Integrating the ARTS in a New Essential Curriculum: What to keep? What to cut? What to create?

1. Integrating the ARTS in a New Essential Curriculum:What to keep? What to cut? What to create? Dr. Heidi Hayes Jacobs

3. Essential questions: • What is essential for our learners now? • What revisions should be made in the present curriculum in light of new global realities? • How should the ARTS be considered in curriculum reform? • How can curriculum mapping support our work and help our learners?

4. Rethinking Standards --myths and realities (50 countries) --disparities (the RAND study) --the grade 22 problem (MCREL study) --social experimentation (Florida 3rd grade)

5. Essential = from the Latin esse; meaning to be; to distill to the core

6. Curriculum design requires us to make choices about what is essential now to help our learners for their future.

7. The ROLE of Arts Leadership • Administrators and teachers must become ARTS vigilantes • Fight for and commit time to instruction • Dignify the work of students • Work against the marginalization of arts faculty • Establish links with institutions and resources • Model interest in the arts • Step up, take risks and revise the curriculum for the 21st century

8. Unique issues for the young artist • Thinking out of the box • Social outcast myth and reality • School culture that may not value • Media clutter • Celebrity culture • Curriuculum dictates

9. What are the basic elements in designing curriculum? • CONTENT • SKILLS • ASSESSMENT

10. Recast content for timeliness: • Breakthroughs • Contemporary issues • International perspectives • Modern forms of expression ..A deliberate need to replace and to shed dated curriculum

11. Geography focus on geo-politics and geo-economics • State dept. figures: 10% hold passports/ 7% of those use them • World geography by shape and name- early childhood • Links to geo-economics in upper elementary • Links to geo-politics in middle school • Global economics in middle school – high school • Global Environmental citizenship • MAPS in every classroom

12. Social Studies: History and Anthropology strands • A new constant for upper school: • The Last 50 Years • Upper Elementary: Artifact Analysis • Case studies abroad: email correspondence • Case studies at home: archival work • Required documentary film making • Real time contact between students world wide- shared arts – Electronic Museums • Participatory democracy: require Responsible Democracy Benchmark • Critical view of “spin”; media imagery

13. Expressive experiences: Studio Digital composition Dance Performance Original plays Cultural Literacy as a requisite Active work with local institutions Carnegie Hall –Link-up Metropolitan Museum of Art Active engagement with national and international institutions ARTS EDGE Integration with curriculum Content: elevate composition in the ARTS

14. Content in Science: rethink and revise • Freedom of scientific expression • Upgrade science in early childhood • Literacy instruction primarily through non- fiction (increase in science and social studies) • Dilemma of sciences • Use of arts to illustrate and to demonstrate knowledge

15. Update English Language Arts • Expansive genre studies K-12 • Classics and new voices • Studying screenplays and teleplays • Poetry SLAMS • Memorization of classic work • Critiques of electronic media

16. Expansion of Literacy: Media Criticism/ Media Invasion/Media Making • TV critiques pre K-grade 3 • Unit: Effects of TV on Me • Formal media criticism begins grade 4 • Television/film writing and production • Documentary studies • Web based national/international anthologies of children’s stories and observations (RTW) • Teaching students to conduct video conferences: • Current Communications Benchmark

17. Rethinking Mathematics • New York’s new math standards • Eliminating snapshot mathematics in pre-K through grade 3; • Language arts daily speech and writing activity describing procedures and concepts; • Corresponding time for students in middle school to balance those who accelerate; • FOCUS on translation strategies • At least TWO major

18. From the CIA WORLD FACT BOOK: • Languages:Chinese, Mandarin 14.37%, Hindi 6.02%, English 5.61%, Spanish 5.59%, Bengali 3.4%, Portuguese 2.63%, Russian 2.75%, Japanese 2.06%, German, Standard 1.64%, Korean 1.28%, French 1.27% (2000 est.) note: percents are for "first language" speakers only

19. Minimal state requirements French/Spanish dominate Increase range of specialized schools/magnets for students with linguistic talent: Increased range of languages Pashtu, Khoi, Azeri, Dzongka, Serbo-Croat, Portuguese, Malay, Kirundi, Khmer, Sango, Kikongo, Turkish, Arabic, Amharic, Twi, Icelandic, Hindi, Farsi, Kazakh, Kyrgvz, Lao, Larvan, chewa, Nepali, Yoruba, Punjabi, Tagalog, Slovak, Tamil, Dutch, Swahili Teaching world languages

