Here are a few items I came across that could be integrated into class discussions.
Art Museums Curate Cognitive Experiences for Alzheimer’s Patients
WRITTEN BY EILEEN CUNNIFFE CREATED ON MONDAY, 09 FEBRUARY 2015
Art museums and galleries are increasingly working with local chapters of the national Alzheimer’s Association and similar organizations to develop programs that target people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and early stages of dementia. An article in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution cites four programs in Georgia—two in Atlanta, one in Augusta, and one in Cartersville—which represent a trend inspired by the pioneering “Meet Me” program at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMa) in New York. That program, funded by the MetLife Foundation from 2007-2014, yielded useful insights and best practices that other museums can learn from. For the rest of the posting go to:
https://nonprofitquarterly.org/policysocial-context/25582-art-museums-curate-cognitive-experiences-for-alzheimer-s-patients.html
——————————————————————————————————
Why Art Is More Potent When It’s in a Museum
By Jesse Singal
There’s something particularly special about viewing a piece of art in a museum setting. Or it feels that way, at least, when you imagine seeing a painting in person versus viewing a replica in postcard or desktop-background form. A new study in Acta Psychologia tried to better understand the reasons for this by asking a bunch of students to view either the museum or replica versions of art, then asking the students about their experiences. For more on this topic and additional links go to:
http://nymag.com/scienceofus/2015/02/art-more-potent-when-its-in-a-museum.html
———————————————————————————————————
Are we witnessing the death of ‘uh’? Um, maybe — and not just in English
Reporter Ari Daniel
According to experts, “uh” and “um” are somewhat different beasts. “It does seem to be the case that ‘um’ generally signals a longer or more important pause than ‘uh,'” says Mark Liberman, a linguist at the University of Pennsylvania. At least that’s what he thought. For the full posting and audio links go to:
http://www.pri.org/stories/2015-02-05/across-several-languages-people-are-opting-um-over-uh
———————————————————————————————————-
How Learning Artistic Skills Alters the Brain
TOM JACOBS FEB 11, 2015
New research finds neural changes not only reflecting increased technical capacities, but also enhanced creativity. For the full posting go to:
http://www.psmag.com/health-and-behavior/how-learning-artistic-skills-alters-the-brain