IEA Newsletter for Wednewsday, August 27, 2008

Welcome to the Institute for Education and the Arts' newsletter for Wednesday, August 27, 2008. The newsletter is published each Wednesday to the IEA listserv and archived on the IEA blog at http://edartsinstitute.blogspot.com.


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WANT KIDS TO UNDERSTAND? SPEAK SLOWLY.
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SLOWING SPEECH EASES CHILD’S ABILITY TO LEARN
Suzanne Perez Tobias, Wichita Eagle, 8/22/08
“Toddlers can be a tough audience lively, distracted, always on the move - but Amy Hockenberry knows how to grab them. ‘Let's get in a circle,’ she tells her class at Wichita State University's Child Development Center. ‘We're going to sing some songs.’ Hockenberry speaks slowly and clearly. The children watch her intently, then meld into a cluster for music time. Wichita State audiology professor Ray Hull would say the children heard something unusual and irresistible: an adult they can understand. Because the trick to get children to listen to really hear and comprehend, whether they're toddlers or high school students isn't speaking up, Hull says. It's slowing down.”
Read more>>


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FUNDING FOR EXTRACURRICULAR ARTS
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BEYOND SPORTS, ACTIVITY FEES TOO
Kathleen Conti, Boston Globe, 8/24/08
“A combination of expense increases and less state aid has forced area school district administrators to impose fees. For several districts, the trend started with athletics. Now, many charge for everything from drama club to parking. In most districts, students who meet a low-income classification don't have to pay a fee, or are eligible for a reduced fee. Administrators said that for the most part, waivers or discounts are available, on a case-by-case basis, to anyone who can prove a financial hardship.”
Read more>>

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THE WHOLE CHILD
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HORSESHOES AND HAND GRENADES
ASCD, 8/21/08
“Whole child education isn't easy. Sometimes even with all the right intentions we fall short of the mark. Like when we fund athletic programs by selling candy. Or when we mandate community service instead of engaging students in real service learning. Or when we extend the school day with drill and kill "tutoring" instead of enrichment, project-based learning, or a host of other activities that have a direct positive impact on achievement.”
Read more>>

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ACCESS TO PRE-KINDERGARTEN PROGRAMS
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A PROMISE OF PRE-K FOR ALL IS STILL FAR OFF IN NEW YORK
Winnie Hu, New York Times, 8/23/08
The not-so-universal state of pre-kindergarten has frustrated many parents and children’s advocates, who cite studies showing that access to early education classes can be critical in smoothing out socioeconomic differences in vocabulary and development and in preparing children for the demands of schoolwork.
Read more>>


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READING AND WRITING
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WRITING TO LEARN
Kathleen Kennedy Manzo, Education Week, 8/27/08
“The workshops sponsored by the Bay Area chapter of the National Writing Project have drawn a steady and loyal following over more than three decades among teachers seeking to refine their own skills, reflect on their practice, and learn strategies for teaching their young scribes. But at a time when the demands of high-stakes testing have led to a curriculum dominated by reading and mathematics instruction, discussion in the seminars these days is more likely to turn to the practical challenges of fitting writing into the school day, and how to show that it makes a difference in student achievement. After years of fending off critics and proposed budget cuts, the long-standing national program is moving beyond the notion of writing as an art form to promoting writing as a learning tool. And officials are collecting data they say will prove the program’s benefits to teachers and students.
Read more>>

WE’RE TEACHING BOOKS THAT DON’T ADD UP
Nancy Schnog, Washington Post, 8/24/08
“[A]s school starts up again, it's time to acknowledge that the lure of visual media isn't the only thing pushing our kids away from the page and toward the screen. We've shied away from discussing a most unfortunate culprit in the saga of diminishing teen reading: the high-school English classroom. As much as I hate to admit it, all too often it's English teachers like me -- as able and well-intentioned as we may be -- who close down teen interest in reading.”
Read more>>


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GRANTS AND AWARDS
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METLIFE FOUNDATION CREATIVE AGING PROGRAM
National Guild of Community Schools for the Arts
Deadline: September 26, 2008
Maximum Award: $7500
This pilot program will provide in-depth technical assistance and seed grants of $7,500 to eight National Guild members to enable them to design, implement and evaluate sustainable creative aging programs (participatory, skill-based arts education programs for adults age 60 and above) using best practices detailed in the Guild's latest publication, Creativity Matters: The Arts and Aging Toolkit. Technical assistance will focus on capacity-building with particular attention to outcome-based evaluation measuring changes in the health of participants.
Learn more>>

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IEA Newsletter for Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Welcome to the Institute for Education and the Arts' newsletter for Wednesday, August 20, 2008. The newsletter is published each Wednesday to the IEA listserv and archived here on the IEA blog.

