Mark your calendars! This spring, the third annual Arts in Education (AIE) Professional Development Retreat will be offered for K-12 teachers, principals, superintendents, artists and representatives from community organizations. The retreat, sponsored by the Arkansas Arts Council, will be held on Friday and Saturday, April 12-13, 2002, on the grounds of Camp Aldersgate in Little Rock, Arkansas. Several AIE residencies have been presented at Camp Aldersgate, and its facilities are located on a lovely wooded site that is perfect for a retreat setting.
Kay Thomas, Curator of Education at the South Texas Institute for the Arts in Corpus Christi, Texas, will conduct the series of workshops designed to help teachers excel in the classroom and learn new ways to see the importance of the arts through a focus on the visual arts. Ms. Thomas, a visual artist, has designed and conducted a variety of art workshops for teachers, parents and artists throughout the South. These workshops emphasize the value of the artistic inquiry process in developing new classroom teaching strategies and higher order thinking skills. Ms. Thomas also continues to create and exhibit her ceramic sculptures. "My current work both celebrates and satirizes American pop culture icons, politicians and family pets." Ms. Thomas was born and raised behind the "pine curtain" in Texarkana, Texas.
The retreat will also include workshop activities in drama and creative writing, plus a networking/sharing component on Friday evening. The cost for the entire retreat (workshops, meals and overnight lodging) is $55.00 per person. For those wanting to make other arrangements for the overnight stay, the cost for the workshops and meals is $35.00 per person. However, we encourage all participants to stay overnight at Camp Aldersgate in order to participate in the whole experience.
This will be a great way to network and learn new ideas and concepts for integrating the arts into curriculum.
The Arkansas Department of Education has approved in-service credit hours for participating teachers, depending upon local district approval.
Registration forms are available!
Space is limited. For more information, contact Cynthia Haas at 501-324-9769 or cynthia@arkansasheritage.org