Education Reform in and through the Arts

Nancy Hechinger, Founding Partner, The Edison Project

In describing art, there are certain words that immediately come to mind—for instance, creativity, imagination, invention, inspiration, and personal expression. Art also evokes something ineffable, something that triggers a physical effect because it is so right or, sometimes, because it is so wrong. None of these words that one would use to describe technology. But, the promise of technology is the unleashing of a new and rich form of expression.

The Edison Project (see page 18) has combined the essence of art and the promise of technology to design and build a national system of private schools. A fundamental idea behind the Edison Project is to step outside of the infrastructure, in which there are rules, regulations, and traditions, and explore what would happen if one began with a clean slate.

The Edison schools will bring electronic technology to every aspect of the system. This infusion is intended to change every aspect of school life profoundly. How children learn and how teachers teach, as well as how schools communicate with parents, will be improved with technological advances. Further, the assessment of student and teacher work and the overall system operation will be enhanced by these new technologies. The Edison Project sees technology as a tool for building on natural human curiosity, unleashing creativity and exploration. Truly dazzling technology is invisible, easy to use, and an enrichment and enhancement to both teacher and student.

The schools will be networked so that children in different regions can work together. Curriculum materials will be flexible and responsive to teachers' needs. The Project will have electronic libraries, multimedia offerings, and video documentaries. The Edison Project recognizes that technology does not make a good school; rather, it is the teachers, the curriculum, and the human interaction of families and educators. But technology in the hands of a great teachers can help to make a great school.

Computer technology and interactive media rely on the language of the arts—images, sounds, colors, and movements—to engage children in new ways of learning about the arts and other subjects. Both art and technology are central to the Edison Project's design. Art is a part of the core curriculum, both in practice and appreciation. For instance, every child will learn to play a musical instrument, students will sing together, and they will learn music history. All children will have visual art and music classes five times a week, as often as they will study mathematics. The curriculum has been so designed because there are several studies that suggest a significant correlation between children who study music and high SAT scores. There is also evidence of a correlation, albeit less strong, between the visual arts and higher test scores. That is why charcoal, crayons, clay, and computers will be available in the classroom to all the students and teachers as well as to the community.

The Edison Project does not consider art as just a separate subject. Instead, it is woven throughout the curricula. Art serves as a primary motivator, a subject in which the learner sets the agenda. More important than test scores is the fact that the arts inspire and compel, which is what every teacher wants—a fertile ground for student-based exploration. A key instructional method in the Edison Project curricula is project-based experiences, which allow for greater multidisciplinary study. Teachers and students are encouraged to employ their creativity.

The ineffable aspect of art also is central to the Edison Project design. This quality can be found in lessons, from which some of the world's finest art began. A great lesson is focused, clear, distilled, and even elegant—it has the essence of truth. And it is interesting. For instance, think of Paul Klee's Pedagogical Sketchbook, think of most of the religious art of the ages, think of music—Bach wrote The Well-Tempered Clavier for his six-year-old to break up the tedium of playing scales! Yet, it is arguably one of the greatest pieces of music ever produced. Wouldn't it be wonderful if instructors paid as much attention to instruction in math, in science, and in history? The Edison Project thinks so. The intention of the team is to create a "well-tempered" curriculum that aspires toward art. Teachers will be encouraged to think of themselves as coaches, guides, maestros, and mentors.

The torch is being passed to a new generation of educational technologists. But we are at a crossroads. One road will let us continue to employ technology in a liner, formulaic fashion, for drill and practice. If we take the other road, we begin to think in terms of art and creative expression—how people learn, what people enjoy doing. We think of words like exploration and curiosity, resources, and open-ended. The tools are available, but to develop truly great electronic resources and applications we need artistry, creativity, genius, and people who are as passionate about education as they are about technology.

Someone said that a nation at risk ought to take some risks, and the Edison Project is a risky proposition. The downside to this risk is fairly obvious; but, the upside is the offer of limitless possibilities for our children and our world. Technology is just a means—a marvelous tool—and it is time to begin using it toward some marvelous ends: art and education. The three are inseparable.

About the Edison Project

The Edison Project has emerged as one of the many responses to education reform in the early 1990's. The mission of the Edison Project is to demonstrate that a high-quality education can be offered at a reasonable price to a cross-section of children. This private school system is intended to operate at the same cost per pupil as public schools.

As of mid-1993, the first fifty Edison schools are scheduled to open in 1996. By early in the twenty-first century, the Edison Project plans to have 1,000 schools across the country in its system. The Project's design is being created by a seven-member core team headed by Benno Schmidt, the former president of Yale University. Currently, the team is working on a conceptual design for the program. As the team stepped outside the traditional educational infrastructure, it began by asking the most basic of questions, such as: Is a classroom needed? Is a place called school needed? What's wrong with spelling bees? In trying to answer these questions, the team visited schools around the country, interviewing teachers and researchers.

Among its discoveries, the team reports it found the country to be in a period of great reform verging on revolution. It encountered great schools and wonderful teachers; however, no one was able to point to a truly great education system. Creating a great system is the goal of the Edison Project. The Project seeks to establish a system that serves students, teachers, and parents; provides resources; and encourages innovations without an unwieldy and stifling bureaucracy.

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