AIM  

AIM is free and is a great opportunity for classroom teachers, arts specialists, and instructional leaders to network with and learn from peers about arts integration.

Agenda

1.   Welcome and Introductions

2.   Integrated Thematic Teaching, Kathleen Holton, Seven Hills Charter

3.   Informal Shareout -Pioneer Valley Perfoming Arts

4.   Best Practice Roundtable

5.   Future Meetings/Collaborations/Opportunities

If more than one person is coming from your school, it is critical that you carpool.  Ten-twelve parking spaces are available in the lot at 51 Gage St. If you park on the street you will get a ticket.

If there is no space in the lot then park down the hill off Shrewsbury St or down the hill at the bank. 

Presentation

 Integrated Thematic Teaching

In this workshop, you will learn a wide variety of creative ways to integrate the arts in your classroom.  You will enjoy reviewing several successful classroom examples of arts integrated units.  In addition, you will understand the importance of collaboration and how to develop connections/partnerships that will enhance your arts infused units. 

Kathleen Holton is the Music Director at Seven Hills Charter Public School and teaches general music in grades 2-8.  She is also the choir director of a Show Choir at Seven Hills that has performed at over 300 events around the nation.  Some of their performances include televised performances with the Boston Pops, Sir Elton John and at the Democratic National Convention.  Some national performances included performances at the Presidential Portrait Gallery and Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C.,

Mrs. Holton has taught music for 15 years and also has a certification in Elementary Education.  She was nominated for a variety of awards including the "Visions Award/Telegram and Gazette" and "Disney Music Teacher of the Year." She  was awarded "Distinguished Music Educator of the Year"  by the Massachusetts Alliance Arts Education/part of the Kennedy Center Alliance for Arts Education in 2002.

Mrs. Holton is very successful in writing cross-curricular grants. She has created a variety of projects that develop successful partnerships within her community.  Last year, she produced the "H'Arts and Hope for Haiti" fund-raising event at Mechanics Hall.

Roundtable Lead-in

Seven arts and academic teachers from PVPA who have worked collaboratively on curriculum projects will describe their projects. Laura Davis  will talk about how this occurs logistically within a school, and how it can complement curriculum requirements instead of feeling like "extra."

 Laura Davis is the Director of Teaching and Learning at the Pioneer Valley Performing Arts Charter Public School (PVPA). Prior to working at PVPA, she was the Education Director at the Farmington Valley Arts Cen­ter in Avon, Connecticut and a consultant for arts-in-education programs such as the HOT Schools program at the Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism. Laura has a Master of Education degree in arts-integrated learning from Lesley University, a Bachelor of Arts degree from Tufts University in Social Psychology, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.