Monday, July 31, 2017

SmartARTS: Art Integration in Greenville, SC

Congratulations to Sandra Warren who won "JUST FLY AWAY" from last week's giveaway.


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Some of you have seen my previous blogs about how I'm getting involved in the arts community in my new hometown, Greenville, SC. Today you'll get a glimpse into an amazing arts integration program sponsored by the Metropolitan Arts Council




When I first moved to Greenville, I looked for opportunities to teach writing and was excited to discover the Council's program of training artists to work with teachers in the classroom. An organization committed to enhancing content instruction through the vehicle of visual arts, drama, music, dance and writing? Sign me up! Based on my enthusiasm (and maybe because I wrote Teaching the Story: Fiction Writing in Grades 4-8), Gayla Day, Director of Arts Education, asked if I wanted to attend their summer training. That's like asking if I love chocolate!

Last week I participated in my first SmartARTS Institute, a four-day instructional event for teachers and teaching artist candidates. Our first day we considered the inquiry question, "What is Arts Integration?" True to the emphasis on experiential learning (students learn content more effectively when they are active physically, mentally, and emotionally) we were given a variety of tasks to perform. One activity was answering with a team "What is Arts Integration?" by ONLY considering sensory information. (My contribution was that it was like a smorgasbord or stir fry. The texture person thought it was like layering fabrics or weaving metal pieces into cloth). In small groups, we created tableaux to answer that same question by using only three words and one phrase: Noun, Verb, Adjective, and Prepositional Phrase. 

The dance class introduced us to a variety ways of moving through space using various body parts and then we choreographed small dances out of tableaux. In a group of four, two students received locomotion cards (examples: hop, gallop, slither, skip) and two non-locomotor (examples: whirl, explode, rise, jump). Our task was to first order the words and then create a tableau going from one word to another. Our group ordered reach, close, creep, and hustle. I'm proud to say we were the only group that created a story: a burglar reached for a open window, closed it, crept, and then hustled away. What a way to teach vivid verbs!

Tuesday we attended theater and music immersion workshops, as well as a session entitled "What is Inquiry?" 



We watched a powerful powerpoint about Hurricane Katrina and in groups of four created tableaux that showed what it looked like before, during, and after the storm hit. 

Here is one group's interpretation of during:


And after. 


After written reflections and group sharing we found out that the inquiry question for our "unit" had been, "What is community?"

We made books on Wednesday in the art immersion:






I enjoyed seeing the variety of ways the teachers covered their papers with color.  The facilitator's instruction that "there's no right or wrong" freed us all, even as we considered the elements of art we incorporated.


 Our instructor showed us how to fold, cut, and glue the 18x24 watercolor paper.

The end products were as diverse as the teachers themselves. The books could be used as a journal for a field trip, a repository of poems or stories, or a collection of recipes.

Throughout the art immersion classes the instructors gave examples of how to integrate their discipline into content areas. I heard about teaching fractions and a number timeline through music; how the Pythagorean Theorem could be applied to imagining, conceiving, and building a structure that would withstand an earthquake; how dance movements could teach South Carolina history; and how poetry could be used to explain science and reflect on history (think: layering meaning about light and dark times in history with the upcoming solar eclipse.) 

I watched Vera Gomez, the poet who I will shadow this fall, teach the writing immersion and then plan a unit with a second-grade teacher. I was impressed with how she responded to the teacher's goal (showing her students how to include more details in their writing) with a wide variety of written, art, and dramatic activities that will meet second grade standards.  


























In the role of student, I learned and practiced new concepts. I considered other art disciplines that will invigorate me as a writer. And I'm about to enter a new phase of teaching writing: becoming a teaching artist in the classroom. My brain is stuffed with new ideas that keep me awake at night.

I'm pumped! 





13 comments:

Linda Phillips said...

This sounds like such a great program and I'm glad you are "pumped." Greenville ought to be "pumped" to have you in the neighborhood now!

Carol Baldwin said...

Thanks, Linda. You're too sweet!

sheri levy said...

I am excited for you- This takes a special skill, and you are very good at breaking down the lessons and getting writers to create new ideas.
Have lots of fun and keep sharing!

Carol Baldwin said...

Thanks, Sheri. I loved it and can't wait to teach!

Rosi said...

Good for you for finding such a perfect program. Have fun!

Kathleen said...

Carol, I loved reading about your SmartArts institute experience! Using all your senses and movement to tell a story sounds like a creative way to fire up some new writing synapses in the brain. Thank you for sharing this because, I learned some things from just reading this post.I'm so happy for you and the students will be learning from a wonderful teacher as well.

Carol Baldwin said...

Thanks Rosi & Kathleen. I learned so much--glad you could glean something from my blog post, Kathleen!

Joyce Moyer Hostetter said...

All this excitement is no good for sleeping . But it's good for the soul! I'm thrilled you could do this and look forward to presenting dynamic workshops with you in the future!

You were made for this!

Carol Baldwin said...

Thanks, Joyce. Your comment made me smile. You know me well!

Mary said...

Carol, This sounds like a wonderful program! How lucky you all are in Greenville.

Carol Baldwin said...

Thanks, Mary. Yes, I'm blessed indeed!

Sandra Warren said...

Sounds like moving to Greenville was one of those "meant to be" situations.

Your enthusiasm is contagious. The program will be a success because of your involvement.

Carol Baldwin said...

Thanks, Sandra. The program is already a documented success. I'm just getting to tag along!

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