The CA Charter School Association conference concluded this week and it was an informative experience. I led the session on arts integration and wanted to leave some resources here for those who were unable to attend or wanted to watch the videos I played in the session! I started the...
What is asset framing? Good question! Following a Donorschoose board meeting, I sat down with Trabian Shorters, a fellow board member, to discuss what asset framing is and why educators and community members need to be aware of this concept. Continue reading below but also watch the video above...
I don't know what started it but while I was in Japan and South Korea last summer, I just started taking pictures of random flowers that caught my eye. Since my focus of the trip was to see these cultures through the arts, I guess these beautiful creations didn't...
One of my educational mentors, Scott Bedley, once told me, “Genein, you can’t expect your students to do something you’re not willing to do yourself.” That struck a cord with me and I now make sure that I’m doing what I expect them to do, if not more. 'Be life...
Charlie 'Bird' Parker once said, "If you don't live it, it won't come out of your horn." Award-winning educator, Cassie Cox, cleverly connected this statement to the importance of educators "experiencing for ourselves what we hope to inspire." As Cassie headed to New York to study Duke Ellignton's contribution to...
DING! I turned my head to see the email pop up. Heart quickened, eyes focused. My first response letter from the NEH Summer Fellowship is in. I quickly scanned it just to see, ‘We regret to inform you that we cannot offer you a place for this year’s program.’ As my...
Happy Teacher Appreciation Week! Mr. Steven Miller was my 6th grade general studies teacher and he made me realize that it was ok to be me. It’s ok to be crazy and think out of the box. It’s ok to go above and beyond other people’s expectations of you (though they...
In college I was repeatedly asked the question, “Genein, how did you become so creative?” This question was often prompted from my elaborate project submissions throughout the years, which always went above and beyond the minimum requirements. It wasn’t until I won various awards for my creative interdisciplinary lessons, that I...
I was excited to be featured on the Bedley Bros (@bedleybros) talk show to share some ideas on arts integration. From book tracks to classifying the instruments of the orchestra, there are many fun lesson activities in this video that can be implemented right away for your students. Enjoy!