The Mindful Studio:
Cultivating Creativity and Well-Being in the Art Classroom
Jane E. Dalton
On their own, expressive arts and mindfulness are potent tools that
strengthen learning in the classroom and promote well-being; used together they engage the whole student, providing the tools needed to navigate inner and outer lives through creative expression. This practical and accessible resource suggests ways to blend these approaches meaningfully into classroom practice. Explore mindful experiences for embodied learning, developing a mind-body connection to help students recognize and reflect on senses, intuition, and tactile experiences.The Mindful Studio offers support to strengthen creativity, self-expression, and reflection in the artroom and develop or expand a personal mindfulness practice.
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The Whole Person
Embodying Teaching and Learning through Lectio and Visio Divina
Jane E. Dalton, Maureen P. Hall and Catherine E. Hoyser
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The Whole Person: Embodying Teaching and Learning through Lectio and Visio Divina offers readers a rich collection of voices from diverse settings that illustrates the ways in which lectio divina as a contemplative practice can transform teaching and learning. Growing from ancient roots, lectio and visio divina as a contemplative practice aligns with many efforts in the 21st century to investigate how whole persons can be engaged in learning and how they can develop into their best human selves. Lectio divina, a four-step process of deep reading and viewing, is an evolving tapestry of embodied learning, creating spaces that empower teachers and students to be rooted in their own meaning making and to develop as whole persons.
Cultivating a Culture of Learning
Contemplative Practices, Pedagogy, and Research in Education
Edited by Kathryn Byrnes, Jane E. Dalton and Elizabeth Hope Dorman
Cultivating a Culture of Learning: Contemplative Practices, Pedagogy, and Research in Education illustrates portraits of practice from a variety of teacher education programs, bringing together a rich collection of voices from diverse settings. Authors share their first-hand experience of cultivating a culture of learning as teacher educators and employing contemplative practices in their work with educators. Contemplative practices, pedagogy, and research are analyzed as essential components of cultivating cultures of learning in classrooms. The authors in this book advocate and express the importance of creating spaces where the inner life and qualities such as intuition, creativity, silence, and heart-centered learning are valued and work in partnership with cognitive and rational ways of knowing and being in the world.
Impacting Teaching and Learning
Contemplative Practices, Pedagogy, and Research in Education
Edited by Elizabeth Hope Dorman; Kathryn Byrnes and Jane E. Dalton
Impacting Teaching and Learning: Contemplative Practices, Pedagogy, and Research in Education, demonstrates research-based practices from a variety of teacher education programs, bringing together a rich collection of voices from diverse settings. All of the authors in this book share their research investigating the varied ways learners respond to contemplative practices, and the skills and dispositions that contemplative practices cultivate in preservice teachers. Authors explore challenges faced institutionally, with students, and personnel.
The Teaching Self
Contemplative Practices, Pedagogy, and Research in Education
Edited by: Jane E. Dalton; Kathyrn Byrnes and Elizabeth Hope Dorman
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In The Teaching Self, a rich collection of voices from diverse settings illustrates the ways in which first-person experiences with contemplative practices lay a foundation for contemplative pedagogy in teacher education. Contemplative practice depends on cultivating an understanding of oneself, as well as one’s relationship and interdependence of others and the world, and it is this precept that guides the focus of these portraits of practice. All of the authors in this book share first-hand experiences with contemplative practices that honor, support, and deepen awareness of the teaching self by exploring the journey of identifying as a contemplative educator.
The Compassionate Classroom:
Lessons that Nurture Empathy and Wisdom
Jane E. Dalton and Lyn Fairchild
This inspiring guidebook supports teachers seeking to provide a nurturing and creative classroom environment for middle school and high school students. Lessons supply instruction for creating a community of empathy, reverence, self-awareness, and mindfulness. Each entry features a concise lesson plan ready for implementation, as well as a brief summary of the interfaith and secular philosophies that underpin the lesson. Educators are assisted in building connections among diverse populations, cultivating self-awareness, and rewarding reflective thinking. Handouts and sample writings offer inspirational models for students to explore identity and spirituality.
Articles & Book Chapters
Campbell, L, Dalton, J.E., & Simmons, S.(2023). Pathways to Researching Spirituality in Art Education. Arc: Journal of the School of Religious Studies. Canada.
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Strickland, C. M. + Dalton, J.E. (2023). Moving through Liminal Space: Visual Journaling as a Creative Ritual and Spiritual Practice. In Pursuit of Well-being: Practical Approaches for Honoring the Whole Person through Art Education. (Ed. K. Oliver). New York.
