TECHNOS

July 4, 2009

Technos e-Zine

February 2006—Vol. 3, No. 2

Welcome to the technos.net e-newsletter, published by AIT’s Technos Press. You’ll find valuable information here about AIT products and services and other noteworthy news from the world of education. Please let us know what you think, or what you’d like to see here, by emailing us at: editor@ait.net. Thank you!

Featured Interview

R. Maria Marable-Bunch, Associate Director, Teacher Programs, Department of Museum Education, The Art Institute of Chicago

If you haven’t been to The Art Institute of Chicago, you’re missing out on a wealth of international art treasures and possibly one of the best museum educational services to teachers and parents alike. It offers Teacher and Student Programs, as well as Family Programs and exhibits. But even if you can’t take your pupils or children to The Art Institute of Chicago in person, you can access its extensive Web resources offered online at www.artic.edu/aic/students/trc/index.html. Within the Art Institute’s Education Department and Teacher Programs is the Elizabeth Stone Robson Teacher Resource Center—and the person overseeing this area is Ms. R. Maria Marable-Bunch, associate director of Teacher Programs. She manages a staff of six who publish lesson plans and other materials to support art education in the classroom. Maria also helps to coordinate a large group of volunteer docents who dedicate their time to enhancing the educational offerings at the Art Institute. Technos spoke recently with Ms. Marable-Bunch about the programs and services that the Art Institute offers to teachers, parents, and students.

T: Tell us about the teacher materials. How do you find the teachers who submit materials to the Resource Center? And what types of programs do you offer?

R.M.M-B.: Like most of the museums in Chicago, we offer an array of teacher programs: Workshops, for instance, one-day and three-day programs; and we do in-services, when the principal of a school might arrange for a group of teachers to do a professional development day here at the Art Institute. We also do special events, such as our annual open house program, when we highlight what we’re offering for the year, including possibly a special exhibition. We also do another annual event, called Art Volunteers in the Classroom, AVIC, which is geared toward parents and teachers. Both the open house and AVIC will occur in October or November.

Who are the AVIC volunteers?

The participants are parents and teachers in the classroom, who often find what we’re teaching the parents can be useful for them. At the same time, we’re addressing a need that the parents have to go back and help in the classroom—especially at schools that may not have an art teacher, but the regular classroom teacher will allow a parent volunteer to come in and do a lesson, say, once a month about a particular work of art. Several area schools have an active volunteer in the classroom program.

A lot of schools have had to cut art and music programs because of budget constraints.

Yes. The AVIC program is one way of being able to continue having something happening in the schools that is focused on the arts. And it’s a very popular program. We have the regulars who come every year, and then they bring other new volunteers with them.

When they come in for the AVIC, what happens?

First, we produce materials for them, based on a particular work of art, which include background information, suggested activities, a lesson plan, vocabulary, bibliography, and a poster for the classroom. The Teacher Programs staff generates these materials, and occasionally we’ll get some input from other staff members within the Museum Education Department—so it becomes a team effort. The program consists of a lecture by one of the museum’s lecturers or curators; education staff “models” how to present the materials in a classroom setting; and the volunteers and teachers have the opportunity to network and share ideas.

You mentioned the Museum Education Department…

Yes. I should explain to you the organization of our Museum Education Department. It consists of five major divisions: Teacher Programs, Student Programs, Family Programs and Interpretive Exhibitions, Adult Programs, and Performance Programs. The department has 35 staff members.

Read the entire interview.

Featured Article

Art Institute of Chicago Features Teacher, Student, Family Programs through Department of Museum Education

The Art Institute of Chicago was named No. 1 on CHILD Magazine’s “Ten Best Art Museums for Kids” List in the March 2006 issue. And for good reason.

Family Programs at the Kraft Education Center include The Artist’s Studio (held on Saturdays and Sundays); Weekday Program for Preschoolers; Mini Masters and Family Workshops (both held on Saturdays); Drawing in the Galleries (Sundays); and the continuing Touch Gallery and Faces, Places, and Inner Spaces. Plan your visit online here: http://www.artic.edu/aic/kids/parenttips.html (includes follow-up activities).

If you can’t get to The Art Institute of Chicago in person, you can access the wealth of materials from its collections and research at the following Web sites…

Online Resources

You can find more online educational resources from the Art Institute at http://www.artic.edu/aic/students/onlinelearning.html, including:

Art Explorer
A new educational resource in 2006 is the Art Explorer, an online gallery of Impressionist and Postimpressionist masterpieces in The Art Institute. Search 250 artworks by artist name, title of artwork, subject matter, keyword, and other criteria. Includes video clips, artist biographies, online games, and classroom resources—and the Art Explorer’s Scrapbooks.

Read the entire article.

What’s New at AIT?

