Ready to Go!

Today is the start of the annual MAEA Conference and I am so excited! It is a great time to connect with other teachers from around the state and share information on what works best in Art Education. It is a time where I learn so much from my peers and receive the valuable resources that allow my classroom to thrive and grow.

Artists Name: Samantha J.

School: Heritage HS

If you are attending MAEA this weekend, here are some tips that I have found helpful when attending any conference: 

1. Have a plan: Go through the Conference booklet (available online) to help plan out what you want to attend and when they are taking place. Also have a back-up plan in case your first choice fills up too quickly. With the new mobile feature on the MAEA site, you can easily do this through your smartphone or tablet.

2. Ask questions: If you attend a session and you want to know more about something that was said by the presenter, make sure to ask. As a presenter, I want to make sure my presentation is relevant and helpful to the audience. If there is something that you want to know more about, just ask. 

3. Check out the Vendors: I think my favorite part is checking out the booths from the great Vendors that come to MAEA. Not only do you end up with bags full of samples, but there are opportunities to participate in "Make and Takes" and talk with knowledgable spokespeople from the companies represented. If you have questions about purchasing supplies, new equipment, or other resources, this is a great time to connect and research through first hand experience. 

4. Student Work: Make sure to take the time and check out the great student work on display. I am always amazed at the talent and creativity each year during our conference. It is also a great time to get ideas from other teachers by seeing how they taught a lesson so you can adapt it in your own classroom. 

5. Tweet it out: Please use the hashtag #MAEA12 to tweet any important ideas or information you gained from this conference. This allows ideas to be shared from a variety of sessions - it will be like you can experience being in more places at once! When the conference is complete, I will post the resource here so that we can all enjoy the conference over and over again! 

I hope you have the best experience this weekend at the conference. If you are unable to attend, follow #MAEA12 to get updates on the new lessons learned throughout this weekend of learning and sharing in Art Education.

Membership Matters

Where else can you find a group of passionate teachers on a Saturday morning sharing, collaborating, and awaiting results of their students' work? This scene is happening all around the state of Michigan as Visual Arts teachers meet for their region conferences that will determine which work is in the regional show and those that will move onto State adjudication.

Region 9 Visual Arts teachers share ideas, lessons, and resources as they await results from the judges.

In addition to having time to share with others about what is happening in your district, this annual event also allows a time to receive PD from your peers on topics of great concern to Arts Education and the Common Core. At the Region 9 meeting, Tricia Erickson from Northview Public Schools shared how she uses visual vocabulary to teach students concepts of design while focusing their attention on the meaning of the top 100 words found in the SAT. Using brain-based research, Tricia shared how critical the Visual Arts can be to students not only learning vocabulary, but remembering it beyond the initial teaching and applying it to other content areas.

If you have not become a member of the MAEA yet, please consider the benefits and community gained when joining. Opportunities for your students to shine in regional and state shows, a place to collaborate and communicate with your peers, as well as a place to learn and grow as a professional all await you when you join. Good luck to all members whose students are participating in their regional competitions and I look forward to seeing the top finalists selected from the State meeting next month.

If you have pictures of your region show or conference, please post the links/images below; we love to hear your and your students' successes!