Three Hour Workshops for Educators

Bringing Patterns to Life: Dance and Math

(K-1)

Providing experiences for students to concretely experience mathematical patterns through the use of movement/dance deepens children’s understanding of patterns and increases their engagement with math. In this workshop, teachers learn how to employ patterns of directional movement to identify, create, and extend repeating mathematical patterns with large and small group choreography. Each movement pattern is also represented with Unifix Cubes, letters, colors, and shapes so students have the opportunity to communicate their understanding of patterns in multiple ways. In this workshop, participants also learn effective management skills for using movement in the classroom.

Common Core Math in Action

(K-2, K-5, Grades 3-5)

Many math concepts can seem dry to students.  As you gear up for implementing Common Core Math in your classroom here’s your chance to learn how to bring math to life with movement/dance.  Following a basic lesson in numeration appropriate for any grade level and classroom management foundations for movement, participants choose dance-integrated Common Core Math lessons from the workshop packet they’d like to work with during the workshop.

Lessons are available on addition, subtraction, multiplication, math facts, place value, patterns that follow a rule, writing numbers, measurement, fractions,  area/perimeter, angles, geometric shapes, parallel/perpendicular lines.  symmetry/asymmetry, X/Y axis, money/coins,  greater/less than.

Math in Action

(K-2, K-5, Grades 3-5)

Many math concepts can seem dry to students, such as memorizing the division algorithm.  Bring math to life for them!  As you explore the dance concepts of shape, pathway and direction in tandem with long division, comparison of fractions and decimals, greater than/less than, angles, and repeating patterns you’ll experience how to make math a living reality your students will be able to remember and use.   Join Seattle dance educator Eric Johnson for these easy-to-implement lessons that you’ll want to take right back to school.

Teamwork through Dance: Building an Inclusive Classroom

(K-2)

Collaboration is one of the most important skills teachers emphasize to build community, include students with a diverse range of abilities and needs, and prepare them for the world of work.  In this workshop, explore how to build cooperative teamwork by learning to lead classroom-tested, playful, creative movement activities that teach students to take turns, listen carefully, read a partner's non-verbal cues, and speak in response.  Throughout the workshop observe the modeling of an easy, repeatable classroom management system which creates a calm, cooperative environment for learning.

Learning and Dancing Throughout the Curriculum

(Pre-K, K-2, K-5, Grades 3-5)

Dance is a wonderful language, useful for thinking, learning, and self-expression. In this workshop, participants learn ways to explore dance elements with students and gain proficiency in leading easy, enjoyable dance activities that connect to science, math, and language arts. Participants also learn how movement engages students and inspires learning.

Dancing the Earth and Sky

(K-5)

The enormous processes of earth science and astronomy such as the movement of tectonic plates or the evolution of stars can seem unfathomable and abstract to students. These and other natural processes, such as the water cycle, become concrete and memorable when students become them through the creative use of movement and dance. Eric Johnson will teach you how to bring the concepts of solid/liquid/gas, stellar evolution, gravity in the solar system, and earth’s processes of erosion and tectonic plate movement to life for your students.  

Looking Inside a Painting

(K-5)

Participants employ the elements of dance to assist students in deepening their understanding and viewing of visual artworks through physical action.  In a first lesson students look at art prints to discover shapes of varied sizes; in a second, students examine the concept of line in a series of works in order to create dances about line and pathway; In a third lesson students examine color in works of art which inspire them in their creation of movement studies that demonstrate varied qualities of energy.

Six Hour Workshops for Educators

(Full day or may be divided into two half days)

Common Core Math in Action

(K-2)

Many math concepts can seem dry to students such as place value, fractions, and measurement.  As you gear up for implementing Common Core Math in your classroom here’s your chance to learn how to bring math to life with movement and active learning.  Use the movement concepts of shape, action words, and levels, to bring addition, subtraction, place value, fractions, measurement, and money to life for your students in a series of delightful, do-able lessons you can lead in your classroom.

Common Core Math in Action

(Grades 3-5)

As students move up through the grades math concepts become more challenging.  Here’s a chance to make mathematical learning engaging for each girl and boy.   At the same time that you gear up for implementing Common Core Math in your own classroom you can bring the concepts to life in delightful, do-able lessons that integrate the movement concepts of shape, directions, and action words with instruction in area/perimeter, comparing fractions, symmetry and X/Y axes, and many more essential math standards.

Twelve Hour Course for Educators

(2 full days or may be divided into four half days)

Exploring Kinesthetic Intelligence:

Movement Strategies for In-Depth Learning

(K-5)

In this four-session course, participants gain skill in the practice of integrating dance learning with math, language arts, science and social studies  as well as a strong foundation in the classroom management skills used to make movement-based learning successful and enlivening  for students.  Each of the four workshop sessions addresses a specific topic through the teaching of  model arts-integrated lessons  for the elementary grades in all content areas

Each of the four workshop sessions address either the underpinnings of strong arts-integrated instruction or a particular instructional strategy.  By the end of each workshop, participants find themselves comfortable with leading the strategy in their own classroom because it is has been so fully examined and paired with so many content areas.

If your school or district is interested in this course, Eric is happy to include particular learning standards, curriculum areas, or lesson topics that you find essential. 

Workshop titles for each session: 

1. •The Anatomy of Kinesthetic Instruction
   

2. •Whole Class/Large Group Strategies
   

3. •Partner/Small Group Strategies
   

4. •Choreography in the Classroom
   

Available Lesson Topics for the course: 

Punctuation  |  Landforms  |  Poetry |  Leaf Shape |  Fractions |  Respiration |  Solid/Liquid/Gas |  Geographical Change/Earth Processes |  Printing/Cursive |  Greater/Less than |  Noun/Verb |  Angles/Geometric Shapes |  Repeating Patterns |  Weather |  Water Cycle

Workshops for Teaching Artists

Sharing your Art-Form: Tools for Artists

(6-hour or 9-hour workshop)

This workshop, which has been offered to the artist rosters of numerous state arts councils and performing arts organizations nationally, begins with Eric’s modeling of an example lesson. Artists gain practice in planning, writing and implementing lessons in their art-forms that are well-scaffolded and in accordance with current instructional practice (essential questions, enduring understandings, formative and summative assessment) and with national/state standards and the Common Core.

If your organization chooses Sharing your Art-Form in its 9 hour form, you may wish to add the following three-hour workshop:

Fostering Strong Professional Connections

(3 hour workshop)

This workshop leads teaching artists through the skills for effective interaction with schools and organizations. it includes guidelines for optimal professional behavior and conflict resolution, as well as practical guidance regarding e-mail, phone contact, and meetings.

Sharing your Art-Form, Part 2: Reflection and Refinement

Usually offered from a few months to a year after Part 1

Participants examine their work during the intervening period to examine their progress in planning, assessment, management and execution of their lessons. Individually and as a group they reflect on their teaching and what they want to strengthen, change or remove as they simultaneously study the attributes of exemplary teachers and teaching. Further work on the topic of assessment (the use of embedded assessments and rubrics) is undertaken; artists display  and narrate examples of assessments used during their own lessons. The day closes with artists setting goals to attain in their upcoming teaching.