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JULY 
21st Century Skills Map for the Arts Released July 15 on Capitol Hill. P21 Collaborates with the Leading Art, Dance, Music, Theatre and Visual Arts Associations to Create 21st Century Skills Map for the Arts. The 21st Century Skills Map for the Arts demonstrates how the three Rs and four Cs (critical thinking and problem solving, communication, collaboration and creativity and innovation) can be fused within arts curriculum. The map provides educator-created examples of how art subjects (dance, music, theatre, and visual and media arts) can be fused with skills to create engaging learning experiences that promote 21st century knowledge and skill acquisition.
"The Creativity Crisis". For the first time, research shows that American creativity is declining. What went wrong—and how we can fix it. Creativity has always been prized in American society, but it’s never really been understood. While our creativity scores decline unchecked, the current national strategy for creativity consists of little more than praying for a Greek muse to drop by our houses. The problems we face now, and in the future, simply demand that we do more than just hope for inspiration to strike. (Newsweek.com, 7/10)
7-29-10
The Second Week in September Designated "Arts in Education Week". Yesterday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.Con.Res. 275, legislation designating the second week of September as "Arts in Education Week." Authored and introduced by California Representative Jackie Speier (D-CA), this resolution is the first Congressional expression of support celebrating all the disciplines comprising arts education. This is a very positive showing of support for arts education and comes at a key time when Congress is making plans to overhaul federal education policy. September 12 is right around the corner, so please get the word out to make the first Arts in Education Week a successful one!
Read resolution here
Visit Americans for the Arts E-Advocacy Center
Americans for the Arts is planning an Arts Education Blog Salon for the celebratory week. The Americans for the Arts Action Fund’s 50 States 50 Days initiative will also be a way underway during this time.
New fine-arts requirements set to take effect in Texas. New fine-arts requirements for Texas students are set to take effect this fall, mandating that students take a minimum of one fine-arts course during grades 6-8 and earn at least one fine-arts credit in high school. Schools say many students are already meeting this standard, but parents and educators hope the requirements will increase enrollment and support for arts programs in schools. "Arts are an important component of a well-balanced education," one Texas educational leader said. "I think it was a very positive move by the Legislature in spite of these days of high-stakes testing." (Fort Worth Star-Telegram. TX, 7/26)
The Creative Arts Therapies Center (CATC), in cooperative partnership with Expressive Media Inc., is delighted to bring the first annual Expressive Therapies Summit to New York City, November 12-15, 2010. This multidisciplinary event will be held in midtown Manhattan and provide continuing education and networking opportunity for hundreds of professionals in the following disciplines: Art Therapy, Music Therapy, Poetry Therapy, Dance/Movement Therapy, Drama Therapy, Psychodrama, Play Therapy, Sandplay, Counseling, Social Work, Psychiatry, Psychology, and Education. Please visit their event website to preview their program and faculty of over 100. During the next week, the site will be updated nearly every day, so be sure to check it regularly!
7-28-10
“Arts in Education Week”: A few hours ago, the U.S. House of Representatives approved by voice vote H Con Res 275, (http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c111:H.CON.RES.275:) a concurrent resolution expressing support for designation of the week beginning on the second Sunday of September as “Arts in Education Week”. The bill had 101 cosponsors (96 Democrats; 5 Republicans) and was authored by Rep. Jackie Speier (D-CA). Americans for the Arts did a fair amount of work in the background to get this resolution forward.
How to survive the school budget crisis: New resource center at eSN Online offers strategies and solutions for weathering the storm. Times are tough, and that’s especially true for education. A survey this past spring by the American Association of School Administrators (AASA) found that the school budget climate doesn’t reflect the recovery beginning to take hold in other sectors of the economy. In fact, school budget cuts will be noticeably more significant for 2010-11 than they were in the previous two years, the survey suggests. (eSchool News, 7/27)
Race to the Top program spurs school-reform debate: 18 states, D.C. named as finalists for the second round of RTTT grants amid a growing chorus of criticism toward Obama administration policies. The U.S. Department of Education has named 18 states and the District of Columbia as finalists in the second round of the federal “Race to the Top” (RTTT) grant competition, giving them a chance to receive a share of $3.4 billion to implement broad school reforms. The July 27 announcement came just one day after a coalition of civil-rights organizations criticized the Obama administration’s approach to education reform, highlighting a growing disconnect between administration officials and critics of its education policies. (eSchool News, 7/28)
Senate Panel Approves Race to Top Renewal. The federal Race to the Top program would be renewed for another year under a spending bill approved today by the Senate Appropriations subcommittee that deals with education spending—but wouldn't receive nearly as much money as President Barack Obama has sought. (Education Week blogs, 7/27)
What Will Become of the Education Jobs Fund? A couple of weeks ago, the U.S House of Representatives included a $10 billion Education Jobs Fund as an amendment to the supplemental appropriations bill they sent to the Senate. Such funding—entirely paid for, through offsets to other programs—would help stave off massive educator layoffs that could have devastating effects on our nation’s children. But on July 22, the Senate decided against the House’s version of the bill. It sent its own bill back to the House with, among other changes, no money for education jobs. It is predicted the House will approve the stripped down bill, so if there are to be any federal funds for education jobs, they’ll have to be included in a different, as of now unidentified, bill.
7-27-10
18 States, D.C. Finalists for Race to Top Round 2. Eighteen states and the District of Columbia have a shot at the remaining $3.4 billion in Race to the Top funding. The Department of Education just released the list of finalists. (Education Week blogs, 7/27)
7-26-10
News from The Right Brain Initiative:
Portland metro area has now been named the third site to participate in the national Any Given Child initiative. Any Given Child, run by the venerable Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., provides metropolitan areas with the tools to create a long-term plan for equity and access in arts education for K-8 students. The Portland area now joins sites in Sacramento, CA and Springfield, MO for this program. Blog: Traveling exhibit readies to tour the region. Show + Tell is a new traveling exhibit housed in an 8x16’ portable storage unit. This display allows RBI to share how they’ve helped foster student engagement and teacher innovation during the 2009-10 school year—and provides them with an excuse to engage the greater community they support. Blog: First annual Imagine This seminar deemed a bright start. In late June, RBI hosted Imagine This, a new annual seminar open to all educators, artists and advocates. With sixteen presenters from around the country and thirty sessions over the course of three days, their tabulated evaluations concluded that they've helped attendees make connections and find inspiration to funnel into their work in the next school year. It was a bright start to a program they look forward to hosting each and every June. Mark your calendar for Imagine This 2011, June 20-22, 2011.
Education Week Blog: Creativity in the Classroom. In a recent Newsweek article, "The Creativity Crisis", writers Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman ask why creativity scores are declining. They point their fingers at public schools, where curriculum standards have caused teachers to engage in drill-and-kill lessons designed to boost scores on standardized tests to the detriment of all else. Presumably, private and religious schools are more creative because they don't have to play by the same rules. But since Bronson and Merryman do not address this important issue, it's impossible to know exactly how creative non-public schools are. This is a vital distinction if efforts to improve creativity are to be successful. (Education Week blogs, 7/26)
School starts soon…get ready for the new school year with the National Teacher Registry (NTR)! A new school year is starting and you are likely wondering how you are going to get the supplies and materials you need for your classroom. NTR is a new and No Cost service for teachers and schools, public and private, pre-school through college. A teacher or school can create a list of the items that they need and want for their classroom. There are currently over 40,000 items from multiple suppliers on the site and many more products are in the process of being added. Once a registry, or wish list, is created, a direct link to the registry can be sent by the teacher or school to parents and friends. Parents and friends can access the list on the Internet, purchase items from the list, and have the items delivered directly to the teacher or school. In many cases this is a charitable donation which can be deducted on the purchaser’s tax return. If you are a teacher, go to NTR today and create your Wish List!
Feds to create an Online Learning Registry. ED will create an online database of primary-source materials. In a move to help rural schools keep pace with more developed districts, the U.S. Department of Education said it will create an Online Learning Registry that will provide access to historical, artistic, and scientific primary-source materials. “We have ambitious plans to use new technologies to reach new audiences. …We have much to offer students and teachers in art, science, history, education, and culture. We want to give learners of all ages access to America’s treasures and our creative experts who bring them to life,” said Smithsonian Secretary G. Wayne Clough. (eSchool News, 7/22)
First Lady Promotes Arts Education, Access Inside & Outside White House . "In a White House where First Lady Michelle Obama's relationship to the arts strives to be both rarefied and common, cerebral, and pragmatic, the cultural program is dictated by tradition, personal life story...and an unabashed desire to shake things up. With that goal always in mind, she has also pointed out the financial impact of the arts on the economy and their ability to strengthen and build communities. And finally, she has made clear that her relationship to the creative community is personal, born out of family history and personal curiosity." (The Washington Post, 7/21)
Advocacy Tip of the Week: Create a Community Action Team. Simply defined, community outreach is performing local public awareness activities through targeted community interaction. Create an outreach team in your community. Start by making a list of people who see the value in a whole child approach to education, and then engage them in a conversation! Reach out through an informal e-mail group or invitations to more formal monthly meetings. Bring together other educators, parents, and community members to share opinions on needed changes, then figure out how to make them happen. This team will become your go-to advocates who can take action on any variety of education issues. Their voices will help engage more people to support a whole child approach to education. For example, this August ASCD will ask Educator Advocates to rally people in their community to show support for passing the Whole Child Resolution. If you start engaging people now around an advocacy and outreach common ground, it will be easy to spread the word and generate lots of letters telling Capitol Hill that your community action team believes that each child should be healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged. Become an advocate
New York: Group Forms to Fund School Music, Arts, Library Programs. Saugerties PTSA SLAM (Saves, Library, Arts, & Music) was formed by a group of individuals concerned with program cuts in the school district that arose with the adoption of a $52.69 million austerity budget for the coming school year. That budget cut all sports, stipends for extracurricular activities, 32 teaching positions, and 22 other staff positions. As a result, the instrumental music program at the district’s elementary schools was cut, as well as four high school art electives, and the library department was downsized to three librarians for the district. The release said the group has since created a prioritized set of goals pertaining to its mission to help reinstate the library, arts, and music programs." (The Daily Freeman, 7/20)
New Research: Workforce Creativity Declining in America. "A recent IBM poll of 1,500 CEOs identified creativity as the top 'leadership competency' of the future. Yet it’s not just about sustaining our nation’s economic growth. All around us are matters of national and international importance that are crying out for creative solutions, from saving the Gulf of Mexico to bringing peace to Afghanistan to delivering health care. Such solutions emerge from a healthy marketplace of ideas, sustained by a populace constantly contributing original ideas and receptive to the ideas of others. It’s too early to determine conclusively why U.S. creativity scores are declining. One likely culprit is the number of hours kids now spend in front of the TV and playing videogames rather than engaging in creative activities. Another is the lack of creativity development in our schools. In effect, it’s left to the luck of the draw who becomes creative: there’s no concerted effort to nurture the creativity of all children." (Newsweek, 7/10/10)
7-23-10
Education Jobs Bill Alert. Now is a crucial moment in the legislative process to help save educator jobs in the upcoming school year. It is imperative that you contact your senators today. They need to hear from you about your school's budget situation, state fiscal projections, and the negative effect all of this is having on education services and, more important, students in your area. Please send a letter to your senator. You can also call your senator by using 1-866-608-6355. You will hear a message in support of the education jobs aid before being directed to your senator's office to register your request that they support this bill. You can personalize your letter and phone call with your particular state's economic data using ASCD's new state budget resource available at www.ascd.org/state-budget-map.
Call for Papers: Visual Culture & Gender (VCG) is an international, peer-reviewed, freely accessed, online journal available @ http://www.emitto.net/visualculturegender. The journal's purpose is to encourage and promote an understanding of how visual culture constructs gender in context with representations of race, age, sexuality, social units, (dis)ability, and social class; and to promote international dialogue about visual culture and gender. VCG is also concerned with the learning and teaching processes and/or practices used to expose culturally learned meanings and power relations that surround the creation, consumption, valuing, and dissemination of images, and involves issues of equity and social justice in the learning, teaching, and practice of art. Click here for more information
MICA Receives $200,000 Grant to Expand Community Arts Program. Foundation’s College/Arts Initiative has awarded Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) a two-year, $200,000 grant to expand the reach of the College’s Community Arts Partnerships (CAP) program and to determine a tangible, quantifiable link between community arts activity and the seemingly intangible outcomes of hope, well-being and engagement. The grant will fund four to six new community partnerships for CAP, which links art students interested in community engagement with low-income communities, serving an additional 100 to 175 inner-city residents.
7-22-10
Should We Teach Creativity? Can We?. Most people believe we can't be a prosperous nation if we're not a creative nation. But can we teach creativity without giving in to the gauzy, shallow, I'm OK, You're OK creativity exercises that drive traditionalists round the bend? A recent Newsweek cover story by Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman suggests that we can. In fact, its authors say we must, because our young people have been getting less creative over the past twenty years. What's worse, they claim, we don't seem to have any national strategy to tackle the problem. (LearningFirst.org)
"The Creativity Crisis": A Conversation with Nurture Shock Author Ashley Merryman (LearningFirst.org)
Common Standards Judged Better Than Most States'. The common academic-content standards that dozens of states are now adopting are better overall than 33 individual states’ standards, according to an analysis released today by a Washington research-and-advocacy group. (Education Week, 7/21)
7-21-10
Many States Adopt National Standards for Their Schools. Less than two months after the nation’s governors and state school chiefs released their final recommendations for national education standards, 27 states have adopted them and about a dozen more are expected to do so in the next two weeks. (The New York Times, 7/21)
7-20-10
Reformers See Promise in Race to Top Momentum. Advocates for education redesign are encouraged by a U.S. House of Representatives Appropriations panel’s decision to extend the Race to the Top program for an additional year. (Education Week, 7/20)
Doing More With Less: A State Checklist for Sustainable School Transformation. If states want to promote school systems that succeed at scale, they must get in the game of restructuring the use of existing resources for systemwide transformation—not simply adding resources on top. Based on Education Resource Strategies partnership with district leaders and an analysis of district budgets across the country and over time, ERS has developed the following checklist of actions states should consider. (Education Week, 7/16)
Teacher development not a smart cutback in tough times. One area especially hard hit by the cuts is professional development — the process by which we ensure our educators are well equipped to meet constantly evolving demands of helping students succeed. (The Seattle Times, 7/18)
Gulf oil spill inspires young artists. While murals and music are generally created for public pleasure and appreciation, one program is using these media to educate young people about the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. Created with the guidance of local artist and photographer Clifton Faust, the mural was created by campers who visited the UNO-Pontchartrain Institute for Environmental Sciences and Fontainebleau State Park to learn about the coast and the implications of the oil spill before translating their feelings into art. (nola.com)
7-19-10
New tool shows how arts education boosts 21st century skills. P21 maps various aspects of arts education to the skills they reinforce—complete with project examples. (eSchool News, 7/15)
House Panel Votes for Another Year of Race to the Top. Attention state education agencies: Don't send those Gates-financed consultants home just yet. It's still early in the congressional budget process, but it looks like the Obama administration's signature K-12 initiative—the $4.35 billion Race to the Top program—has a better chance of being extended into fiscal year 2011, which begins Oct. 1. (Education Week blogs, 7/15)
New Resource: Because frustration over color is said to be the #1 reason students quit painting, Arts & Activities magazine has decided to launch a 10-part series on color harmony beginning with its September issue. The monthly series, written by color expert and artist Dan Bartges (www.danbartges.com), will include online lessons for students and is designed to make them ‘color competent’ by the end of the 2010/11 school year.
Art21 News: The Present Perfect: Watch the Archived Stream. On Wednesday, June 23, audiences gathered at the 92YTribeca and online at PBS.org to participate in Art21's first ever live-streamed interactive event, The Present Perfect with Art21. The event featured artists Oliver Herring and Laurie Simmons in conversation with moderator Robert MacNeil, answering questions in real time from the in-house (via Twitter) and online audiences. Watch the archived stream of the event on PBS Video and view photos from the event on the PBS Facebook page.
New Art21 Videos: Shonibare MBE, Weems, Koons, and Maier-Aichen. African, British, American--two recent videos take an international approach to the subject of race, highlighting multiple points of view on the experience of being a black artist today.
Yinka Shonibare MBE: Nelson's Ship in a Bottle
Carrie Mae Weems and David Alan Grier: In Conversation
Jeff Koons: Art History
Florian Maier-Aichen: Rejecting Tradition
7-16-10
The Way of the Wiki: Building Online Creativity and Cooperation. These tools are the ultimate enablers of collaboration -- in and out of class. A simple, cheap technology with a funny name will become an even more powerful portal into creative teaching and learning this year. Educators, if you haven't already, meet the wiki. Wikis are websites that can be instantly and easily edited by anyone the wiki owner chooses to allow. The teachers who first used them a few years ago started simply by posting assignments and information for their students. Now, the trailblazers use them to create living, breathing classrooms online.
The Smithsonian’s Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum will join with Nike and Make Something!!, an organization founded by artistic curator Aaron Rose to introduce kids to new creative opportunities in the arts, to present a series of educational workshops focused on creativity and design.
Beginning July 12, local students will work alongside Nike designers and Make Something!! artists to design graphics, apparel, footwear and event activities in celebration of the World Basketball Festival taking place in New York in August. The students, recruited via Cooper-Hewitt and Nike Sustainable Business and Innovation, will work hands-on with designers and Make Something!!
Duncan: Congress Must Act Now to Save Teacher Jobs. U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan urged Congress to act soon to increase education funding because cash-strapped states can't wait until the fall to determine if they must lay off thousands of teachers. (AP)
States Continue to Adopt Common Standards in Math, Language Arts. "Nearly half the states have adopted a new set of common academic standards, barely a month after their final release and, in most cases, with little opposition. As of [July 9], 23 states have decided to replace their mathematics and English/language arts standards with the common set. Another flurry of adoptions is expected by August 2, since the $4 billion federal Race to the Top contest gives more points to states that meet that deadline. By the end of the year, 41 states are expected to have adopted the standards, according to the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO). (Education Week, 7/9)
NEA votes "no confidence" in Race to the Top. The National Education Association has taken a vote of "no confidence" in the federal Race to the Top initiative. Phil Rumore, the president of the NEA's affiliate in Buffalo, N.Y., introduced the measure and said the federal guidelines and emphasis on the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act only reinforces the focus on standardized testing in schools. (Education Week, 7/15)
Report Says Stimulus Spending Staved Off Layoffs. School districts have used federal economic-stimulus money to help ameliorate the effects of the economic recession and keep their teaching staffs employed, even as their overall budgets decreased. (Education Week, 7/15)
7-15-10
The University of Florida Launches Online Master of Arts in Art Education. The University of Florida (UF) College of Fine Arts announces the new online Master of Arts in Art Education degree program with classes to begin this month. UF’s online Master’s in Art Education program develops art educators, artists, and art advocates who are uniquely positioned to thrive in varied modern learning environments as transformative art educators. The program’s unique curriculum emphasizes the development of teaching techniques alongside studio courses that challenge students to develop their art, learn new art making techniques, and methods of instruction. Through the program, students discover and explore ways that digital technologies can be used to deliver impactful art learning experiences.
Curator/Critic Makes a Case for Bravo's Work of Art. "The show does seem to be getting better, and it's unclear what, exactly, the show's harshest critics are so worried about. That Work of Art [a new television show on the Bravo network] will create the unfounded expectation that artists can produce at the snap of a finger? Or that they might actually appreciate winning that grand prize and getting some air time? Or are they just worried that the 'mysteries' of the art world will be exposed to Middle America? (Salon.com, 7/6)
7-14-10
Map Provides First-of-their-kind Classroom Examples of Integrating the Four Cs into Arts Courses. P21 Collaborates with the Leading Art, Dance, Music, Theatre and Visual Arts Associations to Create 21st Century Skills Map. The 21st Century Skills Map for the Arts will be released at a Congressional briefing in Room 430 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Thursday, July 15, 2010, at 2:30 pm. The map demonstrates how the three Rs and four Cs (critical thinking and problem solving, communication, collaboration and creativity and innovation) can be fused within arts curriculum. The map provides educator-created examples of how core subjects such as the arts (dance, music, theatre, and visual and media arts) can be fused with the complete set of 21st Century Learning Skills to create engaging learning experiences that promote 21st century knowledge and skill acquisition. The Capitol Hill briefing will include representatives from P21, the American Alliance for Theatre & Education (AATE), the Educational Theatre Association (EdTA), the National Art Education Association (NAEA), the National Association for Music Education (MENC), the National Dance Association (NDA), and the National Dance Education Organization (NDEO). More information to come!
