Arts Advocacy - Macon, Georgia

June 16, 2009

I was fortunate to be able to attend the 2009 Arts Advocacy Breakfast at Vineville Academy of the Arts here in Macon, Georgia on Tuesday, June 16, 2009.

After a delighful breakfast everyone was welcomed by appropriate officials. Mr. Bullard of the Bibb County School System spoke to us and listed five goals for the event:

1. Identify the skills to be integrated into effective education
2. Examine and realize the impact Arts in Education
3. Development of a method for effective teaching
4. Engage Scholars/Students in the learning process
5. Interact with others

Dr. Fritz Mengert was introduced as the keynote speaker and he presented everyone with a paper which summed up his presentation. You can learn more about him at:

http://www.fmengert.net/

He discussed how a new born quickly realizes the following:

1. Responds to movements - patterns
2. Responds to smell - senses - learns the smell of the parents and other family members
3. Responds by trusting - learns who can be trusted - the sense of touch

The Brain develops:

Patterns - as a child matures the patterns of life, such as walking, dancing, etc.

Smell - this sense is transmitted directly to the brain. Smell is a bonding experience. What do the people around a new life smell like?

Touch - any parent can tell you that a baby will respond to touching. Of major importance is stroking the backbone. This stimulates the brain. We all also know that the act of rocking a baby is a positive activity.

As a baby matures they must be able to talk and walk at the same time. This is a stable brain at work. It is known that language makes the brain work.

Therefore we now know that vocabulary is critical to a properly developing brain.

He concluded this segment with this comment:

"Movement, Sound, Smell and Vocabulary is critical for brain development."

In order to develop a brain the child must be exposed to the Arts. Reading to a child is also vital. In this regard, read something that is exciting and of interest to the child.

Education that works right is all about the arts.

Well educated children are able to ask questions. This is also vital. Teach students to ask questions. "The brain runs the show." In former times it was thought that the heart runs the body.

Teachers have the vital rold of building brain health. That stated, the whole process begins in the home.

Parents and Teachers must teach a child:

1. Who they are
2. Where they are
3. Instill the concept that everyone is their Brother's keeper

Thus Piano/Dance/Drawing accelerate brain development. Movement/Color/Line Art is critical to brain development and also reading readiness.

Dr. Mengert concluded by letting us all know that Boys develope slower. They must be able to run and balance before they can be effective readers.

Everyone needs to read interesting stuff and focus on "What I want to know."

We have bright kids, but we are challenged to teach interesting stuff.

To recap the statement concerning "Who they are/Where they are/Being a brother's Keeper" we can rephrase to this:

1. Be Smart.
2. Be Curious
3. Be Nice

We the adults and education leaders need to "understand arts are critical to the brain."

I was glad that Mr Bullard from the Bibb System was in attendance. I was shocked to realize that not one of the eight members of the Bibb County Board of Education were not there. Admittedly, several have full time employment.

Just days prior to this "2009 Arts Advocacy Breakfast" everyone in Georgia learned that the three highest scoring High Schools in the State had strong "Arts Components" in their educational scheme. I would have thought that our duly elected leaders would have cared enough to attend this informative event.

The flowering shrub in this post is a Vitex which is a part of the landscaping at Bibb County's Vineville Academy of the Arts.