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This thread includes documentation of the hot topic discussions that occurred during the Congress from 8-9 am.
Question: What motivates me to create?
What inspires us: positive feelings, personal gratification/growth, creativity inherent in the art medium itself, creating stories out of life experiences, building sustained relationships with children/adults/community, honoring the practice of inspiration and brainstorming (not only practice).
Challenges: Infrastucture for artists is lacking - lack of professional preparation for artists trained to earn a living. Finding time, space, energy.
I was seated at a table where there there was no moderator present, so no topic had been set up. I decided to capture the current conversations floating around the table.
Promoting the use of theater integration in order to teach other subjects was the highlight of the conversation. Ways to recruit teachers and gain recognition, nationally, to the Shakespeare teachers curriculum and workshops at OSF were also discussed, including bringing information to the National Teachers Conference.
Also mentioned, was offering an arts administration degree or credential for the performing arts department at Oregon State and providing professional development for art educators and OSF and Oregon State Universities.
HOW CAN PROGRAM EVALUATION IN THE ARTS CHANGE OUR APPROACH?
Structure of public school evaluation rewards specific forms of learning and knowledge.
Change thinking from Winners and Losers, from Right Answers to structure that allows for shades of grey, adaptability, and questions.
Using the word "evaluation" is a turn off to people. Broaden terminology for more buy-in.
Look at education as a whole, rather than just focusing on the arts. Whole child approach.
People have a limited definition of what "creativity" is. Broaden the definition beyond "artistic talent" or "being able to draw."
Dennie Palmer Wolf (author of More Than Measuring) - program evaluator. Redefine literacy - expand view of what literacy means to Visual, movement, media, etc expression
Fear that current format of arts education is promoting the belief that the only value arts have is to directly affect student learning in other areas.
Working in the art form should be valued for its own sake.
How do you prove that education in art contributes to better learning in other subjects?
Emerging teachers need to be educated in art (as a tool) and program evaluation.
Look for evidence of student learning beyond written exams. Teach adults in students' lives to view evaluation from the student perspective.
Observation, interviews, personal contact -- as forms of measurement of student's growth.
Train teachers to be reflective and use that reflective process with the students - Action Research!
Certification of teaching artists! If we're expecting teaching artists to partner with teachers, what training and support are we giving them?
Arts enhancement is different from arts education. Arts organizations have stepped in to fill the void in schools, but the role should be as enhancement to what is provided in school.
Art education should honor the artistic process while also showing transferability to subjects, skills, etc.
How do we get outside the arts world bubble. Advocacy for arts education as Education .
New opportunity for advocacy and evaluation in "21st Century Skills" and "Creative Economy."
How can we use the evaluation process as an advocacy tool?
FROM BAKE-SALE TO BALLOT-BOX: HOW DOES THE PTA THINK MORE LIKE A POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE?
Highest rate of high schools graduates are in the areas where students are introduced to the arts. Center for Art-Education in New York, is a great example, they are implementing programing that is engaging the community. Programming for middle schools developed from organizations in order to create future audiences that understand and value the arts. Arts leads to students performance, peer to peer networks, collaboration.
As arts advocates we need to think about political action communities in order to reframe questions about art.
Art & Culture needs to be seen as a community issue, a leadership issue, we need to take a proactive stance toward change in our community.
Some questions posed:
What are the services and resources for under represented students.
Work on the basis of group work. Margaret Mead's quote came into the conversation. "Never doubt that a small group of committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."-for us not to loose view of our vision, working together is a much better way.
Are we fighting the fight in the right place?
We need to advocate based on:
Notion of Cultural sustainability.
Money, staff power, budgets, volunteers...
Strength is in numbers.
Voicing our need, to the right people (Money, staff power, budgets, volunteers...).
Ideas!
Value of Art in Elementary, Middle, High school school education.
Center for Arts-Education example is recognizing the right brain initiative. Involving community by training parents in the arts.
For our communities we need to focus on:
Racial and economic initiatives.
Social issues.
Community engaging.
Role of art in high poverty area.
Who is noticing that Art is missing?-Who is caring that the art is missing?
Using data that the arts help students learn. Sell to board, principles, community members, and parents.
Documents that are resources to advocate.
Champions of Change.
Critical Links
The Third space, Where Learning Matters.
Also focus on the intrinsic value of art.
We do it because it is the right thing to do. It makes us better people.
Public Value!
"A Whole New Mind"
We need to create dialogue, innovate for the future, creative thinking skills.
How do we frame the value of art?
How is the economy of the united states being driven?
Substantiating and reporting what we are doing.
Communicate with community, at many different levels.
Finding advocates within the system of Education.
Use integration models.
Partnerships.
Working with what we have.
Public process and participation.
Healthy people and Healthy places...planning for community.
Know people's stories. Personal stories can add the human piece to our advocacy.
In our education system we are missing an active learning style. We need more emphasis on building a community of learning, engagement and the right for the freedom of expression.
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