Abstract
The philosophy of art in the sense that art is defined as: meaning skill in a certain way or method. While as philosophy comes from Greek term meaning “love of wisdom”, of which is also the study of fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind and language. These terms together define the philosophy of art as “the love of art”, but as an art teacher one must not only have a love of art, but also a love of children and teaching. As an art teacher one must have: knowledge of other disciplines while being able to associate and integrate the freedom of expression with art. An art teacher must be able to connect the dots and integrate those disciplines that allow each student to succeed, by changing and adapting lesson plans to fit the needs of his/her students. An art teacher does this by defining the skills that entail art, while incorporating the philosophy of integrated studies within his/her lessons.
An art teacher not only teaches art, but he/she teaches math, history, science, psychology, and writing, to name a few. With-in each discipline there is an underlying art lesson. So an art teacher has to figure out the best method to integrate other studies into their own, in order to enhance each assignment through integrated studies. Within art, students are able to express themselves within their work, and are free to release and express what they hold inside, whether good or bad. An art teacher must be able to: be open minded and non-bias, and to encourage each student while enhancing their artistic skills through individual means of expression so that each student can truly find their inner Picasso.
Introduction
When a novice speaks of art they generally refer to it as either a fun means for children to play with paint, or in a context of an art gallery that exhibits works that reflect landscapes and pretty stuff from abroad. Those that deal with the arts everyday know that even though children love to play with paint and that yes, landscapes are pretty, there is so much more to art. Art is; a way of expression, a means of interdisciplinary studies, means of critical thinking, of multicultural learning and sharing, an educational source that supersedes high school and college and it incorporates multi-intelligences.
Art: a means of Expression
Art has been a means of expression from as far back as the start of civilization. The cave men would draw on the walls to express their hunts and pass on knowledge from one generation to another. Every known civilization has expressed themselves in an artistic manner, whether it was: on cave walls, in or on a tomb, on pottery, or through a means of craftsmanship in some way. Even to this day we use the art of cooking without reflecting on it as a piece of Master artwork such as a Rembrandt or Picasso, “we use the art of medicine without referring to it as a means of artistic qualities”. When it too, is a means of art through its craftsmanship. It wasn’t until the middle ages that people started deeming art as aesthetically beautiful or not, which in turn created critics. (Hartt, 1976) This also helped influence self expression through freedom of speech.
Art in school is a way for children to express themselves in a way that no other standard discipline allows to. When other disciplines require a student to read a book in order to do an assignment, but the student has poor reading skills, that student will fall behind. When a student learns better with hands on learning, rather than visual learning, art covers that. Art through means of expression helps students, and even adults, in more ways than even medicine allows. When students are told to be quiet in class they are hindering their freedom of expression, where as in an art room most teachers play music in order to invoke an artistic response to the style of music. Music is another form of artistic expression that has been used to enhance education over the years. It is a proven fact that students that are in art, music, dance, choir and in other performing arts have a higher success rate than those not. These artistic disciplines require a higher order of learning and the teacher helps hone those skills. In the video mentioned students speak about how art helped them: whether to help express emotional crisis, learn a core discipline through art related materials, being given a second chance at learning when others have deemed a student un-teachable. (NAEA 2012) It is the teachers’ responsibility to find a way to reach his/her students, not give up and pass them along to the next guy. Integrating core disciplines within a lesson plan only strengthens a student body, and creates proficient teamwork.
Art: A means of Interdisciplinary Study
Art teachers not only help students express themselves through learning art, but art teachers also integrate other disciplines into their lessons. These interdisciplinary lessons help solidify what students are learning in their other studies. Teaching requires teamwork amongst teachers in order to achieve a high success rate of learning for students. When teachers can integrate different disciplines, through interdisciplinary studies, it only reinforces what is being taught and raises the percentage of success amongst students learning.
