Theory of Art Education
“Just dash something down if you see a blank canvas staring at you with a certain imbecility. You do not know how paralyzing it is, that staring of a blank canvas which says to the painter: you do not know anything.” The words of painter Vincent van Gogh echo the thoughts of many students who enter the art room: “I must not know much about art if I cannot make this blank page a masterpiece.” The problem in most cases is that students do not know what to “dash…down” or how to do it without prior instruction. Art Education gives students the gift of self-knowledge and deeper thinking. It shows them that the blank canvas is wrong, that they do know something, and that they are, in fact, great thinkers. It gives them the opportunity to explore their individual experiences and make connections between people, places, ideas, and events. Students in the art classroom approach problems with a fresh perspective because of the visual and hands-on nature of art. They are expected to think critically about artworks, creatively solve problems in their own work, and reflect on what they have done through critiques and writing.
Art class gives students the freedom to explore ideas in a safe environment where experimentation results in successful learning. There is usually no formula for solving art problems, so students are challenged to develop their own solution by thinking about each variable involved and how the variables will work together. In a lesson about creating mood with color and shape, one student may use dull analogous colors and spread organic shapes across the page to create a calm mood, while another might use bright analogous colors and clustered organic shapes to create a bubbly, excited mood. Students receive a well-rounded experience in the art room as they are exposed to many cultures, time periods, ideas, and disciplines through the various artworks and art ideas presented during class. Because each individual student is unique, assessment will determine how much instruction is needed and how far student ideas can be stretched. The data from pre-tests and post-tests will determine a baseline of knowledge that all students start with and what they must achieve, but art instruction can include opportunities to go beyond that baseline.
My job is to engage students in critical thinking, problem solving, and hands-on, authentic learning experiences. I can push students to delve deeper when critically viewing an artwork in order to stretch their understanding of form and structure, help them find art context clues, and synthesize this information to make a judgment about the artwork. I can give students the chance to work together, share their ideas, and grow in a controlled environment through discussion, critiques, and collaborative art projects where students must work together. I can also incorporate available and appropriate technology, such as cameras, computer programs, websites, projectors, and tablets, in creating, responding to, and sharing artworks. These hands-on learning experiences uniquely prepare students to think creatively and quickly observe small details to make informed decisions or judgments.
By fulfilling New York State Learning Standards for the Visual Arts, I can help students make cross-disciplinary connections to further stimulate their thinking. Giving students scientific information about land formations and connecting it to the cultural context behind an artwork from the Navaho culture, for example, will give them a deeper understanding of the work and how others may have understood it. Students can then take those ideas and apply them to their own work in a personal way. Students could also connect words, such as “transparent,” between disciplines or apply ideas from literature, mathematics, science, history, politics, music, dance, theater, physical education, or the world around them to their artworks. The New York State Standards also encourage community involvement. Students have the opportunity to share their artwork with the community through various art shows and they can also visit museums and galleries to learn more about related artworks and ideas.
Art gives students a lens with which to understand the world. As they develop their understanding of art, they can apply their own experiences and knowledge to their personal artwork. When they reflect on this process and see that they are connected to their environment and experiences in a way they hadn’t previously understood, they will seek to know more. Contemporary art is a reflection of a growing, diverse world where many experiences contribute to an individual’s understanding of their environment. Students will learn how an understanding of art and technical ability has a practical application in design problems, photography, video games, fashion, architecture, entertainment, journalism, interior design, pottery, cultural crafts, and our digital culture. They will see how art is connected to all experiences and fields, as it is a reflection of culture, beliefs, and the artist’s understanding of the world.
Art class gives students the freedom to explore ideas in a safe environment where experimentation results in successful learning. There is usually no formula for solving art problems, so students are challenged to develop their own solution by thinking about each variable involved and how the variables will work together. In a lesson about creating mood with color and shape, one student may use dull analogous colors and spread organic shapes across the page to create a calm mood, while another might use bright analogous colors and clustered organic shapes to create a bubbly, excited mood. Students receive a well-rounded experience in the art room as they are exposed to many cultures, time periods, ideas, and disciplines through the various artworks and art ideas presented during class. Because each individual student is unique, assessment will determine how much instruction is needed and how far student ideas can be stretched. The data from pre-tests and post-tests will determine a baseline of knowledge that all students start with and what they must achieve, but art instruction can include opportunities to go beyond that baseline.
My job is to engage students in critical thinking, problem solving, and hands-on, authentic learning experiences. I can push students to delve deeper when critically viewing an artwork in order to stretch their understanding of form and structure, help them find art context clues, and synthesize this information to make a judgment about the artwork. I can give students the chance to work together, share their ideas, and grow in a controlled environment through discussion, critiques, and collaborative art projects where students must work together. I can also incorporate available and appropriate technology, such as cameras, computer programs, websites, projectors, and tablets, in creating, responding to, and sharing artworks. These hands-on learning experiences uniquely prepare students to think creatively and quickly observe small details to make informed decisions or judgments.
By fulfilling New York State Learning Standards for the Visual Arts, I can help students make cross-disciplinary connections to further stimulate their thinking. Giving students scientific information about land formations and connecting it to the cultural context behind an artwork from the Navaho culture, for example, will give them a deeper understanding of the work and how others may have understood it. Students can then take those ideas and apply them to their own work in a personal way. Students could also connect words, such as “transparent,” between disciplines or apply ideas from literature, mathematics, science, history, politics, music, dance, theater, physical education, or the world around them to their artworks. The New York State Standards also encourage community involvement. Students have the opportunity to share their artwork with the community through various art shows and they can also visit museums and galleries to learn more about related artworks and ideas.
Art gives students a lens with which to understand the world. As they develop their understanding of art, they can apply their own experiences and knowledge to their personal artwork. When they reflect on this process and see that they are connected to their environment and experiences in a way they hadn’t previously understood, they will seek to know more. Contemporary art is a reflection of a growing, diverse world where many experiences contribute to an individual’s understanding of their environment. Students will learn how an understanding of art and technical ability has a practical application in design problems, photography, video games, fashion, architecture, entertainment, journalism, interior design, pottery, cultural crafts, and our digital culture. They will see how art is connected to all experiences and fields, as it is a reflection of culture, beliefs, and the artist’s understanding of the world.
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