K12ArtChat the Podcast

In this episode, the accessibility and inclusion conversation from episode 146 continues. Matt Grundler (of The Creativity Department) and Amy Appleton, CAN Project Director for NAEA, are joined by Kirsti Lewis, Founder of People Like Us. An organization devoted to providing inclusive and meaningful instruction to students with disabilities, People Like Us helps teachers implement curriculum that allows these students to partake equally in class and have fun doing it! Listen in to hear more from Kirsti Lewis! 

In this episode, enjoy the continuing conversation on Accessibility & Inclusion from episode 145. Matt Grundler (of The Creativity Department) & Mi’Jan Celie Tho-Biaz are joined by Rebecca Visintainer, Dance Educator at North Plainfield Middle & Highschools in New jersey, and Sean Turner, educator with the NYC department of education and an adjunct professor at Hunter College. During the discussion, Rebecca and Sean share their insights about strategies used to create an inclusive and welcoming environment for students of all abilities, how they learn about students’ unique abilities, and resources you can tap into to do the same.

Teaching practices overlap to contribute to greater accessibility in the classroom. In this episode, Oral Historian Dr. Mi'Jan Celie Tho-Biaz, Krissi Davis Orchestra Director for Midtown High School in Atlanta, and Art Educator Matt Grundler explore ways of serving students with developmental differences. By making changes and adaptations to classroom environments and curriculum with consideration of varying needs students’ self-awareness, communication, emotion regulation, and interpersonal connections can be strengthened.

In this episode, The Creativity Department is joined by their friend Brice McCasland, the K12 Visual Art Coordinator for Lovejoy ISD in Texas to discuss building community in the art room. Recalling college days when art professors created a deep sense of community, the discussion dives into how they now emulate that in their own art rooms. Sharing a passion for art with students, allowing them to express themselves, creating opportunities for them to work toward a common goal, and giving them space and reason to connect and take risks are all ways they use to foster community with students. Listen in to learn more from this inspiring episode! 

In this episode, The Creativity Department is joined by 2018 Ohio Teacher of the Year – Jonathan Juravich to talk about the importance of being intentional with Social Emotional Learning (SEL) in the art room. Jonathan shares his dissertation work on SEL, experience working as a national arts advocate, and expertise from years of teaching Elementary students incorporating SEL into his curriculum. Jonathan makes a constant effort to set a good example not only for his students, but his fellow art educators as well. Listen in to discover a plethora of resources you can use for your own practice!

It’s National Arts in Education week! Established in 2010, this week-long celebration was created to recognize the impact arts have in education. Dive into this episode and learn the story of The Creativity Department and the impact arts have had on them! Hear how they became Art Educators and what their “who & why” is. Learn who inspired them to become art educators, why they became art educators, and what keeps them inspired to teach day in and day out! Listen in to this inspiring episode and share your art education story for a chance to win our raffle! 

Paul Kretchmer returns in this episode all about setting art room rules and guidelines in the art room! Paul follows a philosophy he coined as “Happy Art Teacher Rules” which are guidelines for fellow art educators and students to follow – helping create a positive environment, celebrating diversity, and amplifying student voice. Listen in to hear how Paul implements these into his art room!

Art educators, Raine Valentine and Joe Boatfield join The Creativity Department in this episode to explore preparing for a new school year! Explore everything from setting the tone of the classroom and connecting with students in the first days of the year, to art room layout and organization and adjusting curriculum to align with standards. Hear what advice these art room veterans have and learn about what could excite students for the coming year.  

In this episode the Creativity Department is joined by fellow art educator Mike Mitchell to examine the networks, communities, and connections that can create an “Art Ecosystem” around us. Mike is the Art Education Coordinator at Tennessee State University (TSU) with years of experience teaching high school art. Listen in as he dives into what exactly an “Art Ecosystem” is and how it can affect you as an educator as well as an artist. Mike also talks about how he built his own Art Ecosystem through years of teaching, networking, connecting through social media, and mentoring.

In this episode the Creativity Department is joined by fellow podcasters Jen Ferrari & Abi Paytoe Gbayee – hosts of the TAB Storytellers podcast. Dive into TAB (Teaching for Artistic Behavior) during a discussion covering how Jen and Abi chose it as their pedagogy. Listen in as they share implementation advice, resources for using it in the art room, and useful information like how it can be assessed using a skill criteria.