Figure 2
The Process
Stage One
Selected schools
commit to a minimum three-year full school implementation
process. Teachers at each
grade level identify areas of the curriculum that would benefit
from additional creative, holistic teaching strategies. As a
result of this exploration a "big" theme often
evolves, example, grade one, "Myself and Others".
Teachers at each grade determine three art forms that will
support the areas of the curriculum they have identified.
"Where can I use creative support?" is a question
that teachers ask themselves individually and collectively.
Examples
Grade One
Theme: "Myself and Others"
| Curricular Connection |
Art Form |
| Term one: language
arts
| Storytelling |
| Term two: social
studies |
Global percussion |
| Term three:
numeracy |
Songwriting
|
Stage
Two
Artists are briefed and
interviewed. Criteria for this selection includes that the
artist:
- Is a practicing artist;
- Demonstrates an interest in
holistic education and integrated teaching/learning;
- Is willing to commit to the
collaborative curriculum development and implementation
process;
- Is willing to become familiar with
curriculum in the areas of math, science, social studies and
language arts;
- Is willing to make a long term
commitment (minimum of three years);
- Demonstrates interest and affinity
for children.
Successful candidates are added to
the roster of artist educators. Artists are divided into teams of
three artists per team (three different arts disciplines) to work
closely with individual schools and specific grades.
Stage
Three
Artist professional development
sessions are held to provide artists with tools in areas such
as the following:
- Provincial curriculum, age appropriate
material, classroom management, multiple intelligences, learning
styles, special needs, lesson planning, holistic education,
models of integration;
- Artists and teachers meet in their
respective teams to explore the theme, plan a sequence, research
content and begin to develop strategies for classroom
sessions;
- Individual artists meet with their
grade specific teacher teams and to collaboratively develop the
classroom units. Here teachers are lead through hands-on arts
processes to develop their skill set. Together specific
objectives and evaluation tools are developed.
Stage
Four
In the first term (late September
– December) over a 4-6 week period (which includes the
previously mentioned hands-on teacher workshop) the first artist
completes three classroom sessions (a minimum of one week between
sessions) with clear instructions for teacher follow-up and
extensions between visits. These sessions are considered on site
teacher professional development with ongoing dialogue encouraged
between sessions in person, by telephone, by fax, and by e-mail.
This ongoing dialogue also allows for integration and development
of the ideas the students bring to the creative process and to
the learning process. At the conclusion of the allotted three
classroom sessions the artist and teacher debrief. This process
is repeated in the second term with the second artist (the same
teachers and students). The process is repeated in the third term
with the third artist (the same teachers and students). A second
series of artist professional development sessions are held in
January offering additional topics to strengthen artists'
skill sets.
These four stages are repeated for
minimum of three years with the same artists and teachers
partnerships whenever possible. This allows teachers the
opportunity to deepen their skills from year to year while at the
same time providing students with a wide range of experiences as
they move from artist team to artist team in the three years. The
activities are documented and extended in Resource Guides that
are distributed to participating teachers and artists each year.
These Resource Guides become collections of "best
practices" to be shared by all participants.
In-class artist
session, social studies through
storytelling
Examples of Best
Practices
This grade 5 unit was developed by
a dancer and the grade 5 teachers and focused
on the science curriculum,
Structures and Mechanisms. The three classroom sessions were
Building Bridges, Movement and Motion, and Systems in
Motion.
Session I: Building
Bridges
Preparation before the first
artist visit
The grade 5 students and the
classroom teacher were requested, by the artist, to research a
range of bridge structures, including the way location influences
design. They then identified the sequence of steps involved in
building a bridge.
In groups of 4-5, students used
their bodies to imitate the structure of a number of different
types of bridges. The students are guided by the dancer in
finding points of balance, stability and exploring concepts such
as stress, weight and truss.
Once secure, students were
challenged with a problem.
"You are a small private
business on the brink of bankruptcy. A giant corporation has
approached you to build a bridge. Winning the contract will
ensure your business success. You must prepare a presentation to
sell your bridge to a panel of judges. However, high winds and
uneven terrain plague the site of the bridge. You must take this
into account in your design and presentation."
Small group exploration (through
dance), design and presentation took place between artist visits,
facilitated by the classroom teacher.
Session II: Movement
and Motion
Preparation before the
second artist visit
The students and the classroom
teacher were encouraged to research gear systems, pulley systems,
axles and wheels. They then built simple prototypes of these ands
explored how they functioned independently and
together.
