2/11/2017 RedefiningLiteracy:WhentheArtsandCoreCurriculumCollide|Edutopia

TE ACHE R LE ADE RS HI P

Redefining Literacy: When the Arts and

Core Curriculum Collide
DE CE MB E R 1 6 , 2 0 0 8
ByStephenHurley,GradeEightTeacher,GroupModerator,Facilitator/teacherarts@newman
Perhapsit'stheresultofhavingjustturnedfifty.ItmaybeowingtothefactthatI
amafairlynewdad.Whateverthereason,thetextualworldouryoungpeople
occupytodayseemstobemuchmorecomplexandmorehighlyconstructedthanwhenIwasenteringmyown
teenageyears.

I'mcertainlynotthefirsttoobservethatthetermliteracyhasnewmeaningforourstudentsameaningthat
callsbotheducatorsandparentstocarefullyconsideralltheplaceswhereourchildrenneedhelp"readingand
writingtheworld."

It'sadiscussionwearebeginningtoengageinmoreearnestlyaswecontinuetopursueourarts@newman
(mailto:arts@newman)initiative.(Seemyfirstpost(http://www.edutopia.org/cardinalnewmanartseducation)
aboutit.)Attheveryheartofthisworkistheideathatwecannotconsiderournotionofliteracycompleteuntilwe
haveembracedthepowerthelanguageoftheartsbringstoourlives.

Whatsortofthingswouldyouexpecttoseeandhearifyouweretodropbyanarts@newman
(mailto:arts@newman)classroom?Duringourfirstterm,weengagedinagreatdealofdiscussionaboutthe
languageofdesign.Weimmersedstudentsintheprinciplesandelementsofdesigninmedia,thevisualarts,
music,dance,anddrama.Astheweekshavegoneon,studentshavebecomemoreconfidentintalkingabout
balance,proportion,repetition,emphasis,contrast,line,value,levels,andcolor.

Wehavebeguntointroducestudentstothelanguageofthearts,andwehaveplacedtheacquisitionofthis
languagealongsidethetraditionalformsofliteracyandnumeracy.NowI'mbeginningtoseesomeexcitingthings
happen:

Studentsarebeginningtousethelanguageoftheartstocritiquetheirownworkandtheworkofothers.For
instance,studentshavebeenwatchingsegmentsfromthetelevisionshowSoYouThinkYouCanDanceand
writingformalcritiquesinresponse.
Studentsarestartingtousetheelementsandprinciplesofthelanguageoftheartstoconnectvariousformsof
creativecommunication.Forexample,theyarecomparingbalanceindancewithbalanceingraphicdesign.
Theyaremakingconnectionsbetweenmelodyinmusicandlinesindanceandvisualarts.Theseintertextual
connectionsarepowerfulliteracymomentsforusall.
Generallyspeaking,studentsareturningtoartisticformsofexpressioninothercurriculumareas.Danceand
thevisualartshavebecomepartofourgeographicallexiconasweexplorethethemeofmigration.Dramaand

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2/11/2017 RedefiningLiteracy:WhentheArtsandCoreCurriculumCollide|Edutopia

musichavefoundtheirwayintoourexplorationofcellsinscience.

WhenIbeganmyteachingcareer,artwasanoun,somethingthatwedidonFridaysattheendoftheday.Now,
itisquicklybecomingaverb,awayoftalkingabouttheworldthatisengaging,meaningful,andpowerful.

Howareyouusingtheartswiththecorecurriculuminyourschoolorclassroom?Whatnewthinkingorideashas
thistopicinspiredinyou?Pleaseshareyourthoughts.

Source:www.edutopia.org/literacyintegratingartscorecurriculum

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