Learning Value of Visual Arts
This paper will present my point of view on the learning value of the visual arts using Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences, Piaget’s Constructivism and Vygotsky’s Social Learning Theory.
Art as mere creative expression has been the dominant theme for much of the twentieth century. However, researchers have been finding connections between learning in the visual arts and the acquisition of knowledge and skills in other areas. Art like text can be used as a source to practice critical thinking. Art can also be used to teach children about culture, traditions, history and even social issues. The process of creating art contributes to the cognitive, physical, social and emotional development of
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They also later could solve problems by controlling their bodily motions and handle objects skilfully using both fine motor movements of fingers and hands and gross motor movements of the body (Wright, 2003). Art making activities also supports Piaget’s age and stage theory of children’s development especially when they start to experience the world through their senses and they start acquiring motor skills.
Toddlers develop control of large and small muscle groups through making art. Painting with brushes, crayons, kneading clay or cutting and tearing paper help them develop co-ordination and strength in their arms and fingers. This will help them gain confidence in using tools for making art and later for writing. Making art also helps children develop eye-hand co-ordination. As children decide how to make parts fit together into a whole, where to place objects, and what details to include, they learn to coordinate what they see with the movements of their hands and fingers. This eye-hand coordination is essential for many activities, including forming letters and spacing words in formal writing.
References
Desantis, K. & Housen, A. (2000). A Brief Guide to Developmental Theory and Aesthetic Development. Visual Understanding in Education.
Dr. Huitt, W.G. (1999). Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development.
< http://www.edpsycinteractive.org/topics/cognition/piaget.html > (Accessed: 27.2.2012)
Gardner, H (1983). Multiple
“After a certain high level of technical skill achieved, science and arts tend to coalesce in esthetics, plasticity, and form. The greatest scientist are artist as well” (Albert Einstein). In this advanced modern tech-world mostly people are dependent on science and technology, but arts also play an important role in education. Art creates balanced thinking and better imagination which helps humans to be successful in their career. Yo-Yo Ma intensely informs about important role of arts in modern education society throughout his essay Necessary Edges: Arts, Empathy, and education. Ma illustrates that arts should be also part of education, because it improve students to filter their imagination through disciplined knowledge. Liberal arts should be equal to science and technology because it creates new idea, and in this modern world people should think critical than divergent in their lives. Empathy teaches students to understand and simplify the complicated life. Collaboration include discussion amongst people or group to make things effortless. Moreover liberal arts itself is beauty such as performing arts, it values the beauty of imagination in modern society by art and sculpture.
By educating students any form of art, can open up new connections to imaginative thinking. The arts could even lead students to find new ways of studying that could benefit their other classes. Arts helps in finding different ways into processing ideas, not just analyzing an idea, but also taking into consideration of the more human side to things: emotion. With a student being more emotionally prepared to take on any task, it helps a student judge what is best for themselves in their routine of study. In “Necessary Edges” Yo-Yo Ma says how “we are also aware that wise and balanced judgment results from integrating the critical and empathetic, taking emotions as well as reason into account” (258). If the education system incorporates arts into the system then students could find means as to help relax from higher levels of thinking, as a means to release stress and to positively believe that they are striving to be their best. Wood supports the idea of incorporating art into education because with the incorporation of more technology placed into classes then it becomes “exhausting: a continuous period of forced engagement, with no relief in the form of time when my attention could flag or I could doodle in a notebook undetected
The first theorist that will be explored in this paper is Jean Piaget and his theory of constructivism as it applies to visual arts education. The constructivist approach, as explained by Thompson (2015), recognizes that children are naturally curious and eager to explore and learn from their surroundings. Children are actively involved in their learning and when they interact with their environment, it is their experiences that help shape their knowledge and understanding of the world. Thompson (2015) states that the early childhood educator’s primary role in teaching the visual arts is to observe children as they engage in activities. According to Piaget, the educator has a more hands-off role when teaching the visual arts to young children which allows the children to be more self-directed in their learning (Thompson, 2015). In his work, Piaget argued that children need to be provided with experiential learning opportunities and it is the teachers job to act as a facilitator and help to guide the student’s learning (Thompson, 2015). Piaget also stated that children do not learn through direct teaching methods where the early childhood educators are transmitting knowledge to the students, rather,
Intellectually they are learning about problem solving, numeracy and developing their reading and writing skills. Children’s ability to communicate with peers and adults develops through creative play as well as their overall speech and listening skills. Physically, creativity can help develop fine motor skills by children using materials such as crayons, paints and sticking. Participating in movement activities such as dance or drama (role play) also enhances the overall physical development of a child.
vBetween the ages of 2 and 4 year a child will have greatly improved both their gross and fine motor skills. Most young children can jump off the ground with both feet. They can walk up and down stairs with both feet on one step and run without falling. Some children may also be able to pedal a tricycle, aim, throw and catch a large ball and walk on their tiptoes. Toddlers may also be able to follow a simple dancing rhythm. Fine motor skills of a young child between 2 and 4 years may include drawing circles and dots, drawing faces and turning a single page in a book. They are capable of using a spoon to feed themselves, can thread large beads and undo buttons. By the time a child is 4 they are capable of drawing more detailed pictures of people and can cut around an object with scissors.
