#SFUSDVapa

[artistsintheclassroom9]

Next Year

May 9th, 2018

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“Dear VAPA,

I hope this finds everyone well.

It turns out I won’t be returning next year; I’ve decided to focus on founding my company, projects of interest, and preparing for SIY certification in January.

The past 7 years have been a professional & personal growth for me, and I’m grateful for the opportunity.

If you’d like to follow what I’m up to, much of this years’ work is housed here:

•Artists In The Classroom (17-18) With gratitude, and best wishes for a wonderful 2018-2019 school year.

namaste

jakey”

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Effective Date: June 30th, 2018

[artistsintheclassroom8]

Running Into Luna @ NDEO

[theartdontstop]

At the @artsedalliance Roundtable on Friday, @samblasted, director of @sfusdvapa, shared that dancing and performing helped him own, "who I was as a person." What's your #becauseofartsed story? #artsedweek (at San Francisco Arts Commission) https://www.instagram.com/p/B2Mmus1hgPZ/?igshid=1uie9bhohaqkn

[varaiza666]

#SanFrancisco, #sfusdvapa, #satutdayartlab, my view this lovely Saturday morning

[artistsintheclassroom8]

Positive Feedback From An SFUSD VAPA Administrator (5) (January 2017)

Re: Luna Dance Institute Profile #2

"Congratulations, Jakey.  This is a well deserved recognition. Thank you for being such a strong ambassador for quality arts education not only through your role as an itinerant dance teacher for the Visual & Performing Arts Department of the SFUSD, but also through your active and reflective practice on line and in the community. With much appreciation," - SFUSD VAPA Administrator (Jan. 2017)

*My gratitude for permission to post.

[artistsintheclassroom8]

Positive Feedback From An SFUSD VAPA Administrator (4) (June 2017)

"Thank you for all your work on assuring the voice of the VAPA itinerant teachers is heard..." - SFUSD VAPA Administrator (June 2017)

*My gratitude for permission to post. 

[artistsintheclassroom8]

Positive Feedback From Our Artistic Director, Emeritus | SFUSD (Jan. 2017)

Re: Luna Dance Institute Profile #2

"This is just wonderful, and so well deserved! I am, among so many others, so very proud of you and the brilliant work you continue to do as an artist who teaches in our schools! With greatest admiration," - Artistic Director, Emeritus | SFUSD (Jan. 2017)

*My gratitude for permission to post. 

[artistsintheclassroom8]

Positive Feedback From An SFUSD VAPA Administrator (2) (Jan. 2017)

Re: Luna Dance Institute Profile #2

"...Congrats on the article by Luna Dance Institute….. What wonderful recognition for all the great work you do. We are so lucky to have you in our VAPA family of teachers." - SFUSD VAPA Administrator (Jan. 2017)

*My gratitude for permission to post.

[artistsintheclassroom8]

Positive Feedback From An SFUSD VAPA Administrator (1) (Jan. 2017)

Re: Luna Dance Institute Profile #2

"You bad!!!!!!" – SFUSD VAPA Administrator (Jan. 2017)

*My gratitude for permission to post. 

[artistsintheclassroom8]

United Educators of San Francisco eNews (June 9th, 2017)

“Bargaining Update: UESF Team Makes Proposals on Itinerant Teachers, School Meetings, and Testing; SFUSD Responds to UESF SPED Proposal and Makes Questionable QTEA Offer

At the bargaining table on June 6th, the UESF Bargaining Team made several proposals that would support the work of teacher librarians and itinerant teachers. In order to provide quality instruction for students, and to meet the needs of both elementary school classroom teachers and itinerant teachers, the UESF team proposed that at the beginning of the school year classroom teachers would attend the first four sessions of instruction with itinerant teachers, during which period their time in the classroom would be progressively phased out. This structure would allow itinerant teachers to get the support they need as they are getting to know the students, while ensuring that classroom teachers get the necessary relief time throughout the rest of the school year.

The UESF team also proposed that librarians and itinerant teachers receive adequate transition time between classes, and that itinerant teachers only be required to teach five classes a day and librarians six classes a day. Based on feedback from itinerant teachers and librarians, the team felt that the proposal would best ensure that students received quality instruction, rather than rushing instruction.

