The 2009 NAEA National Conference was held in Minneapolis March 17-21. The Delegate Assembly met and continued work on the NAEA platform. The platform consists of beliefs we hold as an organization and as the leaders in the art education profession. This is different from the NAEA strategic plan or mission statement. Other organizations, such as the music educators, use their platform as a powerful tool in the political arena. When ours is finally completed and adopted, it will become a strong advocacy tool.
Issues and topics that repeatedly appeared at the conference included advocacy, creativity, and preparing students for the 21st Century workplace. Along with Nancy Sojka, I attended a session titled, Learning in a Visual Age. A panel of art teachers and college instructors discussed the essential skills that a quality art education program offers. One panelist pointed out that people born after 1980 are digital natives, and thus perceive the world in a new way. They deconstruct and construct visual images in a way that they can’t in the regular classroom. How do we relate to these students and prepare them for tomorrow?
Another panelist stressed the need for art teachers to stay connected. Very few art teachers work in a building with another art teacher, so it is rare for us to have the opportunity to talk about the theory and philosophy that drives our profession. The National Conference had many sessions where a presenter shared his or her own research and thoughts, then a discussion about pedagogy ensued.
These discussions are critical to keep our profession current and on the cutting edge of education, so it was nice to see so many Iowa art teachers at the conference. I hope we can keep the momentum alive by reaching out to each other to continue these conversations. The Facebook account that Nancy set up for AEI would be a good place for us to do this. Maybe I will see you there?
Maggie Parks
AEI President