Tuesday 23 August 2011

Learning Through the Arts: Training Session







 
WHEN:
Friday, September 9- 9 to 3:15
Saturday, September 10- 9 to 3:15
Sunday, September 11- 9 to 3:15
Monday, September 12- 9 to 3:15

WHERE:
TBD, but we usually use Father Turcotte School, downtown Fort McMurray.

WHO is INVITED:
Practicing artists from all sorts of backgrounds. A practicing artist is one who is recognized by his/her peers as active in his/her art form. (We often have mothers who have put their art on hold while raising their families. We welcome mothers who are interested in part-time flexible work during the school day!) We work with dancers, musicians, sculptors, potters, visual artists, jewelry designers, drama artists, puppeteers, storytellers, traditional aboriginal artists, drummers, poets, creative writers, media artists, and filmmakers.

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT:
Four days of practical, applicable instruction that will engage your brain in thinking about your art form in a whole new way. (A synopsis of our training modules is included below.)

Coffee, Tea, Pastries and fruit in the morning. Lunch at around noon. (We work around allergies and special diets as best we can.)

An LTTA handbook and the answers to any questions you might have about our program and the work that we're doing in Fort McMurray.

A pathway to paid work in LTTA classrooms. We promise to start on time and end on time.
Our instructors are Mentor artists who have worked in other parts of the country and also in Fort McMurray. Aboriginal Elders, Fort McMurray Catholic School Board administrative staff, and local artists with stellar arts education skills also work with us.

Our training is provided free of charge in Fort McMurray. (In other locations a cost is attached to attending training.)

CAN YOU BRING ANYONE?
If you know of an artist who would be interested in working for LTTA in a flexible, contract, artist-educator position, please pass his/her name on to me! I will be happy to send him/her an invitation for training. WE ARE PARTICULARLY INTERESTED IN WORKING WITH ABORIGINAL ARTISTS.

WHAT do you need to DO NOW?
Respond by e-mail or by telephone to confirm your interest and availability for training! I would love to know by AUGUST 25.

Contact:
Mar'ce Merrell
780.433.2616
780.886.5506
Alberta Program Leader, Learning Through the Arts

WHAT if you have a SCHEDULING CONFLICT?
This commitment of four days will give you a solid grounding to begin working in our classrooms as soon as possible. We suggest you move things around to accommodate your LTTA training.

Our training is taught in modules and we offer training at regular intervals. It is possible to make up for modules that you may miss. It may mean that your classroom work starts at a later date.

Our program policies are clear: only artists who have completed our training may work in LTTA classrooms.

SYNOPSIS of FORT McMURRAY LTTA PROGRAMMING:
We are anticipating a terrific turnout for our September training for new artists and returning artists to the Learning Through the Arts program.

LTTA strives to provide inspiration and opportunities for artists, teachers and students to transform their work:
Artists who undertake the LTTA training develop the skill of deconstructing their art form in order to learn how to use it in a classroom setting. They explore how their art form can engage students in core curriculum in a whole new way. They develop a greater sense of community with other artists who strive to mentor young people and teachers in the arts.

Teachers who partner with artists are exposed to looking at the core curriculum subjects from an artist's perspective. They learn, through partnership, how to explore the arts and use the arts as a tool to reach the students who learn best through hands-on and deep connection to curriculum.

Students in LTTA artist classrooms explore social studies or language arts through dance, drama, music, visual art, media arts, storytelling, creative writing, or puppetry. Our goal is to engage them in the classroom, provide them with an opportunity to shine among their peers, and even show them that an artist's life could be something they choose.

In Fort McMurray, LTTA is partially funded through the Safe Communities Innovation Fund, a Ministry of Justice Initiative to reduce crime. Our funding objectives aim to reach 12 to 16 year old youth (specifically Aboriginal Youth) in the classroom and after-school.

Our 2011-2012 classroom commitments will ensure that each trained artist in Fort McMurray will have opportunities to work within the classroom environment- first as observers, then with a mentor artist, and, finally working in partnership with a teacher on your own.

As an LTTA mentor artist, I've worked extensively in Fort McMurray classrooms and I find the work exciting, challenging and meaningful. The Fort McMurray Catholic and Fort McMurray Public School Boards and strong supporters of our program and artists. I have always felt welcome in Fort McMurray classrooms!

Both the catholic and public school systems have integrated the LTTA program within their junior high classrooms– our artists will be working with every grade 7, 8, and 9 student in Fort McMurray, twice during the school year. We will also have work in Grade 1, 2 and 6 classrooms. Our after-school programs will be up and running in the fall and spring and provide another opportunity for paid work.

SYNOPSIS of TRAINING
Our training is hands-on, reflective and provides many opportunities to explore your art form. And ours! : )

Modules that we will be covering: learning theories, the connections between your art form and core curriculum, teaching tactics, obstacles and opportunities in teaching grades 1, 2, 6, 7 to 9, Aboriginal cultural understanding, the goals of an artist-teacher planning meeting, practicing an artist-teacher planning meeting.

Experienced Artist-Educators will be covering modules that may lead to Level 2 certification. (LTTA provides three levels of Artist-Educator Certification.

FOR MORE INFORMATION
Please look at our website: http://www.ltta.ca/

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