Construction and reimagining of core competencies in cross-field aesthetic courses
Project co-host Professor Huang Chunmin, Department of Education, National Taiwan Normal University
1. Preface
According to Schwab (1973), all curriculum development, including curriculum organization, will involve to some extent the four main common elements of learners, teachers, subjects, and environment. However, when it comes to the curriculum organization of a school or class, common elements represent decisions about scope, continuity, sequence, and integration (Goodlad, Su, 1992). The element of scope determines the breadth and level span of the course, while the element of integration determines the horizontal connections between concepts, skills, and values. The two are especially closely related to the organizational structure of cross-disciplinary courses.
Taiwan's 12-year National Basic Education, which was fully implemented in 2014, uses "core competencies" as the main axis of curriculum development to facilitate the coherence of each education stage and the integration of various fields/subjects. This actually echoes the aforementioned curriculum organization. Among the elements, the concepts of scope and integrity are involved. The nine core competencies include: physical and mental quality and self-improvement for independent action, systematic thinking and problem solving, planning, execution and innovative response, symbol use and communication expression for communication and interaction, technological information and media literacy, artistic cultivation and aesthetic literacy. and social participation-oriented ethical practices and citizenship, interpersonal relationships and teamwork, multiculturalism and international understanding (Ministry of Education, 2014). Although Taiwan did not clearly advocate the horizontal integration of core competencies in various fields/subjects until the 12th National Basic Education in 2014, which makes people feel that it is not too late.
It is worth pondering, how do these core competencies relate to the cross-field abilities that are valued in looking to the future and looking at the world from afar? Artistic accomplishment and aesthetic literacy are one of the core competencies of the 12-year national education. However, if relevant courses are constructed with cross-field aesthetic education, is this core competency sufficient? What core competencies do we need for cross-cutting courses? What are the connotations of the core competencies of cross-disciplinary courses? And what is the connection with aesthetic education? For these issues, trying to put forward ideas and opinions is the focus of the following article. After discussing cross-field abilities, the core competencies of cross-field courses, and the construction and reimagining of cross-field courses through aesthetic education, a curriculum plan that integrates visual arts into English teaching is used as an example to illustrate the manifestation and development of cross-field core abilities. importance.
2. Cross-field capabilities: looking to the future and the world
School education may be based on the need for the division of professional knowledge, or due to the limitations of the existing structure, subject knowledge is divided into different fields and lessons are copied according to the table. The result of cutting and breaking knowledge into parts in this way actually does more harm than good to the overall development of students' physical and mental development and the integrated learning of knowledge.
Looking at the successive changes of the industrial revolution, the comprehensive diversity of real life, the complexity and change of social patterns, and the interdependence of the global situation and affecting the whole body, it is not difficult to realize that the shortcomings of subject-specific teaching in schools are beyond the walls of the school. In the outside world, it seems so stretched. However, it is difficult to shake the long-standing fact of division in a short period of time. Therefore, it is important and necessary to cultivate cross-disciplinary core competencies under the existing school subject-based teaching model, so as to achieve the effects of inter-disciplinary integration and cross-domain, and to look forward to the future and the world.
The 2016 World Economic Forum report on the future of work pointed out that the top 10 skills in 2020 include: complex problem solving, critical thinking, creativity, people management, working with others, emotions Intelligence, judgment and decision-making, service orientation, negotiation, and cognitive flexibility. Compared with 2015, solving complex problems still ranks first, critical thinking moves from fourth to second, creativity jumps from tenth to third, and other skills are mostly related to the ability to interact and communicate with others. Whether it is problem-solving skills, critical thinking skills, creativity, and other interactive abilities, they all show the importance of a complex and integrated ability, and the display of this integrated ability is exactly what cross-domain core competencies emphasize.
In an era of rapid global movement and frequent contact, having global mobility has become an emerging topic in education, and global mobility also highlights the importance of "Cultural Intelligence Quotient, CQ" (Cultural Intelligence Quotient, CQ). Cultural intelligence quotient includes three aspects of cognitive, motivational and behavioral abilities, emphasizing cultural understanding and the ability to adapt to new cultural situations. It is listed as an important topic of cultural management along with intelligence quotient (IQ) and emotional intelligence quotient (EQ) (Earley, Ang, 2003). Cultural IQ is not limited to local culture or cultural interactions between countries, but is also related to cross-culture and global culture.
