Progressive Education?

To reflect on my own general art education would not be fair to the educational system as a whole, but it seems that no measures were taken, in my rural setting, to help develop an understanding of the elements of the discipline. The teacher-figure did not serve as “a sympathetic listener and guide who won the children’s confidence and learned from them, while encouraging them to discover and express the principles of each subject” (Stankiewicz, 34), instead it was a constant struggle to find a socially acceptable outlet for my perceptive, introverted, intuitive need for expression.

            When art classes were afforded to be included in the elementary curriculum (I only remember an art teacher in the fourth grade and in high school), the ‘how’ or ‘why’ we were creating a project was not discussed, only the process to achieve something that somewhat resembled the art teacher’s model. By the time high school art classes were offered, the only way to fit ‘inner passion’ into my schedule was through independent study classes offered in the teacher’s preparation time. There, the teacher served as guide, but did not influence my thoughts beyond the theme of the project that was to be achieved.

John Dewey would more than likely describe my experience as a failure to educate the spirit of the individual, from an institutional reference. My education was no more a combination of the traditional as it was the progressive mode of an art educational experience. Neither was I educated in the “stimulation of the child’s powers by the demands of the social situations in which he finds himself”, nor was I instructed in knowing “what it’s end, use, or function” (The School Journal, 77) was.

As an educator myself, I have striven to give my students a freedom of expression with the materials, discussing the elements of art, historical figures and their significance to our culture, while relating projects to other disciplines such as math, science, and writing. This gave them the confidence to tackle vast subject matter with an excitement was that contagious, something that was not awakened in me until much later in life, taken out of the “passive, receptive, or absorbing attitude” (The School Journal, 78) and into the curiosity that is present in the making of art, based on principles of knowledge.

In his pedagogic creed, Dewey is fervent in his opinion that “education is the fundamental method of social progress and reform,” speaking not only of art education, but the institution as a whole. So, where in the last century and a half has the institution served the individual, to “prepare him for the future life…to give him command of himself”? (The School Journal, 77) It is possible, I admit, that my experience was a fluke, a mere slip in not peaking my interest, to develop those inert abilities. But, I would also wager to guess that I was not alone on the road of preconceived ideas of what society wants so desperately to stifle: creativity.

A Progressive Art Revolution Through Technology?

All forms of technological advances over the course of history, from the written text of demonstrative books to the now prevalent white boards and Internet, have been established by innovative, creative minds who wanted to help instill an elevated culture in future generations, adequate social morals and values and to make knowledge more readily available. An educational revolution, like that of the early twentieth century may well be at hand.

“Progressive reformers believed that Americans had a social responsibility to change traditional patterns of behavior into patterns that were both conducive to regular work and tolerant of the accompanying boredom.” (Stankiewicz, 69) Today’s thrust into the modern world of visual over-stimulus could not only aide the art educator’s relation of cultural history, design methods, appreciation and color theory, but can also lend to an evolution of change by keeping students interested. “Access to images made possible by computers and the Internet” (Stankiewicz, 114) could serve as models but, time may be the greatest factor in holding most of these teachers back from exploring this avenue in its fullest capacity.

Many, if not all, arts programs are set on the back burners of our educational systems, the first to be cut when the budget is tight, therefore programs exist in time frames of half hour periods, once a week, if not once a month, which creates “a failure” for art educators “to use this great result of modern enterprise as a factor in the mental and spiritual training of the youth of today.” (Stankeiwicz, 107)

Institutions, agencies, publications and others that aid in the education process for the importance of the arts, like that of Davis Art, the publisher of School Arts magazine, established in 1901, http://www.davisart.com, have been leading the way to create an ideal environment for learning and expressing through use of written word, pictures and also audio presentations. “Early twentieth-century…school art” once “emerged as a series of simplified projects, often lacking in content,” (Stankiewicz, 81) which may be another reason technology is oft not included into an arts discipline. While teachers will argue that there is not time enough in a class period, there is still time enough to demonstrate with it, because the school should be seen as “a repository of ‘the fading culture of the past’ as well as an active agent of the present.” (Stankiewicz, 79-80)

            Are art educators speaking against educating to our consumerist conformity through the non-use of this media “a stereotyped, frivolous incursion on the real work of art learning…the rise of consumer values” (Stankiewicz, 67-68), trying to remain true to the original voice of the aesthetics of the arts as a hand-eye visual media? As it is in business, immediate results can not be expected when an idea is conceived, a product is introduced or a theory of practice released, neither can this question expect a quick answer. The discipline can only strive forward toward the future as anything else, using the tools possessed, to the best knowledge, with the time allowed.

