Professional Development for Teachers & Teaching Artists
Helping teachers use art in the classroom.
ASU Gammage, Peoria Unified School District and Mesa Public Schools are members of the Partners in Education program of the John. F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Partners are selected because of their demonstrated commitment to the improvement of education in and through the arts, and participate in collaborative efforts to make the arts integral to education.
Throughout the year ASU Gammage and our Partners in Education will provide Professional Development workshop opportunities for teachers. Professional Development workshops are led by Kennedy Center teaching artists from across the country. These teaching artists are noted for their extensive knowledge of their art form, their experience teaching the art form to students and teachers as well as the art form’s connections to the curriculum.
Goals of Professional Development Workshops:
- Improve and increase teachers' knowledge of the arts and culture;
- have a positive and lasting impact on classroom instruction;
- provide new strategies for teachers to meet the challenges of student engagement;
- develop new ways to work with students with diverse learning styles;
- promote collaborative learning within schools.
2010-2011 Professional Development Workshops:
Portraiture as Biography
Workshop Leader: Melanie Layne
For Teachers of Grades 3-8
Date: Monday, October 4, 2010 • Time: 4-7 p.m.
Location: Mesa Creative Arts Center, 155 N. Center St., Mesa
Cost: $20
Portraits are often considered merely a reflection of what a person looks like, when in actuality, they can be read as biographies that communicate significant information about a person’s life and contributions. During this workshop learn how to help students unlock the symbolism in portraits, connect biographies with portraiture, use portraits as a point of inquiry for research and create portraits to deepen and assess student understanding.
The Power of Chant: Building Oral Fluency and Reading Comprehension
Workshop Leader: Cynthia Elek
For Teachers of Grades K-5
Date: Tuesday, January 25, 2011 (Mesa) Time: 4-7 p.m.
Location: Mesa Creative Arts Center, 155 N. Center St., Mesa
Date: Tuesday, February 8, 2011 (Peoria) Time: 4-7 p.m.
Location: Peoria District Office, 6330 W. Thunderbird Rd., Glendale
Cost: $20
Reading aloud with expression and confidence relies on students’ ability to comprehend a text and develop their oral skills. Through the creation and presentation of chants (rhythmic text) students can extend their understanding of literature and increase fluency in their oral delivery. In this workshop, teachers learn how to build on an author’s text to develop chants, create chants of their own and guide students in the use of simple movements (drumming, clapping) to enhance text delivery.
