Prairie Visions 2008
This four-day long Institute provides professional development in comprehensive arts education for educators – classroom teachers, arts specialists, administrators, program specialists from museum and arts organizations. Prairie Visions has been serving educators in arts integrated learning for 21 years. The first 50 Nebraska educators who register will receive free tuition due to funding from Nebraska Arts Council, and the first 25 Iowa educators who register will receive free tuition due to funding from Iowa West Foundation.
The focus of the curriculum will be object and site-centered learning, connecting the past and present through historical objects and artistic works. Using regional curriculum delivery sites, we will model how innovative and exciting off-site experiences can connect to classroom learning and stimulate meaningful curriculum. Activities will show how students can experience learning through exploration of diverse populations and authentic voices, interpretation of artifacts and artworks, and understanding through thematic relationships. The interdisciplinary approach features visual arts, music, drama, dance/movement, social studies, and language arts. All off-site active inquiry will be directly correlated to classroom curriculum connections, engaging imagination and encouraging reflection. Participants will receive a wealth of valuable curricular materials and resources for their professional collections.
Prairie Visions Institute will be held at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, with trips to The Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery in Lincoln, Nebraska, and the Union Pacific Railroad Museum, the Squirrel Cage Jail, and the Western Historic Trails Center in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Transportation to these regional delivery sites will be provided or arranged from UNO.
Contact info: Shari Hofschire, 402/554-2402, shofschire at unomaha.edu
