Tag Archives: art eduation

Reflection on Interdisciplinary Approaches in Art Education

IMAG0033

Art education in China is way different from that here. In Chinese high schools, art education is knowledge-based teaching for normal students and technique-based teaching for art students. Even when we entered universities, we have taught based on technique only and seldom had opportunities to think socially, environmentally, and humanely in depth. After coming aboard, my eyes have been opened to see different approaches to promote not only students’ creativity but also their critical thinking.

Art plays an essential role in integrating all the subjects into a coherent whole. The Creation is the art of science. We get to know the world and human being both perceptually and intellectually. Art develops our humanity in the way of learned appreciation of the beauty of unknown spiritual (inner) and material (outer) world, and what’s more, art develops our sense of empathy for others and society. In order to do so, art educators can utilize project –based interdisciplinary learning to promote project making without art making, and allow students to sort out their own reactions and articulate them through multi-mediums.

Without a holistic approach to art, artists and art students could imperceptibly become self-absorbed. I used to treat “Arts” as god, but I was wrong. Actually the people who made this beautiful world are the center of art. “LOVE” is the key to the art. Love your neighbors and communities, appreciate the life and the nature, and sympathize with the others. Finally, embrace the art with all your life ~

Critical Question: Some students come to art class in high school with predetermined ideas about what they will do. How would you respond to such students’ expectations that contradict your plans for nontraditional and problem-based instruction?

Email, RSS Follow

Reflections on 21st-Century Art and Culture Curriculum

Principles of Possibility: Consideration for a 21st-Century Art and Culture Curriculum was published in 2007, 8 years away from now, but it is still pointing out valuable insights that we can use in nowadays art classes.

  • DBAE discipline based art education: art production, art criticism, art history, and aesthetics. The four areas should be taught as independent strands but in relation to one another.
  • The goal of discipline-based art education is to develop students’ abilities to understand and appreciate art. This involves a knowledge of the theories and contexts of art and abilities to respond to as well as to create art.
  • Less time devoted to production but pay more attention to the appreciative or culture aspects of art.
  • It is far better to introduce students to fewer artworks or cultures in depth, than to present many artworks with little or no context. Exploring complexities of race, ethnicity, gender,sexual orientation, and class, develops students critical thinking on cultural understanding.
  • The goal of good multicultural curriculum is to effectively encounter other points of view in order to question the centrality or normativeness of one’s own point of view.
  • Artistic thinking is not separate from daily life, but rather can inform and enrich every aspect of one’s life. The goal of art education, therefore, is more the spirit than the mechanical skills.

Apart from the aspects of art education being mentioned, there is another one aspect of teaching: merge art therapy into art class. During the process of art making, inner souls can been connected with mind through self-reflection and healed after opening up hidden emotions.

And also, I realize that it can be very challenging to create a well-rounded art curriculum to meet all of social, educational, and personal needs. Finally, I have a question lingering in my mind—how to design a curriculum of developing specialized students’ techniques as well as increasing regular students’ interests in art?

Email, RSS Follow