Dr. Victoria Stevens | Clinical Psychologist, Psychoanalyst, Researcher and Musician

Dr. Victoria Stevens

UPCOMING EVENT

Tuesday, October 9, 2010

Oregon Art Education Association Annual Conference

Victoria Stevens' presentation: Arts Education, Brain Development and Higher-Order Thinking Skills

The Creative Classroom in the 21st Century: Education, Neurobiology and the Developing Imagination (PDF)

Video: Dr. Victoria Stevens discusses the concepts and results of her important research into Creativity and education for the 21st century. Click here for the introduction and click above on the seven components of the Creativity graphic for specific explanations.

The role that training and exposure to the arts play in education is totally dependent upon how one defines the goal of education. Is the goal of education to inspire children to think, question and to be able to determine through conscious judgment a course of action that includes their own well-being as well as the well-being of those they come into contact with, and to have the ability to apply self-discipline to whatever they choose as a career path, and to interact well with those with whom they work and choose to have in their personal life? Or is it to turn out young adults who are competent enough to enter the work force, are obedient to authority (or rebellious against it), have little or no interpersonal skills, as well as having little or no intrapersonal skills?

We have to ask ourselves, given the current system, what is the purpose of the curricular structure and what is the information being given to the teachers of our nation's children? Additionally, we must address the following question: when we state to our children that if they complete their basic education within our current system they will have the capacity to be successful in life, are we telling them the truth?

The lack of the development of play, emotional regulation, creativity, imagination, metacogniton and empathy, and the elimination of the arts as basic to the development of these skills within our educational system could have serious negative consequences for the future of our society. These consequences could occur at the level of artistic and scientific creative invention as well as at the level of social behavior. It is imperative that our society implement the changes that are being called for from all areas: psychological, social, economic and political, or our students will face a future unprepared to survive the realities of millennial change that are already upon us and are to come.

Production Credits:

Media Center for Art, Education and Technology, Salinas, CA

Hamish A. Tyler, executive director
Video: Jack Peterson
Editing: Patrick Mier

Artwork: Allyson Sanburn Malek, Pebble Beach, CA

Web Production: Chris Garland

Victoria’s work regarding the value of providing meaningful arts learning for our students and her emphasis on creativity, imagination, metacognition, and empathy, is most important as we adults work with students toward their successful lives and their well-being. Victoria clearly addresses necessary 21st century skill development through the arts that enhances the entire learning mode and self-development of our students, especially in light of the fact that these skills are not directly taught or focused upon in other academic areas.

~Nancy Carr, Visual and Performing Arts Consultant, California Department of Education

IMAGINATION, CREATIVITY, EMPATHY AND METACOGNITION:
Aesthetic Literacy and 21st Century Skills

SUMMARY OF RESEARCH AND EVALUATION OF THE CHILDREN UNITING NATIONS (CUN) ACADEMIC MENTOR TRAINING PROGRAM

Victoria Stevens, PhD
and Robert Gould, PhD

VIDEO - April 2010: Region V Visual & Performing Arts CCESSA Sponsored Forum with Dr. Victoria Stevens: How Arts Education Can Support Student Achievement in Our Region.

Host: Media Center for Art, Education and Technology Location: Museum of Art & History at the McPherson Center, Santa Cruz, CA

READ ALL ABOUT IT! – Victoria Stevens, Ph.D., licensed clinical psychologist, psychoanalyst and educator, instructs teachers of King City Arts Charter School on the importance of incorporating arts into everyday classroom lessons.