The Information

Apple Insider says that Google has launched a mobile Google Book Search with finger-ready navigation for iPhone and iPod touch devices. That means iPhone users can now access more than 1.5 million books that are in the public domain because of expired copyrights and licenses.

Also, Amazon, maker of the popular Kindle e-book reader, is making it's e-book catalog available to iPhone users, which the New York Times says will allow access to Amazon's collection of over 240,000 books for a fee.

I use my phone for nearly everything: scheduling, note-taking, picture-taking, music, video, navigation, web-surfing, emailing and reading e-books.

We are very close, which is probably a mistake.

Video Epilogue: HAL won't go quietly (2001: A Space Odyssey)

Face Yourself

Here is the latest installment of our, meaning my, ongoing dialogue with Bay Area Teaching Artist/Entrepreneur Anthem Salgado. Today, we face facts. Ouch.

Q: What I’m hearing is that there is no one path to success in this field. But are there some guiding principles?

Anthem: Yes, there are tons of guiding principles. And that’s why I’m such an avid reader. Because anyone who already knows what needs to be done has already written a book about it. So we just need to find the books that resonate with us and start reading ‘em! (laughs) It’s like we’re reinventing the wheel, but someone’s already figured it out. Let’s go to the people who’ve already figured it out. And I read tons of books and they inform me in such huge ways.

Q: OK, so what are the guiding principles you’re working with right now?

A: Values, principles…my gosh! (Shakes head.) There are too many!

Q: Is there a set of guiding principles for an emerging TA?

A: OK, this is one I gave recently to somebody, and  it works for individuals as well as organizations. I always tell people you need to optimize, and then innovate. And those are both buzz words…I know. (laughs) So, just to be clear. Innovate is all the creative thinking that I’m suggesting you do. Creative solutions around business, and professional development. But optimize means you need to know what is working. You really need to take a full inventory of what is working and what isn’t working. You need to make a NOT TO DO list. There are probably things we are working on that aren’t moving the ball forward. Those things we just need to stop immediately. And for the things that are working? We need to use these three criteria. “What are we extraordinarily passionate about?” Would be number one. Number two would be “What can generate income?” And number three would be “What can we really excel in?” For instance, in my own work, when I did this analysis, I realized the most money I make per hour is from commercial acting, as opposed to theatrical acting. So, I thought, "Well, that’s something I need to prioritize." Because it just pays more! It’s still acting, so I’m passionate about it. It generates income. And I do have an opportunity to excel in it. Whereas theater acting, which I also love and am passionate about…well, the income per hour is not as much, although I still have an opportunity to excel at it. It’s just a semi-scientific way of beginning to prioritize which projects you should be working on at any one time. I also realize that I can stand to build a career, not have one immediately, but build one as a Teaching Artist, a professional development type of teacher, meeting all three criteria. (counts on his fingers) I’m passionate about it. I can excel in it. And I can make some money from it. For a long while, in the city, I was really well-known as a spoken-word artist. But let’s look at this. I’m passionate about it. But there’s  no way to excel in it, because it’s pretty much a single tier type of endeavor. There’s no such thing as career spoken-word artist. So I can’t excel in it and I can’t make money in it. I don’t know any spoken-word artist who is really making money in that field. So I just had to face myself. It’s difficult, but I had to face myself and just drop it.

Q: These are hard choices you’re talking about. These are not choices where someone says “Well, I wanna be a spoken word artist and make money at it!” Does that mean the dream is dead?

(Hysterical laughter)

A: No, it doesn’t mean the dream is dead. The dream means putting yourself in the driver’s seat. And when people put themselves in the driver’s seat..this is what I encourage every artist to do. Think like a boss.  When you’re a boss and you have to make executive decisions, you’re not going to fund or put energy or human resources into the project that’s not coming back to pay you. Right? So spoken word would be great if I had a full on career as a doctor or a lawyer or accountant and I could do spoken word on the side.  That could just be my passion project. But if we’re talking about having a sustainable ecology, then you have to think like a boss. As an executive director, if you were your own company, which one of your personal artistic projects  would you prioritize so that the company, which is you, can survive? It’s not about the dream being dead. It’s about having to make some real decisions. Thinking like a boss.

