National Education Conference to be held in Morgantown Oct. 19-21

October 18th, 2002


Albert Einstein once said:”It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression.”


And creative expression in the classroom will be the focus this weekend (Oct. 19-21) when over 150 of the nations most talented teachers visit Morgantowns Lakeview Resort for the 5th Annual National Education Conference sponsored by the P. Buckley Moss Foundation for Childrens Education.


The conference is titled The Creative Mind: A National Treasure.


WVU Professor of Educational Theory and Practice Joy Faini Saab, Ph.D, will give a keynote address at 10:30 a.m. Monday, Oct. 21, in the University Room at Lakeview. Entitled,”Impressions of Effective Classrooms: A Longitudinal Integrated Arts Unit in a ProfessionalDevelopmentSchool,”her address will celebrate the strengths of all children through the arts.


“There is a great power in using the arts to teach children of a variety of abilities and talents in other content areas in the classroom,”Saab said.


The ideas of the conference are based on those of Howard Gardner, author of Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences. According to Gardner, children who may not excel in”traditional”intelligences can excel in other intelligences, which include linguistic, visual-spatial, naturalistic, musical and bodily-kinesthetic intelligence.


According to Saab, the goal of the conference is designed to help teachers to be more effective in using arts integration as a method of teaching in the classroom.


“I know the power of it �€its effective and a wonderful way to teach,”said Saab, who is the winner of the 2002 Outstanding Teacher Award from the WVU College of Human Resources and Education.


The conference is sponsored by the P. Buckely Moss Foundation for Childrens Education. Moss is a world-renowned visual artist who is dedicated to integrating the arts in the classroom. She will be present at the conference from 8:30 a.m.9 a.m. Monday in the Chestnut Room at Lakeview.


Several of Mosss original works are located in the BettyPuskarBreastCareCenter at the WVUHealthSciencesCenter.


For information, visithttp://www.mossfoundation.org/id.cfm?ID=5or call Saab at 304-293-3441, ext. 1317.