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SAVE THE DATE!
EPLC's Arts and Education Initiative (AEI) will hold a day-long symposium on Thursday, October 13 at the State Museum of Pennsylvania in Harrisburg, PA.
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Advocacy
Advice
October is National Arts an Humanities Month. To promote art education in your setting, here are some ideas:
--Attend a PTO/PTA meeting to discuss the importance of art education.
--Invite your principal/administrator to participate in your class.
--Create a bulletin board that shows photographs of your students in action and describe the learning taking place.
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Best of the Web
Christine Besack
PAEA past-president
| 9 Places to FInd Creative Commons & Public Domain Images
A great resource article from freetech4teachers.com, listing sites for teachers and students to find images
"When students create multimedia projects they might be tempted to simply do a Google Images search and use the first images they see. But as educators we have a responsibility to teach students to respect copyright holders' rights. One of the ways that we can do that is to teach students to use Creative Commons and Public Domain images." |
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| Seamless and Sustained: An Integrated Curriculum
will provide conference attendees hands-on professional development focused on arts-based interdisciplinary inquiry. Attendees will participate in collaborative investigations as they explore art as interdisciplinary inquiry and consider how an integrated curriculum may be facilitated in their future classrooms.
Kutztown University November 18th
More info here |
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Did you know that PAEA has it's own social network?
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Greetings from PAEA president,
Kris Fontes
"A fine arts education (including music, theater, drawing, painting, or sculpture) whether in practice or theory, has been a part of any well-rounded curriculum for decades...but that may be changing. Many schools today are cutting back or eliminating their art programs due to budget constraints. It is estimated that by the end of this year, more than 25% of public high schools will have completely dismantled them. These stats aren't just bad news for teachers working in the arts. Numerous studies done over the past decade have demonstrated the amazing benefits of such an integral education facet. Students who don't have access to art classes may not only miss out on a key creative outlet, but might also face greater difficulty mastering core subjects, higher dropout rates and more disciplinary problems." (from online college's 10 Salient Studies of the Arts in Education.)
A new school year has begun and for many of us this has meant changes in our classes and our schedules that reflect the current trend towards downsizing or eliminating the arts in public schools. In Pennsylvania this is becoming an issue that PAEA cannot afford to ignore. As your president, I am representing you in Harrisburg as a member of the Educational Policy Leadership Center's Arts in Education Initiative. This group is concerned with the present administration's policy on the arts and in response is creating a report with policy recommendations about the arts and education in Pennsylvania's schools and communities that is expected to be completed in February of 2012. On October 13th, EPLC is hosting an Arts and Education Symposium in Harrisburg, hosted by the State Museum of Pennsylvania. Keynote speakers that day are Dr. Jonathan Katz, Chief Executive Officer, the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies and Dr. Mary Ann Stankiewicz, Professor of Art Education, the Pennsylvania State University. Over the course of the day, numerous concurrent sessions will be offered on topics such as Academic Standards in the Arts, Effective Teachers and Arts Educators and the Technology Imperative. If you are interested in attending the Symposium, registration is $25 and includes breakfast and lunch. Act 48 credits are available.
I urge you to attend this important event and show your support for the arts in the Commonwealth. And finally, remember to advocate for your program every day and in every way possible.
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 To register for the upcoming PAEA conference, please visit the registration page. October 20th marks the beginning of our annual conference, and it will be here before you know it! Get the most up-to-date information about the conference at http://www.paeaconference.org |
New Teacher Chat - All about jobs, challenges & resources for the Student Teacher, New Teacher and any Teacher looking for a job....
Lisbeth Bucci, Region 12 Co-representative
This issue is about CHANGE.... As we are changing seasons, this is the perfect time to chat about some changes we might consider to help us get, prepare for, or use in our present art jobs.
Student teachers: you are ready to change places from student to teacher, finally!!: ) Well, be ready! Student teaching expectations are high. This should probably be the most work you will encounter as an undergrad. Your student teaching grade is soooo important. Be prepared, dress professionally, be on time, work hard, listen, ask questions, eat well, work hard, get plenty of rest, work hard AND enjoy! : ) Did I mention Work Hard? Ps...Be smart when using social media. Being a teacher is your chosen profession : )
New Teachers: you have weathered the interview process and got the job! Wooot : )
You will now have students that you can share the world of art with. This is an exciting time for both you and your students. You are about to change both your lives. You will be doing something you love and fostering creativity, imagination and artistic possibilities for your students. This change from the student teacher to the new teacher comes with many responsibilities; some may become overwhelming.
Seek out faculty that has a positive attitude, which you may be able to use as a resource (even if you have been assigned a mentor). Make your students your priority; don't leave for the day without being prepared for tomorrow (it will get easier), and Always, Always be professional in your attire, your classroom attitude and your speech. Be smart when using social media.
