Make Learning Pop with Puppets: Arts Integration Across the Curriculum in the Elementary Classroom

Presenter: Karren Konnerth, Professional Puppeteer and Arts Integration Specialist

In this keynote presentation, Karen Konnerth shares classroom developed strategies for student engagement across the curriculum through quick and simple puppet techniques using easily available materials.

Karen Konnerth, who also works as Calliope Puppets when performing, is a visual storyteller with a broad skill set which includes writing, making art in a wide variety of 3-D and 2-D media, arts integrated teaching, and puppet theater performance. She has traveled nationally and internationally to share stories with children and families, and skills with educators. As a puppeteer who writes and builds both original and folklore based shows, she creates presentations respecting the intelligence of the child. And as a teacher, she has distilled her countless classroom hours developing, implementing, and refining arts integrated projects with children, to empower teachers with exciting strategies for student engagement. Her puppet theater performance work ranges from years of curriculum connected presentations in schools and libraries, to festival tours. Educator workshops include presentations for the National Art Education Association, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and for the U.S. Embassy English Language Specialist Program in Central America, Asia, the Middle East, and South Africa.