Teaching & Learning Arts Bridge 2014 Begins

Transition Plus students in Anoka work together to create a collaborative clay tile and mosaic mural during an Arts Bridge residency 2013.

Teaching & Learning Arts Bridge 2014 Begins

This is a project to build skills through the Arts in students with disabilities and collaborative skills in Teaching Artists and Teachers in Special Education settings.This program is provided under a contract with the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

VSA Minnesota has partnered again with the Perpich Center for Arts Education to implement Teaching & Learning Arts Bridge - a project is designed to build skills through the Arts in students with disabilities and collaborative skills in Teaching Artists and Teachers in Special Education settings.

Arts Bridge aims to develop and implement innovative curriculum that will enhance and support academic learning and achievement through Arts for students with disabilities. This initiative is designed to support collaboration between Host Teachers and Teaching Artists and support Teachers’ efforts to integrate the Arts in the curriculum while engaging students in meaningful, high quality arts learning experiences.

Participating teachers will receive embedded professional development on partnering and planning with a Teaching Artist, an Assistant and a Coach during a 10-session residency in their classroom that integrates dance, music, theater, storytelling, visual, media or literary arts with a goal of deepening student engagement, knowledge and achievement.

In January, Teams will establish clear instructional goals, develop engaging activities, make plans to support and enhance sequential learning, align instruction with standards and benchmarks, and determine assessment outcomes. The residencies will take place during February-May.

For more information about how you can participate, please contact: Jenea Rewertz-Targui, Arts in Education Coordinator, jenea@vsamn.org or 612-332-3888.

 “VSA Minnesota’s Teaching & Learning Arts Bridge,” final in-service, Perpich Center for Arts Education, Golden Valley

In person or by video chat via ‘Skype’ or ‘Face Time', Teaching Artists and Host Teacher Teams shared about their experience in VSA Minnesota’s Arts Bridge Project during a final in-service in partnership with the Perpich Center for Arts Education last week. Thanks to tools from the Artful Handbook, teams had an insightful conversation about their teaching and learning experience during their arts-integrated residency.



A total of 7 teachers , 7 teaching artists, and 6 teaching artist assistants received one and half days of professional development led by Perpich Center for Arts Education staff. Teams designed an arts-integrated residency, tied to curriculum and address selected elements of the Minnesota Academic Standards with assistance from PCAE staff. Using instructional planning tools for collaborative planning, Teams established clear instructional goals, developed engaging activities, made plans to support and enhance sequential learning, aligned instruction with standards and benchmarks, and determined assessment outcomes.

VSA Minnesota’s Teaching & Learning Arts Bridge is a project to build skills through the Arts in students with disabilities and collaborative skills in Teaching Artists and Teachers in Special Education settings. This program is provided under a contract with the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

Teaching & Learning Arts Bridge Begins

This is a project to build skills through the Arts 

in students with disabilities and collaborative skills in 

Teaching Artists and Teachers in Special Education settings.

This program is provided under a contract with the 

John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

VSA Minnesota's Teaching & Learning Arts Bridge is designed to support collaboration between Host Teachers and Teaching Artists and support Teachers’ efforts to integrate the Arts in the curriculum while engaging students in meaningful, high quality arts learning experiences. Seven sites around the state, which include more than 180 students and 30 teachers, will work with a Teaching Artist and an Assistant during a 10-session artist residency. Host Teachers and Teaching Artists Teams have begun co-planning their residency this month during a professional development in-service led by Perpich Center for Arts Education staff. Stay tuned for the progress of each site below:

Site: Minnesota Valley Education District

801 Davis St., St. Peter, MN 56082

Host Teacher: Kelsey Hutchins, Work Experience Coordinator

Teaching Artist: Juana Arias, Arts Center of Saint Peter

Description: Students will learn about being a commissioned artist, public art, the process and techniques to create and install a tile mural in a public space. These activities will address team appropriate, social interactions, share ideas, resolve conflicts, problem solving, coping strategies and working with tools.

Site: Edgewood Education Center

6601 Xylon Ave N., Brooklyn Park, MN 55428

Host Teacher: Brian Burns, Focus Special Education Teacher

Teaching Artist: Jamie Winter Dawson, Visual Artist

Description: Students will learn about what it looks like to be an artist within the Twin Cities. They will visit professional artist studios and create art using the same materials demonstrated. These activities will address focusing on the process from the beginning to end—setting a goal, project management and how to navigate problems.

Site: Castle Elementary

6675 50th St N, Oakdale, MN 55128

Host Teacher: Susan Rensted, 3rd Grade Teacher

Teaching Artist: Lindsay McCaw, Theater and Visual Artist

Description: Students will learn about the process and techniques to create a painted mural. These activities will address building community, what it means to stand up to bully and how to stand up for each other, taking turns, following directions, and sequencing.

Site: Transition Plus

403 Jackson St, Suite 206, Anoka, MN  55303 

Host Teacher: Terri Breems, Special Education Teacher

Teaching Artist: Anne Krocak, Public Artist

Description: Students will learn how to create a clay tile and the mosaic process or create a concrete sculpture from start to finish.  These activities will address develop coping strategies, exploring and being aware of a leisure activity, and participating in an activity that gives back to the community.  

Site: Willmar High School

2701 30th St. NE, Willmar, MN 56201

Host Teacher: Chad Owens, EBD Teacher

Teaching Artist: Nikki Bettcher-Erickson, Actor, Director, Theater Artist

Description: Students will learn how to create a documentary video that will address these three questions: Where have I been? What can I do? Where am I going? These activities will address transition/work skills, goal setting and social skills.  