20. Revising and upgrading skills in the curriculum Planting lifelong capacity: Language Literacy Social Literacy Global Literacy Cultural Literacy

21. Forward to New Basics

22. Teaching English as if it were a foreign language Foreign language teachers: • emphasize constant spoken language exercises. • emphasize consistent and correct use of grammar in writing and in speech. • constantly assess listening. • immerse students in practice scenarios. • emphasize self-assessment for independent competence. • work on phonemic awareness coupled with text interaction as a necessity.

23. Early Childhood • 2 ½ hours of uninterrupted language arts • Integrating science, math, and social studies • Vertical Teams meeting regularly vs. Grade Level meetings

24. Upgrading language skills Across all curriculum areas Interdependence of the four language skills Upgrading notebooks as assessments reading writing speaking listening Grades 4-12 :Every teacher is a language teacher

25. Speaking and listening: skills formally assessed • On-going interaction via video conferencing/or telephone with students abroad; • On-going interaction with students internationally • Issue based forums regularly planned for grades 4-12.

26. Accommodating immigrant students and teachers • Influx of new students with language issues: ECIS –guide for teachers • Influx of new teachers • Staff development for language and cultural changes that sensitize specific cultural background • Suggested work for students: • WWS- Culture Matters-Peace Corps

27. Teaching English as if it were a foreign language Foreign language teachers: • emphasize constant spoken language exercises. • emphasize consistent and correct use of grammar in writing and in speech. • constantly assess listening. • immerse students in practice scenarios. • emphasize self-assessment for independent competence. • work on phonemic awareness coupled with text interaction as a necessity.

28. Revising the element of assessment in the curriculum

29. Assessment should reflect our times: • screenplays • teleplays • broadcasts • Email • self publishing • grant proposals • web page • spread sheets • CAD blueprints • forecasts • media criticism

30. Limitations of standardized testing. Problems within the testing industry itself. Wide variation between states/localities Posting in newspapers (intramurals) Questions about SAT Questions about what is valued. Questions about what to do with the results Concern on assessment data:

31. Public signs of commitment for art and artists • In the summer we often ask our students to read a book. • Let us ask our learners and the professionals in our schools to take in an arts experience. • In the spirit of “art colonies”, we need create safe environments for risk taking and creative expression. • Literal programs and locations in schools should be designated. • Honors and festivities specifically for excellence in the arts. • Whether it is a special dinner or award, the arts need to reach parity with athletics and academics in terms of public and visible recognition.

32. How can curriculum mapping help us update, support, and improve student performance? …and teacher performance? ..and administrative performance? ..and whole school/community performance?

33. Technology as a platform for revising assessment possibilities • Curriculum Mapping –real time data and revision • Electronic site visits • Electronic video conferencing • Data banks for assessments

34. What is mapping? • Calendar based curriculum mapping is a procedure for collecting a data base of the operational curriculum in a school and/or district. • It provides the basis for authentic examination of that data base.

39. Restructuring Professional Growth DIFFERENTIATED STAFF DEVELOPMENT

40. A Learning Community Opportunity rather than a requirement. • Since learning for the learner is cumulative ….then professional development should be as well. • Communication through mapping will allow us to monitor our success through professional development.

41. Differentiating Staff Development • Adult learners in professional settings have various needs for different types of work. • We fall prey to RUTS in staff development. • Randomness does not serve the learner.

42. Staff development should focus on your specific learners. • Staff development should emanate from the site based on examining data: • assessment • maps • demographics • external events

43. Differentiating Staff Development: Data Entry on Maps High #3 #2 Low CurricWriting High Tech High CurricWriting High Tech Technology Comfort #4 #1 High CurricWriting Low Tech Low CurricWriting Low Techt Low High Curriculum Writing Strength

44. Consider a range of venues • Various groupings • Labs • Workshops • Work sessions • On-line courses • Staff development days based on data • Observations • Coaching • Video conferencing

45. The Hub Effect • Identify three initiatives that would be better served through the CM review process.

46. Literacy 6 trait writing Character education Time management Hub for…