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Virginia Department of Health Continuing Professional Development

Fine Arts Monthly Newsletter

September 14, 2020

Welcome to a very new school year!

This school year is bringing new challenges and new opportunities for fine arts education in Virginia.This issue of the Fine Arts Monthly News contains relevant and timely resources and professional learning opportunities. In addition to information in this newsletter, you can find resources on the Fine Arts Instruction page of the Virginia Department of Education website. As always, please reach out to me with questions, concerns, and ideas to share for fine arts education in Virginia. I can be reached at kelly.bisogno@doe.virginia.gov.

I hope you all have had a wonderful time reconnecting with students at the beginning of this school year.

Sincerely,

Kelly Bisogno, Coordinator of Fine Arts, Office of Humanities

Welcome to the new VDOE Music Specialist

This month, it is our pleasure to welcome Michelle Milligan to the Virginia Department of Education as our new Music Specialist.

Michelle Milligan was most recently the orchestra director at Gainesville Middle School in Prince William County Public Schools, where she maintained a program of more than 350 orchestra students. Previously, Mrs. Milligan was the orchestra director for Robert Frost Middle School in Fairfax County Public Schools, and taught elementary strings in FCPS from 2011-2014. In November 2017, Mrs. Milligan and the Frost Chamber Orchestra were the featured middle school orchestra performance at the Virginia Music Educators Association Conference in Hot Springs, Virginia. Under her direction, Mrs. Milligan's orchestras have received consistent Superior ratings at the VBODA District Assessments. Mrs. Milligan was nominated for the Music Arts Educator of the Year Award in 2017 by her students.

Mrs. Milligan is an active clinician and adjudicator in the Northern Virginia area. She was an adjudicator for VBODA District 14 and 16 Concert Assessment, and was invited as the guest conductor for the Loudoun County Public Schools Middle School All-County Orchestra in 2019, and the Alexandria All-City District Orchestra in 2017.

Mrs. Milligan has served as a member of the Virginia Department of Education Resources Development Committee in 2020, and the SOL Review and Revision Committee in 2019. Mrs. Milligan was also a PWCS Orchestra Canvas Blueprint Designer in 2020, FCPS Fine Arts Curriculum Team member from 2014-2017, and was the 2017-2018 President of the Fairfax County Orchestra Directors Association. Mrs. Milligan graduated Magna Cum Laude from the Honors College at George Mason University with a Bachelor of Music in Music Education in 2011. She currently resides in Bristow, VA with her husband, two sons, and black lab.

Welcome to the team!

Michelle Milligan portrait

Septembers Fine Arts Webinars of the Virginia Department of Education

Digital Resources for Fine Arts Educators from the Library of Congress

Tuesday, September 15, 2020, 4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. This webinar will explore the digital resources of the Library of Congress for fine arts instruction. Engagement with primary source images, objects and documents can spark critical thinking, deeper learning and interdisciplinary connections for students. Join Sherry Levitt and Cynthia Szwajkowski from Teaching with Primary Sources, Virginia (TPSVA) for a lively, interactive exploration of the Library's rich, digital collections for in-person and virtual instruction. As a demonstration, special guest Carolyn Bennett, former Library of Congress Teacher-in-Residence, will model an activity using WPA Posters.

MUSIC - Teaching Students with Differences in Music Classrooms

Dr. Alice Hammel

Wednesday. September 16, 2020, 4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

There are specific strategies that can assist us as we plan and present instruction to students with disabilities and differences. Accommodations can be transferred to music classrooms and ensembles. Through careful adaptations and modifications when needed, we can truly meet the needs of all students.

THEATRE ARTS - Interdisciplinary Connections with Theatre Arts

Ryan Henderson

Wednesday, September 23, 2020, 4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Participants will gain resources and strategies focused on how the fundamentals of theatre can connect students to their learning, their peers, and themselves. Participants will understand how this connection creates a relevance and rigor that gives their students the skills necessary for success in and out of the classroom. Participants will also understand the role the state standards can play in creating these connections—specifically regarding the Five Cs.

GoOpenVA for Fine Arts Educators

Jean Weller

Wednesday, September 30, 2020, 4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Participants will learn how to use #GoOpenVA to locate arts-based lessons (many of which are also cross-curricular).  All such lessons are openly-licensed so they can be adapted to your own students and purposes. Additionally, #GoOpenVA provides a community space for teachers to connect with each other in these challenging times, when everyone is learning how to approach teaching in new ways.

