Chapter Five: Ellen Harrison

I have 1 question: If we know how to prevent a readicide then why do we keep teaching this way? I think if I were in Kelly Gallagher’s classroom as a high school student I would have been more successful in school.

As an arts teacher this book made sense to me. In chapter 5 Gallagher refers to Yong Zhao’s report that supports creative and critical thinking. The report states that America is a superpower due to our, “creative, risk-taking, can-do spirit.” Zhao also adds that this creative spirit “is not normally measured in standardized test or compared in international studies.” Some of the authors he quotes and refers to (e.g., Eric Jenson), are authors that we in the arts community look to. Eric Jensen, author of Arts with the Brian in Mind also states, “The fact is, many important things are not measured-for a good reason. Just because something is important, that doesn’t mean you have to measure it or that there is a sensible way to measure it. In real life, arts get reviewed or appreciated, not measured.” In a foreword to Reinvesting in Arts Education written by our US Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, states, “Education in the Arts is more important than ever. To succeed today and in the future, American’s children will need to be inventive, resourceful, and imaginative. The best way to foster that creativity is through arts education.” A well rounded education in the arts includes: creative writing, dance, music, theatre and visual art, all of which include literacy components.

Now having said all of that, how does a book about reading relate to the arts? One of his beliefs is that students should have exposure to an abundance of information and awareness while reading whether it is required or recreational. One thing I think we do well in the arts is providing students with a wealth of knowledge before they are encouraged to create. Many times we are delving into subject areas that are not traditional to the arts in order to supplement and inform our students in order for them to have a better understanding of our subject matter.

This book came to us (dance department) at the right time. We are looking at restructuring our dance curriculum and the way that we teach each. We are planning on moving from a linear to more global curriculum. We plan on incorporating his idea of an “Article of the Week” in order to teach anatomy, choreography, dance history, nutrition, etc.