Reading Analysis - Curren 60

I just read the article about artistic-aesthetic curriculum by Maxine Greene and I found it to be very interesting and thought provoking. In this article, Greene is obsessive about the importance of both imagination and perception. Greene feels that her life has been made so much richer for having read very diverse literature, listened to all types of music, and art appreciation. Greene is disturbed that art of all types is thrust aside as frivolous and not necessary in today's schools. Greene believes that many students today are apathetic and hopeless because of their disinterest in traditional schooling. Greene wants public education to use a "hybrid" approach by entertwining traditional classes with the various arts. Greene wants public schools to encounter a "blurring of the disciplines," so that aesthetic education becomes more imaginative and hands-on for students. In this article, Greene also speaks about the added need of more culturally diverse curriculem. Children will benefit from more diverse books, plays, music, and other works of art that have to do with people who look like them or share a similar culture as them. Also, other children will benefit because they will learn to appreciate other cultures. Greene believes that by using an art/aesthetic curriculum more children will be interested in their work and will thus, reach a new realm of understanding.
I agree with many parts of this article, but I believe that a complete overhaul of curriculum to include this artistic-aesthetic approach may require alot of additional training for teachers. Many teachers would be reluctant to make such sweeping changes in the classroom, and additional training costs money, that we as a nation do not have.
Nora