Change is here…The future is now…Art Education for EVERYONE!

21st Century Skills, Teaching in the 21st century, Art pedagogy and the 21st century…At nearly a decade into the 21st century, Where does art education fit into 21st century education? Some titles imply that the 21st century is on its way. It is here! In this three part blog series, I will share a broad to a more narrow view of the 21st century ideals and its implications on art education, including you the art educator.


Part One: A 21st Century View of the Educational Landscape
Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.
–President Barack Obama (2008)

How much change is being imposed on art education today? How much change are we prepared to make ourselves?

Like the rest of education, the arts are undergoing dramatic changes. As Florida and the rest of the nation undergo record-breaking budget cuts, education is fighting to hold on. The effects of these cuts can be felt in a variety of areas. Throughout my travels to school districts around the state, I have witnessed some of the drastic measures that administrators and board members have to take. For example, in one district principals and assistant principals will be covering two schools next year. In other districts, art courses will be eliminated and students will be using “other” practical arts courses to meet the visual art requirement for graduation. Click here for a list of the possible substitution courses. Florida Virtual School is also facing several challenges due to decisions being made during the 2009 legislative session. Competition and change, seen as a challenge, can strengthen and enrich programs. Are we up to the challenge?

How does President Obama feel about arts education?
Obama- YouTube video on Art Ed

Based on this video and the following excerpt from his platform on art education, one can assume that Obama understands the importance of art education in schools.

A PLATFORM IN SUPPORT OF THE ARTS
Reinvest in Arts Education: To remain competitive in the global economy, America needs to reinvigorate the kind of creativity and innovation that has made this country great. To do so, we must nourish our children’s creative skills. In addition to giving our children the science and math skills they need to compete in the new global context, we should also encourage the ability to think creatively that comes from a meaningful arts
education. Unfortunately, many school districts are cutting instructional time for art and music education. Barack Obama and Joe Biden believe that the arts should be a central part of effective teaching and learning. The Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts recently said “The purpose of arts education is not to produce more artists, though that is a byproduct. The real purpose of arts education is to create complete human beings capable of leading successful and productive lives in a free society.”
Link to Obama_FactSheet_Arts

A few years ago Time Magazine published a very popular article regarding education in the 21st century, which has this to say about the importance of art in education,

Thinking outside the box. Jobs in the new economy—the ones that won't get outsourced or automated—put an enormous premium on creative and innovative skills, seeing patterns where other people see only chaos, says Marc Tucker, an author of the skills-commission report and president of the National Center on Education and the Economy. Traditionally that's been an American strength, but schools have become less daring in the back-to-basics climate of NCLB. Kids also must learn to think across disciplines, since that's where most new breakthroughs are made. It's interdisciplinary combinations--design and technology, mathematics and art--that produce YouTube and Google, says Thomas Friedman, the best-selling author of The World Is Flat.

With support of the President and media such as Time Magazine, why does art education have to worry about the future? A theory called, ‘Disruptive Innovation’ from the book, “Disrupting Class” helps explain some reasons:

Q: Disruptive innovation usually applies to business. How does it apply to education? A: Disruptive innovation can occur where there are people who want to do something but cannot access the available offering. Looking inside of schools reveals many opportunities for disruptive solutions, like computer-based learning, to take root. There are many classes that individual schools cannot offer because of lack of demand or resources, but there are nevertheless many students who would love to take those classes. Offering students the course on the computer is welcomed, certainly by the students, but also by the schools who otherwise simply could not offer the course.

Click here for a podcast with an interview with Clayton Christian, the author.



Is online learning (specifically teaching and learning art online) a disruptive innovation that will change the way we teach and learning about art? Absolutely. In my next post, I will explore the ways in which art education can heed the challenge of change and ultimately reach all students!