Beverley Taylor Sorenson Arts Learning Program

Tag: drama

  • Utah State: Arts Are Core Conference

    Utah State University sent BTSALP specialists and classroom teachers “back to school” with strategies and lesson ideas to reach every learner. Arts Are Core: One World, Many Makers held on August 1, 2019 provided professional development arts-integration for K-6 classroom teachers, arts specialists, administrators and university students/pre-service teachers.

    Educators participated in a full day of professional development exploring how the core curricula of Math, Science, Language Arts and Social Studies can be taught using the rich hands-on art forms of dance, drama, music and visual art. Participants delved into the foundation of arts-integration, unpacking all of the quality characteristics of best practice. They also walked away with enriched lesson plans to kick off the upcoming school year!

    If this looked like fun, check out some of the other workshops coming up at Utah State University!

  • BTSALP Statewide Conference 2018

    On September 13th and 14th, members of the Beverley Taylor Sorenson Arts Learning Program, from all over the state gathered at the Utah State Capitol to connect, learn and create. Specialists, principals, university partners all working together to create artful learning in our schools. 

    Sydnee Dickson, Utah State Superintendent of Public Education was the keynote speaker, Art and the Whole Child, and kicked the conference off on a positive note. Success stories of specialists making a difference with a class, school, or individual students were shared. 

    Over the two days of the conference, breakout sessions were conducted in all 4 art forms centered around the book, Locomotive by Brian Floca – an historical picture book about the Transcontinental Railroad. Presenters (Endowed chairs and Professional Development Partners who specialize in the various art forms) modeled high-quality standards-based lessons to use as a basis for later discussion.  Participants were encouraged to create 4 strand lessons: Create, Present/Perform, Respond, Connect. 

    Dance 

    Dancers also used pages from Locomotive  to choreograph movement. Click on the link below to see BTSALP dance specialists “lay down the track.” 

    Drama

    Drama specialists were up and moving – Building Informances, Creating Still Life Museums, and discussing and acting out drama teaching strategies.

    Visual Art 

    Visual artists used text from the pages of Locomotive, as inspiration for their own artistic interpretations. 

    Music

    Music specialists work with beat, musical instruments and song.  A picture is worth a thousand words so watch the BTSALP music specialists in action below! 

    It wasn’t all work . . .  fun, games, food and song kept us all “On The Right Track!”

  • BTSALP Goes Back to School

    Classroom teachers and BTSALP specialists don’t take the Summer off . . .  they are always thinking about their students and their curriculum. Teachers and specialists from all over the state came together at a variety of university locations for hands-on, arts integrated workshops. It may sound like work but I bet they’d all say it was really more like FUN! Find out more about what teachers and specialists REALLY do on their summer vacations in this month’s newsletter! Click here to read. 

  • Celebrate the Arts

    With the end of the school year approaching, everyone wants to “show off.” Celebrate the arts with BTSALP schools from around the state in our latest newsletter. Click here to read all about it.

  • Arts Integration Through Drama & Visual Art

    This week’s newsletter shows us the power of using Drama and Theatre productions in the classroom. Then the landscapes and natural beauty of Utah are highlighted in visual art projects created by visual art specialist, Bruce Hucko and his BTSALP students from the Moab area.  Click here to learn more…

  • Mother Goose, Under the Sea and the Yellow Ball Project

    “I believe arts education in music, theater, dance and the visual arts is one of the most creative ways we have to find the gold that is buried just beneath the surface. They (children) have an enthusiasm for life, a spark of creativity, and vivid imaginations that need training – training that prepares them to become confident young men and women.”

    – Richard W. Riley, Former US Secretary of Education

    All the world is a stage . . . Find out more about BTSALP drama productions: Mother Goose, Under the Sea and the Yellow Ball Project, in our newest newsletter. Click here to view newsletter 

     

  • Dixie State University Makes 7!

    Jeri CrosbyJeri Crosby

    Dixie State University
    Endowed Chair for Elementary Arts Education
    Beverley Taylor Sorenson Arts Learning Program

     

    Dixie State University is the most recent higher education institution to receive an endowment from the Beverley Taylor Sorenson Foundation. With this gift, DSU has been able to hire Jeri Crosby as the Endowed Chair for Elementary Arts Education. Jeri comes to this position with experience in teaching Kindergarten through college, administration, teacher training, and curriculum design. She has worked under the BTSALP as both a music teacher and a district curriculum specialist. Jeri is delighted to have opportunities to teach elementary arts integration and music courses at DSU, and to provide professional development for in-service classroom and arts teachers.  Jeri also serves on the BTSALP Advisory Board.

    Since transitioning to DSU in July, Jeri has been very busy designing courses and workshops and getting to know the principals and teachers in her region. The DSU BTSALP Region includes Washington, Kane and San Juan Counties, with a total of 34 elementary schools (spread over 400 miles of roads). Washington County School District currently has BTSALP arts teachers in 19 schools, and Jeri enjoys working with them immensely. She looks forward to working with all schools in the region to provide faculty training in arts and arts-rich instruction, as well as administrator guidance in applying to participate in the the Beverley Taylor Sorenson Arts Learning Program.

    Dixie State University, with a student body of approximately 8,000, is located in  St. George, Utah. This area is known for its mild winter climate, beautiful canyons, national parks, and great recreation areas. The campus is growing, and academic programs and enrollment are increasing. The DSU Teacher Education Program has a reputation for preparing exceptional teachers, and the faculty and administration are pleased and grateful to be partners and benefactors of the BTSALP.