Professional Development

Want to make your story time more effective and interactive? This session focuses on introducing early childhood educators with research-based arts integrated strategies and techniques that can be easily implemented into their classrooms. This program aims to provide teachers with the resources to help their students become more engaged during story time, develop important pre-literacy skills (ex: vocabulary development/retention), as well as build teacher confidence and efficacy using arts integration.

Join us for an exploration of digital storytelling techniques! Discover the power of digital assets combined with creative writing to create powerful videos that you and your students will be proud to share. Visual, digital, and theatrical arts integrate with ELA and Social Studies standards to explore America’s history of voting rights. Experience a model lesson designed around the script Vote? by Eric Coble. Designed for middle and high school students, digital storytelling can also be used in the elementary classroom. Come find out why they say, “a picture’s worth a thousand words!”

National Core Arts Standards: TH.Cr2-6a; TH.Cr2-6b

Florida State Standards: LAFS.2.RL.2.4; LSFS.2.W.2.6; LAFS.5.RL.3.7 ; LAFS.5.SL.1.AP.1c; VA.3.C.1.1; VA.5.O.3.1

Ready to inspire your writers? Join us as we explore what it looks like to utilize music, improvisation, and creative play to generate a starting point for your students’ writing. In this workshop, differentiated for students of all grade levels, participants will explore how drama techniques motivate a variety of writing forms including rich narration, monologues, and dialogue within students writing. You’ll leave with a new groove for writing!

Florida State Standards: TH.3.C.2.2; TH.3.S.3.1; TH.3.S.3.2; LAFS.3.RL.1.3; LAFS.3.RL.2.6; LAFS.3.RL.3.7; LAFS.3.W.1.3

Remember there are no small parts! Join us for a workshop, differentiated for students of all grade levels, exploring how elements of student-led instruction enhance students’ understanding of a text. In this project-based learning approach, participants will step into role as a member of a production team tasked with building a story inspired by image, poetry, and historical text. In coming together and embracing this problem-solving process students will find themselves connecting, analyzing and evaluating text in a brand-new way!

Florida State Standards: TH.3.C.2.2; TH.3.S.2.1; TH.3.F.3.1; LAFS.3.RL.1.1; LAFS.3.SL.1.1; LAFS.3.W.2.4; LAFS.K12.W.1.3

Through the guidance of a professional puppet builder, props designer, and director, learn new ways to support English Language Arts in your class by using various design elements. Explore how to add depth and multiple layers of character development using stories or writing prompts through design methods and approaches that can be applied to various ages and grades. This fun and interactive workshop will highlight multiple modalities, including puppetry as a vehicle to enhance literacy skills.

Florida State Standards: LAFS.5.RL.3.7; LAFS.5.RL.1.2; LAFS.5.RL.1.3; LAFS.5.W.1.3; TH.5.F.1.1; TH.68.C.1.4; TH.68.C.2.3; TH.68.C.3.1; VA.1-5.S.3.1; VA.5.F.3.2; VA.68.H.3.3

From microphones to mixing consoles, amplify your skills as a sound engineer through this hands-on workshop in the world of sound systems. No matter your space, equipment, or experience, the concepts provided in this workshop will help you use and troubleshoot the audio for your next play, musical, assembly, or concert. Work with microphones for actors and instruments, explore sound components that support audiences and performers, and improve your knowledge of the parts and purposes of sound systems. Become the mix master you have always wanted to be!

Auditions are an exciting part of the production process but can be equally as scary if the actor OR the production team isn’t prepared. Help give your students the tools they need to walk into any audition room feeling confident and prepared. Consider ways to structure your auditions to be efficient and safe spaces. From performance material, paperwork, etiquette, and stress management, discover the tools you need to inspire your students to love auditioning!

This workshop explores the world of pantomime. Join us as we explore how we can create imaginary objects and experiences, while developing vocabulary skills at the same time.

If a picture is worth a thousand words, imagine how many words are in an embodied image? Join us in this physical workshop in which we explore how our bodies and faces can create still images that demonstrate vocabulary words from emotions to objects.

This workshop invites participants to bring environments to life using sound. Join us in bringing to life story worlds from farms to forests!

Step out of your teacher hat and into that of your favorite character! Bringing familiar characters to life in your classroom is a great way for students to problem solve, support others, and write their own endings to familiar stories.