Post date: Jun 10, 2021 4:51:37 PM
Media Arts Education (MAE), as a new, K12 arts content area, has made some large steps to full institutional establishment, particularly in California. At the national level, MAE performance standards have been adopted by 26 states so far. Nevertheless, media arts as a distinct subject area is not fully established, anywhere, except perhaps in Australia (that I know of ).
Let me explain what that means exactly, with California as the example.
MAE has now been legitimately and substantially "initiated" in K12 education in CA with these items:
This means that any teacher, ANY teacher or teaching artist in CA may choose to use these items and teach some form of media arts in his or her classroom. This is voluntary, and pretty much DIY, as there is little else to support such instruction.
MAE is not fully established in CA due to the lack of these items:
No specific secondary courses
No specific teaching credential
No pre-service or inservice teacher training or professional development programs
No specific teacher support community or organization
No elementary level mandates for integration
No specific institutional structures (e.g. budgets, designations, requirements, etc. by which to support or sustain it)
No specific advocacy or support from district, state or teacher union organizations
With these severe limitations, MAE cannot flourish and achieve its potential across the K12 educational institution, as described in this website . Career Technical Education, as reflected in its Arts, Media and Entertainment pathway is a different story, regarding a specialized and vocationally oriented high school program. Media arts -oriented CTE courses and programs (graphic design, video, etc.), but this is at a limited number of high schools. "Media arts" is not specifically designated in CTE and there is no specific "media arts" credential. Furthermore, CTE teachers are not funded through K12 general school funds, and their state funding is declining.
Imagine if you will, the vast majority of students will never receive explicit and sustained quality instruction in the languages, literacies, ideas and practices of their society's predominant means of communication, design and expression! We are a media arts infused society, with our worlds formed and interconnected through media arts experiences. The Internet and our phones are media arts-based devices. It's like saying fifty years ago that books are not important to a student's full education!
That is why you need to support the FULL establishment of Media Arts Education, as well as the myriad of reasons detailed in this website.
Thanks for your continued support for our efforts! And a major update to come soon on that point, as well as an invitation to participate.