ARTS: The Heart of Education

Workshop Overview:

As William Butler Yeats said, "Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire." There is no doubt
about it, the arts motivate and inspire students! In our high-stakes testing culture, the arts are being left behind, but
this is a big mistake! Not only do the arts motivate, they help students attain critical 21st century skills. Creativity,
critical thinking, collaboration and problem-solving are all taught through the arts. While countries around the world
are beginning to teach these important skills, creativity in the United States is on the decline.  It is up to all of us to ensure that we maximize the arts to support the development of creativity in our schools.

This workshop will take a look at the significant role the arts can play in learning. Participants will see examples of student learning through visual art, dance, music and drama; learn about the critical evidence of improved achievement in all subject areas by students who are regularly exposed to the arts. Helpful resources, including books, videos, websites and lesson plans are available to be shared with anyone through this wiki site.  Collaborative work between arts teachers, classroom teachers and community members are encouraged. Participants will take away a renewed sense of confidence that they CAN make a difference in their schools by advocating for the arts in their schools and communities, and thereby promote engaged students through a rich learning culture.

Outcomes:

•   Knowledge on what the research says about the value of arts education on student success

•   An understanding of the power of the arts including critical thinking/problem solving, curiosity,

     imagination and creativity

•   Specific strategies for promoting the arts in schools and communities

•   A wiki filled with resources

Best Practices, Methods or Strategies Shared:

* Research-based ideas

* Technology as a tool

* Brainstorming

Presenters Bio:

Argy Nestor serves as the Visual and Performing Arts Specialist at the Maine Department of Education. Prior to joining the MDOE 5 years ago Argy taught middle school students, visual arts for 30 years. Once she began to understand the importance of developing a relationship with each student, teaching took on an entirely different meaning. Argy believes in the importance of collaborative education to help create learning environments where each student is successful. About 90% of her curriculum was delivered in an integrated fashion. Argy is Maine's 1995 Maine Teacher of the Year.

Catherine Ring is an Executive Director of the New England Institute for Teacher Education and teaches graduate level courses to educators across the state of Maine.  She is a former principal and certified teacher and has taught visual art for 20 years in public schools. Catherine received her M.A. degree from Vermont College of Norwich University and completed Education Leadership studies at the University of Vermont. 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. Catherine has represented her school district in the Kennedy Center's National Partnership program, which provides professional development to classroom teachers in arts integration, making learning engaging for all students. Catherine works with school districts throughout Maine to assist them with differentiated instruction, arts integration, gifted and talented programs and with the state on the Maine's Arts Assessment Initiative.

CONTACT INFO:

flyer7-11.pdf  

Statewide work:

Maine has launched statewide work in arts assessment. Please follow the work by going to the assessment wiki which is located at this link: http://maineartsassessment.pbworks.com

ARTS: The Heart of Education Workshop:

Agenda