Site: Cleveland Elementary

919 Northern Ave, Fergus Falls, MN 56537

Host Teacher: Barb Zempel, Special Education Teacher

Teaching Artist: Carol Anne Hough, Playwright

Description: Students will learn about theater (how to use voice, movement and props) and wetland animals when they rehearse and perform the play “Wetland Adventures.”  These activities will address movement, vocabulary, social skills and trying new and challenging activities.

Site: Ely High School

600 E Harvey Street, Ely, MN 55731

Host Teacher: Amanda Solum, Special Education Teacher

Teaching Artist: Nicole Selmer, Papermaking, Printing, Bookmaking

Description: Students will learn the process of silkscreen printing, tools and ongoing evaluation. These activities will address self-advocacy, sequencing and organization skills.

VSA Institute: Arts & Inclusive Learning – Feb 12

Description

VSA Minnesota will host the “VSA Institute: Arts & Inclusive Learning,” a one-day interactive professional development workshop, sponsored by VSA – the International Organization on Arts and Disability located in Washington D. C. The sessions will focus on designing and delivering arts learning experiences that reach students of all abilities. Throughout the day participants will gain an understanding of the foundations of inclusive education and arts-based learning, discuss theories and methods for teaching in inclusive environments, and engage in hands-on techniques that ensure progress for all students.

Registration is FULL. If you are still interested in attending, please visit: http://www.vsamn.org/new.html#institute for more details.

Location

Perpich Center for Arts Education 6125 Olson Memorial Highway, Golden Valley, MN

Date/time

Saturday, February 12. Sessions will take place from 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM. 

For more information, contact:

Jenea Rewertz-Targui,
Arts in Education Coordinator
VSA Minnesota
528 Hennepin Ave., Suite 305
Minneapolis, MN 55403
Tel: (612) 332-3888 V/TTY or (800) 801-3883
Fax: (612) 305-0132
Email: jenea@vsamn.org

Professional Development Day August 19 – a valuable learning experience!

Professional Development Day– a valuable learning experience!

Twenty-seven people came together at the Perpich Center for Arts Education on August 19 to learn more about the VSA Minnesota Teaching Artist Roster, a community of teaching artists working to create engaging lessons and environments that meet the diverse learning needs of all students.

Participants:

• became more familiar with VSA Minnesota’s Artists-in-Residence Grant Program as well as how to become a rostered teaching artist.
• experienced a hands-on visual art workshop designed for working with learners with various disabilities.
• engaged in a hands-on theater activity taught during an artist residency with students with Autism.
• explored the Perpich Center for Arts Education Artful Tools by describing what they experienced using facilitated reflection protocols.
• reviewed various disabilities and teaching strategies for each.

Many thanks to the Perpich Center for Arts Education for the use of Glass Box Conference Room and to our fantastic presenters including Lori Brink, Visual Artist/Teaching Artist/Peer Coach; Barbara Hackett Cox, Arts Education Partnership Coordinator, Perpich Center for Arts Education; Steve Busa, Theater Artist/Teaching Artist/Peer Coach; Katie Lipe, Southwest High School Autism Program; and Mary Z. McGrath, Educator/Professional Speaker/Author, Reflections Resources Ltd.

VSA arts Institute

VSA arts Institute hosted by VSA arts of North Dakota

Arts and Inclusive Learning is a one-day intensive session that is part of the VSA arts Institute. This interactive institute focuses on designing and delivering arts learning experiences that reach students of all abilities. Throughout the day you will gain an understanding of the foundations of inclusive education and arts-based learning, discuss theories and methods for teaching in inclusive environments, and engage in hands-on techniques that ensure progress for all students.For more information about the workshop download: The Arts and Inclusive Learning Workshop (PDF).

Eligibility: Classroom teachers, teaching artists, social services agency providers, arts administrators, and educators from all fields and levels.

Time: 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Place: Grand Forks County Office Building, 6^th Floor Conference Room,151 S. 4^th Street, Grand Forks, ND 58201.

Date: Tuesday, October 20, 2009.

Cost: $15, includes lunch and snacks; scholarship available.

Registration:

Please register early, space is limited. Complete and mail the registration form along with a check for $15 to:

VSA arts of North Dakota, Attn: Linda Olsrud, 2518 Atlas Dr, Bismarck ND 58503.

Accommodations: A block of rooms has been reserved under the name “VSA arts” until October 9, 2009 at County Inn & Suites, 3101 S 42nd St, Grand Forks ND 58201. The rate is $70 per night and includes continental breakfast. For reservations call 701.757.2200 or toll-free 1.800.456.4000.

For more information, please contact:

Linda Olsrud 701-426-4396, vsa.northdakota@gmail.com, http://www.dakotawest.org/

Panel Discussion Notes

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DAY---Aug 6 a great success!
Click here to download notes from the Panel Discussion: What should be happening during our artist residencies, including: reasoning for the changes to programming from funders' perspective, understanding the Minnesota Academic Standards, defining the relationship between IEPs and 504s, advice for collaborating with classroom and Special Education teachers and Arts and Cultural Heritage Funds impact, resources available through the Minnesota State Arts Board, and more...

Theater Activity & Academic Standards Notes

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DAY -- Aug 6 making connections!
Click here to download notes from the Theater Activity & Minnesota Academic Standards in the Arts in Action. Participants explored character development through simple warm-up activities, a focus on team building exercises and performed a short scene based on a prop, poem or a picture. Following the activities, participants discussed observations and reflected on lesson objectives and how they correlate to the standards.