This entry was written for ALT/space, online forum of the Teaching Artists Journal. I’ve been honored to be a contributor to the TAJ online exchange of ideas since last August, even as I’ve felt sort of odd-man-outish. Being a certified dance specialist, located in one school for the past fifteen years, my context is quite […]
Entries Tagged as 'standards'
“Meeting performance standards at this time, with steady progress”
November 20th, 2011 · 2 Comments · Uncategorized
It’s been 12 weeks since school started, and the dust is just beginning to settle. The term “ratchet up” came to me this last week, as associated with pressure. Such is the climate in education of late, midst educational reform, standardized testing, furlough days, and cries for teacher accountability. I’m wondering when — if — […]
Dance is to report card criteria as…
July 9th, 2011 · 1 Comment · Uncategorized
Colors are to numbers Dreams are to budgets Flow is to schedule… Such are possible analogies to highlight how jarring the idea of grades can be to dance specialists focused on inspiration, creativity & collaboration! My district, Seattle, recently decided to revise the reporting of the arts on the elementary report card. Previously, what’s been […]
Tags:assessment·logistics·standards·teaching·thinking skills
A single clear teaching point
January 10th, 2010 · 5 Comments · Uncategorized
With my classes cut to 30 minutes this year, it’s been more important than ever to define a single clear teaching point for each class, so I’ve taken to writing on the board the kernel of learning I want the kids to grasp. I start with it, I teach to it, & I end with […]
ArtsTime All the Time
March 3rd, 2009 · 2 Comments · Uncategorized
If you live at the intersection of art and education, somewhere in Washington State, consider finding your way to Tukwila on March 20 & 21. Perhaps Tukwila’s not where you thought to go for a refreshing break, but it’s the site of ArtsTime, a biennial professional development conference with an extensive menu of workshops in […]
Tags:assessment·choreography·curriculum integration·PD·standards·teaching
FAQ: Teaching dance in a public school
February 20th, 2009 · 4 Comments · Uncategorized
I’m contacted from time to time about dancers who are interested in teaching in the public schools, wondering how to do it and how I started. Here’s an answer to one such inquiry, with hopes that it might help others who are wondering… Inquiry from a dancer, after visiting my classroom: I was unaware that […]
Lesson Plan: Making Inferences about Culture
January 4th, 2009 · Comments Off · Lesson Plans
Grade Level: 5th Grade Enduring Understanding: We can make inferences about a culture from its dances. Target: Get the feeling of a culture by learning a cultural dance. Assessment criteria: Students navigate the dance successfully. Target: Make inferences about a culture after doing a cultural dance. Assessment criteria: Students guess at possible generalizations, supported by […]
Tags:culture·curriculum·curriculum integration·intermediate·lesson plans·standards·teaching·thinking skills
Space — an invitation to dance
October 11th, 2008 · 1 Comment · Uncategorized
A wide expanse. A clear, clean wooden floor. Sunlight from four high windows. The space invites movement. Kids rush in, sliding and cartwheeling. When it’s time to dance, they explode in all directions, running, dodging, leaping, careening almost out of control but mostly not. A few pick their way carefully through the channels of space […]
Space — getting along without it
September 28th, 2008 · Comments Off · Uncategorized
Dance requires space. Paradoxically, in order to make dance happen at all, dance educators spend a lot of energy trying to convincing people that it can happen in almost no space. And that’s somewhat true… When I taught 6th grade, my students danced between desks and leapt down the hallway between classrooms. On Friday afternoons, […]
Tags:anthills·outcomes·portable·problems·space·standards·teaching