Using “Reoccurring Themes”, when integrating other disciplines into unit plans helps not only maintain a knowledge base for students, but it maintains structure within a classroom. It is proven that classrooms that maintain structure and thematic lessons with have a higher success rate within their test scores than a classroom that does not. (Little, 1990)
Integrating interdisciplinary studies into lessons while collaborating with fellow teachers is a win-win for all. The knowledge base that is held within the body of teachers that make up a school is so vast, that if they collaborated, in order to better their lessons, their student body scores would increase and their funding with it. Integrating studies is the way to go, for not all students are visual learners, and most core disciplines are visually based learning only. When you can incorporate the visual and hearing aspects of a core study with the hands on, tactical aspect, you will reach students that were considered unreachable or un-teachable with standard methods. When an art teacher incorporates a core discipline into a lesson, most of the time students do not even realize that they are learning another discipline or enhancing a lesson already taught, until you point it out, then the light bulb comes on and they get it. In that moment that teacher, because or their integrated lesson plan, reached a student that other means did not, and that is success. Once that light bulb is lit then a teacher can move onto to more intrinsic studies such as, critical thinking.
Art: A Means of Critical Thinking
When one thinks of critical thinking, it is not being sarcastic or having to use big words to describe a project. Critical thinking is plainly a way for a person to look at a piece of artwork and be able to discuss it, defend it, through the means of the disciplines of art and by critiquing by teachers, judges and or peers. Critical thinking is an approach in which has an artist uses a higher order of thinking when reflecting on a piece of his/her own artwork while being able to defend their work.
Critical thinking is a self-guided and self disciplined way of thinking that tends to raise a higher quality approach to defending and discussing artwork. Critical thinking creates and allows an intellectual approach to interpretation of artwork and life. If a teacher can get students to defend their works through critical analysis then they will also use such thinking within their everyday lives, in turn excel through thought and judgment. (Glaser, Edward) If a teacher can achieve such quality with-in his/her students through critique and through rubric reflection, then his/her students will reflect and excel in their other disciplines as well. In being able to reflect upon ones-self and works created, one will also be able to open to multi-cultural learning and excel farther in life.
Art: A means of Multi-Cultural Learning
Multi-Cultural learning is learning that explores the differences within all of us, from: our heritages, color, ethnicity, age, and religion, and social and cultural differences. Multi-cultural learning is taking the blinders off and exploring the differences within and around all of us. Teaching multicultural differences forces cultures to confront the stereotypes that surround us. By knocking down the walls that surround us everyday and everywhere we go, from young children to adolescents and even adult hood, teachers can make such a positive influence on society. (Eldridge, Laurie 2003) Through interdisciplinary learning, a teacher can also incorporate multicultural learning just by taking the cultures that surround where they live and educate those students through a lesson that incorporates those cultures. Through a lesson plan that incorporates both, a teacher can influence and create bonds that would normally not happen.
In knocking down the stereotypes that surround us, there are also walls that surround those that have diversities that require alterations to lessons, and tools that help not hinder their education as well. Students with learning disabilities are shunned in a lot of ways and regular disciplines set these students aside and do not want them integrated into the regular classroom. An art teacher can break down the diversity walls and allow students of all cultures; diversities and sexes flourish as equals while enhancing their own styles and techniques within a diverse field of study. In creating a diverse lesson plan that takes into account the gifted and those with disabilities, those students will feel integrated into the classroom and in doing so will acclimate into the student body and feel a sense of belonging. Its not that students can not do a lesson, its that we have to find a way to make sure that get to participate and interact in the same lesson as others. By altering the tools that students use, depending on their disabilities, or enhancing the tools or assignments depending on their gift, is fundamentally up to the teacher. It is the teacher responsibility to integrate and allow every student to achieve success and flourish within a classroom setting and student body. In helping them flourish within there school, they stand a better chance at flourishing when they get out of school, college and at a job helping them be a productive part of society. (Turnbull/Turnbull/Wehmeyer)
Art: And Beyond
In high school there are guidance counselors that help those chosen students go beyond high school, in order to get a better education, or to jump-start one that just needs a little gas. But it is a teacher’s responsibility to help mold and support students of all cultures, creeds and sexes flourish. One guidance counselor cannot help all students. It takes all teachers to promote students, in order for those students to see what we see as teachers. There are students that do not see a future beyond high school usually due to financial means. There are scholarships that are never given every year, because people do not sign up for them, the term “Where there is a Will There is a Way”, is a term that all teachers need to empower and utilize. Those students that have the will to succeed just need to be guided onto the right path, of which is the same path that those students that feel they are unworthy, “are worthy”, and it is up to teachers to show them what they are truly capable of. In guiding students into the right path you are paying forward a blessing that incorporates all of us.