Call for Proposals: Small Group Discussions Proposals for AEP Fall 2010 National Forum in Denver, CO. AEP is now accepting proposals for Small Group Session presentations for the Fall 2010 National Forum. You can download the RFP here. The deadline for submission is July 30, 2010. If you have questions, contact Laura Smyth at lauras@ccsso.org.
Call for Submissions: AEP Cover Art Contest. The Cover Art Contest for the Fall 2010 National Forum is now open for submissions. The contest is open to students aged 13-25 living in the state of Colorado. Please help us spread the word about the Contest. Click on the link for the submission form. The deadline for submissions is July 30, 2010.
NEA Research Report on Technology and Arts Participation. The National Endowment for the Arts' Office of Research & Analysis recently released Audience 2.0: How Technology Influences Arts Participation. Full press release: http://www.nea.gov/news/news10/new-media-report.html
New Resource for Elementary School Art Teachers: The Art Material Girl Website. The Art Material Girl website was designed to help elementary school art teachers learn about how to save and find money for their art programs, along with information about art safety, and a blog about comparing and analyzing art materials.
7-13-10
Winning School Board Support for Arts Learning. Just as school boards across the country are preparing their priorities for the next school year, keepartsinschools.org is launching: Winning School Board Support for Arts Learning: A Toolkit for Action. Find compelling data and research, easy to use tools, ideas, activities and inspiration to fuel your advocacy efforts.
Washington DC Teen Design Fair. Washington DC teens are invited to learn about careers from the National Design Awards winner, finalists and jurors. These professionals are working in the fields of fashion, industrial design, architecture, multimedia, and graphic design. Meet Tim Gunn and top designers from all fields. Wednesday, July 21, 2010, 8:30 - 11:00 am. This Event is FREE! PARTICIPANT REGISTRATION AND PARENTAL CONSENT REQUIRED. Grand Salon, Renwick Gallery, 1661 Pennsylvania Ave NW, at 17th Street, Washington, DC 20006
An Open Letter to Congressional Leaders on Education Reform. Much of the blueprint for reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act is strong, writes former teacher and superintendent Rich Young, but there are seven areas of concern. (Education Week, 7/8)
Want Children to “Pay Attention”? Make Their Brains Curious! By Judy Willis, M.D., M.Ed. In 360 B.C., Plato shared a thought that has not lost its timeliness: "Knowledge which is acquired under compulsion obtains no hold on the mind." Neurosurgeon and educator Judy Willis explores this profound thought from a brain-based perspective in a recent ASCD EDge blog post. She shares insight into the inner workings of the student mind, suggests strategies for building novelty into teaching and expounds the benefits of joyful learning. (Psychology Today, 5/9)
Announcing Fulbright Opportunities for K-12 Teachers. Learn more about unique professional development opportunities with two Fulbright programs that are designed for K-12 teachers from the U.S. and other countries. Visit the website for more details about programs, requirements, benefits, & application forms. The Fulbright Classroom Teacher Exchange Program, a one-to-one exchange program for K-12 teachers for one semester or one academic year. The 2011-2012 participating countries are the Czech Republic, France, Hungary, India, Mexico, Switzerland, & the UK. Applications must be submitted to AED by October 15, 2010. The Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching Program is a professional development opportunity in an international context for 3-6 months. The 2011-2012 participating countries are Argentina, Finland, India, Israel, Mexico, Morocco, Singapore, South Africa, & the UK. Applications must be submitted to AED by December 15, 2010.
Guggenheim Museum and YouTube Launch Search for the World’s Most Creative Online Video. The Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, together with YouTube, the world’s largest online video community, announced the launch of YouTube Play. A collaboration with HP, YouTube Play was conceived to discover and showcase the most exceptional talent working in the ever-expanding realm of online video. Open to the global online community. A jury of experts comprising celebrated figures from the worlds of art, design, film, and entertainment will select up to 20 videos submitted from around the world to be presented at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum on October 21, 2010, with simultaneous presentations at the Guggenheim museums in Berlin, Bilbao, and Venice. The works will also be available to a worldwide audience on the special YouTube Play channel.
Maryland: Plein Air-Easton! Seeks Artists Age 21 & Under for New Event. This year’s Plein Air-Easton! includes the addition of Quick Draw: The Next Generation, a competition for emerging artists, age 21 years or younger. This exciting event will be held on July 25 and is a new component of the 6th Annual Plein Air-Easton! Competition & Arts Festival, which takes place July 19-25. Prizes: First Place—$1,500 plus winner’s painting published on cover of Attraction Magazine; Second Place—$1,000; Third Place—$100 plus a product award; Honorable Mention x 3—$50. Registration fee: $10.
ArtsWORK Indiana News. The Indiana Arts Commission (lead applicant organization), VSAI, the Indiana Institute on Disability and Community and ArtsWORK received a $4,000 follow-up grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) for their partnership efforts in arts accessibility. The IAC was one of only four state arts organizations to receive such a grant this year. Congratulations!
7-9-10
The value of arts education: A video
"Enlivening the Senses: Arts|Learning at the Core of Education" from Arts|Learning on Vimeo. This 14-minute film does a great job detailing the impact of arts education on the development of children’s cognitive, artistic, social and psychological development. The film was created through a partnership between the nonprofit organization Arts/Learning and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
Edujobs or Race to Top: What's Worth More to States? Depending on which state you live in, the edujobs bill may not be such a good deal—especially if your state might win a Race to the Top grant. (Education Week, 7/7)
NAEA SummerVision DC - Artful Teacher Inspiration, Creativity & Connection for "New Eyes" & Summer Renewal! View the SummerVision DC 2010 New Eyes Gallery
From Museums etc.: A new 50-page Publications Catalogue is now available, and packed with practical new books and recordings designed to help cultural organisations face today's new challenges. Copies can be downloaded free of charge. The Summer Edition features new books which share the experience of these great museums: Canadian Museum for Human Rights; Miami Science Museum; V&A; Smithsonian American Art Museum; Wellcome Collection; Science Museum; Galicia Jewish Museum; Conner Prairie Interactive History Park; Museum of New Zealand; Manchester Museum… and many more!
Obama administration, lawmakers are divided over education spending. President Barack Obama is threatening to veto a spending bill that includes funding to save teacher jobs because it cuts close to $800 million for his administration's school-reform programs, including Race to the Top. "It would be shortsighted to weaken funding for these reforms just as they begin to show such promise," the administration said. But teachers unions and lawmakers who support the bill say keeping teachers in the classroom should take precedence over the administration's reform agenda. (ABC News 7/6)
Learn about Response to Intervention from Reach Every Child. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) 2004 authorized education agencies to use Response to Intervention (RtI) models to meet the needs of students with special needs. Many tools and ideas are available to do this and to monitor the progress of students, but new concepts and plans are harder to get. Find a mix of links, which provide networking possibilities and offer approaches that are being used by many states.
Americans for the Arts presents the 2010 Arts Education Award to KID smART, a New Orleans-based arts education organization. The award was presented June 25 at the Americans for the Arts Half-Century Summit in Baltimore. Given annually by Americans for the Arts since 2007, the award honors the best in arts education program design and execution and organizational leadership. The Arts Education Award is presented by the Arts Education Council of Americans for the Arts.
POTTERS COUNCIL CONFERENCE: PORCELAIN II, October 22-24, 2010, San Diego, CA. Hosted by Clay Artists of San Diego. Space is Limited. Register Today! Porcelain II features four highly talented porcelain artists ready to help you conquer this beautiful yet challenging ceramic material. They'll share their tips, techniques and experiences so you'll be able to move to the next level. Here's an opportunity to learn from the experts in this extremely rewarding medium. Featured Artists: Erin Furimsky, Kristen Kieffer, Jennifer McCurdy & Lorna Meaden. Deadline to Reserve your Hotel for a discounted rate is Tuesday, August 17, 2010.
North Carolina: New Arts Education Task Force Legislation Passes Unanimously. "On the last day of June, Gov. Beverly Perdue signed the 2010–2011 state budget into law. In the current economy, the expectation for arts funding would be ordinarily low. However, anyone following the recent advocacy for arts education would know that Gov. Perdue’s cabinet made creative growth a top priority for the state government. (Encore Online, 7/6)
Maryland: Arts Education Group Offers Integration Summer School for Teachers. "The 21st Century Learning Institute was launched last year by both Anne Arundel County Public Schools and the Arts Education in Maryland Schools (AEMS) Alliance, which uses such programs to help improve the quality of and access to arts in the state's schools. (The Baltimore Sun, 7/2)
Big Thinkers: Katie Salen on Learning with Games. A professor of design and technology at Parsons The New School for Design talks about the value of games and the empowerment of play. (edutopia)
7-8-10
Become a member of the Arts Action Fund (AAF), and take the first step in fighting for arts funding and arts education. The AAF is building a nationwide army of 100,000 citizen activists who will help guarantee that arts-friendly public policies are adopted in your community and across the country.
Meet other advocates like you and learn why arts advocacy matters to them...
To really make a difference, they need united voices working together -- which can only be achieved with your help. Tell your friends why you are an advocate for the arts and encourage them to do something about arts funding and arts education by signing up for the Arts Action Fund.
7-7-10
Jobs Bill Collides With Obama Education Agenda. Congressional efforts to save teacher jobs, in part by cutting Race to the Top, have states and the administration pushing back. (Education Week, 7/2)
NEA Delegates Vote 'No Confidence' in Race to Top. The union also took a position of "no confidence" in the use of competitive grants as a basis for ESEA reauthorization. (Education Week blogs, 7/4)
California: L.A. Unified to cut elementary school arts by a third rather than half. Under pressure from arts advocates to rescind cuts that would gut elementary school arts classes, Los Angeles Unified School District officials are expected to restore to program budgets that they had planned to cut in half to help balance next year's budget. (Los Angeles Times, 6/22)
Tennessee: The Joan Derryberry Art Gallery is calling for artists for solo exhibitions for the 2011-2012 and 2012-2013 seasons. This non-profit gallery is located in the Roaden University Center on the main campus of Tennessee Technological University in Cookeville, TN. The exhibitions run for approximately 4 weeks. Images must be submitted on CD containing nothing but JPEG files approximately 2 MB (no folders), 300 dpi, 7" or 2100 pixels on longest side. Mail entry to: University Art Committee, ATTN: Janis Nunnally, Box 5194, 1000 N. Dixie Avenue, Cookeville, TN 38505; e-mail: jsnunnally21@tntech.edu. Deadline is September 1, 2010.
Ohio: Eighth Annual Summer Teacher Institute: Art of America, Tuesday July 27 - Thursday July 29, 8:00am - 2:00pm. Over the course of three days, they will consider American art from a variety of angles and its many applications to augment your classroom curriculum. Participating teachers will take part in art making workshops, tours of special exhibitions Walker Evans: Decade by Decade and Cincinnati Collects America, guest lectures, and much more! This is open to teachers of all grade levels and disciplines, art appreciation volunteers, and pre-service education majors. Participating teachers will receive CEU certificates. Graduate credit available through Ashland University. Fee: $60 for Art Museum members, $120 for non-members; lunch is provided. Reservations: Required, call (513) 721-ARTS or click here to register. For more information, e-mail school&teachers@cincyart.org.
South Africa: Art for Humanity: what is art? Art for Humanity defines art as that which is created to inspire all of humanity with freedom of expression, the quest for excellence, pride, dignity, and respect for individual rights, reflection and heritage. View the June 2010 newsletter
7-6-10
New Resources from The Department of Education:
1. The Department of Education Recovery Plan report provides "information about each program's purpose, public benefits, projects and activities, monitoring and evaluation, cost, and performance measures."
2. State-by-state ARRA spending information 
3. A PowerPoint from a June 15 webinar--Strategic Use of Title I & IDEA: How to Maximize ARRA, FY09 & FY10 Funds
The 2010 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards Ceremony honor 15 Portfolio Gold Medalists and over 600 students at the Carnegie Hall Award Ceremony, but a record-breaking 1,362 people attended the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards Teen Exhibition opening reception at the World Financial Center’s Courtyard Gallery. Workshops took students and teachers to video game studios, panels with editors and writers, tours of magazines like Rolling Stone and behind-the-scenes visits to major museum collections.
Keynote: STEM should include arts education. Educator Jeff Piontek said creative strategies will be needed as global learning grows. Not only do global learners create global leaders, but the world’s future depends on education focusing on creative and innovative science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) learning, said ISTE closing keynote speaker Jeff Piontek. “I think we need to focus on STEAM–science, technology, engineering, arts, and math,” Piontek said to loud applause from the conference attendees. “Arts and creativity are needed in the future.” (eSchool News, 7/1)
New York: Funding for art supplies, music instruments falls by 68% at city schools. It's not a pretty picture. Spending on arts supplies and visits by cultural institutions has dropped drastically at city schools over the last three years, even as overall education spending has grown, a new report shows. While education spending increased by about 13% between 2006 and 2009, funding for arts supplies, musical instruments and other equipment fell by 68%, the report by the Center for Arts Education found. (The NY Daily News, 7/1)
Maryland: Arts Lessons: Teachers integrate arts into other subjects. Some Anne Arundel County teachers will be learning songwriting, mime and dance this summer, in efforts to better teach students in math, science and other subjects in the fall. They will be teaming up with local artists as well as with teachers from abroad at the 21st Century Learning Institute, a summer development program that allows county elementary and middle school teachers to take arts lessons then devise ways to integrate those disciplines in all subjects. (The Baltimore Sun, 7/2)
Message from the President - Evoking Soul and Spirit in Art Education from the Summer 2010 issue of NAEA News.
Message from The Executive Director - Cleansing the Palette from the Summer 2010 issue of NAEA News.
The Whole Child Quarterly Update for Summer 2010 which is intended to keep you and other whole child supporters up to date on major developments within our whole child initiative. It also provides highlights of the work that our whole child partners are doing to ensure each child, in each of our communities is healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged.
CALL FOR NOMINATIONS: KATHY CONNORS TEACHING AWARD. The Kathy Connors Teaching Award is designed to honor a person who has dedicated her/his art education career to excellence in teaching, mentoring, and collaboration. The recipient of this award will have been recognized by peers, students, and administrators. The Women's Caucus of the National Art Education Association invites nominations for the annual Kathy Connors Award given in honor of Kathy Connors, a highly respected and professionally active art educator, who exemplifies the characteristics listed above. DEADLINE: October 1. Please send a letter of interest to Sheri Klein, Award Chairperson, at kleinsheri353@gmail.com.
CALL FOR NOMINATIONS AND SELECTION COMMITTEE: CARRIE NORDLUND PRE-K-12 FEMINIST PEDAGOGY AWARD. The Carrie Nordlund Pre-K-12 Feminist Pedagogy Award is designed to honor a person who has made a special effort to incorporate feminist pedagogy into her or his pre-K-12 teaching, which Pre-K-12 art educators, peers, and administrators have recognized as inclusive. The Women's Caucus of the National Art Education Association invites nominations for the annual Carrie Nordlund pre-K-12 Feminist Pedagogy Award given in honor of Carrie Nordlund, the first recipient (2002) and highly respected, professionally active art educator who exemplifies a commitment to inclusive, fair, and equitable feminist teaching of art. The recipient of the Carrie Nordlund award is honored at the WC awards ceremony at the NAEA National Convention in which the awardee is invited to demonstrate or present her or his use of feminist pedagogy in preK-12 classrooms. DEADLINE: October 1. Please submit applications to Caryl Church at carylchurch@yahoo.com.
Crayola Mini-Grants: In collaboration with the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP), Crayola is offering up to 20 mini-grants based on selected applications from elementary school principals who are members of NAESP. The applications will only be accepted from principals. If you are not the principal, please collaborate with your school's leader to develop the plan and confirm that he/she is currently a member of NAESP. If not a member, go to NAESP.org to found out how to become a member. Applications are due August 15, 2010. Visit this link to download the application.
Pennsylvania: The Galleries at Moore College of Art & Design present Wendy Ewald - Secret Games: Collaborative Works with Children 1969-1999. For more than 30 years, photographer and educator Wendy Ewald has worked with children around the world, using photography and writing activities to help them express what they think and feel about themselves, their families and their communities. In an exhibition spread across three galleries over five months, Secret Games showcases the scope of Ewald’s work and the powerful results of her collaborations with children. The exhibition features approximately 200 photographs along with video installation, a reading room and project documentation. The event is FREE and open to the public. 1. Chiapas Mexico project, 1991, Graham Gallery: May 22 – September 4, 2010. 2. Six projects 1969 – 1999, Goldie Paley Gallery: June 5 – October 16, 2010. 3. Five projects 1992 – 1998, Levy Gallery: September 10 – October 16, 2010. For more information, call 215-965-4027 / www.thegalleriesatmoore.org.
Wisconsin: 5th Annual Art at the Creek Exhibit and Sale this October. The brochures have been mailed and the initial exhibit informational emails have been sent with all of the details, but here are some reminders: Entry is FREE! $2,500 in cash prizes will be awarded. The guest juror this year is Mel Buchanan from the Milwaukee Art Museum. This is a themed exhibit on “The Good Samaritan” from Luke 12 and they always encourage artists to consider the theme and create from their inspiration. Art will be judged with the theme in mind. The exhibit is October 15-31 at Spring Creek Church in Pewaukee, WI. Online registration for artists begins August 1, 2010.
New Publication from NCTE: Literacies, the Arts, and Multimodality, Edited by Peggy Albers and Jennifer Sanders. Literacies, the Arts, and Multimodality introduces K–college educators to current research and instructional practices for including a wider range of experiences that help teachers explore how a curriculum rich in these experiences can benefit students personally and academically. ISBN 978-0-8141-3214-2. No. 32142. $30.95 member/$41.95 nonmember. Order toll-free at 877-369-6283/800-369-6283 OR online anytime at www.ncte.org.
JUNE
6-30-10
House Dems Would Trim Race to Top, TIF to Make Room for Edujobs. Draft legislation just introduced by Rep. David Obey appears to skim millions from a pair of high-profile programs in an effort to find money to save education jobs. This story will be developing throughout the day. (Education Week, 6/29)
Whatever Happened to Humanities Curriculum? (from Arts Watch). Posted by Tim Mikulski, June 2. "Two weeks ago, I joined approximately 40 other arts education leaders in a two-day meeting to discuss plans for National Expectations for Learning in Arts Education, a projected originally taken on by State Education Agency Directors of Arts Education (SEADAE). For the first time in 16 years, arts education experts from national organizations spent time evaluating the possible impact and creating a plan for potential revisions, additions, or replacement for National Arts Education Standards."
2010 Red Vines Drawing Contest - Sponsored by the American Licorice Company. Contestants in the 2010 Red Vines Drawing Contest are asked to submit their own original drawings for a chance to be featured on Red Vines packaging! Multiple winners in various categories will take home prizes ranging up to a $2,500 scholarship or gift card. New for this year, the competition will include the opportunity to submit a four (4) color drawing that will be featured on the iconic 4 lb. & 5.5 lb jar of Red Vines, in addition to the traditional one color drawings for the classic 5 oz. trays. We encourage you to submit hand-drawn artwork on an official entry form. Contestants are permitted one entry for the tray format and one entry for the jar format. At the end of the contest submission period on September 30, 2010, first, second and third place winners will be selected in multiple age categories based on a combination of creativity, interest from the judges and aptness to the Red Vines brand. Winners will take home prizes ranging from Red Vines candy and gear to a $2,500 scholarship or gift card. For complete contest rules visit www.redvines.com.
INDIANA: VSAI Students' Artwork will be showcased at the Brickyard Gallery. Show Opens Thursday, July 8th. Gallery hours: M-F, 9-4, 6060 Guion Road, Indianapolis. The wide variety of VSAI artwork will be displayed alongside professional ceramic artists work (Winners of the 2008 Clayfest). VSAI students work will include Urban Artisan pottery and gardenware, Open Studio adult artist work and general Community Class work made by children, young adults and adults.
