From Program Delivery to Imbedded Professional Learning Organizational and Programmatic Change Metropolitan Opera Guild

Creating Original Opera – A Timeline 1980 – NYC School Residency Program 1983 – NYC Teacher Training Model 1985 – NJ Teacher Training 1985 – ROH Teacher Training 1989 – National Training 1991 – National Regional Training 1996 – International School Training

Creating Original Opera – The Results School participation in 45 states and 27 countries 725 schools and 1800 teachers trained Refinement of a training model Development of a four level summer training model

Moving Past Creating Original Opera Assessment –Need for a flexible curriculum design –Needs of the school, teachers and students –Need for multiple strategies and designs –Authentic processes –Creating and Original –Greater ties to the school curriculum

Summary – What We Needed Whole School Approach Active Role of the School Administrator From Training to Professional Learning Evolving the Artist Residency Model A Course of Study Less Dependence on the Summer Model

Opera Research and Professional Development Institute A course of study built on the premise that, by partnering directly and, over time, with a network of schools, the Guild can provide experts in the field to help teachers design a plan for and facilitate their students’ learning to develop their own original works of opera To support these efforts, the Institute provides multiple ways to engage in this work in the classroom. To empower partnership teachers to design and implement ideas that best suit the needs of their students, their schools and their communities. Not a regimented “one size fits all” concept, but a flexible, practical approach shaped thru inquiry, reflection, discovery.

Opera Research and Professional Development Institute A course of study built on the premise that, by partnering directly and, over time, with a network of schools, the Guild can provide experts in the field to help teachers design a plan for and facilitate their students’ learning to develop their own original works of opera To support these efforts, the Institute provides multiple ways to engage in this work in the classroom. To empower partnership teachers to design and implement ideas that best suit the needs of their students, their schools and their communities. Not a regimented “one size fits all” concept, but a flexible, practical approach shaped thru inquiry, reflection, discovery.

Opera Research and Professional Development Institute Central to the work: a teacher-facilitated student effort to craft original works through text and music. Examples and processes for building artistic excellence in the entire classroom, devoting time for students to write, compose, choreograph, rewrite, reflect, review, rehearse and perform. A final sharing of that work is a critical factor, but not the only critical factor. Equally important, the revisiting and crafting of thematic ideas (both in text and musical composition) throughout the school year provides opportunities for students and teachers alike to reflect on and examine their work and use that examination as a means to articulately express matters that are important to them.

Opera Research and Professional Development Institute Utilizing multiple types of documentation, a distinctive aspect of the Institute work as it unfolds in the school is the role of the teacher as “practitioner researcher”. Participants have developed assessment tools to capture and gauge student learning in the classroom. Video and digital tape is used to demonstrate evidence of the evolving process that leads to social, emotional and intellectual growth. Portfolios are utilized to capture sequential work in the classroom and provide a qualitative and quantitative record of the overall educational impact.

Lessons Learned #1 As important as the culminating work is, the daily classroom work is the crucial element that drives this work. The teachers who have been with us over the past 2½ years have become very adept at using the arts as a part of their daily instructional methodology. This inclusion of the arts has become infused in their classroom, thereby evolving past “project” status.

Lessons Learned #2 The frequent network meetings during the year are as important (if not more important) as the summer institute and have let the teachers take a leadership role in their creation and implementation. By doing so, we continually realize that schools know what is best for their students and refine the Guild’s role to guide and facilitate those decisions.

Lessons Learned #3 The Institute model is not for everyone and for those schools looking for a “canned” and isolated arts experience, this work will probably not work for them. Central to the work has been the involvement of the school administrator

Internal Perspective Assessment Research Communication Constituency Support Program Evaluation