Closure
Every teacher has a story of why he/she became a teacher, and what influenced their decision to help others. I was told once that “…don’t’ be a teacher just because you want the summers off”, because it is so much more than that. She was so right. Teaching is a responsibility to society, saying that you will do everything in your power to help every child excel and flourish by teaching them and helping them learn, through integrated studies, multicultural learning, critical thinking and self expression, just to name a few. Our lessons are not to just fill the time until the bell rings, it is our time to change lives for the better. For teachers need to make the best of every minute that they have their students, because teachers have more one on one with their students than most parents do. We are their main source to a full filling life, so do not just punch a clock. Teachers need to instill in their students the same drive and determination that brought teachers to where they are, to make a difference, to unite our society one painting at a time.
References
The philosophy of art in the sense that art is defined as: meaning skill in a certain way or method. While as philosophy comes from Greek term meaning “love of wisdom”, of which is also the study of fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind and language. These terms together define the philosophy of art as “the love of art”, but as an art teacher one must not only have a love of art, but also a love of children and teaching. As an art teacher one must have: knowledge of other disciplines while being able to associate and integrate the freedom of expression with art. An art teacher must be able to connect the dots and integrate those disciplines that allow each student to succeed, by changing and adapting lesson plans to fit the needs of his/her students. An art teacher does this by defining the skills that entail art, while incorporating the philosophy of integrated studies within his/her lessons.
An art teacher not only teaches art, but he/she teaches math, history, science, psychology, and writing, to name a few. With-in each discipline there is an underlying art lesson. So an art teacher has to figure out the best method to integrate other studies into their own, in order to enhance each assignment through integrated studies. Within art, students are able to express themselves within their work, and are free to release and express what they hold inside, whether good or bad. An art teacher must be able to: be open minded and non-bias, and to encourage each student while enhancing their artistic skills through individual means of expression so that each student can truly find their inner Picasso.
Introduction
When a novice speaks of art they generally refer to it as either a fun means for children to play with paint, or in a context of an art gallery that exhibits works that reflect landscapes and pretty stuff from abroad. Those that deal with the arts everyday know that even though children love to play with paint and that yes, landscapes are pretty, there is so much more to art. Art is; a way of expression, a means of interdisciplinary studies, means of critical thinking, of multicultural learning and sharing, an educational source that supersedes high school and college and it incorporates multi-intelligences.
Art: a means of Expression
Art has been a means of expression from as far back as the start of civilization. The cave men would draw on the walls to express their hunts and pass on knowledge from one generation to another. Every known civilization has expressed themselves in an artistic manner, whether it was: on cave walls, in or on a tomb, on pottery, or through a means of craftsmanship in some way. Even to this day we use the art of cooking without reflecting on it as a piece of Master artwork such as a Rembrandt or Picasso, “we use the art of medicine without referring to it as a means of artistic qualities”. When it too, is a means of art through its craftsmanship. It wasn’t until the middle ages that people started deeming art as aesthetically beautiful or not, which in turn created critics. (Hartt, 1976) This also helped influence self expression through freedom of speech.