Industry and Arts Education

For more than a century, the arts have served as creative innovator to the world of education related to U.S. industry and career development. The drastic move of the economy from an industrialized nation to that of a technological workforce has made interlocutors, interested educational restructuring to benefit future productive citizens, re-evaluate the values present in our quickly changing world.

            Leading educators have penned and voiced their concern for more than two decades regarding the inadequate education that a newly materialized, No Child Left Behind strategy forces upon our students, to memorize and regurgitate uninteresting information, to follow an instructor’s directions and not ask questions. What has been lacking through the initiation of such programs, that of creative thought, has led to a further plummet in the achievement gap, a loss of interest from America’s most able-bodied and potential workforce, our children.

            “If the child is prevented from enjoying these experiences…the special sensitivity which draws them to them will vanish, with disturbing effects,” (Crain, 1949) once stated psychologist Maria Montessori. And while she was, at the time, denoting children of elementary age, this also rings true for individuals of all ages who have not been allowed to explore their guttural interests, to express and find their inner voice, to ultimately lead them to become more productive, thoughtful, well-rounded citizens.

            While the emphasis on drawing was once thought to be “needed for intellectual, moral, and economic reasons…that seeing correctly required trained powers of perception and visual discrimination”, the same holds true in today’s world of mass communication and video games. Whereas schools used to invigorate and encourage “student self interest and self-confidence” (Stankiewicz 10,12), the technology market outside of the classroom has now engaged them, teaching faster than an educator can keep up and that is where a vested interest must take place between the school setting and the economy.

            A myriad of educational institutions and business professionals have recently joined the conversation, creating partnerships with local high schools to provide internship and tech prep opportunities for those interested in pursuing college majors/careers in the arts (The FIT Tech Prep Program, established in 1991), provided on-the-job training with working art professionals (Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard & Nantucket School-to-Careers Art Internship Program), created opportunities for self-interested, tech-savvy students to engage in the instructional content (Academic Earth video courses) lending their voice to the discussion of  “which skills are lacking and what can be done to address this change.” (Help Wanted: Workforce Development & The New Economy)

What was once a truth in favor of an arts education over one hundred years ago, can still serve as “a means to counteract the loss of human dignity” (Stankiewicz, 46-48) that prevails in the present day society of school-aged children. The only obstacle remains in gaining enough interlocutors, from the business sector and concerned individuals alike, to voice their stance and participate in the reformation process of our educational system. The process has begun, but how long will it be before it takes complete hold?

http://www3.fitnyc.edu/techprep

http://sparkaction.org/content/new-take-school-career-connections-muse

http://www.cmfa.org/art-internship-program.asp

http://academicearth.org/

http://publicforuminstitute.org/publications/reports/workforce02.pdf

Drawing Education, Past & Present

Advancement in any chosen field, even that of drawing, means that basic ideas have evolved and change has taken place. Through the use of more productive methods, technology has thusly lead to a more productive livelihood for the individuals performing the tasks, technology, referring to the instrument, the tool used in enhancing a concept. But, the constant question that permeates in the educator’s mind is “will this help my students achieve more?”

Our civilization is and has always been advancing toward a more productive future, grounded with a base of forward thinkers, because the conversation about and for ideas of change have spurred the interlocutors to be creative in imagining the possibilities, when faced with a challenge. “Inventions made it possible” to learn “more efficiently…” (Stankiewicz, 6) When the “common school” was formed, and all children in our nation were provided an education, measures needed to be taken to ensure the best delivery possible, of the most important information. The tools were provided and then the methods of issuing a certain thought were conveyed.

Today, tools have changed considerably, but the delivery method has not quite caught up within the schools, but rather outside of them. The world wide web offers tutorials on almost any topic imaginable, showing step-by-step processes, pulling from collegiate institutions to the average person sitting at home. YouTube.com and other similar sites allow you to possess the information and then relay the information to others. Now, more than ever, drawing can be taught at any level with a few clicks of the mouse, the world at our finger tips, literally.

