me arts ed

YOU asked for it-YOU got it!

Since the Maine Learning Results have been revised in October 2007 there have been many comments about how much better they are since the 4 disciplines of the arts (dance, music, theatre, and visual arts) are separated for the first two standards. The document has been available with all five standards together for all 4 disciplines. Some educators have expressed how difficult it is to flip through and look only at their discipline.

Although, we know there are many connections between the disciplines, the document was created with Standards A: Discipline Literacy and Standard B: Creation, Performance, Expression separated because they are the two areas where the disciplines differ greatly. I am providing you with additional documents (.pdf and .rtf format) that are Standards A-E for each discipline so they are more user friendly for your individual discipline. You can find them on the Maine Department of Education Arts Education webpage. Please comment and let me know what you think.

Principal gives keynote

photo by Sarah Sutter

Founding principal Chris Lehman of the Science Leadership Academy, a progressive high school in Philadelphia, was the keynote speaker at the conference in Castine. Chris was honored by the Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development with the 2009 Young Educator Award and in 2006 was named by the National School Board Association as one of “20 to Watch” among American administrators.

These accolades were understandable when I heard Chris speak. His energy and commitment to every student receiving a gold standard education is very clear. Science Leadership Academy was opened in 2006 and was built on the notion that inquiry is the very first step in the process of learning. Chris is the author of the blog Practical Theory: A View from the Classroom.

Chris made several points and presented ideas that pushed on my thinking. Many of his points were outstanding and I found myself asking over and over: how do we change today’s system, how do we move the mountain, how do we shift thinking? Some of his points to think about:

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  Chris on the boat ride at Castine MLTI conference

• We should be preparing young people for “21st Century Citizenry, not a 21st Century Workforce”
• Our schools are filled with passionate, dedicated educators yet we still have so many problems; the system is broken
• Caring institutions teach kids, not subjects
• A traditional classroom has tests at the top of the pyramid, today’s classrooms need to have projects at the top of the pyramid. Get kids to show what they’ve learned
• Web 2.0 education promotes thinking about thinking, a must today
• Good data is the work kids do everyday, it is not the answers on a test
• Technology must be like oxygen: ubiquitous, necessary and invisible
• Young people need to acquire skills so they can research, collaborate, create, present and network (these skills can be acquired when technology is infused into the teaching and learning). If we are not doing this, we are doing kids a disservice

You can view Chris in action when you watch this 5 minute video of him at IgnitePhilly which is similar to Pecha Kucha Night. He had 5 minutes to present using 20 slides on the topic of school reform. Take 5 minutes and view it and contribute your comments.