LDOE

WHAT'S NEW Summer Paid Professional Development Workshops Request for Proposals   If you didn't get a chance to attend our first workshop for advanced Louisiana Voices practitioners this past January, then you have three more chances this summer. All of these workshops are PAID and Louisiana Voices also provides lunch and travel stipends. With interesting content, classroom applicable training, and appropriate stipends . . . you don't want to let this opportunity pass you up! These workshops are considered part of our advanced series - for veterans of folklife in education. We consider these workshops advanced because we do not take the time to cover the folklife basics - for instance, defining the field of folklife, reviewing Louisiana folklife regions, and providing an introduction to the Louisiana Voices project and its resources. We simply jump right into the deep end, as it were. Download Application:    * You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to access the PDF application. To download Adobe Acrobat Reader, please visit: What is a "Veteran?" The last thing that we want to do is exclude any individual from participating in our workshops, particularly those individuals who might truly be folklife in education practitioners but just haven't formally attended a Louisiana Voices workshop or training. Thus, we have carefully refined our definition of the LV Veteran to be as inclusive as possible with respect to those educators who have adopted folklife in education practices. A veteran, as we define it, is an educator who has used the content or processes of folklife in his/her classroom; this could range from having students interview one another to having students write an essay on Louisiana culture to conducting a full blown unit including fieldwork and product presentation. If this sounds like you, then please consider applying to any or all of the workshops this summer. More Details We will be offering all three workshops in June - Not Just for Entertainment in Ruston, Practical Fieldworking in Baton Rouge, and Process, Product, and Publicity in Natchitoches. The descriptions and dates of each workshop are offered below. Participants at each of these workshops will receive an honorarium of $100 for full participation and will also receive a flat travel stipend depending on area of residence; Louisiana Voices will provide lunch. Entry into the workshop requires submission of a one-page application (very short, very easy). You can download the application from this page or have a hard copy mailed to you by contacting Nalini Raghavan at nalini.r@worldnet.att.net, subject line: "need summer workshop application." The postmark deadline for application is May 18, 2004.   Descriptions of Workshops 1) Not Just for Entertainment: How to Design Activities around Visiting Folk Artists Louisiana Tech University, Ruston, LA June 7, 2004 This very popular training was first offered in Baton Rouge in the Spring of 2004. We received an overwhelming response to this workshop, receiving upwards of 60 applicants with only 25 available seats. The post-workshop evaluative responses from the participants were also very positive. Due to the demand, we have decided to offer this workshop again in a different region of the state. Sponsored by the Regional Folklife Program-Region 1, this workshop will take place in Ruston at Louisiana Tech University. The thrust of this one-day workshop will remain the same. Participants will receive practical advice on developing pre and post activities around visiting folk artists to the classroom. Towards this end, participants will have the opportunity to observe demonstrations by two of Louisiana's finest tradition bearers including a musician and a craftsman. 2) Practical Fieldworking: The "How To" Workshop for Producing Student Fieldwork Experiences LCET, Baton Rouge, LA June 10, 2004 This workshop is one of our new offerings. It is completely focused on the "how to" of the fieldwork process - how to find interview subjects, how to organize your students, how to practice interviewing in the classroom, photography and transcription tips, and most importantly, how to use these processes towards improving academic performance and student skill sets. Taking place in a high tech educational facility, the workshop will allow participants to experiment with the high and low tech versions of fieldwork - whether using a tape recorder and mike or pencil and paper. It is truly an opportunity for hands-on practice. Having had direct experience in the workshop setting, participants will feel much more comfortable leading their students in similar activities. Four lucky winners will even walk away from the day with a FREE tape recorder that can be used for classroom activities. 