Gajda and Dorfman state their thesis as “the Morrisville community has come to recognize and value the ability of an arts-based Career Academy to instill a passion for learning, an appreciation for the well-being of others, and to engage adolescents who are able to make a positive difference in the local and larger community right here and right now” (18). The main points described are the benefits of the addition of arts-integrated academic courses, teaching advisory meetings, the community arts festival, and school-community collaborations.
The thesis is supported mainly through testimonials given by students and parents of students who have been a part of the program and have found success through it. For example, Gajda and Dorfman state, “According to students and parents such one-on-one attention through the advisory' has paid off. ‘The (Career Academy of the Arts is not only a learning pathway: it's an artist's sanctuary. This has prepared me more than any other class for college and career planning. I've learned time management, improved my skills, and built relationships with fellow students and professional artists. My art has become a place to express what I can't put into words, my ideas, my troubles and my dreams.’ (‘Jonathan,’ a senior at Peoples Academy)” (16). Along with testimonials given by students, Gajda and Dorfman use cited sources in the conclusion to state facts about arts-based learning and the positive effects it can have on students. They make claims such as “Numerous studies, including the local evaluation of PACAA, suggest that an arts-based curriculum has the power to educate the whole child in any setting and demonstrates the positive academic and social benefits of arts-based learning (Deasey, 2002)” (Gajda and Dorfman 18).
The authors play very different roles in writing this article. Rebecca Gajda is Assistant Professor at the University of Massachusetts-Amberst, and Dorinne Dorfman is Director of PACAA (18). Gajda is most likely responsible for putting the ideas in order and actually writing the piece, while Dorfman is the source of information. The article is influenced greatly by Dorfman, who is obviously biased towards her own program. The article is published in an academic journal entitled “Art Education.” The implied audience is most likely educators interested in art-based learning. The authors target this audience by elaborating on the success of this program in the Morristown School District.
The authors’ style is simply put yet academic. The authors use facts and quotes to develop their ideas rather than anecdotes and tangents. The tone is informational with implied persuasion. The tone seems unbiased and the information is presented clearly, yet it is obvious that the authors believe in the success of the program. The authors explain resistance to the program, but then go on to explain how “despite reservations and uncertainties, a critical mass of the Peoples Academy community chose to move forward and support the implementation of PACAA” (Gajda and Dorfman 14). Yet in spite of the implied persuasive tone found throughout the piece, the only time Gajda and Dorfman state their opinions outright is found in the conclusion: “Similarly, we believe that an arts-based career academy can go a long way toward eradicating what Eckert (I9S9) describes as the typical corporate organization and culture of high school in which students' relationships are characterized by isolation from community members, hierarchical structures, a pronounced pressure to carry out a role-oriented individual identity, and one-dimensional, task-based interpersonal relations” (18).
The article is structured through the use of subheadings. The piece is illustrated with pictures and pulled quotes to allow the reader to grasp a better understanding of the program and the activities which took place. The article flows in a predictable manner: first with the introduction of the program, then to resistance following the program, then to the final success. The article is very easy to understand, and the structure helps give it that quality. The reader can break down the article within the given subheadings and jump to each topic from section to section.
The article’s conclusion is set up differently from the rest of the article and is separated as well. The conclusion is written as if it’s an analysis of the program, and almost makes the whole article feel like research and the conclusion feel like the results of that research. The conclusion is where the thesis is stated and explored. The authors used most of their outside research about art-based learning in the conclusion as a means of summing up the article.
This article is important because it illustrates how successful art-based learning programs can be in schools. The Career Academy of the Arts program in Vermont stuck out to me immediately because it reminded me of the LEAF in Schools and States program at Asheville. The similarities between the two are incredible and I found it interesting to read about how successful an art based learning program was in a different community than my own.
Works Cited
Gajda, Rebecca, and Dorinne Dorfman. "Career Academies And The Arts: Implications For Schooling." Art Education 59.5 (2006): 13-18. Art & Architecture Complete. Web. 5 Oct. 2012.
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