The art in action project

Abstract

The Art in Action team proposes a new model for learning that emphasizes essential 21st century skills. Contemporary research suggests a strong correlation between student engagement in the arts and classroom learning (Gazzaniga, Learning, arts, and the brain: The Dana Consortium report on arts and cognition. Dana Press, 2008). This project integrates teams ofprofessional educators teaching artists practiced in artistic excellence and arts processes, classroom educators experienced in curriculum design and implementation, and Arts Specialists credentialed in both realms who insure successful implementation and students in an arts-infused classroom environment of collaborative learning. This chapter will focus on the various elements of this project: The goals and strategies of the Art in Action (AIA) model based on arts and educational research, the constructivist philosophical foundation of its pedagogy, how teaching artists and classroom educators are empowered to engage in this process, and how technology infuses the 21st Century Framework of cocreating teaching and learning environments.