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REPORTS
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STARTING KINDERGARTEN LATER GIVES STUDENTS ONLY A FLEETING EDGE
ScienceDaily, 8/18/08
“New research challenges a growing trend toward holding kids out of kindergarten until they’re older, arguing that academic advantages are short-lived and come at the expense of delaying entry into the workforce and other costs. The findings show older kindergartners fare better academically largely because they learn more before starting school, not because age improves aptitude, said Darren Lubotsky, a University of Illinois economics professor who co-wrote the study.”
Read more>>

INSTANT MESSAGING FOUND TO SLOW STUDENTS’ READING
Debra Viadero, Education Week, 8/15/08
“Students who send and receive instant messages while completing a reading assignment take longer to get through their texts but apparently still manage to understand what they’re reading, according to one of the first studies to explore how the practice affects academic learning. ‘Students who are managing busy lives may think they are accomplishing more by multitasking, but they will actually need more time to achieve the same level of performance on an academic task,’ said Laura L. Bowman, a psychology professor at Central Connecticut State University in New Britain.”
Read more>>


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MUSIC EDUCATION
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TEACHER’S HELPER FILLS GAPS IN MUSIC INSTRUCTORS’ DEVELOPMENT
Jonathan Devin, (Memphis) Commercial Appeal, 8/18/08
“When Dr. Deanna Stark taught elementary school music for Memphis City Schools, she found herself, like many teachers, struggling for classroom resources and creative freedom … Last September, Stark created her own business, Sister Squared, filling in the gaps in music teachers’ professional development and resources using Orff Schulwek, a methodology for teaching music adopted by Memphis City Schools’ elementary curriculum to enhance the learning experience for teachers and students alike.”
Read more>>


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SCHOOL FUNDING
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COULD BUMPY ECONOMY LEAD TO SLUMPING EDUCATION?
Libby Quaid, Associated Press/USA Today, 8/18/08
“Harder times and higher fuel prices are following kids back to school this fall. Children will walk farther to the bus stop, pay more for lunch, study from old textbooks, even wear last year's clothes. Field trips? Forget about it. This year, it could cost nearly twice as much to fuel the yellow buses that rumble to school each morning. If you think it's expensive to fill up a sport-utility vehicle, try topping off a tank that is two or even three times as big. At the same time, bills are mounting for air conditioning and heating, for cafeteria food and for classroom supplies, all because of the shaky economy. And parents have their own tanks to fill. The extra costs present a tricky math problem: Where can schools subtract to keep costs under control?”
Read more>>


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EDUCATION AND TECHNOLOGY
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AT SCHOOL, TECHNOLOGY STARTS TO TURN A CORNER
Steve Lohr, New York Times essay, 8/7/08
“[T]he time may have come to reconsider how large a role technology can play in changing education. There are promising examples, both in the United States and abroad … In the classroom, the emphasis can shift to project-based learning, a real break with the textbook-and-lecture model of education. In a high school class, a project might begin with a hypothetical letter from the White House that says oil prices are spiking, the economy is faltering and the president’s poll numbers are falling. The assignment would be to devise a new energy policy in two weeks. The shared Web space for the project, for example, would include the White House letter, the sources the students must consult, their work plan and timetable, assignments for each student, the assessment criteria for their grades and, eventually, the paper the team delivers. Oral presentations would be required.”
Read more>>


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ARTS IN SCHOOLS
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KIDS ARE THE STARS OF THIS SUMMER SHOW
A TWIST ON THE CLASSIC 'SNOW WHITE' IS A PLEA TO KEEP THEATER IN SCHOOLS
Paul Nyhan, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 8/8/08
“[I]n an era of widespread standardized testing and tight budgets, formal theater and arts programs are harder to find in schools. Nearly three-quarters of Washington public schools didn't offer all students weekly theater classes, according to a 2005 report by the Washington State Arts Commission. Some worry there isn't nearly enough art education, particularly at schools that serve lower-income families. ‘A lot of schools obviously are choosing to let go of art, or in some cases, in elementary schools, recess,’ said Tina LaPadula, education director at Arts Corps, a nonprofit that runs independent arts programs in Seattle schools. ‘I feel right now there is not a lot of equity between who has access to that well-rounded education.’ Change may be coming. Seattle Public Schools is conducting an audit to identify any gaps in arts offerings – part of a broader, five-year arts partnership with the city. It plans to begin making changes tied to its report in the 2009-10 school year.”
Read more>>


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GRANTS AND AWARDS
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TE@CH AWARDS
Best Buy
Deadline: 10/12/08
Maximum Award: $5,000
“The Best Buy Teach Award program recognizes creative uses of interactive technology in K-12 classrooms. Winning programs focus on kids using technology to learn standards-based curriculum, rather than on teaching students to use technology or educators using technology that children aren't able to use hands-on. The purpose of the Best Buy Teach Award program is to reward schools for the successful interactive programs they have launched using available technology. Please do not be discouraged from applying if your school does not have the most current equipment.”
Learn more>>


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IEA Newsletter for Wednesday, August 13, 2008 ***our 200th blog post!***

Welcome to the Institute for Education and the Arts' newsletter for Wednesday, August 13, 2008 and our 200th blog post! The newsletter is published each Wednesday to the IEA listserv and archived here on the IEA blog.

