Arts Online's blogs
May 21-27 (this week) is UNESCO's 1st Annual International Arts Education Week. Information about the week is available at http://www.unesco.org/new/en/no_cache/unesco/events/prizes-and-celebrations/celebrations/international-weeks/international-arts-education-week-2012/
Are you planning anything to celebrate the week in your school?
TEACHING the performing arts in primary schools significantly boosts the results disadvantaged students achieve in academic subjects.
An independent evaluation of an arts program taught in disadvantaged schools found student grades in English, maths, science and studies of human society rose significantly compared with similar schools with no arts classes. And in national literacy tests, the proportion of Year 5 students meeting minimum standards in reading rose to 90 per cent compared with about 65 per cent in the non-arts schools.
The report by international education consultant and Melbourne University professorial fellow Brian Caldwell examined the effects of programs run by the Song Room, a non-profit organisation that provides teaching artists to schools who otherwise could not provide arts classes.
Professor Caldwell, a former dean of education at Melbourne, said he had not expected to find much difference in results, given the Song Room usually provides only one hour of lessons a week.
But he said participating in the program led to a rise in the national literacy tests that was the equivalent of having an extra year of school. "I was astonished. It's extraordinary," he said.
"It has enormous policy implications for the millions and millions of dollars being spent on programs to help boost literacy when an intervention like this has that impact."
Reimagining the School Day: More Time for Learning reports on a Wallace gathering where leaders in education, after school and other areas grappled with the challenges and merits of carving out more high-quality learning time for disadvantaged youngsters. Some reports from the US on arts education
http://www.wallacefoundation.org/knowledge-center/arts-education/Pages/default.aspx
What research do we have in NZ ? Are online environments considered?
This iconic Ministry of Education resource is now updated, digitised, and available to download on Arts Online at
http://artsonline2.tki.org.nz/resources/units/music_units/into_music_1/.
The resource links to literacy, NZC, Digistore, other learning areas and arts disciplines, and to a wide range of links offering additional materials and teaching ideas. The resource can be adapted to other age groups, and gives approaches to teaching and learning other learning areas through music including learning languages (Te Reo Mãori and Sãmoan in particular). Check it out. Audio files and units are all downloadble.
Drop in your ideas and experiences here so we grow more ideas together.
Our Arts Online team of community facilitators in Dance, Drama, Music - Sound Arts, Visual Arts and Art History are keen to hear from the wider teaching profession about the role you see arts playing in the teaching of literacy. Do you use the arts as contexts for developing literacy? What approaches are you using?