Lessons ALIVE—Free Online Lesson Plan Features AIT’s Science Offerings for February

AIT’s new Lessons ALIVE feature provides free lesson plans corresponding to AIT’s products. We plan to provide teachers with ideas for going beyond our videos’ teacher guides and for developing lesson plans that combine media from different series or select segments from programs. The lesson plans highlighted in Lessons ALIVE will promote contemporary ideas about structured learning environments and will model best practices in teaching.

For our premiere Lessons ALIVE, see Liberty vs. Safety: An American Dilemma, a lesson plan utilizing two of our social studies programs for grades 7–12:

Human Rights: Youth Perspectives, program #1, “Japanese American Internment Camps”
TRACKS: Impressions of America, program # 5, “INDEPENDENCE!”

We want to hear from teachers who have created their own unique lesson plans, so we invite you to submit lesson plan ideas or formal lesson plans to the Technos e-Zine editor at: editor@ait.net. Selected entries will be published in future issues of the e-Zine.

Tech Notes

Best of the Education Blogs Easy to Find Online

By Elaine Larson, AIT’s Director of Education

The Pew Internet study estimates that about 11%, or about 50 million, of Internet users are regular blog readers. According to Technorati data, there are about 70,000 new blogs a day. Bloggers—people who write Weblogs—update their Weblogs regularly; there are about 700,000 posts daily, or about 29,100 blog updates an hour.

Weblogs dedicated to education and technology for teaching are proliferating, and there are scores of outstanding blogs. If you haven’t entered this blogging realm yet, grab a cup of coffee and dive in. Some recent “finds” in this trend are described here. These blogs provide opportunities for discussion of issues, compiling of news about education trends, links to a wealth of valuable Web resources, and practical ideas for teaching. Topics are far ranging—from education in general to the use of blogs themselves as teaching tools.

A note on the evaluation of education blogs: As with all other resources, especially new Web resources and innovations, blogs should be read with a critical eye. Some highly regarded education blogs are cited below—blogs that win awards, are authored by educators with outstanding credentials, and get cited positively by those “in the know.” But blogs are mostly still opinion pieces. The democratic nature of blogging, however, is that every post by the blog author is open for discussion. Sometimes that discussion challenges the opinions of the author; sometimes it affirms them. At the very least, education blogs foster the sort of open discussion of education issues that educators agree is essential. This is probably the best outcome of the blogging experience.

Before that, however, we offer some basic information about Weblogs—the “what” and “how” of them. Although this information isn’t new, it’s still current and relevant to blogging today.

Read all of Ms. Larson’s article.

etc. (News You Need)

TeachersCount: Learn a Thing Or Two is an online support group of sorts for Teachers, “Wannateach-ers,” “Teacher Boosters,” and those who are “Just Curious” about teaching—with Web pages for each group. Results have been released for a poll that ran from Nov. 28, 2005, to Jan. 5, 2006, in which visitors to TeachersCount.org answered the question, “Should intelligent design, the theory of evolution, or both be taught in public schools?” Of all respondents, 40.8% said only the theory of evolution should be taught; while 9.6% said that only intelligent design should be taught; and 45.3% thought both theories should be taught in public schools. Visitors—teachers and non-teachers alike—can participate in other polls and honor teachers, including by sharing Featured Teacher Stories, at the TeachersCount Web site.
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs—GEAR UP grants from the U.S. Department of Education—will offer up to $7 million to school districts to support early college preparation for underprivileged K–12 students. The application deadline is March 9.
Funding from the New York Life Foundation allowed Public Education Network (PEN) and its member local education funds (LEFs) in Minneapolis, San Francisco, and Tampa to update and refurbish library media centers in four high schools. The Revitalizing High School Libraries (RHSL) initiative has increased the number of students reading more for fun as well as for class. Survey results suggest that students are talking more about books and reading with family and friends — behaviors which are strongly associated with higher reading and academic achievement. Many students across all schools report increased reading levels, and especially greater comprehension and use of new vocabulary. Read the report published by PEN, titled “Adolescents Read!.”
Read an informative background article about children and depression published in the Seattle Times (Feb. 1, 2006). “When Kids Can’t Shake the Blues,” by Cara Solomon, points out that there are serious risks that come with depression. Most children who suffer from it also have another mental disorder, whether it’s related to substance abuse or anti-social behavior. Depression is also a significant risk factor for suicide, particularly among girls. Even as awareness of childhood depression grows, there is still some question about how best to treat it. A list of resources, including the Web site for the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance, offer more information on the topic.
Our friends at the George Lucas Educational Foundation (GLEF) extend an invitation to our Technos e-Zine readers to visit the Edutopia Exhibit Hall. It showcases professional-development materials for educators and “leading-edge tools” for teaching, engaging, and assessing students from some of the biggest names in educational tools and technology. Relevant information is provided in white papers, videos, and case studies sections of the Web site. One caveat: “Exhibit Hall content is paid advertising.” GLEF’s Edutopia Magazine can be found here: http://www.edutopia.org/magazine/index.php.
An article by Stan Levenson in the February 2006 American School Board Journal, “The Big Gift,” points out the shortcomings of fundraising efforts on behalf of public schools in most communities. His research shows that major-gift donations in the form of capital campaigns and planned giving are a vast untapped resource for education on the local level. While most school boards and school-district residents think their tax dollars should cover all building, salary, and instructional necessities, the reality of the situation is often the opposite. Mr. Levinson, who is a fundraising consultant to public schools, offers suggestions for development on a larger scale for public schools and a list of helpful reading resources.

