I have been pondering what the purpose of education in general is all about. Art, in particular, since that is my passion, background, and what I teach.
In the big scheme of things, is it important that I teach children how to draw and paint? Is it important, at all, that I teach them about Leonardo Davinci or Picasso? Will it make a difference in their life? Especially since so few kids will actually find a career in the art field?
I want to communicate vital reasons for spending time on art, since every moment of education is precious, and kids have so much to learn and to do. But to do so, my thoughts go to the whole picture, the major scheme of what education should be about. Generations ago, advanced degrees, and even a highschool diploma, was not necessary to be successful. That was when America was more industrial, more trade-oriented. My grandmother, Rose, finished 8th grade. Even though, she never worked outside the home, her command of the english language was far beyond that of most college graduates of today. (She grew up in a house with Italian parents fresh off the boat, bilingual, although she never spoke Italian to her children, she wanted to be fully American.) She enjoyed proofreading papers of her grandchildren, if asked! I digress, this is not even my point. Yes, there is something wrong with education today, but that is not what I am searching for. I have been working on refining my intentions. Purposes. What is the ultimate goal of teaching children anything, including art.
My philosophical influences include of course, C.S.Lewis, Dorothy Sayers, Charlotte Mason, and Mortimer Adler. The first two I won't go into detail about, but they have both influenced classical education immensely. Charlotte Mason believed in the gentle art of learning. She believed in creating a heart love for learning instead of just pouring information into their heads. Information is important, but if a child does not love it, it won't stick and won't create a lifelong learner. Mortimer Adler is a fascinating person. Son of immigrants himself, born in 1902, he was a great proponent for classical education, he believed that we need to enter into the "conversation of great ideas". Literature, art and music contain the great ideas which spur humanity to think, grow and act. He came up with a list of the Great Books... the books everyone should read to be educated properly. (if properly is the right word, even) His foe was John Dewey. I read the following online:
"Interestingly, at Columbia, Adler also become familiar with John Dewey against whom he would later rail with great passion, claiming that Dewey's brand of intellectualism was entirely too objective. Students, said Adler, needed also to be grounded in the Great Ideas embodied within the great classics -- specifically truth, beauty, goodness, liberty, equality, and justice. Dewey's problem, said Adler, was that he had never read Aristotle." Mortimer Adler page This is why I like Adler. This is why I have always enjoyed the classics and science fiction, for that matter. And finally, that is why I did not particularly like Twilight.
So, on to my particular passion and calling as an art teacher. Teaching children art. It is not only about vocabulary and skills. These are important. You need to have the foundation. I am always acutely aware of the fact that no matter what subject you are teaching, you must instill excitement and the love of the subject as well. I believe this can happen in any subject, regardless of whether it is easy or not. Rigorous education does not have to be boring, or too difficult. Just like Adler's list of books, I think there are certain pieces of art and certain artists that every student should be familiar with and study. By study I mean some type of imitation, copying and discussing the piece.
Really, when you come down to it, I think for art, that the skills and concepts learned should be taught ultimately, not to teach kids how to communicate visually. Although that will be an outcome and result if your end goal is right. It is not to create a child who can spit out facts about artists, colors, and harmony in art. Although that will be an outcome and result if your end goal is right. The ultimate goal of art education is to promote and encourage an understanding and love for the great works of art in the past and in modernity and to be able to evaluate it through the lens of their beliefs. I aim to evaluate art through the lens of scripture, church history, and church culture/traditions. There is nothing that is created in neutrality. Ever. Every piece of art communicates the big ideas and worldview of the artist and often the culture of the time. I am continually fascinated by the messages I find in paintings. Take a look at Son of Man by Magritte which is below. You could spend an hour just observing the symbolism and meanings within every aspect of the painting. The apple covering individuality, the red hands, the conformist suit, the barrier behind him.....
Ultimately, I hope that through teaching skills, concepts and exposing my students to the great pieces of art (ones which contain the great ideas of humankind), that they will learn to be able to engage in the conversation of great ideas which has always been going on since the beginning of time.
My secondary goal is for my students to love and appreciate art. For them to desire to go to a museum or look up a new artist online to learn more about them and their work. I want them to learn pieces of art "by heart" by copying them and by discussing them, much like they would do with poetry. To sum it all up, it is not just the head, or even the hands that I want to train. As a christian educator, my purpose in all of this is further reaching. I want to somehow be able to reach their hearts, to allow them to understand that art is a way to learn more about God. I think that is what the great conversation of ideas is all about. Trying to figure out why we are here, what our purpose is on this planet, and why bad things happen and what we can and should do in response.
