More Boothstuff--shoot me before I blog again

By Eric Booth

Sam, those thought-experiments are useful to me. May I add one. What if...we stopped trying to leverage more 40 minute blocks of time for arts education (only the hardest currency to get in schooling), and considered "creativity across the curriculum." I have done some work with classroom and arts teachers at every level to create two to three minute activities that they can do five days a week that isotonically develop basic arts skills like ideational fluency (generating multiple solutions) or metaphor-making, or pattern-recognition, etc. What if those skills and others were distributed throughout all classes, and all activities in school, and arts teachers were the resource leaders for how to introduce such skills in twenty ways throughout every day? My early dabblings in this approach tell me it works, bigtime.

And responses to John's three accurate throws from left field. To #2--in Scotland they have developed an official national cultural rights policy to announce what ALL Scots can expect culturally from their culture (to address the inequitable distribution problem) (this is akin to the work Bill Ivey is doing and published in his latest book--and interesting, John, that Bill is heading Obama's arts/culture transition team), AND Scotland instituted a music education policy that equates all kinds of music. The state schooling does not prejudice violin over electric guitar, and takes responsibility for developing skills in either, determined by the interest of the learner, to the level of expertise the learner wants to go. To John's #3--the advocacy dream I have, that people laugh at, but I am serious, is to have pairs of adequately trained artists knock on every single door in America to talk about the arts in people's lives. To let people know about local resources, free and not, to engage in dialogue about artistry and personal history in the arts, etc--all the stuff you can do one on one. The Wallace research in Dallas found that lack of awareness and transportation were the biggest blocks to greater arts participation for residents. So I imagine a national initiative to get artists and arts-lovers in every community mobilized to knock on doors and listen and share and connect. Yes, it is like Jehovah's Witnesses, but I think it is an answer that can work.

December 2, 2008 9:48 AM | | Comments (5) |

5 Comments

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It is extremely interesting for me to read that article. Thanks for it. I like such themes and anything that is connected to them. I would like to read a bit more on that blog soon.

Truly yours

Well said, Tim. And this whole idea that Eric (and you) mention is such a great point. It makes me think of an initiative in Cleveland, OH, called Arts is Education - a wonderful play on the phrasing Arts in education.

It's an initiative including over a dozen schools and over three dozen arts organizations (including Opera Cleveland, I might add). The mission is to, as they put it, have "continual immersion in a comprehensive arts-infused curriculum." What a concept, and what possibilities!

I have a variation on Eric's dream. Since knocking on people's doors feels a little "in your face" to me, I thought "What about an arts-based block party?" We could have face painting, square dancing, slam poetry and bookmaking, then a joyous discussion about "art in our lives" over fried chicken and potato salad. Feed them and they will come, Eric!

I believe that training the education system that arts teachers are "resources" in their schools is a HUGE part of the solution. As a Teaching Artist and an Arts Education Administrator for an arts organization, I have also seen this to be very effective!! I believe that it is because it does two things:
1. It starts at the ground level - where many of the contributors have already suggested it must begin. If classroom teachers in a school only view their arts teachers as babysitters of their classes while they are on their planning period, then they will never fight for the arts teacher and the arts programs when they are up for termination due to budget cuts! If the teachers see them as a resource, a person who can add to their students curriculum and in essence help them create a "WHOLE" child, then they will be the first ones to speak at a school board meeting where arts cuts are being considered. And if the teachers are speaking, then the parents and school administration will be right behind them!!! I run a program which teaches calssroom teachers to integrate the arts into their curriculum and teaches them how to use the arts teachers and our teaching artists as resources. It has been a huge advocacy tool!! And everyone (the classroom teachers, the arts teachers, the students, the parents, the administration, and my funders) are all happy at the end of the year! And they begin a dialogue which conttinues far beyond the project! Communication is key!

2. The second benefit of training schools to utilize their arts educators as resources is creating a "culture" within that school that mimicks the culture we are claiming we want in our society. A "culture" that views the arts as a resource in every society for many different things - entertainment, enlightenment, econmic development, creative workforce, etc. The arts ARE a "resource" in each of our communitites. The most effective arts speak to the community and its needs and carries its voices to the larger public. We train our students that librarians and libraries are resources in their schools and in their communities - why can't we do the same for the arts?

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This Conversation For decades, as teaching of the arts has been cut back in our public schools, alarms have been raised about the dire consequences for American culture. Artists and arts organizations stepped in to try to... more

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Recent Comments

MarkRight commented on More Boothstuff--shoot me before I blog again: Cool story as for me. I'd like to read a bit more about this topic. Thnx fo...

FrozenSun commented on More Boothstuff--shoot me before I blog again: It is extremely interesting for me to read that article. Thanks for it. I l...

Evan Wildstein commented on More Boothstuff--shoot me before I blog again: Well said, Tim. And this whole idea that Eric (and you) mention is such a ...

Phil Alexander commented on More Boothstuff--shoot me before I blog again: I have a variation on Eric's dream. Since knocking on people's doors feels...

Timothy Kennedy commented on More Boothstuff--shoot me before I blog again: I believe that training the education system that arts teachers are "resour...