ESPrit de Corps

When I was asked by Phil Alexander to contribute to ESPrit de Corps I naturally asked him what might be a good specific focus.  He responded by telling me that I should write about some habits of mine.   I’ve thought about this, and, I’m sorry Phil but I won’t be doing that.  As Mark Twain said, “My habits protect me . . . . .  but they might assassinate you!” 

But here’s something that has occurred to me lately; something that would be good to enter into the general arts-in-ed conversation.  I hope you’ll agree.  Have you noticed that the stars seem to be slowly lining up to improve the reception for our work in schools?  It seems to me that there are a number of seemingly providential things orchestrating themselves on behalf of what we do. 

As a start I’ll offer some recent publications which, because they’ve been around long enough by now, are filtering down and beginning to have an impact on people’s thinking.  These books have singled out current U.S. educational practice for failing to properly guide student learning toward meeting the needs of the 21st century!   I refer to these as the “mind trilogy” for, you will note, obvious reasons.   These books are having an impact and you can help that along by adding them to your advocacy conversations.   

  Out of Our Minds by Sir Ken Robinson (you’ve seen the video, now read the book!).  The book (2001) points out that current educational practice stressing numeracy and literacy squeezes out opportunities to provide experiences for students in possibly even more important 21st century skills – innovation, imagination and creativity!  This is, of course, what we do!!  Go Arts-in-Education!  Go ESP!  Go Sir Ken!

 Five Minds for the Future, Howard Gardner’s recent addition to the conversation (2006) suggests that today’s accelerating rate of globalization, easy access to vast amounts of information, rapid advances in science and technology, etc. call for a new way of learning.  He suggests that the most thoroughly equipped 21st century learner needs to nurture the following:  a disciplinary mind, a synthesizing mind, a creating mind, a respectful mind and an ethical mind.  Do you see how we fit into all of these categories? 

Finally, Daniel Pink’s A Whole New Mind (2005) suggests that we have moved from the agricultural age to the industrial age, from there to the information age and that we are now in what he calls the “conceptual age.”  He suggests that the demands of the age are being shaped by three A’s – Abundance (consumers have too many choices, nothing is scarce), Asia (everything that can be outsourced, is) and Automation (computers, robotics, etc. – we no longer have to do “hard work”).   This guy is not an academic, he is writing for an audience of business people – which, of course, also helps us.  He notes that the “competitive difference” will come from: (drum roll please) CREATIVITY!!   Can I have an AHA??!!

My question to you is:  have you noticed any other things like this on a national or state level?  I don’t mean other book titles necessarily, but other elements that might be considered stars in our firmament that are beginning to line up?  Do you also have a sense that, however slowly, society (generally or more specifically) is beginning to feel better about what we bring to schools?  If so, please share what it is that’s making you feel that way.  Together maybe we can begin orchestrating the ingredients for society’s celebration of our work as times go on.