The Assessment Learning Network (ALN) kicks off the 2025-26 season with an in-person session that includes learning, networking, and a luncheon.
Art is a record of human experience as well as a cultural commentary of the time in which it is made. As a form of instruction, the arts guide us to better understand and express ourselves, engage with others, and examine complex ideas. Arts disciplines draw from multiple vocabularies found in and across many fields as well as clearly defined, technical language which codifies art forms. This interactive session introduces the arts as a form of inquiry, leading to deepened disciplinary understanding, critical and creative thinking, and refined inter- and intrapersonal relationships while focusing on how artists communicate.
Framing Questions:
- Why are art courses necessary now more than ever?
- What are the unique ways of using language/literacy in the arts disciplines and related professions?
- What is the role of curricular materials and equitable assessment practices in the arts disciplines?
Presenter: Heather Vaughan-Southard
Heather Vaughan-Southard works for the Michigan Assessment Consortium as the Director of MI Creative Potential, a collective impact initiative to advance access to quality arts education for all of Michigan's students. She also serves as the Professional Learning Director of the Michigan Arts Education Instruction and Assessment (MAEIA) project, which is now embedded within MI Creative Potential. She has been an educator with the Polyvagal Institute as part of the training team of Deb Dana. She offers life coaching and courses through HVS Creative Studies. She holds a terminal degree in Dance Performance and Choreography and is a counselor in training with a clinical mental health concentration.
Vaughan-Southard teaches embodiment as a key tool in professional and personal growth. She works with educators, therapists, leaders, and private clients about nervous system regulation and social-emotional learning in, through, and beyond the arts. Embodiment allows us to connect to ourselves, to others, and to the big ideas that shape our relationships, our work, and our lives.
Vaughan-Southard is known for her leadership in multiple tiers of education, as well as the arts and health/wellness industries. She has directed dance programs in higher education, K-12 public schools, and in non-profit studios. As a movement practitioner, she worked with clients rehabilitating from injury and joint replacement, chronic pain, stress, and trauma. These experiences honed her understanding of systems which she applies to strategic planning for creating access to high quality arts education and more.
