[December 6, 2023] We are at the beginning of a new phase of creativity, led by artists who collaborate with machines and feed algorithms with data. Artists employ artificial intelligence (AI) to generate visual images, sounds, and animations using chatbots, neural networks, and prompt-based software. However, these AI-based tools, techniques, and processes are just the beginning of a new trend that could initiate fundamental changes in the way artists and designers approach and produce art. AI artists are challenging copyright and intellectual property laws that don’t currently address the evolving language and aesthetics of art created all or in part using machine learning algorithms. With this greater computing power and the development of future programs, the limits of such output are merely the limits within our own imagination. But as AI becomes more prominent, not just across the arts but across most areas of life and work, what does this mean for artists and the future of art education? To answer this question, our presenters will talk about the implications of AI in the arts to better understand the technology, as well as its widespread adoption and use.

[November 15, 2023] Join us as we explore ways of advancing and reshaping the museum space in praxis toward racial literacy, cultural humility, and radical equity and inclusion. How can museums take the lead in dismantling dominant narratives, removing real and perceived barriers to visitor participation, and learning new ways of being? This webinar examines both theory and practice in transcending traditional historical identities of museums and examines the potential for trust-based museum processes that are rooted in community and belonging. Drawing on decolonizing perspectives, as well as lived experience, we will examine art museum spaces and explore ways to develop more equitable narratives.

[November 8, 2023] The COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted learning of all kinds with our youngest students being affected greatly from the shift to remote learning. In this webinar we will explore how to incorporate social–emotional learning and culturally responsive attributes in your teaching practices to develop more inclusive and collaborative learning experiences that promote creativity and self-expression in a post-pandemic world. We will also examine the continuum of choice in the art room as a way to increase student agency, voice, and skill development, as well as how to address student needs and reinstill a love of learning within a positive, engaging, and supportive learning environment.

[October 4, 2023] How do you design student assessments? In this webinar, we’ll consider how student assessment in the visual arts classroom provides more than a grade. The presenters will demonstrate how to create assessments that provide rich data for improved lesson planning, curriculum, and program development at the heart of action research, as well as explain why using state and national standards to design project rubrics can develop benchmarks within the context of your school program to ensure a continuous cycle of student accomplishment and feedback for teaching and learning.

[September 13, 2023] Feedback is one of the most powerful influences on learning, however no teacher can provide all students with individualized feedback. But maybe they shouldn’t? Under the right conditions, students can benefit from providing and receiving feedback from themselves and each other. In fact, peer feedback and self-assessment have been shown to teach students how to think and speak like artists, in addition to manage their own learning. In this workshop you will learn how to effectively implement student-centered feedback processes using formative assessment techniques that have been successfully utilized in arts educators’ classrooms.

[August 9, 2023] Some things never change, and lesson planning is one of them, right? We learn to write lesson plans following a template as part of our teacher preparation program, and different school district norms may require minor changes to the format, but the lesson planning process is similar to how it’s always been. Or is it? More art educators are taking up the challenge of creating classroom environments to support self-directed learning by adopting pedagogies that encourage student inquiry and choice while focusing on the development of artistic behaviors. By doing so, certain questions may arise, such as: Will traditional lesson-planning methods allow for the open-endedness implied by these shifts? How might our planning reflect the much-discussed goals of culturally responsive teaching, social–emotional learning, or the promotion of a culture of belonging? How do we plan for differentiated instruction? How do we plan for assessment? What role do national, state, and district standards play in the process of lesson planning? What types kinds of planning templates best accommodate shifts in focus and pedagogy? Join us to reflect on these and other questions as presenters share experiences and examples of preK–12 lesson planning.

[July 19, 2023] A well-developed, current curriculum provides many benefits for students and teachers. A curriculum that lays out course objectives and content sequencing allows the teacher to focus on designing specific lessons and assessments to teach individual students effectively. Additionally, curriculum planning helps a teacher ensure that standards are being addressed and met. This webinar will include presenters from elementary, middle, secondary, and higher education to provide a balanced review of this important activity.

[May 3, 2023] Learner-centered art education recognizes the potential of art education as an entry point for culture and connection through the lived experiences of a learning community. Join a panel of educators who explore curriculum and pedagogy at the center of learner inquiry using multimodal approaches centered on stories, context, and meaning-making.

[April 5, 2023] What is inquiry? How do we encourage inquiry in our art rooms? Are inquiry and creativity connected? What does inquiry-based learning look like in the studio? Why is authentic inquiry important? Join us for answers to these and other questions as we discuss the research on, importance of, and relationship between inquiry and art education. The art education landscape is shifting to better support the emergent needs of contemporary learners. Pedagogies that embrace culturally responsive teaching, social–emotional learning (SEL), and trauma-informed teaching find commonality in student-centered, choice-based learning models. In these models, learners develop strategies for creating and using lines of inquiry to hypothesize, investigate, and solve problems. We will look at scaffolding inquiry to foster intrinsic motivation, feeding our students exploratory experiences which empower them to pursue their own independent line of inquiry, and supporting inquiry in various classroom situations. The presenters will share both research-based applications and real-world experience in preK–12 educational settings.

[March 1, 2023] Join us as we unpack the meaning and characteristics of an inclusive learning environment through art while uncovering a variety of pedagogical approaches and instructional strategies to build inclusive communities in your learning spaces. Learn firsthand how inclusive community building has helped students develop a stronger sense of belonging and how studying a community’s local history and its demographic landscape helps to expand understanding of inclusive learning. Come away with strategies to align art teaching resources with cultural competence in order to address issues related to diversity, social justice, and inclusion.