In addition, Pink (2005) also mentioned in the book "A Whole New Mind: Moving from the Information Age to the Conceptual Age" that we are transforming from an information age that emphasizes logic and computer performance to an In a perceptual era that values innovation, empathy and integration, the future will have not only functions but also "redesign", not only arguments but also "storytelling", not only professionalism but also "integration", not only logic but also "integration". Talents with the six key abilities of "giving care", not only being serious, but also "knowing how to have fun", and not only caring about making money, but also "valuing meaning" will stand out. Different from the rational efficacy emphasized by traditional traditional education, the abilities required in the perceptual age are based on the abilities in the information age. Only the talents cultivated in this way are needed by a diverse society and the talents waiting for the future. In the era of high perceptuality, we must strengthen six key right-directed abilities (right-brain thinking) in addition to left-directed reasoning (left-brain thinking). These right-directed abilities will help people develop new whole-brain thinking that is indispensable in the new era. The so-called left-directed reasoning refers to the left-brain function that is mainly involved in the analysis of thinking information, such as language and writing; while the right-directed ability refers to the right-brained function that is mainly involved in the analysis of intuitive information, such as music, images, and space (Hong Xinci, 2016) .
Whether it is the top ten skills for future work highlighted by the industrial revolution, the cultural IQ required for global mobility, or the right-oriented capabilities required for the perceptual talents waiting in the future, all of them focus on the global macro picture. vision and look forward to future trend development, and such vision and outlook reveal the urgent need and ardent expectations for cross-domain core capabilities. However, the cultivation and development of such abilities still need to be connected with educational innovation and curriculum transformation in the educational context.
Therefore, the following will first explain the core competencies of cross-field courses formed by the intersection of descriptive and expressive courses, and then further elaborate on the importance and necessity of constructing cross-field courses with aesthetic education, as well as the re-imagining of cross-field core competencies. possibility.
cf. Core Competencies in Cross-cutting Curriculum: The Intersection of Descriptive and Expressive Curriculum
An integrated curriculum across disciplines is a culturally responsive curriculum for culturally diverse students and an equitable curriculum that supports the development of inclusive and unique abilities for all students. This kind of curriculum can be divided into descriptive domain curriculum and expressive domain curriculum (Hollins, 2008). In other words, multicultural education emphasizes not only a curriculum in the descriptive field, but also a curriculum in the expressive field.
Curriculum in descriptive fields emphasizes objective and accurate knowledge, such as science, mathematics, history and social sciences in traditional curriculum fields, and tends to adopt formal, procedural, self-standard, quantitative, objective, and empirical analysis methods for cognition. and understanding. This type of course is strongly related to the ability of left-directed reasoning (left-brain thinking) mentioned in the aforementioned book "A Brand New Mind", and is more inclined to rational functions such as functions, arguments, expertise, logic, seriousness, and making money. The left-directed thinking ability of the left brain involves the analysis of thinking information, such as language, writing, logical reasoning, etc., and is closely related to rational ability.
Courses in the expressive field focus on subjective emotions, feelings and values, as well as interpretive concepts, perceptions, and reactions to the real/imaginary, spiritual/secular world, such as visual and performing arts, philosophy, and literature in traditional curriculum areas. Adopt informal, impressionistic, self-practice, qualitative, humanistic, subjective, and intuitive analysis methods for cognition and understanding. This type of course is closely related to the right-sided ability (right-brain thinking) mentioned in the aforementioned book "A Brand New Mind", which places more emphasis on perceptual abilities such as design, story, integration, caring, play, and meaning. The right-directed thinking ability of the right brain involves the analysis of intuitive information, such as music, images, space, etc., which are also closely related to artistic creation and imagination abilities.
