IEA Newsletter for Wednesday, March 14, 2007

Welcome to the Institute for Education and the Arts weekly newsletter for March 14, 2007. The newsletter is published each Wednesday morning and is archived here on the IEA blog.

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REPORTS AND PUBLICATIONS
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LEADERS AND LAGGARDS:
A STATE-BY-STATE REPORT CARD ON EDUCATONAL EFFECTIVENESS
U.S. Chamber of Commerce, 2007
Last week’s IEA newsletter reported about the release of Leaders and Laggards, a U.S. Chamber of Commerce report outlining the effectiveness of educational spending in each U.S. State. View a CNN interview with John Podesta, CEO of the Center for American Progress and former White House Chief of Staff during the Clinton Administration as he discusses the findings.
View the CNN story: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIBhQsHTsLY
View the report: http://www.uschamber.com/icw/reportcard/default

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MUSIC EDUCATION
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EARLY MUSIC LESSONS CAN HAVE MAJOR BENEFITS
T.J. Banes, Gannett News Service/Ithaca Journal, 2/27/07
“His stockinged feet barely touching the floor, Adam Hammerle scoots to the edge of the piano bench for practice. He's one-fifth the weight of the instrument, but when his fingers press the keys to perform “A Snail's Dream,” Adam takes control of the shiny black grand. He takes a 30-minute lesson once a week, and he practices 10 to 15 minutes daily. At age 7, he's performed his first recital and already knows more music theory than his mother, Patti Hammerle, 38, who played an instrument in college. Adam, a first-grader, is among a growing number of youngsters enrolling in formal music lessons at an early age.”
Read more: http://www.theithacajournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070227/LIFESTYLE02/702270305/1026/LIFESTYLE

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ARCHITECTURE AND VISUAL ART
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ART SUBMISSIONS SOUGHT
Institute for Community Research (ICR)
”The Institute for Community Research (ICR) is seeking submissions for the exhibition Crossroads II: Community-Based Collaborative Research for Social Justice, which will run from June 1–30, 2007 in Hartford, CT. Community-based artists, organizations and individuals are invited to submit work that is informed by social inequities and disparities, cultural identity, research, and social justice. The cost to submit work is $20.00 for any three pieces, which can be created in any material.
Submission deadline: March 23, 2007.”
Learn more: http://www.incommunityresearch.org/documents/CIILettertoArtistsGL3.8_000.pdf

IN MEDIEVAL ARCHITECTURE, SIGNS OF ADVANCED MATH
John Noble Wilford, New York Times, 2/27/07
”In the beauty and geometric complexity of tile mosaics on walls of medieval Islamic buildings, scientists have recognized patterns suggesting that the designers had made a conceptual breakthrough in mathematics beginning as early as the 13th century. A new study shows that the Islamic pattern-making process … appears to have involved an advanced math of quasi crystals, which was not understood by modern scientists until three decades ago. The findings, reported in the current issue of the journal Science, are a reminder of the sophistication of art, architecture and science long ago in the Islamic culture. They also challenge the assumption that the designers somehow created these elaborate patterns with only a ruler and a compass. Instead, experts say, they may have had other tools and concepts.”
Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/27/science/27math.html?ex=1330578000&en=0183490d78d56453&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink

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VALUE OF THE ARTS
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ARTS ADVOACY DAY STATEMENT (excerpt)
Margaret Spellings, U.S. Secretary of Education, 3/12/07
“The arts are a unique tool to stimulate and enrich learning. Not only do the arts encourage our children’s imagination and creativity, but they can also teach lessons of history, math, and other subjects in a more memorable and profound way. The arts also, as President George W. Bush has said, “…allow us to explore new worlds and to view life from another perspective,” a critically important skill for today’s global economy. Our education system is improving because of the concerns and involvement of so many who advocate for the arts.”

Read more: http://www.ed.gov/news/pressreleases/2007/03/03122007.html

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BRINGING THE ARTS INTO THE CLASSROOM
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FOLK TALE DRAMA ACTIVITY
PBSkids.org
Learn a simple technique that uses drama to help children envision new endings for classic folk tales. Recommended for early childhood classrooms.
http://pbskids.org/arthur/parentsteachers/activities/acts/folktale_play.html

