ACTIVITIES

Project Workshops

July 12 - July 28, 1999
Summer Teacher Institute, 1999
IUPUI University Library, Indianapolis, IN.

Jill Taylor, Diana Rennels, Brownsburg Elementary, Brownsburg Community School Corporation	The Summer Teacher Institute was a big success. The teachers were wonderful and we all learned a lot from the experience. The teachers spent most of their time at the institute writing instructional designs which incorporate visual images. The student-centered projects integrate visual art into the regular curriculum as outlined in the Indiana State Proficiencies. Other activities of the institute fostered a closer awareness of the visual arts to reinforce instruction throughout the curriculum, and create new opportunities for connections to museums as learning resources. Networking with each other and sharing new learning experiences were other positive outcomes of the institute.
Guest presenter Larry Hurt, 1999 Indiana Teacher of the Year and visual arts instructor at Ben Davis High School at MSD Wayne Township, was one of the highlights of the Summer Teacher Institute. Larry provided new insight and strategies on how to bring the arts into the classroom setting. Larry demonstrated several activities with the teachers that they can use in the classroom with students to get the students "thinking" about art and feeling free to open up and discuss art. For the classroom teacher with very little background in art, this was very valuable. Larry demystified art and provided strategies for taking art out of the "art classroom" and bringing it into all classrooms for all students. He also discussed with them Abigail Housen's methodology and stage model of aesthetic development, Visual Understanding in Education, VUE.	Sherry Camden, Greenbriar Learning Community, Anderson Community School Corporation
Jason Lacey, Avon High School, Avon Community School Corporation	Another special activity was a visit to The Indianapolis Museum of Art. The teachers were shown the teacher materials and student kits available to all Indiana teachers, and how the IMA can be a rich resource to teachers as they implement instructional projects. Troy Smythe gave an excellent demonstration viewing a small group of paintings that can be used with students to discover information about a culture in a particular period and compared with another culture and period. This opens up discussion and opportunity for further research. We all found ourselves seeing different things, looking at a painting in different ways, finding different meanings or no meaning, but knowing that all of us had valid comments and something to contribute to the discussion. We want that same mutual respect of ideas and the freedom to express ourselves translated into similar activities in our classroom.
The distance learning opportunity via two-way audio/video technologies with The Cleveland Museum of Art was very valuable. The teachers saw many possibilities for future distance learning opportunities. During the school year the teachers will visit and experience more onsite activities with local museums such as the IMA, Eiteljorg Museum, The Children's Museum, and the Indiana State Museum. They will also explore distance learning opportunities with local museums and museums throughout the country. Some of the teachers want to expand the distance learning experience to schools in other states with a museum serving as host between the two. They saw several opportunities for museums, public libraries, and schools to collaborate on mutual projects.	Andrew Bales, Jackie McCracken, Belzer Middle School, MSD Lawrence Township
Laurie Gatlin, Stacy Ray, Plainfield High School, Plainfield Community School Corporation	The Art Institute of Chicago provided resource materials which were very helpful to the teachers for creating student activities in their instructional designs. The teachers will continue to journal and collect classroom information as they implement their instructional designs during the school year.

 

All Twelve Teachers at Summer Teacher Institute