Teaching K-8 art in Philadelphia for the past ten years has been quite the ride.  With all of the cultures, races, religions, and languages represented in my classroom daily, I knew that I needed to do more to provide a more inclusive and informative environment and curriculum.  Where do you begin? I started with translating English words into Spanish and Mandarin on labels around the room, and I devoted marking periods for deep study on different countries. We culminated our lessons with a “stamp” in our passports to bid our countries farewell.  It was exciting because I was learning too, and I wanted to learn more! So I looked for more opportunities – applying for travel fellowships and signing up for professional development that would help me grow to globalize my art classroom.

On July 27, 2018, I attended the Global Teaching Dialogue held at the US Department of State George Marshall Center in Washington, D.C.  This annual professional development event held in D.C. every summer is designed to provide K-12 teachers an opportunity to learn from other education experts and US Department of State fellowship alumni about bringing the world into US classrooms.  

The event began with a panel discussion of State Department alumni regarding their studies abroad and how they implemented their work into their classrooms upon their return to the United States.  A brief breakout session followed where I attended a workshop providing tips for globalizing elementary classrooms, but the following tips can be adapted for all ages. I’ve combed through several of the suggestions to provide you with some real ideas to bring the world to your students!

Through books and literature:

• International Children’s Digital Library is online resource of children’s books from around the world, written in their original languages (and some available in other translations).  The mission of the ICDL is to “support the world’s children in becoming effective members of the global community – who exhibit tolerance and respect for diverse cultures, languages and ideas.”  Connect with your English language learners and teach about other cultures through these great books!
• Kitaab World advocates for representation of South Asian children’s literature in the mainstream.  They work to spread awareness about South Asian culture, providing resources through “content, context, and community”.  Extremely rich collection of books to purchase through the site, lesson plans, and other goodies.

Connect with your community:

• Connect with outside groups like universities, local cultural clubs, international students, parents, rotary clubs
• World Affairs Council of Philadelphia
• World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh
• World Affairs Council of Harrisburg

Connect and network through social media and websites:

• Connect on Twitter: try a chat and share what you’re doing in the classroom:
  • #globaledchat
  • #edchat
  • #globalgoals
• Follow on Twitter:
  • @AsiaSocietyEDU
  • @NatGeoEducation
  • @GlobalEdCon
  • @TGC_IREX
  • @IREXintl
  • @iEARNUSA
• iEARN-USA (International Education and Resource Network) is a network to connect with other educators and students to collaborate and participate in global projects.  There is a fee for membership, but if your district will not provide the funds, you should contact iEARN.
• Asia Society aims to educate all students for employability and citizenship in a global era.  Online professional development and articles about teaching for global competence, as well other great resources.

Use technology:

• Flipgrid is a video discussion platform which can also be used to connect with other educators and students around the world.  Use it for critiques, reflections, and discussions!
• Empatico is a free tool for teachers to connect their classroom with others around the world through live video and activities designed to foster meaningful connections among students.  Available in English for classrooms with 7-11 year olds.
• Mystery Skype is a global guessing game that connects students with other classes around the world to learn about geography, culture, and the similarities and differences they have with others.
• Google Arts and Culture is an incredibly valuable tool with much to browse through.  Virtual museum tours are a great way to visit museums around the world!
• ePals is a platform to connect with other classrooms for penpals and project collaborations.

Professional Development and Opportunities:

• Fulbright Teachers for Global Classrooms Program is a year-long professional development which teaches educators the skills to globalize their classrooms through an online course, global symposium held in Washington D.C., and a 2-3 week field experience abroad
• The Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching Short-Term Program is for K-12 teachers to apply for grants to engage in collaborative projects for 2-6 weeks abroad.  Participants work with schools, non-profit organizations, teacher training institutions, and other educational organizations.
• The German American Partnership Program (GAPP) Student Exchange is a school exchange program between America and Germany to learn more about our education systems and countries.  Contact Stefanie Proessl (Stefanie.Proessl@goethe.de) for questions regarding getting yourself and a small group of students started!  

