LEARNING THROUGH THE ARTS

 A NEWSLETTER FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHERS OF THE ARTS

 Spring, 1999

It is national convention time again. The National Art Education Association (NAEA) national convention in Washington, DC fast approaches while the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) will meet during April in Charlotte, North Carolina. Annual convention times drive the schedule and content of this newsletter to describe the past and anticipate the future. It is timed to review information from last year's conferences and to stimulate interest in special education/ arts related presentations for this year.

This, our fourth newsletter, is directed to both special education and art educators who combine the fields of art education and special education. The newsletter grew out of a Special Interest Group for Teachers of the Arts, special educators who use the arts in their teaching. Their first meeting was held during the 1993 CEC annual convention in San Antonio. The Special Interest Group for Teachers of the Arts meets each year at CEC to network and to share information and ideas (more on this below).

As many of you can attest, trying to find colleagues with interests in both special education and art education can be very frustrating. The national conventions offer opportunities to hear innovative arts presentations for special education students. They also bring together people whose work overlaps special education and the arts and who speak the languages of both fields. For those who do not get to the conventions, this newsletter is a way to connect with others from around the country. Special educators and art educators can learn each others' perspectives. Both groups understand the value of the arts for special education students. What a relief it is not to have to "enlighten" colleagues!

This newsletter includes a variety of information. It provides summaries of special education/arts presentations from last year's CEC and NAEA conventions. It reminds those attending this year's CEC convention to look for arts related presentations and to attend our Special Interest Group for Teachers of the Arts meeting (Thursday, April 15th, from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. in Waring at the Hilton Hotel). The date and time are listed in the front of the CEC convention program.

The newsletter also includes a description of "The Creative Mind: Advancing Special Education Through the Arts", the first national conference for special education and art education teachers to focus on teaching the arts to special education students.

A goal of the newsletter is to increase communication between art and special education teachers. And, it offers the hope that our two professional organizations, CEC and NAEA, will share more information and training with each other (they are located next door to each other on Association Drive).

"All art has this characteristic - it unites people." , Leo Tolstoy

CEC held its 76th annual convention in Minneapolis. For many of us, it was a unique experience to stroll through a city connected by walkways. Corridors and escalators go through department stores, shopping malls, hotels, architecturally rich corporate lobbies, and enclosed overpasses. In this cold climate, it is possible to walk virtually throughout the center city and still remain inside. Minneapolis is also home to the Walker Art Museum and the Guthrie Theatre, both well worth venturing outside the climate-controlled envelope.

Whatever effect the cold weather or the distant location might have had, there were disappointingly few arts related presentations at the CEC convention. Nevertheless, the one presentation was well attended and the arts related exhibits generated much interest. This strongly suggests that the interest is there and those working in the arts should submit proposals for next year's CEC convention. Presentations focus much needed attention on the value of the arts for children with disabilities. And, at CEC, they address teachers' requests for curriculum enrichment through the arts. If further enticement is needed, the location of the CEC 2000 annual convention is Vancouver, British Columbia.

PRESENTATION:

"Special Education and Art Teachers: A Creative Collaboration" was presented by Beverly Levett Gerber , Professor of Special Education at Southern Connecticut State University. It was based on a series of workshops for art and special education teachers and reflected their hopes and concerns about working together. These teachers saw that education could be enhanced by sharing ideas and building on each others' strengths.

Art teachers appreciated the information and management strategies they learned from special education teachers. Special education teachers voiced their appreciation for the creative ideas and materials art teachers brought to their academic lessons. For example, math was enhanced by using printing techniques. And, the techniques of scrimshaw and quilting added rich layers to a history unit on colonial times.

But, the teachers also saw some problem areas. Using overheads, Gerber shared concerns expressed during the workshops, particularly about in-service training and professional jargon. The teachers, student teachers, and administrators who attended the CEC presentation were generally unaware that most art teachers have little or no special education training. Nor were they aware of the problems created by special education's ever changing, ever evolving, series of acronyms. For example, it is not unusual for special educators to describe a "PPT for a student with ED/SED/SEM/EBD to update an IEP." Art teachers may not understand this jargon and many call it, "alphabet soup." Conversely, most special educators may not understand, "inking the plate with the brayer before pulling the print." Sometimes it is hard to step back and recognize that we don't all begin in the same place.