The UESF team also proposed establishing a joint UESF/SFUSD committee whose goal would be to implement one day a week of early release or late start for common planning time at all elementary schools, with the goal of having the plan in place by 2020. The UESF team also added teacher librarians, itinerant teachers, support staff, and paras to those included in common planning time, to the extent possible.”

Thanks Lita & Susan! :) 

Related Links: 

UESF. June 2017. San Francisco, CA

Mini Reflection On Systems #5

SFUSD VAPA Itinerant Teacher’s Concerns: An Open Letter to SFUSD (March 2017)

A Dialogue With UESF Regarding “Release”

What Is The Primary Purpose Of This Time?

Why Release Doesn’t Work Well: One Itinerant Teacher’s Perspective

Jakey’s Rubric of Classroom Teacher Support

[artistsintheclassroom8]

UESF. June 2017. San Francisco, CA

UESF. June 2017. San Francisco, CA

Thanks to Lita & Susan for meeting with VAPA itinerant teachers & librarians, as we draft contract language around best practices for students who are served by (as I like to call us) “Teachers Who Serve Many” :) 👫 👭 👬 👫 👭 👬 👫 👬 👬  

YaY for legit-ly beginning to address the unique sets of supports & challenges that accompany itinerancy & serving the entire population of a school. 

Woot Woot!

*On a side -- or rather a right-smack-dab-in-the-middle -- note, it is my personal intention to have arts education completely de-coupled, and dis-associated with “relief time”, “release time”, “prep time”, “common planning time”, “grade level collaboration time”, or any other kind of time, that doesn’t support a classroom teachers’ presence for the entire duration of class, AND active involvement & participation with the subject matter at hand.

If I had more time, I could write a dissertation on why this is important. 

Related Links:

United Educators of San Francisco eNews (June 9th, 2017)

Mini Reflection On Systems #5

SFUSD VAPA Itinerant Teacher’s Concerns: An Open Letter to SFUSD (March 2017)

A Dialogue With UESF Regarding “Release”

What Is The Primary Purpose Of This Time?

Why Release Doesn’t Work Well: One Itinerant Teacher’s Perspective

Jakey’s Rubric of Classroom Teacher Support

[artistsintheclassroom8]

Next Year

Dear Longfellow, Argonne, John Muir, and Cesar Chavez Communities,

I will be taking a year's leave / personal sabbatical next year. To rest my body, spend time with family & friends, write, dance, pursue professional interests, and reflect on the past 7 years which, for me, have been nothing short of incredible!

While not entirely sure of future plans, my current thinking is to return to dance teaching artistry for the 2018 - 2019 school year.

Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for all the support with dance throughout the years, and all the best for a wonderful 2017 - 2018 :)

See you next week!

namaste

jakey

[artistsintheclassroom8]

SFUSD VAPA Itinerant Teacher’s Concerns: An Open Letter to SFUSD (March 2017)

Below is a letter written by Joseph Churchill and myself, representing SFUSD VAPA Itinerant Teachers, and our concerns regarding the way our program is being used at many sites — specifically as it relates to “Release Teaching” for Grade Level Collaboration (GLC) —  an approach slated to become the norm moving forward.

I’ve had the good fortune to work with incredibly supportive communities - the last two years, phenomenally so! However I’m well aware that both I, and my situation, are unique.

This letter represents concerns brought forth repeatedly by itinerant teaching artists struggling to provide a quality arts education for their students.

A personal preface:

Well used Grade Level Collaboration time is, from my perspective, invaluable for both students & teachers - with, I believe, much research existing to back this up. Based on my experiences though, it almost always takes place at the expense of whatever’s being taught during it’s time (whether it’s PE, Library, or any branch of the Arts).

There is an inverse correlation between the number of free & reduced lunches a school qualifies for (i.e. the number of students a school serves, who are living in poverty), and a school’s API (Academic Performance Index). Struggling schools - schools with lower API’s (within our district, formerly referred to as “Zone Schools”) have been mandated to implement GLC within the curricular day, and generally use the Arts, PE, and Libraries, or whatever / whomever is available, to cover classes during this time. Principals also, I believe, in an attempt to retain strong, highly qualified teachers, want to be able to to offer this time, in addition to personal prep time - as a means to attract, and / or retain a strong faculty; And in the midst of a Nation-Wide teacher shortage, understandably so.