The prototypes and their function,
both individually and collectively, served as catalysts for
creative movement and contact dance. The students required a
clear understanding of the function of these systems in order to
apply the basic principles to dance. The students observed the
movement of their object and emulated the movement with their
bodies. They then used appropriate science vocabulary to describe
what was happening in the dance. This session concluded with
students committing to writing a report, using science
terminology, on the process of building their prototype and
imitating its movement. The report would be completed between
artist visits.
Session III: Systems
in Motion
Preparation before the third
artist visit
The students and the classroom
teacher were requested to research the concepts of structure,
mechanism, system, pressure, stability, torque and moving a heavy
load.
During the in-class session the
students explored different ways parts of the body can impose
force on other parts of the body (i.e. clasping hands softly as
opposed to loudly). They observed the mechanics of the arm as it
picks up a light object, a heavy object, and as it pulls someone
across the floor. To explore structure (a framework that is built
to sustain a load), students worked in pairs. One student acted
as the stable structure (in this case a table – two hands
and two knees on the ground) and the other student acted as the
load. By finding a point of balance the second student is able to
create a shape with his/her body on the back of the first student
(table). The first student (table) needs to understand principles
of stability in order to successfully carry the load (second
student).
To explore torque (the
product of force and the perpendicular distance to a turning
axis), the students rolled their bodies at different speeds. They
rolled on the floor lengthwise and then in tucked in position
– and observed what happens. In groups of twos and threes
they explored spinning and how the turning force changes when
more than one person takes part.
To explore the concept of moving a
load, the students were asked to problem solve how to move a
person from one side of the room to the other using two poles and
a large piece of plexi-glass or wood. The students soon
discovered that by placing the plexi-glass on the two poles and
having the person sit on top of the plexi-glass the person (load)
could be rolled across the floor. Once that concept was
internalized, students, in groups of 6-8, were given the same
challenge but without the two poles and the plexi-glass. The
teams of students worked together to create a mechanism – a
human conveyer belt. Several students lay lengthwise on the floor
side by side. Another student gently lay across the top of the
human conveyer belt and was transported across the
room.
Finally, students were asked
to use science vocabulary to write reports on mechanisms they
discovered and observed in their community. Where were they
found? How did they function? How could they be improved? The
students also had the opportunity to watch a contact dance
performance given by the artists with whom they worked. The
performance provided opportunities to experience the scientific
concepts performed as part of a production, thus deepening their
understanding.
Other samples of Best
Practices
Math and Social Studies
through Weaving
In this unit the students and
teachers worked with a weaver. Preliminary work involved
researching how the products of weaving were devoted to a single,
more complex set of activities. Students began by researching how
the products of weaving and fabric making are used in our
society. Next, students built a rigid-headle loom. They learned
to string it and weave on it. By compiling and assembling the
materials the students integrated concepts of math and problem
solving. The act of weaving itself required balancing several
variables: warp tension, shed alteration, the switching of the
weft or shuttle from hand to hand, and maintaining the correct
texture and pattern. Students acquired new vocabulary, learned to
plan ahead, and demonstrated an understanding of challenging new
concepts and skills. In follow-up sessions, students researched
the history of the fabric making and how fabric affects culture.
They wrote about the invention of the cotton gin and its impact
on slavery in North America.
Social Studies through
Visual Art (Sculpting)
This unit explored Asian history.
In groups of 4-5, students researched issues in Asian history.
They then created sculptures made of Asian materials (chop
sticks, rice bowls, bamboo, rice paper etc.). Upon completion
each group created a metaphor which best described their
sculpture. The sculpture pictured above was simply titled
"The Boat People". Another powerful sculpture was
entitled "The Sorrow over the Partition of
Korea".
Early Research
Early qualitative research
and testimonials (Elster, 1999, Wilkinson 1996, 1997, 1998)
demonstrate significant teacher growth over multiple years. The
data were gathered through surveys and ongoing teacher
evaluations completed by teachers participating in the initiative
over a three-year period (1995-1998). The teacher surveys were
distributed and collected at the end of the third year of
implementation. The surveys consisted of nine questions. The
first five questions requested teachers' views on their
classroom practice with respected to the arts before this
initiative. The remaining four questions invited teachers'
views on their use of the arts in daily classroom curriculum
since becoming involved in LTTA. Following the nine questions
there was space for additional comments with regard to their
views of arts and education in response to this
initiative.
The teacher evaluations
encouraged responses to the experience of working with artists
and the effectiveness of the initiative. The evaluations were
submitted three times a year, after each artist unit. At the end
of the second year, according to her principal, one first grade
teacher had developed more professionally than in her previous
twenty years of teaching (Wilkinson, 1996). At the end of the
third year teachers documented their changes in surveys which
contained the following comments (Elster, 1999).
