Two Departments Hold Statewide Conference on Literacy, Arts

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — On April 16 and 17, more than 60 teacher educators, pre-service teachers, and teaching artists from across Arkansas came together to take part in the inaugural Putting Literacy Center Stage conference.

Organized by the Center for Children and Youth and the Brown Chair in English Literacy — both housed at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville — the two-day event explored ways in which performing arts could be integrated into elementary and secondary curricula to improve learning. Students and faculty from Arkansas State University, Harding University, Henderson State University, John Brown University, University of Arkansas, University of Arkansas-Fort Smith, and the University of Central Arkansas were in attendance.

“Arts integration has so much potential to positively transform the educational experience, and we want Arkansas to be a model for other parts of the country in the future,” said Christian Goering, director of the Center for Children and Youth. “We invited all of the colleges and universities in Arkansas that have teacher training programs. It was important to us that both pre-service teachers, faculty members, and administrators attended, to experience the potential of using the arts to teach subject content.”

The Putting Literacy Center Stage conference included dramatic performances, informational presentations, practical workshops, and discussion sessions. As the name implies, Putting Literacy Center Stage focused in particular on the performing arts. Attendees were treated to education-specific performancesby two award-winning Northwest Arkansas troupes. Fayetteville’s TheatreSquared performed “The Poe Show,” a 45-minute production that introduces the life and works of Edgar Allan Poe to high school students in a witty and unique way.

“Digging Up Arkansas” by Bentonville’s Trike Theatre chronicles the history of the Natural State from 1000 to 1936, and is told through songs and stage “artifacts.” Both shows seek to bring literature and history to life for young audiences.

Afterward, the performers discussed their artistic and educational process with the audience. “I am so glad Digging Up Arkansas got to be part of PLCS,” said Jules Taylor of Trike Theatre. “I am proud to be part of Arkansas’s leadership in the arts integration movement.”

Other featured presenters of the conference included the Walton Arts Center’s Laura Goodwin and Paul Leopoulos of the Thea Foundation. David Jolliffe, holder of the Brown Chair in English Literacy at the University of Arkansas, also led a discussion on arts integration and the Common Core State Standards, a new framework of educational standards that the State of Arkansas has begun to implement.

“A lot of teachers have questions about the new guidelines that are coming into effect in the next few years,” said Jolliffe. “I think that incorporating arts can actually work quite well with the Common Core. We had some great discussion of what that could look like going forward.”

In all, the Putting Literacy Center Stage conference offered attendees plenty of food for thought—both for the pre-service teachers, who will soon be in front of their own classrooms, and for college faculty members dedicated to teacher preparation. Many participants came away invigorated and keen to refine their teaching strategies based on what they learned.

“I personally had several ‘aha moments’ and reaffirmations of what I have been thinking for a long time,” said Susan Grogan, assistant professor of education at Harding University. “I loved the concept of integration of the arts into curriculum.”

Sara Davis, associate professor in early childhood teacher education at UAFS, appreciated the hands-on nature of the performances and workshops. Said Davis, “Being able to get involved in expressing ideas helped us make connections to the power of the arts.”

Both Goering and Jolliffe plan to build on the success of Putting Literacy Center Stage. For future events, they would like to expand in size, drawing representatives from all teacher-training institutions across Arkansas. There are also plans to expand the scope of future conferences to include the visual arts. Said professor Goering, “It’s great to see so many educators really thinking deeply about the place of the arts in education. Whenever you get a bunch of smart, energetic teachers together, good things happen.”