The problem is that’s it’s precisely in these schools - schools in which both student safety and success is even more highly dependent, and I believe correlated to, the presence of a strong classroom teacher - that this model is being implemented — leaving arts providers to struggle not only with providing quality arts education experiences to students who have historically been deprived thereof, but also to ensure their safety without the support of the classroom teacher - a critical (and usually the only) individual who’s had the opportunity to cultivate positive, efficacious relationships with students, over time, and understands their individual needs, as well as the unique needs and dynamic of their classroom community. While “Release for GLC” is well intentioned, no doubt, it leads to already underserved students being further underserved — deprived not only of a safe class period, but also of a quality arts education experience.

Below is our letter.

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Addendum: I was reflecting on what I wrote, with a friend, who helped me realize that I posed a problem without proposing any viable alternatives / solutions. Below are some post brainstorming possibilities (:-)

Instead of leaving the room for collaboration, teachers could stay in the room - in students’ direct line of sight - and collaborate on their laptops via Skype or a Google Hang Out. 

While arts instruction is taking place, teachers can work on individual, pre-collaboration work, and collaborate together in physical space, at a different time. 

We could build a panopticon style structure in which teachers can collaborate in a central room that overlooks multiple classrooms; Students would know that their teachers are “watching”, and teachers could still meet, uninterrupted, unless their presence was requested / required for support. 

We could add 1 paid hour onto the contractual day, during which teachers could collaborate as a grade level. 

Hmm... I’ll keep thinking....more soon...

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March 23rd, 2017

Dear SFUSD,

The purpose of this letter is to voice concerns around the way VAPA Arts Generalist Programs are being used at many school sites this year, and from what we have heard, this is becoming the model for next year as well, with many more schools planning this way.  Many sites are beginning to see Arts Programing, with VAPA Itinerant teachers, as a way to meet common planning goals and create release times for classroom teachers. Unfortunately, the reality on the ground is that this model supports grade level planning for teachers, at the expense of quality arts instruction, and safe learning environments – both central tenants of the Arts Education Master Plan.

The VAPA Arts Generalist program - an integral part of SFUSD’s AEMP, and Vision 2025 – envision our schools as the classrooms, and San Francisco as the campus. With this in mind, the VAPA Generalist Program, and staff at each school site, should ideally be working together as a team to educate our students - using all and each of our talents to create safe, creative, and joyful learning experiences. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like everyone has the same vision.

The way the VAPA Itinerant Arts Program is being implemented at many school sites around the city should be concerning to anyone who cares about the education of our children. Particularly when the arts are being used as a means for schools to fulfill common planning time, or release time obligations – because it takes place at the expense of a quality arts education.

Using the VAPA art program to create common planning time prioritizes planning time for the regular classroom teachers, while diminishing the value of the Arts programs at the school, and can often create divisive atmospheres, with educators competing for time and priority. Under this model, the VAPA arts program becomes a means to an end, rather than enrichment.

Itinerant Specialist teachers already face the challenge of building community at sites where they only have the opportunity to work one or two days a week. Isolation often becomes the norm in these situations. Building community should be encouraged, because it takes a village to educate a child. But how does one build community when working in isolation? Or when it feels like our entire purpose is to release classroom teachers – the most crucial component to ensuring a safe, productive, and creative classroom community – for grade level planning time.

Concerns / Challenges:

Hectic Schedules. Hectic schedules without reasonable transition times to move from one class to another and set up/ breakdown our mobile classrooms, leads to using less materials and therefore, often, less in-depth arts instruction. Art teachers who are teaching without an art classroom can’t teach art using materials that require cleanup; With everything on a cart, or in a bag, these teachers need a minimum of 15 minutes to clean up materials and move from one classroom to another, setup, and then begin instruction -- the success of which is highly dependent on the organization of the classroom teacher, and their support.

Relationships. Art teachers who only visit once a week don’t have the same opportunities to build relationship with students, and understand their unique social and emotional needs. This can lead to students with special needs receiving improper or inadequate accommodations, and lead to learning environments that are physically & emotionally unsafe – as behavior issues often escalate when students are left with teachers they’re unfamiliar with. All of this leads to unsafe learning environments at worst, and lost learning time at best.

Planning Out The Year. With the pressure to meet release, or common planning time needs, school sites are creating master schedules that use Arts classes as the primary way to release classroom teachers. Itinerant Arts Teachers are left out of this planning process, and therefore their valuable input is not included. This leads to overloading these once-a-week teachers with too many classes, and not enough time to prepare for the number of students they see a day. It also leads to insufficient time to clean up, move from one class to another, and then set up materials in preparation for the next class.

