Reflection #2: Why Teach Art?

• In this modern educational system that is strapped for money and increasingly ruled by standardized test scores the arts seem to be the last thing on their minds in fact the arts are being cut back in schools across the country. (1) In a recent study of several classes in Boston-area schools, they found that arts programs teach a specific set of thinking skills rarely addressed elsewhere in the curriculum. Such skills include visual- spatial abilities, reflection, self-criticism, and willingness to experiment and learn from mistakes. All are important to numerous careers, but are widely ignored by today's standardized tests. (1)
• One of the things mentioned in the book about the importance of teaching art that I never thought of and found interesting is the cultural understanding and cultural aspects art provides. Art is an international language, universally accessible even to those who know little about how art was used in a culture. It communicates meaning without words. (3)In a world so vast and a country with many different races and ethnicity art is a way of showing commonality and understanding of one another's beliefs and history.
• In a post-modern world there is an increasing demand for creativity, seen as the competitive key to innovative ideas and the continuous development of the marketplace. The search is constantly scrutinizing candidates who are attentive, problem solver, and who can make decisions without hesitation. (2) Teaching artistic creative techniques helps expose each child's creativity in hope to pursue their future creative skills and ideas to use and be successful in the workplace.
• There are so many reasons why the arts and art in general should be taught and should remain a key part of each child's education. Each child is different and has certain talents and skills. Each child learns in different ways, but each child has the capacity to create and imagine. It is the teachers job and our job to inspire those kids to be the best they can be and shape great adults that help our society in the future. In conclusion I think that this quote basically sums it all up. 

Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.

~Albert Einstein

Sources:

1. (“Art for our sake”, Ellen Winner and Lois Hetland, 2007)

2. ( “Art is a Doorway into the 21^st Century”, National Art Education Association, 2008)

3. ( “Emphasis Art”, Page 3, Frank Wochiak and Robert D. Clements)