Welcome to Brittany Leahy's Art Blog
As a prospective art teacher, I wanted to begin my blog with a series of discussion questions based upon a modern controversial topic:
Do you feel like the arts are an important part of education in K-12 schools?
Do you feel that the arts are a critical aspect of a well-rounded education?
Why or why not?
As my colleagues, I want to know your honest opinions on this matter. As you create your responses, think back to your childhood. Examine the various roles and impacts that education in the arts has had on your life, and picture how your life might be if you had never had these experiences.
I am not an arts person and never was very good at anything in the art department, until I got to the wheel in ceramics in high school. I am just not naturally gifted when it comes to drawing or painting. With that said, I think that arts a very important aspect of the education process. I think that working student’s creative side and enhancing their imagination are very important aspects to an education. Even though I am not artistic, because I went to a very high caliber private school in which arts were very important, I feel like creativity is a strength of mine. Understanding how to make presentations look good is almost more important than the content. Being able to think outside the box will always make you a valuable employee and these are skills that are learned in art classes.
ReplyDeleteColin,
DeleteI definitely think you hit the nail on the head when you said that, though one may not be artistic, they can still be creative. Skills in creativity are essential to a well-rounded education, and while these skills can be acquired in other classes, they are most strongly taught in the art classroom. Art is subjective, there is really no right or wrong way to be creative, as long as you are following instructions. I am happy to hear that you value art in education. Thanks for your post!
I could not say that I am a huge fan of "art" as people probably think of it (i.e. painting, drawing, etc.). I cannot draw a stick figure without it coming out deformed. However, in ninth grade, I took a photography class and absolutely fell in love with that type of art! I learned about lines, backgrounds, diversity in subjects, and so much more! As I would go down the halls of the school or drive down the road I could see the art in the world around me.
ReplyDeleteI honestly do not believe that it is necessarily crucial to intelligence. I do believe, however, that it helps us see the beauty in the world around us. I think that everyone needs that part to keep sanity and to be able to enjoy the life that we have been given.
Halley,
DeletePhotography is certainly a form art. Anytime we are using creativity to capture the beauty in the world around us, we are practicing art. As I said in my post to Colin, there is no right or wrong way to be creative, as long as what we are producing is meaningful to us. This is the reason why I really value art in education - it gives students a chance to express themselves creatively and hone in on skills that cannot necessarily be obtained in any other classes. Thanks for your post!
I don't think of myself as a "creative" person with anything. That's one of the reasons why I love teaching high school and science. But I also love that I have students who are in love with art. Yes, they may doodle while I would rather them listen to me, but they create something beautiful in the process. I actually had a student in one of my previous classes who did that exact thing. He did okay in my class grade-wise but he was constantly doodling. Well, when my principal asked if we knew of any students who might be able to do a mural on one of the walls of the school, I knew exactly who to suggest. He worked almost every single day of the summer, did not get paid a dime, but it turned out to be one of the most amazing paintings I've ever seen. It captured so much about our school. And what's better is that he is so incredibly proud of his painting. I wish everyone could have seen the smile he had on his face when we unveiled it. It was priceless. And that is why I believe that art in education is incredibly important. Everyone needs a place to belong. My place is science. His place is art.
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