What are the Summit Participants Saying?

Summit on Arts Education, July 29-August 1, 2014

If you follow the Maine Arts Ed blog you are aware of all the posts during the last several days that have to do with a component of the Summit. You might be wondering: What are the participants saying about the Summit?”

Summit on Arts Education participants

Soooooo…. here is some of the feedback that was collected electronically from teachers at the conclusion of each day:

Overall comments:

• I have not had a professional development in assessment before and it was great!
• Plenty of opportunities to meet people and collaborate
• There was an incredible diversity of knowledge, and information that was shared continuously
• Everyone was full of energy and ideas. It made me really excited to start integrating what I’ve learned!
• This week, I was able to take all the various pieces I’ve worked with (from over the past couple years) and consolidate them into a plan that fits my teaching style and my curriculum!
• Every conversation I had was meaningful

What did I learn (on specific topics) on the first day:

• Student-centered classroom, assessment and classroom strategies
  • I learned about backward design
  • Student-centered learning is the foundation of a standards-based classroom.
  • “I Can” statements for standards, how others are assessing successfully
• How do I organize information
  • I learned that I can only absorb so much. There is a lot to absorb here!
  • That my brain is still very much in summer mode.
  • Self and educational discovery takes time and is hard work
• Advocacy
  • Arts assessment is in part, advocation for our art programs.
  • The webinar with Washington was very interesting and enlightening, I had no idea about what happens at that end of the spectrum. Wonderful to see how people are advocates.
• MAAI and teacher leaders
  • That Maine has a dedicated group of professionals united in working on assessment to improve teaching and learning.
  • I learned about the responsibilities of a teacher leader.
  • How a visual arts teacher went through the process of becoming a teacher leader
  • MAAI is there to support my art ed learning that meets my needs. I felt like I should have been involved in MAAI sooner!
• Collaboration
  • Everyone can be a resource in areas they are passionately curious about
  • The need to collaborate is essential!
• Standards and proficiency
  • The idea of “Power Standards” seems like a good place to start
  • Using Standards-based assessments involves working towards clear goals or ‘big ideas’& communicating those goals to students, empowering students to take ownership of their progress towards these goals, and giving feedback along the way.
• Technology
  • New resources are available in a variety of media, which will help inform my teaching and assessment practices
  • I learn that digital portfolios are something several of us are working on.
• Teaching Artists
  • I learned what a teaching artist is.
  • Good inquiry about the role of the teaching artist

Sarah Gould and Michaela Digianvittorio, Gray-New Gloucester High School visual art teachers

I will share more participant feedback in the future. Thanks to Jeff Beaudry for collecting the information and sharing it with participants each morning during the Summit!

Day 3: Summit on Arts Ed

Another worthwhile day at the Summit provided by the Maine Arts Assessment Initiative – a program of the Maine Arts Commission

Day 3 started off with an amazing presentation by Maine Arts Assessment Initiative (MAAI) teacher leader and Lisbon Art Teacher, Pam Ouellette. The topic was Literacy and the Arts but Pam made it clear from the beginning that her teaching incorporates the literacy in a very clear pathway. It isn’t about how the arts enhance literacy but how literacy enhances the arts. During Pam’s graduate program at Boston University Pam studied Creativity and Literacy and immediately formulated a way to incorporate her learning and best practices on the topic in her high school classroom. Even though Pam teaches Visual Arts she is able to easily adopt her practices for all the arts disciplines.

Nancy Salmon worked with the Teaching Artists during the Summit

The Summit participants worked on their Individual Action Plans (and team plans) to further their ideas for implementation in their schools/districts. During the afternoon they participated in the All Share Showcase presenting their ideas to the Summit participants. Each participant received numerous comments to help them proceed. The afternoon included MAAI Teacher Leader stories and some amazing door prizes!

Wells School district team, Chris Milliken, Middle School and Vanessa White-Capelluti, High School art teachers

Lisa saw this idea on Pinterest. The chairs are about 6 inches tall.

 

Participants gave the food high marks! As my dad used to say “if anyone went away hungry, its their own darn fault!”

Photos taken by Kevin Facer, Roger Fuller, and Argy Nestor

Off and Running!

Summit on Arts Education

We had a great first day at USM, Portland at the Summit on Arts Education. The energy was high and the participants were busy filling their minds. Information was shared and questions flying! The day started with sessions on Essential Questions and Leadership. Participants gained insight on Effective Teaching in the Student-centered classroom and were treated to showcases presented by Teaching Artists. Each teacher started brainstorming ideas to create an individual action plan. The day wrapped up with an electronic conversation with the State Education Agency Directors of Arts Education at their ssessment conference taking place in D.C. Julie Richard, Director of the Maine Arts Commission, unveiled the Teacher Resource Bank. The day was jam packed and flew by!

Attending the Summit are arts educators from all regions of Maine representing all grade levels and all four arts disciplines. Networking has been an important part of the work – people collaborating and networking.

 

 

7 More Days!

There is still time to register

The Maine Arts Assessment Initiative (MAAI) Teacher Leaders are busy putting the last minute touches on their presentations, the food is ordered, the space is ready to go, the participant bags are being stuffed full of information, and the excitement is intense at the Maine Arts Commission. The Summit on Arts Education is only a week away!

Not a day goes by that I don’t receive an email or a phone call from someone inquiring about the Summit on Arts Education being held July 29-31, USM, Portland. Just when I think that everyone who wants to attend has registered or that there can’t possibly be someone who hasn’t registered that wants to attend. Sooooo… if you are still thinking about attending please don’t hesitate any longer. For more information please click here https://mainearts.maine.gov/Pages/Education/NESummit and to go directly to registration please click here https://webapp.usm.maine.edu/DCPEOnline/addRegCONFPage1.do?offeringId=100075146. If you have questions please email me at argy.nestor@maine.gov.

And, if you are an arts organization and would like to join us for Wednesday morning only, July 30, for a Carousel. The morning is designed for organizations who wish to provide information for Summit participants to learn about what there is available for arts education opportunities for field trips, etc. Please contact me if you think this might be a match for your organization. Deadline for this is tomorrow, Wednesday, July 23.

The Summit is designed for you to attend as an individual or part of a team to receive professional development in assessment, leadership, technology, and teaching and learning for the 21st century curriculum. Topics include proficiency, standards-based teaching and learning, student-centered, arts integration and more. You will create a plan that fits your needs in your classroom, school, and district.

I hope you can join us for this first time MAAI offered learning opportunity!