Interesting essay today in the New York Times about performance-based education. You can find it at http://lessonplans.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/10/08/playing-roles-for-a-real-education/.
"For the children at our school, some of whom face difficult issues at home — poverty, isolation, domestic violence, trauma and stress, to name a few — learning that emphasizes performance, inquiry, and artistic exploration is vital. That is why on any given day at I.C.S., you will see a multitude of creative projects going on: storytelling, puppetry, drama, dance, music, movement, role-playing, book clubs, chess, painting, cooking, yoga, writing, gardening, and active inquiries all around. In the current national climate of testing, we have to make time for creative expression. It is urgent. Children need some constructive form of release."
The above quote made me think of our brief discussion on Tuesday night about the importance of integrating music and art activities in classrooms. If writing is critical thinking and art is a way of thinking critically about the world we may need to consider more activities like those described in the article. Could this be something we discuss during those unattached classes at the end of the semester?
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