Light Up the World

Local workshops

On Saturday morning I arrived at the library in my town with a car full of materials to make lanterns. Basket reeds, telephone wire, tiny LED lights, industrial size coffee filters, white glue, blow dryers, brushes and containers to hold the water downed glue. I learned how to make lanterns from artist Gowri Savoor while attending the 2017 New Hampshire state arts education conference. I am forever grateful to Julianne Gadoury, New Hampshire State Council on the Arts Education Program Director invited Catherine Ring and myself to attend.

Since that conference Lindsay Pinchbeck, founder and director of Sweet Tree Arts Center in Hope, and I have offered the lantern making workshop several times at the local and state level to all ages and backgrounds of people. This is the type of art making that is inviting to all.

When we’ve provided the workshop it exemplifies the essence of small communities in Maine. Whether it’s at the library, community center, a community event, or an arts focused facility people find joy and success making lanterns.

Kate Smith is involved in the South Berwick Lanternfest that takes place each August. This past summer she helped lead music making with a drum circle and at the end they release the lanterns down the river to honor those who have gone before.  All ages come together for an amazing day. Whether it is small or large communities art making has the power to bring communities together.

The two hour lantern making workshop is enough time to make at least one lantern (two people made 3 in the time allotted) and dry it enough to carry home. The next day the tree lighting on the town common was a chance to lead the processional with Santa following in a town fire truck. Two people returned with their lanterns decorated. I wondered if everyone would return and sure enough my heart was warmed seeing everyone with their lanterns lit waiting at the designated spot.

My takeaways:

• The arts bring people together in a non-judgmental way and everyone feels good.
• All ages need and want community based chances to come together.
• People naturally work across generations to help each other.
• Many adults don’t make art everyday but jump at the chance to do so and love it.
• Adults are looking for opportunities to do something engaging side-by-side with children.
• Having a follow-up chance to use the lanterns collectively is like the glue that is needed in communities.

What I’m curious about is this – what have you noticed or been involved with that includes the arts to bring people together beyond the school – in the community? Please feel free to share in the comment section below. Thanks!

Call for MALI Teacher Leaders

Phase 8 leadership role

VPA Teacher Leader Search

Maine Arts Leadership Initiative (MALI) – Phase 8

The Maine Arts Commission invites you to consider applying for the role of Teacher Leader with the Maine Arts Leadership Initiative (MALI). Now in phase 8, MALI offers the opportunity to learn and network with arts educators and teaching artists from across the state. MALI is looking for PK-12 teachers interested in leading and in taking a close look at effective teaching and learning in the arts. Join us for a GREAT opportunity!

DEADLINE: Tuesday, 29 May 2018

APPLICATION

MALI Teacher Leader Winter Retreat, March 2018

MALI provides professional development and asks that you take what you’ve learned and share it with other educators in your region of Maine and beyond. Teacher Leaders are required to attend the three-day summer institute, July 31, August 1 and 2, 2018 at University of Southern Maine, Portland.

If interested, please submit a completed application by Tuesday, May 29. APPLICATION 

Selected teacher leader responsibilities for the 2018-19 school year include:

• Full participation in the 3-day summer institute, July 31, August 1 and 2, 2018
• Communicate in a timely fashion by email and in a MALI phase 8 google site
• Be prepared for summer institute by completing pre-readings and responding to prompts with the MALI community
• Critical Friends Day – follow-up to the summer institute, fall 2018
• Participate in 2 meetings electronically with teacher leaders during 2018-19 school year
• Contribute your teacher leader story for the Maine Arts Education blog
• Attend a retreat to reflect on the phase 8 MALI work and plan next steps, winter 2019

Maine Arts Leadership Initiative Background Information

Overall Description

MALI Mission: Committed to the development of Teacher Leaders to ensure deep understanding and meaningful implementation of high quality teaching, learning and assessment in the Arts for all students.

Since 2011 the initiative has been building capacity by training arts educators on the “what” and “how” of teaching and learning in the arts so they can provide the leadership in Maine through professional development opportunities. MALI DETAILS.

