IEA Newsletter for Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Welcome to the Institute for Education and the Arts' newsletter for Wednesday, March 12, 2008. The newsletter is published each Wednesday to the IEA listserv and archived here on the IEA blog.

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REPORT
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LEARNING, ARTS AND THE BRAIN
Dana Foundation, 3/08
"Learning, Arts, and the Brain, a study three years in the making, is the result of research by cognitive neuroscientists from seven leading universities across the United States. Researchers grappled with a fundamental question: Are smart people drawn to the arts or does arts training make people smarter? For the first time, coordinated, multi-university scientific research brings us closer to answering that question. Learning, Arts, and the Brain advances our understanding of the effects of music, dance, and drama education on other types of learning. Children motivated in the arts develop attention skills and strategies for memory retrieval that also apply to other subject areas."
Learn more and download the report>>
Read the related Education Week article>>


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ARTS EDUCATION OFFERINGS IN NEW YORK CITY
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CITY SCHOOLS FAIL TO COMPLY WITH STATE RULE ON ARTS CLASSES
Jennifer Medina, New York Times, 3/7/08
"Only 4 percent of the city’s elementary schools meet the state’s requirement for arts education, according to the results of a city survey Mayor Michael M. Bloomberg announced on Thursday. But the mayor said that the city was making progress, noting that 98 percent of elementary schools have some instruction in either dance, music, theater or visual arts ... Advocates for the arts in public education immediately attacked the city’s efforts. 'In our City of New York, the arts capital of the world, the majority of our elementary and middle school students do not appear to meet what are the most minimal state requirements,' said Richard Kessler, the executive director of the Center for Arts Education. Several advocates said that the roughly $150,000 in private donations spent on the survey would have been better spent on arts programs. The state requires that elementary school students receive education in dance, music, theater and visual arts every year. The survey showed that fewer than 30 percent of middle schools met the requirement of providing two half-unit art classes between seventh and eighth grades."
Read more>>


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DONATED INSTRUMENTS
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MIDDLE SCHOOL EMITS SQUEAKS AND BLEATS AFTER READERS DONATE INSTRUMENTS, CASH
Leslie Postal, Orlando Sentinel, 3/6/08
View video and read about how an earlier Sentinel story resulted in over 100 instruments and $11,000 in cash donations has invigorated a Florida middle school's music program.
Learn more>>


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A NEW ARTS EDUCATION TRAINING MODEL
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THE ARTS ARE A FORCE THAT DRIVES ANY AND ALL LEARNING
Opinion Piece by Michael L. Hardman and Raymond Tymas-Jones, Salt Lake Tribune, 3/1/08
”We contend that the arts are the very breath of discovery, a force that drives any and all learning, and that without their influence the educational process would be nothing more than the accumulation of facts and their mindless regurgitation. As a powerful learning tool, the synergy of art and education is a true phenomenon, one that we need to nurture, promote, and ensure that all current and future educators are able to experience. While standardized tests certainly have a strong role to play in school accountability, alone they simply cannot detect or measure the full range of learning we want to encourage in young people … In an ever-changing world where proactive thinking and pre-emptive problem solving has turned into an art form itself, the need for the arts as an integral part of public education is more critical now than ever before. At the University of Utah, we have developed a rare and unique partnership that will change all that -- a collaborative endeavor with common goals, pooled resources and shared spaces. This arts and education partnership, which begins in fall 2008 … will prepare teachers to use an integrated curriculum model that teaches children to explore multiple subjects simultaneously; integrate traditionally distinct content subjects, such as art and science, and apply them thematically; and collaborate with arts specialists working in schools to teach fine arts content.”
Read more>>


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SPECIAL CALENDAR EVENTS
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BRAIN AWARENESS WEEK
Dana Foundation, 3/10 - 3/16/08
Visit Dana's site to view brain-related research, play brain-stimulating puzzles, view an international calendar of events, and find resources.
Learn more>>

THEATRE IN OUR SCHOOLS MONTH
American Alliance for Theatre and Education (AATE), 3/08
"We know that Theatre and Drama are essential in the lives of students year round, but March is a great time to celebrate and increase public awareness of the important impact of Theatre In Our Schools."
Learn more>>

MUSIC IN OUR SCHOOLS MONTH
Music Educators' National Conference (MENC), 3/08
Visit MENC's Web site to learn more about how to celebrate and advocate for strong music education programs in March and throughout the year. This year's theme is "Music Touches Lives."
For more information>>

MARCH FOR ARTS EDUCATION
Douglas Gould & Co./Keep Arts in Schools
Visit this site for advocacy tools and gain inspiration from how other communities are marking the occasion.
Learn more>>


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GRANTS, AWARDS, AND CONTESTS
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GLORIA BARRON PRIZE FOR YOUNG HEROES
Deadline for nominations: 4/30/08
The prize “honors outstanding young leaders who have made a significant positive difference to people and our planet. Their leadership and courage make them true heroes—and inspirations to us all. Each year, the Barron Prize selects ten winners nationwide. Half of the winners have focused on helping their communities and fellow beings; half have focused on protecting the health and sustainability of the environment.”
Learn more>>

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