6-29-10
Latest Edujobs Draft Has $10 Billion To Prevent Layoffs. House Democratic leaders are circulating a draft of a scaled-down version of the edujobs bill that would include $10 billion to prevent teacher layoffs. This would be a significant decrease from the $23 billion initially sought to stave off staff reductions. Spending would be offset by about $12 billion in reductions to other programs, including an $800 million cut in funding for new discretionary programs in the U.S. Department of Education. (Education Week blog, 6/28)
6-28-10
When was the last time your organization met with your member of Congress? Have you invited him or her to an arts event recently? Now’s your chance: Americans for the Arts is offering the tools you need to advocate for the arts in your community this summer with a free webinar!
"50 States 50 Days": Organizing a Local Arts Advocacy Day
July 8, 2010 at 3:00 PM EDT, 2:00 PM CDT, 1:00 PM MDT, 12:00 PM PDT
(90 minutes). In celebration of our 50th anniversary, Americans for the Arts Action Fund is launching the "50 States 50 Days" initiative. Beginning in late July to coincide with the Congressional Recess, this national campaign seeks to expand our network of arts advocacy leaders across the country. This webinar is designed to recruit local leaders to host gatherings back home with their members of Congress on the importance of the arts and arts education. Participants on this webinar will learn about our new Toolkit to help plan and organize their visits, discuss the best strategies for making their case, and hear about the latest social media tools to advertise their events. Sign up now!
Open House scheduled for next week, June 26th – July 3rd, on Art Education 2.0, a global community of art educators exploring uses of new technology. Brought to you from The Art Teacher's Guide to the Internet: Ideas, tools, and resources for teaching art and design in a post-digital age. This event offers an opportunity for anyone interested in knowing what happens on AE 2.0 to take a get a good look at the site past the home page. To join their community, which is approaching 7,000 members, all you need to do is sign up for a free Ning account by filling out the profile information, uploading a profile picture, and verifying your email address.
Art Beyond Excerpts. The art of today begs to be seen. It begs to be walked into, over, and around. It begs to be examined up close…in person. But the fact of the matter is that students in grade school, college, even grad school, see art far more often in books and on screens than they do in person. As a matter of fact, a large majority of K-12 art educators all over the country take very, very few trips to see art in person with their students.
Stepping Stones to Collaboration in Art Education by Anita Dallar. "I wrote the article 'Building Collaborative Partnerships in Art Education' because I saw a bridge needed to be built between art teachers and teaching artists to help keep quality arts education in public schools. ...training needs to take place in partnership so that artists and teachers can learn from and support each other’s work.'
In the latest CultureWork article, "Hacking the Policy Space," Helen De Michiel, Co-Director of the National Alliance for Media Arts and Culture, shares her experiences and a call to action for all arts and cultural administrators, as well as artists, working within the 21st century media landscape.
ALABAMA: Alabama Alliance for Arts Education Announces the Call for Nominations to Recognize Innovation and Achievement in Education. Nomination forms are now available for three awards presented by the Alabama Alliance for Arts Education. The Alliance acknowledges individuals, schools, and organizations that demonstrate outstanding support for the arts and arts education. The submissions deadline is Monday, August 30, 2010. Recipients will be honored during an awards dinner, which will be held October 6, 2010 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama during the Arts Education Summit at the University of Alabama, Hotel Capstone. For more information visit www.alaae.org or contact Donna Russell, Executive Director at 334-269-1435 or aaae@bellsouth.net.
6-25-10
Final Day to register for NAEA SummerVision DC, July 6-9th! Visit http://www.arteducators.org/summervisiondc & http://naea.digication.com/SummerVisionDC/Home// for more information.
From the U.S. Dept. of Education--The Education Innovator, Volume IX, No. 5, June 25.
What's inside...A New Era of Family Engagement. What's New...From the U.S. Department of Education; American Recovery and Reinvestment Act; From the Institute of Education Sciences; Raising Student Achievement; STEM; and Teacher Quality and Development. Innovations in the News...Raising Student Achievement; School Improvement; STEM; Teacher Quality and Development; and Technology in Education
Ed Jobs Bill Update. There have been no new developments or progress this week in efforts to pass the education jobs bill in the House. Appropriations Chairman David Obey (D-WI) is still looking for funding offsets to pay for the school aid that may make the bill easier to pass. Visit the ASCD Action Center and lend your voice to the chorus demanding that Congress save education jobs. You may also call 1-866-608-6355 to contact your members of Congress and ask them to make children's education their legislative priority by supporting the $23 billion to save educator jobs in the next school year.
Spotlight: "Using Evidence for a Change": A Forum on Research and Practice in Education. The Knowledge Alliance and Learning First Alliance recently joined forces to explore how research affects policy and practice in education. With generous support from the William T. Grant Foundation, they hosted a forum on Capitol Hill entitled "Using Evidence for a Change: Challenges for Research, Innovation and Improvement in Education." The forum brought together some very smart people with diverse perspectives on the issue who had words of advice for policymakers, researchers and educators. Read what happened here.
Expressive Therapies Summit: Times Square. Submit your proposals online at http://www.expressivemedia.org (purple box at top right) or directly from http://summit.expressivemedia.org/.
North Carolina: Arts Education Bill Passes. Senate Bill 66, as amended by the House Education Committee, passed the North Carolina Senate with unanimous concurrence. The bill calls for a State Board of Education Task Force to consider, create, and recommend policies on arts education and must report to the North Carolina General Assembly Education Committees by December 2010. The Task Force must consider arts education in K-12, including the existing Basic Education Plan, availabilities of electives, requirements in every grade level, and the A+ Schools Program. The Task Force will further consider and recommend appropriate funding for the policies.
ARTS North Carolina began a concentrated advocacy effort for arts education four years ago. With the passage of S66, our work begins. While it may be the Task Force's responsibility to recommend policies and funding, it is the advocates' responsibility to ensure that the Task Force completes its work in a timely manner, that we communicate with our Representatives and our Senators about the recommendations of the Task Force, and that we make the strongest possible case for why tax dollars should be spent on arts education. ARTS North Carolina must grow its numbers of supporters and people engaged in this work. Our membership year begins July 1, but you can go online now and support ARTS North Carolina's work in arts education and other arts-related issues: www.artsnc.org/join. A Call to Action of appreciation will be issued upon the completion of the 2010-11 Budget. We are closely monitoring the recommended sustained grant funding for the North Carolina Arts Council.
Three Groups Apply for Race to Top Test Grants. The consortia submitted applications to the U.S. Department of Education for money to craft assessments aligned to recently unveiled common standards. (Education Week, 6/23)
Research Opportunity: Michigan Youth Arts. Michigan Youth Arts is currently seeking to engage a qualified research organization to assist its staff and partners in the research design, implementation, analysis and reporting of a statewide census intended to assess the status and condition of arts education in K-12 schools in Michigan.
Opportunity: World Savvy Call for Submissions. U.S. based education nonprofit, World Savvy, is looking for contemporary and traditional artists of all kinds who address or are in conversation with topics related to the theme of “Sustainable Communities.” ELIGIBILITY: All living artists worldwide working in any media or format. They are especially interested in including works that have been completed post 2000. No entry fee required. Submissions deadline: July 20. For more information or questions, contact Call for Submissions Coordinator Katina Papson at katina@worldsavvy.org.
6-24-10
Alabama: Local Artists React to Gulf Oil Spill. "After weeks of fretting and fuming over the Gulf oil spill, Bruce Larsen turned his anger into art. He welded a 14-foot sculpture of a dragonfly rising from a reed with just the right amount of oil dripping over a BP sign. In Fairhope, AL, a prominent arts town on Mobile Bay, dozens of people are wondering how to express their feelings about the oil that has begun washing up on Alabama beaches. Nancy Raia, an educator at the Eastern Shore Art Center, channels her energy into summer art-and-science camps. Elementary school students take sketch books on boat tours of Mobile Bay. They look at water samples under a microscope and then draw pictures of what they've seen. When Raia asked what Alabama might use to protect its beaches from the oil spill, students were creative. 'Pillows?' 'Marshmallows?'. Raia has also been working on a mural project in Alabama public schools. It began as a student illustration of the five rivers that feed into Mobile Bay. The great oil spill of 2010 will likely become an event these children remember the rest of their lives. In every way—environmentally, scientifically, artistically—it is the definition of a teachable moment." (Sarasota Herald-Tribune, 6/18)
Institute of Museum and Library Services Unveils 21st Century Learning Campaign. "The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) has announced a national campaign aimed at engaging museums, libraries, and civic leaders in meeting the 21st century learning needs of their communities. The national campaign, 'Making the Learning Connection,' is intended to help communities assess their needs and contribute to a shared vision for 21st century learning. It includes an eight city workshop tour, a national contest, new online tools and resources, and a series of interactive webinars. The tour kicked off on June 21 at the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore, MD. The tour will provide an opportunity for museum, library, and other community leaders to discuss the 21st century learning landscape of their city and explore strategies for furthering 21st century learning goals." (ArtDaily.org, 6/21)
Iowa: Board Cuts 30 Percent of Art, Music, and Physical Education Teachers. "Des Moines will lose nearly 30 percent of its art, music, and physical education teachers and guidance counselors next school year as part of the district's efforts to trim $11.1 million from its budget, district figures recently provided to The Des Moines Register show...The information provided by the district is the first detailed look at the specific positions cut by the school board in April. Before the board vote, some parents and educators had expressed concern about deep cuts to the arts programs and physical education. (The Des Moines Register, 6/18)
Florida: Education Commissioner Emphasizes Importance of Arts Education. "The importance of the arts goes beyond just giving students a creative outlet, said Eric Smith, Florida's education commissioner. It provides students with a different way to think when they are adults. 'The world our kids will be inhabiting will be more than numbers and reading,' Smith said at the Florida Alliance for Arts Education Summit at Harrison School for the Arts. Smith said creativity, abstract thinking, and coming up with ways to do things differently will be important in the coming decades for adults who want high-paying jobs. Smith spoke for 15–20 minutes to about 90 supporters of the arts that included art teachers, principals, superintendents, and district officials from the state." (The Ledger, 6/18)
6-23-10
Transparency Watch: Fountain of 'i3' Data Now Online. The Education Department has made good on promises to disclose more data on the 1,600-plus applicants for the $650 million Investing in Innovation, or i3, fund. Officials have created a user-friendly Web portral that allows you to splice the information apart in dozens of ways. You can examine the data by geography, and figure out where the biggest—or smallest—concentrations of potential winners are located. You can see who applied for each tier of grants, how much money they want, and who their budget partners are. You can examine the applications by type of applicant, which allows you to see which school districts, nonprofits, and others are vying for this money.
Art scholarships abound for creative students. Creative comrades, starve no more. Art scholarships are not limited to students of drawing, painting and photography. Nowadays, you can find art scholarships for many mediums, from animation and design to culinary and music, to name a few.
Getty's artful lesson plans aim to boost student creativity. Mark Bradford enlists other artists to draw up lessons for K-12 teachers focusing on nontraditional methods. The information will be available for free online. (Los Angeles Times, 6/22)
Education Week Events Calendar. Looking for a national listing of conferences, workshops and classes? Check out this listing of conferences for professional development, listed by date and location.
6-22-10
Video-game academy to prepare students for technology careers. A Texas school district is planning a program to teach students video-game technology. The Academy of Game Design and Development will be open to the district's incoming freshman students in the fall and will offer courses in 2-D and 3-D animation, graphics, art and sound and light mixing. While some parents have expressed concerns about video games as course work, educators say the courses help engage students and prepare them for a variety of careers. "The backbone of what we do is calculus, physics, engineering, computer science," one game developer said. (Houston Chronicle, 4/23)
Museums develop traveling programs for schools. Museums across the country are bringing lessons in science, art and other subjects to the classroom amid an increased focus on testing and budget cuts that have led to a decline in school field trips. Museum educators have developed online lessons, classroom materials and traveling programs designed to complement the curriculum, but some worry students are missing out by not visiting the museums. (The New York Times, 4/21)
6-21-10
Institute of the Arts in Healing / Expressive Media, Inc. in cooperation with the Creative Arts Therapies Center , NYC Presents the First Annual EXPRESSIVE THERAPIES SUMMIT: TIMES SQUARE, NOVEMBER 12-15, 2010, NEW YORK CITY. The Summit offers creative arts therapists and educators, arts professionals, and interested healthcare colleagues the opportunity to come together to learn, collaborate, and network. A variety of approaches, including multi-modal techniques, will be featured. Practical solutions to critical issues facing contemporary practitioners will also be addressed. Online proposal submission available 6/20 - 7/1, visit www.expressivemedia.org. Program and registration available after 7/15.To be added to their mailing list, contact bmcohen@expressivemedia.org. Subject: IAH NYC. Be sure to include your full name and profession/arts discipline.
President Obama Pushes to Keep Teacher Jobs. Last Saturday, President Obama sent a letter to congressional leaders in the House and Senate urging them to pass legislation aimed at saving teaching and other public service jobs, providing Medicaid funds to states, and providing tax extenders that would aid small businesses. Citing the urgency of the looming wave of unemployed educators, President Obama wrote, "[M]any school districts, cities, and states are already being forced to make these layoffs. These provisions must be passed as quickly as possible." The direct presidential plea comes on the heels of months of work by many in Washington to provide $23 billion in new federal economic aid to help prevent an estimated 300,000 education job losses during the next school year. In April, Senate HELP Committee Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA) introduced the $23 billion emergency funding bill in the Senate known as the Keep Our Educators Working Act. Educator Advocates and ASCD members have lent their voices to the ongoing campaign to garner support on Capitol Hill. These actions have resulted in e-mails, face-to-face meetings with elected officials, and over 20,000 phone calls during last month's National Call-In Day. Our efforts are seeing success, but more pressure is needed. Visit the ASCD Action Center and lend your voice to the chorus demanding that Congress save education jobs. You may also call 1-866-608-6355 to contact your members of Congress and ask them to make children's education their legislative priority by supporting the $23 billion to save educator jobs.
Analysis: More unions support new bids for Race to the Top funds. An analysis of second-round applications for federal Race to the Top grants shows that buy-in from teachers unions rose by 22 percentage points, on average, over the first-round bids. Some states made progress in gaining the support of schools and districts, but the gains were offset by California losing the approval of some 500 school districts. The level of buy-in from schools and unions is part of the scoring criteria for awarding the grants, which total $3.4 billion for the second round. (Education Week, 6/16)
ADMIT ONE: Your ticket into Art & Design School, a new blog written by a recent graduate from The Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). Find great information and resources.
CANADA: Wondrous Places to Learn & Grow: A two-day institute with Margie Carter & Deb Curtis. Held at: Medalta Pottery, Historical Clay District, Medicine Hat, Alberta, September 24 & 25. Concepts to Explore: Why does cultivating a sense of wonder matter in early childhood settings? How can your environment provoke a sense of wonder and deeper engagement for you and the children? How do we choose, find and offer materials to children that invite wonder, complex play and deeper inquiry? What is the role of the teacher in the environment to provoke wonder and deeper inquiry? What is the relationship between the environment, materials, observation and documentation to deepen learning? For teachers and early childhood educators of children aged 3-6 years. Registration: $325 (before June 30); $350 (after June 30). For further information please contact: Melissa Gogolinski (403) 548-3449; e-mail.
6-18-10
GETTY MUSEUM AND ARTIST MARK BRADFORD LAUNCH ONLINE CURRICULA FOR K-12 ART TEACHERS. The Getty Museum and artist Mark Bradford today unveiled Open Studio: A Collection of Artmaking Ideas by Artists, a new project conceived by Bradford, an LA-based artist and MacArthur Fellow, to provide free online arts activities for K-12 teachers to use in their classrooms. Open Studio is the inaugural project of the Getty Artists Program, an expanded effort to involve contemporary artists in the Museum’s Education programs. Bradford designed Open Studio to provide brief, accessible activities that don’t require a great deal of preparation or supplies. A teacher can click, print, and immediately share them with his or her class. Open Studio: A Collection of Artmaking Ideas by Artists is available at http://blogs.getty.edu/openstudio/.
Reading the Tea Leaves as 'Big 8' Meet on ESEA. The "Big 8" lawmakers who chair the committees and subcommittees charged with K-12 policy held a closed meeting Wednesday on Capitol Hill with U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and Melody Barnes, the White House's point person on education. The department and the White House called the meeting, congressional sources told me, to gauge progress on the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. (Education Week blogs, Alyson Klein, 6/16)
Jewish Community Foundation of Los Angeles Contributes $60,000 for Arts Education in Los Angeles Public Schools. Arts for All, a program to bring arts education to the 80 school districts in Los Angeles County, received $60,000 from the Arts in Schools! Giving Circle, an initiative spearheaded by the Jewish Community Foundation of Los Angeles (The Foundation). The Giving Circle provided pooled funds for the artist-in-residency program—in dance, music, theater and the visual arts.
The funding was presented at the recent Arts for All progress report meeting at the Music Center in downtown Los Angeles. Pictured at the event (from left) are Laurie Schell, executive director, California Alliance for Arts Education; Amelia Xann, vice president of the Family Foundation Center and Grant Programs at The Foundation; Sonia Simon Cummings, Arts in Schools! Giving Circle co-chair and Foundation donor; Laurie Zucker, executive director, L.A. County Arts Commission; Mark Slavkin, vice president of education, Music Center of Los Angeles County. Arts for All is a comprehensive program that works to ensure that all students in Los Angeles County’s 80 school districts receive sequential arts education every year from kindergarten through 12th grade.
6-17-10
Download Edutopia's Summer Rejuvenation Guide: 10 Tips to Help You Relax, Reflect, and Recharge for the Coming School Year. This practical guide is filled with 10 great tips to help you make the most of your break from the bell schedule. Edutopia is committed to highlighting what works in education and providing educators like us 21st-century strategies, tools, and resources to help our children learn. Download your copy today!
How LEGO® Smart™ are your students? Now through July 2010, LEGO® Education is inviting K-12 teachers and home educators from across the United States to register as contestants for the 2010 LEGO® Smart™ Creativity Contest, challenging classrooms coast to coast to become LEGO Smart! If you are a teacher, home educator, after-school program director, or otherwise working with students (K-12) within the education field, you are eligible to compete in this year’s contest. The contest, including prize information and contest rules, will be emailed to all pre-registered contestants on Monday, August 2, 2010, starting at 8am CST. The 2010 LEGO® Smart™ Creativity Contest requires the use of a LEGO® Smart™ kit. Kits are available, free of charge, to all new and qualified contestants. To register for the 2010 Contest, CLICK HERE. Contest is for educators only. Students are not eligible. If you have questions or would like additional information, contact Debra at dsmith@LEGOeducation.us.
6-16-10
NORTH CAROLINA: The Chapel Hill-Chauncy Hall School Barn Art Gallery invites you and your students to join in a national sewing campaign for peace. This national campaign will culminate in a group art show in the Spring of 2011. For submission guidelines, instructions, lesson plan suggestions, and additional project support materials, please visit the Peace Project Blog.
Solving the Puzzle of Autism. Desperate to understand and to cure autism, many activists argue that the disorder can be traced to a single source. But in order to understand autism, writes the author, we first need to determine the genetic, neuronal, and behavioral elements at play. Researchers will then need to translate their understanding of autism into treatments, an undertaking that will require a long-term, interdisciplinary approach. (The Dana Foundation)
6-15-10
KANSAS: Ulrich Educators 2010: Application - Exploring space and place. This intensive four-day art educator workshop will take place at the Ulrich Museum of Art (Wichita, Kansas) July 27-30, 2010. Participants will focus on in-depth exploration of the museum’s collection through interactive activities and integrated curriculum writing. A social media site specific for the workshop will be an important component that will extend and further develop community among participants throughout the school year. It will serve as a space to share ideas and curriculum with one another and keep updated on educational opportunities at the Ulrich. A follow-up workshop will bring participants back together Saturday, September 11 to present ways in which participants have applied or envision their curriculum in their classrooms, and discuss curricular implications of new fall exhibits. Interdisciplinary teaching teams are encouraged. Workshops are free of charge, but participants should be able to commit to attendance at both workshops (July 27-30 and September 11) and participation in the social media site. Download Application
6-14-10
Quick reminder that the deadline for registration for NAEA SummerVision DC is approaching! Registration ends Friday, June 25th! New details about the program can be found here: http://naea.digication.com/SummerVisionDC/Home//
YOU ARE WARMLY INVITED to join The Right Brain Initiative on Monday, June 21, as they present Show + Tell 2010, a public event commemorating the completion of its second school year. More than 200 parents, teachers, artists and civic leaders are expected to attend the event at the airy Leftbank Annex in North Portland, OR. The public is invited and refreshments will be served. During 2009-10, The Right Brain Initiative brought innovative arts education to nearly 11,000 K-8 students and 540 classroom teachers in 23 diverse public schools throughout the Portland metropolitan region. Help them formally recognize the teachers, artists, administrators, funders, volunteers and others who linked arms to make this year fly. Eat and drink with them as they release their annual report to the public and launch a multimedia exhibition of Right Brain student work and process. This exhibition—housed in an 8x16’ shipping container—is set to land in key locations throughout the tri-county area.
