Jake Sturtevant and Barb Vinal, instructors for NEI
The New England Institute for Teacher Education is offering two courses that arts educators may be interested in taking. Refining Assessment in the Music Classroom taught by music educator Jake Sturtevant and Technology for Educators taught be former Maine music educator Barb Vinal. Learn about the courses, registration for them, and about Jake and Barb.
EDPO 540: Refining Assessment in the Music Classroom (Online)
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Looking closely at our assessment practices through a collaborative and fine-tuned lens can provide unique opportunities for growth. Connecting new assessment practices to our instruction can bring exciting changes to how we approach our students and their learning. Participants will discuss how best to apply recent Music assessment work to their own unique situations in their own school music programs. This will lead them to create a personalized plan for implementing new strategies.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
Upon successful completion of this course, educators will be able to:
- Articulate recent trends in assessment and clear connections to their own classrooms.
- Develop and implement a personalized plan of instruction and assessment in their own classrooms.
- Network ideas, resources and strategies with other music and arts colleagues in the field.
- Develop a meaningful approach to ongoing analysis and modification of their own instructional practices.
- Demonstrate a clear connection between music assessment and music advocacy in their own schools and communities.
This is an online course and the instructor will set up video conference meetings with students. To register CLICK HERE. This course satisfies a requirement for re-certification by the Maine Department of Education.
This course is taught Jake Sturtevant who was born and raised in Maine by a musical family. He is a prolific composer, performer, and music educator. His compositions encompass a variety genres and media including jazz, funk/fusion, vocal, chamber music, orchestral, electronic, and multi-media works. Jake currently is a music educator at Falmouth High School. He is the former music director at Bonny Eagle High School, in Standish Maine and was music educator at Washington Academy in East Machias, Maine, Teaching Assistant of the Composition department at the University of Minnesota, and he has worked as an intern and as an independent contractor for the Maine Arts Commission. Jake has been interested in acquiring and changing his teaching and assessment practices to focus on standard based grading. He has had the opportunity to be part of the Maine Arts Leadership Initiative formally know as the Maine Arts Assessment Initiative, and has taught a variety of workshops at since the initiative started in 2011. He is continually inspired by other teachers around the state and the country who have found a variety of assessment practices that help students achieve practical goals that will help them progress, while not stifling their creativity. Jake holds degrees from the University of Maine at Augusta’s Jazz and Contemporary music program (B.A., Music, 2003), and the University of Minnesota (M.A., Composition 2005), where he studied with Dr. Judith Lang Zaimont. Beyond his profession Jake enjoys his time with his family, and all outdoor activities especially hiking and skiing.
EDE 325: Technology for Educators
This online course is currently offered for 4.5 Continuing Education Units
Course Description
In the 21st century, it is imperative that teachers keep up to date with technology tools for teaching and learning. This course will help educators best serve their students by learning how to use popular tech tools to help facilitate and inspire student learning and creativity. Exploration of technology applications (including Google apps) as well as the development of an online Personal Learning Network to include social media and bookmarking make the course relevant to individual educator needs and is designed to encourage continued learning beyond the course. Participants will develop a digital toolbox to help manage classroom lesson plans, schedules, and assessments and will enhance effective communication with students, administration and parents. This course helps educators to meet some of the ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education) Competencies for Educators.
Materials Required:
- Ability to connect to the Internet – high speed connection preferred.
- Current browser such as Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox.
Prerequisites
- Have an active Google account. If you’ve never had an account or would like to establish a new, professional account, please use this link: https://accounts.google.com/signup?service=mail
Course Objectives
- Facilitate and inspire student learning and creativity
- Design and develop digital age learning experiences and assessments
- Model digital age work and learning
- Promote and model digital citizenship and responsibility
- Engage in professional growth and leadership
To register CLICK HERE.
Barbara Vinal holds a Masters in Technology Education
from Lesley University, a Bachelors in Music Education from the University of Massachusetts at Lowell and holds a certificate in online instruction through the Carolina Online Teacher program (COLT) through LearnNC, a program of the UNC School of Education. She is currently an Instructional Technology Facilitator and Magnet School Coordinator for the Wake County Public School System in Raleigh, NC. She has been an educator in Maine, New Hampshire, NC and Texas for over 30 years. Mrs. Vinal was a member of the Maine Department of Education Learning Results Review Committee in 2007, which developed the Maine state standards in Visual and Performing Arts. She has presented sessions at multiple conferences on technology integration in the classroom, assessment techniques and in developing standards-based curricula and served on the Maine Arts Leadership Initiative Leadership Team.
Barb Vinal (Packeles) taught music in Maine for many years before moving to North Carolina where she continues teaching and learning as the Instructional Technology Facilitator and Magnet School Coordinator for the Wake County Public School System in Raleigh, NC. She has been an educator for 30 years and holds a Masters in Technology Education from Lesley University, a Bachelors in Music Education from the University of Massachusetts at Lowell and holds a certificate in online instruction through the Carolina Online Teacher program (COLT) through LearnNC, a program of the UNC School of Education. Barb serves on the Maine Arts Leadership Initiative Leadership Team. She was a member of the Maine Department of Education Learning Results Review Committee in 2007, developing the Maine state standards in Visual and Performing Arts. 
Catherine Ring is Executive Director of the New England Institute for Teacher Education and teaches graduate level courses to educators across the state of Maine. She serves on the Leadership Team with the Maine Arts Leadership Initiative since 2010. Catherine has presented at the Maine Principals’ Association Conference as well as nationally at the National Art Education Conventions. Catherine has taught visual arts for 20 years, is a former K-8 Principal and is has her Assistant Superintendent certification. Catherine completed her Education Leadership studies at the University of Vermont and received her Master of Arts from Vermont College of Norwich University. For her thesis, entitled “Education and the Arts, Toward Creative Intelligences,” she researched the role of the arts in learning and has worked closely with classroom teachers, helping them to integrate the arts into their regular curricula. She assists school districts throughout Maine with differentiated instruction, arts integration, and gifted and talented programs. Catherine is the 2014 Maine Art Education Association Advocate of the Year. Catherine teachers visual arts one-day per week at Isle au Haut School.
Lubec teachers and Washington Academy (WA) collaborated to dance for a surprise school wide assembly. The surprise was complete with gleeful clapping, hoots and wows from the student population. Their performance was followed by Gaetani leading the entire PK-8 school in 4 line dances. Connie Bagley is Lubec’s Art Teacher and gifted and talented Coordinator. She led Lubec’s staff in learning a line dance to “Happy Song” by Pharrell Williams. WA Dance “Guru” Gina Gaetani helped Bagley with choreography and had come to Lubec with her WA dance students to help teach the Lubec staff and then again to dance with them.
Refining Assessment in the Music Classroom, K-12, March 4 through June 10, 2016
