school reform: We send our kids to school to compete in the global economy. (21st century skills for 21st


Century jobs) Te


economic goal is an important one, but if you think about it, that is also the goal of just about every other nation on the planet, democratic or totalitarian. If we don’t articulate what distinguishes our nation’s education system then we won’t teach it. So we end up with a narrow focus on work-place prepara- tion and the exclusion of the other goals of education in a democratic society: intellectual development, civic engage- ment, deliberation, self-reflection, creativity, aesthetics, risk-taking, and the ability to voice dissent.


Education Policy, 2010: Big Goals, Little Vision Mike Rose


Given that view, it might be easy for a music teacher to dismiss 21st


Century


Skills as another education sideshow. Tat may prove to be so, but at the mo- ment 21st


Century Skills as defined by


P21 are in the center ring and music is part of the show.


It is critical that music educators climb on top of the 21st


Century Skills band-


wagon. Arts educators at the national, state, and most importantly the local level cannot let this parade pass us by when major businesses, business funded foundations, and influential voices in the political arena that have historically sup- ported fine arts education have now in dramatic fashion included the fine arts as a 3Rs core subject (language arts, world languages, arts, mathematics, economics, science, geography, history and govern- ment) in combination with what Bernie Trilling and Charles Fadel describe in 21st


Century Skills–Learning for Life In


Our Times as the “keys to unlocking a lifetime of learning and creative work,”- the 4Cs (critical thinking, communica- tion, collaboration, and creativity). Arts educators need to be aware that P21 is marketing 21st


local boards of education as the direction good schools are already pursuing


Te National Dance Association, the American Alliance for Teatre, the National Art Education Association, MENC, and several other arts associations were invited by P21 to collaborate on the creation of a 21st


Century Skills map for


the arts. Te completed document, P21’s fifth core content map, accessible via the MENC and P21 websites, is described by Kathy Hurley, senior vice-president of strategic partnerships for the education services and technology company Pear- son and P21 executive board member as “a tool that illustrates how the 4Cs can be fused with arts education.”


Given the many challenges facing arts educators, and public education in general, now is not the time to be complacent, disinterested, disengaged or uninformed about the P21 movement, agenda, language, resources, materials, technology, etc. Arts educators need to be conversant in the 3Rs, the 4Cs, the Knowledge-and-Skills Rainbow, Digital Literacy Skills, Career and Life Skills, etc. MENC President Scott Shuler, a contributing author to the 21st


Century


Skills Arts Map, is repeatedly encourag- ing our membership “to keep reminding policy makers of the critical 21st


century


skills the arts provide.” Music educators can be their own best advocates by pro- actively sharing with parents, colleagues, administrators, and school board mem- bers music lessons and activities with clear links to 21st


However, as music educators we can- not lose sight nor can we allow others to ignorantly or blatantly overlook, minimize or dismiss the inherent value of music.


Recapitulation and Coda Century Skills to state and


Music was not created for the purpose of improving one’s skills in the work- place. Humans do not value music for its capacity to improve our abilities to collaborate, innovate, compute, etc. in this century or the next. Humans value music because “music makes human experience ‘special’–an alternative to the reality of the everyday.” Humans value


music for reasons identified during the Golden Age of Greece–the aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance (Ar- istotle), and that were still unmistakable to the Chicagoans drawn to Festa Muti. Our job is to keep talking and teaching the value of music, as well as the skills people need to be able to recognize that value.Our job is to keep “bringing people to the park.”


Question: Has anyone copyrighted the phrase 22nd


Century Skills yet? * * * * *


Advocacy Resources:


Music Advocacy: Moving from Sur- vival to Vision by John Benham. Hot off of the press this book is a compilation of music advocacy philosophies, initiatives, strategies, research, and wisdom by a lead- ing spokesman for the benefits of music education. It provides music educators, school administrators, board of education members, and community arts advocates with step by step approaches for saving and building strong music programs. MENC members receive a 25% discount off the list price of all MENC titles. To order, visit rowmaneducation.com and click on “Co-publishers.”


century skill outcomes. Te Death and Life of the Great


American School System–How Test- ing and Choice Are Undermining Edu- cation by Diane Ravitch. An Assistant Secretary of Education and supporter of No Child Left Behind legislation in the George H.W. Bush Administration, the author repudiates positions she once staunchly advocated and discusses why the business model is not appropriate for improving schools.


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Illinois Music Educator | Volume 71 Number 2


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