ExTEnDED LEARning OPTiOns
Practice
Your
Art
students ExPERIENCE CREATIVITY outside the
Work in Your field
Even if a part-time or summer job is not
classroom and pick up important career skills. an internship organized to help students
acquire particular skills, employment can
M
ichael Schwerin has a master’s degree Such career learning experiences are called still be a valuable learning experience.
in music theory earned as a Priddy “extended” learning because they take Kraig Springer, for example, worked in high
Fellow at the University of North learning outside the classroom. school on his father’s magazine, the Red
Texas in Denton, as well as a bachelor’s degree “Doing things outside the classroom gives Angus Journal. He learned about editing and
in mathematics and trumpet performance. validity to what the teacher tells you,” says publishing.
His degrees stand out on his resume, but Susan Smith, media technology instructor at “That was about the time computerized
when it comes to day-to-day performance the Career and Technical Education Center typesetting was really coming into
as marketing director for the Waterbury serving three high schools in Edinburg. “It existence,” recalls Springer, now a printing
Symphony Orchestra in Connecticut, reinforces what you’ve learned in class, but and publishing executive at Wheeler Press in
an internship he had with the Greater also lets students know what they’ve learned Denton. “I was in charge of doing that—
Denton Arts Council may have been just as is what’s being practiced in the workplace.” bringing in computerized type. Before that it
important to his career. was all pasteup and layout.
Schwerin says he draws on skills learned in internships “My other hat,” he adds, “was to help edit
his internship every day. Margaret Chalfant, Extended learning is available to students the magazine, when I was 16 and 17.”
the council’s executive director, had him in many forms. Internships such as Michael After-school employment experience in
writing press releases and learning budgeting Schwerin’s are part-time or summer jobs a chosen field can prove valuable, whether
and grant writing. that can help students learn more about it’s in dance, design,
careers in the arts. Interns tend to focus as printing, or painting.
Extend Learning much on learning as on employment. Their Even if the job is as
Learning your art in a high school or college temporary position allows them to gain a courier or office
classroom is a good way to start down the specific skills. worker, students
road to success, but careers in Arts, A/V “Interns are here to learn arts advocacy,” will gain a better
Technology & Communications are built says Chalfant. “It’s exciting because they’re understanding of the
by perfecting skills in real-world settings. getting so much practical information.” field and might also
THe
$30,000 arTHouse Texas prIze
Is THe largesT regIonal vIsual arTs award
for emergIng arTIsTs In THe unITed sTaTes.
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