Vermont Teachers Fall Conference

The drizzly day outside only made it that much cozier inside the red school house on the Vermont Technical College campus. Dr.Marilyn Stewart, textbook author and Art Education professor at Kutztown University spoke about the connections between high quality art curriculum and the new "Common Core" initiative.

Dr. Stewart characterized the Common Core as "Liberation of the intellect." That may be overstating somewhat, but the idea is that the Common Core is concept and connections-based and centered on "enduring understandings." These, according to Stewart, are understandings that will pass "The  20-Year Test:" - what today's students will understand after 20 year's time. For art, these may include:
-Art is for all of us, not just a few
-Throughout history, humans have made things to express their values and beliefs
- Art produces joy
-Art is important to humankind