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Deer Isle-Stonington Schools: launching lifelong learners and
responsible citizens able to keep our island vital.
Opera House Arts and the Deer Isle-Stonington school district are proud to have been named one of 14 new national partners--the only ones in Maine--in 2007. We know that teachers are dynamic figures in students' experiences in school. Their influence on learning and attitutes is profound. Our new partnership is devoted to building on our area's unique creative heritage by using teaching artists to help teachers: enhancing professional opportunities to assist teachers in understanding the beauty, depth, and range of the arts; and to integrate artistic skills and practices into the curriculum; thereby working toward a model for the sustainability of small, rural schools.
- Download the 2008 brochure of professional development
- For more information on arts integration in our schools, click here
- Kennedy Center Partners in Education
- Deer Isle-Stonington Elementary School
of professional development events for teachers
January 28: "Moving ways to Read and Write About Images in West African Textile Art,"
With Cissy Whipp.
For Teachers of Grades 3-6.
In this workshop, Explore West African culture through its textile art, called Adinkra. The Adinkra symbols of the Ashanti people in Ghana represent attributes for which they strive: strength, wisdom, learning from mistakes, hope, truth, etc. In this worksop, explore ways to examine the symbols for these personal attributes and learnto guide student's movement and writing. Movement explorations are guided by an understanding of lines, levels, shapes, and pathways. Writing explorations involve use of synonyms, verbs, and modifiers for each symbol. The experience concludes when students combine their movement and writing into a culminating performance.
March 20 and 21: "Getting Started with Drama Integration, Part I, The Basics"
With Karen Erickson
For teachers of Grades 1-8
When learning to integrate drama with other subject areas, teachers often ask, “How do I begin?” This workshop provides an answer for teachers new to integrating drama or experienced teachers who are looking for alternative ways to integrate drama. Through simple movement activities and enacted story, participants learn to effectively set introductory management structures, build collaborative classroom communities, and introduce the tools of drama: body, mind, and voice. Story elements and the skills of self-management, imagination, and concentration are also explored. Drama is a powerful tool for learning and experiencing literature, history, science, and human interaction. The right beginning ensures success.
April 14: "Drama: The Missing Link in Teaching Literacy"
With Karen Erickson
For Teachers of Grades 1-8
In this workshop, teachers discover how to build vocabulary skills, improve reading comprehension, and expand writing techniques through drama integration. Participants explore ways to transform language arts lessons into active, student-centered explorations of story elements, word choice, fluency, comprehension, writing, and characterization through drama strategies such as expressive movement, ensemble, story dramatization, and character development. Participants learn about activities that develop teamwork and creative problem solving skills in students through activities that help improve grammar, predicting, inferring skills, and adding details to writing assignments.
