Homework

Homework Assignment
Talk with other teachers about what is being taught in your school. Look at curriculum maps if they are available. Consider possible connections among and with the arts, and think about how you might collaborate with another teacher to meet common learning objectives.

Explore the Developing Educational Standards Web site, a repository for information about national, state, and local educational standards and curriculum frameworks.

Reading Assignment

The following required readings will support your understanding of Program 7 for the for-credit workshop:

• Roles of Arts Specialists and Classroom Teachers (PDF)
• Comprehensive Arts Education (PDF)

The following articles can add to your understanding of this material:

• “Fads and Fireflies: The Difficulties of Sustaining Change” by John O’Neil, Educational Leadership, Volume 57, April 2000. Educator and historian Larry Cuban, co-author of Tinkering Toward Utopia, reflects on why reforms are proposed and what happens when they are brought to the complex laboratory of schools.
• “Creating a Knowledge Base for Teaching: A Conversation with James Stigler” by Scott Willis, Educational Leadership, Volume 59, March 2002. James Stigler discusses how we can improve professional development by helping teachers learn to analyze classroom practices and accumulate professional knowledge. Stigler, author of The Teaching Gap, advocates professional development that is site-based, long-term, and directly related to teacher practice.
• Monica Bermiss' Year-Long Arts Outline (PDF) is a summary of her class's multi-arts work.

To prepare for Program 8, review these readings:

• Factors for Arts Education Success (PDF)
• Research on Arts Education (PDF)