Anderson & Turpin wrote:
David, I am talking about getting kids trained in the basic adult skills of reading and math, which I think every grown-up person needs to know to take care of themselves. It's a different issue whether the arts help professionals or scientists in their careers. I am skeptical about the points you made, but in truth they don't matter to this discussion. Did your arts classes enable you to read and add to a greater extent than the reading and math classes you took? I doubt it.
Unfortunately, you seem to have missed my point entirely. Math and science training does _no_ _good_ unless our students can use that training creatively. Getting the same answer as in the back of the book is not enough. Absolutely everyone should be skilled in the three R's. But I submit that everyone should also be taught in an environment that encourages creativity.
You may be skeptical about the points I made. However, I can say from much experience as a student, as a teacher and as a professional that the best engineers, mathematicians and scientists have a deep interest in the arts. Excellence in the arts and sciences requires the same thought process and that process needs to be encouraged in many different forms so it is fully developed.
There is also the simple fact that concentrating on just a few subjects and teaching for the test will burn students out. They _need_ the opportunity to develop outside of math and science. That's why cutting arts programs is so tragic. Not only does this stunt our children's ability in the sciences, it stunts their social development as well.
I doubt that I will have changed your mind but I feel that I need to be a voice for the arts. Without them I would not be who and where I am today.
David Greene
The Wedge
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