The Guggenheim Museum is teaming up with YouTube in partnership with HP to discover the art of YouTube videos. Tasked with uncovering the “most creative video in the world,” the companies have launched an international search by way of YouTube Play, a specially branded YouTube channel that will feature the entries in this new competition. Sponsor About YouTube Play Anyone is invited to submit a video to YouTube Play , even video creators themselves, and the submission deadline is July 31st.
Analysis: Buy-in Mixed for Race to Top, Round 2. States increased the amount of support from local teachers' unions in their applications for the second round of stimulus grants, but made far less progress in enlisting districts or expanding the number of students affected by the education reform plans.
ESEA Reauthorization: Is It a GO or a NO? As Congress returns from the Memorial Day recess, the overriding question concerning educators is whether or not the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) reauthorization will happen this year. Officially, the Department of Education and Education Committee Chairmen Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Rep. George Miller (D-CA) remain committed to passing a bill this year. But conventional wisdom across Washington suggests this goal is now impossible based on a confluence of factors, including the congressional calendar; November midterm elections; and the time needed to resolve still the contentious issues-such as teacher evaluations, funding, and accountability-that have dogged previous attempts at reauthorization.
Chairman Harkin has repeatedly said that he hopes to get a bill passed in the Senate before the end of July. Even then, such a schedule leaves little time to reconcile a bill with a House version of the legislation and enact it before the 111th Congress ends. Given that no one has seen actual legislative language as of yet and education staffers who work for members on the respective education committees are themselves asking questions about proposed timelines for legislative action, the chances are slim that any committee action will take place any time soon. For his part, Chairman Miller has not established any date-specific reauthorization goals for the Education and Labor Committee, but has instead voiced his desire to get the reauthorization right.
To address the multitude of concerns created by the No Child Left Behind Act, the reauthorized legislation must be comprehensive in scope. The Obama administration's blueprint, released in April, has rightly been viewed as a starting point in the reauthorization discussions. However, various components of the proposal have been criticized by multiple quarters, which only serves to highlight the lack of consensus on ESEA reauthorization among stakeholder groups and other interested parties.
Although you can't discount the combined power of congressional leaders and White House leadership to fast-track legislation everyone wants to see passed, the window of opportunity to do so in 2010 becomes smaller with each passing day. (Educator Advocates, 6/10)
6-10-10
The Present Perfect: An Interactive Online Event. Join Art21 on June 23, 8:00-9:30 p.m. ET--online at PBS or in person at the 92YTribeca--for its first interactive online event: The Present Perfect, featuring artists Oliver Herring (Season 3) and Laurie Simmons (Season 4) in conversation with Robin MacNeil (formerly of the MacNeil-Lehrer Newshour) about the role of collaboration and performance in contemporary art and everyday life. Information about the event, including details on how you can participate, is available online at art21.org/thepresentperfect.
Partnership of Major Education Associations Urges a Stronger Focus on Professional Development. Yesterday, the Learning First Alliance, a partnership of 17 national education associations representing over ten million parents, educators and policymakers, released the following statement: “The Elementary and Secondary Education Act should make effective professional development a top priority. You can read our full press release here
(Learning First Alliance, 6/9)
New York: Juried Display of Public School Student Art Opens at the Met. "Exceptional works of art by 70 New York City public school students, ages four through twenty, will be displayed at The Metropolitan Museum of Art for two months this summer through P.S. Art, a collaborative program between the NYC Department of Education and Studio in a School Association, Inc. The juried exhibition 'P.S. Art 2010: Celebrating the Creative Spirit of NYC Kids' opened for special viewing by the public beginning on June 8 and will remain on view through August 8...Discussing the Museum's participation in the project for the third consecutive year, Thomas P. Campbell, Director of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, noted: 'We are very pleased to play a role in bringing student achievement into public view through P.S. Art 2010 and supporting the continuity of artistic creativity, from the earliest objects in our own collections to works produced today, such as those now on view by these young New York City public school students.'" (ArtDaily.org, 6/7)
Ohio: Supporting Arts Education is Essential. Donna Collins, executive director of the Ohio Alliance for Arts Education, wrote the following in a guest column on the importance of arts education in tough economic times: "Education in the arts prepares students for careers. Americans for the Arts reported in 2009 that nationally there are 612,095 businesses in the U.S. involved in the creation or distribution of the arts that employ 2.98 million people—4.3 percent of all businesses and 2.2 percent of all employees. The arts mean careers and business. The arts are recognized as a core subject, which places arts education at the same level of importance as language arts, mathematics, science, social studies, and foreign languages. The arts are part of the core. Arts education programs are an instructional opportunity to improve student achievement. The Ohio Revised Code and Operating Standards for Ohio's Schools require a curriculum that includes fine arts, including music and graduation requirements that include the arts. The arts help close the achievement gap." (Zanesville Times Recorder, 6/6)
California: State Assembly Passes Bill to Dilute Arts Graduation Requirement. "California arts advocates suffered their third and worst legislative shutout in less than two months as the Assembly voted 76–0 in favor of a bill that would allow more students to skip arts instruction entirely during their high school years. To earn a diploma now, students have to take at least one year-long course in arts or a foreign language. If the bill, AB-2446, passes the state Senate and is signed into law by the governor, students, starting in the 2011–12 school year, will be able to substitute a 'career technical education' course for arts or a language. The bill has a sunset provision, meaning the change would be temporary, staying in effect for five academic years before expiring in mid-2016. Its author, Warren Furutani (D-Gardena) says in a statement on his website that 'the intent...is to increase high school graduation rates, which is an ever-pressing issue.' By allowing students to take a technical course rather than arts or a language, backers say, teens aiming for immediate full-time jobs rather than college will be better prepared for them." (Los Angeles Times Culture Monster Blog, 6/3)
Professional Development: ArtsWeek Program in the Professional Institute for Educators at the University of the Arts. The Professional Institute for Educators (PIE) empowers educators across disciplines to continually advance their teaching skills to improve learning for all students. Through graduate courses, PIE develops innovative and creative educational programming to serve the professional development needs of K-12 teachers in and through the arts. The ArtsWeek summer program 2010 has earned the 'Co-Sponsored Academy' Designation from National Art Education Association (NAEA). This series of week-long intensive studio selections, designed for K-12 teachers, is one of seven programs nationally to earn commendation for "substantive professional development opportunities, based on the NAEA Goals for Quality Art Education." Through ArtsWeek, elementary and secondary school educators take graduate courses in the visual arts and new media, then apply these techniques to their teaching. ArtsWeek is offered in three locations: the Wayne Art Center in Wayne, PA (June 28 – July 2), the GoggleWorks Center for the Arts in Reading, PA (July 12 – 16) and at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, PA (August 9 – 13). For more information or to request a brochure, visit cs.uarts.edu/pie, email pie@uarts.edu or call 215.717.6006.
6-9-10
History for Dollars. By David Brooks, Op-Ed Columnist, The New York Times, June 7. When the going gets tough, the tough take accounting. When the job market worsens, many students figure they can’t indulge in an English or a history major. They have to study something that will lead directly to a job.
US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan Speaks to the Importance of Arts Education. The US Department of Education recently released this video of Secretary Duncan talking about arts education:
TV preview: Bravo's 'Work of Art'. Bravo returns to the idea that there can be a reality show that is first and foremost about skill. Talent and personality have to factor in, too, along with a finicky little bugger called luck. And I'm sure "Work of Art," the network's new "Project Runway"-style competition among visual artists debuting Wednesday night, will soon enough devolve into tightly choreographed squabbles and meltdowns. Work of Art premieres at 11 p.m. Wednesday on Bravo. (The Washington Post, 6/9)
Call for Submissions: AEP Cover Art Contest. The Cover Art Contest for the Fall 2010 National Forum is now open for submissions. The contest is open to students aged 13-25 living in the state of Colorado. Please help us spread the word about the Contest. The submission form is available here. The deadline for submissions is July 30, 2010.
States Up Ante on Applications for Race to Top. A field of 35 states, plus the District of Columbia, have proposed what they assert are their boldest plans yet in hopes of capturing part of the remaining $3.4 billion in the second, and maybe last, round of the federal education sweepstakes.
Summer jobs for teachers. Start your summer job search for full and part-time work right here at Reach Every Child. This site has state, national, and international lists. However, take care in working with any of the other sites listed below and check references carefully.
6-8-10
Arts and physical education in schools: Necessities or extras? To some, art, music and physical education are vital to student success, not luxuries that can be scrapped when times are bad. Schools in South Florida, grappling with budget shortfalls, are taking different approaches to the importance of these special classes. While some see value in the arts and P.E., others have decided what's valuable isn't always what's practical.
6-7-10
"Champion Creatively Alive Children": Crayola is collaborating with the National Association of Elementary School Principals, on a new Mini-Grant Program to Champion Creatively Alive Children. Learn more about how your school could receive one of up to 20 mini grants in 2010.
Grant Funding: Up to 20 elementary schools will be selected to receive “Championing Creatively-Alive Children” mini-grants to implement and document results of an innovative project. Each selected project will include a $2,500 monetary grant, $500 of Crayola products. Grant recipients will share outcomes and inspire other schools to implement these innovative practices, via NAESP’s National Principal Resource Center website and/or Principal journal. Each proposed project must: be submitted by the principal, collaboratively planned with teachers, including the art teacher; address a “what if…” opportunity to increase arts integration across multiple subjects and foster children’s communication, collaboration, creativity and engagement as self-motivated learners; include objectives, success metrics, timeline, budget, contacts, and work plan Oct-June 2010; identify promising practices to share with other schools; and contribute content & photos. Proposals are due by Aug. 15, 2010 for implementation in the upcoming academic year.
Moore Summer Adult & Youth Programs Begin June 27: Moore College of Art & Design offers a full range of educational programs for adults as well as boys and girls in grades 1–12.
Teachers Summer Institute: June 27 – July 3
Moore’s Teachers Summer Institute 2010 is designed to enhance the culture of teaching and to empower learning in and through visual art. A professionally directed program of studio-based workshops offers educators the opportunity to recharge batteries, deepen personal direction, expand studio skills and discover new applications in educational practice.
Summer Art & Design Institute: June 27 – July 25
The Summer Art & Design Institute is a four-week pre-college residential program open to young women who have just completed their sophomore, junior or senior year of high school. The Institute allows dedicated students who are passionate about their artwork to spend four weeks immersed in an intense college-level experience. Students choose a studio concentration emphasizing one of three areas: Digital Animation, Fashion Design or Fine Arts. Students earn 3.0 college credits upon completion. For more information, e-mail sadi@moore.edu.
Adult Continuing Education Programs: July 6 – September 13
For adults of all ages interested in expanding personal interests, keeping pace with today’s competitive workplace, or redirecting careers through part-time evening study. Courses may be taken individually or as part of a certificate program and for noncredit or to earn college credit.
Young Artists Workshop: July 12 – August 13
Explore the world of art and creative thinking with the Young Artist Workshop. Children and youth in grades 1 – 12 receive high quality, exciting art instruction in a rich variety of courses including Animation & Illustration, Computer Graphics, Digital Art, Fashion Design & Illustration, Fine Arts, Graphic Design, Photography and Portfolio Preparation. NEW for Summer 2010 – Certificate Program in Art & Design. Register by June 21.
For information on any of the Summer 2010 programs listed below, call 215.965.4030, e-mail ce@moore.edu or download program information at www.moore.edu.
Race to Top, Round 2: The Contenders. The line-up of contenders for Race to the Top, round two—possibly the states' last shot at $3.4 billion in federal education funding—is set. Here's a look at some of the strongest competitors. (Education Week blogs, 6/1)
Who's in and who's out for Race to the Top. Thirty-five states and Washington, D.C., will compete for the second round of federal Race to the Top funding -- all vying for a share of $3.4 billion. Many states have altered education policies regarding teacher tenure, educator pay and charter schools to qualify for the funding. Florida and Georgia are favorites to win funding. In March, Delaware was awarded about $100 million and Tennessee about $500 million through the first round of funding. (The Washington Post,6/2)
Guggenheim Study Reveals Importance of Arts Education in Development of Problem-Solving Skills and Creativity. On June 3 and 4, Thinking Like an Artist: Creativity and Problem Solving in the Classroom, a conference for art and museum educators, administrators, and policy makers from across the nation, will convene to present key findings from The Art of Problem Solving, a four-year research initiative that evaluated the impact of its pioneering arts education program Learning Through Art (LTA) on students’ problem-solving abilities and creativity. The study and conference are funded by an Arts in Education Model Development and Dissemination grant from the U.S. Department of Education that totaled over $1 million. The Art of Problem Solving represents the Guggenheim’s second major U.S. Department of Education–funded study of Learning Through Art. In 2003, the Guggenheim received its first Arts in Education Model Development and Dissemination grant from the U.S. Department of Education for completion of a groundbreaking three-year research initiative that realized that LTA improved students’ literacy and critical thinking. The full research reports and executive summaries of The Art of Problem Solving and Teaching Literacy Through Art studies are available at learningthroughart.org.
Canada: Ontario Survey Reveals Arts Education Access Becoming an Issue (ParentCentral.ca, 5/31)
"The arts, music, and physical education have suffered with the province’s focus on math and literacy, says a new survey of hundreds of Ontario schools. While other provinces are looking beyond standardized test scores to measure how schools are doing—such as New Brunswick where students’ access to arts classes, as well as their sense of safety are tracked, alongside academic achievement—Ontario lacks a broader vision for education, said Annie Kidder of the advocacy group People for Education, which conducted the survey. There are also concerns that because of limited funding, schools are fundraising more and more for physical education and arts programs, which means more affluent areas will have access to the arts, said researcher Kelly Gallagher-Mackay of the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto. Some 922 Ontario schools took part in the study, representing 20 percent of schools in the province."
Florida: School Board Protects Art Positions, Cuts Ninth Grade Athletic Program (Florida Today, 5/26)
"In an unanimous decision, the Brevard County School Board cut $17.5 million from its $533 million operating budget and tentatively approved the lowest millage rate in 10 years. In a surprising twist, the board voted to keep 59 media assistants on the job and allow elementary art teachers to keep their full-time status. Both items had been considered expendable to save the school district more than $2 million. But ninth-grade athletics, 116 positions, and the driver's education program were cut, as were 83 other vacant positions...'We've saved the art and media assistants, but it's pretty clear that this is for a year only,' said Board Member Karen Henderson. 'But it's still clear that the legislators are not funding education...All of these cuts are devastating to me as a parent because I want to have all this stuff for my kids. I don't want to sit here and vote against it, but we have to for the greater good.'"
MAY
5-28-10
Videos of the Presentations from the 2010 NAEA National Convention in Baltimore, MD, are now available! Click here to view them.
New Push Launched for Education Jobs Bill. The presidents of both national teachers’ unions joined key lawmakers and U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan on Capitol Hill today to drum up support for legislation that would provide $23 billion to help school districts cope with a looming tidal wave of layoffs.
From the Right Brain Initiative: Imagine This: A Seminar on Bringing Creativity to Classrooms, June 21 - 23, Portland, OR. Set to become an annual program, Imagine This is designed to meet the needs of a broad range of educators and community leaders interested in bringing creativity to the K-8 classroom setting. This summer summit includes experts from around the country, who will deliver the best new thinking on arts education, as well as practical arts integration techniques and hands-on art making skills.
Recession Fallout: Museums Look to Academic World for Assistance. "Tottering under years of deficits, accumulated debt, and declining donations, several of the country's small and medium-size museums have been turning to the art world equivalent of a bailout. They are partnering with a university or other academic institution, in some cases handing over artworks and changing locations, in a last-ditch effort to keep their doors open and their collections intact and available to the public. (The Wall Street Journal, 5/26)
All Kids Can Create. A Statewide visual conversation, enROUTE Gallery, Indianapolis, Indiana, Friday, June 4th, Gallery Opening, 6-9 pm. Indiana is sharing the work of its talented youngsters with a national audience in Washington DC! Come see and enjoy the Indiana entries from VSA's All Kids Can Create national children's art exhibit. The national exhibit opens in DC this month. Digital prints of all of the submitted Indiana entries will hang at enROUTE Gallery. Show will run through June 23rd.
First states agree to endorse national academic standards. Maryland will adopt national core-education standards -- after they are introduced -- as part of an effort to qualify for more Race to the Top funding. Maryland and Kentucky are the only states to sign on to the national reading and math standards. Officials said Maryland schools will not enact the new standards for a year or more while they wait for teachers to be trained and the curriculum to be drafted. (The Washington Post, 5/26)
New Jersey seeks support for second-round Race to the Top bid. Education officials in New Jersey are seeking the support of school districts and teachers unions for their second-round bid for Race to the Top grants. Officials last week pledged a minimum of $100,000 to districts that agree to sign on if the state wins a grant, and they have extended the deadline for endorsements until Thursday. The state's largest teachers union has yet to endorse the application, which includes a merit-pay provision for teachers. (The Star-Ledger, Newark, NJ, 5/25)
Ravitch offers top 10 reasons to opt out of federal competition. Education expert Diane Ravitch in this blog post makes a case for states and school districts to consider not participating in the federal Race to the Top grant competition. Ravitch argues that the competition is a misuse of federal power that is encouraging the adoption of teacher evaluations based on arbitrary factors, and that it will likely result in the further "narrowing of the curriculum" and the "de-professionalization of education." (Education Week/Bridging Differences blog, 5/25)
International VSA Education Conference. Inclusive Education - Arts in Education - Pathways to Employment, Washington, D.C., June 10-12. The International VSA Education Conference will bring together professionals from around the world in the fields of the arts, education, employment, and disability. Select from more than 70 workshops, lectures, panels, and special events by 135 international presenters that provide participants with skills and resources to advance arts in education, inclusive education, and promote pathways to employment for artists with disabilities.
The U.S. Department of Education Invites you to the opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony of Aroma: Scents of My World. Twenty-six works of art will be presented from VSA’s Arte Postale, an exclusive international visual arts exchange program designed for classroom students, ages 7–14, with and without disabilities. The program creates valuable cross-cultural educational experiences by forming relationships between students as they study and communicate about their lives. Presented by VSA as part of the 2010 International VSA Festival, Monday, June 7, 10 to 11:30 am, U.S. Department of Education, Lyndon Baines Johnson Education Building, Washington, DC. Featured at this event will be U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, who will speak about the importance of art to our youths. To attend the event, please RSVP to marilyn.joyner@ed.gov by Friday, June 4.
National Endowment for the Arts Announces Blue Star Museums Partnership. National Endowment for the Arts Chairman Rocco Landesman and Blue Star Families Chairman Kathy Roth-Douquet have announced the launch of Blue Star Museums, a partnership with more than 600 museums across America to offer free admission to all active duty military personnel and their families from Memorial Day through Labor Day 2010.
