edutopia

=edutopia= [] This was an interesting website. I spent a lot more time exploring it than I thought I would. The website contained articles of interest to anyone in education, a contest for the best unconventional teaching method, groups teachers can join in on discussions, blogs, and advertisements of interest, to name just a few. You can become a member, sign up for a weekly newsletter, or make a donation. The article and video about the Boston Academy of Arts really hit home with me. I’ve always felt culture and the arts were a vital part of education and life and always one of the first things to go when cuts are made. The article shared some statistics: The students, many from low-income families and drug-impacted neighborhoods, produce exceptional art for their age - 97% go on to college. Although it's an arts school, academic achievement is a priority: 92% of sophomores passed the state's English test and 80 percent passed math, compared to 73 percent and 67 percent of Boston students overall. In the video provided on the website, I saw students sitting at computers, but that type of education was not discussed.

We have a school here in Dayton that is sharing many of the same achievements. As an arts magnet in the Dayton Public school system, Stivers School for the Arts. offers programs in music, dance, theater and the visual arts, as well as quality academics by audition for the 7th grade through 12th grade—a full 6 year commitment. Students learn through one-on-one contact with many of the community's leading professional and performing artists. Art themes are integrated into the general curriculum. Stivers consistently produces test scores higher than any other schools in the district.

I think this website helps show that as long as students are engaged in what they are doing, whether it be the arts or interactive software on a computer, they will achieve.

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