This course design integrates the use of contemplative practices, specifically applied improvisational theater, into writing pedagogies to foster mindfulness and critical engagement. It explores the theoretical, neuroscientific, and practical rationale for incorporating contemplative pedagogies in writing classrooms, arguing that applied improv…

A collaboration between youth in a refugee camp in Malawi, U.S. college students, and a professor of folklore has produced a website and forthcoming book manuscript. The project augments opportunities for the artists, all of whom are refugees or asylum seekers, to share their work, bring visibility to the talent in the camp, raise awareness about…

This article explores the parallels between improvisational theater, commonly known as improv, and active teaching. Specifically, it focuses in the impact of improv techniques on instructor and teaching assistant professional development. The implementation of an active teaching seminar is analyzed, where improv techniques were used in developing…

Schools, community organizations, and major cultural entities can address educational inequities by engaging parents and children in arts processes, projects, and performances. Three cases featuring work in the arts show promise in contributing to the positive academic and social development of learners across the socio-economic spectrum. Learning…

Programs that seek to engage participants in arts-based programming may be drawn to creative youth development (CYD), a youth-focused, holistic approach to learning through creative expression. As the Creative Youth Development National Partnership (2018) defines it, "'Creative youth development' is a recent term for a longstanding theory of…

When it comes to having a traveling outreach activity for a museum, a craft can seem like the perfect solution. It can seemingly be all things at once--educational, quick and fun. But, if poorly constructed, crafts can also have serious fallbacks. Using the Chicago History Museum and the Millennium Park Family Fun Festival as a case study, this…

In the international higher education environment there is evidence of continuing growth and interest in creative and performing arts programs. While there is similar growth in the creative industries sector where these students will seek to develop a career, as well as further validation of the importance of creativity in the future workplace,…

Purpose: This paper aims to complement an earlier article (2010) in "Journal of European Industrial Training" in which the description and theory bases of scenistic methods were presented. This paper also offers a description of scenistic methods and information on theory bases. However, the main thrust of this paper is to describe, give suggested…

These "Stories From the Field" describe five Wallace-funded programs working to expand learning and enrichment for disadvantaged children, so they can benefit from the types of opportunities their wealthier counterparts have access to, from homework help to swimming classes. The report details each program's approach, successes and…

This article presents a conversation with Agnes Wilcox, Executive Director of Prison Performing Arts in St. Louis, Missouri, about Prison Performing Arts. Although the average person might balk at the notion of interacting with prison inmates, finding it intimidating, worrisome, or self-sacrificial, for Wilcox, Prison Performing Arts is a…

A pilot program was developed for gifted learning-disabled students, based on the Enrichment Triad Model. Learning behaviors, time on task, and motivation showed marked improvement as the grade four-five students completed individual creative projects. Described are procedures for identifying program participants, program activities, and program…

Australian schools are expected to integrate various uses of digital technology across all subject areas. In many schools the effectiveness of this has been questionable with little application to the development of student's creativity. This paper reports on a pilot study investigating children's creativity during computer-based activities.…

Outlines elements of instruction--knowledge, information, action--and describes each in the context of writing instruction, reviews writing research, and uses these components of instruction to explore possibilities for automated writing instruction. The Writer's Workbench language analysis programs are used to illustrate major points. Program…

Middle school students need to develop self-esteem, flexible and inquiring minds, relatively close human relationships, and a sense of belonging and purpose or usefulness. This paper discusses an effective middle school activities program at the Leawood Middle School in Leawood, Kansas, which helps meet these identified needs. The Leawood program…

The report evaluates a program designed to give talented and motivated high school students the basis for making career decisions in the arts by increasing the student's self-knowledge and knowledge about work in the arts. The evaluation is summative and measures the program's effectiveness in changing student and parent career awareness and…