TYA/USA is proud to announce a series of Master Classes and Moderated Conversations designed to connect, educate and strengthen the professional artists devoted to creating excellent theatre for young people in the United States.
 
Phone Forum Series #1-Engaging Audiences and Teachers

Phone Forum Series #2- Theatre for the Very Young

The Phone Forums are weekly teleconferences where a limited number of participants will discover and discuss the latest ideas and techniques available to the TYA community.

The conversations offered at TYA/USA will focus exclusively on issues, practices and unique challenges that affect the TYA community.
 
Phone forums present the unique opportunity for each participant to connect with peers across the country; improve and expand the skills needed to strengthen your department and theatre; and the new approaches and techniques will transform the field's best practices.

Enrollment is limited--sign up for Phone Forum Series #1 by February 19!

 Phone Forum Series #1: Engaging Audiences and Teachers  

Who is This For?

The ENGAGING AUDIENCES AND TEACHERS Phone Forum is ideal for the Education Director who wishes to strengthen the Education department or curriculum; the Teaching Artist who wishes to improve his or her classroom effectiveness or become an education director; the theatre administrator who wishes to identify ways to strengthen grant proposals and other funding requests; the artist interested in knowing how to better connect the arts to curriculum while keeping art at the center.

Lenora Inez Brown (TYA/USA President) and Karen Sharp (Seattle Children's Theatre Education Director) will moderate this month-long series, and teaching artist researcher Nick Rabkin will join us for the final session.

Registration is limited to maximize participation and discussion. Every participant is expected to attend each of the five (5) Phone Forums, which will take place every Tuesday in March beginning with March 2 and ending March 30, 2010, at 2EST/ 1C/11PST.

Enrollment is limited--sign up for Phone Forum Series #1 by February 19! 

Phone Forum Series # 1: Engaging Audiences and Teachers

What Will Be Discussed?

Building Stand-Out Engagement Guides for Pre-K to High School

Tuesday, March 2, 60 minutes; 2EST/1C/11PST 

During the first two sessions we will discover the tools to create guides that, with minor tweaking, work for the Pre-K to the H.S. audience. By examining major organizational principles and critical thinking skills, we will discover how to transform a production-specific study guide to a curriculum supporting engagement guide. We will also review study guides created by participants with an eye to expanding their effectiveness. The First session will address the basic principles as they apply to the Pre-K to Sixth grade audience. The sessions will also identify markers young audiences should
develop in order to better appreciate and engage with material for middle and high school
audiences.

Registration deadline: February 19, 2010

Enrollment is limited--sign up for Phone Forum Series #1


Building Stand-Out Engagement Guides for Middle and High School
 
Tuesday, March 9, 60 minutes; 2EST/1C/11PST
 
We shall further examine major organizational principles and critical thinking skills, we will discover how to transform a production-specific study guide to a curriculum supporting engagement guide. We will also review study guides created by participants with an eye to expanding their effectiveness. The second session will address the basic principles as they apply to the Middle and High School audience.

Training and Supporting Teaching Artists Working with Pre-K to Fifth Grade
 
Tuesday, March 16, 60 minutes; 2 p.m. EST/ 1 CST/11 PST
 
Preparing Teaching Artists to provide a dynamic and age-appropriate participatory classroom experience, is often an Education Director's greatest challenge. This session will focus on introducing necessary tools to Teaching Artists so that they may successfully represent your program well within the classroom. We will focus specifically on using creative drama in a classroom setting and discuss ways to extend the theatre-going experience when teaching the core academic curriculum for the Pre-K to Sixth Grade audience. The session will also include detailed examinations of  teaching techniques that encourage use of  movement, voice and imagination to enhance student engagement with the core academic curriculum. We will also spotlight the steps it takes to build a lesson plan filled with positive classroom management and reflection/assessment tips and tricks.


Training and Supporting Teaching Artists Working with Middle and High School Students
 
Tuesday, March 23, 60 minutes; 2EST/1C/11PST
 
This session will center on providing teaching artists with the tools needed to successfully teach independent, single unit or long-term residency drama classes for preteen and teenage students. The techniques and tools needed to weave creative drama practices into a middle and high school classroom will also be addressed. In addition, we will explore how to create lesson plans with seamless transitions and strong teaching objectives We will spotlight the steps it takes to build a lesson plan filled with age-appropriate positive classroom management and reflection/assessment tips and tricks.
 
Phone Forum Hot Topics and Special Guest: Nick Rabkin
 
Tuesday, March 30, 60 minutes; 2EST/1C/11PST
 
During this final session, we will gain a sneak peak into Nick Rabkin's Phase III results for his Teaching Artists Research Project. The project's goal is to focus on the Teaching Artist's impact on classroom learning and the performing arts organization's civic mission, "The Teaching Artists Research Project (TARP) will deepen understanding of their world through studies in twelve communities, and it will inform policy designed to make their work sustainable, more effective, and more meaningful." We will also discuss issues raised and lessons learned throughout the Forum.
For more information on the Teaching Artists Research Project visit: www.norc.org

MODERATORS:

Lenora Inez Brown,former Associate Artistic Director and Education Guide editor for Chicago Playworks!

Karen Sharp, Education Director, Seattle Children's Theatre
 
Enrollment is limited--sign up for Phone Forum Series #1 by February 19!