MAEIA Regional Leads

MAEIA Regional Leads offer virtual and face-to-face professional learning opportunities and consultation on the implementation of MAEIA resources in general and specialized contexts.

This program is generously supported by a grant from the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs.

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Rebecca Arndt

Music

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Cathy DePentu

Music

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Cecilia Gollan

Visual Arts

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Carrie Jeruzal

Visual Arts

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Michael Letts

Visual Arts

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Holly Olszewski

Music

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Amy Lynne Pobanz

Visual Arts

For inquiries and scheduling:

(517) 816-4520

Contact Rebecca

Rebecca Arndt

Music

Performance Assessments


Rebecca D. Arndt is a K-5 general music teacher for the Taylor School District, she also teaches a 4/5 grade combined choir. Prior to teaching in Taylor she also taught in Waterford Schools for 13 years. While in Waterford she taught k-5 general music and choir.

Professional Learning and Consulting Topics include:

  • -General music curriculum
  • -How to use PBIS in a music setting that is productive

For inquiries and scheduling:

(517) 816-4520

Contact Cathy

Cathy DePentu

Music

Performance Assessments


Catherine K. DePentu has taught instrumental music at all levels for 34 years, currently enjoying her 19th year as Director of Orchestras for the Plymouth Canton Community Schools.  Her focus has been improving student musical achievement and independent performance skills through the use of student directed/project based learning within the large performing ensemble and on being able to develop assessments and data collection methods to track this progress.

Professional Learning and Consulting Topics Include:

  • -MAEIA Overview and Potential for Use in the School Music Program
  • -Utilizing the MAEIA Assessments to Track Student Growth and Evaluate Educator Effectiveness
  • -Utilizing the MAEIA Assessments in the Music Classroom or Rehearsal Without Compromising Performance Quality
  • -Teaching Music Students to Listen Critically and Improve Their Ability to Self-Assess and Make Corrections Using the MAEIA Resources
  • The Chamber Project: Teaching Music Students to Collaborate to Plan Effective Rehearsals, Evaluate and Correct While Rehearsing and Perform Accurately and Expressively With Teacher as Facilitator
  • Middle School Orchestra Adventures: Managing 120+ Students at 7am, Making Music, Growing a Program and Living to Tell the Tale

For inquiries and scheduling:

(517) 816-4520

Contact Cecilia

Cecilia Gollan

Visual Arts

Performance Assessments

Demonstrating Educator Effectiveness


Cecilia Gollan is a 21 year visual arts public school teacher in Michigan. She has taught all levels K-12 and currently is teaching at Milford High School in the Huron Valley School district. She serves as an innovative educational leader with colleagues and students in Huron Valley Schools. Cecilia has participated and served in many different capacities with the Michigan Arts Education Instruction and  Assessment Program as a Blueprint Writer, Assessment Developer, Demonstrating Educator Effectiveness Pilot and Leadership Fellow for the Michigan Arts Education Instruction and Assessment Team which has been creating resources for the Arts teachers in the state of Michigan.

Professional Learning and Consulting Topics include:

  • -Documenting Students’ Growth and Assessment in the Art Classroom
  • -Achieving a 21st Century Arts Program
  • -What is MAEIA and How Do I Use the Assessments?
  • -MAEIA Assessments and SLO’s for Educator Effectiveness
  • -MAEIA Assessments and Documenting Educator Effectiveness
  • -Using MAEIA to Demonstrate Educator Effectiveness
  • -Student Growth and Engagement in the Visual Arts
  • -Arts Integration
  • -Arts Advocacy

For inquiries and scheduling:

(517) 816-4520

Contact Carrie

Carrie Jeruzal

Visual Arts

Performance Assessments

Demonstrating Educator Effectiveness


Carrie Jeruzal is a Highly Qualified K-12 Visual Arts educator in rural Pentwater, Mi.  Carrie has been teaching for 16 years with experience in both private and public settings and has taught at every level Pre-K to higher education.  She was recently honored by the National Art Education Association as the 2017 Western Region Middle Level Art Teacher of the Year.

Professional Learning and Consulting Topics include:

  • -MAEIA Overview and in Visual Arts
  • -Demonstrating Teacher Effectiveness with Bundled Assessments
  • -Demonstrating Teacher Effectiveness with SLO Writing (Student Learning Objectives)
  • -Feminist Art Based Visual Arts Curriculum
  • -East Asian Art Based Visual Arts Curriculum
  • -Empty Bowls Community Outreach Programming
  • -Fiber Arts Education for Middle School Students

For inquiries and scheduling:

(517) 816-4520

Contact Michael

Michael Letts

Visual Arts

Arts Assessments


Michael Letts holds an MFA from The Ohio State University and is currently an Associate Professor of Art Education at Northern Michigan University. He taught art and English in grades 6-12 in Michigan. As a Michigan teacher, he has been involved in assessment design since 2005, writing items for state-level tests for English and more recently with performance assessments in the arts for the MAEIA project. His involvement in teacher development in visual art focuses on standards-based curriculum development and the importance of assessment as an integrated component in learning. He has also taught painting, drawing, and printmaking at the University and exhibits his art at a range of regional, national, and international venues.

For inquiries and scheduling:

(517) 816-4520

Contact Holly

Holly Olszewski

Music

Performance Assessments

Demonstrating Educator Effectiveness


Holly Bringman Olszewski is a pk-5 music specialist for Traverse City Area Public Schools.  She has been teaching twenty years and has taught a variety of music classes and grades in that time, including middle and high school band, and elementary, middle and high school choir. She is a frequent presenter at Music Conferences throughout the state, conducting workshops in learning goals and scales, writing student learning outcomes, teacher evaluation, as well as folk dancing.  Holly is passionate about helping new teachers foster student success in the arts.  A strong advocate in arts for everyone she is the region B representative and fall general music workshop chair for the Michigan Music Education Association.

Professional Learning and Consulting Topics include:

  • -MAEIA Overview and K-12 General, Instrumental and Choral Music
  • -Demonstrating Teacher Effectiveness with MAEIA Resources
  • -Writing Student Learning Outcomes in the Music Classroom
  • -Using the MAEIA Assessments to Build a Curriculum
  • -Using Learning Goals and Scales in the Music Classroom
  • -Teaching Music using Folkdance

For inquiries and scheduling:

(517) 816-4520

Contact Amy

Amy Lynne Pobanz

Visual Arts


Amy Lynne Pobanz has an excellent record of educational leadership, implementation of exceptional educational and community programming, and expertise in the arts, sciences, and humanities. She has over 20 years of experience teaching visual arts K-12.  She has also taught and designed curriculum for adult and community education programs.   Amy Lynne has experience teaching in traditional, virtual, and blended learning environments.  She was a member of the Michigan Merit Curriculum Visual, Performing, and Applied Arts Design Team and has worked on various aspects of the Michigan Arts Education Instruction and Assessment (MAEIA)  project.  Amy Lynne is an active member of the arts community in the Great Lakes Bay Region.

Professional Learning and Consulting Topics include:

  • -MAEIA Assessments:  Summative Assessments and the Arts
  • -MAEIA Assessments:  Measuring and Celebrating Student Growth
  • -MAEIA Program Review Tool:  Assessing the quality of your art education program.
  • -Community Partnerships and MAEIA:  Creating Educational —Opportunities through Community Partnerships with Art Educators

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