I have always found the theories on children's development through their art intriguing. In my undergraduate methods of art education, we had an assignment, which included collecting pieces of children's art from one specific age group. We then had to write about the work analyzing it using one theory. I found this assignment so interesting and have continued to be curious about children's development through their drawings. Eisner's discussion in the section titles Looking at Student Artwork, reinforced the information in my previous courses. I was also introduced to a few new ideas such as Davis' "U". "The bottom represents the low level of aesthetic interest in middle childhood" (p. 120). I have normally always thought about it as levels you develop through which contrast the "U" shape developed by Davis.
Eisner discusses the importance of interpretation which requires understanding of context, background of the artist, meanings of iconography, and the means of how to create the image, along with the ability to create and make judgments about the work. Eisner provides the tools and techniques in his writing that Freedman also wants people to know and use as members of the visual culture. She discusses media in the text and how the uses of images are used influence the viewer. We (art educators) need to provide our students how to be smart viewers of the images around them. Our students are surrounded by images and influenced by them daily or hourly. Freedman discusses how advertisers target certain audiences as we have already discussed this in our class. She goes on to explain again that we need to prepare our students to be able to make "intelligent decisions" about what they see and how it influences them (p. 99).
Before beginning my masters here at MU I have never thought about having to prepare my students for these types of things Freedman discusses (I feel Eisner is quite traditional). It was quite eye opening when we began discussing some of these issues in the previous courses I have taken. I think it is one of our already many responsibility as art educators, parents, mentors, peers, etc. I feel that what art education should be teaching is changing and it is difficult for teachers (willing and unwilling) to adjust their curriculum. I've only been in the classroom for 4 years and already find it difficult to adjust my curriculum for what I have been learning in the classes I've completed.
What specifically do you find art teachers newly responsible for teaching? What do you think is important new knowledge that you would like your students to leave with? I agree that some of our graduate discussions suggest we embrace design, material culture, and visual culture into our content. We art teachers have to make some decisions about what we include in our curriculum and significantly what we don't include is what Eisner refers to as the NULL curriculum.
ReplyDeleteI have never really thought of it being my responsibility to teach my students about the influence the media has on our lives through the images advertisers use to attract our attention as consumers. I would like for my students to leave with the knowledge of being 'good or smart' viewers of all images through the arts or the media.
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