KEN CRO-KEN
LITERACY THROUGH THE ARTS
CREATED AND DEVELOPED BY:
Ken Cro-Ken, environmental artist, composer
Matt Sullivan, oboe, composer
Taught by Ken, Matt and the teaching staff of each organization.
Visual Art, Music, Science, History and The Language Arts Skills are united
to make the connection between subjects more obvious; which in turn,
offers greater insight to all involved within the creative process.
All projects are student based and student driven.
A culminating experience gives students: focus, goals and a deadline that keeps them on task.
These events make learning fun and memorable!
ALL PROJECTS BEGIN AND END WITH A THOUGHT,
AND THEREFORE,
ALL PROJECTS BEGIN AND END WITH WRITING.
In the late 1990's we began interdisciplinary projects because we believed then that learning could be fun
and create a greater impression as to why one should choose to learn and how to do it effectively.
Long before others began thinking about the idea of LITERACY THROUGH THE ARTS, we had the .com for it.
These projects are literacy based and rather than keep that a secret,
we stress the importance to developing the Language Arts Skills.
Some students say - "I'm going to be an artist. I don't need to know English."
These same students realize that how you write will determine how well you develop ideas
and therefore, how to unite talent, creativity and knowledge in order to succeed in today's world.
Students learn first hand the importance to relying on the Learning Arts Skills.
We would be glad to talk to you about a plan that can be tailored to your needs,
your budget, your dreams, your goals and is fulfilled through the core curriculum.
EXPERIENCE IS THE BEST TEACHER!
Professional artists and musicians serve as living examples
and participants realize that anyone who develops an idea
has a chance to become anyone they want to be.
We will create a plan with teachers that is based on the core curriculum.
One strength in the arts will lead someone through their less developed areas of learning.
In turn, this strengthens the educational, creative and emotional development of our youth.
CREATED AND DEVELOPED BY:
Ken Cro-Ken, environmental artist, composer
Matt Sullivan, oboe, composer
Taught by Ken, Matt and the teaching staff of each organization.
Visual Art, Music, Science, History and The Language Arts Skills are united
to make the connection between subjects more obvious; which in turn,
offers greater insight to all involved within the creative process.
All projects are student based and student driven.
A culminating experience gives students: focus, goals and a deadline that keeps them on task.
These events make learning fun and memorable!
ALL PROJECTS BEGIN AND END WITH A THOUGHT,
AND THEREFORE,
ALL PROJECTS BEGIN AND END WITH WRITING.
In the late 1990's we began interdisciplinary projects because we believed then that learning could be fun
and create a greater impression as to why one should choose to learn and how to do it effectively.
Long before others began thinking about the idea of LITERACY THROUGH THE ARTS, we had the .com for it.
These projects are literacy based and rather than keep that a secret,
we stress the importance to developing the Language Arts Skills.
Some students say - "I'm going to be an artist. I don't need to know English."
These same students realize that how you write will determine how well you develop ideas
and therefore, how to unite talent, creativity and knowledge in order to succeed in today's world.
Students learn first hand the importance to relying on the Learning Arts Skills.
We would be glad to talk to you about a plan that can be tailored to your needs,
your budget, your dreams, your goals and is fulfilled through the core curriculum.
EXPERIENCE IS THE BEST TEACHER!
Professional artists and musicians serve as living examples
and participants realize that anyone who develops an idea
has a chance to become anyone they want to be.
We will create a plan with teachers that is based on the core curriculum.
One strength in the arts will lead someone through their less developed areas of learning.
In turn, this strengthens the educational, creative and emotional development of our youth.
We all have enjoyed teaching children ages K - 12 and transfer the passion of the arts on to them. From Kindergarten to College, inner city to suburban, hearing and deaf, physically and/or emotionally challenged youth, and so on... The arts bring greater balance, clarity and meaning to life and fill a void like nothing else. Students may think that the main focus is the arts but the reality is, every creative project begins and ends with writing. Participants become engaged because every subject connected to the arts becomes that much more interesting.
