Philadelphia Higher Education Network for Neighborhood Development 
3451 Walnut Street, Suite P-117, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6205
215-573-2379 / 215-573-1134 fax

Arts 251/Education 251: Arts Teaching in Educational and Community Settings

Instructor: Madeline Cantor

Subject Area/Discipline: Arts / Education
School: Bryn Mawr College
Project Area: Schooling/Education/Youth

Spring 2006



Instructor       Madeline Cantor
Office hours   By appointment
Phone             610-526-5208 (o), 215-247-8418 (h)
email               mcantor@brynmawr.edu
 
 
This course is a Praxis II course (4-6 hours per week in a school or community placement) intended for students with substantial experience in either dance, visual arts, theater or music.  Through both the seminar portion of the course and the praxis placements students will read, write, discuss and engage directly with arts learning and teaching in a variety of settings – public, parochial, charter and private schools in urban or suburban areas, afterschool programs or community arts programs.  The purpose of the praxis component is to allow students to create a fluid relationship between theory and practice through observing, teaching and reflecting on arts practices in education contexts.
 
The objectives of the course are to: 
¨      Identify major themes in arts education history, theory and practice.
¨      Develop a personal approach to arts teaching informed by the class content.
¨      Develop an understanding of the social and cultural dynamics in current arts education practice.
 
 
Class Schedule
 
January 17      Overview of course
                        Why arts?   Why teach?
                        Praxis component -- what, where, when, why, how
 
January 24      Outline of major arts teaching/learning approaches
Reading due:  Elliot Eisner, “Why Teach Art” in Educating Artistic Vision Paper due:  "How I learned what I know," paper on personal arts history
                        Praxis orientation and selection:  Nell Anderson
                       
January 31      Development of arts education in the U. S.                    
                        Meetings with site supervisors in class
 
February 7      Arts education practice: exemplars and structures
                        Views of master teachers at work; Lesson plan structures
Reading due:  National Standards for Arts Education, read standards for one art form from www.artsedge.kennedy-center.org/professional_resources/standards/natstandards/#contents
                        During the week:  Praxis placement begins
 
February 14   Practice classes -- essentialist approach   
Reading due: The Vision for Arts Education in the 21st Century
Project due:  Develop and teach 45-minute practice class, with written
rationale and plan (half of group), followed by written self- evaluation and peer evaluations
                        Paper due: (non-teaching half of group) Interview with a non-professional
arts practitioner
 
February 21                Practice classes -- essentialist approach
                        Project due:  (other half of group) same as above
                        Paper due: (other half of group)  same as above
 
February 28   John Dewey, his descendants and arts education
Reading due:  John Dewey, “The Live Creature and Ethereal Things” in
Art as Experience
                        Maxine Greene, “Texts and Margins” in Releasing the Imagination
                        Robert and Michele Root-Bernstein, “Synthesizing education” in Sparks of Genius
 
March 7          Spring Break
 
March 14         Panel of arts education practitioners
Paper due:  Interview with arts education practitioner on approach and strategies
 
March 21        Arts education research findings
Reading due: 
Catterall, Chapleau and Iwanaga, Involvement in the Arts and Human
Development: General Involvement and Intensive Involvement in
Music and Theater Arts”
www.artsedge.kennedy-center.org/champions/pdfs/Involvmt.pdf
Dennie Palmer Wolf, Why the Arts Matter in Education or Just What Do
Children Learn When They Create An Opera
www.artsedge.kennedy-center.org/champions/pdfs/WhyArts.pdf
Shirley Brice Heath, Imaginative Actuality:  Learning in the Arts during
the Nonschool Hours,                                     www.artsedge.kennedy-center.org/champions/pdfs/ImagAct.pdf
 
March 28        Arts education in context
                        Paper due:  Reflection paper on social and cultural setting of the
praxis site
Reading due:  Arnetha Ball and Shirley Brice Heath, “Dances of Identity:
Finding an Ethnic Self in the Arts,” in Identity & Inner –City Youth
                        Richard Owen Geer, “Of the People, By the People, and For the People:
                                    The Field of Community Performance” in The Citizen Artist
 
April 4                        Practice classes – instrumentalist approach
Reading due:  Gail Burnaford et al, Renaissance in the Classroom, chapter 1
Project due: Develop and teach 45-minute class, with written rationale and plan (half of group), followed by written self-evaluation and peer
evaluations 
 
April 11          Practice classes – instrumentalist approach
Project due: (other half of group) same as above
 
April 18          Presentations of documentary material of praxis site
 
April 25          Final presentations
 
 
Course requirements:
 
1.     Active participation in the praxis placement for 4-6 hours per week.  It is expected that the placement will initially involve observation and assistance and within 2-3 weeks will involve teaching.   
2.     Maintain a double entry field site journal with observations, ideas, experiences on one side and analysis and interpretation on the other. 
3.     Read the assigned readings and participate in class discussions.
4.     Practice teach two lessons to the class.  The actual class is to be accompanied by a written class plan and rationale, and followed by a self-evaluation.  All students participate in all classes and contribute evaluations.
5.     Write four papers, 3-4 pages each, as assigned in the class schedule above.
6.     Visit or attend one of the following community arts institutions:  Mural Arts Program tour, Barnes Foundation, Village of Arts and Humanities during the semester.  Details tba.
7.     Create a document of the praxis site through any media: edited video, slideshow, student artwork, demonstration.
8.     Final paper of 6-8 pages and presentation on subject inspired by the praxis site and/or class experiences.
 
Grading:
 
45%     praxis work – including journal, site evaluation, documentary material
25%     four short papers
15%     two practice classes
15%     final paper 
 
Praxis Office:  Nell Anderson, Praxis Field Placement Coordinator
                       Dolwen, 2nd floor
                        610-526-5031

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