AIT Products & Services

In honor of Black History Month, we remind you of some of AIT’s stellar social studies programs. For more information, including pricing and shipping info, go to the catalog—or call AIT’s Customer Service Department at 1-800-457-4509 to order.

America Past Take students to the Erie Canal, Walden Pond, Jamestown, Colonial Williamsburg, and Plymouth Plantation. Explore important themes in American social history that balance and complement the extensive coverage of political history found in most high school history texts. Sixteen 15-minute programs for grades 7–12. Program No. 9, “The Abolitionists,” and No. 16, “The Antebellum South,” are particularly relevant to Black History Month. Series, VideoKit, Teacher’s Guide available.
Tracks: Impressions of America is a standards-based upper elementary/middle school social studies resource that takes students on a journey of discovery through American history. The videos feature a pair of young adults who, through their summer travels, discover pieces of their country’s history from the time of its earliest pre-Columbian settlers through the technological revolution of the 20th century. The videos are designed as an interactive experience: questions, challenges, and revelations encountered by the two main characters are used as prompts to stop the tape and discuss, explore, speculate, or investigate. Twelve 15-minute programs for grades 4–8. Free Tracks Web site provides sample video clips. Program No. 8, “Divided and United,” investigates the causes of the Civil War and its effects on the American people. Now being sold as a CD-ROM with Teacher’s Guide for only $35.96.
Geography in U.S. History investigates the relationship between geography and history, demonstrates how knowledge of geography contributes to historical understanding, and develops historical and geographical literacy. Help students place historical events and trends in the contexts of time and place, utilizing fundamental geographic themes as organizing principles. Provide students with the perspectives, information, concepts, and skills essential to understanding significant historical developments from 1787 to the present. Ten 20-minute programs for grades 9–12. Program No. 8, “Moving North to Chicago,” explores reasons for the migration of African Americans from the South to the North during the first half of the 20th century and identifies ways this movement changed the human characteristics of the city of Chicago. Assesses the positive and negative consequences for African Americans of their move to Chicago.
Front Row Center. In this series, students meet famous guest artists and lesser-known performers. They go backstage, are onstage, and sit in the audience. They learn about stage makeup, choreographed combat scenes, dance, and music — and discover the courage and commitment that drive performing artists. Seventeen 15-minute programs for grades 6–12. Program No. 8, “Lost in the Shuffle” highlights the roots of modern dance, which are traced to African tribal dance, Appalachian buck dancing, and Irish folk dancing. Individual programs sold for $89.00 each; one Teacher’s Guide costs $5.95; complete series with Teacher’s Guide is $995.00.
Music to My Ears is produced by Nashville Public Television and the Country Music Hall of Fame. It is a resource for music teachers at the middle and high school levels. The series has several goals. The most important is to encourage the viewer to become an active listener who employs careful observation and critical thinking in the art of listening. Secondary goals include 1) helping audiences make connections between concepts in music and other art forms, such as the visual or performing arts; 2) exposing students to a variety of musical styles and genres; and 3) introducing viewers to musical structure and terminology. Four 30-minute programs for grades 6–12. Program No. 4, “Zoom In, Zoom Out,” features the legendary a cappella group, Fairfield Four, and considers the question, “How can focusing on the details of music help the listener hear more of the big picture?”
Also: Don’t forget our new Educational Value Pack, which includes six VHS cassettes—51 minutes of instructional video in Art, Science, Math, and Language Arts—in a convenient presentation box for only $59.00. These videos provide an exceptional instructional value for K–1-grade students: Colora’s Colors (ten 90-second programs for Pre-K–K students)…Soda Shapes (thirteen 60-second programs for Kindergartners)…Cloudy Cloud (eight 60-second programs for K–1 students)…plus one complete program from our LetterTV literacy skills series (Letter TV I; II, Consonant Combinations; and III, Reading Rules) is included in our Educational Value Pack.

* Before you sign off here, be sure to check out the AIT Resources for Teachers & Students section of our main Web site. It provides linked resources for educators who use our products.

Read previous issues of the TECHNOS e-Zine.

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