Duncan urges "emergency action" to save teacher jobs. Education Secretary Arne Duncan called on Congress to approve the appropriation of $23 billion to help schools avoid teacher layoffs during a visit Tuesday to a New York City charter school while promoting the administration's federal Race to the Top grant program. "The consequences of inaction are huge," he said. "We need emergency action and we need it now." Duncan visited several other schools and prodded New York state lawmakers -- who are debating whether to increase the number of charter schools allowed in the state -- to approve needed school reforms. (GothamSchools.org, New York, 5/18)
2011 NAEA National Convention Call for Presentations is NOW OPEN!
5-25-10
Professional Development Opportunity in Washington, DC, June 6-9
5-24-10
Game-development program combines technology, 21st-century skills. Some schools in West Virginia and Texas are piloting a new game-development program that integrates technology-based skills such as blogging and social networking with 21st-century skills such as collaboration and problem-solving. World Wide Workshop's Globaloria program has students designing, developing and programming original online video games that incorporate social issues or educate players on chosen topics. Students acquire in-depth knowledge of their subject matter and learn skills needed for a competitive professional environment. (T.H.E. Journal, 5/19)
Political hurdles complicate Obama's plan to revise ESEA. Efforts to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act have been stalled since 2007 and some say legislative and political hurdles may complicate significant advancements this year. A lack of consensus, a full legislative agenda, and an election year are among the obstacles to revising the law, also known as No Child Left Behind, which was signed in 2002. The revision of ESEA has been a stated priority of the Obama administration, which remains hopeful of action on the legislation this year. (Education Week - premium article access compliments of EdWeek.org, 5/19)
District of Columbia: Federal ESEA Reauthorization Still On Hold. "This was supposed to be the year that Congress finally completed the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, a task which has been lingering since 2007. But the wait may go on. Although the legislative machinery seems to be clanking along, with an Obama administration blueprint for renewal on the table and House and Senate education panels holding hearings on a variety of issues related to the law, the political prospects for the renewal are much more dicey. Numerous hurdles—including a crowded legislative calendar, the tensions of an election year, and a lack of agreement about where to take what is likely to be a very complicated bill—have many observers doubting that Congress will complete work this year to reauthorize what is now known as the No Child Left Behind Act, signed in 2002...Officially, the Obama administration is aiming to pass a bill this year, even though no formal piece of legislation has yet been introduced." (Education Week, 5/17)
Editorial: California Superintendent Emphasizes Arts in Well-Rounded Education. Maria Ott, superintendent of Rowland Unified School District in Rowland Heights, CA wrote the following in an editorial published last weekend: "When parents enroll their children in public school, they bring their highest hopes and aspirations for their children's future...Parents look for schools within their district that offer arts education. The arts are often described as enrichment; as an 'extra' to the core curriculum. Unfortunately, this perception has become the norm because of years of inadequate public school funding. Arts education is just as important as education in the academic core subjects of reading, mathematics, history, and science. The arts are part of a well-rounded education that exposes students to the richness of learning that includes textbooks and online research, meaningful hands-on experiences, and creative endeavors...In fact, experience in the arts accelerates learning in other areas. Children who are having difficulty in mathematics benefit from studying the spatial relationships associated with learning to read music. Students who have difficulty reading textbooks benefit from reading the words to a song during choral music instruction. Arts education exposes children to the richness of our human capabilities." (San Gabriel Valley Tribune, 5/16)
Utah: Survey Finds Arts Interest Growing, Resources Eroding. "The survey also reveals a double-edged sword when it comes to arts education in Utah schools: Student participation in theater, music, visual arts, and dance classes is climbing at the same time resources are diminishing. Among the Utah schools responding to the survey, 40 full-time arts teacher positions have been lost during the past two years. 'Overall, we're concerned about the continuing erosion of arts education in our schools,' said Margaret Hunt, director of the Utah Division of Arts and Museums." (The Salt Lake Tribune, 5/14)
Scoring Race to the Top: A Look Behind the Curtain. In this exclusive analysis published by Education Week, journalist Steven Brill looks at how judges’ scoring sheets and written comments show inconsistencies and soft spots in the process. (Education Week, 5/18)
Department of Education to Open Exhibit of Art Works from Nine Colorado Public Schools on May 4 in Washington, D.C.
5-21-10
Kirby Meng, NAEA National Division Director-Elect for the Elementary Level, has been selected as one of Georgia's Woodruff Arts in Education Leaders Honorees! She will be celebrated on Saturday, May 22nd at the Woodruff Arts Center! Ms. Meng was the only visual art educator selected this year! More info
5-17-10
Push to Renew ESEA Faces Steep Policy, Political Hurdles. A crowded calendar and policy puzzles cloud the prospects of Congress completing the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act this year. (Education Week, 5/17)
Plein Air-Easton! Seeks Artists Age 21 & Under for New Event. Win Cash Prizes! » » » Sell Your Work! » » » Get Noticed in High Profile Setting! Young artists—age 21 and under—get your tube on! Grab your tubes of oil paint (or palette of watercolors, pastels, drawing pencils, sculpting materials, etc.) and step into the big leagues at the Plein Air-Easton! Quick Draw: The Next Generation, Sunday, July 25, 2010. Register now to participate in this brand new competition with total cash prizes of almost $3,000. Questions? Email info@pleinaireaston.com or phone the Plein Air-Easton! hotline at 410.822.7297.
Charting Creativity: Signposts of a Hazy Territory. 'Creativity is a complex concept; it’s not a single thing,' he said, adding that brain researchers needed to break it down into its component parts. Dr. Kounios, who studies the neural basis of insight, defines creativity as the ability to restructure one’s understanding of a situation in a nonobvious way. Everyone agrees that no single measure for creativity exists. While I.Q. tests, though controversial, are still considered a reliable test of at least a certain kind of intelligence, there is no equivalent when it comes to creativity—no Creativity Quotient, or C.Q. Dr. Jung’s lab uses a combination of measures as proxies for creativity. One is the Creativity Achievement Questionnaire, which asks people to report their own aptitude in 10 fields, including the visual arts, music, creative writing, architecture, humor, and scientific discovery. " (The New York Times, 5/7)
GRANT OPPORTUNITY: Learning in the Arts for Children and Youth. Deadline June 10; $5,000-150,000 to projects that help children and youth acquire knowledge and skills in the arts.
Anielewicz Creative Arts Competition and Exhibition. The competition, now in its 35th year, provides students in grades 7-12 of all religious and ethnic backgrounds with an opportunity to respond to the Holocaust and its related issues through creative expression. Students were invited to submit original written, musical, art, film and creative dance works which focus on Holocaust themes. Competition winners in three categories – 7th/8th grades, 9 th/11th grades, 11th/12th grades - will be announced during the awards ceremony and reception. When: June 3 - 17, 2010, WIDENER MEMORIAL FOUNDATION GALLERY. Opening Reception and Awards Ceremony programs: Monday, June 7, 7:30 – 9:30pm, WIDENDER MEMORIAL FOUNDATION GALLERY / STEWART AUDITORIUM. Where: Moore College of Art & Design, 20th Street and The Parkway, Philadelphia. Cost: FREE and open to the public.
Taking Back School Reform: A Conversation Between Diane Ravitch and Mike Rose (Education Week)
Kagan's record includes support for NCLB. U.S. Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan, the U.S. solicitor general, doesn't have a long record in education law, but she recently submitted a brief in defense of No Child Left Behind as part of a case brought by teachers unions on the premise that NCLB is an unfunded federal mandate. Kagan -- whose mother was a public-school teacher and two brothers are social-studies teachers -- wrote, "The act expressly refrains from dictating funding levels, and instead grants states and [school districts] unprecedented flexibility to target federal dollars to meet state and local priorities." (Education Week-premium article access compliments of EdWeek.org, 5/10)
Florida: Former Arts Teachers Create New Program to Benefit Local Programs. "Three years ago, when retired arts teachers Susan Johnson and Cheryl Poe heard that the elementary arts program funding in Alachua County was being cut by 50 percent, they decided to do something about it...'Bringing the programs back to full status wasn't going to happen,' Johnson admitted. 'But what I think did happen is, it raised the awareness.'" (Senior Times Magazine, 5/2010)
5-11-10
High Court Pick Has Sparse K-12 Policy Record. U.S. Solicitor General Elena Kagan had education as part of her portfolio during a White House domestic-council stint under President Clinton.
ASCD Supports Harkin Bill to Keep Educators' Jobs. As reported last week, Senate Education Committee Chair Tom Harkin (D-IA) introduced the Keep Our Educators Working Act, an emergency $23 billion funding bill to help keep teachers, principals, librarians, and other school personnel employed as states continue to face dramatic budget shortfalls. The bill is gaining supporters and appears to be on the legislative fast-track for passage. The voice you hold as an Educator Advocate is strong and influential--please write a letter or call your senators and recommend that they cosponsor the Keep Our Educators Working Act to keep the momentum going on this important bill.
House and Senate Focus on ESEA Reauthorization Issues. This week, the Senate Education Committee explored the challenges facing America's middle and high schools, and how the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) reauthorization can help states and districts address those challenges in its reauthorization hearing. The hearing highlighted the growing attention to middle school reforms that have proven successful.
Push to Spur Innovation Raises Hopes—and Eyebrows. A new effort by 12 major education philanthropies aims to dovetail with the Education Department’s ‘i3’ agenda, raising complex issues.
SOMA Summer is a unique six-week program for emerging visual artists imparted in English in Mexico City. SOMA Summer combines seminars with short workshops and individual critiques, as well as number of activities designed to promote intense creative work and artistic dialogue. The program focuses on providing discursive tools that will help participants contextualize their practice. For a detail list of courses and activities this summer, please contact Carla Herrera-Prats at info@somamexico.org.
The Art Gallery of Nova Scotia and The Sobey Art Foundation are pleased to announce the long list for the 2010 Sobey Art Award, Canada's preeminent prize for contemporary Canadian art. Following a three month nomination process the Curatorial Panel has announced the 25 artists vying for this year's Award.
Rhode Island School of Design's 2010 Annual Graduate Thesis Exhibition. The thesis work of more than 170 students receiving graduate degrees from Rhode Island School of Design [RISD] will be on display in RISD's 2010 Annual Graduate Thesis Exhibition at the Rhode Island Convention Center. The work of graduate students in Architecture, Ceramics, Digital + Media, Furniture Design, Glass, Graphic Design, Industrial Design, Interior Architecture, Jewelry + Metalsmithing, Landscape Architecture, Painting, Photography, Printmaking, Sculpture and Textiles will be on exhibit from May 20 – June 5, 2010.
Pratt Institute M.F.A. 2010. Work in all media by students graduating in 2010 from Pratt Institute’s M.F.A. Studio Art program, May 14 - June 5. Opening reception: Thursday, May 13, 5–7 PM, Pratt Manhattan Gallery, 144 West 14th Street, New York, NY 10011, 212-647-7778.
Culture Wars: Boston, be prepared! Art21 is coming to The Institute of Contemporary Art. Mark your calendars and brush up on your trivia for a special Beantown edition of Culture Wars: A Night of Trivia with Art21, taking place next Thursday, May 13, starting at 6:30 pm.
Stephanie Weaver (author of Creating Great Visitor Experiences) and founder of Experienceology, is presenting two webinars for museum professionals this spring:
-Social media strategy with Sorel Denholtz on Wed. May 12 (NEXT WEDS.), 9 am PDT
-The Participatory Museum with Nina Simon on Wed. June 9, 9 am PDT
Experienceology has a no-refusal pricing policy this year. Please contact Stephanie if you need an individual discount on the $35 fee: sweaver@experienceology.com. She provides a sliding scale for museum groups. Class size is limited to 50. Classes include live video of both presenters, slides, live chat, class attendee contact list, the class recording, and the chat transcript. Other class recordings, including John Falk on identity and the museum visitor experience, are available on demand for $10 (check out more info about his book). Tech tutorials—on Twitter, Facebook, and social media—are $5 each.
5-6-10
38 Applications Expected for Race to Top, Round Two. Education Secretary Arne Duncan continues to have a good day at the office as 37 states plus the District of Columbia say they're going to compete in the second round of Race to the Top, in which $3.4 billion in economic-stimulus prize money is up for grabs. (Politics K-12, Education Week Blogs, 5/5)
Arts Graduation Requirement Bill Passes (CT). The graduation requirement/education bill that includes a high school graduation requirement in the arts passed the House in the wee hours of Wednesday morning, but with amendments, which meant that the bill had to return to the Senate for a second vote. The Senate passed the bill Wednesday night, and informed sources indicate that Governor Rell is expected to sign the bill. Arts education supporters have been working on the passage of a true high school graduation requirement in the arts for at least 30 years. CONGRATULATIONS to the many of you who placed calls and otherwise contributed to this effort! Arts supporters owe special thanks to the leadership (and funding) of the Connecticut Music Educators Association (CMEA), and particularly to past-president Barbara Skrebutenas for her leadership, tenacity, and vision in making this happen. Click here to learn more about the passage of the bill.
Race to Top Hopefuls Seek to Crack 'Buy-In' Puzzle. In the round-two scramble for $3.4 billion in federal Race to the Top Fund grants, the need for school district and union buy-in—a relatively small, but important part of any winning formula—poses a policy puzzle for the competing states. U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, who in past statements has emphasized the importance of such support, has recently made it clear that a watered-down Race to the Top application won’t win on the strength of significant school district and union backing. And figuring out just how much buy-in matters in the 500-point scoring system is not a simple endeavor. (Education Week, 5/5)
New from Healthy School Communities, an ASCD Whole Child initiative:
•Learning, Teaching, and Leading in Healthy School Communities. Our report, Learning, Teaching, and Leading in Healthy School Communities summarizes key findings from the Healthy School Communities pilot study that was conducted from 2006 to 2008. Significant highlight is given to the Nine Levers of School Change that were demonstrated by the most effective sites. The report can be found in this month’s Educational Leadership, as an insert, but is also available for download.
•E-Book: Keeping the Whole Child Healthy and Safe: Reflections on Best Practices in Learning, Teaching, and Leadership. Explore what it means to foster health and safety for students in ASCD’s e-book Keeping the Whole Child Healthy and Safe: Reflections on Best Practices in Learning, Teaching, and Leadership. This fourth in a four-book series of e-books on educating the whole child is free to download from May 4 through May 17 and features articles from Educational Leadership and other ASCD publications that focus on safe and healthy schools, promoting a healthy life, protecting students, addressing school bullying, teaching good values, and helping students cope with life changes. After May 17, the e-book will be available to download for purchase.
•Video Series - Supporting the Whole Child through Partnerships for Healthier Schools. “Supporting the Whole Child through Partnerships for Healthier Schools” video series shows best practices and examples of how to implement Creating a Healthy School Using the Healthy School Report Card: An ASCD Action Tool. The series features five videos of several sites from the U.S. and Canada, in urban, suburban, and rural schools, that are making an impact on the health and well-being of their students, staff, and communities. It is available online for viewing and sharing at www.healthyschoolcommunities.org.
•Podcast - Download May’s Whole Child Podcast on Developing Principals to Lead a Whole Child School. We know from the recent evaluation of the Healthy School Communities pilot project that the role of the principal was the most critical piece of the puzzle in implementing meaningful school change and school improvement. Download the Whole Child Podcast on or after Thursday, May 6 to hear an engaging conversation with three experts about building the capacity of principals to lead effective and systemic school reform using a whole child approach to education.
TEACHERS SUMMER INSTITUTE 2010, Sunday, June 27 – Saturday, July 3, Recharge, Refocus, Reconnect! Moore’s Teachers Summer Institute 2010 is designed to enhance the culture of teaching and to empower learning in and through visual art. A professionally directed program of studio-based workshops offers educators the opportunity to recharge batteries, deepen personal direction, expand studio skills, and discover new applications in educational practice. Participants may earn three graduate-level credits or Act 48 hours. Tuition, including room and board, is $550 ($525 if received by May 14). For more information, contact Judy Woodworth, Co-Director for Continuing Education at 215-965-4059 or jwoodworth@moore.edu and visit us at www.moore.edu to download the program brochure.
View a number of Arts Education resources compiled by the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies. By supporting arts education, state arts agencies help to foster young imaginations and facilitate children's success in school. Arts education also provides the critical thinking, communications and creativity skills essential to 21st century success.
The Amon Carter Museum announces that it has received grants totaling $118,000 from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), The Junior League of Fort Worth, Inc. and Alcon Laboratories, helping to further advance the museum’s educational programs. With a $75,000 Picturing America School Collaboration Project Grant from the NEH, the Carter will provide a summer professional development conference, educating area teachers about American art and how it can be used in the classroom to build the essential traits of creativity and leadership. The Picturing American Creativity and Leadership Conference will be held in July for area K–12 public, private and homeschool educators who own a Picturing America poster set from the NEH. Teachers will receive Continuing Professional Education (CPE) credits for attending the institute, a $250 stipend from the NEH, plus free classroom resources like digital images of artworks, posters and lesson plans tied to state and national teaching standards. Conference participants will also receive funding for a free interactive student videoconference from the museum or reimbursement of transportation expenses for an onsite school tour related to the conference theme at the museum.
5-4-10
NEWS FROM THE ALLIANCE FOR YOUNG ARTISTS & WRITERS, AYAW Times, Issue 2
- 2005 Scholastic Award Winner Abdi Farah Paints a New Reality for Young Artists on BRAVO's new reality series, Work of Art: The Next Great Artist
- A Few Tips on Staying Creative While Going Green
- Presenting...The 2010 National Winners of The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards!
- The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards - In Lights! To celebrate the accomplishments of the 2010 National Award winners and to honor the impressive legacy of The Scholastic Awards, the Empire State Building will be lit in gold on the evening of June 9.
- Behind the Scenes of Video Game Judging with Alliance Web Producer, Dominic Matar
- Casita Maria [Center for Arts Education], Empowering Teens in the Bronx and Throughout New York City
5-3-10
Remarks of Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on FY2011 Dept. of Education Budget (April 14, 2010)
New Survey Finds Schools Facing Growing Budget Cuts and the End of Stimulus Funding. Students and school systems across the nation are facing serious challenges as a result of the economic downturn, according to a new survey of school administrators released today by the American Association of School Administrators. Compounding an already tough budget environment, schools are facing the harsh reality that stimulus funds will soon run out and the Obama Administration’s proposal to shift additional education dollars away from long-time formula grant programs to competitive grant programs. The new study, “Cliff Hanger: How America’s Public Schools Continue to Feel the Impact of the Economic Downturn,” is the seventh in a series of studies by AASA examining the impact of the economic downturn on schools. (AASA Website, April 8, 2010)
Arts Advocacy Day 2010 Tops Attendance and Tweets. A week after the largest Arts Advocacy Day in years, arts advocates from across the nation are looking to Congress to take the next step in supporting strong public policies for the arts and arts education. On April 13, more than 550 arts supporters visited more than 250 Congressional offices during Arts Advocacy Day 2010. These meetings are catalysts in securing more funding for the country’s arts groups, arts workers, and creative industries.
National Teacher Registry announces a new No Cost service for teachers and schools, public and private, pre-school through college. The National Teacher Registry helps teachers get items they need for their classroom when there is no budget to purchase them. On the website, a teacher or school can create a list of the items that they need and want for their classroom. There are currently over 40,000 items from multiple suppliers on the site and many more products are in the process of being added.
The Education Innovator, Office of Innovation & Improvement, April 29, 2010, Vol. IX, No. 3. This issue of The Education Innovator looks at the importance of authorizers in ensuring the success of charter schools, including those that may serve to accomplish the goal of turning around our nation's lowest-performing schools with assistance from the Department's Title I School Improvement Grants program.
Senate Panel Weighs Standards, ESEA Renewal. The nation needs more rigorous and uniform academic standards, but it’s best if states take charge of the effort, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle said Wednesday at a Senate hearing on reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. (Education Week, 4/29)
Foundations offer $506M for education innovation (The Washington Post, 4/28), “a portion of which is for a matching fund for the $650 million federal government grant program, called Investing in Innovation” [aka "i3"]. Participating foundations launch “Foundation Registry i3 to simplify the process for organizations seeking matching foundation funds for their (i3) proposal. Link to Foundation Registry i3
Thinking Like an Artist: Creativity and Problem Solving in the Classroom-A Conference for Educators, Thursday, June 3, 9:00 am - 5:30 pm and Friday, June 4, 9:00 am - 1:00 pm, The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York
What does it mean to think like an artist? What can educators learn from the work of artists? Join art and museum educators, administrators, and policy makers from across the country in a two-day forum to discuss the role of creativity in the art classroom and in the field of education as a whole. Through artist talks, panel presentations, and group discussion, participants consider the characteristics of creativity across disciplines and identify best practices for fostering creativity in the classroom. Register here. For more information, call 212-423-3557 or e-mail learningthroughart@guggenheim.org.
MONTHLY MENTOR: Meet May's Mentor, Rebecca (Becky) Guinn!