DECIPHERING BUDDHA IMAGERY
Rick Groleau, NOVA, PBS
“Whether in the form of a wall painting, a statue, or some other religious artifact, an image of Buddha is meant to serve as an inspiration to Buddhists and as a way to honor and remember Shakyamuni, the founder of Buddhism, as well as other Buddhas. But before you can honor a Buddha through his image, you have to recognize him—and there are many depictions in Buddhist art that resemble ‘The Enlightened One.’ Images of Buddha didn't begin to appear until the 1st century A.D., about 500 years after his death, yet they all share common traits.” This online interactive activity “reveals enough of these traits to allow you to easily recognize an image of Buddha. It will also help you understand the meanings of the five most common hand gestures, or mudras, used in Buddhist art.” Recommended for secondary classrooms.
View the interactive activity: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/tibet/buddha.html

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INTEGRATING ARTS AND TECHNOLOGY
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PRINT, CUT, AND FOLD:
TANGIBLE TECHNOLOGY PROJECTS FOR STUDENTS
Paul Love-Kretchmer blogs about Jim L. Holland’s session at the
Texas Computer Education Association, 2/7/07
“Mr. Holland has a knack for using common objects in an uncommon way. The ease with which he converts a #10 envelope into a set of pockets for note cards reflects the ingenuity that is a common theme throughout his talk … The lecture included tips for creating projects from Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Excel. Using these familiar software programs, teachers and students create and publish a myriad of manipulatives designed to spark learning and facilitate retention. From Fan Decks created with a simple brad to an accordion book created with a simple “Z” fold, the projects just kept coming. Tri-Fold is a 3-d pyramid great for learning anything that comes differentiated into sets of three, such as the difference between to, too, and two. The mini book seems complicated to make, but instructions are available. Created without the need for tape or staples, it is a great format for publishing student work. Other examples include the Circle book, a Peek Over book, and many others. These projects seamlessly combine technology with content. Students master skills needed in the digital world while creating hands-on objects they can use for learning. “
Read more: http://www.eschoolnews.com/cic/tcea/blog/2007/02/001618.php

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EDUCATION POLICY
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GETTING RUBY A QUALITY PUBLIC EDUCATION: FORTY-TWO YEARS OF BUILDING THE DEMAND FOR QUALITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS THROUGH PARENTAL AND PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT
Arnold F. Fege, Harvard Educational Review, Winter 2006
Abstract: “In this article, Arnold Fege identifies parental and public engagement as critical to sustaining equity in public education. He traces the history of this engagement from the integration of schools after Brown v. Board of Education in 1954 and the implementation in 1965 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act through the provisions of No Child Left Behind (NCLB). He finds that while NCLB gives parents access to data, it does not foster use of that information to mobilize the public to get involved in school improvement. Fege concludes with historical lessons applicable to the reauthorization of NCLB, emphasizing enforcement of provisions for both parental and community-based involvement in decisionmaking, resource allocation, and assurance of quality and equity.”
Read the entire article: http://www.hepg.org/her/abstract/196

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IEA OFFERS MANY ACCESS POINTS FOR THIS NEWSLETTER!
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This Institute for Education and the Arts blog (http://edartsinstitute.blogspot.com) contains the same content as the IEA weekly newsletter, with the additional benefit that it is searchable and archives past postings. The IEA staff began this blog in Summer 2006 for those of you whose email boxes are crammed full and want to take more control over their online reading. From the blog, readers can email interesting posts to colleagues (click on the envelope icon) or leave comments (click on the word "Comments").

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GRANTS, FUNDING, CONTESTS, AND AWARDS
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INVENT-A-TOY WORLD GAMES
By Kids For Kids and Mattel
Students aged 5 – 18 are invited to submit their ideas for the toys and games of the future. The contest evaluates student inventions based on marketability, market potential, originality, and inventiveness. Winners receive a licensing contract, assistance in patenting the item (if the item can be patented), expert assistance in bringing the product to the marketplace, and a U.S. savings bond worth $5000. Each winner can nominate an influential teacher, who will receive a U.S. savings bond worth $1000. Deadline: 4/6/07.
Learn more: http://www.bkfk.com/challenge/

INVENT AMERICA! CONTEST FOR KIDS
U.S. Patent Model Foundation
K-8 students are invited to enter this contest. Students are invited to create an innovative solution to a problem they identify. Awards are made at each grade level. Prizes include savings bonds and and award medals or certificates. Deadline: 6/15/07
Contact: http://www.inventamerica.org/

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TRAVEL PROGRAM TO GALAPAGOS ISLANDS
Toyota International Teacher Program
"In October 2007, the Toyota International Teacher Program will send 20 secondary school teachers (grades 7-12) on a fully funded, 10-day study program to the Galapagos Islands. While visiting the legendary islands, educators of all subject areas will observe and explore environmental projects, speak with experts, community advocates, and participate in group learning activities aimed at encouraging an internationally and environmentally orientated interdisciplinary curriculum. Application deadline: 4/23/07.
Learn more: http://www.iie.org/toyota

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