Art teachers had other concerns, too. They wanted more information about the students' skills and problems, and were interested in adaptive equipment and materials that are available. They also questioned why paraprofessionals who are in special education/general education classrooms do not always go to the art room? Since the students' problems do not suddenly disappear, why would support personnel be unnecessary in the art room? Both the special education and art teachers found obstacles to their collaborating with each other. High on the list was a lack of time to meet. Lack of training (in each others' fields) was another problem cited by both as were the difficulties caused by two different professional languages.

The workshops also addressed solutions. (It is often easier to identify a problem than to find solutions.) Among them was the recognition that the support of school administrators was crucial. Scheduling (for meetings and collaborative planning) and student grouping (to better serve students and maximize peer support) all require administrative cooperation. The teachers wanted: joint in-service training sessions for art and special education teachers; art input into student's Individual Education Plan (IEP); schedules that permitted team teaching; meeting time to share information about effective methods for their special education students; and the same level of supportive assistance in the art room as in other classrooms.

EXHIBITORS' PRESENTATIONS:

Dwayne Szot demonstrated that art making is truly accessible to all. "Arts For All" is a unique program developed by Szot that features adaptive art equipment designed for people in wheelchairs. Large chalk and paint rollers, held on by handles, are attached to a student's wheelchair. White paper covers the floor. When the student rolls the wheelchair back and forth, his/her movement draws or paints colorful patterns and designs onto the paper. Students unable to hold a brush or a crayon can now participate in the creative process.

Szot received a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to develop this unusual adaptive art equipment. He has also produced a videotape and training program for teachers interested in this program. Szot can be reached in West St. Paul, MN at (612)552-0237.

"Kids On the Block" was well represented by Christina Grogan who enlivened her corner of the room through puppetry. Grogan's puppet characters talked about their disabilities and simultaneously demonstrated their power to pull in viewers and teach in a non-threatening way. Grogan demonstrated her talents as she effortlessly shifted from "Kids On the Block" representative to animated puppet.

"Kids on the Block" is a highly regarded national program. Their trained puppeteers have introduced children throughout the country to puppets with disabilities. The puppets were created to represent many different disabilities and are often used to help children understand students with disabilities in their own schools. There is also a puppet that represent the "normal" child. "Kids On the Block" provides time for the puppets to answer children's questions (and there usually are many) after each performance.

Alan M. Blankstein , Senior Editor and President of National Educational Service, Bloomington, IN, shared information about his organization's publication, "Reaching Today's Youth." It is a publication addressed to those who work with disadvantaged and high-risk youth. Blankenstein, who recognizes the value of the arts, publishes art created by students with disabilities throughout the journal. He is ever on the lookout for art work done by special education students. What greater reward can we offer students than to see their work published in a journal? If your special education students have artwork to submit, contact the National Educational Service by phone (812) 336-7700, or fax (812) 336-7790, or e-mail at pubs@nes.org.

Brian Carroll represented the P. Buckley Moss Foundation , an organization that promotes the use of the arts with special education students. Patricia Buckley Moss is a successful artist who has dyslexia. As a child, art was her lifeline and now, her Foundation tries to reach other children through art. The P. Buckley Moss Foundation organized the first conference for art educators and special educators that focused on art education for special education students (more on this below). Carroll, CEO of the Moss Foundation, shared information about the Foundation and distributed applications for its annual $5000 teacher award. More information about the P. Buckley Moss Foundation, the annual conference in Virginia, and the teacher award can be accessed by phone, (540) 932-1728, fax (540) 949-8408, e-mail - brianne@mnsinc.com, or through their web site (www.mossfoundation.org).

"I hope that my painting has the impact of giving someone, as it did me, the feeling of his own totality, of his own separateness, of his own individuality, and at the same time of his connection to others, who are also separate." Barnett Newman, 1967

The fifth annual meeting of the Special Interest Group for Teachers of the Arts was held on Thursday, April 16th at the Minneapolis Hilton, the CEC Convention Headquarters hotel. As at our other meetings, our group was a diverse one that represented many facets of the arts. While NAEA focuses on the visual arts, the Special Interest Group at CEC includes both visual and performing arts. The CEC organization umbrella includes many different divisions that represent a variety of disabilities and those who work in the arts reflect that diversity.

