Empire
State Partnerships Professional Development Program
Summer
Seminar '06: July 16 - 20
From
July 16 – 20, 2006, over 340 arts-in-education professionals
gathered on the CW Post campus of Long Island University for the
10th Annual ESP Summer Seminar, a unique professional development
retreat. Participants explored the theme, "Thinking
Back, Looking Forward", through a variety of learning opportunities:
workshops, discussion groups, keynote address and plenary meetings.
Seminar attendees also met with consultants and planned for the
upcoming year, as part of their team and with their regional network
groups.
Goals of
Summer Seminar '06
The Seminar
aimed to provide its participants with opportunities …
To
develop a vision for re-culturing their ESP school culture,
especially around the role the arts will play in teaching and
learning.
To
plan strategically, using a backwards mapping approach, as part
of an ESP team and as individual.
To
make art that expresses their visions for the teaching and learning
in and through the arts.
To
pursue learning experiences that support their individual professional
development needs, in workshops, Peer to Peer discussions, consultations
and discussion groups.
To
recognize the impact that they, as individuals, have on school
culture and high student achievement in and through the arts,
through thoughtful dialogue and honest discussions.
To
learn about the work of their colleagues in the arts-in-education
field, including the history and accomplishments of the ESP program
from the past 10 years.
To
develop a renewed commitment to the work of arts-in-education.
All
photos are by Lorenzo Ciniglio, unless otherwise noted.
Thinking Back,
Looking Forward
The
theme of the ESP Summer Seminar in July 2006, Thinking Back,
Looking Forward, was based on two central concepts: creating
a vision for a school culture where the arts play a central role
in teaching and learning, and using “backward design” as
a strategic planning method for implementing that vision. Workshops,
a team learning activity, plenaries and keynote speakers were
all coordinated within this theme.
Arnold
Aprill (far right), ESP Faculty Member and the Executive
Director of the Chicago Arts Partnership for Education,
outlined techniques for documenting action research
in an arts education partnership.
Anne
Rhodes, Summer Seminar faculty member, guided participants
through a workshop on re-culturing the community
of a school.
Several
ESP Fellows and Summer Seminar Faculty used movement
to interpret a quotation about rebuilding school community
provided in “Third Space,” one of the
Seminar’s core texts.
During
her keynote address, Heidi Hayes Jacobs spoke about
the importance of technology and communication in creating
effective environments for teaching and learning.(photo
by Sami O'Keefe)
Richard Deasy, Director
of the Arts Education partnership, and co-author
of “Third Space: When Learning Matters,” one
of the Seminar’s core texts.
Doug
Herbert, Acting Chief of Staff for the Office
of Innovation and Improvement, US Department
of Education.
Sarah Cunningham, Director
of Arts Education for the National Endowment
for the Arts.
...
During a series of cumulative
workshops, artist, educator and community activist Brett
Cook (standing) lead Seminar participants through a process
of thinking about their own practice in the field of
arts in education, and developing a fascinating, captivating
installation.
A
core element of Summer Seminar, Peer to Peer Inquiry
Sessions allow participating teams to explore challenging
elements of their partnerships in a supportive, facilitated
format.
Participants
reviewed examples of student work from the Sonora
House/Montessori School 27 (Yonkers) partnership
as part of an inquiry about how to balance the
study an art form with the attainment of academic
requirements.
Christine
Goodheart (right),
Summer Seminar faculty, facilitated a Peer
to Peer session for the Antique Boat Museum/
Giardino Elementary School partnership, who
explored the issue of fundraising for their
project.
Like
most Peer to Peer groups, these people chose
to sit in a circle. During this session, they
engaged in a discussion about dissemination
practices for the Incollaboration/ Queens School
of Career Development/ PS79 partnership.
On
the evening of July 15, Seminar participants experienced
and enjoyed the creativity of students first hand. (photos
by Sami O'Keefe).
Student
dancers from the Center for Family Life in
Brooklyn presented a selection of dance styles
from around the world, including stately Japanese
dance, athletic capoeira from Brazil (above),
...
...
and high energy hip hop from the US.
Students
from PS144 (Queens) performed a scene from their
original musical addressing prejudice and stereotypes.
Scenes
taken from or inspired by “Hamlet” were
staged by student actors from Chelsea High School
in NYC.
------ At the opening night
reception in the Hillwood Art Museum, Summer
Seminar participants enjoyed art work created
by students at several ESP schools from across
New York State.
Amy
Chase Gulden, an ESP Fellow (right), provided
a hands-on workshop demonstrating multiple
uses of sketch books in the classroom.
At
the Seminar’s award banquet, known affectionately
as the “Sum Semmies,” Julia Ashworth,
ESP Program Associate, and Eva Grzesik, ESP
Intern, were among several pairs of presenters
of awards. (photo:
Kim Ilardi)
How
do people teach and learn at the ESP Summer Seminar? Images
of Teachers, Artists and Administrators Engaged in Authentic,
Meaningful Professional Development
... 
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