Cultivating a Jian Zi

This qualitative case study explored the operational curricula of an art teacher’s responsive pedagogy that focused on the differentiation aspects for artistically talented students in an elementary school in Taiwan. Findings indicate that cultivating a Jian Zi is the heart of the value system embedded in the art teacher’s responsive pedagogy for the development of art talent. Jian Zi means a superior person with both talent and virtue ( Cai De Jian Bei). Three themes are discussed: (a) qualitatively differentiated curricula for fostering sensitivity to human concerns; (b) harmonic integration between self-pursuits and group intentions; and (c) personalized guidance for well-balanced mixtures of substance and refinement. The art teachers’ responsive pedagogy can inspire practitioners to implement a differentiated “attentive living art curriculum” (Gude, 2007) in their classrooms.

“Discovering” the Galician Borderlands: The Case of the Eastern Carpathians

What happens when the modern world intrudes upon an isolated mountain region, particularly one that is a borderland par excellence? Patrice Dabrowski examines the moment of “discovery” of the most remote corner of Habsburg Galicia, the Carpathian Mountain region known as the Eastern Beskids and identified with its rugged yet artistically talented highland inhabitants, the Hutsuls. The discovery was facilitated by an ethnographic exhibition in Kołomyja, organized by the Czarnohora branch of the Tatra Society (Towarzystwo Tatrzańskie), which gained renown thanks to the presence of Emperor Franz Joseph at its opening in September 1880. The transformation of the region from terra incognita into a tourist destination for Poles, Ukrainians, and others has local, regional, national, and international dimensions and sheds light on interethnic relations within multiethic Galicia and beyond. This article represents a historiographical meeting point of studies of nations and nationalism, environmental history, and the study of tourism.

Finding Fran

Finding Fran is a memoir of two women, once best friends, who take verydifferent paths. The author is now a feminist history professor and her highschool friend, Fran, is Noura-a Muslim living in Egypt Banner looksback on their lives to find out what led one to feminism and the other toIslam. Unfortunately, while Banner offers many interesting insights into thelives of both women, she never fully answers this fundamental question.The book is divided into four parts. Part I, "My Story (1944-1952),"explores Banner's family history as well as her life up Wltil high school. Shetraces the lives of various family members in order to discover how theyaffected her childhood and her outlook on life. In the second part, "Fran &Me (1952-1956)," Banner tells the story of their high school friendship.It is a friendship of two smart and artistically talented girls, who are oftenbold and passionate in a time and place that glorified passive, femininewomen. Together they navigate the seemingly esoteric system of footballplayers and prom queens without ever really belonging to that system.In college they separate, Banner to UCLA and Fran to Stanford. This isthe beginning of their two different paths. Banner takes to academia andfeminism, while Fran is drawn to the various spiritual movements of the1960s. These years are covered in the third section, "Passages (1956-1982)." Banner includes chapters on their college life and the yearsimmediately following, and then delves into her life as an academic and afeminist.The last section covers Fran/Noura's life between 1967 and 1990. Shestudies Zen and other spiritual movements, such as the Gurdjieff system. Inlate 1960s, she moves to a commune in New Mexico. There she discoverswesternized Sufi practices that have been cut from their Islamic base. Hercontinuing quest leads her to study Islam. She eventually becomes aMuslim and a member of a traditional Sufi order. Later, she studies in SaudiArabia, and currently, she residues in Egypt.In keeping with the personal nature of the book, Banner includes acollection of photographs ranging from old family snapshots to the twowomen together in high school in 1956 and again in Egypt in 1992. Muchof Banner's analysis comes in the prologue and the epilogue. She alsoincludes detailed notes for each chapter ...

DeShea's Dream Deferred: A Case Study of a Talented Urban Artist

Artistically talented students from culturally diverse populations exist in urban environments; however, school systems often fail to provide appropriate art programs and prevent young people from realizing their highest potential. In this account of a talented young artist whose needs were not met by educators in an urban high school, the author tells of a teenager's struggle to find a place for himself in his community and describes the resulting problems with the teen's academic underachievement. The findings of the study offer educators helpful suggestions for addressing the educational needs of artistically talented youth in urban settings.

Raising the Self-Esteem of on Artistically Talented Student in the Regular Classroom

This case study shows how art raises self-esteem in students and how art programs offer opportunities for students to be identified for gifted and talented programs. Programs offering nurturance, guidance, and challenges are needed in gifted and talented students’ lives. Without opportunities for enhanced learning, we fail to educate children to their greatest potentials.