The Fine Arts Education, Essay Example

We live in an age of scientific and technological marvel, within a society where business and financial concerns are considered paramount. Within this environment budgets are scrutinized and investments quantified, leaving arts education often placed on the defensive to prove its relevancy. For those providing instruction at all levels of the education system, it is important to explore the methodology of providing education in the arts in the four areas of dance, music, theater, and the visual arts. It is equally as critical to discover and recommend the most effective ways to deliver such instruction for the joint benefit of students, parents, teachers, and society.

In order to explore arts education, it is important to note the existing art educational structure. Although voluntary in nature, standards have been established, which have been incorporated into the guidelines provided by national arts organizations such as the National Art Education Association (NAEA) and The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Within these guidelines is flexibility to utilize different methods of teaching and instruction, with emphasis on results of instruction that is received. As stated in The National Visual Arts Standards produced by the NAEA (1994), “The standards are intended to focus on the student learning results that come from basic education, not how art is to be taught.”

Dance is not easily categorized in a concise way, as people will define what constitutes dance subjectively based on their own experiences and internal bias. The contents of dance education can vary per country and per style one may be looking for. However, one study determines that essential elements of dance include human movement, with formalized performance within a specific pattern, with qualities of grace, elegance, and/or beauty. Dance will also include music or other rhythmic sounds, with a designed purpose. There is a theoretical framework in connection with dance; the rhythm, flow and movements.  That purpose can include communicating or expressing human emotions, themes or ideas, and is often aided by mimes, costumes, scenery, and/or lighting (Van Camp, 1981).

As described on the website for The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (2010), dance education can be utilized to provide vast benefits to the body and mind. It encourages creativity and thought as students aspire to develop their unique style of expression. It develops self discipline through choreography and precise execution. Dance has health benefits in an age where childhood obesity is widely regarded as a growing problem, and it encourages a sense of self worth and enhanced social interactions.  Dance can be taught to a number of different individuals, it is best practiced in a group. A practical application using the physical movements of dance are required for individuals to learn the nature of the subject, and to fully grasp the meaning of the class.

For purposes of instruction, the initial requirement is to ensure that the educators have full knowledge of what needs to be taught. According to an article produced in The Journal of Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, dance teachers must fully engage in acquiring a knowledge base, and develop effective strategies and materials to execute upon that knowledge. The base must include knowledge of body and movement vocabulary, creative process, and specific art form (Fortin, 1993). A teacher also needs to understand that as a student develops beyond the fundamentals of dance, the student’s own perception of dance, as well as their own unique skills, will lead into a distinctive set of needs that is different from other students.

Arriving at a definition for music is even more challenging as what individuals describe as music is as broad as people themselves. As one article describes music, the true definition is that it is Universal, relative and subjective. What may be music to one person is not considered music by another (Estrella, 2010). Established standards for music highlight creative development and a better understanding of how social attitudes have been influenced by historical and cultural elements. As described by the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (2010), “By understanding the cultural and historical forces that shape social attitudes and behaviors, students are better prepared to live and work in communities that are increasingly multicultural.”

For purposes of music instruction, educators have a distinct advantage in that their students are inundated with the art of music through a multitude of sources, and that music itself is immensely popular and mainstream in the vast majority of American homes. There is a current need for teachers who are knowledgeable in this field, and this problem can easily be solved. Ways of understanding music can be seen once culture is dissected. Each culture, era and age has its own different type of music, and the best way to understand and appreciate these types of music is through listening to them. One article advocates tapping into popular culture in a way that promotes a wide array of music genres. Children will show interest not only in the music created in their generation, but also from their parents, grandparents and further back into history. The author of this article advocates that teachers should leave their comfort zones to ensure that children are exposed to many types of music (Randall, 2010). Ways in which music can be incorporated to the taste of children can be researched. Such as how classical music influenced today’s current rock music.

Determining a definition of theater, though challenging, is not as inherently broad as music. One writer describes it as involving the presentation of a situation, and that it tells a story through physical action (Foy, 2010). The website for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts describes the need for theater to encourage role-playing, planning and understanding artistic choices. As students become older, they should be encouraged to take on complex issues within society, and to customize to various media “with advanced students participating in theatre, film, television, and electronic media productions.”

An interesting case study in how to teach theater is Readers’ Theater, who put forth a drama while also showing social responsibility, along with a unique approach to viewer involvement in their work. Performing at elementary schools they addressed bullying through their art and through interaction. Prior to their 20-minute performance, they would engage the audience in a discussion about bullying, learning what they had witnessed and experienced, and encouraging them to share. At the end of the performance, they would ask the audience to take a pledge not to bully (Schallhorn, 2010). Clearly this use of theater left an impression that would be more likely to stay with the viewer, and to engage their interest.