Because the CEC annual convention moves to different locations across the country, the composition of our group continually changes. Our annual meeting brought together representatives from Very Special Arts/DC, "Arts for All", The P.Buckley Moss Foundation, "Kids on the Block", university special educators, a former music teacher, and a master's level student working on her final project, one that combines art and special education. Thus, the meeting included discussions of both established and new organizations, programs, materials, and future directions.

Barbara Trader , Vice President of Progams, described the variety of programs offered by VSA/DC. In addition to the "Young Soloist" program that takes place at the Kennedy Center, Trader described the "Start with the Arts" Program for young children (three to seven years old) that incorporates both the visual and performing arts. VSA/DC has also developed a new education program to teach about 35 artists, all with disabilities.

Dr. Sharon Votel , a university teacher, also works with students who have emotional/ behavior disorders at a Minnesota residential day treatment facility. Art is valued in that program. "Every evening the art supplies came out." Votel described her students' clay sculpture creations, "the spirit and soul of the child comes through."

Brian Carroll , CEO of the P. Buckley Moss Foundation, shared plans for the first national conference to focus on teaching art to special education students. The conference, "The Creative Mind: Advancing Special Education Through the Arts" is sponsored by the P. Buckley Moss Foundation and is intended for both art and special education teachers. It will be held in Virginia in June on the campus of Bridgewater State University (more on the conference below).

Others described their own work and interest in bringing the arts to more special education students. It was gratifying to see networking taking place and to hear about regional and national special education/ arts progams and events.

Please plan to attend our sixth Special Interest Group for Teachers of the Arts on Thursday, April 15th from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. in the Waring Room at the Hilton Hotel. Information about the date, time, and location can be found in the CEC program (under "CEC Meetings" in the front of the program) and on the daily television schedule of events.

Each year the number of special education related presentations at the NAEA annual convention increases. This year, topics included current research on special education issues, classroom practices, museum programs, teacher education, and adaptive equipment. (It was not possible to attend all of the presentations, so an apology is in order to the session leaders missed.) While the field of special education still seems to marginalize the arts, art teachers face the complexities of special education students every day. In many ways, art teachers are training themselves, learning by doing, just as special education teachers did not so long ago.

Sharon R. Gray, Betsy Quintana, and Robert Nickelson described a special exhibit held at the Springville, Utah Museum of Art. "Inclusion: Creating a Collaborative Art Project Between Artists and Special Needs Individuals" shared information about their program that matched artists in the community with people who had disabilities. This unique collaboration resulted in a popular art exhibit at the Museum. Slides showed an appreciative audience of artists, parents, and museum personnel viewing art works in a wide range of media used by the artists.

The initial idea for this unusual collaboration came from Joe Ostraff, a professor at Brigham Young University. Gray and others at the Museum helped to match students with a variety of disabilities (visual impairments/ mental retardation/ communication problems/ degenerative diseases) with artists who then decided how they would work together. One duo decided to work, each with a paint brush, on one canvas together. Another collaborative team worked three-dimensionally and created a surrealistic looking shadow box. Still another team created collages that incorporated repetitive stamps. "He loves to stamp things over and over again." The artist collaborator felt that, for this non-verbal child, "Art really was a language for him."

One collaboration that still continues, is between a painter and a young man with retardation who draws at the functional level of a three or four year old. The young man loves to make large black and white drawings that he names, for example, "Doggie", "Doors", "Going Home", and "Three Angels" (after a television show). The drawings resemble the works of Klee and Miro'. Once the young man finishes his drawing (usually done quickly), his artist collaborator paints colors onto the drawings. The resulting painting brings the talents of both artists together. Both have been enriched by this unique collaboration. The artist said that, "This collaboration will go on until one of us dies or one of us moves too far away. He is part of me and I am part of him."

