Post date: Mar 10, 2017 5:6:31 AM
AB 37 Media Arts Standards Legislation Amended - There has been a significant and beneficial amendment to the legislation that provides specific descriptions about media arts education and its importance as a fully separate and interconnective arts content discipline. This makes a strong case for the legislation to move forward. On the Connect page, please find an advocacy letter template for you and/or your organization’s support for this legislation, and specifically the addition of this language, to be sent to the bill’s author, Assembly Member Patrick O’Donnell, who is Chair of the Assembly Education Committee.
Committee Hearing Date: 03/15/17 - Please attend and present your support if you are able!
SECTION 1. The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:
(a) Media arts integrates digital technologies with traditional forms of artistic expression, and includes categories such as animation, video production, digital sound production, imaging design, and interactive design, as well as virtual and augmented reality design.
(b) Recognizing the growing importance of this field, the National Coalition for Core Arts Standards published voluntary prekindergarten through grade 12 National Core Arts Standards in 2014, including media arts as a fifth arts discipline that can be studied individually and as an integral component in the other four arts disciplines of dance, music, theater, and visual arts.
(c) Media arts education is particularly relevant to young people as it reflects the multimedia world they experience and empowers them to engage in self-directed forms of inquiry, expression, and creativity.
(d) The study of media arts enables pupils to gain critical literacy in media, technology, and digital culture essential to becoming informed, discerning, and engaged citizens.
(e) Media arts pupils are well prepared for careers in the creative industry in California, which produced approximately $375 billion in economic value in 2014 and directly employed over 700,000 people.
(f) Establishing standards for media arts will support teachers and school districts that voluntarily choose to teach media arts as a separate discipline in prekindergarten through grade 12 and complement the standards for digital production or exploration embedded in the disciplines of dance, music, theater, or visual arts.
California Alliance for Arts Education Endorsement - In a letter in support of AB 37, CAAE has endorsed the inclusion media arts as a separate, stand-alone arts content discipline in the VAPA standards revision process. This is a major endorsement, as it reflects the broad and diverse constituency that CAAE represents in California, including all arts education organizations and all associated and supporting organizations reflected in their Policy Council http://www.artsed411.org/about/policy_council. I was gratified that the language specifically supports media arts’ equitable inclusion in the VAPA standards revision process, and goes on to describe the need to form alignment and clarity in its full implementation in credentials and course offerings, etc. It is important to remember that AB 37 only addresses instructional standards. The full institutional implementation of media arts education is another matter!
It is interesting that they have also asked for the addition of language to the legislation, including the "active participation of all arts disciplines in developing the media arts standards” and considering their optimal intersection with the other arts. I understand where this is coming from and appreciate that it is necessary for coherence and collaboration across the arts. However, we will need to watch carefully that any new language protects media arts' autonomy and its full, qualitative implementation. I appreciate the language already added to AB 37 above, which implies this intersecting digital capacity embedded within all of the arts disciplines, which by necessity would imply the coordinated collaboration of experts. This revision fully answers to CAAE's request in my opinion.
Student learning standards are only one essential element for instructional delivery.
It is also important to establish clarity and alignment between teacher preparation
programs, subject matter credentials, curriculum development, course offerings,
CTE career pathways, and university admission requirements. It is our hope that the
further development of media arts as a content area will be done in a collaborative
fashion, drawing on the expertise and contributions of all arts disciplines.
We support this bill, and we ask you to consider adding language to the legislation,
making explicit that there should be active participation of experts from all arts
disciplines in developing the media arts standards and considering how they best
align with or overlap with the other disciplines
AB 37 - As I stated previously, you can track the bill’s progress, and submit comments at the below link.
https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201720180AB37
Repeat - Media Arts Educators/Organization Meetings
There are three probable media arts education related meetings appearing on the horizon that evidences our solidifying presence!
A MAEC member, William Bronston, who has been a state leader in media/digital Arts initiatives and legislation and youth media organizations, is looking to convene educators, orgs and supporters in November in Sacramento, in support of AB 37 and to consider the future implementation of media arts education. Let me know if you want to contact him directly. I want to thank Bill directly for all of the effort he is putting in now in supporting AB 37 through direct advocacy and informing partners in education, industry and the associated community!
Jack Mitchell, VAPA and CTE Arts Media Entertainment Consultant for CDE is encouraging a meeting of media arts educators at the annual AME conference in San Diego. We have begun a list serve of all K12 media arts teachers throughout the state. Forward this invite to any and all K12 media arts related teachers, potential teachers, and teaching artists.
https://www.ca-ameschools.net/copy-of-events-1
There will be a "Media Arts Expo" at my school, Belmont High School near downtown LA, probably in mid-May. Let us know if you might be interested in attending or sharing.
MAEC member, Matt Cauthron’s DATA Digital Imaging program has been recognized as a Distinguished Academy by the CA Department of Education! Congrats on the great work and a fantastic program for your students! https://www.facebook.com/datadi/