Rebecca (Becky) Guinn lives in Chambers County, AL. She grew up in Cedartown, GA where her fourth grade teacher inspired her in visual arts. Becky received her BA in Art Education from Carson Newman College and her Masters of Education Curriculum and Integration from the University of Phoenix. Mrs. Guinn taught art for 15 years; she taught 3 years in Texas and 12 years in Valley, AL. Read her full bio at http://www.arteducators.org/mentor.
View complete list of 2010 Co-Sponsored Academies
APRIL
CONVENTION NEWS
DOWNLOAD PRESENTATION MATERIALS HERE
VIEW PHOTOS HERE
TAKE THE POST-CONVENTION SURVEY HERE
2011 CALL FOR PRESENTATIONS - COMING SOON!
"Art Education and Social Justice" Art Gallery Created by Artsonia. Featuring 2,473 artwork from 142 schools!
Baltimore mural on social justice dedicated. Artist, students work together.
VIDEO: Students Paint Mural Under JFX
Baltimore Mural Project Photos (courtesy of Sarah Lefrancois)
BLOG: adventures in...Art & Education
Favorite Things from NAEA Convention, Baltimore, The Teaching Palette
BLOG: TAEA Area 6
NAEA Convention 2010 Presentation Success! | Art With Miss Rachel
http://artwithrmotta.blogspot.com/2010/04/naea-convention-2010-presentation.html
Art Teachers Bring 21st-Century Vision to 2010 Conference. Art teachers face a tsunami of budget cuts, despite playing a key role in the development of 21st century skills—sound familiar? I was fortunate enough to attend the annual conference of the National Art Education Association, held April 14–18 in Baltimore, Maryland.
4-28-10
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO OPEN EXHIBIT OF ART WORKS FROM NINE COLORADO PUBLIC SCHOOLS. The U.S. Department of Education will open “Art at the Apex: An Exhibit of Works by Colorado Students” in the Department’s National Library of Education on May 4 at 11 a.m. The 32 works in the exhibit were created by students from nine Colorado public schools in grades one through 12 and reflect the students’ concern for their environments, their exploration into self-discovery, and their respect for cultural diversity. The exhibit will open with a ribbon-cutting and continue throughout the month of May.
To attend the opening of “Art at the Apex,” visit the exhibit and receive more information about the Department’s Student Art Exhibit Program, contact Jackye Zimmermann at 202-401-0762 or at Jacquelyn.zimmermann@ed.gov.
Arts Education Partnership ArtsEd Digest, Volume 2, Issue 8 - April 27, 2010
4-27-10
U.S. Department of Education 2009-2010 FRSS Arts in Education Surveys
The collaboration between the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and the Office of Innovation and Improvement (OII) to conduct seven surveys on arts education is still ongoing. The surveys are being conducted by Westat through the NCES Fast Response Survey System (FRSS), which was used to conduct previous national surveys on arts education in 1999-2000 and 1994-1995. The current study was requested by Congress to provide a status update on arts education across the U.S.
4-26-10
Public Voting Begins Today for Race to the Top High School Commencement Challenge. President Obama to choose national winner from three finalists selected by public. From 8 a.m. EDT on Monday, April 26th through 11:59 p.m. EDT on Thursday, April 29, 2010, the public will have an opportunity to review and rate a three-minute video and short essay from each of the six high school finalists.
4-9-10
ADVOCACY VIDEO: "Save the arts"
Before It Ends, Schools ‘Race’ Is a Success. Critics of the Obama administration’s signature education initiative have been breathing fire since it was announced that only Delaware and Tennessee had won first-round grants under the program, known as Race to the Top. Politicians from some losing states have denounced the well-designed scoring system under which the 16 finalists were evaluated. Others have thrown up their hands, suggesting that retooling applications for the next round is more trouble than it’s worth. (The New York Times, 4/7)
ASCD Unveils 2010 Legislative Priorities, Responds to White House ESEA Blueprint. The Legislative Agenda is the guiding tool for ASCD's policy work and has never been more important than in this pivotal year with the looming reauthorization of the Elementary Secondary Education Act (ESEA). Our agenda will be the starting point to inform and respond to ESEA policy proposals and any other legislative initiatives impacting children, educators, and schools.
Critics say administration’s blueprint is too similar to NCLB
Despite some positive steps, critics worry that President Obama's blueprint for school reform will repeat bad habits. As the Obama administration seeks support for its plan to rewrite the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), many education policy analysts worry that the new blueprint’s guidelines are too reminiscent of the Bush-era No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB)—most notably by continuing to place too much focus on high-stakes testing. (eSchool News, 3/30)
Call for Teaching Artists with Disabilities. Fellowships for Teaching Artists with Disabilities in the Visual and Performing Arts. Application Deadline: April 23, 2010.
BLOG: Why the Arts Matter: One Kid's Story. Really Two (Blogs.Courant.com, 3/25)
You Decide: Viewers Choose the art:21 100th Exclusive Video. As art:21 nears its 100th episode of the Exclusive video series they are asking viewers to decide which video (and artist) will have the distinction of being the big one zero zero. Up for consideration are videos on the artists Mary Heilmann, Mike Kelley, William Kentridge, Beryl Korot, and Julie Mehretu. View preview clips and vote today on the Art21 Blog. Voting ends Thursday, April 1st. Can you guess which artist is currently in the lead?
House of Representatives Introduces National Whole Child Resolution. At the beginning of March, Representative Moran introduced in the U.S. House the first-ever national Whole Child Resolution, which would make a whole child approach to education a national priority and designate March as "National Whole Child Month." Over 500 people have already sent a letter urging their member of Congress to cosponsor House Resolution (H. Res.) 1093. It's not too late for you to do the same! Urge your member of Congress to cosponsor the Whole Child Resolution by sending a letter today.
New! Groundbreaking Seven-Year Museum Study Provides Unprecedented Insight into Visitor Preferences for Experiencing Art And Offers New Model for Engaging Diverse Audiences. Directed by Dallas Museum of Art, Innovative Audience Research Has Deep Ramifications for Museum Field.
Artists and Dog Lovers Invited to Submit Work for New Book. BookCollaborative.com is now inviting artists to submit their favorite original photographs and artwork inspired by man's best friend, the dog. Artist's work will be featured in a new book, to be published fall 2010, entitled "DOG SAYINGS: wit & wisdom from man's best friend." The book will showcase some of the best artwork and original photographs inspired by dogs along with the funniest, most insightful and heart-warming dog related quotations. Artists can submit up to five high-resolution images to dogsayings@gmail.com by April 30, 2010. DOG SAYINGS is open to art of any kind including digital images of paintings, drawings, sculpture, cartoons etc.
Art teachers urged to take risks with new technology. Art teachers should overcome their fear of risk-taking and schools should embrace mobile phones and other technology, according to the academic behind a new degree in the subject. (HeraldScotland, 3/4)
OMA (Opening Minds through the Arts) Program: Arts Integration Academy, June 1-4; June 14-17, August 2-5.
4-6-10
The Kennedy Center National Partnerships UPDATE View: The Kennedy Center’s 2010-2011 season announcement; information about the Kennedy Center Arts Management Institute Fellowship, LEAD 2010 Conference, and CETA Resource Binder; an introduction to Kennedy Center Teaching Artist Cynthia Word; an update on the Arts in Crisis 50 State Tour; Partners in Education and KCAAEN news and updates; plus many resources and notices about upcoming events in arts education.
Congressional Hearing on Arts Funding set for April 13 during Arts Advocacy Day. Americans for the Arts, in conjunction with the Congressional Arts Caucus and 86 national co-sponsors, celebrates Arts Advocacy Day 2010 in which more than 400 grassroots arts supporters from across the U.S. take to Capitol Hill to advocate for pro-arts legislation. (BroadwayWorld.com, 4/2)
Monthly arts advocacy meetings bring latest news to local arts leaders. In October of 2009, the Washington State Arts Alliance (WSAA) brought monthly arts advocacy meetings to the city of Tacoma so that artists, art educators, arts leaders and the public can all gather, make connections and find out what is currently happening in the arts on local, state and national levels. WSAA began in 1977 as a statewide arts advocacy organization promoting public funding, legislation and policy for arts. The group understands that strength comes in numbers, so they gather communities with leaders to learn about local, state and national issues affecting constituents through knowledge, understanding and networking. (TacomaWeekly, 3/31)
Competition Will Be Fierce for 'i3' Grants. About 2,490 districts and nonprofits have indicated they are going to throw their hats into the ring in hopes of nabbing part of the $650 million Investing in Innovation grant program. (Education Week, 4/2)
Support Americans for the Arts! Americans for the Arts is a featured nonprofit on the Members Project, a new online collaboration from American Express and its social media partner, TakePart. We have a chance to receive support from the sponsors for our work in providing professional development for arts marketers and administrators. They are asking members and friends to register online and cast a vote for Americans for the Arts in the Arts & Culture category. You can vote online once a week, now through May 24. And if you have a Facebook account, you can easily register through Facebook Connect. This is an amazing opportunity for those who love the arts to come together!
NJ Artist/Teacher Institute-Registration for aTi Summer 2010 is open! Co-sponsored by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts and Arts Horizons and now in its 35th season, The Artist/Teacher Institute (aTi) provides classroom teachers, administrators, students and artists with in-depth, hands-on experiences in a variety of art forms that encourage professional growth and discovery. By expanding their creativity, participants learn new skills to integrate arts into their curriculum and professional practice while connecting with a community of peers. Led by internationally renowned master teaching artists, aTi 2010 summer workshops include Book Arts, Latin Dance, Modern Dance, Creative Movement, Music, Printmaking, Playwriting, Theatre, Games & Improv, Oil Painting, Glass Painting, Installation Art, Poetry Out Loud and Memoir. Visit the aTi FAQ page, learn more about aTi experiences from past participants and view the aTimpact blog to see how teachers are bringing aTi back to their classrooms. SESSION 1:
JULY 12 - 23, 2010, Mondays - Fridays 9am - 3pm, William Paterson University, Wayne, NJ; SESSION 2: AUGUST 2 - 13, 2010, Mondays-Fridays 9am-3pm, Rutgers University, Camden, New Jersey. Contact aTi@artshorizons.org to learn more and register.
Harn Museum of Art at the University of Florida to Host Symposium Exploring the Intersection of Art and Democracy. International scholars will convene at the Harn Museum of Art this April to discuss the dynamic interchange between art and politics. The symposium, free and open to the public, will be held April 9 and 10. "Art and Democracy," presented in conjunction with the exhibition Project Europa: Imagining the (Im)Possible, will address the relationship of art and artists to democracy, and the ways that artists mediate the vital and critical political issues of their time.
HAGERTY ANNOUNCES SECOND ANNUAL YOUNG DESIGNERS CONTEST: “DESIGNING YOUR FUTURE”. Youth –Focused Suite of Programs Under Hagerty Initiative Operation Ignite! Encourages the “Next Generation of Collectors, Next Generation of Cars”. The contest invites youth ages 13 to 17 to combine their art skills, personality and creativity into a futuristic design of their favorite collector automobile as it would look if it was created in 2060. All renderings will be uploaded to Hagerty.com, where the public will vote for their favorite design. The top five finalists will receive an all expense-paid trip with a guardian to the famed Monterey Classic Car Week August 11-15, 2010 for final judging at the Hagerty reception during the week. For further information, please visit www.hagerty.com/contest or contact Tabetha Salsbury, Youth Advocacy Coordinator, at 800-922.4050, ext. 8137 or tsalsbury@hagerty.com.
4-5-10
$3.4 Billion Is Left in Race to Top Aid. Federal grants to Delaware and Tennessee set the dynamic for the next round of funding decisions. Mr. Duncan praised the two states, which edged out front-runners Florida and Louisiana, for mustering strong district and teachers’-union support for their plans, for having superior data systems, and for submitting comprehensive proposals that touched “every single child” statewide. And he challenged states to compete as vigorously for round-two grants, saying there could be 10 to 15 winners. Applications are due June 1, and the awards will be made in September.
(Education Week, 4/2 )
Resources: States' Applications, Scores and Comments. As part of its commitment to transparency in governance, the Department is providing the public with the applications it received from states applying to the Race to the Top program and the reviewers' scores and comments. A minimal amount of personal information has been redacted from the applications. The videos of the State presentations will be posted here by April 9th. View: Summary chart of the Phase 1 scores for each State; Detail chart of the Phase 1 scores for each State; and Tier 2 presentation teams from each finalist State. (Ed.gov)
How to Create a Professional Learning Community. It takes careful planning to form a useful and functional PLC, but once the foundation is built, the benefits will soon be evident. Learn a few tips to consider when planning a professional learning community:
Assessing Elementary and Secondary Education Act Renewal in 2010. "As policymakers and education advocates await details on how the Obama administration plans to move forward with its recently unveiled blueprint for reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), the chances of an ESEA renewal this year remain tough to gauge. (Edutopia, Education Week, 3/26)
2010–2011 Kennedy Center Fellowship Applications Due April 21, 2010. The Kennedy Center Arts Management Institute Fellowship provides 10 mid-career arts managers with academic training and practical work experience at the nation's cultural center, one of the world's largest and most dynamic performing arts institutions. Fellows study with senior staff in weekly seminars, and compliment that study with practical work rotations in three departments and working relationships with senior staff. The nine-month, full-time program begins September 2010 and includes a $20,000 stipend, coursework materials, and health insurance reimbursement.
Nominate an Outstanding Young Educator. ASCD is seeking nominations for its 2011 Outstanding Young Educator Award. Successful candidates demonstrate exemplary commitment to educating the whole child, are leaders among their colleagues and their community, and have made a positive effect on student achievement.
Daniel Springer, NAEA Member, and teacher at Dennis-Yarmouth Regional High School receives Arts Educator of the Year Award. After receiving his MA in English from Northeastern University, Springer received a BFA from Parsons School of Design in NYC. Springer has been teaching the arts at D-Y Regional High School for more than 15 years. He currently chairs the Fine & Performing Arts Department at D-Y. He also teaches a variety of classes including writing, drama, acting, digital art, drawing, printmaking, advertising and humanities. He sits on the Advisory Board of the Cape Cod & Islands Art Educators Association and teaches at the Cape Cod Museum of Art (CCMA).
-http://parsonsillustration.wordpress.com/2010/02/24/parsons-illustration-alum-dan-springer-wins-arts-educator-of-the-year-award/
-http://www.wickedlocal.com/dennis/fun/entertainment/arts/x2102350046/PHOTO-GALLERY-D-Y-s--Dan-Springer-Arts-Educator-of-the-Year
-http://www.massarted.com/news.html
The Virginia Art Education Association (VAEA) is calling for proposals for its VAEA Fall Professional Development Conference to be held November 4-6 at the Sheraton Norfolk Waterside Hotel. Presentation Proposals are now ONLINE. The deadline for submissions is June 15, 2010. For more information, contact Maripat Hyatt, VAEA Vice President, at vaeaproposals@gmail.com.
MONTHLY MENTOR: Meet April's Mentor, Zerric Clinton!
Zerric Clinton is a native of Hazlehurst, Georgia. He is a graduate of Valdosta State University where he received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art Education and a Masters Degree in Educational Leadership. Upon receiving his BFA in Art Education he began teaching at Cairo High School where he has served for the past fifteen years. Zerric was selected as the most influential teacher of an honor student for the 2004-2005 school year. In the fall of 2004 Zerric began working on his Ph.D. in Art Education and plans to graduate May 1, 2010. Read his full bio at http://www.arteducators.org/mentor.
View R. Barry Shauck's Message from the President / NAEA News April 2010: The Arts and Public Priorities/K-12 Public Visual Arts Education in the United States and Its Potential to Affect the Quality of Life "This article is the last of five installments in a series on cultivating art education in our public democracy. It endeavors to connect Americans’ regard for the quality of life to purposes for art education in our society. It builds upon prior installments that discussed the role of arts education in American schooling to ensure liberty by protecting our nation and maintaining its security, to cultivate democracy, to foster community, and to promote prosperity."
Read Deborah B. Reeve's Cleansing the Palette / NAEA News April 2010 "In this episode of our “Year of Acting Assertively,” I want to talk about Arenas: the spaces and places where Acting Assertively has been distinctively productive. To best support and champion you in your work, NAEA must break new ground and push beyond what’s expected."
NAEA News Moves to Combined Summer Issue
The June/August NAEA News will be combined to create one Summer issue, covering the National Convention, that will mail late June or early July. Please send submissions to naeanews@arteducators.org for the summer issue by Monday, May 17. The next issue will be October, with a deadline of August 12 for submissions.
View "Tips for the 2010 NAEA National Convention" in Baltimore, Maryland, courtesy of the Getty Art Educators Listserv!
MARCH
3-31-010
Arts vital to creative workforce. President Obama’s arts platform statement included support for arts education, stating that: “In addition to giving our children the science and math skills they need to compete in the new global context, we should also encourage the ability to think creatively that comes from a meaningful arts education.” (BradentonHerald, 3/30)
Fulbright Scholar Program and the Institute of International Education in Washington, DC Announce that the Core Fulbright Scholar Competition for 2011-2012 is now open! Over 800 grants are available for teaching, conducting research, or combining both in more than 125 countries around the globe. The deadline is August 2. If you are interested in requesting information, please write to scholars@iie.org.
Announcing the Ceramic Arts Daily Community Forum and New Education Resources for Students and Educators. The easy-to-navigate, revamped education section includes lesson plans and project ideas for K-12 through the college level, how-to videos, downloadable charts, handouts, visual aids and other useful materials for teachers and students. We’ll be adding new materials all the time so we expect this to grow to be an indispensable resource for students and educators alike.
'Race to the Top' actually forcing states to run. Out of 16 finalists, the administration only gave money to two of them (which, as Jay Matthews notes, will make the results easier to track). That means there's more than $3 billion left in the pot. And the efforts made by the winners are instructive: Tennessee's legislature, for instance, met in two special sessions and passed a law lifting the cap on charter schools. It also got endorsements from 93 percent of the state's teachers unions. This is empowering reformers in other states to demand similar efforts. (The Washington Post, 3/30)
3-29-10
Delaware and Tennessee Win Race to Top. Finally making good on promises to set a "very, very high bar" for Race to the Top, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan has picked Delaware and Tennessee as Round 1 winners of the $4 billion education-reform competition, according to an official who was briefed on the winners this morning. (The Education Department has now confirmed this via Twitter.) While both of these states were thought to have strong applications, what's most interesting is the two front-runners who didn't win: Florida and Louisiana. We don't know yet how much money each state won, but Delaware asked for $107 million (their top-line budget was $75 million) and Tennessee asked for $502 million (or twice the $250 million the education department had budgeted). Each of those requests was above the state-by-state nonbinding estimates the department had set. (Education Week, Politics K-12 Blog, 3/29)
Race to the Top News: Secretary Duncan is supposed to announce RTTT Phase 1 winners Monday, March 29, at 1:30 pm EST. More information will be posted as it becomes available.
ESEA Renewal Blueprint Faces Legislative Hurdles. As policymakers and education advocates await details on how the Obama administration plans to move forward with its recently unveiled blueprint for reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, the chances of an ESEA renewal this year remain tough to gauge.
(Education Week, 3/26)
ESEA Plan Would Add 'Well-Rounded Education' Fund. The Obama administration’s plan for renewal of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act would consolidate more than a dozen learning-related programs into three competitive funding streams focused on literacy; the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, or STEM; and a catchall category dubbed a “well-rounded education.”
(Education Week, 3/26)
Can States With Such Big Budget Woes Really Race to the Top?
(3/25, Politics K-12 Blog, Education Week)
Race to Top Unlikely to Live Up to Hype, Critic Says
(3/26, State EdWatch Blog, Education Week)
On the Road With RTTT
(3/25, Rick Hess Straight Up Blog, Education Week)
3-26-10
Download the White Paper: Marzano White Paper on Race to The Top [2 MB]. Creating an Aligned System to Develop Great Teachers within the Federal Race to the Top Initiative Race to the Top will place pressure on districts to increase teacher and principal effectiveness unlike ever before. Dr. Marzano and his colleagues discuss how to create an aligned system to supervise, support, and develop great teachers in every classroom. The foundation begins with a comprehensive, research-based common language or model of instruction.
