Education/Outreach

Professional Development for Teachers

In the spring of 2003, the Waterloo Community School System and UNI’s Gallagher-Bluedorn Performing Arts Center were amongst 12 teams of school systems and arts organizations selected nationally to participate in the Kennedy Center Partners in Education program. The primary focus of the program is to provide professional development for teachers with a special emphasis on the arts.

As members of the John F. Kennedy Center’s Partners in Education program we are committed to helping classroom teachers receive the best possible professional development available.  As we explore how children learn we become more convinced that teaching in, through and about the arts supports all student’s learning styles.  Integrating these teaching methods into all curriculum areas strengthens learning and promotes curiosity.  It helps reinforce the mastery of facts while encouraging creative and divergent use of those facts.  It helps to engage students’ minds, bringing them down paths of learning that they might have otherwise missed.

The purpose of the Partnership is to provide teachers and UNI education students a repertoire of teaching tools that integrate the performing arts and content areas. The tools will provide access to resources for meeting multiple learning needs of students and increase teaching effectiveness across the curriculum. Lastly, the partnership will support the development of broader, culturally active students and teacher actions.

2008-2009 Workshop Key:

A Dramatic, Creative Approach to Classroom Content - June 16 - 17

A Dramatic, Creative Approach to Classroom Content

For Teachers of Grades: PreK - 8

Drama is a powerful tool for enlivening student learning and forging connections across the curriculum.   But where do we start?  These sessions will introduce the beginning drama skills and teaching strategies along with avenues for connecting drama to other content areas.  Participants will experience “getting started” lessons that teach foundational drama tools and skills and set-up management protocols.  Then the group will delve into the question “What distinguishes arts integrated from arts enhanced instruction?”  Participants will work with colleagues to uncover characteristics of arts integration and how the information impacts their own arts integrated lesson designs.  The workshops will culminate with both enhanced and integrated examples connecting drama to language arts and social studies.  Presenter Karen Erickson works with the Kennedy Center’s professional development programs, in addition to serving as Executive Director of Creative Directions in Chicago. 

June 16 – 17, 2008

AEA 267 – Cedar Falls

Recertification and graduate credit available.  To register:

http://www.aea267.k12.ia.us/pd
AEA 267 offerings
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Look for “A Dramatic, Creative Approach to Classroom Content”

Program supported by Friends of the Gallagher-Bluedorn

This workshop was developed in association with The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and is partially underwritten by the U.S. Department of Education, the National Committee for the Performing Arts, The Kennedy Center Corporate Fund, and the Roger S. Firestone Foundation.