You're Invited to Explore the Intersection of Percussive Dance and Math!

Please join us for the next Artist to Artist professional development opportunity offered in conjunction with a quarterly Teaching Artist Journal (TAJ) Resource Exchange design team meeting on Wednesday, August 21 at the Perpich Center for Arts Education in Golden Valley, MN.

For this particular professional development opportunity we have our TAJ colleague presenting, Malke Rosenfeld, who is an experienced independent teaching artist and editor/curator of TAJ's ALT/Space. This is a chance for us to widen the Artist to Artist network, deepen our relationship with another TAJ colleague, and to learn from and contribute to the development of Malke's  innovative program. Malke's collaboration with math education specialist Jane Cooney has given her particular insight and experience into the intersection of percussive dance and math and how her art form can be authentically integrated into deep math learning in the classroom (mathinyourfeet.com).  In addition to Malke, we will also hear from teaching artist Peyton Scott Russell and review compelling student work from an Ordway education program and an interdisciplinary MPS collaborative project. Session details below.

Session 1 -  9:30 am – 12:30 pm to be held in the Perpich Center Arts High School building (check in at front desk).

Join fellow teachers and artists as we review Malke's Math in Your Feet program. Malke will present her program and some lesson examples and we will have the opportunity to offer her our feedback and response. This will set the stage for an in-depth consideration of what strong interdisciplinary arts programming looks like. We will consider elements of her program design and how it pertains to our own practice as educators and teaching artists no matter our art form or area of expertise. What kind of depth is needed to create arts integrated programming? How do we as teaching artists and educators effectively share our work with others in professional development settings? What can we learn about our own work and each other's when we review a specific resource and engage in structured lesson analysis? 

Session 2 -  2:00 pm – 5:00 pm to be held in the Perpich Center's Gaia Building (check signage at door)

We will review a range of student work in graffiti art, contemporary dance and multiple art forms--including work that Malke has collected in her program--all with an eye toward developing our ability to effectively document and assess our own teaching and the resulting student work in meaningful ways—no matter in what art form we work. 

Come prepared to experience some interesting, high quality exemplars in arts learning and to meet and connect with colleagues new and old. Learn more about opportunities for you to contribute to the Teaching Artist Journal. We'll have refreshments! It will be fun! (and of course highly educative).

Both sessions are being offered free of charge thanks to the collaborative sponsorship of the Teaching Artist Journal and the Perpich Center for Arts Education, with additional in-kind support from Minneapolis Public Schools, and the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts, and members of the independent Artist to Artist network. 

Please let Becca know (beccabarniskis@gmail.com) if you plan to attend one or both sessions. And as we move forward with continued Artist to Artist and TAJ programming for 2013-14, we welcome your input on topics, resources and presenters for upcoming sessions. Please email us with your thoughts and ideas. New artists and educators are always welcome at any time.

We hope to see you on Wed. August 21!