Release For GLC. Big-picture-wise, schools are using three Itinerant programs together to release teachers for up to 135 minutes, so they can meet for grade level collaboration (GLC). While of high value in one capacity, it results in students being herded between three different classrooms for 3 different activities led by Itinerant teachers without their regular classroom teachers present. There are no transitions, or cleanup times, in this format because the Itinerant Teacher must hand one group off while picking up another. This often, depending on the school’s population, leads to an Itinerant Teacher seeing more than a hundred students per day, and having to prepare to teach up to 6 grade levels (PK – 5th), with no preparation time. We feel that preparation time should reflect the number of students taught, as well as the number of different grade levels that need to be prepared for.

We believe that the arts education experiences that schools are offering their students can be improved, along with a school’s culture and climate, by valuing Arts providers contributions to the community – in both philosophy and practice – which can only be achieved through a team effort; We believe it begins with the Principal, and scheduling, and the Classroom Teachers’ physical presence, and support; Our hope is that this will result in the Arts being truly integrated into the curriculum of a classroom, and the culture of a site. We also hope this will result in reasonable and supportive working conditions for VAPA Itinerant Arts Teachers, regardless of where they’re placed.

Sincerely

Joseph Churchill & Jakey Toor

Representing SFUSD VAPA Itinerant Teachers

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*My gratitude for permission to post.

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Related Links:

A Dialogue With UESF Regarding “Release”

What Is The Primary Purpose Of This Time?

Why Release Doesn’t Work Well: One Itinerant Teacher’s Perspective

Jakey’s Rubric of Classroom Teacher Support

[artistsintheclassroom8]

SFUSD Arts Education Master Plan Advisory Committee Meeting 6 (March 2017)

Disclaimer: As with all of my published notes from workshops or conferences, these are in no way comprehensive. Nor are they a literal summation of what was said. They are simply my notes, my interpreted, perspective-ed reflections, photos, and jottings, that occasionally combine my own records & thoughts with those of the speakers. There might be some typos.

10 Years ago, it was Prop H (2006)

25 Years -> Prop C -> Extends.

Quorum (?)

12 Years ago – PEEF Funding began.

Meeting quarterly.

ArtsCenter.

SOTA 175 Van Ness.

296 Million.

100 Millon from the ellections… Still need 139/140 million..

Shovel in the ground after 220 Million.

One of the goals: Create a true artist / maker / teaching space that leads to a deep enhancement of everything that’s happening in the classroom.

“We don’t want to negate the hard work that teachers (and credentialing programs) have done, we want to build and expand upon it.” Personally I think this is a great way of putting it.

There is a part of me that feels like I’m becoming a politician. But I’m not a politician, I’m an artist. Can one be both? And does one have to learn how to play the game to actually get anything done? Sigh... :(

Population of about 850.

It will take about 5 years to complete..

So projected completion date = 2023, or 2025

Goal = To elevate the arts.

In LA: Skid Row – Inner City Arts

Boston Arts Academy.

Lottery School.

Middle School Redesign Initiative.

A glimmer of possibility around…

“Our cupboards are not bare” ;)

CTE: Career Technology Education

Coronado School of the Arts in San Diego (my home town – Woot Woot! )

Look at the District LCAP, and where the arts might fit..

Making reflective practice & collaboration a regular way of doing & being for new teachers (!!) (DING DING DING DING DING!) (This is the only way to go…)

Working with retired teachers to put together curriculum.

American’s For the Arts.

National Guild For Community Arts Education.

April 29th = The beginning of the SFUSD Arts Festival.

Create California: Equity | Advocacy

An elevator speech for the ArtsCenter:

Creating a center that will allow every kid to get trained.

Cutting Edge.

Being careful not to politicize things…. :)

With PEEF funding – 104 arts teachers are in classrooms that weren’t there before (for better or worse, one of them’s me ;)

*The AEMP Advisory Committee, a Superintendent-appointed committee created per resolution* of the SFUSD Board of Education, practices Brown Act and other open meeting provisions. *Resolution 72-27Sp2 - in support of implementation of the SFUSD Arts Education Master Plan and Creation of an Arts Education Master Plan Advisory Committee.

*Education Code 35145: All meetings of the governing board of any school district shall be open to the public and shall be conducted in accordance with Chapter 9 (commencing with Section 54950) of Division 2 of Title 5 of the Government Code..

