Ken Veith: Summary

Education is important as we develop a society of lifelong learners, but budget cuts for schools should not be at the expense of art programs. All students have unique learning styles and ways they best absorb information. To compromise that process is destructive to the success of their overall learning experience. “The Sanctuary of School” makes the reader aware of the many individuals who go through the public-school system. Barry’s essay advocates the need for funding of art programs and the supportive, creative outlets they

By having art programs in schools students gain skills such as, problem solving, critical and creative thinking, integration of multiple skill sets, and working with others. Qualities such as these are very necessary for creating exemplary students. Arts have already proven to help with many long standing problems but critical thinking is needed for jobs in the outside world. “ … Creating art supports problem-solving, creative thought and critique like no other discipline.” ( Schoales,2) By participating in artistic classes students gain discipline that most classes fail to teach. These valuable lessons learned from art can’t be found anywhere

The importance of education is seen in the goals of society from the dominance of math and science to launch the space race, to the back-to-basics program in order to improve world education ranking and ensure America as a strong educational nation. As a teacher I hope to enrich the lives of students and educated them to the best of my ability. Furthermore, I hope to set an example for students that is based on respect, truth, honor and fairness. Students come from diverse backgrounds and struggle to reach individual goals. As a teacher, I am obligated to see those challenges and help students set and meet their goals. For students in my classroom, that of an art class, must also deal with expression and individual ideas that will allow students to interpret their surroundings.

The American education system has not managed to survive a single day in which it has not been placed beneath society’s microscope to be analyzed and critiqued by both those involved and not. It comes as no surprise that there are a plethora of flaws involved in the institution of education. However, there is one entirely unique aspect of American education that has potential to alter the system’s negative persona; the fine arts programs. Rick Dean, a journalist for Topeka Capital Journal, researching Topeka’s new arts and education program stated, “Teachers and students participating in the program benefit from infusing fine arts across the curriculum, thinking critically. . . . to find creative and innovative solutions to problems beyond

Teaching might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit.” During my past career as an art teacher at Intel Academy, introducing and demonstrating aesthetic techniques and materials have thrilled me as much as completing an art piece. Through workshops and demonstrations, I learned how to communicate and suggest better ways of developing their ideas and expressions. Some children had difficulties encountering art due to their behavioral problems; however, respecting their accomplishments and encouraging their process of following the curriculum became a part of the solution. My decision to apply to masters program in art education was pursued as I faced these

It is through completing the Art Making and Responding activities that I have demonstrated my learning of contemporary arts education through developing an appreciation for authentic practices through observing and reflecting on the processes. These activities have changed my perception of arts education as a meaning-making experience; demonstrating my abilities through the form of performance and written analyses. With this, I have learned that it is important to critically reflect on my responses to the Art Making and Responding activities to further my development as an educator. It is because of these activities that I have been able to position myself as an authentic learner of the arts and recognise the skills which will influence positive

1). By externalizing with the creation of an art product, according to Malchiodi (2003) “a drawing, painting, or collage of the presenting problem is a natural way of separating the person from the problem because through art, the problem becomes visible. It allows the person to literally see the problem and think about it as something outside him or herself” (Abromowitz, K, 2013, p.15). In this way, children can separate themselves from the object to rediscover new meaning of this tacit dimension.

They were evaluated by their depiction skills and techniques, and competence in using art materials. However, the instruction of the art teacher in my high school was unique. She obtained permission from the school and to modify the curriculum for the students in order to get them motivated. She truly wanted to encourage and excite her students through her art classes. As adolescents felt that, “design” was attractive at that time.

This Project will be created with linocut a skill that has began development in year 8 with the term 3 project of landscapes so the students will have some prior knowledge. It should not however be assumed that students will remember everything about the process. The assessment we choose for this term was a image analysis a method which is more common in upper school however as these students are transitioning and are in the last half of the year and with abstract art it is a great way to improve students understanding artwork outside their comfort zone.