Q: Last tiny little question. What’s the future of the field of Teaching Artistry?

A: (laughs) Well, that’s a big question. I think the field will continue to work as it has been. We talked about $17 per hour being, for some places, a typical rate of pay. For someone that’s new to teaching art, that’s actually pretty awesome. So, you’ll always have emerging, new Teaching Artists entering the field, and you’ll always have the ones who are a bit more senior leaving the field. That’s life. There will be no shortage of Teaching Artists, ever, because the young ones will always be there to fill the place. Organizations themselves will be able to replicate their formulas and grow, but I don’t think the field itself is going to grow until the senior Teaching Artists are in more positions of influence to be able to create a graduating point for all the Teaching Artists who are leaving the field. If we can continue to stay in the field and develop our skills then we could really see something beautiful.

Q: Does that mean we should become administrators?

A: I don’t know if we become administrators. We just need more leaders. I’m not going to encourage a Teaching Artist...look, if their master skill is being in front of a class, I wouldn’t encourage them to get behind a desk. But, if they have the vision and they have the organizational skill, I would encourage them to partner with an organization...with administrators who understand the vision and know how to get the grant...know how to get the business part of it rolling, so that there is a graduating point. Right now, there’s nothing for a Teaching Artist who is really experienced to graduate to. That’s what I would love to see. We’ll always be at the mercy of someone else if we’re always asking, but not in a position of giving or creating. People ought to be asking us to participate. That’s sort of what Art of Hustle is about. Empowering ground-level  artists to think bigger. 

Thus ended this installment of our chat. Many thanks to Anthem Salgado for his time and thoughtful responses! Teaching Artists, if you would like to offer feedback, please click the comment button below, or send us an email.

Also: The Man In Black - When the Man Comes Around

Future Perfect

The fact that a teaching artist can now scroll through a virtual copy of the world's oldest printed book online, while eating donuts, means we live in what I used to call the future.

The British Library is full of such surprises. They've uploaded the past, so you can read it in the quickly vanishing present. Read old newspapers online, turn the pages of virtual books and documents, listen to audio clips and more. It's useful for lesson planning, but a bit overwhelming if you don't know where to start.

Of course, you'll need a computer and a good internet connection to get the most out of multimedia sites like the ones maintained by the British Library. Schools and students who are without speedy computers and internet access can expect to land on the wrong side of the achievement gap in education. Is a technological gap growing because of school budget cuts, and bad planning? How can teaching artists expect to keep up with advances in social media and technology? 

Anyhoo, old books and stuff online, hurrah!

The Great Beyond

"Somehow, understanding goes beyond knowing. But how?"

This thrilling question, which I am pondering now, and probably forever, is posed by David Perkins in an 1993 essay which you can read in its entirety here.

As you may recall, my new advocacy campaign is based on the idea that Teaching Artists achieve professional status only when we embrace the idea of accountability and find effective ways to integrate it into our planning model. Of course, many of us are already doing this successfully and have done so for decades, usually within schools and cultural organizations that provide the time, money and kind of administrative support necessary to document and assess our work.

The focal point of the discussion is the concept of UNDERSTANDING. There are many seminal books on the subject, including Understanding By Design. Indeed, talking about teaching for understanding is a cottage industry. But I can't afford to buy all these books and seminars. I just want to do good work and get paid a living wage.

Therefore, I shall begin to organize my random thoughts into a nice manageable list of do's and don'ts, or Yamas and Niyamas, mostly Niyamas.

I warn you, this may take some time and there will be detours. Please send me your thoughtful comments and suggestions.

Ok, here goes!

1. DO try your best to create delightfully challenging experiences that move students toward a deeper understanding of specific concepts.

2. DO be really specific about what you are hoping students will know, understand, or be able to do when they are done working with you.

3. DON'T do random things in your workshops that are unconnected to your desired outcomes. It's a waste of time and kind of unethical when you think about it. This does not mean you can't be creative. In fact, disciplining your mind to envision everything you want to say and do in the workshop means that you have to be more innovative and flexible. Also, teaching then becomes more like a partially improvised performance, and you can achieve the same kind of rush you get onstage, just don't go overboard because it's not all about you mister.