Art in school is a way for children to express themselves in a way that no other standard discipline allows to. When other disciplines require a student to read a book in order to do an assignment, but the student has poor reading skills, that student will fall behind. When a student learns better with hands on learning, rather than visual learning, art covers that. Art through means of expression helps students, and even adults, in more ways than even medicine allows. When students are told to be quiet in class they are hindering their freedom of expression, where as in an art room most teachers play music in order to invoke an artistic response to the style of music. Music is another form of artistic expression that has been used to enhance education over the years. It is a proven fact that students that are in art, music, dance, choir and in other performing arts have a higher success rate than those not. These artistic disciplines require a higher order of learning and the teacher helps hone those skills. In the video mentioned students speak about how art helped them: whether to help express emotional crisis, learn a core discipline through art related materials, being given a second chance at learning when others have deemed a student un-teachable. (NAEA 2012) It is the teachers’ responsibility to find a way to reach his/her students, not give up and pass them along to the next guy. Integrating core disciplines within a lesson plan only strengthens a student body, and creates proficient teamwork.
Art: A means of Interdisciplinary Study
Art teachers not only help students express themselves through learning art, but art teachers also integrate other disciplines into their lessons. These interdisciplinary lessons help solidify what students are learning in their other studies. Teaching requires teamwork amongst teachers in order to achieve a high success rate of learning for students. When teachers can integrate different disciplines, through interdisciplinary studies, it only reinforces what is being taught and raises the percentage of success amongst students learning.
Using “Reoccurring Themes”, when integrating other disciplines into unit plans helps not only maintain a knowledge base for students, but it maintains structure within a classroom. It is proven that classrooms that maintain structure and thematic lessons with have a higher success rate within their test scores than a classroom that does not. (Little, 1990)
Integrating interdisciplinary studies into lessons while collaborating with fellow teachers is a win-win for all. The knowledge base that is held within the body of teachers that make up a school is so vast, that if they collaborated, in order to better their lessons, their student body scores would increase and their funding with it. Integrating studies is the way to go, for not all students are visual learners, and most core disciplines are visually based learning only. When you can incorporate the visual and hearing aspects of a core study with the hands on, tactical aspect, you will reach students that were considered unreachable or un-teachable with standard methods. When an art teacher incorporates a core discipline into a lesson, most of the time students do not even realize that they are learning another discipline or enhancing a lesson already taught, until you point it out, then the light bulb comes on and they get it. In that moment that teacher, because or their integrated lesson plan, reached a student that other means did not, and that is success. Once that light bulb is lit then a teacher can move onto to more intrinsic studies such as, critical thinking.
Art: A Means of Critical Thinking
When one thinks of critical thinking, it is not being sarcastic or having to use big words to describe a project. Critical thinking is plainly a way for a person to look at a piece of artwork and be able to discuss it, defend it, through the means of the disciplines of art and by critiquing by teachers, judges and or peers. Critical thinking is an approach in which has an artist uses a higher order of thinking when reflecting on a piece of his/her own artwork while being able to defend their work.
Critical thinking is a self-guided and self disciplined way of thinking that tends to raise a higher quality approach to defending and discussing artwork. Critical thinking creates and allows an intellectual approach to interpretation of artwork and life. If a teacher can get students to defend their works through critical analysis then they will also use such thinking within their everyday lives, in turn excel through thought and judgment. (Glaser, Edward) If a teacher can achieve such quality with-in his/her students through critique and through rubric reflection, then his/her students will reflect and excel in their other disciplines as well. In being able to reflect upon ones-self and works created, one will also be able to open to multi-cultural learning and excel farther in life.
Art: A means of Multi-Cultural Learning
Multi-Cultural learning is learning that explores the differences within all of us, from: our heritages, color, ethnicity, age, and religion, and social and cultural differences. Multi-cultural learning is taking the blinders off and exploring the differences within and around all of us. Teaching multicultural differences forces cultures to confront the stereotypes that surround us. By knocking down the walls that surround us everyday and everywhere we go, from young children to adolescents and even adult hood, teachers can make such a positive influence on society. (Eldridge, Laurie 2003) Through interdisciplinary learning, a teacher can also incorporate multicultural learning just by taking the cultures that surround where they live and educate those students through a lesson that incorporates those cultures. Through a lesson plan that incorporates both, a teacher can influence and create bonds that would normally not happen.
