The 4th Basic Arts Institute 2007

Learn • Participate • Create

First Event:  Sunday, July 22 •  5:30 – 8 p.m. Welcome Dinner and Institute Overview • Lake Room, Mourant Building Institute Sessions •  July 23 – August 3 • begin  Monday,  July 23  • 8:15 a.m.  • Continental Breakfast • Glacier View Room • Egan Classroom wing Room 222
Welcome to the 4th  BASIC ARTS INSTITUTE

This year 40 K- 12 educators will participate July 22- August 3 at the UAS campus in Juneau. We hope that through your experiences this summer you feel inspired to use the arts to help increase your students motivation, enthusiasm and learning.

The institute is modeled on the research-based and highly successful institutes offered by other Alaska Consortia. Our Institute mixes art activities, reading, research, discussion, and standards-based effective teaching strategies with lots of active participation. A team of skilled artists and educators, paired with visiting "guest artists" and Alaska Native Elders provide you with a memorable experience this summer.

The two-week Institute was made possible through a federal grant to a partnership between the Lower Kuskokwim School District (LKSD) and the Alaska Arts Education Consortium (AAEC).  Our goal is to provide a unique opportunity for Alaska educators to develop and expand their local arts education programs and to learn new ways of integrating the arts across the curriculum.  Thank you for joining us. We know from past participants that this can be a life changing experience for you and your students.

BASIC ARTS INSTITUTE • 2007

Contact: Cristine Crooks, Institute Coordinator
2124 Second St., Douglas, AK 99824
phone/fax: 907-364-2290 • ccrooks@gci.net

INSTITUTE GOALS

• Increase the capacity of K- 12 teachers to provide high quality, arts education, linked to reading and writing strategies.
• Increase the performance of students in Reading, Writing and Visual/Dramatic Arts and improve student attitude toward school through direct instruction and active involvement in the arts
• Increase family/community engagement in schooling through participation in Arts/Literacy Activities
• Train and support a cadre of arts educators as a statewide leadership team, in order to sustain the role of the arts in Alaskan schools

SYLLABUS

The Basic ARTS Institute is offered for 3 UAS credits. It is available at a 193 level for educators who are not teachers. Teachers should register for a 593.

At the completion of the Institute participants will

• Learn how to integrate the arts (visual, drama, culture) into their school and classroom curriculum
• Understand the impact of the arts on student performance, motivation and attendance
• Understand (through personal experience) how to create, critique and use an art form of their choosing in their classroom.

The Basic Arts Institute will

• Cover the fundamentals
• Connect to the big picture
• Have teachers teaching teachers
• Be noteworthy and credible
• Re-energize teachers, not be a cookbook
• Create a cadre of teachers with common experiences
• Help teacher differentiate between producing art and creating art.

TOPICS

• Assessment in the arts
• Brain research, as it relates to learning
• Elements and principals of visual art
• Fundamentals of drama and storytelling
• Models for arts integration (all grades, subjects)
• Yupik and Tlingit culture, art, and history

INSTITUTE PROJECT

During the Institute you will design an integrated unit for your classroom based on discussions and ideas from the Institute. You can create a new unit or further develop a unit you already teach. You may also work in a team to complete the required documents. A Unit overview and lesson plan format is provided in this packet to give you a sense of what will be requested. We will explain this during the Institute. Time will be provided for you to work on this project, but much of it will be done as homework during the evenings. Your work during the Institute will be easier if you think now about a subject that you will likely be teaching next year. Administrators can also think about something they will be doing next year (even staff meetings!) that can become more effective when the arts are added.

COURSE EXPECTATIONS

You are expected to be at class on time, be prepared and participate. This means having your readings and any accompanying assignments completed on time as well as actively participating in group discussions and presentations.

GRADING POLICY

INSTITUTE DAILY SCHEDULE  (proposed)

SNACKS/ BEVERAGES

We encourage participants to provide their own favorite beverages. Individuals or groups may wish to sign up to provide snacks to the group during the week. The student center has a good espresso stand (Spikes) and the cafeteria has brewed coffee and teas available all day long. We will provide you with an Institute water bottle, and a source for hot and cold water.