Resources for Fine Arts Educators for 2020-2021

All Fine Arts Disciplines

  • The National Humanities Center has launched the Humanities in Class Digital Library, an Open Education Resource (OER)-based repository that collects and combines the best in humanities scholarship and education for use in the K-12 and collegiate classroom.

Dance Education Resources

  • This resource document from the National Dance Education Organization (NDEO) summarizes questions and considerations for virtual and in-person learning in dance classrooms for the 2020-2021 school year.

Music Education Resources

  • New instructional plans for elementary music programs that work for virtual learning are available on the Fine Arts Instruction page of the Virginia Department of Education website.
  • Members of the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) have access to many new and exciting ways to reimagine music education for teachers and students during this challenging time, including:

    • Virtual learning resources
    • Current guidelines on how to keep yourself and your students safe
    • Tools to promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and access in music education
    • Online continuing professional development clock hours
    • Ideas for how to advocate for music education via social media and beyond
    • And so much more!

Theatre Education Resources

  • The Virginia Thespians will be soliciting feedback from members to develop workshop opportunities and resources. To hear about opportunities, fill out the newsletter for on the website.

Visual Art Education Resources

  • New instructional plans for elementary art programs that work for virtual learning are available on the Fine Arts Instruction page of the Virginia Department of Education website.
  • The site, Virtual Learning in Art is curated by the visual art curriculum specialist in Fairfax, provides professional resources and learning opportunities for virtual learning in visual art classrooms. Educators can view and share resources.
  • The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts has adapted many museum activities for a distance learning setting. Check them out: Give It a Whorl! - Figure It Out - The Moody Blues - Driven to Abstraction - What's Your Angle?
  • The Virginia Art Education Association (VAEA) Creativity Continues document aims to support visual arts teachers as they return to school in September and resume instruction in either virtual, face-to-face, or hybrid plans for school operations.
  • Plans for classroom, remote, and hybrid learning are changing every minute. The National Art Education Association (NAEA) collaborated with visual arts educators to update the tip sheets for the Preparing for School Year 2020-21 series. This series of resources was created by visual arts and design educators, for visual arts and design educators and will continue to be updated and developed as the 2020-21 school year progresses.

September 13 - 18 is Arts in Education Week, from the Americans for the Arts

Passed by Congress in 2010, House Resolution 275 designates the week beginning with the second Sunday in September as National Arts in Education Week. During this week, the field of arts education joins together in communities across the country to tell the story of the impact of the transformative power of the arts in education.

In celebration of this year's 10th anniversary National Arts in Education Week campaign, Americans for the Arts is hosting a#BecauseofArtsEd Chatwith actressAnnette Bening and singer/songwriter Josh Groban on September 16 at 7:00 p.m ET/4:00 pm. PT.Register now to learn more about the importance of arts education and how you can support arts education in your local community!

According the Americans for the Arts website, there are several ways to join in this year's campaign:

  1. Celebrate. Host a virtual celebration for your community, whether big or small, an existing event, or a new one. Download and use the shared logo to use for promotion. Be sure to download the 5 Ways to Partner Packet for other ideas of how to celebrate in your community!
  2. Advocate. Work with your elected officials and decision-makers to share the value of the arts in education. Whether a mayor, principal, or U.S. Congressman, check out sample resolutions and videos, send an op-ed to your local newspaper, and use the Arts Education Navigator—an online tool with six action steps to crafting a personal advocacy plan.
  3. Participate. Share your story in the social media campaign, #BecauseOfArtsEd, to bring national visibility to the issue of arts education. See below for more information and download the Social Media How To Guide.

COVID-19 Health and Safety Information for Fine Arts Programs

Updated health and safety information for fine arts programs during COVID-19 is currently being reviewed by the Virginia Department of Health and Virginia Department of Education and will be posted to the website when available.

Fall 2020 Professional Organization Conferences

Virginia Art Education Association: Creativity Isn't Cancelled

This year's virtual conference will take place November 13-15 and 20-22. Find out more on the VAEA website.