Related Links:

SFUSD AEMP | BOE: Presenting to the Board of Education: (May 2016) 

SFUSD AEMP | BOE: (May 2016): Tweet It Out, Yo!

SFUSD AEMP | BOE: Richard Carranza Speaking About AEMP (May 2016)

SFUSD AEMP | BOE: And the Meeting Begins… (May 2016)

SFUSD AEMP | BOE: A Personal Reflection (May 2016)

SFUSD AEMP | BOE: UESF Safe & Supportive Schools Rally (May 2016)

SFUSD AEMP Advisory Committee Meeting 7 (April 2016)

AEMP Meeting Prep (April 2016)

SFUSD AEMP Advisory Committee Meeting 6 (March 2016)

SFUSD AEMP Meeting Prep: Going Over & Dancing Around :)

SFUSD AEMP Advisory Committee Meeting 5 (Feb. 2016)

SFUSD AEMP Advisory Committee Meeting 4 (Jan. 2016)

SFUSD AEMP Advisory Committee Meeting 4 (Jan. 2016): Personal Reflection: A Room With Meaning

Prepping For Today’s AEMP Meeting (Jan. 2016)

SFUSD AEMP Advisory Committee: Broadening The Conversation

SFUSD AEMP Advisory Committee Meeting 3 (Oct. 2015)

Prepping For Tomorrow’s AEMP Meeting (Oct. 2015)

[artistsintheclassroom8]

Was just profiled by Luna Dance Institute for their 25th Anniversary. Congratulations Luna! :) It’s an honor to be profiled again, and thank you for everything!

“Dance educators and artists are impacting the field of arts education in many ways. One such person, Jakey Toor, shares her efforts to bring creativity to children and adults through the art of dance and writing….”

Text from Luna’s Site: 

In our 25 years, Luna has worked with hundreds of teachers who we’re now proud to say are teaching all around the globe. From Emily Blossom to Jakey Toor, our past Professional Learning are collectively and cumulatively teaching tens of thousands of children. Starting in 2017 we will share their stories, one each week, about how they continue to positively impact the dance education field, the future, the world...

Text of Profile: 

Dance educators and artists are impacting the field of arts education in many ways. One such person, Jakey Toor, shares her efforts to bring creativity to children and adults through the art of dance and writing. Jakey teaches in San Francisco Unified School District as an arts educator in their Visual and Performing Arts Program (VAPA) and keeps an active dance blog. “My blog for me is a big creative outlet. I can construct whatever I want, points of inspiration, articles, dance notes.”

Jakey attended UCSD as a dance minor & theater major, taught writing classes to college freshmen and eventually got her teaching credential. Coinciding with her education she taught workshops to children in Mexico and at The Arc of San Diego, where she worked with children with Down’s Syndrome. Creative expression through performance has always been a big part of her life, and education is yet another way for her to share creative experiences with others.

Jakey first heard about Luna Dance Institute (LDI) in 2011. Attending LDI’s Summer Institute (SI) had been on her radar for a year, but in 2011 the time was ripe. “Patricia Reedy was my coach. When I did the SI 2011, I was completely overwhelmed and surprised. It was a program where dance pedagogy and child development came together in a solid way. I had never experienced that before. I have had such a passion for both fields-seeing both content areas coming together-dance concepts and Piaget; it felt like a dance teacher training that I never had. I really appreciated it because I think that way. It felt like the credential program that I should have been in.”

Jakey continues to be a life-long learner, evaluating her teaching, student learning and community building experiences. For two years she has been investigating if it is possible to manage a classroom without a negative consequence in a dance class setting. Can one teach in a way where there are no negative consequences for negative behavior, specifically for the itinerant teacher? Can dance teachers keep it so engaging that everyone wants to participate? The idea was born out of the reality that she is always working with other teachers’ students. Some teachers have very established cultures and itinerant teachers are coming in doing their own thing. Sometimes classroom and itinerant teachers can collaborate before hand and sometimes not. “I don’t do well with punitive discipline, so I keep it moving. It usually works pretty well.”

