3074
Whitney Ave.
Bldg. 2, 2nd Floor
Hamden, CT 06518
phone: 203-230-8101
fax: 203-230-8131
Eileen Dulen Jennings
Multi-Disciplinary
Eileen Dulen-Jennings, is an inter-disciplinary Teaching Artist working to develop curriculum which utilizes the arts to deepen understanding and transform learning. She leads professional development workshops for educators and artist educators while continuing to work with hundreds of students annually as a Teaching Artist in schools. She serves on the faculty of The Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts, The Greater Hartford Academy of Math and Science, as well as Trinity College and The Center for Creative Youth. Utilizing theatre techniques, Eileen has developed an award winning program that utilizes the arts as a tool to inspire young writers, scientists and mathematicians.
The students at McKinley School in Fairfield had this to say after a workshop with Eileen, "I am very inspired because I can share what I learned with my family. I liked the part when we wrote and shared and did a lot of editing. Thank you for showing us how to communicate with sign language. My favorite part was acting out all the poems in sign language, and I will teach my family the butterfly sign."
Sign Language Storytelling and Poetry (Grades K-12)
Students don't often have the spoken or written vocabulary in which to express themselves. They have the idea. They have the understanding yet, their vocabulary limits them in finding the right word. The use of American Sign Language and Non-Verbal Communication allows expression in a pathway that comes naturally. This physical approach is proven to improve vocabulary skills in both speaking and writing. Workshops include the teaching of basic signs, group poetry and non-verbal communication techniques, as well as writing from and creating visual prompts. Length: 60 Minutes
Science, Theatre and Writing - A Great Bond (Grades K-12)
Students will deepen their understanding of scientific concepts, improve science writing skills and develop a new outlook on this subject. Specific theatre and writing exercises are implemented to teach conceptual physics and earth science content including but not limited to: the water cycle, molecular bonding, states of matter, energy, light and many other topics. Length: 60 Minutes
Show What You Know: Using Theatre to Demonstrate Reading Comprehension (Grades K-12)
Enhance student reading comprehension by providing opportunities to show what they know through various theatre exercises. Character development, setting exploration and plot pointing are introduced as ways to assist students in reading for meaning and identifying essential literacy elements. With the application of these strategies, young readers look to text differently with improved visualization and determining importance skills. Valuable physical expression and cooperative learning skills are also employed. Additionally, teachers are introduced to new tools for measuring student reading comprehension
Length: 60 Minutes
4 Workshops: $505
5 Day Residency: $2025
Teacher Professional Development
American Sign Language and Teaching:
Classroom Management and Community Building In this 2 hour workshop, teachers
will learn the basics of American Sign Language and the various ways it
can be utilized in the classroom. Silent Lunch and Morning Meetings, Visual
Directions, Non-Verbal Book Reports are just a few of the many activities
that will be introduced.
Theatre in the Classroom:
Instruction and Assessment Uncover new ways to introduce concepts and
provide assessment opportunities with the use of theatre strategies and
techniques. No longer just a school play, the use of theatre arts integrated
lessons helps students think conceptually, work collaboratively and express
themselves. This workshop is designed to help teachers discovers ways
to apply the foundations of theatre in all curricular areas - from instruction
to assessment. Tools for working with reluctant student presenters will
also be addressed.
Using Writing and Theatre to Explore Science:
Teachers will discover how closely the conceptual, creative
and scientific thinking processes are linked. Through ensemble theatre
exercises and personal writing experiences we identify further parallels
between various scientific concepts and artforms. This training provides
teachers with an opportunity to learn various approaches to teaching science
concepts in conjunction with district texts. The results are lessons that
engage and inspire higher order thinking - skills required in scientific
processing. Specific theatre and writing exercises are implemented for
teaching conceptual physics and earth science content including but not
limited to: the water cycle, molecular bonding, states of matter, energy,
light and many other topics.
Strategies That Work:
A Visual Arts Approach to Comprehension Utilizing Harvey/Goudvis' "Strategies
That Work", this workshop provides teachers an opportunity to experience
concepts of reading comprehension through a visual arts approach. "Viewing
Strategies" is an arts-integrated approach developed to help teachers
come to know the meaning of comprehension. Anchor works of famous paintings
are the base from which each comprehension strategy is analyzed. Teachers
will learn how to make connections, develop questions, visualize, make
inferences, determine importance and synthesize, supporting the belief
that the arts encourage higher order thinking and enhance learning.
Fee: $540 for 2 hour workshop,
$745 for full day
WRT CCT
Funding Available