Course Description: Participants explore the connective tissue of the Maryland State Fine Arts Standards and the Creative Process.  By investigating their own teaching and making methods, participants gain a deeper understanding of their own artistic habits and patterns.

Facilitator: Alysia Lee and Lillian Pailen

Bio: Alysia Lee is the Coordinator Of Fine Arts for MSDE. For Kennedy Center Citizen Artist, Alysia Lee, her role as an artist, arts educator, teaching artist, and arts advocate, gives her a broad perspective of the arts ecosystem. Alysia's work has received national and local recognition for advancing access, equity, visibility, representation, and power-sharing between artists, organizations, and communities. Key to her method is leadership development, building strong partnerships, and intersectional approaches to engagement while centering artistic excellence, creativity, and justice.

Dr. Lillian Pailen has served the arts education field as a teacher and administrator in public school and collegiate settings. She has also served as a specialist with the Maryland State Department of Education Fine Arts Office and draws upon these experiences as a consultant for statewide curriculum/assessment projects. She holds a B.A. degree in music education from Howard University, M.A. degree from Columbia University Teachers College, and doctorate in community college education from George Mason University.

Key Teaching and Learning Strategies explored in this course: 

• Perception - METACOGNITION: Deepen the awareness of the personal creative and teaching & learning practice. For oneself and others.

• The Creative Process Map - BIG IDEAS: Guide participants through a creative response to a relevant and exciting concept.

• Facilitator Role - ARTIST HABITS OF MIND: Model and cultivate the Artist Habits of Mind. (Express, Envision, Engage & Persist, Observe, Reflect, Understand the Art World, Stretch & Explore)

• Artist Communities - COLLABORATIVE LEARNING STRUCTURES: Adopt collaborative learning structures to deepen learning goals.

To download the full MSDE Fine Arts Office Professional Learning Framework, please click here.