National Standards

MUSIC 23241: MUSIC TEACHING AS A PROFESSION

Mr. Marcus L. Neiman, Assistant Professor

Kent State University School of Music

Fall, 2011

CRN:  200910 – Section number: 001 – Class Days: TR 7:45a – 8:35 am - Classroom: SOM E202

Office: Band Office - 330.672.2965 - Telephone: 330.672.2965 (Kent Campus) - E-mail: mneiman@kent.edu

Office Hours: TR 9:00 – 9:55 am (Additional hours available by appointment)

BlackBoard and Text Readings

Submitted by:  Emily Young

Submitted for: Mr. Marcus L. Neiman, lecturer

Date: October 6, 2011

National standards for arts education.

Consortium of national arts education associations

National standards for music were created shortly after standards for the “core” subjects were created. The standards were created by a committee comprised of educators, businessmen, government officials, and professionals in the arts.  The standards state what each student should know at three different levels in their school career. It took a few years of drafting and revising to finally get the arts standards approved by the National Committee.  The states and local district have the responsibility of ensuring that the national standards are met.

The arts are not always considered of utmost importance to many people.  This is especially true when compared to Math, History, Science, and Language Arts.  National standards had to be created in every subject in order to keep all students at the same relative level when entering colleges or universities.  The standards set guidelines in place for educators to use during their lessons. These guidelines have to be created by people who know something about the subject they are intended for.

I think it is very important for teachers to know the history of the standards and how and why they are created.  Since teachers have to follow standards, it is nice to have some reasoning behind it.  It is good to know that the writing of the standards included several people and a lot of time and effort went into them. Consulting professionals in the field is a fantastic way to ensure that they are thorough and achievable. These standards will hopefully continue to assist educators in helping their students understand the vast world of the arts.