With super-speed, mega-gigabyte, mobile technological advancements and social networks in the hands of almost everyone in this new century, students consume information differently than they did 30 years ago. How to incorporate technology, such as iPads and SMART boards, inside the classroom has been a hot topic in academic education. Most people think of math and science teachers cleverly adjusting their curriculum around these spiffy inventions, but where is arts education in all of this?
To answer that question, the Arts Education Partnership will host the 2012 National Forum, titled “Arts Learning Without Borders,” from Sept. 12-14 in Chattanooga. Rocco Landesman, chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts, will kickoff the think tank with his opening address, “Art Works: Transforming Schools.”
The forum has planned plenary sessions with panelists including NEA Directors of Arts Education Ayanna Hudson, Yale Medical School Professor Emeritus of Dermatology Irwin M. Braverman, and the parents featured in the film “Bully,” David and Tina Long.
Wait. What does dermatology have to do with arts education? One of the sessions will tackle “Healthy Partners: Why the Arts Matter to Medicine,” which shows the breadth of the arts education topic. Participants will also divide into small group sessions, which will allow professionals, such as Creative Discovery Museum Executive Director Henry Schulson, to present their research and observations on topics such as “The Blind Men and the Elephant: Developing a Shared Vision for Arts Learning.“
With a $250 fee, the forum is not all business. Apt entertainment includes student performances by The Choo Choo Kids from the Chattanooga Center for Creative Arts and the McCallie Guitar Quartet from McCallie School. An evening opening reception will be held Sept. 13. Visit aep-arts.org for more information.