Teacher testimonials indicating
change:
- Less fear of the arts
- More confident using the
arts
- Confident enough to attempt
current activities without the guidance of the artists
- Has made a concentrated effort to
use the arts daily in all areas of curriculum
- Regrets that this awareness was
not present at the beginning of the teaching career
- Has become an eager participant
and acknowledges reluctant start
- Takes every opportunity to do art with the
class
- Observes more teachers
(colleagues) are willing to take risks with the arts
- Is now more secure in the belief
that the arts teach creative thinking, problem
solving,
risk taking, team work and
communication
- Learned that risk taking in a new art form
can carry over to literacy, oral presentations and
can deepen the learning
experience of all students.
These same teachers also revealed
a greater understanding of the value of the arts, as documented
in the surveys (Elster, 1999):
- The arts reach a greater number of
students than other curricular areas
- The arts meet the needs of every
learning style
- Those who struggle at school and
those who have low attention spans excel in
the arts
- The arts can drive the
basics
- Children who seem
"hopeless" have come "shining through"
using arts as the motivator
- The power of art gives every child an
opportunity to be successful
- Results of research on positive effects of
LTTA on education in general.
The same group of teachers
documented the influence of the LTTA initiative (Elster,
1999):
- Appreciates the contributions of
professional artists can make to the learning and the aesthetic
growth of students
- Was an incredibly rewarding experience for
all
- It is an inspiration for the students and
the teachers to have an artist make a
presentation
- Observed students being engaged, motivated
and challenged to open their minds to creative thought
- Many students have hidden talents
who have not had the opportunity or exposure to new art
forms
- Saw the power of performance, how it
validated the students, calmed and focused
them (the students).
- Although this can sometimes be a
struggle we must continue
- (The arts education initiative) should be
adopted by the new Ontario curriculum
- Gave the teacher an opportunity to observe
students interacting with other adult teachers and to appreciate
their learning styles and changing values
- Really grateful for the experience
Teacher Development session;
Social Studies through Music
Is it
Successful?
LTTA is based on the premise that
in order for arts based education to be successful it must be
cumulative and sustained over several years. There is evidence
that programming that is brief, fragmented and infrequent has not
proven to be a successful approach to arts education (Korn,
1994). Consequently, the pilot project had a five-year time frame
based on our belief that sustained programming would have a
positive impact on the artists, teachers, schools and most
importantly, the students involved.
Already, there are indicators that
the program is taking hold of the minds and hearts of the
participants. In her review of journals kept by students in the
second year of the program, Dr. Joyce Wilkinson (1997), of The
Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, cited many links
between acquisition of English language skills and the arts. More
powerful is the evidence that suggests that Learning Through The
Artsäis successfully breaking through barriers that
have impeded the learning of many of the students involved. As
suggested by the Artsvision report, the infusion of arts into the
curriculum does indeed seem to engaging students, particularly
those with linguistic, cultural, emotional and behavioral
challenges. Evidence gleaned from student journals led to the
following statement by Dr. Wilkinson:
If Learning Through the Arts does
nothing more than help children and teenagers cope with the
emotional challenges they face, as it has already done for these
young people, it will surpass any expectations anyone could have
for its success. (Wilkinson, 1997, p.7)
Where Are We
Now?
Six years after initial discussion
began this initiative has completed the five-year pilot program
in 9 schools. By the end of the first five-year pilot program all
nine schools committed to continuing Learning through the
Artsäwith their own funding. These schools have
entered a second phase of implementation that empowers schools to
self manage. The former North York Board of Education (now the
Toronto District School Board) has contributed funds to allow 15
new school to participate. In 1999 with funding from the
Millennium Bureau of Canada and other sponsors LTTA began
implementation in Vancouver (Lower Mainland), Calgary, Regina,
Windsor, Cape Breton and Corner Brook. This national expansion
sees Learning Through the Artsä in 63 schools
with 20,000 students participating. With a second National
expansion launched in February 2001 that includes Niagara,
Ottawa, Thunder Bay, Winnipeg and Montreal LTTA is positioned to
expand to include 240 Canadian schools with 100,000 students
participating by 2003. It is a transferable model that meets the
unique needs of our rich and diverse national
landscape.
The process has not been without complex
challenges and certain risks. Every LTTA site has experienced
education changes, some more significant than others, including
amalgamation of Boards of Education, changes in political
climates, budget cutbacks, extreme teacher attrition and a move
towards "the basics". Schools
are facing heightened expectations for student achievement on the
part of both parents and business and community leaders. This
has led to the introduction of a more demanding and uniform
academic curriculum, and of standardized testing. The guiding principles of sustainability
and sequential building become difficult given these
circumstances.
