STEM plus Arts = Learning Full STEAM ahead!

Dear Story Tapestries Supporter,

I sincerely hope you and your loved ones are doing well and staying healthy! 

We wanted to send a quick note to check in with you and let you know how Story Tapestries is pivoting to continue serving our mission during this pandemic. We have launched online classes with a range of artists for children in PreK through 12th grade, for adults, and for whole families to enjoy together. Classes designed for students utilize the arts to connect with the academic standards of Maryland schools, enhancing their at-home learning. Some classes are offered in both Spanish and English. There are also courses for young adults focused on college essay writing and interview/presentation skills. We're excited to offer these fabulously fun learning opportunities for free, and do invite those who are able to make a donation at the time of registration to help support the artists who are teaching. Class offerings can be found here: https://storytapestries.org/resources/virtual-arts-integration-courses-by-story-tapestries/

Story Tapestries is also hosting several free engagement events including performances Tuesday evenings at 7pm and throughout the day every Wednesday, a bi-weekly (Thursdays at 5pm) Virtual Happy Hour for adults, Amplify US! community workshops and bi-weekly Family Game Nights (first one is Thursday, April 23 at 7pm) supported in partnership with Game Genius. Follow us on Facebook to keep up on these event offerings, and Like our page to receive notifications when we go LIVE: https://facebook.com/storytapestries. 

If you're interested in learning more about what Story Tapestries is doing in response to COVID-19, visit the dedicated page on our website here: https://storytapestries.org/support-us/story-tapestries-responds-to-covid-19/

Thank you so much for your continued support, especially in these challenging times. We are committed to creating silver linings for our community members, utilizing the arts and dialogue to nurture accessibility and equity for all, and supporting Literacy, STEAM and social emotional skills for every learner.

Do let us know if you have specific requests, observations or feedback about where there are gaps and needs in the community. We are listening and working to respond where we're able to and would love to hear from you!

Thank you again and best wishes to you and your loved ones,

Lorienne & The Story Tapestries Team

Links:

• Check out the full list of Virtual Class offerings here!

What a difference a year makes!

I had the pleasure of returning to Salem Elementary School in West Virginia to work with a group of pre-K and Kindergarten teachers for a second year. And, what a fantastic opportunity it proved to be for all of us. 

When we met to plan virtually, as I was in Vermont attending a residency for graduate school at Goddard College and they were attending a professional development workshop, we were able to connect via video chat for planning purposes as a group. The four teachers were gleeful and excited to come together and make a plan.

This was a sharp juxtaposition to our first year's planning meeting. The first year, they were tentative, unsure about this whole "dance integration" thing. They had no firsthand experience with how dance could be a useful tool in their classrooms. This year, they were ready. They had informed questions, expectations, and a solid wish-list for our time together. And, most importantly, they were leaning into our work with open minds and open hearts. They wanted anything and everything I had to offer them based on some simple, yet extremely important ideas: cultivating community, kindness, friendships, participation, and identity. They were interested in using dance integration to build on math concepts like patterns, counting by 2's, 5's, and 10's. They wanted more rhythmic exercises. They understood, based on our work last year, that dance can also be a powerful classroom management tool. A tool that keeps the students engaged from one area of study to another, and from one physical space to another. They were ready.

On-site, we dug into our plans right away. I established a "name game" seated in a circle, based on rhythm and repetition. The name game built into a vocal exercise, and then a dance. We memorized each other's names and created movement for each name. Then, we took out the sound and performed the name dance to music. In ten minutes, we established that we would be using our brains and bodies to do our work together. We established that each voice mattered, in just the way each person presented themselves, and that there are multiple correct answers to the given question. And, we created success for ourselves. 

We built on this foundation throughout the classes to explore balance, flexibility, momentum, our relationship to time, rhythm, music, music, effort, shape, levels, and pathways. We incorporated activating the parasympathetic nervous system, our internal "brake", with three intentional breaths as a transitional exercise before we shared our reflections on each activity. 

We explored the basic story arc (beginning, middle, end) using a pathway exercise that we translated to a visual art activity. Understanding the story arc supported our exploration of the text, "I am Yoga." Together we listened and watched a video reading of the book, repeated on consecutive days. Each class explored the poses presented in the text and illustrations. We supported the text by learning a set of sun salutations that we repeated three times during classes 2-4. 

Finally, we created a body tracing of each student in an individual pose on large sheets of paper. Students then answered the open-ended question: "I am ____" with support. Teachers helped the students write the words they offered to describe themselves within their body tracing. Students were encouraged to add illustrations to their body tracings to support their description of themselves. This unconventional self-portrait will hang in the classrooms to be revisited periodically as new learning, vocabulary, and discoveries are made.

The sheer joy students expressed performing their work was refreshing and motivating. The teachers were co-learners with their students, finding out new details about each student's motivations and perceptions of self. 

The teachers were reminded that their students share their knowledge in many forms, particularly when their learning is embodied. When a student struggled to verbalize, they could demonstrate. When they could not demonstrate, they could illustrate it through drawing. 

As educators, we saw ourselves again through the eyes of our students and were reminded that we all learn best when we feel welcomed, seen, heard, and encouraged to be our best selves. 

I'm already looking forward to the possibilities of next year!

-- Kelly King, Story Tapestries Teaching Artist and Artistic Director of Contradiction Dance Theatre

Links:

• https://storytapestries.org/
• The Movement
• http://contradictiondance.com/