These are just scratching the surface of what is available to teachers in order to globalize your classrooms.  Are you already globalizing your class? Please share in the comments and add to this Google Sheet – PAEA Globalizing Your Art Classroom!

Are you a teacher who thinks punk is dead?  GASP!  Well, did you know it’s actually dEaD-ucational!

It’s time to connect with Aaron to talk punk and DIY ethic.

Aaron Weber is an art teacher in Philadelphia who has been connected to punk culture since high school, and has been influenced personally and professionally ever since.

Aaron typing up his presentation notes…

Come on Friday, October 20 from 1:00-1:50 PM to learn about Aaron’s experiences, and how punk transformed him as a person and led him to develop a classroom environment that reflects the ethics and ideals of punk and DIY culture.  Aaron is an incredibly engaging presenter, so get ready to share a laugh and take home some valuable ideas for developing your own lessons!

Check out the Conference Schedule HERE!

It’s finally here folks – “Make it Happen” is happening in a few short days!  A couple highlights to get you started on your weekend of pure art education bliss.

• Click HERE for a draft of the conference schedule.  Start planning your days to get the most out of your time!

• Miss the deadline for online registration?  Registration opens in the Moore lobby on Thursday from 4:00 – 8:00 PM.

• Coming to town early on Thursday?  If you’re all settled in your hotel and have a late dinner reservation, pop into Fox Commons beforehand for a “Makey Make Mini Event” from 6:00 – 8:00 PM with award-winning Philadelphia educator Christopher Sweeney, this year’s recipient of PAEA’s Outstanding Secondary Educator of 2016.  I hear there’s a free beer or wine ticket that comes with this free event too.  Score!

• You MUST check out this map designed by Sunny Mowery highlighting all of the galleries, museums, and other fantastic places to visit in Philadelphia during First Friday, some of which are holding some special events (highlighted in yellow).  Because you only have a few short hours to really explore First Friday, and a whole city to take in, I really suggest studying this map and doing your research!  There are many of your fellow art educators who live and work in Philly (myself included) who would love to guide you if you are looking for suggestions and food recommendations as well!

• Available on the conference website are some parking tips so that you can park your car and forget about it for the weekend.  Use these tips to find an inexpensive parking garage or lot.  Once you’re parked, Philadelphia has simple public transportation through Septa, as well as inexpensive and convenient ride-sharing options through Uber and Lyft, AND taxis that circulate throughout the city.  They are relatively easy to hail down, too 🙂

That’s all for now, so start researching, highlighting, and planning your fabulous weekend at “Make it Happen”!  It’s going to be an extraordinary time!

Here’s another great conference session coming up – jot this one down!

Erica Mandell’s session is called “Social Justice in the Art Classroom: An Interactive Kara Walker Study” on Friday 11-11:50:

Are you interested in incorporating activism through the arts into your program? Here is your chance to give your students tools to advocate for social justice issues they believe are important. During this session, I will share information on Kara Walker, give attendees conversation starters for empowering students and introducing activism in the art room, and give attendees a hands-on look at this lesson. Attendees will work together in groups, creating paper silhouettes representing social issues that are important to them.

Are you intrigued?  I am.  See you there!

It is so great to be here!

I will be your other blog facilitator here on PAEAblog.  My name is Christina Uliano, though you may see my name sometimes as Christina Franko Uliano (I got married and changed my name, but still remain Franko at school).  I teach art at a K-8 school in the School District of Philadelphia in South Philly.  My school is a wonderful mix of many different cultures and races, so I always get to design lessons that celebrate everyone’s heritage.  I also love to focus on recycling and sustainability with all my students, so you can always find us cutting up some newspaper and egg cartons to design a chic dress for the runway, or creating new uses for toilet paper rolls.

When I’m not in the classroom, you can find me trying to brush up on my Spanish, French, and Arabic languages.  I also love to garden, travel, tend to my beehive, and cook.

You can see more of my classroom on Facebook and Instagram.  I’m currently working on a blog too, so I’ll keep you all updated when that goes live.

Thanks for tuning in, and I can’t wait to meet you all!  I love to connect with other art teachers to gain inspiration.  Keep up all the great art education in Pennsylvania!

–Christina