You are invited to join Rob Westerberg (Choral Director at York High School) and me and our Guests on our webinar on Wednesday, January 4 at 3:30 pm. The topic promises to inspire a lively exchange: “An Elementary Discussion: How in the World Can I Possibly Do This? Addressing the Unique Needs of Elementary Arts Educators”. This will be the fourth of five webinars on arts assessment, as part of the Maine Arts Assessment Initiative.
The discussion will survey participants about the challenges of doing arts assessments at the elementary level. After all, how can anyone expect that teachers will be able to teach and assess student work when they see 400 students for 40 minutes per week? Amazingly, arts educators are doing it and finding ways that make a difference for kids. Rob and I will facilitate a discussion with our guests, Alice Sullivan (music educator), Shannon Campbell (visual art educator) and Barb Packales (music educator), on the unique challenges to teaching and assessing student work in elementary school, the advantages of assessing the work, and ways to implement quick, do-able and proven strategies that help improve student learning in the arts.
Argy Nestor, Visual and Performing Arts Specialist at the Maine DOE, will also participate and provide her perspective on arts assessment and how to move forward. Lots of resources will be shared. There will also be information on graduate level courses (provided by the New England Institute for Teacher Education) where participants can take their knowledge and practice of arts assessment to a new level.
To join the meeting, go online to http://stateofmaine.adobeconnect.com/pk201012/ (sign in as “guest”). Conference Number: 1-866-910-4857, Passcode: 140893 Hope to see you there!!