3-24-10
Chiefs Press Education Secretary on ESEA Issues. In an 11-page policy statement it released Tuesday afternoon, CCSSO outlined several broad principles, as well as more finely honed recommendations for how the ESEA, now known as the No Child Left Behind Act, law ought to be rewritten. The overarching theme is that the states, not the federal government, ought to be taking the lead on setting education policy. (Education Week, 3/34)
Teaching Art Brings Benefits For A Lifetime. Art and art education present certain benefits to children that, while hard to quantify or gauge, offer rich means of broadening their experiences and help to shape their perspectives on a wealth of subjects. (Home and Family blog, www.thebedlam.net)
View Summary of "Doing Well and Doing Good by Doing Art". In the late 1990s, James Catterall and colleagues analyzed data from the National Educational Longitudinal Survey (NELS:88), a study of some 25,000 secondary school students over four years, and found significant connections between high involvement in arts learning and general academic success. In 2009, Catterall analyzed ten additional years of data related to the same cohort of students, now age 26. The results strongly connect arts learning with both general academic success and pro?social outcomes. (AEP Wire, 3/9/10)
Teaching art in the modern world. While technology has changed things, old-fashioned work can be seen at the Lompoc Library’s Grossman Gallery. It’s easy to imagine that over time, little has changed in the teaching of art. The techniques for drawing a rose are much the same today as they were in the time of Michelangelo or Picasso. Those time-tested hand skills are on display at the Grossman Gallery in the drawings of birds, human faces, roses, abstract patterns and living rooms. Yet technology has seeped into the art world. As computers have all but taken over graphic design, and digital photography has become ubiquitous, these technologies have been embraced in the schools’ art departments. (SantaMariaTimes.com, 3/24)
TAKE ACTION NOW! ArtsEd Washington launches new Parent Toolkit for School Board Advocacy. Over the next few weeks, every district and School Board in Washington State will be examining its budget and many will seek community input in making the decisions on areas to be cut. It’s fair to assume that the arts will be vulnerable in these discussions. School Boards may not have heard much this year from those of us that support the arts. They may assume that we won’t mind if they remove arts learning from our child’s education. So now is the time to tell them that we do care. Executive Director, Una McAlinden, herself a parent of public school students, is “in the trenches” in her own district and wants to share the parent engagement ideas that she has developed. Read her Parent to Parent letter here and the Action Alert and Toolkit here. Additional support for School Board Advocacy is available here.
National Endowment for the Arts Presents Live Webcast of its 169th National Council on the Arts Meeting, Friday, March 26, 2010, 9:00 am. Members of the public are invited to attend in person or log on to www.arts.gov for a live webcast. The meeting will be held in Room M-09 of The Nancy Hanks Center, 1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C. The meeting will feature a presentation on the NEA's research report, The Survey of Public Participation in the Arts.
SEEING IT THROUGH: Advanced Strategies for Influencing Education Policy, 2009 EDUCATION GRANTMAKERS INSTITUTE (from MAY 19 – 21, 2009, HARVARD GRADUATE SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS). (EdFunders.org, 2/10)
BLOGS:
Congressional Pushback on Race to Top, Competitive Grants (EdWeek.org Politics K-12 Blog, 3/22)
Who Shouldn't Bother Applying for i3? (EdWeek.org Politics K-12 Blog, 3/22)
3-23-10
Endowment for the Arts Announces Research on Informal Arts Participation in Rural and Urban Areas. Any serious reckoning of how Americans participate in arts and cultural activities must account for demographic and geographic diversity. Prior National Endowment for the Arts publications, including the 2008 Survey of Public Participation in the Arts, already have examined the age, race/ethnicity, gender, and education and income status of arts-goers. Another way to understand arts participation is by asking where it takes place. Come as You Are: Informal Arts Participation in Urban and Rural Communities is the NEA's first research publication in several years to examine the "informal arts" -- such as playing a musical instrument, attending an art event at a place of worship, or visiting a craft fair. Click here to download your copy.
Save the Redwoods League, the only nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting ancient redwood forests throughout their natural range, announced a free nationwide redwood art contest for kids to support awareness and protection of redwood forests. The League challenges K-12 students to create a postcard illustrating what inspires them most about redwood forests, with a short note to President Obama about why he should care about redwoods on the back side of the card. The League is now accepting submissions from students in three age categories: ages 5-9, ages 10-13 and ages 14-18. Contest information and official entry forms are available at SaveTheRedwoods.org/ArtContest. Contestants can also request an entry form by calling 415-362-2352 or emailing education@SaveTheRedwoods.org. All postcard submissions and completed contest entry forms must be postmarked or hand-delivered by April 30, 2010, 5 p.m. PST.
Not Sure if Something is Art? There's an App for That. Have you ever walked past a questionable piece of street art or visited a contemporary art gallery where you were unsure if something was part of the exhibition? As of this week, iPhone users can visit the Apple App Store and download a FREE application that will help them make sense of their artistic surroundings. The Mattress Factory, a museum of contemporary installation art, and Deeplocal, a design and innovation studio, both based in Pittsburgh, have partnered to develop the “Is This Art?” iPhone application. Using the iPhone’s camera, users snap a picture of something they think might be art and the application instantly delivers the results. Users can also upload their images and results to a website where anyone can comment, react and share the images on social networks like Twitter and Facebook.
OPINION: Don't cheat children out of arts education. The point of arts education - actually of education in general - is to encourage students to investigate the world, to experiment and to test ideas, to gain skills for expressing themselves. Art teaches critical and imaginative thinking, which is more important than ever in a rapidly changing world.
Arts Advocacy-See what states are doing across our country to promote arts education!
WASHINGTON, DC: NATIONAL ARTS ADVOCACY DAY, April 12–13, 2010
MARYLAND | MINNESOTA | NEW YORK | RHODE ISLAND | VERMONT
How is Youth Art Month being supported in your community? Watch "Blick's Support of the Arts" (click on image).
The arts ignite children's creativity, innovation and imagination. Learning about and experiencing the arts gives kids a sense of culture and sophistication, and respect for the human spirit of creativity, says Sarah Tambucci, the director of the Arts Education Collaborative. "Everything that is an arts experience for a child is a way of opening a door to a broader world ... The arts teach children creativity, innovation and imagination. "Arts also teach children that problems can have more than one solution ... and questions can have more than one answer. The arts help our children ... celebrate multiple perspectives. There are many different ways of seeing the world and interpreting the world." (PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW, 3/15)
Endangered Species Day Art Contest-Deadline for entries is March 26, 2010. The national Endangered Species Day Art contest provides young people with an opportunity to learn about endangered species and express their knowledge and support through artwork. The contest is organized by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Endangered Species Coalition, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and the Ogden Museum of Southern Art/ University of New Orleans, and is open to students nationwide from Kindergarten to High School. Semifinalists will be shown at a reception at the Odgen Musem of Southern Art/ University of New Orleans. The contest’s winner will be honored with their name engraved on a special trophy designed by a gifted young artist and will also be recognized at a reception in Washington, D.C. in May, 2010. The four finalists from each grade category will receive a DVD copy of Furry Vengeance, the new movie due in theatres April 30, 2010, as well as a screening to be held at each winner's school in the fall!
3-22-10
Obama administration offers details of changes proposed for NCLB. Schools will be labeled as high-performing, needs improvement or chronically low-performing under President Barack Obama's proposed revisions to No Child Left Behind, and more of an emphasis would be placed on student progress in a wider range of subjects, rather than just student scores in reading and math. Obama released his full proposal to Congress on Saturday and encouraged lawmakers to overhaul the law this year. (Education Week, premium article access compliments of EdWeek.org, 3/13)
Obama Administration's Blueprint to Reauthorize ESEA Mirrors ASCD's Agenda. The Obama administration unveils its much anticipated proposal to reauthorize ESEA this week. The "blueprint" is a 41-page overview of the president's reform priorities to fix the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) and dramatically revamp federal involvement in education. The blueprint's overarching goal is to ensure all students are college- and career-ready upon high school graduation. To achieve this, the blueprint proposes higher state standards, new assessments, a fairer accountability system, more effective teachers and principals, and a more complete education beyond the past decade-long focus on reading and math. ASCD is extremely encouraged that the administration's new ESEA blueprint is well-aligned with the work of educating the whole child and ASCD's 2010 Legislative Agenda, which was introduced at ASCD's Annual Conference last week in San Antonio. The blueprint is just an outline, and Congress still needs to work out many important details. With Democrats chairing both the House and Senate Education Committees, the Obama blueprint will be the starting point and a guide as the legislation is drafted. Senate Education CommitteChairman Harkin hopes to pass a bill out of committee by May, and for it to be approved by the full Senate in June. Read ASCD's statement on the White House blueprint. Read the blueprint. (ASCD SmartBrief, 3/21)
Leaders to Learn about ASCD's 2010 Legislative Agenda. Sign up for the March L2L Web seminar-"Advocacy in Action: An Introduction to the 2010 ASCD Legislative Agenda." This is a pivotal time to learn more about ASCD's new agenda and get involved in advocacy efforts with the upcoming ESEA reauthorization. The seminar is scheduled for Wednesday, March 24, 2010, at 3:00 p.m. ET. (ASCD SmartBrief, 3/21)
ASCD Needs YOUR Help: Pass the Whole Child Resolution. Educator Advocates have helped produce impressive letters to their representatives urging them to cosponsor the Whole Child Resolution. But some districts' lawmakers still need to hear from you. If you have not done so already, now is the time to ask your representative to go on record as committed to ensuring each child, in each school, in each of our communities is healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged. H.Res. 1093 designates March as National Whole Child Month and makes a whole child approach to education a national priority. Send a letter to your representative. (ASCD SmartBrief, 3/21)
ESEA Plan Draws Bipartisan Praise—and Questions. Less than a week after it was unveiled, the Obama administration’s blueprint for overhauling the Elementary and Secondary Education Act is drawing both bipartisan support and skepticism from the congressional committees tasked with the law’s reauthorization. (Education Week, 3/17)
3-18-10
Museums Advocacy Day 2010, March 22-23. This is your chance to get advocacy and policy training and then take our case to Capitol Hill alongside fellow advocates from your state and congressional district. The entire museum field is welcome to participate.
March 22 will be a critical day of advocacy and policy training, to be held at the National Building Museum, featuring:
*A briefing on the museum field’s legislative agenda
*Tips on meeting with elected officials and the stats you need to make your case
*Instruction on how to participate in year-round advocacy and engage your elected officials in the ongoing work of your museum
*Networking with advocates from your state on the following day’s Capitol Hill visits
*An evening reception with Members of Congress and staff invited
On March 23, we will take our message to Capitol Hill.
Advocates will gather in groups by state and congressional districts to make coordinated visits to House and Senate offices to make the case for increased federal support for museums.
ITINERARY | ONLINE REGISTRATION | REGISTRATION FORM
Target Stores Grant Program to Support Arts Programs for Kids. "Through its 2010 Store Grant program, Target will provide direct support to K–12 schools and other nonprofit organizations that provide art experiences. In the Art and Culture in Schools category, Target will fund in-school arts programs that enhance student's classroom curriculum by bringing arts and cultural experiences such as in-school performances, artist-in-residency programs, and workshops to schools...Grants in the amount of $2,000 each will be made for programs taking place between September 1, 2010, and August 1, 2011. Visit the
company's website for complete program guidelines and application instructions."
(Philanthropy News Digest, 3/14/10)
The Arts in Education: Essential or Not? Every time I scan the news I see another article about cutting the arts from education. It saddens me. Deeply. I know that budget cuts are very real and that there are no easy decisions or answers. Here's the thing: to me, the timing could not be worse. (SchoolFamily.com, 3/10)
Artspace Announces 2010 Summer Arts Program And Scholarship Fund. Raleigh Nonprofit Visual Art Center To Host Adult And Youth Arts Program. The visual art center will hold a project-oriented youth, teen and adult summer art program. The program, which takes place from June 14 through Aug. 14 for children and April 30 through Aug. 14 for adults, provides an opportunity for students to work directly with professional artists who teach new skills and individual expression.
SAIC 2010 Final Statement. More than 400 talented School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) students are completing their undergraduate and graduate degrees this spring. SAIC invites you to take part and enjoy these not-to-be-missed year-end thesis exhibitions and presentations. All events are free and open to the public.
Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts at Washington University in St. Louis 2010 Summer Programs. The Sam Fox School offers a variety of summer programs that foster creative expression and enrichment in both art and architecture. View the list of on-campus opportunities, and learn about international programs online.
ARTiSTiC-i was developed by a professional artist and tested it in a classroom setting with the goal of teaching and understanding principles of design with simplicity, efficiency, and visual clarity. Because these principles apply across the spectrum of visual media, the ARTiSTiC-i tools and methods apply to painting, illustration, photography, graphic design, and many other forms of visual art.
44th Annual Smithsonian Kite Festival, Saturday, March 27; 10 am to 4 pm (rain date: March 28), The Washington Monument, 15th Street & Independence Ave., The National Mall, Washington, DC. The Festival is a free, public event organized by The Smithsonian Associates and the National Air and Space Museum and features handmade kite competitions, activity tents, demonstrations and kite displays. This year’s festival will celebrate the art and craft of kite making. Spectators can participate in traditional craft and kite making activities and learn about the history of kites. One thousand free mini kites will be distributed to children on a first-come, first-served basis.
The 25th Chelsea International Fine Art Competition. Deadline extended to March 21st, 2010.
Otis MFA Public Practice seeks proposals for a studio/artist’s project for the Fall 2010 Semester. Beginning in late August through mid-December, the visiting artists will work with entering graduate students to produce a project that engages with public audiences and issues in the greater Los Angeles area. Proposals are invited for a 15-week Production Studio that includes 6 hours of class meetings per week, resulting in a completed project with students. For more information, call (310) 846-2610. Deadline for proposals: May 1, 2010.
The Southeast Center for Education in the Arts third national Arts & Education Forum: Arts @ the Core of 21st Century Learning, Chattanooga, TN, May 14-15. The Forum will examine how artistic concepts and processes can be illuminated and propagated for more creative and meaningful instruction throughout the curriculum. Analyzing, questioning, imagining, and reflecting, participants will experience, discuss, and explore the influence the arts can have on 21st century competencies, and conversely the impact of integrated teaching and learning on arts education. For more information contact Kim Wheetley at 423-425-5205 or kim-wheetley@utc.edu.
Summer Training Opportunities: Teacher Training in Folk Arts, Folklife, and Oral History, Local Learning. The National Network for Folk Arts in Education advocates inclusion of folk and traditional arts and culture in the nation’s education. Many are open to educators nationwide; others are for local participants. Contact Local Learning Director Paddy Bowman at paddybowman@verizon.net with questions or additional listings.
Fellowship Opportunity: Cultural Fellowships in Russia, Likhachev Foundation. Deadline: April 12, 2010. The Likhachev Foundation (St. Petersburg, Russia) together with Committee on External Relations of St. Petersburg and Fund of the First Russian President Boris N. Yeltsin (Moscow, Russia) announces competition for 2-week cultural fellowships in St. Petersburg from August 23 till September 5, 2010 for American professionals in the field of arts and culture who work on projects related to Russian culture. Airfare and accommodation in St. Petersburg will be covered by the organizers. If interested, contact competition coordinator Mrs. Elena Vitenberg at vitenberg@lfond.spb.ru.
3-17-10
Praxis II: Art Content Knowledge Test - Guide for Art Education Majors. The Praxis II: Art Content Knowledge test is a required exam for an Art Education major or potential Art teacher, that helps qualify for the state teaching license. Use this guide to learn what content is on the test and how you should prepare to take it. (Associated Content, 3/2)
Administration Seeks Converts to Education Plan. Facing intense resistance from teachers’ unions, the Obama administration has begun trying to persuade union leaders, teachers and the public that its proposals for overhauling federal education policies are good for teachers and for public schools. (The New York Times, 3/16)
Ten Questions About ESEA Reauthorization. Reaction from many groups has been generally positive (except, of course, the unions). But we haven't heard much from lawmakers, beyond canned statements (I guess they're busy with this), so the hearings should be interesting. (Education Week, 3/16)
Celebrate and Promote Art Education During Youth Art Month. What is Youth Art Month? Well, for one, it is a time when educators, art aficionados, and civic leaders advocate for art education in schools. During Youth Art Month, people have the opportunity to learn about the state of local and national funding for this kind of education. It can also be a month that celebrates children's creative expression and the development of young artists. Youth Art Month is sponsored by The Council for Art Education, but other organizations involved include The Association of Crafts and Creative Industries, the Hobby Industries Association, and the General Federation of Women's Clubs. (Associated Content, 2/26)
Art Education: What Does it Involve? In recent decades, art education has fallen by the wayside. Schools face budget cuts and have to decide where to devote funds. With schools being tested repeatedly on their students' proficiency in the areas of reading, math, and science, many art programs have been cut or drastically reduced. This is unfortunate because art education is as important to the overall education of a student as any other subject. Whether students are going to be engineers, doctors, lawyers, teachers, writers, or any other profession, art is integral to a full understanding of the world in which they live. (Associated Content, 12/24)
Art Teacher Without a Job? Staying Relevant in Art Education While Job-Hunting. If you are an Art teacher hunting for a teaching job, you cannot fall behind, but must keep active in the field of Art education by improving your skills and qualifications. Learn how to stay fresh and on top of your game. (Associated Content, 3/5)
3-16-10
Interest Turns to ESEA Plan's Chances of Passing. The administration's blueprint for replacing NCLB draws support from some—but sharp criticism from the national teachers' unions. (Education Week, 3/15)
Obama administration offers details of changes proposed for NCLB. Schools will be labeled as high-performing, needs improvement or chronically low-performing under President Barack Obama's proposed revisions to No Child Left Behind, and more of an emphasis would be placed on student progress in a wider range of subjects, rather than just student scores in reading and math. Obama released his full proposal to Congress on Saturday and encouraged lawmakers to overhaul the law this year. Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, was critical of the plan, which she said "appears to place 100 percent of responsibility on educators and gives them zero percent authority." (The Washington Post, 3/14)
Revised NCLB would affect schools differently. Successful schools would be rewarded with additional funding and flexibility under President Barack Obama's proposed overhaul of No Child Left Behind -- while the least-successful schools would face mandatory changes that in the most severe cases would result in the removal of the school's principal. The president of the California Teachers Association criticized Obama's plan, saying it maintains the "one-size-fits-all" approach of NCLB and that test scores should not be used to label schools. (The Washington Post, 3/16)
3-15-10
Administration Unveils ESEA Renewal Blueprint. U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan has released broad principles for renewing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act that seek to address perennial complaints that the law’s current version—the No Child Left Behind Act—is inflexible and doesn’t set a high enough bar for academic achievement. (Education Week, 3/13)
Presidential Weekly Address: Education for a More Competitive America & Better Future. The President discusses his blueprint for an updated Elementary and Secondary Education Act to overhaul No Child Left Behind, the latest step from his Administration to encourage change and success in America’s schools at the local level. (WhiteHouse.gov, 3/13/10)
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3-11-10
Check out this great video from The Right Brain Initiative!
Education expert says NCLB has caused schools to lose sight of goal. In an ideological switch, prominent education scholar Diane Ravitch says No Child Left Behind, the nation's foremost education law and one she once supported, has caused schools to lose sight of their goal. In her new book, "The Death and Life of the Great American School System," Ravitch explains how she has come to believe that NCLB is perpetuating "a cramped, mechanistic, profoundly anti-intellectual definition of education." Ravitch also criticizes modern charter schools, high-stakes testing and other free-market-style education reforms. (USA TODAY, 3/9)
Education Professor: Balance STEM Learning with Arts. Joseph Piro, an associate professor of curriculum and instruction at Long Island University's C.W. Post campus provides commentary on the importance of the arts being included in STEM education: "In the midst of all the STEM frenzy, we may want to do something riskier, and more imaginative, to save the country: turn STEM funding into STEAM funding. Inserting the letter A, for the arts, into the acronym could afford us even greater global advantage. Perhaps if we tried to achieve a synergistic balance between the arts and sciences we could curtail debates that have traditionally turned the issue of arts funding into an us-against-them argument. The ancient Greeks promoted not a hierarchy of subjects, but a continuum of learning. They made no firm distinction between the arts and the sciences, so why should we?" (Education Week, 3/9)
"What Makes a Great Teacher?" For years, the secrets to great teaching have seemed more like alchemy than science, a mix of motivational mumbo jumbo and misty-eyed tales of inspiration and dedication. But for more than a decade, one organization has been tracking hundreds of thousands of kids, and looking at why some teachers can move them three grade levels ahead in a year and others can’t. Now, as the Obama administration offers states more than $4 billion to identify and cultivate effective teachers, Teach for America is ready to release its data. (The Atlantic.com, 3/9)
The Davis Museum and Cultural Center, Wellesley College presents "Core Matters: Students, Faculty, Collections, a Symposium for College and University Art Museums", Friday April 30, 2010 & Saturday May 1, 2010. Core Matters will concentrate on the power and impact of direct experiences with works of art and the implications for the role of college and university art museums within their educational institutions. Through a series of panel discussions, conversations and dialogues issues of collection display, evaluation, student audiences, and faculty outreach will be examined.
