6-15-09

Last week I attended a wonderful workshop with elementary ed dance teacher from Seattle Eric Johnson. Eric has arts integration down to a T !! Even if I didn't know anything about dance I felt that I could teach dance to a class. Eric had many ways of presenting dance to youngsters that not only taught them about moving their bodies and using their minds in creative ways, he also taught teamwork, interpersonal communication and social interaction at the same time. Just wait until you see your students communicate with one another by talking through a scarf or having to cooperate with each other by working as a team to create a dance with each one holding the opposite end of a scarf. Eric's program was adaptable from grades K-8 with levels of difficulty changing to meet the various age groups. It was effective for the visually impaired, for deaf students, and for the autistic. It taught lessons in following and leading, thinking on one's feet, self space/general space, directions in space, cooperation and problem solving. A very effective lesson from a skilled teacher with years of experience.

Team Leader