Dan Pink Webinar recorded by Discovery Education. 

Perhaps we’d like to read this “pillar” of perspective once again:

“Inside the Black Box” by Paul Black and Dylan Wiliam

I just found the notes from our last meeting. I thought I sent them out, but perhaps I didn’t. Anyway, this is the schedule we set, but modified because we are using this meeting to learn to blog.

October(meeting 2) : Blog Orientation

November 19(meeting 3) : Design, presented by Bob and Sandy

December 17(meeting 4) : Story, presented by Henry and Sue Walters

February (meeting 5) : Symphony, presented by Deene (and Sue Ollsen??) and Empathy, by Lucille and Linda

March (7) Play, by Michelle and Jodie and April (8) Meaning, ????

Party? Another meeting to celebrate/wrap up the year?

We also need snack volunteers

The author comments that it is true that students involved in the arts do better on standardized tests, but this link is correlation, not causation. The link may be through motivation. I think students in general are turned off by rote learning and standardized tests in core subjects. Art classes are all too often one of the few places where students are challenged and have the freedom to think and to create, thus providing motivation for learning in general.

“As schools increasing shape their classes to produce high test scores, many life skills not measured by tests just don’t get taught.” (p. 1) Seems to me this comment makes us ask - what kind of citizens are we trying to create? Do we want brilliant test takers or creative thinkers who can problem solve (who by the way can usually succeed in tests too!)? 

This article is the basis for the art education philosophy of “Art for Art’s Sake”.Visual art shouldn’t be the handmaiden to other subjects although there is natural integration or overlapping of many disciplines. Children need to see the connections, but need the skills discussed in this article. Perseverance  is a very important and necessary skill to develop in art and in  life.

I was struck by the article on video gaming and schools.  At the end of last year, I was devestated when you told me it wasn’t my job to teach kids things but to give them the tools to learn.   So, I was back to the drawing board.  I had thought up until I read this article, that gaming made kids secular and removed them from the social sphere.  This guy, this very bright guy seems to say that kids learn social skills and skills in perseverence and problem solving by gaming and that they emerge better able to take on the unknown challenges in the future.  I say, GET ME TO THE GAMES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

AND THE BOOK IS NOT DEAD!!!!!!!!!!! 

The sentence that I felt needed to be shared is “We need the arts because in addition to introducing students to aesthetic appreciation, they teach other modes of thinking we value.” Though I don’t believe these “modes” are as “valued” as they should be. Which is scary for the future of the USA.

It seems like there is really a lot to learn about all of this and no time to learn it!!!  Help!  I want to be like that guy we saw and have no life.

Hello! Here’s a great site for kids.