3-10-10
Secretary Duncan Releases Application for $650 Million to Support Innovation. U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan today announced the Department of Education's final priorities and the grant application for the $650 million Investing in Innovation Fund (i3). The fund, which is part of the historic $5 billion investment in school reform in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), will support the development of path-breaking new ideas, the validation of approaches that have demonstrated promise, and the scale-up of the nation's most successful and proven education innovations.
Pre-Application Meetings. Pre-application meetings are designed to provide technical assistance to interested applicants for all three types of grants under the Investing in Innovation Fund (i3).
⇒Baltimore, Maryland: Fri., March 19, 2010, 10:00 am to 2:00 pm, BWI Marriot
⇒Denver, Colorado: Wed., March 24, 2010, 10:00 am to 2:00 pm, Marriot Denver Airport at Gateway Park
⇒Atlanta, Georgia: Tues., March 30, 2010, 10:00 am to 2:00 pm, Sheraton Gateway Hotel Atlanta Airport
Interested applicants who wish to attend the Pre-Application Workshops/Pre- Application Webinars must register online. (Education Week, 3/9)
3-9-10
TEXAS: SAISD [San Antonio] looks to add theater, visual arts at more schools. "The district has just three art teachers providing instruction at its nearly 60 traditional schools and special academies serving elementary-age children. Texas schools are required to provide instruction in the arts but they don't have to hire specially trained art teachers. Many schools, especially in the younger grades, leave the task up to regular classroom teachers who must fit art instruction in around “core” subjects such as reading and math." (San Antonio Express News, 3/3)
N.J. piloting use of electronic portfolios to customize learning. Students at 16 New Jersey middle and high schools have online personalized portfolios that include information about their individual learning preferences, interests, skills and career goals. The schools are part of a pilot program to test the use of learning plans -- similar to those provided to students in special education -- as a way to to help monitor students' progress and keep them on track to meet their academic goals.
NAEA MEMBERS: Click here to create your FREE e-Portfolio today, and see what all the talk is about!
Youth Art Month:
MASSACHUSETTS: Celebrating art & education. It’s Youth Arts Month at the Plymouth Center for the Arts, and to celebrate, the center will host the Plymouth Public School’s annual Youth Art Month exhibit, featuring the work of local students. (GateHouse News Service, 3/7)
GEORGIA: Youth Art Month at the Arts Center. In the past few days, regional art teachers have poured into the galleries of the Annette Howell Turner Center for the Arts. They have brought carloads of paintings, drawings and other art items created by their students. (The Valdosta Daily Times, 3/1)
NORTH CAROLINA: Youth Art Month is coming to Western Carolina University. WCU will host the annual Youth Art Month exhibit. An estimated 600 pieces of art from eight schools in Jackson County will be on display in the art exhibit. (Western Carolina University, University News, 3/3)
The International Sculpture Center (ISC) will hold it's 22nd International Sculpture Conference, April 7-9, 2010, London, UK–What is Sculpture in the 21st Century? Bringing sculptors from all over the globe together, this year's event will focus on the evolution of the definition of sculpture and what this term means today. This two and a half day event is expected bring together ISC members and non-members including artists, arts administrators, curators, patrons, museum directors, educators, and students for panels, dialogue and networking. The ISC, which began hosting sculpture conferences over 50 years ago, selected London as the location for it's first conference outside of North America, because of it's outstanding and vibrant setting for members of the international sculpture community to meet, network, and converse on what sculpture is during this inaugural international event.
3-8-10
Final Rules Unveiled for 'i3' Innovation Fund. The U.S. Department of Education today unveiled the final rules for its $650 million Investing in Innovation, or i3, grant program, standing fast in the face of criticism that its proposed guidelines demanded too much from applicants in the way of private-sector match and evidence to back up their proposals. (Education Week, 3/8)
The Pennsylvania State University's Art Education program offers a new online Master of Professional Studies in Art Education program delivered through the World Campus. The program is intended for location-bound adult professional art educators working at various sites throughout the world. It is for those who would like to improve their skills and knowledge as practicing art educators, culminating the program with an action-research project. An action-research approach encourages practitioners to study their pedagogical practice and utilize what they learn to enact actions intended to improve art education practice. Penn State's 30-credit World Campus online MPS in art education curriculum focuses on professional advancement in knowledge of art educational theory and practice. Contact Dr. Karen Keifer-Boyd with questions concerning the Master of Professional Studies (MPS) in Art Education Degree Program.
Why we can't get rid of failing teachers. The relative decline of American education at the elementary- and high-school levels has long been a national embarrassment as well as a threat to the nation's future. Once upon a time, American students tested better than any other students in the world. Now, ranked against European schoolchildren, America does about as well as Lithuania, behind at least 10 other nations. Within the United States, the achievement gap between white students and poor and minority students stubbornly persists—and as the population of disadvantaged students grows, overall scores continue to sag.
(Newsweek, 3/6)
INKED! Arts education is a great chance for local students. "Times are tough in education, but for the most part it’s the teachers and staff who are feeling most of the pain. The students, on the other hand, continue to be fortunate to have educational opportunities many of us never thought would have existed when we were in school. I hope parents and their children realize just how lucky they are to have these prime opportunities, especially in the arts. Utilize them, experience them and learn from them. The arts lead to a broader understanding and enjoyment of life and the world around us. To not seize the chances, to not embrace these opportunities, is to miss out on a fulfilling educational experience."(http://www.ivpressonline.com, 3/5)
3-5-10
40,000 Teachers Give Their Views on Education Reform in "Primary Sources". Teachers Call For Engaging Curriculum, Supportive Leadership, Clear Standards Common Across States in Survey by Scholastic Inc. and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. DOWLOAD REPORT
Together they released Primary Sources: America's Teachers on America's Schools, a landmark report presenting the results of a national survey of more than 40,000 public school teachers in grades pre-K to 12. The survey reveals that, while teachers have high expectations for their students, they overwhelmingly agree that too many students are leaving unprepared for success beyond high school. Primary Sources reveals teachers' thoughtful, nuanced views on issues at the heart of education reform – from performance pay and standardized tests to academic standards and teacher evaluation. Teacher responses reveal five powerful solutions to raise student achievement. (3/3)
Prof: Art programs need stronger emphasis in American schools. Many aspects of visual art education programs, such as teacher workload and funding, were negatively affected by the federal government's No Child Left Behind legislation, but class enrollment and staffing were less affected, according to a Purdue University professor. F. Robert Sabol, professor and chair of the Department of Art and Design, conducted a study in 2009 about how the 2002 No Child Left Behind legislation affected visual art education in kindergarten through 12th-grade programs. The study, which included feedback from more than 3,400 educators, was supported by the National Art Education Association and National Art Education Foundation. Sabol is president-elect of the National Art Education Association. (Purdue University News Service, 3/4)
Scholar’s School Reform U-Turn Shakes Up Debate. Diane Ravitch, the education historian who built her intellectual reputation battling progressive educators and served in the first Bush administration’s Education Department, is in the final stages of an astonishing, slow-motion about-face on almost every stand she once took on American schooling. (The New York Times, 3/2)
In New Book, Ravitch Recants Long-Held Beliefs. Once a passionate advocate for injecting greater competition and accountability into the U.S. education system, the New York University scholar Diane Ravitch realized three years ago that her views had evolved to a point where she was contradicting herself on a regular basis. Like any good historian, she decided to set the record straight. (Education Week, 3/4)
Race to Top Enters Home Stretch With 16 Finalists. U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, in announcing the finalists March 4, said that no more than $2 billion will be divided among “very few winners” when the awards are given out in April—and suggested, in effect, that there would be seven or fewer victors.
UCM Department of ART & DESIGN - PRESENTATION BY ACCLAIMED SCHOLAR, ETHOLOGIST & AUTHOR ELLEN DISSANAYAKE. PUBLIC LECTURE TUESDAY MARCH 9, 2010 6 PM, MORRIS AUDITORIUM, THE UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL MISSOURI. LECTURE TITLE: THE DEEP STRUCTURE OF THE ARTS: REVEALING THEIR BIOLOGICAL NATURE. Dissanayake is currently an Affiliate Professor in the School of Music at the University of Washington and the author of Art and Intimacy: How the Arts Began, Homo Aestheticus: Where Art Comes From and Why, and What Is Art For? For more information visit http://www.ucmo.edu/art
3-4-10
Congressman Moran Introduces Federal Whole Child Resolution. H. Res. 1093 Draws on ASCD's Work to Ensure Each Child Is Healthy, Safe, Engaged, Supported, and Challenged. Congressman Jim Moran (D-VA) recently introduced H. Res. 1093—the first-ever federal Whole Child Resolution—to designate March as "National Whole Child Month" and make a whole child approach to education a national priority. H. Res. 1093 is the result of ASCD's ongoing work with Congress and the Obama administration to ensure that our nation's education policy supports a comprehensive and coordinated approach to education that promotes the development of children who are healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged. View press release: http://www.ascd.org/news_media/Press_Room/News_Releases/Whole_Child_Resolution.aspx. You can send a letter to your U.S. representative and ask others in your community to support the national Whole Child Resolution. Make your voice heard today by sending a letter to your federal representative asking him or her to cosponsor H. Res. 1093.
(ASCD website, 3/3)
15 States Plus D.C. Are Named Race to the Top Finalists. And the highly anticipated Round One finalists are...Colorado, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, and Tennessee (Education Week, 3/4)
Youth Art Month (YAM) AROUND THE COUNTRY
NEW JERSEY: Youth Art Month to kick off on Tuesday
OREGON: Local students featured in Portland Museum of Art
WISCONSIN: Nekoosa students' works to be displayed as Alexander House celebrates Youth Art Month
WISCONSIN: Hamilton schools celebrate Youth Art Month with art show at Pauline Haass Public Library
TEXAS: Youth Art on Display - ‘Embrace the Arts’ to feature works from PHS students
What is your state doing? Send your events & activities in celebration of Youth Art Month to NAEA at webmaster@arteducators.org!
NEW YORK: Teachers College, Columbia University-Lecture Series: Current Issues in International Cultural Policy, May 24th-June 4th. Topics to Be Explored: overview of the objectives, models, and aims of cultural policy and the tools available to policy makers; analysis of the main changes in the environment in which cultural actors (e.g., policy makers, artist, funders, and cultural institutions) operate, and a consideration of the changes the cultural sector itself has experienced in recent years; globalization, philanthropy, the cultural industries, and leisure time. This course is intended for arts managers, arts funders and policy makers, artists, researchers, teachers, sympathizers, and thinkers. It is designed to provide a deeper understanding of some of the most pressing issues affecting the arts in the United States and around the world.
A Conversation with Martin Scorsese: The Importance of Visual Literacy. The filmmaker touches on topics ranging from the importance of teaching visual literacy to violence in films to the preservation of classic movies. More to this story.
Women's History – Teacher Resources. Recognize Women's History Month (March), by exploring the many important contributions of women, with our printables, lesson plans, and more.
PENNSYLVANIA: NET Nights at Moore-Building a Creative Life as a Teaching Artist-Conversation and Networking Reception, Friday, March 19, 6 – 8 pm, The Galleries at Moore, Moore College of Art & Design, Philadelphia, PA 19103. Free and open to the public. Conversation with a range of working artists to learn how their role as an arts educator enhances and sustains their creative lives. They will share their paths to becoming teaching artists, strategies for securing teaching artist positions, resources to build your skills as an educator, and their reflections on how they integrate their lives as educators and artists. For more information, call 215-965-4027.
A.R.T. - Art Resources in Teaching on Vimeo. A short video about ART and descriptions of how art education helps with math, abstract thinking and improves a child's educational experience in general.
3-2-10
Obama Wants to Consolidate Curriculum Programs. States and districts would have to compete for grants from three funds. As part of a budget plan designed to reshape federal support for education, President Barack Obama is seeking to consolidate more than a dozen discrete programs into three broader, competitive funds focused on “effective teaching and learning” across the academic-content areas. A chief concern is that the consolidation would lead to the neglect of issues Congress has long identified as national priorities, such as teaching U.S. history, boosting arts education, and distributing books to needy children. (Education Week, 3/3)
BLOG: Race to Top Madness Almost Here! So the Race to the Top finals are FINALLY here. All the hype, hoopla, and hysteria is about to reach its peak in a day or so when the Education Department reveals which states have made the finalist cut for Round One of the $4 billion contest for the coveted economic-stimulus grants. (Education Week, 3/1)
No Child Left Behind Updates. Current and archived coverage chronicles efforts and developments towards having all students reach proficiency in math and reading by 2014. (Education Week, 3/1)
Peer Reviewers Winnow Race to Top Hopefuls. Expert Panels Play Key Role in $4 Billion Economic-Stimulus Competition. In the competition for $4 billion in Race to the Top grants, states have made their best pitches, a secret jury has debated and scored their applications—and now U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan must decide who’s good enough to make it to the final round. Mr. Duncan’s announcement of the Race to the Top Fund finalists, which is expected as early as this week, caps a dash by the Department of Education to recruit, vet, and train peer reviewers who wield tremendous power in determining who will win this high-stakes education reform competition. (Education Week, 3/3)
White House Announces 2009 National Medal of Arts Recipients. President Barack Obama presented the National Medal of Arts to ten recipients for their outstanding achievements and support of the arts. The medals were presented by the president and Mrs. Michele Obama in an East Room ceremony at the White House. The National Medal of Arts is a White House initiative managed by the National Endowment for the Arts. Each year, the NEA organizes and oversees the National Medal of Arts nomination process and notifies the artists of their selection to receive a medal, the nation’s highest honor for artistic excellence. See who was honored in 2009. (NEA Website, http://www.nea.gov, 2/25)
3-1-10
Enter Your Students in a Google Design Competition. Are you a K-12 educator? Register for Doodle 4 Google, a competition where students design the Google logo using a theme. The winning student gets a $15,000 college scholarship, $25,000 to the school for new computers, and a chance to have his or her design on the Google.com homepage. Check out www.google.com/doodle4google for official rules and details.
WASHINGTON: The Avenue West Gallery, 122 S. Monroe, Spokane, WA 99201, has a call to artists for a juried exhibit of NW artists in painting and photography in August. For more information, prospectus, and application go to the web site www.avenuewestgallery.org or email jamilia1@centurytel.net, ktdensley@centurytel.net, or sandymooney42@comcast.net.
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE FOR VISUAL ARTS ORGANIZATIONS 2010. Deadline: March 15, 2010. National Alliance for Media Art and Culture (NAMAC) is seeking delegate nominations for the 2010 Leadership Institute for Visual Arts Organizations. Applicants should be visual arts organization leaders that have a demonstrated commitment to leadership in their local communities and/or the national field, as well as to their own professional development. NAMAC will bring together 20 leaders from visual and interdisciplinary arts organizations for a NAMAC Leadership Institute, June 12–16, 2010, at the Silver Falls Conference Center in Oregon. The Leadership Institute for Visual Arts Organizations is completely underwritten by The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts.
NEW PROGRAM: Parsons Launches MFA in Transdisciplinary Design. Parsons The New School for Design has announced a new Master of Fine Arts in Transdisciplinary Design, which will launch in Fall 2010. The studio-based program will serve as a laboratory to empower designers to face the complex challenges of today's 24/7, global culture, which are not easily addressed by a single design discipline, through new forms of collaborative, cross-disciplinary practice. For more information on the MFA in Transdisciplinary Design or these related programs, visit http://www.newschool.edu/transblog.
MONTHLY MENTOR: Meet March's Mentor, Bob Reeker!
Bob Reeker is a twenty-year veteran of education, teaching 18 years and working as a building administrator for two years. The past six years of his career have been spent at Eastridge Elementary School in Lincoln, Nebraska teaching students, K-5 in the areas of Visual Art and Integrated Technology. Bob is currently the NAEA Elementary Division Director and will end his directorship in 2011. He and a colleague, Lorinda Rice are running unopposed as co-presidents for the Nebraska Art Teachers Association. He has served as Youth Art Month Chair and Co-Chair as well as on awards and website committees for his state. Read his full bio at http://www.arteducators.org/mentor.
New! 
No Child Left Behind: A Study of Its Impact on Art Education. Research Study of Visual Arts Educators Details the Impact of NCLB on Curriculum, Instructional Practice, Assessment, Teacher Workloads, and Resources. View the Summary of Findings, Executive Summary, and Project Report of NCLB: A Study of Its Impact on Art Education Programs by F. Robert Sabol, Ph. D., Purdue University.
Supported by a Grant from the National Art Education Foundation
Endangered Species Day is a celebration of our nation’s wildlife and wild places - VIEW WINNERS HERE
Started in 2006 by the United States Congress, Endangered Species Day is an opportunity to learn about endangered species. The art contest is an integral part of the fifth annual national Endangered Species Day, May 21, 2010. The contest’s winner will be honored with a special trophy designed by a gifted young artist and will also be recognized at a reception in Washington, D.C. in May, 2010.
1-15-10
2010 Heinz Ketchup Creativity™ Contest. - VIEW WINNERS HERE Students from schools across the US in grades K-12 are invited to show their creativity for a chance to have their artwork appear on millions of Heinz® Ketchup packets! Now in its fourth year, the Heinz Ketchup Creativity™ Contest offers young artists the chance of winning national recognition and exciting rewards for themselves and their schools. Visit www.KetchupCreativity.com for more information, including contest kits and lesson plans.
Gloablization, Art, & Education
Elizabeth Manley Delacruz, Alice Arnold, Ann Kuo, and Michael Parsons, Editors
Timely research, critical analyses, narrative essays, and case studies from 49 scholars from all over the world examine how globalization interfaces not only with art and education, but also with local and regional cultural practices and identities, economies, political strategies, and ecological/environmental concerns of people around the world.
Got a Research Question? Ask A Fellow! "Ask A Fellow" is a project of the NAEA Distinguished Fellows intended to bring together researchers who have questions with Distinguished Fellows who have answers and can offer sound advice on research topics and projects. Art educators may submit questions about research or professional topics to the Distinguished Fellows at http://www.arteducators.org/contact. There they will find the "Ask A Fellow" link. From there, the question will be distributed to Distinguished Fellows for response. We expect one or two Fellows will find each question within their purview of interests, experience, and expertise. The questions should be clear and direct so they can be answered in a timely fashion. These collaborations are intended to be focused, functional, and temporary. A Distinguished Fellow will address the specific question and then exit from the discussion. "Ask A Fellow" is not intended for extended tenures, such as thesis or dissertation advisors or project collaborations.
National Art Education Association Website Wins APEX 2009 Award of Excellence! NAEA has been awarded the APEX 2009 Award of Excellence in the category of “Most Improved Web & Intranet Sites."
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The 30 Best iPhone Apps for Art Teachers - from The Teaching Palette. Since the launch of the iTunes App Store in July 2008, over 1 billion apps have been downloaded for use on the iTouch and iPhone. Currently, the App Store has 63,000 apps to choose from and it is no surprise that many of the iPhone/iTouch applications have educational value. Check out who made the cut for The Teaching Palette’s Best Apps for Art Teachers, along with some tips and suggested uses. Enjoy! |
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Do you have a news item, journal article or study you think should be added to this list? E-mail it to webmaster@arteducators.org.
The views expressed in these articles and websites are not the views of NAEA. We aim to keep you informed on the dialogue happening across the country regarding arts education.
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Photos above: 
2009 Brad Edelman
