Tuesday, October 14, 2008

S.T.A.G.E.S.


A disability is often thought to be something in which disables a person, be it a mentally or physically. I believe that to be untrue. Martina Navratilova once said, “Disability is a matter of perception. If you can do just one thing well, you're needed by someone.” 

An article that I have recently read, All the World's a Stage... and Now All Children Can Play on It!, speaks about a woman and her quest to teach children acting techniques and help them perform. She double majored in Elementary Education and Theatre. She applied methods that were helpful for the children offstage as well as onstage. They were more focused and could follow directions more accurately. They cooperated with one another and communicated more clearly. They displayed more awareness of their emotions and the emotions of others. Their self-esteem improved “dramatically”!

Later on the woman began to work with special needs children in a variety of settings. She worked specifically with developmental delays. She had been a consultant teacher at a New York City public school in a special education (MIS II) reading classroom, she volunteered in various art therapy groups with the mentally ill and was running her own sixth grade classroom with many mainstreamed students. She began to wonder, what could drama do for these types of children? In 1996, she and another and a fellow employee/teacher co-founded a program that would fuse theatre arts and special education. The program was called, S.T.A.G.E.S. (Special Theatre Arts Group for Exceptional Students), which has become an incredible artistic outlet for children with special needs. It has also been extremely beneficial to the students social, as well as their intellectual growth and development. They are completely immersed in social situations through their experiences with the art of theatre. According to the article, the students learn to cooperate and socialize as they develop and perform scenes as well as act as audience members and critique one another. Drama techniques such as relaxation methods, pantomime and focus exercises teach impulse control, anger /anxiety management, concentration, and the ability to follow directions. Theatre games teach kids to make eye contact, project and modify their voices, communicate effectively, initiate and sustain dialogue, use appropriate emotions and affect, and creatively problem-solve.

S.T.A.G.E.S. has given special needs children a place for self-expression without fear of criticism. The special needs child, who is often isolated because of his “unique” way of thinking, is embraced at S.T.A.G.E.S. As far as the class size is concerned, it consists of and is limited to 10 students. The student-teacher ratio is small, allowing for maximum individualized attention. Creativity flourishes in a highly structured environment. All students know what to expect and what is expected of them. All children are treated with respect in an informal and friendly atmosphere.

“Be of good cheer. Do not think of today's failures, but of the success that may come tomorrow. You have set yourself a difficult task, but you will succeed if you persevere; and you will find a joy in overcoming obstacles” 
-Helen Keller

Thursday, October 9, 2008

Art Education Funding


You may be asking yourself, why art? Well art education is exceptionally important. I am a firm believer that students should be exposed to all types of art, be it drawing, painting, sculpting, dance, music, or theatre. Art is a form of self expression, and students have that right to express themselves, in this case, artistically.

According to the City of Boston funding update of the Mayor's Office of Intergovernmental Relations (April 25, 2008) and the National Endowment for the Arts, have committed to providing leadership in art education. Funding average grant size ranges from $10,000 to $100,000. As for the range of grants, programs are presented with $5,000 to $150,000.

The National Endowment for the Arts is committed to providing leadership in arts education by inspiring all young Americans through rich arts experiences. The Learning in the Arts for Children and Youth category offers funding for projects that help children and youth acquire knowledge and understanding of and skills in the arts. Projects must provide participatory learning, engage students with skilled artists, teachers, and excellent art, and apply national or state arts education standards. All projects submitted to the Learning in the Arts category must include:

  • Experience: Students and their teachers will have the chance to experience exemplary works of art, in live form where possible.
  • Study: Through the guidance of teachers, teaching artists, and cultural organizations, students will study works of art in order to understand the cultural and social context from which they come, and to appreciate the technical or aesthetic qualities of each work. Where appropriate, study will include the acquisition of skills relevant to practicing the art form.
  • Performance: Informed by their experience and study, students will create artwork. In the case of literature, the primary creative activities will be writing or recitation.
  • Assessment: Students will be assessed according to national or state arts education standards. Where appropriate, projects will employ multiple forms of assessment
including pre- and post-testing. The required Learning in the Arts components may be provided in partnership with other organizations. Learning in the Arts projects may take place in school-based or community-based settings and should focus on children and youth in the general age range of 5 through 18 years. All grants require a nonfederal match of at least one to one.

If you are interested in further information please visit http://www.cityofboston.gov/intergovernmental/pdfs/4-25-08.pdf

The National Education Association (NAEA) believes that  means work, art means language, art means values. Also, some of the cities funding opportunities and resources include the Boston Cultural Council. Which awards grants in two separate areas:

  • Programming  
  • Performing Arts Student Series (PASS)

Unfortunately, art is one of the first subjects to be affected by budget cuts. Perhaps, if the arts had more financial support from the city, and the community children's education could surpass what it is today. The educational system is causing havoc for teachers and students, for they have been completely consumed by standardized testing and the preparation that they have abandoned a vast portion of a child's experience in learning. I feel as though innocent children are being educationally robbed both intuitively and creatively.