Courses in the descriptive and expressive fields are indispensable and need to be combined with each other and developed in a balanced way. The intersection of the courses in these two areas, namely creativity, discovery, invention, problem solving, and critical thinking, is a possible source of developing new perspectives and constructing new knowledge. These are the core competencies emphasized by cross-disciplinary courses, which can connect and integrate subject knowledge in different curriculum areas, thereby creating the knowledge, qualities and skills needed to adapt to new contexts. Among them, creativity, problem solving, and critical thinking also overlap with the first three skills emphasized in the future of work in 2020, and their importance is self-evident.
4. Use aesthetic education to construct and reimagine cross-field courses
Human consciousness comes into contact with the phenomenal world, and understands reality through intentionality, observation, listening, understanding, intuitive experience, etc., and gives definitions to form meaningful concepts, ideas, and images, and meaning is created by the mind through action ( Husserl, 1982). The formation of concepts, ideas, images, etc., comes from the interconnection between cognitive functions and sensory systems. Cognition is a process of awareness, attention, identification, and perception. In this process, the function of the senses is very important (Eisner, 2005).
Eisner (2005) also believes that the use of imagination to process information is unique to the individual and varies with personal experience, and the individual needs to learn to use a form to present conceptualized or processed information. Eisner calls this task the "form of representation." Therefore, a concept can be given meaning through the creative process of sensory experience such as visual form, auditory form, text form, kinesthetic form, etc. The forms of representation of these concepts are usually presented in three ways (Eisner, 2005): mimetic, expressive, and conventional. For example, the form of representation of mathematical concepts is a presentation of traditional habits, art is a presentation that wants to emphasize its imitation and expression, and language is a presentation of traditional habits and expressions. Among them, the forms of representation of concepts related to art and language include presentation methods of expression. In this way, it is connected with the visual and performing arts, music, literature and other courses described in the expressive field courses mentioned above.
As can be seen from the above, various forms of conceptual representation can improve students' ability to create and understand the external world. Gay (2010) pointed out that when engaging in multicultural curriculum and culturally responsive teaching, it is important and necessary to incorporate various resources other than textbook texts, such as literature, music, rhythm, etc. As Eisner (2002) said, sensory interaction makes meaning more valuable. Art is not just a branch of education, but a necessary source of education. Art not only depicts what is seen and heard, but also what is felt. However, this ability is often ignored by people's mental model of life, that is, focusing on intelligence and ignoring sensory experience. Moreover, it is regrettable that such courses are often omitted in school education under the leadership of instrumentalism.
The Ministry of Education has designated 2014 as the Year of Aesthetic Education because it recognizes the importance of aesthetic education and wants to use education to strengthen teachers and students' aesthetic qualities such as sensibility, imagination, creativity, and practical ability in life experience. The 12-year National Basic Education includes "artistic accomplishment and aesthetic literacy" as one of the core competencies, which is a kind of recognition. However, one literacy is neither sufficient nor universal. Aesthetic education should not and is not the exclusive privilege or responsibility of art-related courses. Every subject can incorporate aesthetic education, and it can also be a kind of beauty teaching, just like democratic and multicultural education is integrated into other disciplines. Therefore, it is important and urgent to take the lead in constructing an educational project of cross-field aesthetic courses with art-related courses as the main axis.
Cross-disciplinary aesthetic courses refer to forms of reproduction through visual, auditory, kinesthetic and other senses, such as visual arts/art, music, performing arts/drama, and dance, integrating artistic concepts, aesthetic elements, and artistic resources into other disciplines The teaching and activities include Chinese, mathematics, social studies, natural sciences, comprehensive activities, technology, health and physical education, and important topics, as media, resources and strategies to activate and assist subject learning. Of course, if in addition to the visual, auditory, and kinesthetic forms, it can also be combined with the representational form of the written form (such as literature, poetry), it will be more beautiful and have an additive and multiplicative effect.