4. DO provide multiple ways for students to engage with the knowledge, understandings and skills-sets the workshop has been planned around. Don't set up just one narrow door, because everybody is different, and if you don't believe me, ask Howard Gardner.

5. DO make rubrics because they are infinitely adjustable tools that you can use for planning, assessment and eventually evaluation.

6. DON'T confuse Assessment and Evaluation when you are planning. These are two different things. Assessment is more about observing and identifying where someone is along a continuum. It's a conversation starter. A grade kind of says "we're done here".

In the next few weeks, I will continue to post about these things, but I am traveling, so don't judge me if I miss a day.

Also: ATA is on Facebook. Where are you?

Also: Joni Mitchell - Help Me

Some Sort of Record

Artists have been making artists' books since paper was invented and probably before that. Still, no one can agree on what they are.

I think they are fun, but a much better explanation can be found on the website of the beleaguered Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) in a catalog intro written by Lynda Bunting.

"An artist’s book is a book made by an artist. While this sounds rather obvious, scholars have been grappling with describing the genre since the 1960s. Often deviating from conventional publications, artists’ books have complicated storytelling in myriad ways....The carefully selected sequences of information they present empower the reader to interact with them liberally and at their own discretion."

Besides being diverting, I think creating an artist book is an effective way for students to interact with and process new information and themes. MOCA has a great online video catalog of examples by Keith Haring, Olafur Eliasson, Lara Schnitger, Jorge Pardo and others.

The exhibition at MOCA is called To Illustrate and Multiply: An Open Book. It closes on March 1st, 2009.

Also: Leonard Cohen wrote a famous song about a Blue Raincoat.

Control

Electronic books have become something of an everyday convenience because they are profitable. On the website of the New York Times, Lewis Hyde, who wrote The Gift, one of my most favorite books, says an upcoming copyright case will give Google an inordinate amount of control over the catalog.

Advantage Google By LEWIS HYDE Published: October 4, 2009 Nothing in the history of copyright permits the treatment of “orphan” works spelled out in the proposed settlement between Google and the Authors Guild.

I wonder how this, and other radical technological changes like the PC Tablet, will impact my future teaching practice?

Also: XBox LIVE

Captivate and Transform

Bank Street College of Education is the home of the Children's Book Committee, which helps parents, teachers and educators "choose books that children will find captivating and transforming."

The Committee publishes a "64-page annotated list. More than 600 titles. Fiction and nonfiction for babies and toddlers through age fourteen. Arranged by age and category."

If you need persuading, they offer a sample page (pdf) on their website.

You could buy the list and then ask the entire school community to purchase and donate all the books on the list. Then you could have a book party to thank them.

As I have mentioned repeatedly and often, GIFT is an organization that can tell you all you need to know about grassroots fundraising.

Mission Impossible

The Art History Archive has a mission to " include EVERY art movement worthy of mention, no matter how small."

The image attached to this post is, of course, an oil on canvas portrait of Jean-Baptiste Belley, Deputy of Santo Domingo to the Convention of France, painted by Anne-Louis Girodet de Roussy-Trioson in 1797.  It hangs in the Hermitage in Saint Petersburg, Russia.

Also, and sort of unrelated, Lily Bart is still in the sitting room:

 

The House of Mirth

By Edith Wharton

Book One

Chapter One Episode 7

Selden had turned to reach for a cigarette-box on the mantelpiece.

"What's become of Dillworth?" he asked.

"Oh, his mother was frightened—she was afraid I should have all the family jewels reset. And she wanted me to promise that I wouldn't do over the drawing-room."

"The very thing you are marrying for!"

"Exactly. So she packed him off to India."

"Hard luck—but you can do better than Dillworth."

He offered the box, and she took out three or four cigarettes, putting one between her lips and slipping the others into a little gold case attached to her long pearl chain.

"Have I time? Just a whiff, then." She leaned forward, holding the tip of her cigarette to his. As she did so, he noted, with a purely impersonal enjoyment, how evenly the black lashes were set in her smooth white lids, and how the purplish shade beneath them melted into the pure pallour of the cheek.

She began to saunter about the room, examining the bookshelves between the puffs of her cigarette-smoke. Some of the volumes had the ripe tints of good tooling and old morocco, and her eyes lingered on them caressingly, not with the appreciation of the expert, but with the pleasure in agreeable tones and textures that was one of her inmost susceptibilities. Suddenly her expression changed from desultory enjoyment to active conjecture, and she turned to Selden with a question.