Virginia Music Educators Association

The 2020 VMEA Professional Development Conference will take place on November 19-21 virtually.

Virginia Theatre Association: Imagine 2020

This year's virtual conference will be held October 29 - November 1. Learn more on the registration website.

The Virginia Commission for the Arts Teaching Artists Roster

The Teaching Artist Roster includes contact information, fees, background, availability and educational program information for the consideration of schools, not-for-profits, or units of government applying for Artists in Education grants. These high quality professional artists have been selected by a panel of arts leaders to represent outstanding representatives of dance, music, theatre, visual arts, design arts, crafts, media arts and literature.

Recorded Webinars are available On-demand

  • Education Resources from Virginia's History and Culture Institutions for Fine Arts Educators - This webinar recording from July 2020 shows fine arts educators resources from Virginia historical and cultural museums and sites.
  • VISUAL ARTS Overview of Virginia's 2020 Visual Arts Standards of Learning
  • DANCE ARTS Overview of Virginia's 2020 Dance Arts Standards of Learning
  • THEATRE ARTS Overview of Virginia's 2020 Theatre Arts Standards of Learning
  • Fine Arts Education Resources from eMediaVA - Learning about media and educational resources from emediaVA. The session includes how to access eMediaVA and how to find resources to support student learning in fine arts areas of dance, music, theatre, and visual arts.
  • MUSIC Overview of Virginia's 2020 Music Arts Standards of Learning for Elementary Music TeachersThis link takes you out of the Virginia Department of Education website
  • MUSIC Overview of Virginia's 2020 Music Arts Standards of Learning for Secondary Music TeachersThis link takes you out of the Virginia Department of Education website
  • THEATRE ARTS Think Like an Artist in the Theatre ClassroomThis link takes you out of the Virginia Department of Education website - Artist habits of mind help students reflect on their work by considering learning as a process. These frameworks make thinking visible and, with consistent and pervasive use, develop habitual cultures of thinking in the classroom.
  • DANCE ARTS Elements of DanceThis link takes you out of the Virginia Department of Education website - This webinar introduces ways to help students identify the elements of dance (body, energy, action, space, and time) and use them to explore and create.
  • MUSIC Virtual Learning in the Instrumental ClassroomThis link takes you out of the Virginia Department of Education website - Ideas for engaging students, assessment and differentiation strategies, and some instructional plans that align with the 2020Music Standards of Learningare offered.
  • DANCE ARTS Diversity and Inclusivity in Dance Education - This webinar will focus on topics of diversity and inclusivity of dance.
  • VISUAL ARTS Innovation in Visual Arts: Breaking Barriers and Integrating TechnologyThis link takes you out of the Virginia Department of Education website - Explore the newVisual Arts Standards of Learning strand Innovation in the Arts.
  • MUSIC Digital Audio Production and Composition for Secondary Music ClassroomsThis link takes you out of the Virginia Department of Education website - In this webinar, we will explore ways that teachers and students can use digital tools in the secondary music classroom for creation and investigation.
  • VISUAL ARTS Community Engagement in Visual ArtsThis link takes you out of the Virginia Department of Education website - This webinar is an opportunity to explore community engagement as it relates to the History, Culture, and Citizenship strand in the 2020Visual Arts Standards of Learning.
  • MUSIC Applying the Creative Process to Elementary General Music RoomThis link takes you out of the Virginia Department of Education website - In this webinar we will discuss the Creative Process strand in the Music standards and share ideas on implementation in the elementary general music room.
  • Studios, Stages, & Students: Real Reasons We Keep Coming BackThis link takes you out of the Virginia Department of Education website – An inspiring back-to-school message from Virginia artist, educator, and keynote speaker, Clayton Singleton.
  • Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Education Resources

Contact

Kelly Bisogno, Coordinator of Fine Arts
Virginia Department of Education
kelly.bisogno@doe.virginia.gov
(o) 804-225-2881
(fax) 804-786-1597
P.O. Box 2120
Richmond, VA 23218-2120

Michelle Milligan, Music Specialist
Virginia Department of Education
michelle.milligan@doe.virginia.gov
(o) 804-371-4919
(fax) 804-786-1597
P.O. Box 2120
Richmond, VA 23218-2120

mokarejudings.blogspot.com

Source: https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/VADOE/bulletins/29f2c23