Opening the Doors for Diverse Populations: Learning Through the Senses

transcript

Vicky N. Cookvanc75@aol.com

Ricky TrioneRicky.Trione@gmail.com

Paige Vitullipvitulli@southalabama.edu

Opening the Doors for Diverse Populations:

Learning Through the Senses

Mobile, AL ~ Mega Conference

Mobile, ALJuly 21, 2015

PresentersVicky N. Cook, Baldwin County Fine Arts Supervisor ( retired from full time, currently working part-time as BCBE arts specialist) vanc75@aol.com

Vicky is a talented educator with degrees in art, special education and administration with a strong background in collaborating with other educators, organizations, community leaders and cultural groups to advocate on behalf of the arts through creative connections and projects involving the community. She is very experienced in developing and managing projects from conception to completion, including art competitions, exhibitions, grants, student productions, and publications. Vicky is dedicated toward working part-time for the fine arts educators of Baldwin County Public Schools, while collaborating with the Alabama Alliance for Arts Education to improve the quality of the arts for all educators and students in Baldwin County and Alabama.

Ricky Trione, Blind Artist Ricky.Trione@gmail.comRicky has been a blind artist and art educator for the past 9 years. He has personally experienced the therapeutic and healing effects of art in his own life. Ricky has enjoyed sharing his journey and passion for creativity, through the use of textures, with people around the Southeast. He has been known as an encouraging force for people with all types of disabilities.

Paige Vitulli, Associate Professor, University of South Alabama, pvitulli@southalabama.eduPaige a faculty member and director for the graduate Art Education Program in the College of Education at the University of South Alabama. She teaches dance, music, theatre, and visual arts education for the K-6 Elementary/Special Education Program and also directs the visual arts component of the USA Arts in Education grant for inservice teachers. Her passions include family, friends, traveling, art, photography, technology, gardening, fishing and food.

Vicky, Ricky & Paige

• Mobile MEGA Session Description

A university art educator with a degree in instructional design, an art educator/inspirational speaker who is also a blind artist with a degree in rehabilitation counseling, and an art specialist for a school system with degrees in art education and special education share their experiences, "ah-ha" moments, collaborative efforts, and inspirational arts ideas for their mutual passion of opening doors for diverse populations (including autistic, ESL, and visually impaired students). Through the senses and elements of visual art, the diverse group of educators will demonstrate strategies, organizational methods and share lesson ideas. Elements of art and principles of design are used as a framework to share practical methods; finger-painting is icing on the cake.

Vicky’s Story

Connecting the Dots: The Big Picture

5 Reasons why Music

Helps Children with

Special Needs1. Motivates

2. Multi-sensory Experience

3. Processed in Both Hemispheres of the Brain

4. Non-verbal

5. Helps you Bond

• http://www.friendshipcircle.org/blog/2014/01/13/5-reasons-why-music-helps-children-with-special-needs/

Musical Connections

• From Bach to Lady Gaga: Music Lessons for Special Education (Universal Design) http://udlseries.udlcenter.org/presentations/bach_to_gaga.html

• It’s a Snap! 4 Ways to Use Music with Special Needs Students http://www.edutopia.org/blog/music-with-special-needs-students-michelle-lazar 6

Sensory Play: Early Exploration Through the

Senses

Sensory Play: Early Exploration Through the Senseshttp://www.pbs.org/parents/child-development/sensory-play/developing-and-cultivating-skills-through-sensory-play/sensory-play-early-exploration-through-the-senses/

Touch: “I’m pouring warm water on your head. Do you feel the wet water?”Sight: “Do you see the bird in the tree?” “Where do you see a squirrel? Oh, I see the squirrel on the fence.”Smell: “Would you like to smell this flower? Mmmm, it smells sweet.”Taste: “I think you like the lemon. Ooh, is it sour?”Sound: “Do you hear the airplane? What sound does it make? Woooooosh.”

Learning Is Multi-Sensory

Learning Is Multi-Sensory: How To Engage All The Senses So Children Really Benefit “Studies have shown that we rely heavily on our senses to process information when learning and engaging more than one sense when teaching can help information processing. Using multiple senses allows more cognitive connections and associations to be made with a concept.”