It is worth noting that in addition to using different forms of artistic representation to connect the courses of other disciplines and integrating the diverse concepts, elements, and resources of aesthetic education into the teaching of other disciplines, taking into account the cross-border relationship between the art field and other disciplines. The integration process of fields is inter-subjective. Therefore, it is also necessary to integrate the core competencies of the aforementioned cross-field courses, that is, the intersection of descriptive and expressive field courses, or even other important and helpful The cross-field ability of "looking to the future and looking at the world" is incorporated and highlighted. In other words, cross-disciplinary aesthetic courses must emphasize the core competencies to be achieved. The emphasis on cross-field core competencies not only substantially integrates the curriculum construction of various disciplines and guides the vision and goals of cross-field aesthetic education, but also demonstrates the intersubjectivity of art and other discipline teaching. More importantly, it also It is closer to the cultivation of talents that “looks forward to the future and sees the world from afar”.
As can be seen from the above, the core abilities to be achieved by constructing cross-field courses through aesthetic education are, in addition to the abilities highlighted by the intersection of descriptive and expressive courses: creativity, discovery, invention, problem solving, and critical thinking. You can also add imagination, interactive communication, and cross-cultural global mobility. The reason is explained below, which is to reimagine and reconstruct the curriculum construction of cross-field aesthetic education.
According to Eisner's (2005) description of representational forms, imagination is the prerequisite for representational forms and is also necessary for reconceptualization. The sharper your insight into life, the richer your accumulated experience, and the more diverse and rich your imagination will be. Rich and diverse imagination can also stimulate the re-conceptualization of concepts, and the re-conceptualization of concepts based on this will become more touching and touching.
The first three of the ten important skills mentioned above in 2020 (problem solving, critical thinking, creativity) have been included in the core competencies to be achieved through cross-field curriculum construction through aesthetic education. The other seven: personnel management, follow-up Cooperation with others, emotional intelligence, judgment and decision-making, service orientation, business, and cognitive flexibility are all related to the ability to interact and communicate with others. And this also echoes the six right-directed key abilities mentioned above that are needed in the perceptual era. Therefore, the ability to interact and communicate should also be taken into consideration.
"Multicultural and international understanding", one of the nine core competencies proposed in Taiwan's 12-year National Basic Education, is in line with the above-mentioned proposition of cultural intelligence. However, if we can emphasize cross-cultural global mobility on top of international understanding, it will be more comprehensive and complete. A country's culture has its local characteristics and cannot be ignored; cultural understanding between countries is sometimes limited to inter-regional relations; if we can view it from a global perspective and promote cross-cultural global mobility, then It also naturally includes the ability of international understanding and then expands it.
Combining the above-mentioned cross-field abilities required to look to the future and the world, as well as the core abilities at the intersection of descriptive and expressive courses, plus the reimagining of cross-field course construction with aesthetic education, the vision and vision of cross-field aesthetic education are The goal should be to add the aspect of "reaching core competencies", in addition to the five aspects of activating subject teaching, integrating artistic knowledge, cultivating aesthetic literacy, expanding learning experience, and implementing national aesthetic education. In other words, there can be eight core competencies that cross-field aesthetic education aims to achieve, including: creativity, discovery, invention, problem solving, critical thinking, imagination, interactive communication, and cross-cultural global mobility. In this way, the planning of cross-field aesthetic courses will be more effective in integrating art and other disciplines, and will also better demonstrate the ultimate expectation of course construction - to cultivate students' key core abilities and become "looking forward to the future and looking far into the future". Talents from all walks of life that the world needs.
5. Examples of curriculum plans for integrating visual arts into English teaching
The following is an attempt to use the curriculum plan and implementation constructed by Huang Chunmin and Lin Zhixian through action research (Huang Chunmin, 2014; Huang Chunmin and Lin Zhixian, 2013) to explain how the concepts and resources of art, as well as elements of beauty can be integrated into one Among the curriculum plans that combine ethnic culture with English teaching. Although this plan did not use aesthetic education as a cross-field curriculum construction at the beginning, it was based on the reconstruction concept of multicultural curriculum, culturally responsive teaching strategies (such as Gay’s advocacy mentioned above), and descriptive Core competencies that intersect with the expressive curriculum are for planning considerations. Now that I think about it, some of the content, especially the works shown by students in the mind map worksheet (see Figure 1), are still worthy of being used as examples of curriculum plans for integrating visual arts into English teaching. Below, only one of the works and some audio-visual resources are selected for explanation. . Of course, from the perspective of visual art, this may not be a great work, but from the perspective of cross-field aesthetic education, it has many educational significances, which are discussed below.