These young people learn to appreciate the importance of the Language Arts as they apply reading, writing, speaking... to all they create.
These young people learn to appreciate the importance of the Language Arts as they apply reading, writing, speaking... to all they create.
One of greatest experiences I've had teaching has been after the events of 9/11/01 when I developed a LITERACY THROUGH THE ARTS project for two high school, located only a few buildings south of the former World Trade Center. I was honored to take all my knowledge, talent and experience and lay down the foundation for a multi-media experience for these students in an after school program. They were able to take what they learned during the day and finally have a place to put their own knowledge and talents into use. As the Creative Arts Coordinator I worked practically around the clock and began the school newspaper other projects that gives creativity a place to run free.
This program was created with "future focus" in mind to help these students most directly affected by the events of 9/11. They created projects that they could put on their resumes. One project was "THE GALLERY EXPERIENCE" where they learned every aspect of: creating a theme, taking the art with the theme in mind, they considered promotion, helped to make the announcement card, organized the Opening reception and hung the show. One our our goals is to create projects that helps to bridge the gap between education, the arts and the "real world".
Other projects created were: J.P. Morgan Internships, The Investment Club, The Desi Group for Pakistani, Indian and Bangladesh students to present their classical and contemporary culture in a performance at the end of each semester. The same was true for The Latin Club, The Video Makers, The Fashion Club and any other club students wanted to add to the list of choices of what to do with their free time. Students don't just get together and "hang out". They socialize while they prepare for a culminating experience. Deadlines become the "motivator" much like the work world that they will be joining before they know it.
THE NATURE OF SIGHT AND SOUND
First, students create a visual composition that serves as a visual catalyst for students to consider the sounds that they will create for the video. This footage can be filmed by them or drawn upon by Ken Cro-Ken's video archive. Along with the sounds students will create, they will also choose from a variety of musical phrases created by Matt Sullivan on oboe and english horn. There will also be musical phrases created by other well accomplished musician.
This project is integrated with the administrative staff and teachers to recognize and celebrate the talents of that community. Everyone can also learn an empowering lesson about potential and opportunity when talent is used to create funds. A performance can also be a fund-raiser so that students can also learn about marketing and how to successfully bring the “art world” and the “real world” together.
All ideas are reinforced and expanded upon in the classroom. Students learn to cooperate with others while learning to become more self-expressive and self-empowered. Since we believe that the basic definition of an artist is “anyone who develops an idea”, students can take what they learn and apply it to anything that they are interested in with a greater chance to believe and succeed within it. Sociology says that the greater control one feels in life, the less frustration they can potentially feel. Let us be a part of your organization’s mission to enrich the lives of our young people.
This project is integrated with the administrative staff and teachers to recognize and celebrate the talents of that community. Everyone can also learn an empowering lesson about potential and opportunity when talent is used to create funds. A performance can also be a fund-raiser so that students can also learn about marketing and how to successfully bring the “art world” and the “real world” together.
All ideas are reinforced and expanded upon in the classroom. Students learn to cooperate with others while learning to become more self-expressive and self-empowered. Since we believe that the basic definition of an artist is “anyone who develops an idea”, students can take what they learn and apply it to anything that they are interested in with a greater chance to believe and succeed within it. Sociology says that the greater control one feels in life, the less frustration they can potentially feel. Let us be a part of your organization’s mission to enrich the lives of our young people.
We love what we do and we love passing the passion on the others.
* Contact us to make exciting plans for your organization.
Go to our website and learn more about:
"Literacy Through the Arts
and
"The Nature of Sight and Sound"
(Why things look the way they sound and sound the way they look.)
* Please click on the like below:
www.LiteracyThroughTheArts.com
Oboist, Matt Sullivan is the musical component to these interdisciplinary projects.
To visit his website, please click on the link below:
www.oboematt.com