Oh gosh, I think this just ended up being my soapbox. But seriously, I don't think art is about having a fun time, or doing something different, or even communication of personal ideas. It is bigger, it is more important. Not because it needs to be taken more serious, but because it needs to become more of who we are.
In the big scheme of things, is it important that I teach children how to draw and paint? Is it important, at all, that I teach them about Leonardo Davinci or Picasso? Will it make a difference in their life? Especially since so few kids will actually find a career in the art field?
I want to communicate vital reasons for spending time on art, since every moment of education is precious, and kids have so much to learn and to do. But to do so, my thoughts go to the whole picture, the major scheme of what education should be about. Generations ago, advanced degrees, and even a highschool diploma, was not necessary to be successful. That was when America was more industrial, more trade-oriented. My grandmother, Rose, finished 8th grade. Even though, she never worked outside the home, her command of the english language was far beyond that of most college graduates of today. (She grew up in a house with Italian parents fresh off the boat, bilingual, although she never spoke Italian to her children, she wanted to be fully American.) She enjoyed proofreading papers of her grandchildren, if asked! I digress, this is not even my point. Yes, there is something wrong with education today, but that is not what I am searching for. I have been working on refining my intentions. Purposes. What is the ultimate goal of teaching children anything, including art.
My philosophical influences include of course, C.S.Lewis, Dorothy Sayers, Charlotte Mason, and Mortimer Adler. The first two I won't go into detail about, but they have both influenced classical education immensely. Charlotte Mason believed in the gentle art of learning. She believed in creating a heart love for learning instead of just pouring information into their heads. Information is important, but if a child does not love it, it won't stick and won't create a lifelong learner. Mortimer Adler is a fascinating person. Son of immigrants himself, born in 1902, he was a great proponent for classical education, he believed that we need to enter into the "conversation of great ideas". Literature, art and music contain the great ideas which spur humanity to think, grow and act. He came up with a list of the Great Books... the books everyone should read to be educated properly. (if properly is the right word, even) His foe was John Dewey. I read the following online:
"Interestingly, at Columbia, Adler also become familiar with John Dewey against whom he would later rail with great passion, claiming that Dewey's brand of intellectualism was entirely too objective. Students, said Adler, needed also to be grounded in the Great Ideas embodied within the great classics -- specifically truth, beauty, goodness, liberty, equality, and justice. Dewey's problem, said Adler, was that he had never read Aristotle." Mortimer Adler page This is why I like Adler. This is why I have always enjoyed the classics and science fiction, for that matter. And finally, that is why I did not particularly like Twilight.
So, on to my particular passion and calling as an art teacher. Teaching children art. It is not only about vocabulary and skills. These are important. You need to have the foundation. I am always acutely aware of the fact that no matter what subject you are teaching, you must instill excitement and the love of the subject as well. I believe this can happen in any subject, regardless of whether it is easy or not. Rigorous education does not have to be boring, or too difficult. Just like Adler's list of books, I think there are certain pieces of art and certain artists that every student should be familiar with and study. By study I mean some type of imitation, copying and discussing the piece.
Really, when you come down to it, I think for art, that the skills and concepts learned should be taught ultimately, not to teach kids how to communicate visually. Although that will be an outcome and result if your end goal is right. It is not to create a child who can spit out facts about artists, colors, and harmony in art. Although that will be an outcome and result if your end goal is right. The ultimate goal of art education is to promote and encourage an understanding and love for the great works of art in the past and in modernity and to be able to evaluate it through the lens of their beliefs. I aim to evaluate art through the lens of scripture, church history, and church culture/traditions. There is nothing that is created in neutrality. Ever. Every piece of art communicates the big ideas and worldview of the artist and often the culture of the time. I am continually fascinated by the messages I find in paintings. Take a look at Son of Man by Magritte which is below. You could spend an hour just observing the symbolism and meanings within every aspect of the painting. The apple covering individuality, the red hands, the conformist suit, the barrier behind him.....
My secondary goal is for my students to love and appreciate art. For them to desire to go to a museum or look up a new artist online to learn more about them and their work. I want them to learn pieces of art "by heart" by copying them and by discussing them, much like they would do with poetry. To sum it all up, it is not just the head, or even the hands that I want to train. As a christian educator, my purpose in all of this is further reaching. I want to somehow be able to reach their hearts, to allow them to understand that art is a way to learn more about God. I think that is what the great conversation of ideas is all about. Trying to figure out why we are here, what our purpose is on this planet, and why bad things happen and what we can and should do in response.
Oh gosh, I think this just ended up being my soapbox. But seriously, I don't think art is about having a fun time, or doing something different, or even communication of personal ideas. It is bigger, it is more important. Not because it needs to be taken more serious, but because it needs to become more of who we are.
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