Teachers Looking for a Job: this is probably the biggest change of all. You are no longer in school and are looking to secure a teaching position. Stay positive! : ) times are tough right now . Network, Network, Network! Stay active in PAEA. Come to the conference in Gettysburg this October. Take advantage of the presentations & workshops, meet people from across the state that have much to share and offer, etc. Look for the new teacher table in the lobby and pick up a folder of resources.
Here is what you can do right now.....does your present job add value to your art or education resume? If not change it! Do things that will help you secure a teaching position. Volunteer and expand the range of students you have experience with. OR, take a class that will build a skill set...studio technique, technology, etc...do you know Photoshop? OR, Contact the Alumni office from college, sorority/fraternity, professors that you had a strong relationship with. Are you on Linkedin? Twitter? etc. Everything you do, may lead you to that teaching job you are seeking.
Remember,change can be scary, exciting and sometimes needed. Don't be afraid to take a chance and change it up : ) |
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Mayco Workshop
Marcy Bogdanich and Leslie Kunkel, Region 5 Co-representatives
 On April 18, 2011 art educators were invited to a MAYCO Ceramic workshop held at Highland Middle School in the Blackhawk School District. Participants were greeted by the MAYCO representative and by the prepared workstations with all the supplies needed for the evening's workshop. How nice to have someone do the "setting-up" for us! Participants decorated two ceramic tiles each using several glazing and design application techniques all relevant to classroom use. We were shown several new glazes that added a lot of interest to the pieces we worked on. This was an informative and relaxing four hours spent sharing ideas, winning prizes and taking home some "freebies". |
Professional Learning Corner
Melissa Gallagher, Region 7 Co-representative  Art in Story: Teaching Art History to Elementary School Children, Second Edition, by Marianne C. Saccardi The author, Marianne C Saccardi, is a former elementary school and college teacher. She wrote this book for educators and parents as a way to use stories to teach art history to elementary school children. The book includes art of the ancient world to the twenty-first century as well as art from beyond the European experience. Each chapter has a background summary about the period, style and/or several artists that were prominent within a certain style. Additionally, there are stories that can be read to young children. Some stories are better than others and some may not be appropriate to all school situations. She also includes activities such as journal writing, studio projects, suggestions for integration with other areas of curriculum, and resource lists for children of many ages and levels. Some of the activities are great, while others are too time consuming for the average elementary art program, but may spark ideas for other interesting assignments. Each activity is linked to national standards. The resources are numerous and include invaluable suggestions for books, DVDs, and websites.
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Reporting from the Classroom:
Including Special Education Students In Your Art Class Julia Nelson, Region 7 Co-representative
Throughout a lot of the special education literature I've read, I've encountered the following system: Identify the problem, list your assets/strengths and then pull out some solutions by matching your pluses to your negatives. The problem in class was the lecture/discussion portion for one of my special education sixth graders,Tom. His teacher felt that he needed to "endure" a lecture part of a lesson because he would be encountering them more as he got older. For me the problem was actually getting that information to Tom so that he could use it, instead of zoning out or becoming distracted.
I listed the following pluses for Tom: He loved coming to art class and working with his hands. He worked well when he was with his peers, not separated by himself. He loved to look at pictures, and talk about them with someone else. Other pluses I had were the students who I knew were being "trained" to be peer coaches when Tom needed help. If I could line up Tom's strengths and my assets with my problem, I'd get a solution.
What if I designed a portion of my lesson to get information out to the students that didn't involve me "lecturing" at all? I could give them the information on paper, have them discuss it and then use it in their group project. I created a half sheet of paper with 3 directions on it. The students were placed in groups of 3 to 5. As the kids came in, I handed them their sheets and told them who they were to sit with.
The art class was noisy and alive. Tom was leaning over the table, pointing and getting the rest of his table excited. I heard them say things to him that were encouraging. The project involved making a collage together and it was hard for his table to decide who was going to "get" the picture after they were done.
I decided to stop everyone and I briefly had them reflect upon their experience. I was able to get them to assess their use of the information I had originally wanted to give them myself. It was obvious that the way Tom was invested in the experience made a difference. He paid attention and he didn't become unraveled.
The rest of the year included more of these types of classes, some in which Tom did a spectacular job and some where it seemed like nothing worked. It felt good knowing that Tom had sessions that were beneficial to his art learning and made art class something more than just a time to practice sitting still. Two books proved very beneficial (and time-saving) to me:
1.Reaching and Teaching Students with Special Needs through Art edited by: Beverly Levett Gerber and Doris M. Guay, publisher: NAEA
2. Peer Support Strategies for Improving All Students' Social Lives and Learning by Erik W. Carter, Lisa S. Cushing and Craig H. Kennedy, publisher: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Company.
The combination of vignettes and factual information helped me find solutions for including students in my art curriculum. The historical information challenged me to change what I think a child with special needs should be taught in art. I also accessed the Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network (PaTTAN) website and looked at material for Motivating Potential Learners Programs. The staff at PaTTAN are very committed to saying, "Why not and What if."
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