfect person to present on the topic since she’s had her students engaged in multiple projects in her students community. Her well known Bridging Adolescence: A River Flows Through Us project that she collaborated with teaching artist Brian Evans-Jones on, made a huge impact on her students and community members. I was thrilled when her students shared this project at the State House December 2018 at an arts education celebration.
Kaitlin Young
Kaitlin Young, 2017 Maine Teacher of the Year, Music Educator at Sedomocha Elementaryand Middle Schools, and Maine Arts Leadership Initiative (MALI) Teacher Leader provided a key note that had participants engaged. The title was What We Can Do When We Are Brave Together. Kaitlin’s presentation was inspirational and very realistic. It provided thought provoking ideas which participants could take with them and put immediately in place. Thank you Kaitlin for filling up all of our cups!
If you’re a middle level educator consider participating in the conference next year which will be held in Portland. Check the MAMLE site for information.
Welcome Home celebrates the vitality of Maine’s immigrant communities through music and storytelling. Palaver Strings will collaborate with guest artists of Franco-American, Burundian, and Iraqi heritage, sharing traditional music and personal stories of their families’ journeys to Maine. As we tour with this program around Maine, we will celebrate Maine’s cultural diversity, reflect on our own histories, and create space for dialogue between performers and listeners from different backgrounds. We believe deep listening and empathy for unfamiliar experiences is an important part of making Maine a safe and inclusive home for everyone.
PROGRAM
Iraqi Folk Songs arranged for Strings and Oud
Burundian Traditional Songs arranged for Strings, Drums and Voice
Franco-American Tunes arranged for Strings, Solo Fiddle and Piano
DATES
Thursday, Nov 7 – 7:00pm – Denmark Arts Center – Denmark, ME Friday, Nov 8 – 7:00pm – Crosby Center – Belfast, ME Saturday, Nov 9 – 7:00pm – Criterion Theatre – Bar Harbor, ME Sunday, Nov 10 – 3:00pm – Eastport Arts Center – Eastport, ME Thursday, Nov 14 – 7:00pm – Port City Music Hall – Portland, ME Friday, Nov 15 – 7:30pm – Johnson Hall – Gardiner, ME Saturday, Nov 16 – 7:00pm – Centre Theatre – Dover-Foxcroft, MEPRE-CONCERT EVENT Sunday, Nov 3– 4:00pm Welcome Home Pre-Concert Panel & Conversation | Indigo Arts Alliance, 60 Cove Street Portland, ME
Come join Palaver Strings, the Greater Portland Immigrant Welcome Center, and Portland Ovations to hear stories of courage, resilience, travel, and transition from three of Maine’s immigrant communities. Facilitated by Marty Pottenger, guests will be invited to share their own experiences and how and why they call Portland home. Attendees will also be encouraged to add their stories and reflections to the Welcome Home participatory art installation created by Portland-based artist, Titi de Baccarat. Featuring Welcome Home speakers Kifah Abdulla, Alain Iginareza, and Rhea Côté-Robbins, as well as musicians from Palaver Strings.
I love the genuine joy on the faces of many of these elementary and middle school students performing the Toreador song from Bizet’s Carmen. Not only are the performers enjoying it but the smiles on the audience is wonderful. Talk about an advocacy tool – this one is a natural! Enjoy and consider sharing with your students, children, and colleagues.
Kodi Lee got the golden buzzer the first time on America’s Got Talent. This 22 year old is an inspiration. A young man who is blind and autistic has found music. His mom says music saved his life. He went on and won overall for the 14th season.
Education Reimagined is all about transforming education. They’ve been carefully proceeding with their commitment that “learner-centered education be available to every child, regardless of background or circumstance.” Twenty eight educators came together to create Education Reimagined with diverse backgrounds who are committed to future of education.
MISSION
SIMPLY PUT, the current system was designed in a different era and structured for a different society. Our economy, society, and polity are increasingly at risk from an educational system that does not consistently prepare all children to succeed as adults and is least effective for the children facing the greatest social and economic challenges. Conversely, the Internet revolution has created a once-in-a-generation opportunity for new approaches to learning. Our growing recognition of the importance of skills and dispositions is also sparking a shift toward expe- riential learning. In short, we see both an imperative for transformation and many promising avenues for re-envisioning the learning experience.
Recently Sweetland School in Hope was featured in online news for Education Reimagined. Sweetland School is a student-centered school inspired by the Reggio Emilia Approach and by educators and artists such as John Dewey, Elliot Eisner, Lily Yeh, Paulo Freire, Howard Gardner, Alfie Kohn, Sir Ken Robinson. Sweetland School aims to remain open and flexible to change and the needs of the current times and community. Lindsay Pinchbeck is the founder and director and also teaches at Sweetland School. She has served on the Maine Arts Leadership Initiative leadership team.
Read about Sweetland on the Education Reimagined website.
Dorie Tripp, Maine Arts Leadership Initiative summer institute, August 2017
A message from Dorie Tripp – music educator and Maine Arts Leadership Initiative Teacher Leader:
I am a PK-5 General Music Teacher for Maranacook Area Schools. A group of elementary Maine music educators, including myself, have been working on a project (initially facilitated by the Maine Arts Leadership Initiative – MALI). We are active Maine music teachers, from several Maine counties, who share a common interest in supporting our colleagues within our profession. Our goal is to collect information from other PK-5 General Music Teachers about what they do and what they need.
I am contacting you because we would love it if your could share our Professional Development Survey with your blog membership. If are a PK-5 General Music Teacher please complete this professional development survey (and share with other others who teach music at this level). In doing so, it will help us learn what our music teachers need/want for professional development and support. We’d greatly appreciate you completing the survey at this link
And thank you for your time! If you have questions please don’t hesitate to contact Dorie Tripp at dorie_tripp@maranacook.com.
Elementary Music for Maine is a group of general music teachers, who are committed to furthering music education, and supporting our music colleagues. We hope that you will take just a few short minutes to fill out the survey, so we can learn more about what types of professional development you want/need.
The purpose of this blog is to share stories, resources, innovative ideas, resources, and to communicate what’s happening in Arts Education. This forum gives blog readers the opportunity to learn from each other. It is essential that we collaborate, listen and learn from each other in order to improve teaching and learning in Arts Education in Maine and beyond.
