Month: July 2020

Museum of Fine Arts – Looking for Feedback

How the MFA can support Teachers and Students?

The Museum of Fine Arts continues to bring students and educators together with art for vital learning, even if they are not able to gather in the galleries. Drawing on their expertise and (very handy!) years of experience teaching over Zoom, they are both expanding the programs they are offering and helping educators utilize art in new ways in their own teaching. They remain committed to continuing and enhancing our pursuit of a more inclusive MFA whether they are serving audiences in person or virtually.

The MFA’s collections are powerful tools for teaching. Works of art engage students in curriculum in the digital sphere, and fuel social and emotional learning. They illuminate — and illustrate the complexity of — American and global histories. They are rich visual “texts” that can be prompts for writing and evidence-based discussions, and vital assets in language learning. They deepen understanding of STEM and crystallize cross-disciplinary explorations.

K-12 teachers and administrators please complete the survey to share what you and your students will need the MFA to be and do to support you in the next six months. Your responses will help significantly in their planning.

DESE Guidance on Arts Courses

Commissioner Riley shared DESE guidance for arts and physical education courses on July 24. We encourage arts educators to look over this guidance as they being to prepare for the fall. Please note, this guidance is being released in late July 2020 and may be revised as DESE continues to monitor COVID-19 trends and the latest medical research. On pages 3-4 you will find details regarding shared equipment and on page 7 you will find specific details related to the visual arts.

After you review these recently released guidelines, for those of you teaching in public schools, we also suggest you continue to connect with your education association (locally and at the state level) for continued updates regarding advocating for the safety of children, families AND educators.

Virtual Art Educators – Free PD Webinars from NAEA

NAEA has recently released the webinars now through June 2021, so you can plan some of your professional development now for the entire upcoming school year! Below you will see the webinars scheduled from August – June 2021. You can also look at archived webinars here.

Teaching Creativity: Developing and Refining Student Ideas
Wednesday, August 5 | 7-8pm ET

WTF? (Where’s the Feminism?) in Art Education: Pandemic Perceptual Shifts
Wednesday, September 23 | 7-8pm ET

Engaging the Latinx and Indigenous Community: One Museum’s Journey
Wednesday, October 28 | 7-8pm ET

Developing Emotional Awareness and Empathic Curiosity in the Art Classroom
Wednesday, November 4 | 7-8pm ET

The Metropolitan Museum of Art Online Curricular Resources: Inquiry, Creativity, and Social Justice Lessons for Your Classroom
Wednesday, December 9 | 7-8pm ET

Mindfulness Exercises for the School Day: Prioritizing Self-Care
Wednesday, January 13 | 7-8pm ET

Collaboration: An Essential Tool for Inclusive Teaching Practices
Wednesday, February 17 | 7-8pm ET

Creating, Presenting, Responding, and Connecting: The Elementary Curriculum and the NCCAS Standards
Wednesday, March 24 | 7-8pm ET

Creating, Presenting, Responding, and Connecting: The Middle School Curriculum and the NCCAS Standards
Wednesday, April 14 | 7-8pm ET

Creating, Presenting, Responding, and Connecting: The Secondary Curriculum and the NCCAS Standards
Wednesday, May 12 | 7-8pm ET

Visual Note Taking: Using Words and Pictures in the Art Education Classroom and Beyond!
Wednesday, June 23 | 7-8pm ET

Renewal Promo from NAEA & SchoolArts Magazine

Be two steps ahead for back-to-school with a FREE subscription to SchoolArts and a renewed NAEA membership! Act now to make sure you receive the SchoolArts back-to-school issue and the support provided to NAEA members as part of our vibrant professional community.
If you haven’t already taken advantage of this offer, don’t wait! Renew today and connect to thousands of visual arts educators worldwide and all that NAEA membership provides to enhance your career, inspire your creativity, and enrich the educational experience of your learners—in person and from a distance.
Hurry, this offer is only available if you renew online using
this special link or over the phone (make sure
to mention the SchoolArts offer) at 800-299-8321 before July 21, 2020!

