September 8, 2019
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 […]
January 6, 2019
Here is a good video clip and news article to share with parents, principals, colleagues, and community members on WHY Music Education is so important for children. CBC News Article: From musician to physician: Why medical schools are recruiting for musical ability Interesting research based Ted Talk and video clip
September 19, 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 […]
September 22, 2016
Here Are 3 Benefits Of Arts Education For Students By Daniel, Parent Herald 1. Arts Education Improves School Performance One of the biggest benefits of arts education for students is that it can actually improve their learning skills, school attendance, critical thinking skills and creativity. All of these are essential for a successful academic performance. “In fact, several recent studies have concluded that the creativity and innovation utilized in the artistic process will be highly valued by employers in the United States in the coming years as we continue to shift into a global economy,” The Education Fund shares. […]
September 8, 2016
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.
February 24, 2016
Monday, February 8, 2016 was Day on the Hill at the Utah State capitol. Students from the BTSALP program performed integrated music and dance compositions. Advocates for arts in schools, used the day to meet with legislators and support BTSALP. Read more about it in our latest newsletter.
February 5, 2016
On Wednesday, February 3, 2016 the annual Legislative luncheon for Utah state legislators and their spouses, was held at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building. Art and Musical Theatre was provided by students from BTSALP schools throughout the state. Click here to read more about this wonderful afternoon and to download free “Leap Year” music and lesson plans.
January 25, 2016
Children need art and stories and poems and music as much as they need love and food and fresh air and play. If you don’t give a child food, the damage quickly becomes visible. If you don’t let a child have fresh air and play, the damage is also visible, but not so quickly. If you don’t give a child love, the damage might not be seen for some years, but it’s permanent. But if you don’t give a child art and stories and poems and music, the damage is not so easy to see. It’s there, though. Their bodies […]
September 26, 2015
Jeri 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 […]
September 23, 2015
Why Music? Music is an integral part of our everyday lives, yet we have a very limited knowledge of it. Music Empowers Foundation believes that by funding music programs that clearly foster an appreciation for music, children will reap the benefits of improved academic performance, awakened creativity, heightened self-esteem, and an overall sense of accomplishment. Study after study proves that regardless of socioeconomic background, music- making students do better in school than those who have no music involvement. Whether it is improved spatial-temporal reasoning, which is integral to math, or repetition of tunes and melodies, which is integral to verbal […]
September 10, 2015
Tamara Goldbogen, BTS Endowed Chair for Arts Learning at Weber State University, is offering a special section of Creative Processes in the Elementary Classroom. This graduate level course is for BTSALP arts specialists, professional development partners, instruction coaches, and other stakeholders of the program in the Davis, Ogden, and Weber school districts, as well as the surrounding BTSALP charter schools. This course will utilize drama-based instruction as a springboard for exploring visual arts, dance, and music-based instruction and will provide an opportunity for the development of BTSALP best practices and will meet once a month from September 2015 to April […]