To leave out any method of instruction, and the tools needed to convey them, whether from such art interlocutors’ concepts as Jacob Bigelow’s use of visual models, Walter Smith’s constructive drawing emphasis, G. Stanley Hall’s pedocentric approach, or Louis Prang’s methodology of representational drawing, is not even thought of and would be detrimental to any student. For, as a child develops, each method can be found useful, if incorporated together, infusing all disciplines to make the world more relevant to the student.

Art teachers now have an opportunity to teach their students that drawing is not only pleasurable, but that it teaches the mind to work harder. Their job is largely more complex than the regular classroom educator, in that they have can explore every subject through hands-on, dimensional projects. Within their classroom, topics can be aptly enhanced by the incorporation of technology, but it is up to the teacher to use them to the advantage of their student’s present-relevancy, seeking minds.  

There are a plethora of methods, interpretations and information available in our cultural history that can only enhance our future thinking if presented to the absorbent, young, developing minds of our changing society. If a drawing education can incorporate each of the aforementioned interlocutor’s methods and also the new uses of technological tools that each year springs forth, our student’s advancement in any chosen field will surely shorten the achievement gap in our schools.

Sheppard & Price: Art Teachers

To read the interviews of both Donald Sheppard and Jean Price as art educators was more than interesting, to hear their separate views, not only in their aesthetic approach to the basic information, but also their personal level of interest in the arts. The theory behind their craft and a shared vision of what they inherently want students to walk away from their class with, being better people in the end, was thrilling. Both teachers were seen to wear many hats outside of their profession, exhibiting their personal determination through their work ethics, passing their passion for the possibilities of art on to their students.

While Sheppard’s roots come from a “practicing” artist background of what would now be termed as graphic design, he was able to use that important knowledge in his classroom. Also, through his involvement with his church community, he was able to gain valuable insight to the needs and abilities of the youth around him, “from the fact that he really cares about the kids, and they know it” (Sheppard, 4) which led to fostering respect from and among his students.

Price, though a self-proclaimed “non-practicing” artist, has similarly brought with her a charisma for helping students to “understand that forms are a means of communication, that they represent something beyond themselves.” (Price, 9) She engages in conversations that lead to a better understanding of art, “addressing line quality, composition, value, forms, textures, and so on,” (Price, 7), trying to reveal the misconceptions and increase the appreciation of art in every day life.

Sheppard realizes the embedding emphasis of moral values that the art room provides, not only in the crafting of the product, but of sharing, cooperative learning, time management and respect for one another, that “they’re going to have to find a way to get along” (Sheppard, 8), but does he realize the impact that his personal life lends to the way his classroom is run, the effects of his temperament because of his involvement with family and community through the church and his being a pillar and role model as pastor? He has stated that it seems to help with discipline issues.

“They’re motivated because they love art” (Price, 4), but could that be fostered from the teacher’s knowledge of the expanse of the profession beyond the classroom walls, the value that is placed in opening a closed mind to new possibilities? The best inference that I could make would point to the affirmative in both cases. They holistically seem to care about the individual.

Sheppard and Price’s lives established a lack of information about the arts as a whole and the careers that could be sought out in art, where the vast amount of possibilities were not expounded upon. One can only surmise where their passion for teaching art comes from: to help future generations know that “It’s not that you have to be able to draw. It’s that you have the ability to see” (Sheppard, 9) the world in its entirety. 

Read: Anderson, Tom. "Donald Sheppard: Shepherd to the Community." Real Lives: Art Teachers and the Cultures of Schools. 92-112. Chicago: Heinemann, 2000.
Anderson, Tom. "Jean Price: Changing with the Times." Real Lives: Art Teachers and the Cultures of Schools. Chicago: Heinemann, 2000. 45-60.  

The Interlocutors

There are many interlocutors that take their place at the tables of our vast conversations about art education. They lend their voices to the important issues that they feel determine our success as a future civilization, sometimes overlapping their view points and therefore lending to influence social change. However, the focus on two of these interlocutors, mainly the TED Conference (www.ted.com) and The Figge Art Museum (www.figgeart.org) may be a helpful start in determining one side of the geometric art education equation.

