Maine Learning Network

Can’t find the post, Argy. Where is it?

Got it. Thanks, Jay.

It is often said that we teach the way we were taught- hence education changes slowly. In order to embrace our commissioner’s strategic plan, to prepare for a systematic change in grade reporting and student advancement through our nations public education, we may need to let go of the subject “art” and embrace the creative process and its benefit to all learning experiences. I agree with you Suz that “Teachers, your mission is finding ways to integrate art into the core subjects.” once again prioritizes agendas that may not be in the best interest of “the arts”. If creativity is readily available through our leadership, supply management, and flexibility, I wonder if the starting point matters not? Could the essence of a student’s heart and curiosity lead them to prioritize their own learning experience- making subject hierarchies a mute point? After reflecting on continual discussions with Scotti, who has been piloting proficiency-based education in RSU #2, and Thomas Steele-Maley, our technology integrator and educational pioneer, I am preparing to throw away everything I know about art education and all that I hold precious, to take a leap of faith that a future of student-centered, project-based, truly integrated, and proficiency-driven grade reporting and student advancement is a journey that no prediction, armor, or tradition will prevent. Miller’s writing is strong and thought provoking, his VACT post is only a small piece of a larger picture that is clouded by semantics and prior knowledge. Is the “Core” really about subject or a door to non-segregated, less-traditional, mass-customized learning? The prognosis is “Inevitable”.

Argy, were we middle-level instructors, we would eat this “art through the learning of other subjects” up. Were Miller’s message simply about intentional integration, the high school level art education instructor might feel less threatened. It matters not that this message is for art. Most high-school level instructors of all subjects are very territorial, like to sit in their own world, we like the security in what is familiar- no matter how brave we are. Critical Thinking is the ultimate outcome that first begins with guiding young people to take initiative and interest in their learning, to re-learn “how to learn”.

great thoughts charlie and shalimar. At the Deer Isle- Stonington school, arts integration is a huge focus. We are lucky to have several coaches in arts integration visit our school yearly, sponsored through our Kennedy center partnership with the Stonington Opera house. Sean Lane, one of those coaches, harped on the levels of arts “integration” as being: art added as an afterthought, arts enhanced, and true arts integration, where both subject areas and enhancing each other and those two subject areas are truly being taught. This third tier takes a lot of team teacher planning, but i think we are finding more and more that this arts and project based approach is more meaningful for students. Also, when I think about my own artwork, it is more of a exploration of an idea through media, than a purely media based work, this is what keeps me thinking and exploring the world around me, why not deliver more of this practice to our students as well by allowing them to explore ideas within “core” subject areas through the arts in an effort to gain a more rounded and deeper understanding. To be clear, I am not for getting rid of the media based learning (how to draw using value etc,) but maybe there could be a bigger push for adding in the conceptual exploration, lending concepts and learning from the core subject areas, along with the media based studies. I am now thinking about bloom’s taxonomy and how the arts can foster an exploration in those higher lever tiers (application, analysis, synthesis, evaluation (and i would like to add innovation)).