In this episode, the Creativity Department talks with Sarah Delphus, NAEA’s Eastern Region Vice President-Elect, about ways to make hybrid learning spaces into environments where students can be their creative selves. Explore practical strategies for adapting lessons to meet specific student needs, challenges and successes of integrating technology into creative instruction, as well as reliable techniques to keep students engaged online. Listen in to learn more from Sarah!

In this episode, Matt and Laura chat with art educator on the topic of photography. Specifically, the role photography plays in art education, how she integrates both technical skills and creative expression when teaching, how photography helps students develop critical thinking and visual literacy skills, and practical tips for making photography accessible within any budget. Listen in to hear more from Susan!

In this episode, Matt and Laura welcome back award-winning art director, game designer, and artist Momo Pixel to talk about her work across the mediums of games, fashion, pixel art, and music! Momo is the creator of the viral game “Hair Nah” as well many other interactives for Hulu, Google, and much more. Momo shares her personal approach to creating art, keeping a positive attitude, and the impact games can have on our mindset. Listen in to hear more from Momo!

In this episode, Matt and Laura welcome back artist, educator, and author Jorge Lucero to share his practices of caring for fellow art educators. Specifically in the form of writing letters of recommendation! Jorge shares what goes into these letters, from acknowledging the “invisible” work his colleagues do, highlighting their unseen strengths, and the act of caring for other art educators by being a silent advocate for them in the field!

In this episode, Matt & Laura chat with returning guest – Jason Blair about the essential role the arts play in young students’ development. Listen in to discover how artmaking supports the growth of critical skills, strengthens students’ ability to communicate complex ideas, and fosters a deeper sense of community. Through playful exploration, multi-modal activities, and imaginative projects that explore deeper emotions, art educators empower students to express themselves, build confide...

In this episode, Laura talks with artist, researcher, and teacher – Tamyrn McDermott about multimodal learning! Listen in to learn what this is and how it can be applied in an art classroom. Tamryn shares strategies and activities she’s used in her own experience that art educators can introduce into their existing programs. During the discussion, she also explores how technology and media arts can be intertwined with multimodal learning concepts! Tune in to hear more from Tamryn.

Back-to-school season is upon us with a new crowd of students and new host of challenges! In this episode Matt & Laura discuss common challenges we face as art educators and how to prepare for them. Discover actionable steps and strategies to ensure a smooth transition, including planning curriculum for the year, creating successful routines, forming a sense of community with fellow art educators, and incorporating new technology into the art room. Tune in and hear more from Matt and Laura!

Honoring learning styles and helping build strong connections is what Differentiated Instruction is all about. In this episode, the Creativity Department is joined by Dr. Heather Fountain, author of Differentiated Instruction in Art Education. Listen in and explore how art educators can effectively identify the diverse learning needs of students. Discover practical approaches and actionable strategies you can use to differentiate content and process, assess learners’ needs, and help students ...

In this episode, the Creativity Department is joined by Alicia Gray, Director of Art Education at Montserrat College of Art and contributor to the new book by Davis, Restorative Practice in Education through the Arts. As a former art teacher in a trauma informed school, Alicia brings a new perspective to the conversation about the importance of restorative practices in education. Explore how creating a space where students feel seen, safe, and free to express themselves can build a brid...

In this episode, the Creativity Department is joined by Amanda Karhuse, Assistant Executive Director, Advocacy & Public Policy for The National Association for Music Education’s (NafME) and Ray Yang the National Art Education Association’s (NAEA) Director of Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion, and Special Initiatives. Listen in to learn about Arts Ed Alliance! Discover what this organization is and explore the work they’re doing to advocate for arts education on a national level. Take awa...

In this episode, the Creativity Department is joined by art educator Rachel McLaughlin of 10,000 Trees Music to talk about her passion for art, music, and how art educators can incorporate technology in their art rooms. Discover thoughtful insight into the evolving role of AI-generated sound and music in visual arts and how technology can enhance artistic expression overall. Explore how integrating music and tech can change the way students think about art, especially those students who may n...

In this episode, the Creativity Department is joined by author and art educator Trevor Bryan to talk about how art can be a powerful tool for teaching literacy. Trevor shares insights from his latest book Narrative Know-How, explores how story structure can build comprehension, and discusses how drawing and visual storytelling can help students with not only reading, but media literacy as well. Listen in to hear more from Trevor!

In this episode, the Creativity Department is joined by Veronica Hicks, Professor of Art Education at Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts to discuss the power of restorative practices in the art classroom. Discover how these practices can become meaningful rituals that support artistic growth and emotional well-being. From restorative circles to reflective project planning, explore how artmaking can foster healing, dialogue, and a sense of safety for students and educators ali...

In this episode, the Creativity Department is joined by returning guest Jorge Lucero to discuss the philosophy around creating knowledge. Listen in and learn how artmaking teaches students so much more than making art. It supports personal development and underpins life skills students need. From how to embrace failure while experimenting to the analytical process of creating a project, and artmaking’s correlation to emotional intelligence, listen and discover ways educators can better ...

In this episode, the Creativity Department is joined by NAEA’s President-Elect Amy Pfeiler-Wunder and her colleague Mark Kate Bergh for a discussion about the importance of play and multi-modal learning! explore topics such as: how multi-modal learning takes shape in an art classroom; what role play takes in nurturing students creativity and engagement; and how art educators can implement multi-modal learning in their own art rooms? Listen in to hear more from Amy and Mary Kate!

In this episode, the Creativity Department is joined by NAEA’s President – Cindy Todd to talk about how art educators can stay creative over their summer break! Cindy shares a few ways she’s been beating the summer slump, from artmaking in new spaces, getting to local art museums, and general self-care. As well as how carving out space for her creative work during the summer positively impacts her work as an art educator during the school year. Listen in to hear more from Cindy!

To round out the school year, Matt and Mi’Jan talk to Connected Arts Network (CAN) members Cody Puckett and Kim Guadagnoli about how they’re reflecting on this past school year! Cody and Kim share how their school year went, how they grew as arts educators, and challenges they overcame. Learn how they applied action research to their curriculum, including how to get more “buy-in” on projects from students. Listen in to hear more from Kim and Cody!

In this episode, Oral Historian Dr. Mi'Jan Celie Tho-Biaz, Matt Grundler, and Connected Arts Network (CAN) members Elizabeth Zwierzynski and Leslie Grace discuss how they’re keeping the momentum as the end of the school year quickly approaches. Leslie and Elizabeth share how they’ve asked students to reflect on the school year through artmaking, highlighting self-progression, and setting future creative goals. Explore the practical techniques they use in their programs to build a sense of com...

In this episode, the Creativity Department is joined by professor and author – Connie Stewart from the University of Northern Colorado to talk about “dangerous power of teaching arts education” and what exactly that means to her. Connie also dives into how infusing creativity into the classroom can give students a leg up in other subjects, the importance of critical thinking and emotional intelligence, as well as how artistic exploration can lead to development of civic responsibility in stud...

In this episode, the Creativity Department is joined by award-winning educator and author Jed Dearybury. Listen in as they take a deep dive into the importance of play. Discover strategies for using it to increase curiosity and nurture problem solving skills. Explorehow play can be integrated into classroom routines naturally and learn from Jed as he shares challenges and successes of building joyful learning spaces through play.