3) Process, Product, and Publicity: Getting Projects Done Northwestern State University, Natchitoches, LA June 14, 2004 This workshop is a practical guide to producing folklife projects in the classroom - from aspects of producing, directing, publicizing, and even funding. This workshop is for you if you have great ideas but are overwhelmed by the everyday challenges of your profession. Let us help you streamline your folklife project so that it is DO-ABLE! The day will consist of three sessions presented by three different teacher mentors. Pulling from their own real classroom experiences, these educators will present their strategies for successful folklife-in-ed projects - for instance, classroom management and teaching strategies as well as designs for integrating folklife into the curriculum to facilitate achievement in core areas. These presentations will be followed by practical break-out sessions dedicated to applying and experimenting with some of the presented techniques. This workshop is the only one offered this summer in which teacher mentors will both present to and mentor participants. Participants of this workshop will be given FREE CD Roms containing actual Louisiana Voices power point presentations as well as templates for various students products and worksheets. Download Application:    * You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to access the PDF application. To download Adobe Acrobat Reader, please visit:   Louisiana Voices Request for Proposals The Hunt Is On In the last six years, Louisiana Voices team members have heard of teachers throughout the state doing folklife-in-education projects - some inspired by Louisiana Voices and others not. We hear about educators leading their students in community documentation projects, students painting murals on cafeteria walls, mapping out cultural routes like the "Boudin Trail," and even creating interactive websites - all drawing on traditional, local culture. The direct experiences of those educators who have tried their hand at folklife-in-education are invaluable - not just to us at Louisiana Voices but to the hundreds of teachers out there who need models, mentors, experiential feedback, or just the knowledge that, yes, someone out there has tried it and it worked (or didn't work for that matter). We have been sharing success stories in our "Teacher Spotlights" featured in our Giving Voice newsletter. However, we are interested in expanding our role as a clearinghouse for instructional materials, project or lesson ideas, and resources that have been "tested" in the classroom. That's why, this month, we are launching a statewide hunt for five exemplary, reproducible folklife-in-education projects which we can report on and publish on the Louisiana Voices website. Step 1: Submitting your Proposal Step 2: Selection Process Step 3: If you are selected Step 4: Download Application   Step 1: Submitting Your Proposal Eligibility You are eligible if you meet all of these requirements: Have completed a folklife-in-education project. In general, we would like to know what educators out in the field are doing in the classroom with respect to incorporating local culture. Whether you have used Louisiana Voices resources or whether you have come to folklife-in-education on your own steam; whether your activity is five minutes long or five weeks long, we encourage you to submit. All that matters is that, sometime in the past, you have produced a folklife unit, lesson, activity, or project and that you are willing and report on the project and its results such that other teachers can learn from your experiences. Produce a folklife-in-education project in the 2004-2005 academic year. In addition to past efforts, we'd like to know what your future plans are with respect to folklife-in-education in academic year 2004-2005. Have you found a fool-proof strategy that you will stick with? Did you run into challenges that will inform how you plan your next folklife project? In other words, what are your next steps, and why are they your next steps? Applicants will be asked to address this point in various ways in the proposal. Currently teach in a Louisiana school or will be in the 2004-2005 academic year. Willing and able to fulfill the contracted duties as described in "Step 3: Your Contract with Louisiana Voices" below. Payment If you submit a proposal that meets all the criteria, you will receive $50. We understand that writing proposals is time consuming. That is why we will pay you to write your proposal and submit it! In other words, you don't have to be selected to be paid, you just need to submit a full proposal. HOWEVER, your proposal must be complete and follow all guidelines presented below. Louisiana Voices staff will use the Submission Rubric to evaluate your proposal. LV reserves the right to decline payment if these guidelines are not completely followed.   Preparing and Submitting the Proposal DEADLINE: All proposals must be submitted by August 2, 2004 at 5:00 p.m. We will notify you by September 1, 2004. Mail completed proposals to: Louisiana Voices RFP Louisiana Folklife Program PO Box 44247 Baton Rouge, LA 70804 Questions? If you would like a hard copy of the proposal, email Nalini Raghavan at nalini.r@worldnet.att.net. If you have questions about your project, contact Jane Vidrine, Louisiana Voices' Education Coordinator, at jgvidrine@cox-internet.net.   