2018 Outstanding Faculty Teaching
Merryl Goldberg, Ed.D.
California State University San Marcos Professor of Music and Arts Integration
Major Accomplishments:
- Gained national and international recognition for founding the CSU San Marcos’ Center ARTES (Arts, Research, Teachers, Education, Schools) in 2003, offering innovative programs for teaching art to young students
- Wrote white paper on the importance of arts integration in K-12 education for the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing; many of her suggestions have been implemented state-wide
- Served as co-principal investigator of the DREAM project (Developing Reading Education through Arts Methods), 2009-12, training grade-school teachers to use arts to improve student reading and language skills
- Created the ART=OPPORTUNITY campaign which promotes literacy through the arts
- Professor at CSU San Marcos for 25 years
- Chair of Department of Visual and Performing Arts, 2010-2014
For 25 years, Merryl Goldberg, Ed.D., has demonstrated sustained excellence in her teaching at California State University San Marcos, where she focuses on the role that arts play in academic success, career development and empathy. She is a professor of music specializing in arts integration. In her signature course, "Learning Through the Arts," her students, many of whom are studying to be teachers, learn how to teach reading, math, science and social studies through music, dance, theater, visual and media arts.
Dr. Goldberg’s scholarly and research activities inform her teaching at all levels. She helps her students realize their potential through innovative pedagogy that combines research with experiential learning in her classroom. Her book, "Arts Integration: Teaching Subject Matter though the Arts in Multicultural Settings," is in its fifth edition, and as a recognized expert in arts education, Dr. Goldberg is regularly invited to speak at national and international conferences.
She is also the director of CSU San Marcos’ Center ARTES — which stands for arts, research, teachers, education, schools — a center where current and prospective teachers learn how to integrate the arts with a wide range of classroom subject matter, as well as how to teach art as a discipline. With funding from several foundations, Dr. Goldberg created
ART=OPPORTUNITY which provides professional development opportunities for teachers, administrators, artists, teens, parents, as well as access to the arts for children — particularly those who might not normally have such an opportunity.
"Learning with and through the arts unlocks opportunity," says Dr. Goldberg. "Research shows that students who engage in the arts have a significant edge when it comes to risk-taking, empathy, problem solving, leadership, thinking outside of the box, being successful in college, as well as successful in careers." She goes on to say: "I revel in playing a role in changing the landscape of education so that all kids, especially kids who have not had opportunities, have a chance to have arts fused into their daily lives."
In all her efforts to promote arts integration, Dr. Goldberg has had a profoundly positive effect on her students, and has influenced educators locally, nationally and internationally by demonstrating innovative ways to improve student success. In 2015, she was asked to prepare a white paper outlining the importance of arts integration in K-12 education within the context of college and career readiness. Many of her suggestions have since been incorporated into the Teaching Performance Expectations of the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing.
Dr. Goldberg received her doctorate and master’s degrees from Harvard University; she received her bachelor’s from the New England Conservatory of Music. Prior to entering academia Dr. Goldberg was on the road for 13 years as a saxophonist with the Klezmer Conservatory Band out of Boston.