Moving America: Maryland

A Partnership Between the Maryland State Department of Education, Arts Education in Maryland Schools, and Towson University

For more information, contact Angelique Causey, Program Administrator @ 410.704.3883 or e-mail at acausey@towson.edu.
www.towson.edu/dance

Moving America: Maryland is a teacher training program for K-8 public school teachers that teams a qualified dance educator with grade-level teachers for the purpose of modifying curriculum and instruction to include dance. Teams of teachers merge their respective areas of expertise daily to develop strategies for providing students with kinesthetic and dance adaptations to traditional instruction.

This innovative program is unique as a system of delivery for arts integration by emphasizing teacher training, on site, in the classroom rather than on directing experiences exclusively to the student. The philosophy is that teachers are more effective when they incorporate movement in the service of learning; doing so, provides students with diverse ways of knowing and synthesizing information and concepts while meeting the state fine arts standards.

The product of a partnership between the Maryland State Department of Education, Arts Education in Maryland Schools, and Towson University, Moving America: Maryland unites key state agencies around a systemic reform of the complexion of arts education in Maryland’s public schools.

Our media presentation at the 2001 Charles Fowler Colloquium presented the objectives, essential components, roster of participating schools, and established assessment components of the program. A brief sample activity requiring audience participation for the purpose of illustrating the Moving America: Maryland approach was also included.

Return to the 2001 Fowler Colloquium papers and reports

Return to the 2001 Fowler Colloquium homepage