1. Audio-visual resources and mind maps activate English teaching and achieve listening, speaking, reading and writing ability indicators
Just like the study of culture, listening, speaking, reading and writing are also important learning ability indicators in Chinese subjects. Among them, writing, especially the display of comprehensive ability in Chinese language learning, many students find difficulty in English writing. In particular, this plan also needs to integrate the ethnic group and culture of the Lanyu Tawu tribe into it, so students are prone to frustration. Therefore, during the teaching in the second cycle of action research, the improved mind map learning unit and cooperative learning strategy are supplemented.
Performance from the students’ mind map worksheet: Most of them can quickly and correctly retrieve important information from the text and the audio-visual materials (public television videos) played in class, make good use of sentence patterns of noun clauses, and accurately express tenses. After using it, the sentences are generally complete, the spelling error rate of single words is also greatly reduced, and pictures and texts are interspersed and linked with each other where appropriate. It can be seen that the integration of different teaching resources and teaching strategies can help reduce students' difficulties and frustrations in English writing practice, thereby improving learning ability and interest, and through the representation of visual forms other than words. Present relevant concepts about the Tawu people of Orchid Island and their culture. In this way, English teaching is activated and the different strengths and conceptual representation forms of English teaching are highlighted.
2. Expand learning experience through audio-visual images
Although the original English textbook also included pictures related to life on Orchid Island, such as flying fish, calla lilies, paddle boats, and traditional thongs and helmets, the accompanying text was still one-sided and limited, and it was not suitable for students. You can choose pictures that represent your concept and have special meaning for you. The curriculum is intentionally designed to incorporate the broadcast of public television videos into appropriate course units, such as Our Island "Ode to Autumn on Orchid Island" and "Another Gaze on Orchid Island." Through the combination of sound, video, and audio-visual, students can go beyond the content of the textbook, deepen and broaden their understanding of the culture of the Tawu people of Lanyu, such as the wisdom and taboos of traditional culture, and expand their life and learning experiences. In addition, we also learned to face the Tawu culture with respect and appreciation.
Another example is the report on nuclear waste, which also allows students to break away from the mainstream framework and re-examine nuclear waste from the perspective and situation of the Tawu people through empathy, criticism, reflection, active concern and action efforts to solve problems. The discussion of this public issue is also another kind of cultivation and cultivation of citizen literacy. Some students even specifically presented the concepts of anti-nuclear and banning nuclear waste in the form of diagrams on their mind map worksheets. This is of special significance not only to those students, but also to society as a whole.
3. Cooperative learning with mind map worksheets shows the beauty of interactive communication
Students come from different families, have different social backgrounds, have different experiences and abilities, and even have different strengths and weaknesses. When studying alone, sometimes it is not easy to complete a more comprehensive learning task, and it is difficult to have the opportunity to reinforce each other. This time, through the cooperative learning strategy of the mind map worksheet, students will encourage and support their classmates when they discover their strengths, and they will also tolerate their shortcomings or shortcomings. In the process of group discussions and taking turns to speak, it is easier to have empathy and respect for "thinking from the perspective of others" and "listening patiently". Moreover, in communicating and coordinating with each other, we also learn to respond to our peers with an attitude of equality, tolerance, appreciation, and care. In this way, it not only enhances their peer relationships, but also indirectly promotes the harmonious atmosphere of the entire class, and peer relationships and class atmosphere are conducive to English learning. No matter in terms of core capabilities or aesthetic education literacy, this kind of interactive communication also shows another kind of social beauty between people.
