Tony Bennett the Arts in Education

www.EDUCATIONUPDATE.com AwardAward Volume XIII, No. 4 • New York City • DECEMBER 2007 Winner FOR PArenTS, EDUCATORS & STUdenTS TONY BENNEtt PRESORTED STANDARD THE EDUCATION U.S. POSTAGE UPDATE PAID THE ARTS IN EDUCatION EDUCATION UPDATE ■ FOR PArenTS, EDUCATORS & STUdenTS ■ December 2007 GUEST EDITORIAL The DEAN’S COLUMN Partnerships Make The Regular Pentagon That Isn’t By DR. ALFRED S. POSAMENTIER Universities Good Citizens The geometric construction of the regular pen- By MARY BRABECK, Ph.D. talented high school students from low-income tagon is one of the more difficult constructions Earlier this year, the Carnegie Foundation for families; educators reducing the numbers of our to do using only an unmarked straightedge and the Advancement of Teaching awarded a spe- youth who end up in prisons instead of college, compasses. There are many ways to do this con- cial classification to New York University as a and much more. struction, none particularly easy. Your students research university with “an outstanding and One example: recently, members of our depart- might try to develop a construction on their own, mutually beneficial relationship with its host ment of nutrition, food studies, and public health realizing that the Golden Section is very much community.” The classification is reserved for collaborated with the New York City Department involved here. universities that have reached a point of dis- of Health and Mental Hygiene to help group For years engineers have been using a method tinction for high quality teaching, learning, and daycares improve the diets of preschool children for drawing what appears to be a regular pen- research, and also giving back to their commu- and their families. Students in the department tagon, yet careful inspection will show that the nities. Our host community is, of course, New visited 30 centers in underserved communities construction is a tiny bit irregular*. This method York City. in the South Bronx, East/Central Harlem, and was developed in 1525 by the famous German As dean of the NYU’s Steinhardt School of Central Brooklyn. They studied the current diet artist, Albrecht Dürer, who was aware of its short- 6. The polygon ABCDE is (supposedly) a regu- Culture, Education, and Human Development, in the schools and some of their recommenda- comings, but nevertheless found it a useful and lar pentagon. I take enormous pride in this award and in tions—like making sure children had healthy simple procedure to produce an (almost)-regular [SEE DIAGRAM A] Steinhardt’s contributions to community-based foods (fresh fruit and vegetables) and beverages pentagon. Joining the points in order, we get the pentagon learning and research. The Carnegie Foundation’s (low-fat milk and water)—influenced the city’s We refer to the diagram below. Beginning with ABCDE. award validates NYU founder Albert Gallatin’s new nutritional policies that went into effect on a segment AB, five circles of radius AB are con- [SEE DIAGRAM B] belief in the power of a university that is deliber- January 1, 2007. structed as follows: Although the pentagon “looks” regular its ately built, in Gallatin’s words, to be “in and of NYU Steinhardt’s engagement with the City is 1. Circles with centers at A and B are drawn and m∠ABC is about 22/60 of a degree too large. the city.” This distinction also highlights NYU’s also reflected through the Partnership for Teacher intersect at Q and N. That is, for ABCDE to be a regular penta- advantage in the twenty-first century: to be in Excellence, which brings together various schools 2. Then the circle with center Q is drawn gon, each angle must be 108°; instead we have and of a global city like New York is implicitly within NYU, The City University of New York, to intersect circles A and B at points R and S, that m∠ABC≈108.3661202°. Student may be to be a global university. A global university is and the NYC Department of Education. Funded respectively. enchanted with this geometric situation and one prepared to meet the demands of the twenty- by the Carroll and Milton Petrie Foundation, 3. QN intersects circle Q at P. might like the challenge of determining why first century, to prepare students to be citizens of the partnership addresses New York City’s need 4. SP and RP intersect circles A and B at points it is not regular—as it appears to be. It is nice a global society and to bring added value to the for highly qualified, well-trained teachers by E and C, respectively. to provide your students with some geometric global community, to be, “in and of the world.” locating more of teacher training in the schools 5. Draw the circles with centers at E and C, novelties—especially in light of the new found NYU Steinhardt’s reach within New York City themselves and by offering incentives to college with radius AB to intersect at D. highlight of geometry in the new New York State belies the notion of the university as an “ivory students to