Educational Leadership Article: Hofstra U's arts-integrated professional development for early childhood educators

This article appears in the online Summer 2006 edition of ASCD's Educational Leadership and offers support for those of us who organize arts-integrated professional development for educators.

In “From Paint to Performance,” Susan Goetz Zwirn, Director of Hofstra University’s Art Education Program, discusses a project that aimed to develop teachers’ personal artistry while also providing pedagogical techniques for integrating the arts into the early childhood curriculum.

Zwirn describes the project by writing:

In an effort to bolster the arts in public schools, Hofstra University supported a two-year professional development program in three high-needs Long Island, New York, school districts—Roosevelt, Westbury, and Uniondale—as well as in the Diane Lindner-Goldberg Child Care Institute on the Hofstra campus in Hempstead, New York. These suburban districts are considered high-needs because 50 percent or more of students receive free or reduced-price lunch. Students represent diverse populations: One district is primarily African American; others include high numbers of Latino students and new immigrant groups.

As part of the grant, specialists guided early childhood teachers in artistic development in four areas: the visual arts, drama, dance, and music. They also suggested specific methods for integrating the arts into the content areas to help teachers meet their academic objectives in new and creative ways. The grant provided funds for the four specialist instructors, curriculum materials, art supplies, musical instruments, and production of a culminating DVD.

The process and results – complete with streaming video excerpts – are available by clicking on “From Paint to Performance” at the ASCD Blog.