Posted Monday May 26 2014 at 10:42 am
This is a guest blog post by Jennifer Dines, M.Ed., CAS, who is a National Board Certified Teacher in English as a New Language. She works as a reading specialist, special education teacher and an ESL Learning Coach at the Lilla G. Frederick Pilot Middle School in the Boston Public Schools. Follow Jennifer on Twitter: @literacychange.
Hello! My name is Jennifer Dines, and I teach at the Lilla G. Frederick Pilot Middle School, a Boston Public School in Dorchester.
This school year, I had the honor of participating in a course offered by VSA Massachusetts and the Boston Public Schools titled "Embodying Literacy". Through this course, I learned to engage students' whole bodies in language and literacy learning with a group of creative and talented BPS colleagues. The course was facilitated by two VSA MA teaching artists; drama expert Marianne Adams and dance therapist Priscilla Harmel.
The curricula that I developed as a result of this course increased my middle school students’ engagement in the classroom as well as boosted their reading and writing achievement as students began to use their whole beings to connect with text.
I encourage you to learn more about my experiences in the "Embodying Literacy" program by visiting the blog post I wrote on my website: literacychange.org.
Posted Monday May 05 2014 at 9:57 pm
For the past seven Mondays, with only 5 more to go, I have traveled from Maine to Mattapan's Ellison Parks Elementary School to work with K0-K1 students as a Teaching Artist for VSA MA. Leaving the house at 5:00 am, heading South, as the colors lighten into a still cool New England morning, I review what I will be teaching that day. Hot colors and cool colors for sure; shapes and how to use them to create pictures, definitely; and most recently symmetry and composition. No matter what art foundation we are working on, I always need to be sure that I am tying the project back to the academic learnings taking place in the classrooms. Things that grow, shadows and reflections, creepy crawlies, bugs and butterflies are just a few of the projects we have worked on so far.
Once I walk in the classroom the energy is contagious. I love hearing young voices excited that Ms. Kristine is here today. I love the hugs and the sharing, the chaos of artists asking me to, "Look Ms. Kristine, am I doing a good job?" "Do you like it?" I love seeing the pride of each artist, of hearing them use new words, of having them ask, "Can I take this home?" and "I want to show this to my mommy." To be that engaged and proud of something is such an empowering thing for any student. To be excited to learn is the greatest gift I can give as a teacher.
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Posted Tuesday April 22 2014 at 10:05 pm
In 2014, Henderson Inclusion School commemorates their 25th year as an inclusion school and celebrates their expansion to the first ever fully inclusive K12 public school in Boston. To reflect on these achievments and to look toward to the next chapter, the school is hosting "Up, Up & Away", their annual benefit gala.
Held on Thursday, May 1, 2014 from 6:30 - 9:30 pm at University of Massachusetts Campus Center Ballroom, this event will raise much-needed funds to support the building of a universally accessible playground on our Upper Campus and various other inclusion improvements at both the Upper and Lower schools.
Food and drink will be plentiful and there will be auctions galore!
Purchase Tickets and Donate Here.
