Partner Learning
Mission
Partner approaches teaching and learning using an arts integrative lens. We provide K-12 educators with inquiry-based arts integration and STEAM experiences, opportunities for collaboration, and coaching that keeps the feedback loop alive. Through professional development for teachers and artist residency programs in schools, our work leads to meaningful engagement, deeper thinking, and creative problem-solving inside and outside of the classroom.
What makes Partner different?
Our program is designed very intentionally to span one school year at a time and lead to high teacher efficacy. The program encompasses the three tenets of teacher efficacy in arts integration: the experience, the feedback, and curricular support. Partner aligns ourselves with art partners that we trust and we provide follow-up coaching to advance teachers in their arts integration pedagogy. We have some flexibility on how the program is designed and scheduled. We tailor our support to meet your school’s needs and goals.
Arts Disciplines: Theatre/Drama, Music, Dance, Creative Writing, Visual Art
Core Content Curriculum Areas: Theatre/Drama, Music, Dance, English/Language Arts, Media Arts, Visual Art, Math, Science, Social Studies/History
Specialized Content Areas: Literacy, STEAM, Arts Integration
Grade Levels: Pre-K, K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
Special Populations: ESOL, Gifted, Special Needs, At-Risk Students
Pre-Service Learning and Professional Development: Post-Secondary/Pre-Service Learning, Professional Development for Teaching Artists, Professional Development for K-12 Teachers
Geographic Availability: Metro Atlanta, North Georgia, Middle Georgia, South Georgia
Program Fees:
- Program fees – Fees vary by school– approved for Title I and Title IV funding
- Based on school or district needs
About our Team:
PARTner Learning is an arts integration program developed by a team of very skilled educators and artists specializing in STEAM and arts integration for general education classrooms. Collectively the team has decades of experience teaching and researching arts integration in school communities across the nation.
The organization was founded by Jessica Espinoza, who brings a unique perspective to education through her experiences teaching K-5 general education, intermediate grades in the area of performing arts, as well as pre-service teachers, in-service teachers, and working with a variety of arts organizations and school districts, including Harvard Project Zero, the Alliance Theatre, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Center for Puppetry Arts, Young Audiences, University of North Georgia, Savannah College of Art & Design, GA Tech CEISMC, and ArtsNow Learning.
Most recently Jessica conducted a research study with eight elementary schools researching teacher efficacy using arts integration, specifically focusing on the impact of arts-based formative assessments.
When Jessica is not teaching, she loves to write and produce for young audiences! Jessica is the resident playwright and producer for the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra’s family and school concert programs. Jessica has also created a library of elementary STEAM musicals for youth performers that have been produced and enjoyed in K-8 school settings across the country.
To learn about the Partner Learning Team, link here.
Our Programs:
Our program is designed with the goal of instructional sustainability at the forefront. Research shows that in order for interdisciplinary instruction to take place it requires more than a one-time teacher training workshop. We believe in follow-up support being paramount. All of our Partner schools and districts receive year-long support emphasizing three core elements: the teacher’s workshop experience, the feedback loop, and routine curricular support.
- The Experience: Based on the Partner’s goals, we curate a series of hands-on active workshops. We offer foundational workshops for STEAM and arts integration, advancing workshops, as well as instructional leadership workshops for school administrators and curriculum specialists.
Foundational Workshops:
- Visual Literacy
- Discovering the “A” in STEAM
- Unpacking a STEAM PBL
- Art-Making Classroom Processes
- Digital Storytelling
- Movement Across Curriculum
- Drama Across Curriculum
- Music Across Curriculum
Advancing Workshops:
- Designing Differentiated Arts-Based Centers
- Multi-Art Experiences with Puppetry
- It’s a Process! Documenting the Arts using Process Boards
- Creating a School-Wide Curriculum Map
- Elevating Literacy Skills in the STEAM Classroom
- Part 1: Reading & Writing
- Part 2: Phonics-Based
- Creating Communities of Wellness Using the Arts
- Hip Hop Across Curriculum
- Spotlight on STEAM: Poetry & Science Concepts
- Producing an elementary STEAM Musical
- Curating Specialized Field Trip Art Experiences
Instructional Leaderships Workshops:
- Preparing for a Certification Walk
- Curriculum Mapping Each Quarter
- Documenting Arts Integration
- Using Arts to Formatively Assess Student Understanding
- Creating Performance-based Summative Assessments
- Creating Arts Integrative Rubrics
- Providing Meaningful Feedback to Teachers
2) The Feedback Loop: We provide all of our partners with routine coaching in our virtual space. Whether you are a new teacher, teacher leader, or an administrator in your school, we want to support you. We have virtual meetups and coaching calls targeting cohorts throughout the school year to connect you and provide support as you try new things in your class.
3) Curricular Support: No one has time to watch long training videos. We believe in sprinkling teachers with bite-size ideas via digital content. Each instructional quarter, we release and share a library of “under 10 minute’ video sparks that align to grade level standards and invite teachers to try out new ideas and teaching strategies.
For more information: www.partnerlearning.org
Email: info@partnerlearning.org
- Listing ID: 7135