conference
jaymie
inspired. just a few things that excited me or that I took away (i'll
type my notes up later)
Chairman of the State board of Education said he was going to
recommend looking into testing proceedures around the state - said he
was hearing alot of complaints about too much testing. This probably
drew the loudest applause.
The role of advocacy - more about this later.
The group session speaker (don't have his name) mentioned "Flow
Theory" alot - you know that turned me on.
In all of the sessions I attended the presenters talked about putting
alot of time (year-year 1/2) into planning their programs.
The last session I went to was all about research - sounds boring but
it was actually very enlightening.
The main thing I left with was this feeling that the arts are really,
really vital.
jaymie
I guess you already did start a blog on the conference! ... ok, so
time doesn't get away from me, I will do the same with what I took
away from it.
At first, I wasn't thrilled either as Thursday sessions were sort
of lackluster. However, Friday did make up for it. Key ideas were...
(let me just dig through the 50 publications in my black and red
bag). I am going to put this here, but also it is to remind me what
when into my head Thursday and Friday.
Things that stood out to me:
· Ideas for childcare workshop at Hemphill: let teachers explore a
huge variety of art materials so they become familiar and comfortable
with them
· Regarding partnerships, i received a lot of good info including
a list of characteristics or indicators of an effective and
sustainable partnership we can use for evaluating. A lot learned about
partnerships seemed "too late" but it was still good to discuss and
remember as we continue down this road. The woman presenting was from
Creative Directions in Chicago: www.creativedirections.org.
· I attended another session on art and literacy - can't get
enough of that! and did come away with some more insights. This
session took a more academic approach to the connection between the
two and helped me see more of that aspect. Some key points here:
- The importance of "Comparing and Contrasting". This tool is
apparently one of the best ways to affect achievement through
Analysis. This exercise incorporates vocabulary, differentiation, and
many other big words I can't remember right now. But although it may
seem simple, it really promotes higher thinking skills.
- A HUGE list of the similarities/connections between Art Ed and
Literacy Ed was made and I can't list them all here, but a few key
examples are:
· Identifying Thinking Strategies-
o identify the problem
o identify options for solving the problem and trusting decisions
o organize and clarify information
o connect information to other disciplines
o transform ideas into tangible form
o assess and evaluate the results
o draw on past knowledge to solve problems
· Organize Details
o arrange and compose foreground, middle ground, etc.
· Determine Mood/ Tone/ Purpose ("Read" a Painting/Storytelling/
Narration)
o what is the work about?
o What is the style?
o What does it express?
· Determine Elements of Fiction
o study to determine what is happening-plot
o where is it taking place? - setting
o who is it? - characters
· Draw Conclusions
o describe facts - line, shape, color, etc;
o Put the facts together - what kind of balance? Where is the
focal point?
o Find the purpose - is it supposed to look real? Is the artist
expressing a feeling? Is the artist working with only lines or shapes?
· Of course all of this stimulates language
· Make a "Word Wall" where new words are added to the wall
regularly.
· Work with kids to learn how to evaluate themselves
· Create Lifelong "Yearners"
· Emphasis on reflecting what we learn. "When we don't reflect, we
don't learn." - John Dewey
· Encouraging to see so many leaders really working hard to keep
arts healthy and grow even more in NC - keep it a CORE discipline and
work to dispel the idea that art classes are optional.
· Learned some more about NCLB. See www.ed.gov
· I didn't realize how many schools already feature some type of
arts integration program
· Books: "Critical Evidence: How the arts and Benefit Student
achievement."
· Concept of "transfer" in which "learning in one context assist
learning in a different context." These 'transfers' occurring in other
contexts are proven in these studies.
· NCLB, the arts share equal billing with reading, math, science
and other disciplines
· The way studies were made was NOT with the goal of reaching
these conclusions... they were completely "experimental" in nature.
·
· Also "Third Space: When Learning Matters" where 10 schools were
studied to show the impact of arts in the schools. The idea of
learning what MATTERS was central in this book and these studies. Why
would anyone learn something unless it was not personal to them? Both
the author and one of the NC teachers from a school featured in this
book spoke. Hearing all the amazing things this low-income and
recently A+ school has done and is doing to reach kids through the
arts was awesome. Findings in this book support the idea that the arts
especially benefit struggling students. Children experience more self-
expression, ownership, experience, and are permitted to fail -
learning becomes a personal experience and does come to matter to them
greatly. This has become so true for them that they hate summer break
and would rather be in school.
April 2, 2007 9:34 AM
jaymie said...
wow leah - you took great notes!
April 2, 2007 12:22 PM
jaymie said...
From session with NC Museum of Art and Mint on museums
collaborating with teachers
What Mint has done
What is the most effective role museums play in k-12 arts
education?
*Museums as learning laboratories
*Applauding what teachers do
Getting buy-in from schools
*On-line learning - see objects before the visit
*teacher booklet
*professional development
*onsite visit
*match computer experience with museum experience
*free pass to come back with family
What NC Museum of Art has done
Train - professional development
Teach - artist residencies
Model - online resources
Art NC Website
model for teachers to use
*teaching artists who go into schools
*found that the more sustained the program the more kids learned
*"The Art of Collaboration Project"
*provides money to let art teachers take time off
*mentors
*technology support
*web-based program for teachers to use to communicate
Small group session
April 2, 2007 3:00 PM
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Mary
acknowledged what the teachers do...wow that is powerful isn't it. I
loved the art matters... I saw smith high school on tv the other
morning and they said that the gospel goup had started this year and
that it made a difference to the kids... that they wanted to come to
school now.. they had a purpose... it was amazing.. and the singing
was really good... we should get them for a performance for cultural
festival at hemphill call them today! thanks
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