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REPORTS
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STUDY: ARTS EDUCATION IN DECLINE
LOCAL SCHOOLS BUCK TREND THROUGH PARTNERSHIPS
Charles Menchaca, Wausau (Wisconsin) Daily Herald, 8/13/08
A new report that suggests fewer students are learning about the arts has local school administrators grateful for community partnerships. The report, released by Arts Wisconsin and the Wisconsin Alliance for Arts Education, shows there has been a 5 percent decline in overall student participation in arts classes among state students in grades 6 to 12 during the past four years.In addition, the report noted that most students do not have opportunities to participate in or learn about dance and theater.
Read the article>>
Read the report>>

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UNCOVERING A SHAKESPEAREAN THEATRE
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EARLY LONDON THEATER DISCOVERED
Julie Bloom, New York Times, 8/7/08
“Archaeologists in London have unearthed the remains of what is believed to be one of the earliest playhouses in the city and the second to present a Shakespeare play, Agence France-Presse has reported. The open-air theater in Shoreditch, in East London, was once known as the Theater and was where Shakespeare appeared as an actor with the troupe Lord Chamberlain’s Men.”
Read more>>


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WHO TEACHES THOSE IN GREATEST NEED?
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EXPERIENCED TEACHERS NOT IN NEEDIEST SCHOOLS, REPORT SHOWS
Kate Alexander, Austin American-Statesman, 8/5/08
“Teachers at Texas schools serving largely minority and low-income students tend to have less experience and less expertise than their counterparts at wealthier, low-minority schools, according to a study released Monday. ‘The students most in need of the most qualified teachers are the least likely to be taught by them,’ the Association of Texas Professional Educators said in the study.”
Read more>>


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EDUCATION AND TECHNOLOGY
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VOTERS WOULD BE WISE TO TARGET SKILLS GAP
David Brooks, opinion piece, Dallas Morning News, 8/2/08
“America's educational progress was amazingly steady [earlier in the 20th century], and the U.S. opened up a gigantic global lead … But the happy era ended around 1970 when America's educational progress slowed to a crawl. … America's lead over its economic rivals has been entirely forfeited, with many nations surging ahead in school attainment. This threatens the country's long-term prospects. It also widens the gap between rich and poor. Ms. Goldin and Mr. Katz describe a race between technology and education. The pace of technological change has been surprisingly steady. In periods when educational progress outpaces this change, inequality narrows. The market is flooded with skilled workers and so their wages rise modestly. In periods like the current one, when educational progress lags behind technological change, inequality widens. The relatively few skilled workers command higher prices, while the many unskilled ones have little bargaining power.”
Read more>>


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IMPROVING INSTRUCTION
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EDUCATORS PEER OVER STUDENTS’ SHOULDERS AT MICH. MATH LAB
Sean Cavanaugh, Education Week, 8/13/08
“Hunched over tables, peering over one another’s shoulders, a group of 5th graders is attempting to conquer some of the most difficult—and essential—material in elementary school math. They are not alone. On one side of their classroom, about 30 adults are sitting on risers, watching the students closely. They jot down notes. They listen to the students’ comments and questions, broadcast to them over a sound system. And when the students leave the room for a break, the adult observers move in to peruse the answers the children have scrawled in their notebooks. This unconventional classroom arrangement is part of the Elementary Mathematics Laboratory, a forum held here over a two-week period this summer at the University of Michigan’s school of education. The lab, now in its second year on this campus, brings together teachers, college students preparing for the teaching field, and academic researchers from across the country to observe and discuss the challenges elementary educators face in trying to help students struggling in math.”
Read more>>


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ACCESS TO THE ARTS FOR KIDS
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$12 MILLION DONATION TO THE U. WILL BOOST ART OPPORTUNITIES FOR CHILDREN
Brian Maffly, Salt Lake Tribune, 8/11/08
”For the past few weeks, Beverley Sorenson's mind has been on Maria Menchaca, the 7-year-old Salt Lake City girl killed in a shoot-out allegedly among teen-age gangsters. Sorenson, an arts philanthropist who unveiled a blockbuster gift to the University of Utah on Monday, was pondering the toll on school children stemming from the disappearance of arts education in elementary schools, according to her son Jim Sorenson. Can the arts channel the energy of at-risk children into more productive and fulfilling paths? … [T]he Sorensons believe that the arts help. Thanks to the family's support of a new ground-breaking interdisciplinary arts program at the U., Utah school kids will have more access to music, dance and visual arts than they've had in recent years.”
Read more>>



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GRANTS AND AWARDS
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NATIONAL SCHOOLS OF CHARACTER
Character Education Partnership
Deadline: 12/8/08
Maximum Award: $10,000
Every year, the Character Education Partnership (CEP) names approximately 10 public and private schools and districts (K–12) as National Schools of Character (NSOC) for their outstanding work in character education. The awards program honors these exemplars, showcase their work, and facilitates their leadership in the field of character education.
Learn more>>

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