A Different Approach to the Education of Fine Arts

http://finearts.esc20.net/music/music_strategies/mus_strat_moti.html

Being a musician, I have gone through the tedious theory classes, where everyone sat and did the same exercises, listened to the same scale runs and did the same homework. Though I enjoyed playing, sitting through the tedious classes was something no one ever enjoyed. The most common conception of a piano lesson is that of a mean old woman teaching a student the piano, being very strict, not catering to any individual needs. The learning of the technical aspects of Texas State University's Center for Educator Development in Fine Art's takes an often dryly taught subject and approaches it with both a mastery orientation and an autonomy supported environment.

They promote intrinsic motivation, critical thinking and problem solving, cooperative learning, competition and technology to teach educators new ways to increase learning potential and enhance the experience. According to the text, autonomy support is provided by identifying nurturing, and developing inner-motivational research. The CEDFA does this first by getting rid of extrinsic motivators and using intrinsic motivators. This is done in many ways; by relating content to the real world beyond the classroom walls, discussing the reasons behind activities and how they fit into the discipline, providing group activities for peers to share their learning experiences, and having instructors and administrators show how and why music and their experiences are so important to them among other things.

The mastery orientation also contributes to the benefits arts instructors gain from these methods.  The critical thinking and problem solving skills translate across a variety of situations. Being able even upon failure of a task to take a step back and take a new approach to it. Teaching students to take action with a take charge of the situation attitude. Self reflection and abstract thinking are also prevalent in the curriculum.

Another approach they teach educators is to address the needs of an individual, not necessarily those of special needs, but to suit different learning styles. Technology is also heavily integrated into the curriculum, which aids in both the individualization and motivation of students in new ways.  Though it doesn't go into exact specifics of the program, this does represent a new and exciting way to look at teaching educators to change their old boring methods.