Arne Duncan on the arts - a critical component of a complete education

"I am greatly honored that the Department is hosting the National PTA's student art exhibit. The students in this show, like many, many others around the country and the world, represent the talent and thoughtful, artistic work that can result from the support of their schools, teachers, and families. The arts are a critical component of a complete education, providing an opportunity to see and think in new ways and to innovate, as this exhibit proves. The theme of this year's exhibit--'I Can Make a Difference by ...', is an inspiration to all of us to engage, as these students have done, in the kind of thinking and efforts that President Obama has asked us to do as citizens of this great nation."

-- Arne Duncan, on occasion of the opening of the National PTA's "Reflections" art exhibit at the Department of Education, Feb. 10, 2009.

Creativity Food and Science - Ferran Adria

He's been called the Salvador Dali of the kitchen and graced the covers of The New York Times Magazine, Rolling Stone Magazine and Time. He was brought in by Harvard's School of Engineering and Applied Sciences yet considers himself an artist. Read this case study on his creative process published by the ESADE School of Business:

http://www.elbulli.com/esade/Caso_Ferran_Adria_and_elBulli-ESADE_en.pdf

Music Education Can Help Children Improve Reading Skills

ScienceDaily (Mar. 16, 2009) — Children exposed to a multi-year programme of music tuition involving training in increasingly complex rhythmic, tonal, and practical skills display superior cognitive performance in reading skills compared with their non-musically trained peers, according to a study published in the journal Psychology of Music.

Click here to read more.