To the beat of a deerskin drum and the tune of a Tlingit song, 16 teachers from several Alaskan communities danced into the University of Alaska Southeast classroom where they had spent the last two weeks.<\/p>\n
It was Thursday night, and the teachers \u2014 hailing from Juneau, Ketchikan and Kodiak \u2014 were both performing and celebrating. They had just completed the Juneau Basic Arts Institute, an annual summer program aimed at helping K\u201312 educators and administrators learn to incorporate art into their teaching on a daily basis.<\/p>\n
Thursday night was a show and tell of sorts, allowing the teachers to demonstrate what they learned.<\/p>\n
The institute has been helping teachers add art \u2014 in the form of painting, drawing, acting and playing music \u2014 to their curriculum for the past 13 years. And, according to institute faculty members, it has consequently played a crucial role in helping shape students.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want to ask how we can grow a classroom where students really feel like engaged citizens, how we can give them a sense of self empowerment that they might not have in their everyday lives,\u201d said institute faculty member Ryan Conarro, who taught drama during the two-week program.<\/p>\n
One of the ways Conarro hopes to help teachers create this engaging, empowering classroom is by \u201cteaching in role.\u201d<\/p>\n
During Thursday\u2019s event, Juneau teacher Kate Kroko demonstrated teaching in role by giving a sample lesson where she pretended to be a backwoods fly fisher. In her act, she taught students how to play the violin by comparing bow movements to casting.<\/p>\n
Institute instructors also taught the participating teachers the importance of incorporating Alaska Native culture and stories into their classrooms.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe arts are the most powerful and effective way to teach kids,\u201d Institute faculty member Lorrie Heagy said Thursday night. \u201cWe\u2019ve been wired for stories for thousands of years, and they\u2019re such a culturally responsive way of learning. They help kids retain what they learn and have fun.\u201d<\/p>\n
The institute was sponsored by the Alaska Arts Education Consortium, Sealaska Heritage Institute and the University of Alaska Southeast.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Contact reporter Sam DeGrave at 523-2279 or sam.degrave@juneauempire.com.<\/p>\n
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