The main concern of this article is to introduce the concept of the authentic gesture as a vital, largely self-determined expression of the child and to make it fruitful for art education. Because of the assumed educational importance of the concept, some hints to other learning areas will also be given. This should be done from a historical and…

People express part of their identity through their style, gestures, speech patterns, and language use. Other people read these displays as presentations of ourself, an insight into who we are. It is important, therefore, for students to recognize their own performance of identity and be able to express that identity in a clear way. By focusing on…

I have worked with students at-risk for the greater majority of my career. The term has a number of meanings. Officially, it means they are at-risk of failing, but often the risks are much greater. At one extreme they are at-risk of losing their lives to substance abuse or suicide. Less drastically they are at-risk of making their way through the…

This collection is the result of a program in self expression in which 30 fifth-grade students contemplated to music every other day throughout the school year--each child completed approximately 120 thinking or contemplation periods. The procedure used in the program operated in the following way: (1) 5 to 15 minutes of music played while the…

Presents some of the elements which have been typical of music in different contexts and cultures, and describes an approach to musical phenomena that relates them to the intercultural and interdisciplinary dimension of lifelong education. Asserts that music in all its forms can help to form a dynamic, pluralist identity in the European context.…

High school English teacher from Hannahville Indian School (Wilson, Michigan) describes an approach to teaching writing that gives students ownership of the writing process, encourages creativity and self-expression, increases self-esteem, and fosters emotional and spiritual healing. Examples of students' poetry reflect issues facing American…

This conference presentation handout describes a program which uses dance therapy to integrate special education students with various disabilities. The 6-week program at a middle school involved having a professional dancer teach students traditional and modern dance methods as a means of expressing emotions, followed by teams of students…