“The arts act as connective tissue for the whole curriculum.” - Claudia Corbett, phd
Student Testimonials (Grade 4-6)
'I liked that we got to be free with art and have no borders to what we do. I would like to keep going with my journal so I can be inspired and work as an artist'. - Cassie
'I like that Andrea taught us new things and new ideas every time and that we used more mediums. I would like to always keep a Journal because I can draw my feelings and a 5 senses journal is so I can draw what I feel and what I see." - Lyle
'I want to do more art projects with those materials because it's very fun. It feels like I'm a real artist when I'm using them especially the pen and ink.' - Maya
'The 5 Sense journal is fun cause no one looks in there so it's really personal.' - Tiara
'I learned to believe in what you draw, not judge your own drawing.' - Rayman
'I like that Andrea encouraged us to use your imagination and to not be like your friend.' - Emily
'I liked that we got to explore our imagination and favorite places and that we got to use really awesome art mediums. I learned that the First Nations have a whole different way of thinking. Thank you for being an amazing teacher/artist. I will be really sad to not have you anymore Andrea but I hope that others will appreciate you as much as we did.' - Rhiannon
' I loved when Andrea taught us that art is much more than drawing and colouring. That art really can come alive in your imagination.' - Rya
'I would love to keep a journal always for writing and art because art infusion is my favorite school subject this year.' - Mary
'I've learned to use different art materials. Andrea's powerpoints gave me inspiration and she motivated me with all her stuff.'
'I'd like to keep going with my journal because I like to draw and wright what is going on in my life.' - Alexis
'I learned that the kind of art I like is called symbolic. When I do art it makes me feel calm because of the calm energy in the room. I would like to use all of the mediums because the calm feeling of touching the medium to the paper and gently sliding it along that energy in my body makes me feel relaxed and calm and loose inside and out.' - Arrianne
'I would like to have a journal for art because I learnt how to show my feelings. And I really look forward to doing it again.' - Shas
'I really liked the learning journal because I got to learn a lot more about the Haida people and there is so much freedom on how you want it to look.' - Logan
'Andrea taught me a lot about art. She taught me to imagine cause that's what art is, imagining. - Jassica
'You've taken the artist in me and brought it out. I love doing research and knowing I get to create an art piece with my research makes me happy.' - Harmin
'I learned that I am an artist in my own way'. - Agnice
'I loved that Andrea actually took the time to teach.' - Jenna
PRO-D TESTIMONIALS
'Awesome workshop. Loved it. So much to take back and teach the kids. Thank you!"
'Thanks so much - I loved being a student today. Using the materials in a comfortable setting with an encouraging, warm artist = PERFECT PRO-D!'
' Excellent, helpful, useful, fun. Thank you. Wish we could do a series over several weeks'.
'I wish I had more time! We never get a chance to play! Fabulous ideas!'
“It was such a relaxing wonderful way to begin the day. I could have spent the day creating! Thanks!”
“Love Visual Journals – awesome techniques + ideas on how to implement in the class. I think this has the most potential to transform our practice.”
“Wonderful! I am already planning on starting journals tomorrow!”!
“LOVED IT!! Enjoyed learning new techniques. Lots of fun.”
“A great intro to a method of increasing student engagement. A ‘thinking journal’ - ritualizes quiet, reflective, academic time.”
PROfessional Development
Andrea is a skilled artist and workshop facilitator who has the ability to guide participants through a journey of arts inquiry that allows them to open to their own creative processes. Her hands-on approach supports learners to explore the use of various mediums at their own comfort level and apply these to all areas of learning within the curriculum. Her workshops are educational, inspiring, creative and fun. Andrea has led numerous workshops in the Vancouver School District for both students and teachers. - P. Bochun, Vancouver School Board
After extensive planning with the infusion team, Andrea led the Mamquam staff in professional learning around our school goal of infusing the arts into all areas of instruction and learning. A number of activities were presented in collaboration with the infusion team such as chalk talk learning circles, charcoal and pen/ink techniques, and a visual journaling session, followed by a presentation on a number of projects Andrea has conducted in other schools including our own. The Pro D day had a dual purpose – first to provide the staff the opportunity to explore and become acquainted with different medium. Second, to foster in staff the notion that art is about creating art that is meaningful and a reflection of oneself as opposed to just creating copy cat artwork. Many of the staff expressed that the day was one of the best sessions they had attended at the school, and this is in large part due to Andrea’s ability to present ideas and processes in a well organized and clear fashion as well as in a creative and inspiring manner. It was a highly successful day and it is apparent it has had a lasting effect on our school as staff now regularly use Arts Infused language, and display artwork indicative of working through an arts infused lens. - R. Mackenzie, Principal, Squamish BC
It was a happy day when you and our school team were matched up to take this amazing art journey together. Thank you so much for your vision, for sharing your talents with us, for nurturing us, and for all the heart you invested in our time together. With a bit of luck this is just the beginning!” Thank you Andrea. - Judy, Laura and Scott, Gleneagles Elementary School
I walked down to the West Van Community Centre at lunch today to check out the exhibition. It is great! I love the integration and the cross-curricular work. It is also wonderful to see a range of grades involved. Thanks so much for your participation with our students – it is a great exhibition . . . I will encourage others to check it out.- Chris Kennedy, Superintendent of Schools, West Vancouver District
As a result of Andrea’s Arts Infusion program I am approaching art and art infusion in a new way. Not coming from an art background, my art lessons were very programmed and did not leave a lot of imagination for the students. As a result of this program, I am approaching art from a more imagination inspired angle where exploration of feelings are intertwined with colour, shape, symbols. It has helped me to look at art more deeply and have students explore it at a more personal and meaningful level. I am now trying to find ways to infuse art into every subject not just Language arts (which is what I did in the past) but also math, science – less traditional art areas.