MAAI Summer Retreat, phase 1, MECA

MALI’s OVERALL OBJECTIVES

• Create and implement a statewide plan for teacher leadership in arts education. This includes professional development opportunities, locally, regionally and statewide, which will expand on the knowledge and skills of teachers to better prepare them to teach in a student-centered and proficiency-based learning environment.
• Develop and implement standards-based high quality teaching and learning statewide for Visual and Performing Arts
• Continue to build on expanding the team of arts educators and teaching artists representing all regions of Maine
• Provide workshops and other professional development opportunities for educators

HISTORY – Phases I through VIII – Summer 2011 to present

• Ninety three PK-12 teacher leaders and eight teaching artists leaders attended summer institutes on assessment, leadership, technology, creativity, proficiency-based standards-based and student-centered teaching and learning
• Teacher leaders presented workshops at three statewide arts education conferences: USM Portland, UMaine Orono, and Point Lookout Conference Center with over 700 educators attending
• Teacher leaders facilitated about 125 regional workshops and 16 mega-regional sites across Maine
• Another Arts Educators Story series (94) on the Maine Arts Ed blog
• Arts assessment graduate courses provided by The New England Institute for Teacher Education
• Nine arts education assessment webinars for Maine educators facilitated by Rob Westerberg and Catherine Ring. Archive
• Video stories of seven teacher leaders that demonstrate a standards-based arts education classroom, Maine ARTSEducation YouTube channel
• Teacher Leader Resource Team development of items for resource bank
• Maine Arts Assessment Resources website contains a plethora of information

APPLICATION

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

• Current resume
• Letter of support
• Paragraph of interest

MALI Critical Friend Day, Point Lookout, October 2013

In the near future we will put a call out for Teaching Artist Leaders! If you have questions please contact Argy Nestor, Maine Arts Commission, Director of Arts Education at argy.nestor@maine.gov.

 

Community Art and Skatepark Beautification

Story from Waterville High School Art Teacher, Suzanne Goulet

Paula Raymond, a colleague with Adult Education and a resident of the South End planted the seed with
community members and Matt Skehan with Waterville Parks and Rec about making a connection with the
Waterville Senior High School Art Department.

Plans were made in the Fall……but cold weather came a bit early (remember?) ….the Spring arrived!

Laden with Sherwin-Williams donated paint and supplies, a volunteer group of Art and Outing Club students converged on the weather beaten skatepad to add a bit of color. Students came prepared with designs and having explored the culture of street art (Keith Harring, Shephard Fairey, Banksy, etc) and were then joined by visiting community members.

Alternative Education Educator, Ryan Guerrero, shared his street art skills with a transformation of the center pad and mini-ed sessions on the fineries of spray tips.

The canvas is large…..and the inspiration is to contribute two times a year to create a quilt of color and images.

You can read the entire article published in the Kennebec Journal by clicking here.

Give.Maine.Art

Sarah Robinson’s capstone project at UMaine – Sarah’s Another Student’s Story is at https://meartsed.wordpress.com/2014/02/05/another-students-story-sarah-robinson/

In Today’s News

Congratulations Marisa!

In today’s Morning Sentinel Marisa Weinstein is highlighted for the surprise award she was presented at the Warsaw Middle School where she teaches music, Music Educator of the Year! YAHOOOO! You can read about Marisa and view the marvelous photos that were taken at the school assembly by clicking here.

 

 

Education Week Webinar

Art and the Common Core

This event takes place on Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2013, 2 to 3 p.m. ET. As educators work to help students meet the demands of the Common Core State Standards in English/language arts and mathematics, many arts education advocates are making the case that the arts can be a valuable partner. For example, some teachers are seizing on works of art as “text” to be the subject of a close reading, much like a novel or essay, as called for in the new English standards. This Education Week webinar will feature two experts to discuss the potential of arts integration with the common core and to provide practical examples of how to put the concept into practice.

Presenters:
Susan M. Riley, expert in arts integration, curriculum innovation and resource development specialist, Anne Arundel County public schools, Md.

Lynne Munson, president and executive director, Common Core

Moderator:
Erik Robelen, assistant editor, Education Week

Registration is required to attend this event. Here is the link to the list of webinars, scroll down on the left to to get the clickable link to register for Art and the Common Core.   http://www.edweek.org/ew/marketplace/webinars/webinars.html

Arts Assessment Webinar: What We’ve Learned

Sharing the lessons learned over the last year and a half…

April 4, 2012

The Maine Arts Assessment Initiative was launched in the Summer of 2010 as a first-in-the-nation state effort to bring best practices in arts education to the forefront by developing and refining assessment strategies at the grass roots level. The stories of the journey are numerous, and lessons learned along the way are many. These have deep ramifications not only for the Initiative as it moves forward, but for anyone associated with arts education in Maine: parents, students, teachers and administrators. Join Catherine Ring and Rob Westerberg on their webinar on Wednesday, April 4 from 3:30 to 4:30 pm as they unpack these lessons learned.

