Michael R. Gerrish
159 1st Street, Troy, NY 12180
http://whyart.com. mrg@whyart.com.
PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY
An innovative educator with expertise in teaching Visual Arts
and Technology to individuals with divergent
learning styles. Ten years plus experience as workshop leader and faculty
trainer in the areas of technology
use and incorporating visual arts into core curriculum. Proven ability to
mentor:
1)students through the process of enhancing oral and
written communication skills
2)staff through the process of enhancing presentations
and materials to effectively
communicate curriculum
AREAS OF EXPERTISE
• Developing
multi-modal programs
• Mentoring students/new staff
• Restructuring
curriculum
• Forging
synergistic relationships
• Communicating
goals and objectives
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
The Rensselaer Education Center, Troy NY 12180 Current
Instructor of Art
Art teacher for a QuestarIII B.O.C.E.S. regional high school
serving students in alternate academic, Advance Placement Arts, and technical career training programs.
The Bridge Academy, Lawrenceville NJ
08648 2003-2004
Director of Academic Technology and Distance Learning
Program developer for private, regional school
serving students with language based learning difficulties and/or attention issues.
Responsibilities included database design and management, web design, teacher
training, curriculum, and developing web-based instruction.
The Newgrange School, Hamilton,
New Jersey 08629 1989-2003
INSTRUCTOR OF ART AND NEW MEDIA;
TECHNOLOGY COORDINATOR
Instructor and program developer for private, regional school
serving students with language based learning
difficulties and/or attention issues. Active member of Technology, Curriculum
committees, workshop developer in
areas of Assistive Technology, Technology Integration, and Using New Media in
the Art room.
• Founded Center
for Technology, a unique program integrating Art and Computer media for students
with divergent learning
styles
• Broadened
Visual Arts Curriculum to include less common media such as papermaking
• Authored
articles and led workshops on the Arts, Integrating Technology in Art and
Special Education, developing Electronic
Portfolios, connecting curriculum strands
• Created
NGSNET, a school based INTRANET communications system
• Supported
curriculum development via NGSNET, training faculty in use of INTRANET for
curriculum enhancement
• Created
social skills and self-awareness curriculum combining visual arts, poetry, and
narrative writing
• Developed
WEB based electronic portfolio format connecting students' entire school
experience
• Created
database integrating Report Card, Interim Report, IEP Report, Teacher Concern
Form, all uniform in
appearance, yet customized by curricular area and teacher
EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY
We all have gifts worth celebrating and it is the educator’s
role to help each individual discover, develop and
celebrate those gifts. The media I use to bring this about are art centered. Art
is more than an ancillary subject or
enrichment tool; because of the variety of its disciplines Art has the
capability to inform everyone’s learning
experience regardless of any one individual’s learning styles. Whether one’s
primary learning mode is auditory,
kinesthetic, tactile or visual, Art based instruction engages the learner as a
creative agent in action who learns by
doing and participating with others; this process fosters an internalization of
learning which is often unmatched by other
curricula.
EDUCATION
Master of Fine Arts, Painting and Drawing
State University of New York at Buffalo,
Buffalo, New York
Bachelor of Arts, Fine Arts, History of Art University
of Rochester, Rochester, New York
NJ Teaching Certificates: Art
K-12 and Elementary Ed
NY Teaching Certificate: Art K-12
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
• The Institute for Learner Centered Education Constructivist Conference
• Art Educators
of New Jersey
• Board
of Trustees, Habitat for Humanity of Trenton, NJ (1995-2000)
• Technology
Support Committee, Habitat for Humanity of Trenton, NJ
• ThinkQuest
Judge, The Internet Society, Armonk, NY (1999-present)
EXHIBITION HISTORY
My work is included in corporate and private collections in the
US, and the collection of the city of Hartford.
Past Gallery representatives include the Bess Cutler Gallery in New York City and The Schoolhouse/Somerstown Gallery in Croton Falls, NY.
PUBLICATIONS
• "A Neighborhood Story" School Arts magazine December 2009
• "Just
Desserts" Arts and Activities magazine April 2004
• "Digital
Artistry" MultiMedia Schools magazine October 2000
• "Connecting
Art History and Current Events Through Art and Computers" Channels journal
vol. 13, 1999
• "Revealing
the Hopes of Adolescents Through the Art of Tattoos" TheirWorld magazine
1996/1997
• assorted
articles posted on the INTERNET
REFERENCES
by request