Meet your Teacher Leaders

Theresa Arevgaq John, Traditional Alaska Native Arts: Theresa was raised in the traditional Yup’ik Eskimo village of Toksook Bay. She has performed Native songs and dances worldwide at events such as the International Inuit Circumpolar Conference.  She is pursuing a PhD with Second Language Acquisition Teacher Education Program at University of Alaska Fairbanks. She has been an Assistant Professor at UAF, Dept. of Alaska Native and Rural Development for five years.  Contact her at: lftj@uaf.edu
Ryan Conarro, Drama and Theatre: Ryan is an actor, director and arts educator living in Juneau. He’s performed with Perseverance Theatre in Juneau and on national tour with New York’s Aquile Theatre Company. He’s worked with the artists in schools program throughout the state and has also traveled in Western Alaska as a reporter for Nome’s KNOM radio. He earned a BFA in theatre and English from New York University. Contact him at: rconarro@hotmail.com
Gail Baker, Visual Arts: Gail is a classically trained artist who creates paintings, assemblages, leather masks, and sculpture in her studio.  She graduated from the University of Washington with a BA in philosophy, questioning the why and wherefore of art and life. In 2000, she received an MA in The Psychology of Creative Expression from the Institute of Transpersonal Studies in Palo Alto, CA. As an artist in the schools in Homer and other parts of Alaska her goal is to explore the playful, rich experience of creative process. She does not travel without her cohort Mr. Imagination. Contact her at: makefaces@alaska.net
Nancy Douglas, Tlingit Traditional Arts and Culture:  Nancy was born and raised in Sitka, Alaska.  She learned from her mother and the elders who taught at the Sitka Native Education Program the value of learning and sharing traditional knowledge.  She is the team leader for the Tlingit Culture, Language and Literacy Program in the Juneau School District, a program she helped establish. Contact her at douglasn@jsd.k12.ak.us
Lorrie Heagy, Research and Integration: Lorrie lives in Douglas and is a music teacher and librarian at Glacier Valley Elementary School. She teaches a MAT course at UAS in elementary education emphasizing philosophy, differentiated learning, brain research and arts integration. She has a Waldorf teaching certificate, Master’s in Elementary Education, BA minor in Music Education, piano concentration. Contact her at: loralie_heagy@jsd.k12.ak.us

Institute Support Staff

Cristine Crooks: Institute Coordinator: Cristine lives in Douglas and is retired from the Juneau School District. She was a teacher, principal and district administrator. She is an educational consultant focused on ways to increase the arts in classrooms in Alaska. She volunteers with youth art programs at the Alaska State Museum and creates watercolor and pastel paintings with the Plein Rain art group. She has developed art related websites such as: Alaska’s Gold, Quilts of Alaska, Eight Stars of Gold, and AKART. Contact her at: ccrooks@gci.net,  phone/fax: (907) 364-2290
	Annie Calkins: Institute Evaluator: Annie lives in Juneau and has been retired from the Juneau School District for eight years where she was Curriculum Director and Assistant Superintendent. She served as the AK Dept. of Education’s Language Arts Director for many years and worked extensively with the Breadloaf School of English and the Alaska State Writing Consortium.  She has been an Arts education advocate for over 25 years. She is currently an educational consultant, evaluator and grant writer. Contact her at: calkinsa@alaska.com phone: (907) 789-3486/ fax: 789-5800

Websites for Institute Information

Things for You To Do this Spring

COLLECT STUDENT WORK EXAMPLES TO BRING IN JULY

Before you leave your classroom this year: Select one or two examples of your students’ arts experiences that you can bring to the Institute to show us. The examples may represent any art form. It’s OK to bring a photograph or good copy of the work (please make photos 4x6 or larger). We are looking for the sort of projects and work your students are currently doing. Work that was completed during a unit of study is especially helpful. We will be sharing these on Monday, July 22.

COURSE REGISTRATION DUE JUNE 1 (OPTIONAL)

If you wish to receive 3 credits for this course, you will need to complete the registration form, pay $90 (check or enter credit card information) and return it to us. ALSO, once you are registered for the course you cannot be withdrawn. If you are uncertain about attending please call and talk to Cristine at (907) 364-2290.

THINK ABOUT A TEACHING UNIT AND LESSON (lavender paper)

One of the Institute requirements is that you plan a teaching unit for the coming school year that incorporates the arts into the work. A sample blank lesson plan and unit overview chart is included in the packet to help you begin thinking about this requirement. If you have a non-teaching assignment, think about your job assignment and how the arts can improve presentations, etc.

Past participants recommend: “Try and decide BEFORE you come about what thematic unit you will develop. Think about the topic and the other subjects you want to integrate. It will make the work go much smoother if you can decide beforehand.”

Optional AUDIO CONFERENCE April 25 • 4:30 – 5:30 p.m.

We will provide a short audio conference providing an opportunity for you to hear about the Institute and ask general questions. The audio will help clarify what you should bring to the Institute and what we will be doing. If you cannot make the audio, we will post the notes and information from the audio on our website: http://pec.jun.alaska.edu/arts  This is a TOLL FREE NUMBER

Call: 1-877-234-0809, your code is 101, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 25, 2007 4:30 – 5:30 P.M.