Drawing from recent data; feedback from over two hundred professionals in the field, feedback from the Fall Conference, Regional Workshops and prior MAAI webinars, Catherine and Rob have organized this presentation into an informing set of common themes. With guest presenter Argy Nestor, Visual and Performing Arts Specialist at the Maine DOE, they will attempt to make sense of it all in a way that can help focus and direct future work for all of Arts education in Maine and beyond. Participants will be instructed to provide live, real time feedback as the webinar unfolds, and everyone’s voice is encouraged to be heard! Active MAAI educator or first time participant,  single listener or in a group, as an educator, parent, administrator or student, this is THE webinar that you will want to be sure to put on your calendar and attend!

To join the meeting:

Go online to http://stateofmaine.adobeconnect.com/pk2014412a/

Type your name in the field labeled “Enter as Guest”

Dial in access: 1-866-910-4857 – Passcode 140893

Musical Revue

Arts Assessment Teacher Leader Allysa Anderson’s students perform

Camden Rockport Middle School presents Its Our Time, a musical revue Friday, March 30th, 6:30 p.m., Strom Auditorium Camden Hills Regional High School. With one fourth of the school population participating students will share songs, dance, and more from a variety broadway shows.

Another Arts Teachers’ Story: Alice Sullivan

Featuring one teacher’s journey as an arts educator

This is the second in a series of blog posts telling arts teachers’ stories. This series contains a set of questions to provide the opportunity for you to read their stories and to learn from others. This post features Alice Sullivan who has been teaching music for 27 years. Alice is one of the Maine Arts Assessment Initiative’s Teacher Leaders, Phase I, and represents the region of Washington County.

Alice is currently teaching, grades K-12, at Woodland Jr. Sr. High School, Woodland Elementary School and Princeton Elementary School. She has been there for 6 years teaching 200 students, band program grades 4-12, some classroom music K-4 and junior high general music, digital arts class and music theory at the high school, and one small elementary chorus.

What do you like best about being a music/art/drama/dance educator?

I really like the opportunity to use my organizational skills in an environment where I can also be creative. The music room is a great place to find a balance between hard and fast standards and finding numerous ways of meeting those standards. Twenty seven years of concerts with no two being the same, but every year I strive to provide every student with the same well rounded music education.

Tell me what you think are three keys to ANY successful arts ed program?

•  a commitment to stretching the limits (your own and those around you)
• a belief that what you do is important
• enough confidence in your skills to take risks

What specific way(s) do your assessment practices tie into the success of your program?

Developing solid assessment practices sends the message to those around you that you believe your program is valuable and worthy of reflection. This instills a sense of importance in your students and as a result they strive to reach higher goals. I often say to my students – “who wants to belong to the good enough club”? An assessment is a tangible way for my students to prove the level they have attained, to themselves and others.

What have been the benefits in becoming involved in the arts assessment initiative?

There have been so many benefits to being part of the arts assessment initiative. The first that comes to mind is the great opportunity to network with other educators. It has also helped to keep assessment practices foremost in my daily teaching. With so many things to do each week, priorities become a necessity. Having weekly connections through the arts initiative wiki has ensured that assessments make my priority list.

What are you most proud of in your career?

I’ve always believed that music is a gift that all students can and should receive. My classes have always been available to all students. I’m most proud of the moments when the reluctant musicians realized they did have musical talent.

What gets in the way of being a better teacher or doing a better job as a teacher?

SLEEP!

Apple or PC?

Both – depends on the job I want to get done.

What have you accomplished through hard work and determination that might otherwise appear at first glance to be due to “luck” or circumstances?

Exceptional concerts are a reflection of hard work and determination. A good performance is often attributed to talent or “good” students. I believe even very young and inexperienced performers can present quality programs with hard work and determination.

Look into your crystal ball: what advice would you give to teachers?

Enjoy what you do. Focus on the positive forces in your environment and link arms with those who also have a positive outlook.

If you were given a $500,000.00 to do with whatever you please, what would it be?

I would travel. I want to see the world and share those experiences with the people around me.

This is a link to the wiki that Alice created that includes her marvelous resources: https://meaningfulassessments.wikispaces.com/. If you have comments or questions for Alice please put them in the “comment” section below.

Thank you Alice for telling your story!

New Hampshire’s Arts Education Data Project

Just released – Measuring Up

My colleague Marcia McCaffrey recently sent me the weblink to New Hampshire’s newly released Arts Education Data Project report http://www.aannh.org/measuringup/. I suggest you take a look at it to learn what our neighboring state is doing in arts education. If you’ve never seen Maine’s arts education census information that was released two years ago it is posted at http://www.maine.gov/education/iic.htm