Arts Education | NW Education

Applauding the Arts, Part 8
National Spotlight, Local Dialogue

What does it mean to be literate in the arts? And why will arts literacy matter in the new century?

These were among the topics discussed by leaders from the fields of education, politics, arts, and business at a national teleconference that was downlinked to more than 500 sites across the country in December. Hosted by Secretary of Education Richard Riley, "Arts Literacy for a Changing America" was cosponsored by the Department of Education and Arts Education Partnership, a national coalition that promotes the essential role of arts in education.

Portland Schools Superintendent Benjamin Canada, a vocal supporter of arts education, was among the panelists joining in lively conversation and fielding questions from callers across the country. The arts, from Canada's view, are important because they "allow us to go back in history, to see what was, while at the same allow us to begin to look at the future."

In education, the arts serve an even more vital role, he added. "When you take the arts and weave them into the fabric of what it is we are really trying to teach children, you allow that child to have success."

Far from an elitist pursuit, the arts are inherently democratic, Canada suggested.

Teaching the arts to all children "erases the negative aspects of what I call place-ism: where you were born, where you live, where you happen to go to school. The arts negate that. It levels the learning field, so that the child truly has the opportunity to be successful." As the outcome of an arts-infused education, he said, "You can draw. You can paint. You can spell. You can create. You can go anywhere in the world through the use of technology."

According to conference panelists, the arts help students develop literacy in the "four Cs": communication, culture, cognition, and creativity. While "literacy" has traditionally referred to the written word, it gains new meaning in the Information Age when people must be able to comprehend and use multimedia resources. The arts use sights, sounds, and movements to convey meaning "beyond the power of words." Getting along in the global neighborhood created by technology will mean being able to understand the perspectives of many people -another key lesson the arts teach.

A complete education, Canada stressed, must involve the arts. As he told the teleconference audience, "It takes parents, legislators, business partners, teachers, and students to say, 'We will not accept a minimum education.' Without the arts, it is not complete."

To continue the dialogue about arts literacy at the local level, conference sponsors suggest "Five Questions About Arts Education Every Community Should Ask," namely:

Why is arts education important for the future of our children?

What arts programs are in place in our schools to help students prepare for careers in the Information Age?

Are the arts considered part of the core, academic curriculum? Do our students have the opportunity to develop a fuller understanding of the world by connecting the arts to other school subjects?

Is the arts education in our schools preparing students to cope with the age of new media where sights, sounds, and movements are critical to global communication and information development?

How would the schools in our community fare in an arts assessment?

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Date of Last Update: 9/28/01
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