TEACHING

Arts Integration Studio offers Professional Development Training for teachers, administrators, community educators, health care professionals, parents, teaching artists, and the general public.

CURRENT PROGRAMS

Professional Development in The Springfield Public Schools

Arts Integration Studio is partnering with Springfield Public Schools in support of its Portrait of a Graduate initiative, which is described as, “…a vision of the skills and attributes SPS students need to find success in college and career.”

During this Spring ’23 semester, AIS worked at the Springfield Conservatory of the Arts (SCotA), with a Professional Learning Circle running January-May; at the Mary M. Walsh Elementary School for a ½ day of Professional Development with follow up observation and team meetings; and at the Alice B. Beal Elementary School for a one-on-one mentoring project.

This school year, AIS is continuing our work at SCotA, Walsh, and Beal, and expanding into additional schools in the district.

“It was like a little light went on the first week. They said, “Okay, cool, we’re gonna make a map.” And then the second week, they said, “Oh, there’s a park next to the statue, we read about that.” And then this week, when they created a garden, all the lights went on, and they backtracked and made new connections to all the material. That was so exciting.”

3rd Grade SPS Teacher

Professional Development at the Springfield Conservatory of the Arts

On August 20th, Priscilla facilitated a day-long professional development workshop for teachers in grades 6-12 at the Springfield Conservatory of the Arts. This workshop is part of a 2-year contract with Springfield Public Schools (SPS), in support of their Portrait of a Graduate initiative. She worked with the entire teaching body at Springfield Conservatory, facilitating theater games in the first half of the morning to develop communication skills, creative & critical thinking, self-control, confidence, and social/emotional agency.

In the afternoon, they worked in subject area workgroups on the theme of WATER, and each team – science, social studies, math, ELA, the arts – created an arts integrated presentation about Water through the lens of their content expertise.

Julie Jaron, Director of Visual and Performing Arts, writes, “Year after year, Priscilla’s arts integration work with Springfield Public Schools proves to deepen the way students and their teachers understand so many subject areas. The arts transform the learning process into an engaging, impactful, and often joyous learning experience. Making meaning out of challenging concepts doesn’t have to be boring. Arts integration breathes life into this dreary paradigm and inspires student’s academic growth.”

Professional Development in Pittsfield Public Schools

Supporting a Sustainable STEAM Program at Mountain View School

During the 23-24 school year, 5th grade teachers in Easthampton took part in a S.T.E.A.M. cohort led by Priscilla and Megan Kelly Bagg, the Easthampton Mountain View School STEAM teacher.

We began the school year working with the cohort to explore the fundamentals of Arts Integration and to develop arts integrated units on Climate & Weather and Organic Decomposition.

In the Spring we launched “The Regional Flooding Project”, a multi-week program designed for students to investigate the environmental, economic, and public health impacts caused by increased flooding in the Pioneer Valley. The project centers on the municipal decision-making process within the region and offers a multidimensional approach to town planning as students learn about the watershed, biodiversity, and the impact humans have on the earth and on each other. The project included the opportunity for students to meet with a panel of regional representatives and put all their work into a final 5th grade EXPO, during which each class presented their city plan to their “regional” peers.

This project was supported by grants from the Frances R. Dewing Foundation and the Easthampton Learning Foundation.

Learning the stages of pumpkin decay through embodiment. Stage II: Bloat

STEM + Arts = STEAM

the integration of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics that emphasizes interdisciplinary learning and engages students in the 21st century skills of communication, creative & critical thinking, analysis & problem-solving, innovation, and collaboration.

Emerging Teaching Artist Program

In 2023, Arts Integration Studio launched our Emerging Teaching Artist Program, which focuses on college students and emerging teaching artists interested in the intersectionality of arts, education, and community well-being and offers professional training in arts integration methodology with a variety of site based embedded professional development opportunities in schools and community settings.

During 2023 and 2024, our Emerging Teaching Artists have participated in ARTS CORPS, our intergenerational Arts in Community program on site at the Treehouse Foundation in Easthampton. The program includes arts integration training with a focus on trauma-informed and culturally relevant practices, and opportunities to attend and (co)facilitate intergenerational workshops and short residencies at the Treehouse with youth and families whose lives have been impacted by foster care, and with community elders.