Andrea was a great inspiration. She taught me to talk with the students about artists intent and meaning. To really examine and explore different works of art and inspire and spark students imagination from very interesting and intriguing works of art. In particular the art of map making was very inspiring and the final art piece that the students produced with maps were beautiful. I am also not so scared to use different mediums and have a feeling for how they work and how to use them. I feel that I am a more confident art infusion teacher as a result of working with Andrea. - K Whylie, Intermediate Educator
My practice has changed in many different ways as a result of participating in the Arts Infusion program with Andrea Klann. I feel like it has given me a license to experiment with different modes of learning. This 'license' validates or lends credibility to artistic practices and representations of thinking and learning as equal to traditional academic modes of representation. It has shifted my focus to finding ways to foster creativity, originality in work, and increase engagement. I now purposefully consider how to integrate artistic practices with content areas.
Working with Andrea has been a pleasure and an invaluable professional learning experience. She has taught me to let go of some aspects of formal artistic deconstruction (line, perspective, etc.) to focus on more accessible tools like use of colour to create mood and tone, to ask questions, and to invite multiple readings of an art piece. I liked the way she presented aspects of an artist's history and life through a visual presentation, and then invited kids to experiment in that medium in a way that encouraged students' personal growth, and de-emphasized constraints associated with perfection and product rigidity in student work. - H. Lewis, Intermediate Teacher
My practice has changed because I am always thinking how to incorporate art into lessons of all subject areas. I have allowed for students to be more creative. I have become more confident in my skills and directions with different mediums that I am able to allow my students the opportunity to use mediums I would never before use. I really enjoyed the whole process. I am thankful I was involved. This is going to change my practice and I am going to look into drawing every day. I can’t thank Andrea enough! It was awesome! We are all the better for her efforts. – S. Nunn, Intermediate Teacher
Your influence has completely changed the way I approach things in my practice. I am now constantly thinking about how I can alter the process of projects/units to infuse the arts. Now, I find myself trying to approach research with an artful mind. Instead of these things being the final product as they used to be in my research units, they are integrated as part of the research process! It’s totally exciting to re-imagine lessons through an artful lens. The students obviously love it, too. Thank you so, so much for helping to plant the seed at Mamquam and within ourselves. Creativity will live on, thanks to you! - T. Sherlock, Teacher-Librarian
‘I can say that I now am a deeper thinker before I present any new learning and think about how art can be infused in all aspects of learning i.e. Insects, looking closely at videos, art connected to insects (modern, murals, realistic etc.). – L. Bouchard, K/1 Teacher
Students were constantly begging me for more time to get your art infusion projects finished. Students that had never showed any interest in any sort of art, now have completed amazing projects. As for me, I was "infused" by seeing the forms of art you introduced to them. It inspired and motivated me to try new things. Not sure you realize the long-reaching effects your work had on our students - let me tell you, as an old dog, we all learned some new tricks. THANKS AGAIN! - T. McKay, Intermediate Teacher
“Working with Andrea really opened up my understanding of the importance of medium - and I have seen first hand how simply changing mediums can change our response to learning. The inherent differences in medium choice influence the experience and choices I make as an artist. I hadn't really considered the impact of this beyond the practical. Now I am much more open to the idea that students need to build skills within a wide variety of mediums and techniques so that they can then choose the most connected and authentic way to learn in, through, and with the arts. As a performing arts teacher, I have been exploring the nature of mediums in dance, music and drama in new ways because of my work with Andrea. Secondly, Andrea influenced the way that I approach the process of projects. Her gentle touch guided students without overtly influencing their autonomy and voice as artists. No more 30 green frogs for me- ever!! Andrea encourages the students to see through their own lenses, to create unique expressions of their learning and to enjoy the "creative mess" that happens as they journey toward a personal vision. I will actively encourage students to proceed at their own rate and in their own style. This is a big learning for me that is a direct result of working with Andrea.” – A. Thomson, Music Teacher
Keynote: Presenting a Teaching Artist Professional Practice:
Andrea made it REAL and possible!!
“I loved her calm, confident, flexible, open easy presence – a JOY! I was as engaged as her students!”
“Loved it! Open, informative, encouraging!”
“Very approachable with content delivery and patient when discussion happened.”
“Confident, calm, articulate – a wonderful presence!”
“Andrea presented the process in such a positive light. She seems very warm and informative.”
“Andrea is very easy to listen to. She is confident, gentle and approachable.”
“Andrea used her powerpoint as a framework for very engaging personal examples. She answered questions from the audience very smoothly (questions that made me wince!) and with rambling questions she succinctly found the thread.”
“She’s very personable and approachable. Her experiences were relatable, understandable and comprehensive - she made success in this effort attainable and rewarding.”
She is very calm and confident, I really liked the humour too, and sharing of experiences.”
“Very good speaker and communicator.”
Andrea Klann is a wonderful presenter. She is proficient at working collaboratively with others and, perhaps more importantly, by sharing her own valuable experience, is highly effective at encouraging educators and other artists to try and apply what they learn from her in their own approaches to teaching and learning through the arts.
Andrea is calm, confident, flexible and a pleasure to plan and work with. She invites her participants to access their own creativity while also modeling best practices for other professional artists who wish to work with school and district communities. Andrea is a consummate professional and a strong advocate for the importance of the arts in education. - Terri Anne Wilson, M.Ed.
