Need To Know

ATA Board Member Russell Granet, who is a pioneer in the field of arts education and disability issues, hosts another installment in a series of useful webposiums for TAs. The first in the series, "Artists in Classrooms: The Role of the Teaching Artist", took place last year. It brought together TAs together from all over the world, and was sponsored, as is this one, by the DANA Foundation, leaders in the field of arts education research and funding.

Structured as a panel discussion, this latest webposium session will be streamed live, and viewers are invited to join in a Q and A at the end.

Not to be missed.

Details are below:

TEACHING ARTISTS & SPECIAL EDUCATION WEBPOSIUM

Friday, January 29, 2010

11:00-12:00 (CST) 12:00-1:00PM (EST)

What do teaching artists need to know, understand, and be able to do to achieve success in a self-contained or inclusion classroom?

Join us for an online discussion about the challenges and successes of working with students with disabilities.

The panel consists of artists and educators dedicated to making the arts accessible to all students. The panelists will discuss practical classroom strategies, lesson plan modifications, as well as the necessary questions to ask in order for everyone (artists, students, teachers, para-professionals, and administrators) to be successful.

Panelists include:

• Judith Jellison, Regents Professor of Music and Human Learning, Butler School of Music, University of Texas, Austin
• Allison Orr, Artistic Director, Forklift Danceworks, Austin, TX
• Sherry Snowden, Lecturer, Art Education, Texas State University
  

Moderator:

Russell Granet, Founder, Arts Education Resource

REGISTER NOW! Registration ends January 28 at 5:00pm

Good Teaching

As I've told you repeatedly, VSA Arts is in the business of creating a world where people with disabilities can "learn through, participate in, and enjoy the arts."

Visitors to their terrific website will find resources galore and some non-free things too, including this 5-module magic-box called "Express Diversity"; which encourages children to "ask questions, engage in discussions, and work toward a better understanding of each other." The program costs $75 plus $12 shipping. Surprisingly, $87 is more than many TAs make for a workshop.

(pause)

You could ask your employer to buy one for the office.

Here's the order form (PDF.)

Also: Liz Lerman Dance Exchange - Ferocious Beauty: Genome

The Support

In a case that will impact the lives of thousands of students with special needs, the Supreme Court is expected to decide, any day now, when public schools must reimburse parents for private-school tuition.

The New York Times has a report.

In the New York City public school system, District 75 provides support programs for students who are "on the autism spectrum, severely emotionally challenged, and/or multiply disabled."

Because I am not an expert and because I do not have access to certain information--like a student's individualized education plan, for instance--I may not know if there is a student in the class who is working with a disability. But I always assume there is someone and I try to meet everyone's needs by operating on the phrase "good teaching is good teaching"

One thing I do know is that I had professional development on these issues from one of my employers. I needed it. It's where I got the great aphorism. 

Also, it was free and useful--like good advice from a friend.

Go

VSA Arts is now accepting entries for Accelerate, a juried exhibition of visual art by emerging artists with disabilities.

Dance and Disability

Gimp is a modern dance company that confronts preconceptions about disability.

Wow.