Theater can be taught in a multitude of ways, and can suit everyone’s personal interests. Since theater has many fields, each student may chose a field in which he or she is interested in. Theater covers fields such as: script writing, acting, stage design, costume design and directing. These areas can be taught, and application for the theater class can be in accordance to the role which best suits the student.

To define visual arts, the National Art Education Association notes the breadth of what constitutes this type of art in their written standards (1994). “They range from drawing, painting, sculpture, and design, to architecture, film, video, and folk arts”. Consequently, there are a variety of approaches to such a varied selection of art choices, and emphasis is placed on learning the approaches and techniques as a way to develop within the visual arts. Understanding basic techniques and approaches is crucial in executing a project in visual arts. Development needs include opportunities to enhance cultural and historical knowledge.

Although these standards provide structure, it is important to note that they do not shackle art education. As the intent is to focus on results and not methods, it allows for the artistic norm of free expression and creativity within the effort of improving upon art education. For this reason, recommendations and theoretical experimentation can be broad in assessing effective ways in teaching visual arts. The content of visual art education can be taught in a classroom setting where the application of techniques, styles and approaches can be used. Students may express their own styles and make use of their own techniques using various interpretations of the lessons being taught. A practical approach in teaching visual art is the only way students can fully grasp the meaning behind art history.

One article cites a number of approaches to art instruction, relating a modern day shift from child-based or “soft” art instruction to a more disciplined-based approach with customization to the needs of students. For example, one approach titled “Authoritarian-Dictatorial” is suggested for students with a very low art ability as a way to help them succeed better, while an approach entitled “Laissez-faire” involved no interference or instruction (Campbell, 2010), enabling more self expression that is more appropriate for students with advanced art ability.

As an instructor experiments with different approaches to visual art education, they would be wise to note the methodology behind a study for a Harvard University Graduate School program entitled Project Zero. In this study, students and teachers were observed and videotaped during classes in a variety of public and private schools. The videotapes were reviewed, crucial elements of the instruction were noted and the teachers were later interviewed, shown the clips and asked for detail and rationale for the instruction they were providing. Similarities among teachers and styles of teaching were later noted and categorized based on the concepts and strategies that were being implemented for art education (Pogrebin, 2007).

As different teachers and students exhibit different strengths in educating and learning, one effective approach may be for teachers to experiment with various styles of instruction, and have observers present in the classroom videotaping with the intent to provide later consultation and recommendations. Teachers will undoubtedly benefit from such a process through third party input on their instruction, as well as observing themselves and noting the effectiveness and impact of the approaches they take. This approach would be effective with other visually oriented art forms such as dance and theater, in addition to visual arts.

It should also be noted that there are many continuing education resources provided to assist teachers outside of the classroom. The Kennedy Center’s Changing Education Through the Arts program (CETA), details on their website their stated mission to “develop teachers’, schools’, and school districts’ knowledge and skills in the arts and arts integration…as a critical component in every child’s education.”

There is much effort to protect art education in our school system, and enhancing the effectiveness of art education is one way to ensure the instruction of dance, music, theater and visual arts endures and thrives.

References

Campbell, J. (2010, October 12). Methods of Teaching Art. Retrieved October 25, 2010, from http://www.ehow.com/list_7322662_methods-teaching-art.html

Estrella, E. (2010, October). Music History 101. Retrieved November 1, 2010, from  http://musiced.about.com/od/beginnersguide/a/intro.htm

Foy, J. (2010, October). What is Drama? Definition and Etymology. Retrieved November 1, 2010, from http://ezinearticles.com/?What-is-Drama?-Definition-and-Etymology

The National Visual Arts Standards (1994). The National Visual Arts Standards. Retrieved October 26, 2010, from http://www.naea-reston.org/store/books/naea- standards

Pogrebin, R. (2007, August 4). Book Tackles Old Debate: Role of Art in Schools. Retrieved October 25, 2010, from                            http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/04/arts/design/04stud.html

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (2010, October). ArtsEdge: The National Standards for Art Education. Retrieved October 26, 2010, from http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/educators/standards/full-text/5-8%20Standards%20by%20Arts%20Subject.aspx

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (2010, October). CETA: Mission  and Goals. Retrieved October 26, 2010, from http://www.kennedy-center.org/education/ceta/mission.html

Randall, M. (2010, August). A Whole Lotta Learnin’ Going On. Retrieved November 1, 2010 from  http://www.menc.org/resources/view/teaching-music-current-featured-article

Schallahorn, J. (2010). Readers theater group helps spread message about bullying. Retrieved November 1, 2010 from http://www.tolerance.org/activity/readers-theater