WHY ART IN P-5 PUBL IC EDUCAT ION?

Why art in P-5 Public Education?

How many of you spent your childhood outdoors exploring and discovering?

Do you think your kids spend as much time creating tree houses, forts or collecting random things found on a walk? Do they do as much questioning of their surroundings or problem solving with their free time

as you did in your childhood?

ARE WE DISCARDING SELF AND ENVIRONMENTAL DISCOVERY?

ARE WE TAKINGAWAY THEIR

INTERACTIONSWITH THE

REAL WORLD?

In a world full of technology…

A varied and rich relationship with the surrounding environment creates mental growth.

“WE DO NOT PAINT OR DRAW OBJECTS IN THE WORLD, BUT RATHER PAINT AND

DRAW OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM”

THE SPIRIT OF EXPLORATION!

Viktor Lowenfeld(Teacher, Psychologist and Author)

Rhoda Kellogg

Kellogg was a Psychologist, Author and Primary school educator who completed studies on the art of children. Through these studies she found not only that there was a natural progression within the creation of art for all youth but that it also triggered development in other areas.

“The very first marks a child makes on paper are the child’s first use of a communication tool…It represents the beginning of the child’s literacy development” (Bailer, 2003)

“THIS USE OF LINES AND SHAPES ASSYMBOLS FOR OTHER THINGS IS THE

BRIDGE LEADING TO SYMBOL RECOGNITION AND FORMATION USED IN READING AND WRITING. IT STANDS

TO REASON THAT THE MORE EXPERIENCE A CHILD HAS IN DEALING

WITH PRODUCING ART, THE EASIER LEARNING TO READ AND WRITE WILL

BE LATER ON.” (STR IKER , 2001)

Susan Striker, Young at Art

Representational drawing is the foundation for storytelling. The whole idea of drawing is the telling of a story, this excitement surrounding their creations in drawing can be the basis for branching out into projects in writing with a purpose.

Rhoda Kellogg on Representational Drawing

“THE PURPOSE OF ART STUDY IS NOT TO MAKE ARTISTS OUT OF OUR YOUNG

PEOPLE; IT IS TO HELP THEM BECOME COMPLETE HUMAN BEINGS.” ( Y O R K , 1 9 9 7 )

Purpose of Art

WITHIN ART EDUCATION THERE ARE MANY POSITIVE PIECES OF THE

LEARNING PROCESS THAT ARE EITHER TAUGHT OR INCORPORATED INTO THE

CURRICULUM. THESE PIECES MAY NOT BE VISIBLE TO ALL STUDENTS OR

PARENTS BUT ARE VERY VISIBLE IN WHAT THE STUDENTS CARRIES WITH

THEM THROUGHOUT THEIR LIVES AFTER CLASS. THESE ARE THE PIECES

THAT TAKE STUDENTS FROM BASIC LEARNERS TO REAL THINKERS THAT

ACTIVELY COMPREHEND INFORMATION.

The Pieces

Originator Instinct Art as Praxis

Conversion from unreflective to reflective thought

A transcendence of intentions (starts by just painting color, becomes something more)

Reciprocity between the medium and maker (interactions with the environment and tools)

We are finding a new understanding of the world and the way it works.

Formation of a piece of students art precedes the conception of the idea.

Understanding of a concept, idea or even a medium is achieved via action.

There is a real dialogue between critical reflection and action.

The student is their own critic, giving themselves the opportunity to interpret their art and modify accordingly.

The Pieces

(Zurmuehlen, 1990)

The Pieces

Most students need to relate a subject to themselves just to remember it.

Art takes these ideas one step further, we move from subjunctive to objective, making our students better learners in the long run by being able to connect subjects to themselves and then in turn the world around them.

As kids get older they become increasingly aware of the real world, relating their art with themselves and the world around them actively turning knowledge into understanding.

Blooms Taxonomy

Blooms Taxonomy is a classification of levels of intellectual behavior important in learning. It defines six different levels of thinking. These levels build in increasing order of difficulty from basic memorization to higher and more sophisticated levels of critical thinking skills.