Doris M. Guay , Associate Professor of Art Education at Kent State University, stated that schools have changed and that teacher education needs to be different to meet those changes. Today's student teachers need to go beyond merely spitting back or restating what they have been taught, and to become thoughtful, reflective teachers. "Teaching the Student to Fish: Process as Curriculum in the Art Education Classroom" described an approach Guay uses to train future art educators. She asserts that changes in teacher training are difficult because, "Teaching is the only profession our students get into when they are five years old and they stay in it." "Their role models started when they were in Kindergarten."

Guay described the Socratic system of questioning that she teaches her students to use in their own teaching. She said that it helps, too, if they have a multi-arts background that includes a course in drama. Guay's students use role plays to act out classroom incidents or teaching scenarios. The incidents have been observed by Guay in the schools and "collected" for their use in teacher training. Discussions and reflections are an ongoing part of the role plays. Students are encouraged to describe what they see and to develop the assertive statement that deals with the problem incident. They are required to write about the role plays, incorporating their own reflections and the writings of others. Guay wants, "No cop out answers!" Students should,"Struggle and learn! Communicate!"

William E. Norton , art teacher at Menomonie High School, Menomonie, Wisconsin described his "Olivia Project." "Opening the Visual Door to Those Who Have Never Entered" showed a videotape of Olivia, a high school student with cerebral palsy who is in a wheelchair. She cannot use her hands because of her spasticity. Before this project, Olivia sat in the back of the art class and a paraprofessional made drawings for her. Norton wondered, "How can we make this better for her?"

He first wrapped a pipe cleaner around a stick of chalk and taped it to Olivia's head. It worked as a drawing tool, but Olivia couldn't see what she was drawing. Norton then taped a marker pen to a tongue depressor that Olivia held in her mouth. This worked, but was tiring. Then Norton learned of a "bite stick" that could hold pencils and markers. Olivia was excited about her drawings and began to name every mark and color she made. "Lightning", "fireworks", "thunder", "ladder." Next, Norton taped a digitizing pen to the bite stick and introduced Olivia to "Kid Pix", a computer art program.

Norton was able to purchase sonar headgear and a "puff and sip" switch device through a grant. These adaptive devices enabled Olivia to use "Dabbler II" software. Olivia now uses textures and watercolor techniques and is fully independent in art. She said, "I can be much more independent than I could before." "I want to make my own scrapbook. Write my own book." "I don't want to quit."

"Crossing Boundaries: The Role of Art Education in a Therapeutic Arts Program"

Janet Fedorenko , Professor of Art Education at the University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio, used overheads to review some of the subtle differences between art education, art therapy, and therapeutic recreation. She described a "therapeutic art program" that borrows from each discipline and includes a heavy field work component. The goal for her students "should be to become part of a team that includes an art teacher, art therapist, and recreation therapist." Students in the therapeutic art program are introduced to community programs, schools, and hospitals. They are encouraged to develop their own studio art skills, to experiment with different methods of instruction, and to keep personal, reflective journals.

Fedorenko described one course that focuses on the creation of adaptive tools. Each small group of students works with a client, designs an adaptive device, plans its use, and evaluates its success. Fedorenko also shared issues of confusion between the disciplines and their overlapping territories. Despite these, she feels that a therapeutic art program introduces each discipline to the strengths of the other and teaches the students to work collaboratively.

In his presentation, "Designing Instruction for Inclusive Senior High Students" ,

Dennis L. Taylor , from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, gave an overview of inclusive art education in New York. He stated that although high school students were in art classes, their teachers were usually left out of the IEP process.

He described many benefits of an art program for students with disabilities. The art program can provide "a sense of community", a place to "learn supportive ways to give criticism" and "appropriate ways to handle frustration", and "learn about a variety of cultures."

Taylor said that art teachers "need to create a positive, nuturing atmosphere" and offered a wide range of helpful suggestions from his own experience. Among his many practical suggestions were the following. Art teachers should know that the occupational therapist is their "best ally," and can help find and adapt equipment. Videotaped directions permit students to review them as often as needed, and they are also available to students who were absent.Taylor has also dealt with teacher aides who do too little or too much. "Some sit and read newspapers and never do anything." While "some teacher aides are wonderful", he stressed the need for in-service workshops for them. (Many in the audience agreed.) Taylor also discussed "the concept of fairness." "In an inclusive classroom, the art teacher may have to treat students differently according to their needs." He strongly advocated for a supportive art environment because, "A good experience in art gets carried to other classes."

