Published: August 17, 2007 12:39 am            

It’s Not Just The Arts anymore …

Recently I was selected as a participant in The Kennedy Center’s Seminar, Artists as Educators: Planning Effective Workshops for Teachers. Assisting with the seminar was Mississippi Alliance for Arts Education, and Mississippi Arts Commission, plus, The University of Mississippi supplied the location. It was an awesome experience and very enlightening. For more information concerning Mississippi Alliance for Arts Education, see: www.msartsalliance.com and for Mississippi Arts Commission, see: www.arts.state.ms.us/

I was among a heady group of talented artists from all across the state: puppeteers, songwriters, creative writers, music teachers, vocalists, visual arts, poets, art teachers, and musicians. We were challenged to bring our creative and innovative ideas to the table for consideration, as we will seek to connect our specialized art forms with the schools, and to develop the ideas for proposals for the Mississippi Department of Education and the individual teachers.

No, it’s not just the Arts anymore ... but an exciting time and the sharing of an artistic lead way with the schools allowing something tangible, clear and concise to expand the thinking skills of the students as well as working with the teacher perspectives ... all through the Arts ... The hope is for a new day for the Mississippi educational horizon as the arts community and educators work together.

Our explosion of ideas was overwhelming ... we, as artists, couldn’t get enough. Even during our breaks we were still sitting at the table discussing the wonder of it all, and if we did venture out of the conference hall, then, we were to be found outside sitting around the garden of the Observatory at Ole Miss being entertained by Mississippi/artists/ singer/songwriters, also seminar attendees, who just happened to bring along their musical instruments ... a Mini-Mississippi-Musical.

I kept thinking, “It’s all about Mississippi!” Yes, Mississippians coming together to make our State the best it can be, and in order to accomplish our goal, we must start with our students, Mississippi’s most precious commodity.

As I researched the arts-in-education concept, I was impressed to see the following Vision Statement at the Mississippi Arts Commission web site: “The vision of the Mississippi Arts Commission is to partner with local schools to create, evaluate, document, and disseminate a replicable model of school reform where all students in the school receive a sequential, comprehensive education. This education is designed to improve learning both in and through the arts supported by the creation of arts-based interdisciplinary curricula and by regular instruction in music, dance, drama, visual arts, and folk arts by certified arts instructors.”

This Vision has led the way to uplift and encourage the Whole Schools Initiative and again as stated on their web site, “The Whole Schools Initiative is a comprehensive statewide arts education program. The Whole Schools Initiative uses the arts as a vehicle for promoting high-quality arts instruction and learning for students. The initiative is founded on effective research-based methods and strategies and is open to elementary, middle and high schools.” To learn more about this innovative and highly successful program see: www.mswholeschools.org/

We have two Whole Schools in our area: Poplar Springs Elementary School located in the city of Meridian, and Clarkdale Public School in Lauderdale County. These two schools are classified as Level 5/Superior Performing Schools. So, there must be something to incorporating arts-based interdisciplinary curricula standards with an arts framework using every art form as a connection strand allowing new ways of assessing the work of students?

I suppose the following was the most profound statement quoted at the seminar, “We must seek avoiding to categorize students as not-smart, but, instead, we must find where the students are smart.” It was a “light-bulb” experience when, as artists, my fellow-attendees and I realized the potential of adapting all forms of art from music, dance, the written word, drama, and visual arts to strengthen education.

Yes, as noted on the Whole Schools Initiative web site, “The potential and exciting results can be seen through improved student academic achievement, enriching the lives of the students, increased professional and personal growth of teachers and administrators, increased parental and community involvement, and sustained systems built within schools for supporting arts infusion.”

No, ... no one wanted to go home. We hung around the conference hall just wanting to talk-the-talk with our fellow artists and the outstanding seminar facilitators. We, as the artists, wanted to immediately sink our teeth into our workshop proposals, to plan, present and evaluate our selected art form in conjunction with the schools and the teachers right then and there, and on-the-spot, but, of course, we know we must perfect our proposals in the best way possible to benefit the students, and that will take dedicated work, but we are prepared and ready. Yes we are!

I remembered attending a meeting recently to hear Dr. Hank Bounds, Mississippi Superintendent of Education, as he spoke so eloquently on redesigning education and working collectively with community involvement. At that meeting I looked over at my artist/friend sitting next to me, Richelle Putnam, and said, “We can do that.” She answered, “Yes, we can, and we will.”

I encourage you to find your place in making Mississippi the best it can be, because there is a place for you and you are needed.

        

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