Preparing the Proposal Essay Review this enitre document as well as the Proposal Rubric and Submission Rubric. Fill out the Proposal Form completely and be sure to mail it with your Essay. Write an essay of at least 1000 words using the "Essay Outline" section below and addressing all of the questions. Remember we are also evaluating your writing. You may submit more words and address more than the outlined topics. You may choose to elaborate more fully where you see necessary. The essay must be typed on 8.5 x 11 paper with one inch margins. Font size should be no larger than 12 pt. and no smaller than 10 pt.   Essay Outline Introduction (at least 250 words) Tell us who you are, giving us a brief background of your areas of specialty or special interest in education. Tell us what motivated you to incorporate folklife into your teaching. Past Folklife Projects (at least 350 words) Describe one or more folklife-in-education projects that you have produced. What is the title of the project? What is the grade level and subject area focus of the project? What is the content or skill being covered through the project? Was this part of a larger unit or collaborative project? What were the overall academic goals, student activities, and products? Did you involve the community, parents, or administration in this project? If yes, how? How did you incorporate folklife? Where did you receive funding, if any? What were the outcomes of the project with respect to student performance, content knowledge, and/or motivation? How did you publicize the project or promote it in any other way? Explain the outcomes of the project. Did your students reach the academic goal of the project? What response did the students have to the project? Did they enjoy it? Were they frustrated? Were they engaged or motivated? What were some of the challenges you or your students faced and what were your solutions? How has using folklife changed or enriched your teaching? Proposed Project (at least 400 words) Describe your folklife-in-education project or plan for incorporating folklife in the classroom for next year. What are the folklife traditions or teaching strategies around which you plan to center the project? What are the outcomes of the project with respect to student performance, content knowledge, and/or motivation? What preparations have you already made or need to make in order to produce this project? Are there any potential pitfalls of the project and how do you plan to troubleshoot potential problems? What resources will you need/use to make the project successful? What materials or supplies are required to complete this project - traditional artist/s, books, videos, etc.? Please describe. Does the project require funding? If yes, briefly describe the costs. Step 2: Selection Process Louisiana Voices will select five proposals using the Proposal Rubric. The five proposals with the highest scores will be selected. The selection panel will be composed of Louisiana Voices staff, master teachers, and a staff member of the Department of Education. The five successful applicants will be notified by September 1, 2004. We will then send a contract for your signature. Step 3: If You are Selected You will: Complete your proposed 2004-2005 academic year folklife-in-education project. Agree to have your 2004-2005 academic year folklife-in-education project documented by Louisiana Voices staff and provide Louisiana Voices with additional details, portfolio materials, photographs, etc. as requested. Write a 1000 -1300 word, illustrated (photos, pics, charts) article on one of your folklife-in-education projects to be included in an issue of Giving Voice. Optional: Present your project at Louisiana Voices professional development workshops. And we will pay you: $300 to complete your proposed 2004-2005 academic year folklife-in-education project. $500 in reimbursable funds to pay for supplies, postage, and/or tradition bearers that are necessary to complete your folklife-in-education project. 15 cents per word for your illustrated article (maximum $195.00). This comes to a potential contract with Louisiana Voices of $1495.00. Step 4: Download Application To downlaod just the Request for Proposal document: PDF Version, or MS Word Version. To download just the Application: PDF Version, or MS Word Version. To download just the Submission Rubric: PDF Version, or MS Excel Version. To download just the Proposal Rubric: PDF Version, MS Excel Version.

Folklife in Louisiana Home | Living Traditions Home | Louisiana Voices: Educator's Guide Folklife Program Introduction | Planning and Funding Folklife Projects Overview of Louisiana's Traditional Cultures Links | Credits | Contact Us/Link to Us   Louisiana Division of the Arts | Department of Culture, Recreation & Tourism © 1999-2012 Louisiana Division of the Arts, PO Box 44247, Baton Rouge, LA 70804, tel 225-342-8180 Questions about this site? Contact Maida Owens, folklife@crt.la.gov.