"You collect, don't you—you know about first editions and things?"

"As much as a man may who has no money to spend. Now and then I pick up something in the rubbish heap; and I go and look on at the big sales."

She had again addressed herself to the shelves, but her eyes now swept them inattentively, and he saw that she was preoccupied with a new idea.

"And Americana—do you collect Americana?"

Selden stared and laughed.

"No, that's rather out of my line. I'm not really a collector, you see; I simply like to have good editions of the books I am fond of."

She made a slight grimace. "And Americana are horribly dull, I suppose?"

"I should fancy so—except to the historian. But your real collector values a thing for its rarity. I don't suppose the buyers of Americana sit up reading them all night—old Jefferson Gryce certainly didn't."

She was listening with keen attention. "And yet they fetch fabulous prices, don't they? It seems so odd to want to pay a lot for an ugly badly-printed book that one is never going to read! And I suppose most of the owners of Americana are not historians either?"

"No; very few of the historians can afford to buy them. They have to use those in the public libraries or in private collections. It seems to be the mere rarity that attracts the average collector."

He had seated himself on an arm of the chair near which she was standing, and she continued to question him, asking which were the rarest volumes, whether the Jefferson Gryce collection was really considered the finest in the world, and what was the largest price ever fetched by a single volume.

It was so pleasant to sit there looking up at her, as she lifted now one book and then another from the shelves, fluttering the pages between her fingers, while her drooping profile was outlined against the warm background of old bindings, that he talked on without pausing to wonder at her sudden interest in so unsuggestive a subject. But he could never be long with her without trying to find a reason for what she was doing, and as she replaced his first edition of La Bruyere and turned away from the bookcases, he began to ask himself what she had been driving at. Her next question was not of a nature to enlighten him. She paused before him with a smile which seemed at once designed to admit him to her familiarity, and to remind him of the restrictions it imposed.

"Don't you ever mind," she asked suddenly, "not being rich enough to buy all the books you want?"

Bad Wolf

The Star Ledger reports that Scholastic has been marketing video games, lip gloss and other toys under the cover of its ubiquitous in-school book clubs.

The market is huge and the potential for profit is enormous:

The world's largest publisher and distributor of children's books, Scholastic earned nearly $337 million last year from the book clubs... The company estimates that three-quarters of U.S. elementary-school teachers -- and more than 2.2 million children -- participate annually..."

Non-book items for sale through the book clubs have included these fun things:

• M&M's Kart Racing Wii video game
  
• American Idol event planner
  
• SpongeBob SquarePants Monopoly computer game
  
• lip gloss rings
  
• Nintendo's Baby Pals video game
  
• Hannah Montana posters
  
• Spy Master Voice Disguiser
  

Also, The Star Courier reports:

As part of their new marketing campaign, "The Strength Inside," Nike Sportswear assigned high school teens in New York City, along with those in Philadelphia and Baltimore, with the task of creating a photo journal of what strength means to them...In New York, Nike partnered with the Center for Arts Education (CAE)...

Also, one pair of Nike Jordan True Flight Men's Basketball Shoes costs $140.

Plus, Christopher Walken interprets the 3 Little Pigs:

Curiouser and Curiouser

Arts Advocate Laura Reeder of Partners for Arts Education, is also one of the fine people responsible for the Teaching Artist Journal; a scholarly publication that explores all kinds of stuff you care about.

Unfortunately, it's only printed on tree-killing paper.

Since online publications are much greener and accessible, I am pleased that TA Journal also publishes a blog. It's not the most updated site on our tour, but what you'll find there is terrific nonetheless.

Here's one: Leah Mayers post on handmade books is lovely.

Oh, I nearly forgot, here's Ms. Reeder's piece too, in case you missed it.