            “Becoming a TED partner means you share in our mission of spreading ideas that might change the world,” states the group’s partnership page. TED, a conference that started in 1984 with the initial focus of bringing three conversations together, technology, entertainment and design, has become broader in its scope becoming “a beacon for thought leaders across every demographic.” Through video broadcasts of some of the world’s leading thinkers and doers, the group’s goal is to “tackle humanity's toughest questions, answering with innovation, enterprise and enduring optimism”, one of their many topics including art education and the importance of creativity in our schools.

            TED’s major sponsors and contributors come from rather hard hitters in today’s market, including The Coca-Cola Company, GE and AT&T just to name a few, which only says that what the TED group is doing for the world is bringing a more intelligent conversation to the table and one in which these organizations admire. The TED videos of their conference topics are made available to anyone with an internet connection and a computer, thereby sharing their knowledge with anyone seeking to further develop their personal or professional selves.

            While TED has made these conversations accessible, so are many museums around the country that realize the impact of the internet on the learning and interest of humanity. The Figge Art Museum, located in Davenport, Iowa, established in 2005, a predecessor of the Davenport Art Association, founded in 1878, “actively serves the public by promoting appreciation and creation of visual art through education,” enriching the lives of the community.”

Their launching of programs such as the Midwest Art Education Center, where studio space, lectures and workshops are provided for local colleges and universities, “allowing them to expand their humanities and arts education programs,” and their partnership Western Illinois University-Quad Cities Graduate Museum Studies Program, act as “a laboratory for learning through direct experience,” placing them “at the forefront of developing future museum professionals.” Their interested investors include local industries like that of John Deere, working artists and various others including the vast majority of colleges and universities near by.

With the investments from larger bodies and that of their patron supporters, these two organizations have been able to spread their scope in lending opportunities for the discussion and implementation of the arts and education in their immediate area and to the world. By sharing their voices, they could together reach an impact that could help reform education as we know it, leading by example into a better future.

Reasons for Teaching Art

Although there are many different players that add their voice to the Arts Education conversation, many of them with their own reasons for the integration of the fine arts in the classroom, we must step back and realize the umbrella for which they all advocate: to educate our youth in the best possible fashion, which includes the inclusion of such programs for the betterment of our society as a whole.

            My earliest art educators were few and far between, but I do remember that they were enthusiastic about making or crafting things, cutting and gluing, but not necessarily given enough time to teach why those things were learned in accordance to any other discipline and the benefits each held in developing us for our future. It was determined that I was gifted in art, but it was my self-motivation that gave me the confidence that propelled me further as an artist much later in life.

            In the last seven years, the population of teaching and working artists within close proximal distance from my community, very near where I grew up and where I never envisioned coming back to, has grown and what has followed is a stronger conversation and sense from the members of our communities for why the arts should be valued and taught in our schools. Those peers with whom I questioned for what teaching the arts should do, not surprisingly linked very closely with my own idea on the topic, mainly because of our close working relationship.

Their opinions valued that the arts increased higher order thinking skills, developed hand-eye coordination along with developing critically thinking, self-expressive and confident individuals. But, their views also included the notions for a promotion of social change, which is self-evident as I’ve been witness to the growth and awareness here. Very similar to what Superintendent Carlos Garcia’s mission disclosed, Reimagine Learning: Building a District on Arts Education, the members of our communities are becoming more adamant that the arts are a way of closing the achievement gaps, creating motivation and energy for students to engage in their learning and that by including the community in this conversation this educational reform, that has been discussed in length for years, can be realized and fostered.

Through a not for profit art organization that I helped start in this area four years ago, artists, teachers, parents, community officials and members have risen and banned together to one, make the arts and artisans living here more visible to the public and two, to educate those individuals who wish to realize the self-fulfilling qualities that come from the arts. We have become promoters of artists, artisans, thespians, musicians, writers and the like, finding that the enthusiasm and interest for these efforts has only increased.

By becoming leaders in our communities, teachers and advocates, much like Mr. Garcia, including the different players in the conversation of the importance of the arts, our successes have and will only help facilitate economic growth, the future of our youth, and the betterment of our society as a whole.