Using the Very Hungry Caterpillar as an Example

Using The Hungry Caterpillar as an Example of Blooms Taxonomy

Remember: Describe where Caterpillar lived. Understand: Summarize what the Hungry Caterpillar

story was about. Apply: Construct a theory as to why Caterpillar is

eating so much food.Analyze: Differentiate between how Caterpillar reacted

to eating all that food and how you might react. Evaluate: Assess whether or not you think this really

happened to Hungry Caterpillar. Create: Create your own story book including detailed

pictures showing what would happen if YOU were the Hungry Caterpillar.

Blooms TaxonomyWhile the students

are making their own stories with drawings they are also given the chance to ask questions.

Why does the caterpillar make this change into a butterfly? How does it make a chrysalis? Can a caterpillar really eat a pie? What does it actually eat?

These are questions and curiosity that really create a bridge between art and curriculum.

“Create” is at the top of Blooms taxonomy list. We see that the idea of creation really ties together all the information below it.

A major study provides us with evidence of improved student learning and achievement when they are involved in the arts. (25,000 students information was gathered over a ten year period.)– the arts can help to:

• Reach students who are not otherwise being reached.

• Reach students in ways that they are not otherwise being reached.

• Connect students to themselves and each other.

• Transform the environment for learning.

• Provide learning opportunities for the adults in the lives of young people.

• Provide new challenges for those students already considered successful.

• Connect learning experiences to the world of real work.

Champions of Change, Fiske

GRADE 8-10 ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE

HIGH ARTS STUDENTS

LOW ARTS STUDENTS

Earning A’s and B’s in English

79.2% 64.2%

Dropping out by grade 10

1.4% 4.8%

Bored in school half or most of the time

42.2% 48.9%

Scoring top 2 quartiles in reading

70.9% 45.1%

Scoring top 2 quartiles in History/Geography

70.9% 46.3%

Consider community service important

46.6% 33.9%

TV watching (1 hr or less) on weekdays

28.2% 15.1%

TV watching (3 hours or more) on weekdays

20.6% 34.9%

Fiske, Champions of Change, 1999

“ I WANT MY CHILDREN TO UNDERSTAND THE WORLD, BUT NOT JUST BECAUSE THE WORLD

IS FASCINATING AND THE HUMAN MIND IS CURIOUS. I WANT THEM TO UNDERSTAND IT

SO THAT THEY WILL BE POSITIONED TO MAKE IT A BETTER PLACE. IT IS KNOWING

WHO WE ARE AND WHAT WE CAN DO. . . ULTIMATELY, WE MUST SYNTHESIZE OUR UNDERSTANDINGS FOR OURSELVES. THE

PERFORMANCE OF UNDERSTANDING THAT TRY MATTERS ARE THE ONES WE CARRY OUT AS HUMAN BEINGS IN AN IMPERFECT WORLD

WHICH WE CAN AFFECT FOR GOOD OR FOR ILL . ” ( S M I T H , 2 0 0 8 )

Howard Gardner (Creator of the Multiple Intelligences

Theory)

Why Art?

We have the responsibility to teach our students to learn, to care about what they are learning and utilize that knowledge in other ways.

By teaching them art we are starting that questioning and learning process early. We are incorporating critical thinking into each students learning repertoire .

The importance of having art class that teaches you not only how to interact with your surroundings in the midst of teaching you about yourself is truly priceless and gives students the knowhow to go forward and change the world.

Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMU67RGdiMQ&feature=related

Sources

Zurmuehlen, Marilyn, (1990) Studio Art: Praxis, Symbol, Presence. National Art Education Association

York, Alexandra,(1997) The Fourth “R” in Education: Reading, Writing, Arithmetic and Art. Art Ideas, Vol 4 No. 3

Fiske, Edward, (1999) Champions of Change: The Impact of the Arts on Learning. (http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICDocs/data/ericdocs2sql/content_storage_01/0000019b/80/15/ef/ed.pdf)

Striker, Susan, (2001)Young at art: Teaching Toddlers Self-Expression, Problem-Solving Skills and an Appreciation for Art. NY, NY, Henry Holt Publishing.

Smith, Mark K. (2002, 2008) Howard Gardner and multiple intelligences, Mark Smith (http://www.infed.org/thinkers/gardner.htm. )

Bailer, K. (2003) Developmental Stages of Scribbling, (www.k-play.com)