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Dalton, J.E., & Hoyser, C. (2021). Creative and collaborative expression as contemplative self-care.In, N Lemon (Ed.), Wellbeing and self-care in higher education: Embracing positive solutions. Routledge. (pp. 13-26).
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Dalton, J.E. (April 2020 ). Breath. School Arts Magazine. Davis Publications.
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Dalton, J.E., Dalton, Jane Dalton, Miraglia Kathy Marzilli, & Oliver, K. (2020). Tapestries of teaching: Weaving together our roles as artists, teachers, and researchers. In, Pushing boundaries and crossing borders: Self-study as a means for knowing pedagogy. Self-Study of Teacher Education Practices (S-STEP), a special interest group of AERA.
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Dalton, J.E. (2019). Image and Text: Toward Inner and Outer Wholeness. In J. Dalton, M. Hall, & C. Hoyser, Eds). The whole person. Lectio Divina as a transformative tool for teaching and learning. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.
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Dalton, J.E. (2019). [Review of Art as contemplative practice: Expressive pathways to the self by Michael A. Franklin]. Albany, NY: State University of New York. Studies in Art Education. Alexandria, VA
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Campbell, L. & Dalton, J. E. (2019). Researching contemporary handwork: Stitching as renewal, remembrance, and revolution. Art Education. National Art Education Association.
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Dalton, J.E., Falk-Jones, L, Hall, M, & Hoyser, C. (2019). An ancient monastic practice: Reviving it for a
modern world. In Dalton, J.E., Falk-Jones, L, Hall, M, & Hoyser (Eds.) The Whole Person: Lectio Divina as a
transformative tool for teaching and learning. (pp. 1-12). Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.
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Hall, M., Dalton, J.E., Oliver, K., Jones, L.F. Watson, V., Hoyser, C., & Santavicca, N. (2019). Drawing out the soul: Contemporary arts integration. International Journal of Art Education.
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Dalton, J.E. (2018) Lectio Divina and meditation: Exploring identity through contemplative practice. In Inquiry Learning & Teaching Art: Special Issue: Professional Identity. In G. James Daichendt (principal editor) S Klein, K. Maragali. 7(3). Intellect Ltd Visual Essays.
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Dalton, J. E. (2018). Embracing a contemplative life: Art and teaching as a journey of transformation. In, J.E. Dalton, K. Byrnes, & E. Dorman, (Eds.), The teaching self: Contemplative practices and pedagogy in pre-service teacher education. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.
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Dalton, J.E. (2018). Opening the contemplative mind through art. In Garbutt & N. Roenpagel (Eds.) & A. Rourke and V. Rees (Series Curators), The mindful eye: Contemplative pedagogies in visual arts education. Transformative pedagogies in the visual domain: Book No. 3. Champaign, IL: Common Ground Research Networks.
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Dalton, J.E. & Dorman, E. H. (2018) Blending the professional and personal: Cultivating authenticity in teacher education through contemplative pedagogy and practices. Self-Study of Teacher Education Practices (SSTEP) a special interest group of AERA.
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Dalton, J. E. (2016). Artfully aware: Contemplative practice in the classroom. International Journal of Arts & Society. Common Ground Publishing.
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Hrenko, K. & Dalton, J. E., (2015). 1 middle school + 2 teacher education programs=3 ways of enacting community-based art education. International Journal of Arts & Society. Common Ground Publishing.
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Dalton, J. E. (2015). The expressive teacher: Renewing vitality through arts-based professional development. Journal Arts for Life (JaFL). Tallahassee, FL: Florida State University. Advance online publication.
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Dalton, J. E. (2015) Art, Love, and Learning. In, P.L. Thomas, P.R. Carr, J., Goreleski, J. & B. Porfilio (Eds.), Pedagogies of kindness and respect: On the lives and education of children. New York, NY: Peter Lang, USA.
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Dalton, J. E. & Hrenko, K. (2015). Contemporary approaches to integrating visual art & music. In, N. Robinson & F. Spano. Teaching general music education: A K-12 experience. Dubuque, IA: Kendall Hunt Publishing.
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Dalton, J.E. (2012). Altered perspectives: Shaping teachers experiences through arts-based professional development. Unpublished Doctoral dissertation. EGS University. Switzerland.
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Dalton, J.E. (January 2009). Notan: Studies in contrast. School Arts Magazine. Davis Publications
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Dalton, J.E. (February 2009). The art of Senufo cloth. School Arts Magazine. Davis Publications
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Dalton, J.E. (2007). Puppetry in the classroom. School Arts Magazine. Davis Publications
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Dalton, J. (2001). A prayer quilt. Teaching Tolerance. Southern Poverty Law Center