4. Cross-field courses stimulate unlimited imagination and develop key core competencies
Whether it is in the group collaboration work of mind mapping, or in the letter writing for the purpose of practicing social justice, or in the small diary to express feelings after class, students' observations, deep introspection, and critical thinking are all displayed here. , core abilities of communication and interaction, problem solving, imagination and creation. From Taiwan's Han nationality to Orchid Island's Dawu culture, it can also be regarded as another form of cross-cultural mobility. To be honest, the original goal of constructing this curriculum plan was in view of the insufficiency and shortage of ethnic cultural knowledge in junior high school English textbooks. Therefore, it aimed to deepen and broaden students’ learning of the Tawu culture in the textbook content, and at the same time, it was in line with English Ability indicators for listening, speaking, reading, writing and cultural learning. However, the students’ surprising writings and works, as well as the key core abilities they elicited, actually point to the beauty of “unintentional insertion”, or the beauty of addition and multiplication.
The concepts of third space (Bhabha and Rutherford, 1990) and third space curriculum (Wang, 2004) are providing another explanation for cross-disciplinary courses. In other words, the crossing between different disciplines and different abilities can also be said to be another kind of "cultural space". Therefore, when crossing different cultural spaces, disciplines, and abilities, how is it possible to construct/deconstruct/reconstruct one's own, new, third space curriculum during the "journey" across, and then develop individual potential and recreate it? The hope of education, this is where education needs to work hard and actively develop. The cross-field aesthetic courses can provide an opportunity to develop key core competencies and cultivate the talents needed to "look to the future and the world."
Lu, conclusion
The image above about the Tawu tribe of Lanyu was collaboratively expressed by three ninth-grade students. It was one of many works by eighth- and ninth-grade students at that time. In the mind map, in addition to important information captured based on the content of the English textbook and other teaching resources, students also add illustrations near the English sentences in a free and open manner. The pictures incorporate the cultural characteristics of the Dawu people they understand, such as the image of a flying fish leaping dynamically out of the water, the appearance of the Dawu people wearing traditional thongs and helmets, a canoe, and a boat on an independent canoe. Eye patterns, human-shaped patterns, paddles, shells and footprints on the beach, the staple food calla, and the geographical relationship between Orchid Island and Taiwan. Other works include wavy patterns, wild boars, warriors' daggers, bowers, ferns, and patterns prohibiting nuclear waste. These patterns clearly present elements of denotation in terms of color, line, size, light and shade, position, and matching with English text. More importantly, the connotation behind these pattern symbols is (Bauer, Gaskell, 2000).
For me, in addition to understanding the culture of the Tawu people in Lanyu and respecting related cultural connotations, there is also the social justice of caring about nuclear waste as a public issue, as well as the imagination, creation, interactive communication, and creativity inspired by each other among the students. Core abilities such as critical thinking and problem solving are combined with the beauty created by a harmonious class atmosphere. Combining these explicit and implicit meanings, we can know that the cross-disciplinary integration of English and social studies focusing on multiculturalism and visual arts, whether it is intentional curriculum design or unintentional integration of third space curriculum aesthetics, actually has It has supreme educational significance. The question is, are teachers ready? Should we re-examine the original curriculum teaching with the sensitivity that "teachers are strangers" (Greene, 1973)? Outside the classroom, also point to "the school is outside the window" (Huang Wuxiong, 2013), and be able to integrate abstract subjects Linking package knowledge with practical knowledge from student life experiences?
The focus of any education reform is curriculum and teaching, and the reform of curriculum and teaching depends on the improvement of teachers’ professional qualities. The Ministry of Education has designated 2013 as the Year of Action for Teacher Professional Development and 2014 as the Year of Aesthetic Education, which emphasizes the importance of both aesthetic literacy and teacher empowerment. Looking forward to cross-field curriculum construction based on aesthetic education, or professional development of teachers based on art (Ou Yongsheng, 2010), which can strengthen teachers who are subject experts (T), who are also artists (A) and researchers (R). Demonstrate the spirit of A/R/Tography (Irwin, de Cosson, 2004), and even become transformational intellectuals (Giroux, 1988), thereby developing students' potential and achieving student learning.
This article is included in "Hui Mei. Integrating Arts: Theory and Practice of Cross-Field Aesthetic Courses", Taipei: National Taiwan Normal University, Huayi Academic Publishing House, 2016
