Transforming education through art-centred integrated learning

Art-centred integrated learning is a version of art integration that uses art enquiry processes to promote deep and holistic understanding of concepts and ideas that matter to our students while fostering their abilities to handle complexity and think flexibly, capacities they will need in order to prosper in a complex and uncertain world and become leaders in shaping that world. To meet these needs of their students, the Alameda County Office of Education in Northern California has adopted Integrated Learning, an approach to education that promotes integrative thinking and integrated knowledge through art-centred learning. Because Integrated Learning presents solutions for education across the board, it provides a model that leaders in general education could consider when formulating pedagogy. And since this model draws from contemporary art practices, it provides both education in the arts and a strong rationale that art education leaders can use to argue for a robust presence of the arts in education. Moreover, the Integrated Learning approach delineates a set of principles and practices that are germane to creative leadership and could be integrated into leadership education.