"I'm hoping you can help..."

Parents are willing to do anything to help their child in need of arts education. But very often they do not know where to turn or who can help them. If parents knew where to look, there are, actually, many resources out there to help them. Here is a blog about a parent's desire to help and some resources you can share with dedicated parents. The Power and Passion is Apparent.

Ten Things Every Teacher Should Know

From school of education experts to veteran teachers with decades of experience under their belts, eSchool News readers weighed in by the dozens with their best or most useful advice for beginning teachers. Based on these suggestions, here are the top 10 pieces of wisdom for those considering teaching (edited for brevity).
Every teacher of the arts could make additions or site examples... Have a wonderful 2011-12 school year!

JFK Partners in Education Program

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is accepting applications into its Partners in Education program, which facilitates educational partnerships between arts organizations around the nation and their local school systems.

·         Representatives from these organizations work together as Partnership Teams to establish or expand professional development programs in the arts for teachers.
·         Teams consist of one or two representatives from the arts organization and a representative from a local school system, such as a senior-level administrator responsible for professional development.
·         The team participates in an Institute that provides models and planning strategies for professional development programs in the arts for teachers.

·         Beyond the Institute, the program provides follow-up consultation and professional learning to assist teams in their continued development. 

·         The Institute is the beginning of the Partnership Team’s participation in the program and Teams are accepted based on their application.

·         The next Institute will take place April 25 through April 28, 2012 at the Kennedy Center inWashington, D.C.

                                                                                                  

For more information or to apply, please contact John Abodeely, 
202/416.8843 or visit www.kennedy-center.org/education/partners.  

Iowa Model of Excellence

Do you know a new arts educator? Would you be willing to mentor a new arts educator?

As part of the IAAE mentorship program, several great opportunities are available to new teachers during the first year of teaching, including the Fall Symposium for First Year Arts Teachers, to be held in Fort Dodge on October 29, 2011. The Iowa Alliance for Arts Education has developed a mentorship program for first and second-year arts educators in the state of Iowa. Each arts organization has a Mentorship Chair who coordinates the mentorship program.

This program is funded by a grant from the Department of Education to IAAE. As part of this program, active and retired arts educators have volunteered to observe first and second-year arts educators and offer suggestions for improvement. Mentors receive an honorarium for their work.

First-year Teacher
A $250 scholarship for professional conference attendance and/or membership dues.
Fall Symposium, meal and mileage paid. See brochure.
Observation Mentor Program, four visits

Second-year Teacher
Observation Mentor Program, two visits

Musical Brains and Old Age

While it is known that practicing music repeatedly changes the organization of the brain, it is not clear if these changes can correlate musical abilities with non-musical abilities. The study of 70 older participants, with different musical experience over their lifetimes, provides a connection between musical activity and mental balance in old age. “The results of this preliminary study revealed that participants with at least 10 years of musical experience (high activity musicians) had better performance in nonverbal memory, naming, and executive processes in advanced age relative to non-musicians.”

 Read more...

Thanks to West Music!

West Music of Coralville was one of the sponsors of the Governor's Education Summit. All IAAE members send our collective appreciation.  Steve was the only arts business who put his money where his passion is.