Baby Talk

Teaching artists with an interest in early childhood education, might find this article in the New York Times Sunday Magazine to be of interest.  Ongoing observational studies at Yale, seem to confirm that babies are critical thinkers--they may even be able to tell right from wrong.

I think one of the implications of this research for  teaching artists is the idea that even very young children can create and experience artwork with challenging and complex themes, because they are capable of reflection.

The Moral Life of Babies, By PAUL BLOOM is posted at the New York Times.

In Diapers

The New York Times' Alison Gopnick delivers an editorial in support of experiential learning approaches. The writer points to new research on the behavior of young children and babies:

"Three recent experiments show that even the youngest children have sophisticated and powerful learning abilities. Last year, Fei Xu and Vashti Garcia at the University of British Columbia proved that babies could understand probabilities. Eight-month-old babies were shown a box full of mixed-up Ping-Pong balls: mostly white but with some red ones mixed in. The babies were more surprised, and looked longer and more intently at the experimenter when four red balls and one white ball out of the box — a possible, yet improbable outcome — than when four white balls and a red one were produced."

Also: Everything But the Girl - Apron Strings

The Fire

At Ed Week, New York City elementary school teacher Joleen Hanlon writes a blazing article about homophobia in our schools and observes that, despite some progress on civil-rights:

“…children are still receiving the message that it is abnormal for two people of the same gender to love each other. Words such as “gay,” “fag,” and “queer” are often used as the most hurtful insults students can throw at one another. Two men showing any affection is frowned upon. When I watched the presidential inauguration with 2nd graders, the children exclaimed, “Ewww! That’s gross!” as the male politicians kissed one another on the cheek.”

In 2007, research showed that 86.2 percent of LGBT youths reported verbal harrassment at school because of their sexual orientation. Nearly half of the young people surveyed were physically harassed.

Also: James Baldwin w/ Kenneth Clark

Another Voice

The Trouble With Black Boys: And Other Reflections on Race, Equity, and the Future of Public Education by Pedro A. Noguera.

Also: Donny Hathaway - To Be Young Gifted and Black

Stumbling Blocks

From mega-consulting firm Mckinsey & Co., we find confirmation, once again, that "Race and poverty are not destiny."

 

Thank goodness.

 

"Recent national and international tests show significant differences in student achievement. Students in the United States perform behind their OECD peers. Within the United States, white students generally perform better on tests than black students; rich students generally perform better than poor students; and students of similar backgrounds perform dramatically differently across school systems and classrooms. The aim of this paper is to provide a common, neutral fact base on each of these achievement gaps and to illustrate their relative magnitude.

 

Download a copy of the report (PDF) 

American Idol

I've posted these before and I'll post them again.

Fred Rogers

Americans for the Arts

Fight the Future

New Jersey has announced that now is the time for students to start developing 21st Century Skills. 

Better late than never.

From the press release:

New Jersey Joins National Coalition to Bring 21st Century Skills to Education

Trenton, NJ – Dec. 17, 2008 – New Jersey has joined the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, the nation’s leading advocacy organization focused on infusing 21st century skills into education.  “Our membership in the Partnership signals that New Jersey is continuing to take decisive steps toward providing all students with a rigorous, world-class education,” said Lucille E. Davy, New Jersey Commissioner of Education. “It is imperative that New Jersey schools graduate students capable of thinking creatively and critically. New Jersey recognizes that the key to economic success is ensuring that our students are educated and trained for jobs in the diverse 21st century workplace.”

This all sounds great until you realize that the "21st century workplace" looks a lot like a Walmart or, in our case, an under-funded after school program in a dilapidated classroom.

An actual physical pain in my body.

Art is the antidote. 

Take this.

The Origin of Love (This is a scene from Hedwig and the Angry Inch on youtube. If that's NSFW where you work, don't click it. It has a person wearing a wig singing a beautiful song about love and a cartoon drawing of the human body. Things that might offend others. Otherwise, it's just a song about love. I hope it is safe where you work.)

Help!

Barack Obama kinda sorta promises the biggest initiative for young children since Head Start began in 1965.

Also in 1965: The Dow closed at 969, the average annual income was $6,450 and the Beatles did Shea.

The Great Society, indeed.