Things for You To Do this Summer

SUMMER READING

Three books are required reading for the summer to prepare you for the Institute. Libraries, books stores or online book stores (like Amazon.com) are good sources. You can share the books. Bring them to the Institute, if you can.
1. Teaching with the Brain in Mind, Eric Jensen, ASCD, Alexandria, Virginia, 1998. ISBN –0-87120-299-9 (paperback) Used copies are available inexpensively at Amazon.com (est. $23)

2. Art with the Brain in Mind, Eric Jensen, ASCD, Alexandria, Virginia, 2001, ISBN: 0871205149 (paperback) Used copies are available inexpensively at Amazon.com ($13 used)

3. Agayuliyararput: Kegginaqut, Kangiit-Ilu : Our Way of Making Prayer: Yup'Ik Masks and the Stories They Tell (Paperback) by Ann Fienup-Riordan (Editor), Marie Meade (Translator) ($22)

Optional Books:
Out of Our Minds: Learning to be Creative (Paperback) by Ken Robinson. "'By mid-century, computers will be linked directly into our nervous system via nanotechnology, which is so small it could connect to every neuron in our..." ($19)

The Tlingit: An Introduction To Their Culture And History by Wallace Olson. 1991. Published by Heritage Research. (This may be hard to find, but well written and a great resource.) ($8 used)

How can we reach you this summer?

We may send you emails during the summer. If you have a different summer email address, be sure to note that on the registration form. Or email Cristine an update. ccrooks@gci.net

Philosophy is said to begin in wonder and ends in understanding.

 ART departs from what has been understood and ends in wonder.

-John Dewy

Information about Juneau

WEATHER AND WHAT TO WEAR

The Institute will be held on the UAS campus. Some of our activities will be outside and those who are in the UAS housing will walk for about 10 minutes to campus. We recommend that you dress in layers so you can adjust. Juneau is a rain forest and it will rain. The average summer days are in the 60's with many days reaching into the high 70's and low 80's so dressing in layers is the key to being comfortable. A light shirt, short sleeved, makes an excellent first layer. Over that, something for warmth like a sweatshirt, wool sweater or fleece pullover. The ideal outer layer is light waterproof jacket. Some people like umbrellas. Most just have a hood on their jacket and a waterproof backpack. Layers should be lightweight and easy to remove depending on weather changes or your activity. Don't forget shorts or sleeveless shirts for those warm days! Comfortable footwear is a must, and if you plan to be out on the beach or hiking in the woods, waterproof boots are the best choice. There are mosquitoes and small biting bugs called “no-see-ums”. Bring bug goop and sun block. Look for more information about Juneau from the Juneau Chamber of Commerce. Check out their website at www.traveljuneau.com .

TECHNOLOGY ON CAMPUS

When you are on campus for the Institute you will have access to the Internet at the University computer lab via a free wireless Internet. We encourage you to bring your own laptop computers. There will be a few computers available for checkout. There is also a computer lab that you will have access to for Internet and work.

First Event: Welcome Dinner

On Sunday, July 22nd we will have a welcome dinner from 5:30 p.m. – 8 p.m. in the Lake Room (.5 miles away from housing, on campus, #6 on the campus map.) This will be a pleasant sit-down dinner but do not feel that you must get dressed up. Please return the green card and let us know what type of meal you prefer. (subject to catering availability)

Information for TRAVELERS

Please make your own travel arrangements by June 25 (to get the best prices and schedules) and plan to arrive in Juneau by 2 p.m. on Sunday, July 22 and leave no earlier than 5 p.m., Friday, August 3.

How much will be reimbursed?

AIR FARE: We are excited to have you join us for the Institute. In an effort to help as many people travel on grant funds as possible we need your help get the best airfares.
The cost of a 21-day advance non-refundable fare will be the basis for your reimbursement from your school village or town to Juneau. In some cases, for folks who are traveling from the lower 48 back to their school, this may not be the entire cost of your ticket. However, if you make a reservation that includes a stopover in Juneau on your return flight, it will probably be the least expensive option. Bring your travel receipts to the opening dinner and we will work with you to get you a check as fast as possible. Cristine needs a copy of your airline ticket that shows the price of the ticket prior to issuing a reimbursement check. Cristine is happy to help you figure out the travel. Only Alaska Airlines flies into Juneau, but they have many convenient flights.

FERRY: You cannot drive directly to Juneau; you must use the Alaska Ferry System from Haines or Skagway. Please indicate on the Travel form that you are driving and Cristine will work with you.

Fill in the attached TRAVEL PLANS form and return it to Cristine with your registration by June 1, if possible. This will help us estimate costs for the Institute. Thanks! (Remember you must make your travel plans by June 25. You will get a better flight the sooner you make the reservation. )

CHECKLIST OF THINGS TO DO BEFORE THE INSTITUTE

(Please read the entire newsletter for complete details)
On April 25
Optional: Participate in an audio conference April 25, 4:30 –5:30 Call: 1-877-234-0809, code 101 Notes from the audio will be posted on the website: http://pec.jun.alaska.edu/arts

By June 1: Return the following in the enclosed envelope

• Completed Course Registration (white)
• Completed Housing Registration (pink)
• Completed Travel Plan (blue) as complete as possible
• Completed Dinner Preference, green card.
• Completed PRE-INSTITUTE EVALUATION to Annie Calkins, our evaluator. You can email it back, if you prefer. It will be emailed it to you in April 2007 and be online at http://pec.jun.alaska.edu/arts

For more information on the Alaska Arts Education Consortium, contact Cristine Crooks (907-364-2290 • ccrooks@gci.net)

© 2008 Alaska Arts Education Consortium