P. BUCKLEY MOSS FOUNDATION for CHILDREN'S EDUCATION

If you are frustrated because few colleagues seem to value the arts for special education students, picture this. Last June, a lovely Virginia campus in the Shenandoah Valley was the conference site for an enthusiastic group of people, ALL interested in the arts. Presenters and participants came from around the country to, what one described as, a "wonderful, vacation retreat." The conference brought special educators and art educators together to share ideas. Conversations that began at breakfast, bounced around during lunch discussions and into evening receptions.

All this was possible because the P. Buckley Moss Foundation for Children's Education held the first national conference on art education for special education students, "The Creative Mind: Advancing Special Education Through the Arts." It was the first time a conference combined the knowledge and skills of special educators who focus on the arts and art educators who focus on special education students . Presenters included teacher practitioners and university faculty from both special education and art education, from the Virginia State Department of Education, and other areas in the arts.

K eynote speakers represented special education and art education. Lynne Raiser , Professor and Program Director of Special Education at the University of North Florida, described how the arts have been used to reach and enhance the lives of children in Florida. "Sparking the Imagination and Celebrating the Gifts of All Children" emphasized the importance of the visual and performing arts in the education of special education students. Her presentation combined stories of children who benefitted from the arts with successful teaching strategies. Doris Guay , Professor of Art Education at Kent State University, provided an overview of research that supports the value of art education, "We Can't Legislate Caring: Issues in Art Teacher Education." Her slides of student artwork demonstrated how students learn about their environment and life around them through their art. Guay also advocated that art education programs should prepare teachers for students with diverse learning needs.

Concurrent sessions featured Janet Federenko, Professor of Art Education at the University of Toledo, OH, who spoke about collaboration between the university and schools to facilitate the sharing of ideas and teaching strategies. Peter Geisser, Art Director of the Rhode Island School for the Deaf, described his program's unique collaborative ceramic tile project. Over 10,000 tiles were made to decorate the Museum of Art, hospitals, and Providence's Riverwalk. Beverly Gerber , Professor of Special Education at Southern Connecticut State University, focused on the need to troubleshoot three areas of the art lesson, materials, vocabulary, and directions. Anticipating problems often prevents them from occuring. Adrienne Hunter , Art Teacher at the Allegheny Intermediate Unit, Pittsburgh, PA, shared many strategies based on her extensive experience teaching high school age students with severe emotional problems. Hunter's slides demonstrated a variety of successful projects done by her students

Other speakers addressed a wide range of topics. Bonnie Bernau , Very Special Arts National Program Director, Very Special Arts/ DC, described the "Start with the Arts Program for young children. Mindy Kornhaber from Harvard's Project Zero, shared Howard Gardner's theory of Multiple Intelligences and its relationship to the arts. Ron McAdow from the Center for Applied Assisted Special Technology, Peabody, MA, brought "Electronic Tools for the Arts." Ruth Daniels , special education teacher, used a workshop format for her presentation, "The Power of Painting Stories"

A reception at the P.Buckley Moss Museum provided a chance to socialize and an opportunity to soak in the magnificent Shenandoah scenery. Participants did not want the conference to end. Their interest and enthusiasm provided the impetus for the second annual conference of "The Creative Mind: Advancing Special Education Though the Arts." It will be held once again, at Bridgewater College from Friday, June 18th to Sunday, June 20th, 1999. Conference proceedings and more information can be obtained from the P. Buckley Moss Foundation for Children's Education; 601 Shenandoah Drive: Suite 1B; Waynesboro, VA 22980 or can be accessed by phone, (540) 932-1728, fax (540) 949-8408, e-mail - brianne@mnsinc.com, or through their web site (www.mossfoundation.org).

"You take a blank piece of paper and create a problem that didn't exist before and then you solve it to your best satisfaction. It's kind of trial and error." Al Hirschfeld

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