Beyond the Journal: The Power of Arts-based Reflection
Reflective practice is widely acknowledged as a critical component to meaningful learning. Curriculum designers often rely on journals and diaries as the primary reflection tools for students to express understandings and questions. Avoda's Deb Krivoy is working with Temple Israel Center in White Plains, NY, to develop a series of arts-based reflection tools that support whole-person learning. Contact us to learn more about our innovative approaches to reflection through art, photography, poetry and video.
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Professional Development

 

Menu of Professional Development and Community Opportunities

 

Making Learning Whole: Community Building through the Arts

Are you looking for creative, meaningful ways to help learners participate more actively, have a voice in the classroom, and feel part of – and responsible for – the learning community? This weekend intensive helps you and your educators create more vibrant, imaginative classroom communities that promote powerful learning and deep understanding. With the arts as your focusing lens, you will learn to recognize and develop the multiple strengths and capacities of learning groups; encourage learners to think critically and creatively; and apply cooperative and collaborative work strategies. Through hands-on practice and lively interaction, experience how the arts boost social and emotional learning and help build more authentic, unified classroom communities.

Audience: Administrators, arts educators, family educators and teachers of all grade levels

Length: Weekend intensive

 

Year-long Consultation with Avoda Teaching Artist

Partner with Avoda Arts and build a year-long, arts-rich learning environment that brings authenticity, depth and meaning to the students, teachers and families in your congregation. We offer flexible, custom-designed placements that work at many scales – an expert teaching artist working with one grade, several grades or a whole school. Guided by your congregation’s educational vision and priority goals, the Avoda teaching artist will offer curriculum consultation, community art making and performances, family programs, and professional development experiences. The full-year partnership includes planning and reflection meetings to set goals for the program and assess learner outcomes.

Audience: Students, parents, administrators, family educators and teachers of all grade levels

Length: Academic year

 

Avoda Arts Classroom 2011-12: Connecting Curriculum through the Arts

The Avoda Arts Classroom helps you lay the foundation for a powerful, arts-integrated curriculum that sharpens both the practice of teaching and the process of learning. Explore and apply a multi-step process for using the arts to focus your curriculum, discover natural connections among content areas, and promote deeper learning and understanding in your work. Working side-by-side with educators from other area schools, you will explore ways to use Avoda Arts strategies and practices to address your unique curriculum challenges. Enjoy ample and generative hands-on practice, discussion and reflection sessions, led by expert teaching artists and arts educators. Walk away with practical knowledge, skills and lesson materials to integrate the arts with your core subject areas, from rituals and values to history and Hebrew.

Audience: Administrators, arts educators, family educators and teachers of all grade levels

Length: Two-and-a-half days

 

Note: We encourage participation by teams of teachers from the same school, so colleagues can reflect on ideas together both during and after the workshop, but individual participants are also welcome.