Hurry Up and Wait: TA Professional Development

by Laura Reeder


Laura Reeder does the field a huge service by giving us a synthetic and insightful overview of the various TA PD initiatives underway across the U.S. From the article:

Curiosity is at the center of an artistic life and it is certainly at the center of lifelong learning. Curiosity is now being manifested with artistic, educational, and scientific care in at least ten national research projects aimed at unraveling the mysteries of professional development for teaching artists. These studies have been shaped to answer questions about the quality and quantity of professional resources for artists who teach. A TAJ scan of this research reveals interest in subtle and unique elements that cannot easily be measured. The global finesse that we are all developing through easy-to-use survey programs, transcontinental communication, and the humanistic backlash to No Child Left Behind has ripened our opportunity to study teaching artistry.

continue reading...

Democracy Now

I am overly enthusiastic about the work of artist Maira Kalman. For one reason, her book Next Stop Grand Central is so much fun you can't stand it.

Besides that, she is also a contributor to the New York Times and has done other impressive things. Ms. Kalman has written and illustrated 12 children's books; all of them terrific. Her latest special feature in the New York Times is about the democratic process and it describes her visit to a town hall-style meeting at a public school in the Bronx.

The image on this post is by Maira Kalman.

Blithe Spirit

And the Pursuit of Happiness is Maira Kalman's blog at the New York Times. I love her books.

This time out, the well-known children's book author and illustrator travelogues her recent visit to Monticello, the plantation estate of Thomas Jefferson.

Thomas Jefferson was the slave-owner who wrote the Declaration of Independence.

Also: Alanis Morissette - Ironic

3 QUESTIONS FOR ARLENE GOLDBARD

In two recent articles posted on the Community Arts Network, writer and social activist Arlene Goldbard has outlined the history of the Works Progress Administration (WPA) and called for Washington to fund new arts initiatives and create new jobs for artists. As the battle around the stimulus package heats up, Ms. Golbard's thoughtful articles have become an advocacy platform for the community. If you haven't read her work, you must.

Start here:

The New New Deal: Part One

The New New Deal: Part Two

Ms. Goldbard has graciously agreed to answer three questions about the New New Deal. I'm going to focus on the proposed idea of the WPA style approach and what Teaching Artists might hope for or expect within such a context. As you know, I'm not a journalist, so, as usual, there will be no editing and we'll keep it short.

3 QUESTIONS FOR ARLENE GOLDBARD

1. Ms. Goldbard, briefly summarized, what are the opportunities and pitfalls for Teaching Artists within a government sponsored initiative to create jobs for artists? In other words, what's in it for us and is there anything we should be wary of?

My current motto comes from Voltaire: "The perfect is the enemy of the good." Most teaching artists already work within a government-sponsored context, the public school system. So in the simplest terms, if there were more public money to hire more teaching artists, both the good things and the dangers affecting those who currently have work would continue: more of the same.

I've been searching fruitlessly all my life for the perfect position, the one that rewards me generously just for being me, no strings attached. I doubt that most teaching artists have been more successful than I in finding it. In the absence of a free lunch, there are always concerns: Who judges the value of one's work? Are there undue constraints on freedom of expression? Is there enough continuity of support to establish and maintain the ongoing, meaningful relationships so key to effective work for teaching artists and community artists? Are collegial relationships encouraged and supported between teachers, administrators, parents, students and teaching artists, or does an atmosphere or competition prevail? These are perennial questions for anyone working in the field of cultural development; I can't see them changing much if a "new WPA" were to come into being, although the existence of increased funding could heighten some of these tensions.

2. If WPA projects similar to the ones you've proposed are implemented, how long do you think the new jobs for Teaching Artists might last and how might these projects fare after the next presidential election?

Duration is an interesting question. On the one hand, as in the WPA of the New Deal, such public programs tend to be seen as temporary measures to aid economic recovery. On the other hand, the work of teaching artists and community artists should be an ongoing part of public provision, as integral to local cultural life and as permanent a feature as the public library. As part of national recovery, it makes sense to propose instituting public service jobs for artists with a defined beginning and end (e.g., a five-year, renewable program would make sense to me). Politically, I doubt that this is the time to succeed in advocating for ongoing, permanent funding, as much as it is needed and right. I hope Barack Obama will win the next presidential election too, so presumably anything that came into being on his watch would continue throughout the eight years. If the campaign for artists' jobs succeeds, the challenge will be to use the time well, documenting success and building the strongest possible arguments for continued funding, creating an initiative so popular and so firmly rooted in local communities, it could survive a shift in political winds. That's a tall order, especially when you consider that right now, "the arts" are widely seen as the most dispensable of public funding programs.