Paint was used for the activity instead of having the children to trace their hands on a paper plates in order for the kids to tolerate the wet texture of paint, brush, pipe cleaner, and the plate. Tactile can be graded up by having the kids to mix powdered paint before they start the activity in order to feel the dried texture of the paint. Eye-hand coordination was another goal the activity was created to see how the kids were able to control their hands’ movement on the plate to create the turkey figure. Also, eye-hand coordination skill was demonstrated when they were putting the pipe cleaner in the hole to make a handle. It is an important skill that enables children coordinating body movements in response to what they are seeing, and the purpose for this goal was also met because the kids were able to coordinate their hands and body when taking their activity for drying. Moreover, finger isolation goal was facilitated by painting thumb and index finger to make helmet, wattle, and caruncle on the turkey. Finger isolation was also used when making turkey’s feet and toes. It is a very important skill in the development of fine motor skills. It contributes to the development of an effective pencil grasp, typing on a keyboard, tying shoelaces, playing musical instruments, and doing daily living activities. Furthermore, bilateral skill was used throughout the activity except for painting the hands. For
A month later, the students were able recall the paintings they saw in great detail, and were able to sympathize, which allowed more interpretations of the art. In the article Science Says Art Will Make Your Kids Better Thinkers (and Nicer People), Jay P. Greene, a professor and researcher on the study had found "a big increase in how observant students were if they went to the art museum.” The improvement in their observation skills was immense from just one visit to the art museum. Compared to children that did not partake in the activity, “they were much better at seeing details in the new painting than those who did not go.” One trip to the museum had made great changes, imagine what a whole art program in the education system could
In Rhys Southan’s essay “Is Art a Waste of time?” he discusses art and if it can really be a tool to help those who are suffering or does handing over your money make a greater difference. In Yo-Yo Ma’s essay “Necessary Edges: Art, Empathy, and Education” he focuses more on art being used for educational purposes to essentially create more innovative and empathic people. Instead of focusing so much on STEM, the author states that we should also incorporate art. Although some people might disagree that art could make the world a better place it can by bringing attention to issues, art can become a teaching tool by integrating it into the education curriculum, and it can make the world a better place by saving lives and creating less violence.
Fine motor skills are the movements made with the small muscle of the hand (Jan, Beth & Melissa, 2012). A 3 year old child gets better in their fine motor skill (Jan, Beth & Melissa, 2012). They are able to move their fingers independently and have better spatial awareness; therefore, these children can engage in more complex tasks such as using a scissor, the first cutting skills start at the age of 3 (John, 2009). Children of this age should be able to unbutton a shirt or eat with a fork without assistance (John, 2009). They can also complete and insert puzzle pieces, picking up small objects with the thumb and
The location of the observation was at the Community Center (Early Childhood education program) at 11:00am to 12:30pm on April 15, 2014. The meaningful experiences in early childhood education can positively shape children's development. With a teacher is guidance authentic child-art activity can educate enrich young students' learning abilities, encourage positive attitudes toward other children, and more importantly, learn to interact with people around them in the contemporary world. However, art for young students often takes many diversified approaches and emphasizing questionable practices. Observation is a part of meaningful and authentic early childhood art education. Observation enriches children’s experiences in
This kind of skill enables children to take more responsibility for their personal care. Example of fine motor activities includes writing and drawing. The writing skill of children in middle childhood tends to be large, and clear enough to be read easily. Besides that, schoolchildren show improvements on drawing skill in organization, detail, and complexity representation (Papalia et al., 2009).
Four developmentally appropriate visual arts experiences for preschool aged children that promote physical/psychomotor development. 1. Children will use their small motor to cut, glue, write, and use playdoh. 2. Developmentally appropriate visual arts experiences for preschool would be painting such as finger painting. 3. A good developmentally appropriate visual arts experience would be having basic equipment’s on the playground such as having Tricycles and balance beams. 4. Another good developmentally appropriate visual arts experiences can be model enjoyment of physical activity by joining children in ball play, dancing, running and active games. However, the first thing you want to make sure is that you have a lot of free space and enough
With the utilization of visual and performing arts, students can begin to enhance their personal growth. By producing original works, enjoying the time spent on the piece of art, and having a sense of pride in one’s accomplishments, an art student will experience an increase in self-esteem and confidence (Importance). A child who receives praise for their art work from parents and teachers will most likely be more positive in their artistic abilities. For example, when a child brings a painting home to his parents and his parents react with smiles, cheers and display the picture on the refrigerator, the student will in turn feel very proud of his accomplishments. This newly found self-esteem and confidence often expands into other subjects at school to the overall benefit of the individual. Participating in art is also a way for students to
Creativity is the making of anything and children are less interested in the product than they are interested in the process. They are learning without an outcome in mind and will construct meaning to any skill acquisition or concept as it requires them to do so. Inevitably with the right skill building activities a child's motor development will take form and become part of a conscious effort to create something new in the form of art .
A few examples of Fine Motor activities displayed during the early years include handwriting skills, drawing pictures, making objects out of clay, and even cutting with scissors. Each of these activities is characterized by including the small-muscle developments that involve finger-thumb coordination, hand-eye coordination, and the development of muscle strength in the hand and arm. All in all, motor skills are an important part of the learning process, and as these “fundamental motor skills are learned...[they] serve as the foundation for more specialized motor skills that will be