2 Survey Requests – Arts for All

We know the crucial role arts education plays in our students’ academic and personal success. As Massachusetts Public Schools respond to the COVID-19 crisis, plan for the upcoming school year, and address budget shortfalls, arts education is particularly vulnerable. The Arts for All Coalition is working to protect arts programs and educators to ensure equitable access to creative outlets for all students, and they need your help.

They are gathering information about district funding plans so they can identify at-risk schools and support action to protect them. They rely on the networks and knowledge of arts advocates like you to help them stay updated and alert to what is happening in your district.

1. Please fill out the Potential Arts Education 2020 Cuts Survey with any information you have regarding cuts to arts education programs!

Your input will be shared with arts education advocates across the Commonwealth, but your personal information will not be shared. If you are able please pass this link along to your network of parents, educators, and arts advocates so they can broaden our knowledge base.

The Arts for All Coalition has also begun collecting important data for districts in Massachusetts for future advocacy efforts. You may have seen Arts|Learning already looking for the names and contact information for District Arts Coordinators and/or Arts Department Chairs as well as Parent Support or Booster Groups for the Arts.

2. Please fill out the Advocacy Database Survey today to support future advocacy efforts!

MAEA News – Summer 2020 Edition Out Now!

The 2020 summer edition of the MAEA News is out now. In this issue you’ll find the President’s Message from Melissa Mastrolia, as well as articles and updates from Editor Jane McKeag, Brittany Martinez, Jamie Taborda, Lydia Gruner, Amanda Davis, Drew Conrad, Brenna Johnson, Alyson Smith, Francesca Levy, Jonathan Hansen, and Margaurita Spear. Check it out today.

Articles and submissions for the summer edition of the MAEA News are due October 2, 2020. Learn more about submitting an article.

Art Education Zoom Series

About this Series: The MAEA Board of Directors has determined that a virtual conference in the fall of 2020 will not be beneficial for our membership for a number of factors, including the financial implications of the global pandemic and the virtual meeting fatigue many of us felt this spring. In place of the yearly fall conference, the MAEA Conference Committee is planning monthly Zoom conversations and virtual events for members that we are rolling out this summer. We believe that smaller virtual gatherings each month over the next year will help to minimize fatigue and provide the support our members need at this time.

Focus for July: Looking Inward – The goal of this session is to provide a space for arts educators who would like to reflect on their individual practices in response to the current Black Lives Matter Movement and how implicit bias perpetuates racism. This session is a personal reflection session facilitated by MAEA Board of Directors Laura Evonne Steinman and Melissa Mastrolia. They will be holding space for participants with exercises designed to help us look deeper at our own individual practices and reflect on our biases.

Learn more and register for this event here.

MA Arts Guidelines – Drafted by the Massachusetts Arts Coalition

The Massachusetts Arts Coalition* shared the guidance document Arts Education in the Time of a Pandemic: COVID-19 Reopening Guidelines for Massachusetts PreK-12 Arts Programs with Governor Baker and Commissioner Riley on June 30, in collaboration with the Massachusetts Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, who shared a similar document specific to health, PE, recreation, and dance. This document is meant to serve as guidance for PreK-12 schools, administrators, and arts educators as they plan for the 2020-2021 school year, to ensure that arts educators can continue to provide meaningful arts instruction for all students in Massachusetts. Drafted by the *Massachusetts Arts Coalition: Arts|Learning, Boston Area Kodály Educators, Massachusetts Art Education Association, Massachusetts College of Art and Design, MASSCreative, Massachusetts Dance Education Organization, Massachusetts Educational Theatre Guild, Massachusetts Instrumental & Choral Conductors Association, Massachusetts Music Educators Association, and The New England Chapter of American Orff Schulwerk Association.
The Massachusetts Arts Coalition will share discipline specific guidance soon.