3. As advocates for our own futures, what questions should professional Teaching Artists be asking and to whom should we complain?

Right now we are seeing exceptionally keen interest in questions of cultural policy in this country—at long last. I would like to see teaching artists become active in advocating for public policies and funding initiatives that promote cultural democracy: creativity, pluralism, participation and equity in our nation's cultural life. This is a good time to complain to elected officials who have used arts funding as the poster child for government waste, making sure they hear from people who know how valuable and essential to cultural citizenship arts and education programs are. It's also a good time to become active in proposing new policies and programs, as I have done in laying out parameters for a "new WPA." What would education in this country look like if the best work of teaching artists were integral to every classroom? Now is a time to dream big and broadcast those dreams, creating a sense of possibility. I'd like to see teaching artists ask themselves what they want for themselves, their communities and those with whom they work, and then put that vision out without downsizing it to accommodate anticipated opposition.

Thank you for your time and advocacy on behalf of the arts community.

About Arlene Goldbard
Arlene Goldbard is a writer, social activist, and consultant who works for justice, compassion and honor in every sphere, from the interpersonal to the transnational.

Her essays have appeared in such journals as Art in America, The Independent, Theatre, High Performance and Tikkun. Her books include Crossroads: Reflections on the Politics of Culture; Creative Community: The Art of Cultural Development; Community, Culture and Globalization; and her novel Clarity.

The Last Sad Song

It's been a rough year for employment. For those teaching artists who depend on money for things like food and rent, gigs may be harder to come by.

Luckily, it's both necessary, and possible, to think that things are getting better all the time, and no one can stop you. Next week, the plan around here is to post more jobs, and daily links to resources and information about things that we professional teaching artists can do to not starve, all while delivering high quality teaching and learning in the arts.

Also, today is Friday!

Here are some random items, and a terrific disco hit to hum while polishing up the résumé.

In Politics: Next week, if you live in NYC, it's time to vote. Voting in citywide elections is a great way to show how much you care about arts education.

In New York State: Please respond to the latest NYS Arts Advocacy Action Alert! Gov. Paterson proposed billions of dollars in spending cuts in the current 2009-10 budget seeking to close a deficit for this year that he projects at $3 billion. Tell your politicians how you feel about their priorities. Send a letter.

In the Health-care Debate: The New York Times says hopeful Democrats present their health-care legislation. Republicans disagree completely. But the San Francisco Chronicle says the "Public option isn't much of either."

In Books: The miraculous Marilynne Robinson tries her best to rehabilitate John Calvin, and she nearly does. The Death of Adam: Essays on Modern Thought

In Education: At Education Week, a new report (pdf) questions Secretary of Education Arne Duncan's presiding over the closing of dozens of failing schools during his tenure in Chicago. He's touted this as an achievement, but the actual students saw no benefit, says the study.

In Disco: Donna & Barbra - No More Tears (Enough is Enough)

Wise Woman

It's Friday.

The 92nd Street Y is holding a Trivia Challenge. The winner will get FREE tickets to a public conversation between Jane Goodall, who proved that apes use tools, and Howard Gardner, who writes books.

The website says "On Sep 2 Ms. Goodall will be at 92Y with Harvard University Professor Howard Gardner for How to Change the World with Howard Gardner and Guests: Jane Goodall. These tickets are already selling briskly, and we want to give you a chance to win two of them. Our Trivia Challenge this week is offering one lucky winner two free tickets to the event. This contest closes at 5pm (EST) on Jul 3 and the winner will be announced here on Jul 6. Go ahead and enter your answer here!"

In this Leakey Foundation video, Ms. Goodall talks about apes' emotional landscape and family relationships.

Zen Palette

"Wabi Sabi" by Mark Reibstein and illustrator Ed Young is a gorgeous book for children ages 3-6.

In episodes that end in Haiku and delicately rendered Japanese characters, Mr. Reibstein tells the story of a cat named Wabi Sabi who embarks on a journey to discover the meaning of her name. Along the way, she gains wisdom.

Wabi Sabi was selected as one of The New York Times Best Illustrated Children’s Books in 2008.

