"If children's artwork is examined in social rather than in individual terms, it becomes apparent that what they learn when working on a painting or sculpture is not simply what they learn from others as they become members of a community." For me, Eisner's statement about the learning that occurs in the art classroom connects to the way of learning through big ideas. When we ask our students to make work about big ideas, we are asking them to think about what they know, and express that knowledge through a very expressive medium, art making. This experience for students is a memorable one, which is why I am so supportive of an integrated art curriculum. Not only does this give students a deeper understanding of the material they are learning in their core classroom, but also gives society a reason to support the arts.
The art classroom also builds community, teaching students social norms and how to respectfully recognize the perspectives of others. In art, we have the opportunity to teach students about life. Eisner calls this concept situated learning, "the child is situated in a social and material context, and this context, viewed as a culture, teaches."
I love this phrases in the Eisner text, "life in classrooms looks more like life in life!" It sounds genius and innovative, but shouldn't this be how be teach children? I wrote earlier about the importance of not just teaching children for the purposes of school, but teaching them to prepare them for life. It only makes sense that to reach this desired effect, teachers should teach learning as it would happen in real life, constructing multi-sensory activities, diverse and dynamic in character.
I found that the introduction of A New Culture of Learning parroted a lot of the ideas presented in the Eisner text. "We believe that this new culture of learning can augment learning in nearly every facet of education and every stage of life. It is a core part of what we think of as "arc of life" learning, which comprises the activities in our daily lives that keep us learning, growing, and exploring. When I think of learning through this lens, it makes me question traditional methods - how could be ever expect students to learn through means that are much less engaging than the every day activities they are happening outside of the classroom? The art room is an opportunity for exploration and creativity. We can undoubtedly give our students experiences that are equally as exciting, if not more exciting, than the Angry Birds game they are playing on their ipad.
The art classroom also builds community, teaching students social norms and how to respectfully recognize the perspectives of others. In art, we have the opportunity to teach students about life. Eisner calls this concept situated learning, "the child is situated in a social and material context, and this context, viewed as a culture, teaches."
I love this phrases in the Eisner text, "life in classrooms looks more like life in life!" It sounds genius and innovative, but shouldn't this be how be teach children? I wrote earlier about the importance of not just teaching children for the purposes of school, but teaching them to prepare them for life. It only makes sense that to reach this desired effect, teachers should teach learning as it would happen in real life, constructing multi-sensory activities, diverse and dynamic in character.
I found that the introduction of A New Culture of Learning parroted a lot of the ideas presented in the Eisner text. "We believe that this new culture of learning can augment learning in nearly every facet of education and every stage of life. It is a core part of what we think of as "arc of life" learning, which comprises the activities in our daily lives that keep us learning, growing, and exploring. When I think of learning through this lens, it makes me question traditional methods - how could be ever expect students to learn through means that are much less engaging than the every day activities they are happening outside of the classroom? The art room is an opportunity for exploration and creativity. We can undoubtedly give our students experiences that are equally as exciting, if not more exciting, than the Angry Birds game they are playing on their ipad.
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