Jakey brings dance and creativity to 1500 children every year. She is most proud of working with whole schools and communities. It began as an experiment at one of her schools. She was interested in finding a way to authentically weave dance into the school community at Cesar Chavez. She ended up choreographing a whole dance for the school to perform on the black top. This became an annual tradition, that continues, and has expanded to other schools in San Francisco. Now Jakey brings them together for a multi-school community sharing. Jakey commented:

It is surprising that other students [from different schools] know the same dances as them, and they are standing next to each other doing the same choreography. At the performances, you hear a lot of positive verbal feedback, “That was amazing!” You will see siblings and parents dancing too. This tradition brings families in. People are generally very excited and you will see people practicing.  Some teachers started crying when they watched their students dancing-either all school or individual classes.  They get emotional. I would like to find a way to create some kind of pen pal program, where they [students] can write to each other before and then come and dance.

Another thing Jakey is very proud of are her yearly blogs that bring educators, parents, and administrators together virtually to celebrate student creativity. They also provide an opportunity for her to reflect as openly and honestly about what is happening in the field of dance education, and share her challenges and successes as an itinerant dance teacher.

“I always thought going into this work that any body can dance. Once in awhile there are a few students who don’t participate, but in general it is incredibly accessible, mobilizing and uplifting.”

To Learn more about Jakey Toor and the work she is doing in SFUSD visit her blog:

Artists In The Classroom: http://www.artistsintheclassroom.com/

Her blog for 2016-17: http://artistsintheclassroom8.tumblr.com

In our 25 years, Luna has worked with hundreds of teachers who we’re now proud to say are teaching all around the globe. From Emily Blossom to Jakey Toor, our past Professional Learning colleagues are collectively and cumulatively teaching tens of thousands of children. Starting in 2017 we will share their stories, one each week, about how they continue to positively impact the dance education field, the future, the world. To read the growing anthology, please click

here

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And here’s my Luna Dance Institute Profile #1, from back in 2013! :) 

[artistsintheclassroom8]

SFUSD VAPA Beginning Of The Year PD (Aug 2016): SF War Memorial Opera House | Chabot Space & Science Center | The Nourse | Lines...

Disclaimer: As with all of my published notes, these are in no way comprehensive. Nor are they a literal summation of what was said. They are simply my notes, my interpreted, perspective-ed reflections, photos, and jottings, that occasionally combine my own records & thoughts with those of the speakers. There might be some typos. 

SF War Memorial Performing Arts Center. August 2016. San Francisco, CA

A few highlights & photos from our beginning of the year VAPA PD.

www.visualthinkingstrategies.org

Interacting in meaningful ways.

Open ended vs. a directive.

And of course, some Inspirational Quote Bombing (;-)

ILSP @ Chabot Space & Science Center: 

Your Voice Matters

Using Story to Communicate Value

Using story as a way of being able to move something forward…

The necessity of being consulted when you’re a stakeholder.

If you don’t listen to your stakeholders, you might not have their buy-in later on.

“A story puts your whole brain to work.”

Listeners turn stories into their own ideas and experiences.

Being connected to the values of the organization.

Student voices and the local control funding formula.

History assumes one truth. Oral history assumes many truths.

There’s no greater agony than the burden of an untold story.

Recognizing & representing cultural wealth…

Shifting to an assets based model.

Yosso’s 6 Types of Cultural Capital

Frayer Model Diagram: Definitions, Quote, Illustrations, Examples (Type of Capital in the middle).

Recognizing & representing cultural wealth…

Shifting to an assets based model.

Yosso’s 6 Types of Cultural Capital

Frayer Model Diagram: Definitions, Quote, Illustrations, Examples (Type of Capital in the middle).

And Mr. The-Art-Don’t-Stop Todd Berman: 

The Nourse: 

Ms. Shirley Brice Heath:

Ms. Rhodessa Jones:

And Mr. Donn Harris: 

@ Alonzo King’s Lines Ballet: 

Move in a way that puts beauty out into the world.

Move in a way that makes you fall in love with yourself.

Move like it’s your last opportunity to dance. Ever.

3 levels. 5 levels.

Push & pull yourself across the floor.

GAGA

“Move all of your joints at the same time.”

“Move from the bones.” Low

“Move from the flesh.” Middle

“Move from the skin.” High

“Make your flesh thick.”

Isolation vs. The Whole

Provide an image.

Embody this.

Now move across the floor.

Try on other people’s movement.

“Move like a hot knife through butter.”

*My gratitude for permission to post featured individuals (Shirley Brice Heath, Rhodessa Jones, Donn Harris, Todd Berman..)