« July 2005 | Main | September 2005 »

August 31, 2005

A Global Education Revolution Leaves US Behind

Regular visitors to this blog know that I have been on a creativity rant for the past two years. My interview with Sir Ken Robinson on the topic of The Arts, Creativity, and the Modern Economy encapsulates much of what I believe to be true and the flaws with an educational system heavy on test preparation and think on knowledge acquisition.

It looks like our brethren to the north have some of the same concerns. And while we wring our hands the Asian education systems continue to reinvent themselves.

The answer to "who's right" is less about bragging rights and more about the future of economic power.

Read, think, and let me know your thoughts!

There is a global revolution in education underway. Is Canada headed in the wrong direction?

China's education system is currently undergoing the most massive transformation of any country in the world. China's leaders have come to see that a system that turns out students who can't think for themselves isn't going to help their quest to become a global economic power. In response, they're replacing the old system, dependent on rote memorization, with a new focus on communication skills, critical thinking, problem-solving and creativity.

In less than a generation, China could be turning out the brightest, most original thinkers on the globe. With 200 million students and 12 million teachers leading the way, you can be sure that other countries are paying attention.

One country following suit is Singapore, whose dramatic revitalization in the past 40 years is extraordinary. Until recently, the country's top ranking in math and science skills has been considered the key to its success. However, in an interview in the August 7, 2005 San Francisco Chronicle, Education Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, who is also an economic adviser to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, declared "We must reinvent ourselves. China is advancing very fast." There is now urgent concern that the old education system, and its relentless focus on examinations and grades, has bred all passion and conviction out of its students. Efforts to reduce this trend are extreme. Where you could once get arrested for spitting chewing gum, the government recently sponsored a graffiti contest allowing students to decorate city buses.

Shanmugaratnam sees awakening originality and ingenuity as the key to unlocking Singapore's economic potential. "We are redesigning our concept of meritocracy to include a broader range of merits, not just results in standardized exams, to help stimulate creativity and innovation. The arts are a big factor in this."

Read More! thetyee.ca Canada's Great Leap Backward in Education

Posted by musicforall at 3:59 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Arts Enters the NYC race for Mayor

The folks at the Alliance for the Arts in NYC asked for, and received, comments from all the candidates for Mayor about their views on arts issues... including arts education. An interesting read! Check out all the responses via the link below!

The Alliance for the Arts asked candidates for City office in the 2005 elections to respond to five questions on cultural policy. The questions concern the role of City government in New York's cultural life, ranging from funding cultural organizations to promoting arts education and cultural tourism.

Cultural endeavor is New York's most popular activity%u201426 million in attendance in 2004, according to a new Alliance for the Arts study. The arts are a vital sector of the city's economy and neighborhood life. Alliance research has shown they had an economic impact of $13 billion in 1995 and generated 40,000 jobs. Almost half of the 30 million tourists to New York City come for the arts.

The City of New York is an important cultural funder. The current Department of Cultural Affairs budget of $131.6 million represents .26 percent of the total City budget. At the same time, the City is a major funder of cultural building projects%u2014$836.4 million for 161 organizations over the next four years.

2005 New York City Candidates Respond to Survey on the Arts (BroadwayWorld.com)

Posted by musicforall at 10:22 AM | TrackBack

August 24, 2005

This News Story Makes Me Mad

"I haven't seen any concrete empirical evidence that the arts are getting cut across the board in favor of subjects that are getting tested," said Matt Gandal, executive vice president of Achieve, a Washington D.C.-based group led by governors and corporate executives that promotes rigorous standards and assessment.

"All anyone has is anecdotal evidence," Gandal said. "To me, it's about finding a way to improve student achievement in those core disciplines. That's what will ultimately make the difference between success and failure when they go into the real world."

No evidence? Core Disciplines? Difference between success and failure in the real world?

IS THIS GUY ON CRACK?

This quote, taken from the article "arts education on the endangered list across country" from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, REALLY makes me mad. This comment comes from a senior executive with an influential education association made up of governors and business leaders. And what he has to say is that there is no evidence of program cuts?