Education, in the 21st century, refers to certain core competencies such as collaboration, digital literacy, critical thinking, and problem solving that advocates believe schools need to teach to help students thrive in today’s world. (Education Week, 2010). Students are encouraged to think critically and creatively, nevertheless, there are schools throughout the state of Kentucky that exclude the arts from their core curriculum which eliminates a creative outlet for students. Arts integration in public schools provide students the tools they need to think creatively and ameliorate their state mandated testing scores. The arts provide students with developmental skills that aid in the improvement of their fine motor skills, language development,

Self-initiated learning is a key aspect of Rogers’ beliefs for a lasting education. He notes that when a student is fully engaged with the subject matter, they are more likely to retain the significant information they have been taught. When developing a curricular activity to represent Rogers’ experiential learning theory, we must remember to assemble a curriculum where the student can reflect on their work. As a secondary school art classroom focuses on work developed by the student, the assignments are often structured with a curriculum created by the educator. Assignments and art pieces are put in place to help the student learn the foundations of art and art history. Although students create the art pieces, they are often confined to the outline created by the teacher.

The arts are a fundamental element of ones human condition as it provides a medium for the freedom of self-expression such as thoughts, ideas, beliefs and culture. Through this, worldviews are communicated and reflected. There is a natural necessity to create as it shares an insight into identity and culture (Wright, 2002).One who contributes, participates and views art, experience and demonstrate imagination, creativity, self-achievement, pride and pleasure. Through implementing arts into early childhood, it can foster and support a child’s mean making, self- expression and holistic development (Wright, 2002). The arts play an immense role in a child’s holistic development as it supports the links between body, cognition, spirit and culture. It is evident the arts have multiple benefits to a child’s visual, spatial, aural and bodily-kinaesthetic modes or multimodal leaning (Wright, 2002). Through this, children are able to record their thoughts and feelings without verbally communicating and this can be done through problem solving. In all environments and cultures, there is a vast amount of visual art that can be seen as a language and symbol system, becoming a powerful tool (Wright 2002).

The Arts form a huge part of what makes an individual human. Ewing (2011) describes art education as the central role in forming cultural practices and identities of all individuals. This is the purpose of arts education, it is a tool used by Educators to cultivate the development of the whole child by encouraging genuine learning opportunities that yield to the development of the child socially, emotionally, physically, cognitively and ethically. If Children are to become creative and successful individuals in the broader society then it is crucial that the stepping stones for these individuals to achieve are enabled with the aid of a rich educational curriculum (MCEETYA, 2008). Educational curriculums need to be designed to enable children and youth with abilities and skills to participate fully in the world that lies beyond the bubble that is school. Individuals need to be able to problem solve, regulate behaviours and emotions and think strategically (Ewing, 2011). One of the ways these skills can be imparted is through the Arts. Access to the Arts allows children to absorb new skills and knowledge in ways that differ from more traditional methods of teaching. Using engaging vehicles such as drama, media and music, dance and visual arts as a means to promote holistic learning experiences, creates the possibility for individuals to bloom as members of society (MCEETYA and Cultural Ministers Council, 2005).

The arts are not pretty bulletin boards. They are not turkeys and bunny rabbits. They are not frivolous entertainment. The arts are our humanity. They are the languages of civilization through which we express our fears, our anxieties, our hungers, our struggles, our hopes. They are systems of meaning that have real utility. This is why schools that provide students with the means and the encouragement to explore these realms provide a better education. (p.9).

Due to the time restraints of the research project, data was collected through three interviews and two observations held at a summer art program that hosts students, eighty-five percent of which are living in low SES circumstances. The researcher conducted three interviews with a diverse group of art educators on the topic of engaging students in art, focusing on their experiences, observations, and ideas connected to the research questions. The researcher developed semi-structured, open-ended interview questions (see Appendix A: Interview Protocol) based on the research questions. Nine questions were asked during the interviews, most of the questions were the same or similar, with some questions changed to match the