ARTS NEWSLETTER #21- 27 November 2007
GREETINGS FROM ARGY’S CUBBY with a view of the STATE HOUSE DOME at the Department of Education
ARTS NEWS
I hope each of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! I know I have much to be grateful for and I thank you for the job you do each day teaching art, dance, music and theater!
- Two of our visual and performing arts teachers were recently honored as regional finalists at the Maine Teacher of the Year banquet held at Colby College. Congratulations to Charlie Johnson, art teacher from Mt. Desert island High School and George Shabo, music teacher from Loranger Middle School in Old Orchard Beach.
MAINE LEARNING RESULTS- YOUR FEEDBACK IS NEEDED!!
If you attended the “At the Creative Center: The Arts in Maine Schools” conference and participated in the MLR session you had a chance to give me your questions and concerns about the recently revised standards. I have collated the information and will be answering your questions and posting the answers in the arts newsletters and on the MMEA and MAEA websites. As the Department prepares to support Maine educators in their understanding and application of the 2007 Maine Learning Results documents, my colleagues and I are collecting feedback on the following:
What 2 professional supports would be most helpful to guiding your understanding and use of the 2007 Maine Learning Results documents?
Chapter 132- Learning Results: Parameters for Essential Instruction: http://www.maine.gov/education/lres/review/peigr.html
PLEASE send me your response by Friday, November 30th!!!!!! argy.nestor@maine.gov
NEWSLETTER
- I received a question about why there are question marks (?) scattered throughout the text in the newsletter. This happens because when I send the newsletter from an iBook the odd punctuation is part of the translation to a PC format. I am also sending it as a word document and as .rtf (rich text format) with hopes that everyone can open it and read it one way or another.
DIGITAL CAMERAS AVAILABLE
Nine Canon Power Shot A630 8MP Cameras are available for arts educators to borrow for up to two weeks. Please contact me argy.nestor@maine.gov if you are interested and I will send you the details.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES
- November 30th is the deadline to apply for the Maine Arts Teachers Fellowship Program for $5,000 Grant to support arts educators to support personal artistic development for teachers of K-12. Maine Alliance for Arts Education and the Maine Community Foundation will award eight fellowships. If interested contact David Lamon at fellowship@maineartseducation.org and learn more at www.maineartseducation.org
- MLTI High School Regional Professional Development sessions for the use of the new MacBook’s. The goals are: 1) Practice using three universal literacy strategies and 2) Practice ways to develop content for lesions using NoteShare, iTunes, podcasting and Studywiz. Please register at: http://www.maine.gov/mlti/educator
- EXTENDING THE DANCE MAP: A NORTHERN NEW ENGLAND RURAL DANCE PROJECT- Teachers, dance educators, and dance artists are invited to participate in a four-day professional development opportunity in dance and movement education. The overall goal is to make dance part of classroom curriculum and more available in public schools. The professional development opportunities will take place on January 13, 14, February 3, 4. If you are interested in participating or have questions please email Nancy Salmon ncsalmon@suscom-maine.net 207-865-4311 or www.aannh.org and request an application.
GRANT OPPORTUNITY
NAMM Foundation announces grant opportunities on their website at http://foundationcenter.org/pnd/rfp/rfp_item.jhtml?id=193800059
NAMM is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing active participation in music making by people of all ages.
INTERESTED IN TRAVELING TO JAPAN?
If you are interested in traveling to Japan with the Fulbright Memorial Fund program online applications are due December 15th. You can access information and the application at http://www.fulbrightmemorialfund.jp/
PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
The professional organizations for arts education in Maine are outstanding. If you are not a member I urge you to join. Membership information and more is available at the organization websites:
VIENNA VEGETABLE ORCHESTRA
No explanation needed… just click on
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpfYt7vRHuY
IN THE NEWS
Released on November 12th was a Harris Poll linking Music Education to Advanced Studies and Higher Income. You can read more at Harris Poll on the impact of music education on our society on a special Web site. MENC Executive Director John Mahlmann and music education advocate Steven Van Zandt (Bruce Springsteen band member and "The Sopranos" star) spoke at the press conference.
PORTAPORTAL
Please check out my porta portal at http://portaportal.com. On the right side of the screen find the words “Guest Access”. Below that, under the words “Guest Name” in the box type: meartsed. To the right of that click “Visit”. There are many links to websites for you to use. If you have any sites you’d like to share, I will add them, please send them along to me argy.nestor@maine.gov
I just added a cool music site called soundjunction that I think teachers will find very useful. Students can listen, explore, discover, and create. Go to the blog section called music education to find it.
ARGY’S ARTS BLOG
Thank you to those who have gone to the blog and posted comments. I invite each of you to read those comments and participate in the conversation. http://mearts.edublogs.org/
Another topic… When I was in the classroom teaching daily I often felt that I had the best job in the world. This time of the year is a time for reflection… how fortunate we are to do the work of bringing the arts to students everyday. So, as an act of Thanksgiving please go to the blog and tell us one good piece of work you’ve been busy with and for which you are grateful.
To use the arts blog please follow these directions: Click on http://mearts.edublogs.org/ Each comment you see is a different topic that has been posted for you to read and/or respond to. At the bottom of the topic you see the number of “comments”. Click on the word “comments”. At the bottom of this page you need to fill in the boxes (not necessary to fill in “website” box) and in the large space type in your comment and than hit “Submit Comment”. The comment goes to me and I approve the comments before they can be posted.
HIGH SCHOOL THEATRE STUDENTS FIGHT HUNGER IN NATIONAL FOOD COLLECTION DRIVE
The International Thespian Society is a division of the Educational Theatre Association and has just completed its fifth year of its national community service initiative, Trick or Treat So Kids Can Eat. To learn more about this program please go to www.tots-eat.org
CONGRATULATIONS
I received an email from Joe Fagnant, Music Chairperson, MSAD #29, Houlton with great news…. $2.5 million will go towards the Houlton Community Arts Center and an expansion of the fine arts wing at Houlton High School. New space will be created for band, chorus, art, theater, and dance.
MEETINGS
Maine Band Directors Forum Sunday, Bowdoin College, January 20, the
Chapel (Room 106 - Bannister), from 2:00pm to 4:00pm.
CURRICULUM INTEGRATION
Here are two good sites for learning more about curriculum integration. http://www.tki.org.nz/r/integration/interact/communicate/faqs/faqs_e.php
http://www.rdpsd.ab.ca/~ted_hutchings/Integration
UPCOMING EVENTS
Take a look at the Center Theater website for upcoming offerings www.centertheatre.org
QUOTE OF THE NEWSLETTER
"Good noise means learning. Bad noise means the children are out of control. No noise means adults don't understand the nature of children."
- Harlen Hansen, University of Minnesota