So the 50% decline in music enrollment (and growing) in California is no indication? The Council for Basic Education report of 1000 principals that cited 42% planed to reduce or eliminate instruction in the arts. Or how about... THE PEOPLE INTERVIEWED IN THIS STORY!

Of course, if they put in place the same kind of accountability for arts programs as we have for reading and math we would have lot's of information about the impact of the testing craze... but I digress.

Hey Matt, Pal, Buddy... did you happen to read the NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND LAW. DID YOU SEE THE LIST OF CORE SUBJECTS? HAVE YOU ARBITRARILY DECIDED TO CREATE A NEW LIST OF CORE SUBJECTS?

I am so upset by this kind of irresponsible comment that I plan on calling the president of Achieve and ask him to comment on the record.

Can you tell this story makes me mad?

Read the whole thing:
Arts education on endangered list across country

Posted by musicforall at 8:45 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

August 17, 2005

Look Who's a Music Advocate!

In the town that has been historically the home of American musical instrument production, Elkhart Indiana, you would expect to find lots of people who would advocate for music education. What you would not expect is this:

ELKHART -- What do mentoring and after-school programs, community-based initiative, and extra-curricular activities have in common?

Digger Phelps.

Phelps said these are just a few of the things that can help kids in Elkhart along the right path at a young age.

"It's got to come back to us," Phelps said, "We have the power. We can change anything we have to as people."

He added school budget cuts from the government do not help because kids need creative outlets, such as music and art and after-school programs, some of the first areas schools tend to cut.

Go get em Digger!

eTruth.com -- The Truth Online Edition!

Posted by musicforall at 10:53 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

What do you teach with a music degree? Reading!

New Rule: If you are hired to teach a music program... YOU MUST TEACH MUSIC!

In the words of Yogi Berra "It's deja vu all over again!"

When I lived in California a really good friend of mine was teaching music in Pasadena. He told me part of job was now to teach math. I said "Matt, I love you like a brother... but I would never want you to teach math to my kids." We both laughed at what a ludicrous suggestion this was.

Fast forward 20 years and here comes this news report from Florida. Teachers hired for "specials" like music are now being asked to spend much of their time teaching reading.

I don't know about you... but when I went to school my foundations of education class didn't mention anything about how to teach reading!

OCALA - Jody Alexander has a master's degree in music education and is certified by the state to teach music and band to public school students.

But on Aug. 1, the Forest High School band director learned she would have to teach reading to some of Marion County school system's most challenged readers. Instead of teaching freshman band, music theory and other electives, she now spends nearly half her day teaching reading.

"I have a wonderful degree," Alexander told the School Board on Tuesday. "However, I'm a band director. I was taught to be a band director. I was taught to teach students how to play instruments, run band booster organizations and fund-raisers. I was not taught to teach reading."

Uncertified instructors in reading classrooms| Star-Banner | Ocala, Fla.

Posted by musicforall at 10:32 AM | Comments (0)

August 15, 2005

We're Back!

We are back from Vermont and ready for a full agenda. This week we are launching our WearBlue: Support Music Education campaign, taking on the WhyMusicEd newsletter, opening a new online store, finalizing the survey instrument for the New Jersey Arts Education Census Project, and preparing The Sound of Silence II: The State of Music Education in California Public Schools.

There are lot's of news headlines we are going through (and plenty of fodder for the blog!)

Watch for new information every day!

Posted by musicforall at 10:20 AM | Comments (2)

August 7, 2005

Vacation

Time for a break! Off to the mountains of Vermont!

Back on 8/15 after the completion of our site upgrade!

Posted by musicforall at 6:16 AM | Comments (3)

August 1, 2005

Site Upgrade

We are in the process of upgrading our website, newsletter and blog. There will be new updates the week of August 15th.

We know you will enjoy the new services we will provide as a result of the upgrade!

We appreciate your support!

Posted by musicforall at 7:59 PM