become teachers of mathematics, sci- standards. tower.” The very nature of our School’s mis- ence, TESOL, and special education, all of which DIAGRAM A *For a discussion of where the error lies sion—to advance knowledge, creativity, and face critical shortages in New York City. see A. S. Posamentier and H. A. Hauptman innovation at the crossroads of human learning, These are just a few examples of recent initia- 101+ Great Ideas for Introducing Key Concepts culture, development, and well-being—depends tives that have brought NYU Steinhardt students in Mathematics, (Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin on strong relationships with myriad organiza- and faculty into New York City schools and Press, 2006). Pp. 153 – 158. tions, large and small, throughout the city, such other organizations. I look forward to expanding Dr. Alfred S. Posamentier is Dean of the School as clinics and hospitals, performance venues, this reach in the coming years. Together, NYU of Education at City College of NY, author of over schools, and art, media, and cultural institutions. Steinhardt and its partners are committed to 40 books on math including Math Wonders to Examples of Steinhardt faculty and students in educating New York City’s diverse students so Inspire Teachers and Students (ASCD, 2003) and the community include economists researching that all might achieve at high levels. If you are Math Charmers: Tantilizing Tidbits for the Mind school funding policies; occupational therapists interested in learning more about our most recent (Prometheus, 2003), and member of the NYS helping students with disabilities; educational partnerships, please visit our website at www. Standards Committee on Math. theater professionals bringing Shakespeare to steinhardt.nyu.edu/news/2007.# public schools; speech therapists treating ado- Mary Brabeck is dean of the Steinhardt School lescents with communication disorders; profes- of Culture, Education, and Human Development DIAGRAM B sional artists helping to develop the portfolios of at New York University. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR ORLANDO, FL the criminal society, why do you not focus on the Harvard’s Howard Gardner Receives Standing younger children who are statistically more likely Ovation at Bank Street Event to end up in prison based on social factors including IN THIS ISSUE Guest Editorial . 2 To the Editor: poor educational opportunities? The prisoners need Letters to the Editor . 2 Dr. Gardner has contributed so much to the spiritual rehabilitation first and then they can get out Spotlight on Schools. .3-9 teaching of diverse students with his theories. in the world and pursue an education like everyone Book Reviews. 9, 21 I wish he could see the relief spread over the else that wants one. I cannot believe that our justice Special Education. 10-11 CoVER StoRY. .12-13 faces of my community college students when I system allows for so much crime to continue happen- Scholarships . 14 explain Multiple Intelligences. For the first time, ing with little deterrent for committing crime. Think Colleges & Grad Schools. 15-20 I think some students understand that they are not back to Singapore when an American broke the law, Calendar of Events. 21 dumb and that they have their own strengths. It they carried out justice immediately, not like we do Resource & Reference Guide. 21 must be a relief to them after years of being put here where someone can have a history of assault or Medical Update. 22 Theater . 23 down by our traditional views. robbery and other crimes and is still roaming free, Dr. Shelby Morrison and only after repeat crimes and a casualty do they Orlando, FL get put away. Do you raise money or help the victims would very much like for her to speak to our you give me a mission statement, aims and objec- of these prisoners in counseling and furthering their district leaders here in Seattle. How do I go about tives for proposed program on prison education? NEW YORK, NY education, or seeing to their needs? Why do we work contacting her, and do you know if she is avail- Thank you. About Dr. Muriel Petioni for the benefit of the criminal? Prevention as I under- able in August 2008? Thank you. Steven Ugonna To the Editor: stand it is the best medicine, Prison is not rehab. It Sandra Nance New York Dr. Muriel Petioni believes that everyone should is not supposed to be glamorous it is supposed to be Seattle, WA have access to medical. She not only demonstrat- punishing, that is the idea. When you think about GREELEY, CO ed that here in the U.S., but now to a less fortunate going out of your way to educate and rehabilitate KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA Rikers High: A Filmmaker’s View of Prison Chiefdom—Gbonkolenken Chiefdom, in the war- these individuals, do the victims ever cross your Prison College Programs Unlock the Keys to Education torn country of Sierra Leone.

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