Living Curriculum: An Organic Document

The New Art Basics curriculum is called the "Living Curriculum" because it is based on organic and evolutionary principles, rather than mechanical, academically-set requirements. The chart below lays out some of the contrasts we see between a "traditional" curriculum in printed form and the NAB Living Curriculum.

PRINCIPLES

"Traditional, Mechanical"

NAB "Living Curriculum" Organic

Printed in set format printed on paper. Electronically filed and organized - never presented in a set, final, required format.

Needs periodic, expensive revision. Is revised continually with new ideas added and ineffective ideas discarded.

Predetermined by expertise. Determined in practice by what works with students (responsive and adaptive to the local environment and student needs).

Formed by educational principles and must produce quantitative, verifiable results. Formed by artistic principles: Constantly growing, creating, and adapting. Must produce compelling visual results. (In addition to teacher conviction that valid artistic learning has taken place.)

The NAB Living Curriculum is Teacher Designed and Classroom Tested.

New Art Basics also shares many things in common with current educational reform efforts within visual arts education:

1. It incorporates knowledge and practices from art history, aesthetics, and art criticism into studio based activities.

2. It offers suggestions for sequencing activities and content by grade level. (These suggestions are determined jointly by the teacher who designs the strategy and other teachers who test the strategy in their classroom and find it effective.)

3. All activities are keyed to standards. Currently these aims, goals and objectives are the scope and sequence standards (VAIS) of the state of Iowa, where the project originated. Plans are underway to add the National Visual Arts Standards to each strategy.

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"Traditional, Mechanical"	NAB "Living Curriculum" Organic
Printed in set format printed on paper.	Electronically filed and organized - never presented in a set, final, required format.
Needs periodic, expensive revision.	Is revised continually with new ideas added and ineffective ideas discarded.
Predetermined by expertise.	Determined in practice by what works with students (responsive and adaptive to the local environment and student needs).
Formed by educational principles and must produce quantitative, verifiable results.	Formed by artistic principles: Constantly growing, creating, and adapting. Must produce compelling visual results. (In addition to teacher conviction that valid artistic learning has taken place.)