The Importance of Art Education

I have been working on a presentation on the value of art education.  Having been an artist or creative person literally my entire life, I know, first hand how much art education has helped me.  I have always excelled in all things creative.  But, interestingly, as a kid I also excelled in math (loved it), science (ah, it was ok), writing and grammar (got it and loved it), and social studies (fascinated by it). The ONE THING that I have seen throughout my life was that the logical, sequential ordering I learned in art and creative processes also worked in mathematical equations.  I learned the properties and then worked the math problems step by step, just like I sewed the many pieces of a tailored wool coat together or assembled a collage or wove macrame or threw a pot on a wheel. Step by step by step.  And, adding inventive and experimental thinking increased the outcome. Art teaches life.

 I was just talking to someone today, visiting in the hallway, while we were waiting for some standardized testing to start back up after lunch, and I said that one would think that 90% of what I do is teach art and 10% is teach life.  I said some may think it is 50/50.  But really, I teach about 70% life and 30% art. Probably the most exciting thing for me as an art teacher is I KNOW my students are gaining skills, thought processing, logic, sequencing skills, innovative thinking, inventive thinking, experimental thinking, and real experience that will help prepare them for the rest of their life...and the future of our world.  Brilliant minds exist in the art room. I see them every day. This video is one of the best I've seen on the importance of art education.  I think it will further present the case for a quality art education program for our young people. Enjoy!

                        

Philosophy of Art Education

     

     There was a day when elementary art was simply about making cute holiday decorations for the hallway bulletin boards.  There also was a day when most elementary art programs, if they existed in schools, were to offer grade level teachers a time slot for their conference and planning periods.  There was a day when middle school art may have been considered a “blow off” class.  There was a day when high school art was viewed as the only important art program within a school district, or there was no art program at all.  Art education has made many important strides over the years.  Most artists, art educators, and also general education teachers now realize the importance art education can have in the holistic development of the student.  When students are limited to right-side brain thinking or left-side brain thinking, the whole brain is not used or completely active. While the importance our society at large places on art education will continue to ebb and flow, as it has since classical times, art education is home to the development of logical, sequential thinking by students.

     One way students can use the whole brain, further developing their logical, sequential thinking, is by participating in engaging projects. Project based learning is becoming very important in the school setting. Art educators, however, have always experienced the very real, tangible, cognitive,  and visual results of project based learning.  Art educators see the connections, inferences, and transfer of learning acquired via art with other curricula and with life. Art education may now have a place, more than ever before, in the overall education of a child, young adult or adult due to the mainstreaming of technology not only in our schools, but in the art classroom.

      Micro-level thinking must give way to macro-level thinking in art education. Technology is changing students’ world, our world, more rapidly than ever before in . . .

Cuban heARTS!

(This Blog post was migrated here from another Blog I maintained.)
My trip to Cuba last week with the National Art Education Association was an outstanding opportunity to explore educational opportunities in another country. We toured elementary and secondary schools, universities, and schools for students with special needs. We met with government representatives in the education department and had many other great experiences. I took over 600 water color hearts my students made to Cuba and handed them out everywhere I went. I especially enjoyed giving them to the children! I used the small amount of Spanish that I know to communicate with them and taught them a bit of English, using our hearts! I was traveling with an outstanding group of educators from Montana State University, Delaware State University, Purdue University, several other universities and colleges, and quite a few elementary, middle, and high school teachers from around the United States. Cuba is a complicated place.....and I'm certain that 600 "art hearts" extended a hand of friendship! (This post was migrated to this Blog from my school website.)