Arts
Education in the 21st Century
Keynote
Address
Richard
Deasy, Director, Arts Education
Partnership
Washington, DC
These
notes are from slides used by Richard Deasy
in the course of his presentation at the University of Maryland,
July 10, 2000.
Three
Important Reports:
Hopes
and Expectations for Arts Education in the 21st
Century:
"I
don't look for evidence and then build my hopes. . . .
I espouse
my hopes and let the evidence accumulate." --Sojourner
Truth.
-
Communicate
at a basic level in the four arts disciplines (forms).
. . . This includes knowledge and skills in the use
of the basic vocabularies, materials, tools, techniques,
and intellectual methods of each arts discipline.
-
Communicate
proficiently in at least one art form, including the
ability to define and solve artistic problems with
insight, reason and technical proficiency.
-
Develop
and present basic analyses of works of art from structural,
historical and cultural perspectives, and from combinations
of those perspectives.
-
Have
an informed acquaintance with exemplary works of art
from a variety of cultures and historical periods,
and have a basic understanding of historical development
in the art forms, across the arts as a whole and within
cultures.
-
Relate
various types of arts knowledge and skills within
and across the arts disciplines. Because forging connections
is one of the things the arts do best, they can and
should be taught in ways that connect them both to
each other and to the other subjects in the school
curriculum.
Are We Gathering Any Evidence?
-
On
what students learn when they learn the arts?
-
That
this learning is important?
-
What
factors and conditions promote quality arts education?
Honor
the discrete disciplines, but should at the same time
encourage students to see the artistic experience as
a unified whole, and also to see connections between
the arts and other disciplines.
Should
connect with students' real life experiences, so that
students can use their personal knowledge in areas such
as street dance, their everyday experience with TV drama,
or their understanding of traditional regional arts
forms and community arts resources.
Be
based on a comprehensive vision of arts education and
should communicate that vision clearly.
-
Seven
studies, each conducted by a team of researchers.
-
Teams
from Harvard, Stanford, Teachers' College/Columbia,
UCLA, University of Connecticut.
-
New
concrete data from well-respected researchers and
universities--many of whom are not known for their
research in arts education. Much of this research
validates what we already know about the arts--we
have needed more concrete evidence to give to education
decision makers.
Teaching
Arts Teaches Habits of Mind
-
Imagine
new possibilities for human behavior and the use of
materials
-
Develop
theories to predict the consequences of actions
-
Explore
relationships from multiple perspectives
-
Express
ideas, meaning, and emotion in multiple forms
-
Reflect,
assess and adjust behavior
-
Persistence
and resilience
-
Risk
taking
-
Focus
and discipline
-
Respect
for authentic achievement
In "Imaginative Actuality, Learning in the Arts During Nonschool
Hours," Shirley Brice Heath with Adelma Roach (Stanford University)
describe why the arts have these effects:
The
complex learning challenge of the arts, the personal and group
management of skills demanded by the programs, strong and
positive inter-generational relationships they foster, and
the level of control young people exercise in the conduct
of these programs.
Develop
appropriate program evaluations and student assessments and
report results to state and local school districts.
Provide
financial and technical resources to assist and leverage local
school district implementation of comprehensive plans for meeting
the state board policy.
Sponsored by The
Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, The
Center for Renaissance and
Baroque Studies, and the Maryland
State Department of Education.
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