• http://www.howtolearn.com/2012/12/learning-is-multi-sensory-how-to-engage-all-the-senses-so-children-really-benefit/

Engaging the Five Senses to Learn About Our World “The outside world shapes children’s development through experiences that they have, which include using their five senses—hearing, sight, smell, taste, and touch. Drawing a child’s attention to the five senses and discussing them increases understanding of and communication about the world around us.”

• http://www.readwritethink.org/parent-afterschool-resources/tips-howtos/engaging-five-senses-learn-30959.html

The National Autistic Societyhttp://www.autism.org.uk/sensory

Harnessing the Power of Art for Children with Special Needs http://www.macalester.edu/educationreform/reformcomposition/MaureenSR.pdf

Autism Asperger's Digesthttp://autismdigest.com/expressive-arts-learning-growing-and-expressing/9

Vicky Cook

• Looking for community connections, a key to the big picture, and connecting the dots

• Supporting staff and key patrons

Lulu's Homeport Marina

In the Fall of 2005 Lucy Buffett, owner of Lulu's Homeport Marina in Gulf Shores, AL, was approached in a grocery store by Baldwin County Public Schools' first Fine Arts Supervisor, Vicky Nix Cook, to consider adopting the K-12 fine arts as a Partner in Education. Buffett, the sister of the famous singer Jimmy Buffett, and her restaurant manager, Johnny Fisher did not hesitate to take on the challenge. Together they have created several annual and ongoing projects to maintain support for arts education in Baldwin County. A few of the many successful ventures by Lulu's include a cookbook- Crazy Sista Cookbook, the Art Fresh Market, and underwriting the AL Shakespeare Play of Gee's Bend performed in Baldwin County.

One of the first projects Cook used the Lulu's funding for included facilitating blind artist, Ricky Trione’s presentations in classrooms. Buffett's dedication to and confidence in the Baldwin County Public School Fine Arts Department has led to a hugely successful partnership with Ricky Trione by the BCPS system to provide art and character education experiences to all k-12 students. Since the first grocery store encounter, the initial donation of $500 has blossomed into approximately $60,000.

It is essential to establish local support for the arts from individuals such as Lucy Buffett to encourage others to support the school arts programs.

Baldwin County Public School Fine Arts appreciates Lulu's! http://www.lulusathomeport.com/index.php

Vicky invites Ricky to accept the challenge: VSA Project

Initial drawing and painting : Vicky

Cook & Ricky Trione

Vicky & Ricky with Wioana Hamby,

president of Very Special Arts

Partnerships Developed: Community Impact

Vicky Cook

• Networking, connecting, and relating to those with common interests leads to Dr. Paige Vitulli and collaboration with faculty and preservice teachers at the University of South Alabama

Paige’s Story

The Elements of Art

Elements of Art

Mind Maphttp://www.mindmapart.com/elements-of-art-mind-map-michael-petiford/ABC’s of Art http://www.awesomeartists.com/ART/main.htmThe Artist’s Toolkithttp://www.artsconnected.org/toolkit/index.htmlElements of Art YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwNQkhKg2Ig

Why is Blue Dog Blue?

Blue Dog Lessons

• http://www.deepspacesparkle.com/2012/03/07/george-rodrigues-blue-dog-art-lesson/

• http://www.artsandactivities.com/AA040938.pdf

George Rodrigue Foundationhttp://www.georgerodriguefoundation.org/site

317.php

Paige’s StoryBringing it Across the Bay:Inspiration for Future Teachers

Ricky’sStoryNew Beginnings

Ricky’s Inspiration: Uncle Ronald Trione

Ricky’s Early Pen & Ink style (Black & White)

Ricky’s Military Career

Injuries, Acceptance, and Moving Forward

Collaboration with Vicky

Ricky finds a “New Style”

Ricky’s Demonstration

Additional Resources

•Vicky Cook• http://www.southalabama.edu/librarygallerie

s/cookhudson.html• Baldwin County Alliance for Arts Education• https

://www.facebook.com/groups/115362941886334/

•Ricky Trione• http://www.rickytrioneart.com/• http://www.pinterest.com/rickytrione/ricky-trione

-art-blind-artist-texture-art/• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18pb2FCW0

•Paige Vitulli• https://www.facebook.com/paige.vitulli• https://twitter.com/PaigeVitulli• https://instagram.com/paigevitulli/• http://ponderingpaige.blogspot.com/• http://arttalk.wikifoundry.com/