Cognition

Cognition developed Arts Online for the Ministry of Education, as an interactive online community of practice to encourage contribution, communication and collaboration for teachers of the arts throughout New Zealand. It comprises sub-communities of Dance, Drama, Music, Visual Arts and Art History.

Arts Online supports the development of professional learning communities and helps teachers to share best-practice approaches and useful resources through:

• teaching resources for dance, drama, music-sound arts, visual arts, art history, including units, lessons and reviewed websites 
• an  Interactive Unit Planner  
• readings, curriculum materials, research, case studies, arts organisations and partner association links 
• an NCEA unit planner,  materials and links 
• a calendar through which schools and organisations can advertise and view regional arts events
• discussion groups for each arts discipline and for primary teachers
• an ‘Ask’ facility where teachers’ questions are answered by an expert 
• a Teacher Resource Exchange to enable teachers to share and access teaching resources at all curriculum and NCEA levels 
• Artists in Schools (a new programme offered by the Ministry of Education) 
• a Student Gallery where student work can be viewed and discussed.