Portfolio Task 3 - EDP260 - A Gillam

Dinham, J. (2011). Delivering authentic arts education (1st ed.) South Melbourne, VIC: Cengage Learning.

Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs [MCEETYA]. (2008). The Melbourne Declaration on educational goals for young Australians. Retrieved from http://www.mceecdya.edu.au/mceecdya/melbourne_declaration,25979.html

Portfolio Task 3 - EDP260 - A Gillam

Goal Two:

Active and Informed Citizens

Goal 1:

Excellence

Goal Two:

Successful Learners

• Appreciation for diversity and culture – experiencing other cultures through art develops a deeper connection and understanding of the value of difference and diversity and its impact on society (Dinham, 2011).

• Communication across cultures – the unique languages of each art strand provides an avenue for communicating in a variety of social and cultural contexts (Dinham, 2011). Multiliteracy provides students with a repertoire of communication modes that can be used to send or receive messages when engaging with people from different cultures and backgrounds.

• Build on gifts and talents – participation in art does not require talent, although some students are naturally more talented than others (Dinham, 2011). Providing opportunities for students with natural artistic talents to explore and express these within the class environment is necessary to support excellence.

• Promote personalised learning – the flexibility and process-product focus of arts education allows students to show their understanding of a concept in a way that is suited to their learning style. This promotes excellence as children are more likely to meet the high expectations of the educational stakeholders when the task is differentiated to meet their learning needs (MCEETYA, 2008).

• Multiliteracies – arts education provides opportunities to integrate different art forms, including dance, drama, visual, media and music, to create a challenging and stimulating learning experience. Furthermore, these skills can be applied to other learning areas to make lessons more enjoyable and to support intrinsic benefits (Dinham, 2011).

• Active learning – the flexibility and open-endedness of arts education provides students with opportunities to take control of their own learning and develop instrumental skills that can be used beyond the classroom (Dinham, 2011).

• Problem-solving and deep, logical thinking - arts education is open to interpretation and originality, allowing students to develop their learning capacities in areas such as creative and critical thinking, and problem-solving (Dinham, 201).

• Technology – MCEETYA (2008) supports the “creative and productive use of technology” (p. 8) so that students can actively and successfully participate in the society of the 21st century. The inclusion of media arts as one of the strands of art educations in the national curriculum emphasises the importance of technology as an avenue for communication and expression (Dinham, 2011).

Goal Two: Confident

and Creative Individuals

The Melbourne Declaration and Arts Education

Goal 1: Equity

The Melbourne Declaration outlines two educational goals that the the government, schools and community must work together to achieve in order to support the education of young Australians. The way in which authentic arts educations supports these goals has been outlined.

• Using creative abilities – through art, students have the opportunity to work within their own “personal creative space” (Dinham, 2011, p. 12), where they can consider, interpret, analyse and reflect on their own ideas, values and emotions and present them creatively in a way that represents themselves.

• Developing a sense of worth, self-awareness and personal identity – the originality and flexibility of art education provides an avenue for students to explore their place in the world, creating a sense of belonging (Dinham, 2011). Art education supports the exploration of feelings, emotions and values which support the development of self-identity.

• Developing personal values – an appreciation of art and other cultures develops personal values such as respect, empathy and resilience, all of which confident and creative citizens must withhold for active and successful participation in society (MCEETYA, 2008).

• Access to quality authentic arts education - teachers play a vital role in quality educational experiences. A commitment to ongoing professional development and adapting arts education to match societal changes is essential in attaining the goal of high-quality education for all students in Australian schools (MCEETYA, 2008).

• Discrimination – authentic arts programs provide opportunities for students to create connections, and develop respect and understanding for different cultural groups. Through arts, students establish an awareness of the influence culture has on the way others view themselves and the world. The exploratory nature of art experiences allow students to appreciate the importance of diversity and difference in maintaining a thriving and functional society (Dinham, 2011).

• Inclusion – The Arts provides opportunities for children from marginalized backgrounds, including indigenous, disabled and low socioeconomic areas, to share and express their experiences in their own ways, creating a sense of self-worth and value (Dinham, 2011). This reduces the impact of these disadvantages and creates a more equitable educational experience (MCEETYA, 2008)

• Partnerships – arts education promotes a “socially cohesive society” (MCEETYA, 2008, p. 7) where students, teachers and the community work collaboratively and engage indigenous and other cultural groups to participate in and share educational experiences.

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