Another significant
challenge is with regards to the limited time artists spend in
the classroom (a minimum of three, 1.5 hour sessions a year for
each of three artists). Ideally, potentially with additional
funding, a greater number of classroom visits will be possible.
In the interim, a combination of ongoing resource support and a
focus on what happens between sessions, when the artist
isn't in the classroom, helps balance the need for more
sessions with the artists.
Early results on the LTTA
national expansion based on research directed by Dr. Rena Upitis
and Dr. Katharine Smithrim shows that students who receive
education rich in the arts are more likely to read for pleasure,
more likely to perform well on mathematics and language tests,
and less likely to spend leisure time watching television and/or
playing video games. However, it is also the case that those
students most likely to be involved in arts activities are those
students who come from families where incomes are relatively high
and parents are well-educated (Upitis & Smithrim, 2001). A
detailed account of this research is presented in
Baseline Student Achievement and Teacher Data
from Six Canadian Sites. (Upitis & Smithrim,
2001)
An education system with the
arts at the core of it can offer the benefits of the arts to all
students. We are motivated to do so because we care. Carl Rogers
reminds us that the simple act of caring is a vehicle that
fosters creativity. "Caring is an attitude that is known to
foster creativity – a nurturing climate in which delicate,
tentative new thoughts and productive processes can
emerge." (Rogers, 1980, p.160)
The power of the arts, the
value of arts in education, the arts and the generalist, the
vulnerability of the arts, arts educators and artists in our
schools, the need for creativity in the arts and in our lives;
these issues have all been addressed. For me, one of the most
compelling responses to all of these issues is provided by Maxine
Greene. who presents us with the premise that art and imagination
should central in education:
We must make the arts central in
school curricula because encounters with the arts have a unique
power to release the imagination. Stories, poems, dance
performances, concerts, paintings, films, plays--all have the
potential to provide remarkable pleasure for those willing to
move out toward them and engage with them. (Greene, 1995,
p.27)
Where Do We Go From
Here?
Is it presumptuous to think that
the arts can transform school environments? Perhaps for some this
is the truth, but others indicate not (Lewis, 2000). In my work
across Canada, the USA and Europe I have the honour of meeting
many who care about education. A large number of these
individuals have compelling visions for change. Throughout most
of the discussions regarding change the conversation will move to
the obstacles that impede such change, with institutional
impediments often cited as insurmountable. In other words, no
matter how much hope the vision holds, feelings of fear and of
lack of support emerge as barriers to implementation. There is,
however, a counterpoint to institutional resistance and that is
"social movement" (Palmer, 1998). Despite the current
challenges facing the arts in education LTTA has moved forward at
an accelerated pace over the course of the past six years. Based
on our experience and research, we can identify several reasons
for the rapid growth:
- The sustained, sequential
structure;
- The building of authentic relationships
between artists and teachers;
- The focus on artist and teacher
development;
- Direct partnerships with Boards of
Education;
- The strong institutional support
from The Royal Conservatory of Music based on the belief that the
arts are a viable vehicle for social change.
It is this last reason that
compels me to believe that the institutional resistance that
impedes change can be balanced (if not eliminated) by an
imaginative initiative being supported by a major educational
institution. As an artist and an educator who has personally
experienced the frustration of holding a vision and not finding
the support necessary to bring this vision to life I am
personally filled with hope as we move forward with LTTA. I am
encouraged by the institutional support and the firm commitment
that The Royal Conservatory of Music, under the direction of the
President Dr. Peter Simon, continues to offer. All that had to
happen to initiate such major educational transformation was for
one institution to see the opportunity and to take it. By one
institution making a commitment the example has been set. Within
The Royal Conservatory of Music there was a critical mass driving
the change and now there is the foundation for a critical mass
being built across the nation – one school district at a
time. Our experience continues to renew our hope and offers
others the courage to hope.
Note
Presented at the
American Educational Research Association Annual Conference,
Seattle, Washington, April 10-14, 2001. The research reported
here was supported, in part, through the generous support
of the Millennium Bureau of
Canada, the Canadian Pacific Charitable Foundation, and the
George Cedric Metcalf Foundation.
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About the
Author
Angela Elster
The Royal Conservatory of
Music
Toronto, Ontario
Telephone: (416) 408-2824 ext.
223
Fax: (416) 408-3096
E-mail:
angelae@rcmusic.ca
Angela Elster is the
Executive Director for the Learning Through the
Arts Program, at The
Royal Conservatory of Music (Canada). She is a
musician by training,
and also teaches Orff music to young children. She is
a
PhD candidate at the
European Graduate School in Switzerland. Her
research interests
include teacher growth and the arts inspiring hope.
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