According to the Times review, the term Wabi-Sabi refers to an aesthetic related to Taoism and Zen Buddhism.

Meta-textual:

THE ULTIMATE ATTAINMENT

The past is already past.
Don't try to regain it.
The present does not stay.
Don't try to touch it.

From moment to moment.
The future has not come;
Don't think about it beforehand.
Whatever comes to the eye, leave it be.

There are no commandments to be kept;
There's no filth to be cleansed.
With empty mind really penetrated, the dharmas have no life.

When you can be like this,
You've completed The ultimate attainment.

P'ang Yün (龐蘊 Hõ Un)

Flow

Since you are a professional TA, you may relate when I reveal that I am usually carrying around a slew of dog-eared books in my satchel. This week, my subway companion is a classic by the remarkable Donal Schön. 

The Reflective Practioner: How Professionals Think in Action.

I think it's changing me.

Here's a quote from a speech Mr. Schön gave in 1987:

First of all, there’s the view that what we know is a product. There is a body of knowledge. It is a set of results which are, at best, the results of research carried out in the universities. It’s knowledge that is determinate in the sense that there are right answers: questions have right answers. It’s the business of the teachers to know what the right answers are and to communicate them to students. The knowledge is formal and categorical; it is explicitly formulable in propositions that assign properties to objects or express in verbal or symbolic terms the relations of objects and properties to one another. And let me tell you a story: the Russian cognitive psychologist, Vygotsky, who worked just after the Russian Revolution, worked with peasants, some of whom had been to the collective schools and some of whom had not. And he gave them little tests. And the basic pattern of the test was "Put together the things that go together." So he showed this peasant a hammer, a saw, a hatchet and a log of wood, and he said, "Put together the things that go together." And the peasant said, "Well, clearly, what goes together is the log of wood and the hatchet and the saw because you use the hatchet and the saw to cut the wood for firewood." And Vygotsky said--and this was his regular strategem--"I have a friend who says that the saw, the hammer and the hatchet go together because they are tools." And the peasant answered, "Then your friend must have a lot of firewood!

You Made Me Love You

In the midst of a global economic meltdown, I find my thoughts turn increasingly to the rent. I know it's selfish, but so is the landlord. Longing to find my professional self on the agenda of the professional problem solvers, I go to the source for succor, asking "What does President Barack Obama have on the agenda for Teaching Artists like me?"

On his official website, I find we are not mentioned in the section titled "Education." In fact, we are not mentioned at all...anywhere.

"Arts" is listed as one of the subcategories under "Additional Issues" along with "Sportsmen." From this, I conclude that we are as important to the new administration as "hunters and anglers."

Here is what little there is:

As the author of two best-selling books — "Dreams from My Father" and "The Audacity of Hope" — President Obama uniquely appreciates the role and value of creative expression.

It's like he smiled right at me.

Plus: Judy Garland pens a fan letter.

Boal

Brazilian theater director Augusto Boal died on Saturday. He was 78.

His ideas changed things for good.

Also: Books by Boal.

Different

Over at the Community Arts Network, professor Carol Ng-He interviews professional Teaching Artist Malik Gillani about "Myths to Drama" an arts-integrated education program that brings a global perspective into Chicago Public Schools classrooms. The program, developed and implemented by Mr. Gillani's Silk Road Theatre Project, is aligned with the State of Illinois’ Board of Education standards and helps students explore social studies themes through the arts. Activities include drama, music, reading and writing and the vision behind the project is expansive.

In answer to a question about why the company decided to use the study of myths as a vehicle, Mr. Gillani explains:

"Myths to Drama” isn’t another class; this is not just to repeat what has been offered in other classes. It is to provide a different model of learning. So, the basic theory of how we deliver “Myths to Drama” is the philosophy of multiple intelligences.

People learn differently, so you need to give people different avenues of learning. So for us, myth is a way of learning a culture in an alternative model, in a way that social studies are not taught in school.

This program appears to be pretty cool, the curriculum outline is online and I dig it.

I think the idea that we learn differently seems kind of commonsensical and true. But since I've started reading up I can't find an end to it and the books on the subject just seem to keep coming.

The categories keep coming.

We are of different minds.

It's an endlessly fascinating and lucrative idea.