In knocking down the stereotypes that surround us, there are also walls that surround those that have diversities that require alterations to lessons, and tools that help not hinder their education as well. Students with learning disabilities are shunned in a lot of ways and regular disciplines set these students aside and do not want them integrated into the regular classroom. An art teacher can break down the diversity walls and allow students of all cultures; diversities and sexes flourish as equals while enhancing their own styles and techniques within a diverse field of study. In creating a diverse lesson plan that takes into account the gifted and those with disabilities, those students will feel integrated into the classroom and in doing so will acclimate into the student body and feel a sense of belonging. Its not that students can not do a lesson, its that we have to find a way to make sure that get to participate and interact in the same lesson as others. By altering the tools that students use, depending on their disabilities, or enhancing the tools or assignments depending on their gift, is fundamentally up to the teacher. It is the teacher responsibility to integrate and allow every student to achieve success and flourish within a classroom setting and student body. In helping them flourish within there school, they stand a better chance at flourishing when they get out of school, college and at a job helping them be a productive part of society. (Turnbull/Turnbull/Wehmeyer)
Art: And Beyond
In high school there are guidance counselors that help those chosen students go beyond high school, in order to get a better education, or to jump-start one that just needs a little gas. But it is a teacher’s responsibility to help mold and support students of all cultures, creeds and sexes flourish. One guidance counselor cannot help all students. It takes all teachers to promote students, in order for those students to see what we see as teachers. There are students that do not see a future beyond high school usually due to financial means. There are scholarships that are never given every year, because people do not sign up for them, the term “Where there is a Will There is a Way”, is a term that all teachers need to empower and utilize. Those students that have the will to succeed just need to be guided onto the right path, of which is the same path that those students that feel they are unworthy, “are worthy”, and it is up to teachers to show them what they are truly capable of. In guiding students into the right path you are paying forward a blessing that incorporates all of us.
Closure
Every teacher has a story of why he/she became a teacher, and what influenced their decision to help others. I was told once that “…don’t’ be a teacher just because you want the summers off”, because it is so much more than that. She was so right. Teaching is a responsibility to society, saying that you will do everything in your power to help every child excel and flourish by teaching them and helping them learn, through integrated studies, multicultural learning, critical thinking and self expression, just to name a few. Our lessons are not to just fill the time until the bell rings, it is our time to change lives for the better. For teachers need to make the best of every minute that they have their students, because teachers have more one on one with their students than most parents do. We are their main source to a full filling life, so do not just punch a clock. Teachers need to instill in their students the same drive and determination that brought teachers to where they are, to make a difference, to unite our society one painting at a time.
References
- Hartt, Frederick : Art: A History of Painting, Sculpture, Architecture : Volume 1, Prentice Hall Inc., 1976: “The Nature of Art”, pg. 13-15
- Little, Bruce. E. ; Secondary Art Education: An Anthology of Issues: “Recurring Themes: A Program for Interdisciplinary Learning”; Arnold Amster, p. 160-161
- Glaser, Edward; “The Critical Thinking Community”, Web Article http://www.criticalthinking.org/pages/defining-critical-thinking/766
- NAEA Website: Advocacy Resources for Challenging Times: “Art Advocacy – Let Them Be Heard”. : You Tube: http://www.arteducators.org/advocacy
- Eldridge, Laurie; Teaching Art in Context: “Confronting Stereotypes of Native Americans”. ; NAEA, 2003 , p 24-28
- Turnbull/Turnbull/Wehmeyer: Exceptional Lives: “Understanding Students with Physical Disabilities and Other Health Impairments”. , 5th Edition: Pearson 2007: p.284-307