Maine Learning Network

I am struggling with the movement towards the Common Core of Reading and Math, and how it is pulling in all the attention, and then, the resources to accomplish this task. How do arts educators see the work on the Common Core? What ways are you involved in this work, and in what ways can we re-think the connections with this so that it becomes the un-Common Core?

My thoughts about these connections are ignited when I hear school and district leaders say that they are replacing arts educators with teachers to work on the Common Core, or they say, why don’t the arts educators use their classroom teaching, learning and assessment to assist the work on the Common Core. I hope I am not rambling on, if so, help me find my way.

I really appreciate what you wrote charlie, i think that education really needs to move faster towards conceptual and innovative practice instead of nitpicking over drilling facts (which are all at the fingertips of every student today thanks to technology). I think that embracing technology is allowing students to take a common core concept and explore in a way that interests the student, pushing students to be innovative with information.

On to Jeff’s question though, I do think that incorporating the common core standards into our arts curricula is important to a point, i don’t think that we have to re-write our whole plans, but using the common core standards to guide what we already are doing as far as writing, researching etc, goes will make guidelines and expectations clearer for students? maybe? Although i do not think that the way that all schools are going about organizing time to incorporate the work for the common core is very helpful to arts teachers. As a new arts teacher, i do want to align my writing work to the english common core standards where it fits. However, I am one who understands the common core language as it is written, and can easily put it into action in my curriculum. As a one person department, I would find the time we have set aside in our district for common core more useful if i were allowed to unpack it into my curriculum first. I am very much a team player, but need to process new ideas initiatives on my own first before i can talk about them with others.

Also i do have to say that I do feel uneasy about the “core” subjects getting all of the attention and professional development time. One day i want to see an arts initiative with standards that requires all teachers to come together for an hour a month, and talk about ways in which they can incorporate the arts as a tool for their classrooms. I think that with all of the forward movement going on in education, this would be a task worth while and would allow for more challenge based projects in the classroom, engaging more students to be innovative with the way they take in and process information. Yesterday’s students needed to know things, today’s students need to know how to manipulate old ideas into new ones. The arts model should be everyone’s model.

Actually Catherine, my ‘turnaround” is that once I began to process the concept of Media ARTS as a stand-alone and separate discipline, I realized that they can go far beyond service to “core” ARTS subjects and provide their own context for learning. Having said that, a research paper done as a website with active links and supportive and background images and video would be a much “richer” piece of work than a plain text document. No, I don’t believe that Media ARTS are primarily a conduit for evidence of learning, but that they are a tool for making that evidence much richer and more meaningful. The best blend is that we provide Common Core teachers with ways to engage and excite students through the ARTS.

I like what you have said here Catherine about teaching “more” than just the ARTS, relating and following Common Core Standards in our teaching, and it seems that we must be, in a way, relentless in pressing forward with the “ARTS model” that Shannon mentioned above and you described so well in your comment.

In thinking about the Common Core, I have to say that I’m rather surprised that my school really hasn’t addressed it much. We haven’t talked about the differences between the Common Core and previous standards or the Maine Learning Results; unless this is being discussed in the ELA and Math departments. I’m sure it’s coming.

I do agree with Catherine’s sentiment that we are all educators first and that our primary task is to teach students, whatever that need is. It is important for us to be exposing our arts students to literacy activities, because 1.) it can deepen their understanding of our disciplines and 2.) will help them in developing their literacy proficiency. I think most students would reject reading activities if forced to read materials they don’t enjoy, but when given the opportunity to read about subjects they enjoy (the arts) they embrace it because they are intrinsically motivated by a desire to learn more about that subject.

To address Jeff’s sentiment about the resources being focused on achievements in Math and Literacy, I think this is the true tragedy of the situation. Without a form of accountability (i.e. testing) very few resources are given to implementing the standards in other contents. So in essence, the revised curriculum standards, whether they be Common Core, MLRs, or what, fall short of affecting the positive change / reform intended because there is no accountability. Very rarely am I ever asked how my curriculum or teaching meets the standards. Our arts department has worked at implementing the standards as a result of our own professional commitment, but I often wonder if anyone has noticed.

Catherine, of course I agree with your comment that the “Media ARTS” are worthy of study on their own, and I think the difference we are shooting back and forth here is that as soon as the context changes to “servicing” other disciplines, the Media ARTS become “Media Literacy”. What I am trying to express here is that anyone can “take a photograph” or be taught the mechanics to “make a movie”, but the ARTS and what they have to teach in Media ARTS are what can make these acts “expressions of self” and more meaningful within any student portfolio. This is a great part of what the ARTS have to offer!

To follow up on James’ comment, it is my belief that as we (in any discipline, really) keep “unpacking” and breaking standards down into miniscule segments that each need to be tested and verified we are taking students and their interests out of the equation and setting ourselves an impossible task. Fortunately (or would it be unfortunately?) there is a built-in “kill-switch” that has us redoing everything, as James suggests above, at least once a decade if not more often. Until teachers are trusted with what they teach in general terms, and can prove themselves as such, the administrative watchdog model will continue and we will “do and redo” to pass the time. I sincerely believe that assessments are the key to demonstration of learning, and they can drive curriculum specifics, instructional methods, and more. Evidence and reflection will allow students to all succeed while providing a demonstration of learning in a humanistic manner and describing their specific interests/learning within a general standard topic.