Harvey E. Najim Arts Integration Program
FREE professional development in Arts Integration!
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Generation NEXT provides both live and virtual professional development, featuring nationally and internationally operating Teaching Artists.
CPE credit available
FREE! Arts Integration Professional Development Series
LIVE WORKSHOPS
Garret Brown
Boom! Bang! Pow! Creating Cause and Effect Connections Through Comics
November 9, 2024 | 8:30AM - 11:30AM | Feik Family Rotunda
(3-12)
Kids and adults worldwide love comics! Join Garrett Brown as he invites you to bring this vibrant and energetic art form into your classroom. In this session, explore ways students can create comics that demonstrate the cause and effect relationships found in life science, language arts, and social studies. Participants will deepen their knowledge of the comics medium and have a chance to create a miniature comic book based on grade-level academic content!
Think Like a Scientist: Observational Drawing
November 9, 2024 | 1PM-4PM | Feik Family Rotunda
(3-12)
Scientists, engineers, architects and many other professionals rely on observational drawing in order to record and communicate important data. This workshop engages teachers in a strategy that teaches students how to carefully observe and draw an object from nature in order to develop a robust and detailed understanding of its attributes, patterns, and functions. Far from a method reserved for gifted artists, scientific observational drawing can be learned by all students just by practicing a few skills and habits. Join us as we go from STEM to STEAM!
Paige Whelan
Animation Challenges: Inspiring Collaboration and Problem-Solving
January 30, 2025 | 8:30AM - 11:30AM | Feik Family Rotunda
(2-8)
How do you solve the problem of students who can’t solve their own problems? Give them problems they want to solve! In this fun animation workshop, learn how students can use simple tools like Google Slides to create GIFs or digital flip books. The catch? Animators must all finish each challenge without step-by-step instructions. They will want to try. They will want to learn from each other and from what does and does not work. Most of all, they will gain the confidence, skills, and sense of community they need to tackle future problems....together.*
Integrating Photography Across the Curriculum
January 30, 2025 | 1PM - 4PM | Feik Family Rotunda
(K-8)
Literature, social studies, and science are full of stories. Learn how to engage the selfie generation as they explore photography as a tool for telling those stories. Students will deepen their understanding of core ideas as they work collaboratively to create storyboards, direct photo shoots, and narrate photographic stories with free, easy-to-use applications. Bring your devices and curriculum documents to this hands-on workshop!
Kuniko Yamamoto
Folding Shapes: Origami and Geometry
March 29, 2025 | 8:30AM - 11:30AM | Founders Lounge
(PK-2)
Origami-the art of folding paper, combines design, storytelling, and math all in the palm of your hand. Within every fold of paper, award winning origami artist & storyteller from Japan, Kuniko, introduces you to the art form of origami and to a simple, tangible form of geometric thinking. Shapes and forms become puzzles and stories as teachers learn to turn paper patterns into artistic creations! A native of Japan, Kuniko also folds her cultural perspectives and math games into every workshop.
Folding Fractions: Origami and Math
March 29, 2025 | 1PM-4PM | Founders Lounge
(2-6)
Looking for something highly mathematical, packed with geometry and fractions? Origami-the art of folding paper-is the answer! Award winning origami artist & storyteller from Japan, Kuniko, introduces you to the art form of origami and how to fold a variety of origami models so students can create folding patterns that demonstrate their understanding of shapes, angles, and geometric attributes. Math vocabulary will begin to make sense to students and fractions will become obvious as the creasing paper patterns turn into artistic creations! A native of Japan, Kuniko also folds her cultural perspectives and math games into every workshop.
VIRTUAL WORKSHOPS
On your own time, at your own pace
All workshops are available August 5, 2024 and close June 30, 2025
Jamin Carter
Drawing Symbols to Learn New Vocabulary
(3-5)
Drawing is a powerful and untapped tool for students to build and explore their understanding of new vocabulary. Combined with a use of symbols it’s a winning combination to acquire understanding of new and challenging words!
Drawing Symbols for Reading Comprehension
(5-8)
When drawing is used to make sense of information presented audibly or through text it can’t be beat! If you want to greatly increase students’ ability to accurately recall what they read, organize events in the proper sequence, and make sense of unfamiliar content this interactive workshop is for you.
Melanie Rick
The Power of Pictures: Reading Portraits as Biographies
(1-8)
There’s more to a portrait than you might think. Portraits are often viewed as a mere depiction of a person when in actuality they can be read as biographies that communicate significant information about a person’s life. In this session, learn how to read portraits as visual texts filled with meaningful symbolism in order to make the study of people and biographies more engaging.
Designing Classroom Spaces for Arts Integrated Learning
(2-12)
In this session, consider how to redesign your classroom’s physical layout and furniture arrangement so it is flexible and can support students’ ability to be creative and collaborative through the arts.
Let’s Talk! Facilitating and Managing Student Conversations in the Arts Integrated Classroom
(2-12)
An arts integrated approach to teaching is grounded in collaborative, social, cooperative learning. This session explores how to establish the literacy of academic conversations so students can effectively engage in, navigate, and negotiate creative conversations.
The Power of Pictures: Reading Art in Science, Social Studies, and Language Arts
(2-6)
Explore how art can be read as visual texts that can communicate information through images as opposed to words. This strategy helps build background knowledge, create personal connections, and inspires inquiry for all learners.
Sean Layne
Acting Right: Building a Cooperative, Collaborative, Creative Classroom Community Through Drama
(K-12)
This engaging, step-by-step approach empowers students to take ownership of and be responsible for their own behavior. Learn how to help students build the skills necessary to establish a sense of self-control, accountability, and teambuilding in your classroom.
Arts Integration: The What and Why
(K-12)
This session unpacks the definition of art integration and uncovers the characteristics of quality integration that align with best practice in education. Join the co-author of the Kennedy Center’s internationally adopted definition for this informative session.
Lynne Silverstein
The Art of the Match: Connecting the Arts to Other Curriculum
(ALL LEVELS)
Creating arts integrated topics remains a skill teachers continually ask about and want to develop. What makes a “good fit” between an arts focus and another subject area? How can teachers uncover the possibilities? Designed by the authors of the Kennedy Center’s definition of arts integration, Lynne Silverstein and Sean Layne have put their minds together again to create a helpful, user-friendly process for creating arts integration connections
The Tobin Center’s SECOND ANNUAL Arts Integration Conference!
Harvey E. Najim Arts Integration Program
Network with like-minded professionals, taking a day-long deep dive into Arts Integration. Choose two workshops from eight opportunities, each connecting art form with curriculum, and take home effective and efficient strategies to elevate your classroom to the next level!
The MOMENTUM Conference is concluded for this year. Stay tuned for next year's event!
