Week 12 Reflection

  
                                  



                                       

                                                                     Ansel Adams

All the Shades of Gray

“Art for Our Sake” (Winner & Hetland)

 and 

 “Why Do We Teach Arts in the Schools?” (Burchenal, Housen, Rawlinson & Yenawine)

Taken collectively, both articles point to art instruction that, when done right, fosters the development of sets of thinking skills that were mostly underdeveloped in groups of students.  Winner and Hetland’s article is engaging because it argues for the intrinsic value of art education. The authors feel that arts education develops a highly desirable set of thinking skills that students rarely develop in other subject areas. Arts education is not in the service of test scores or supported by a district because arts education may raise student achievement in math or language.  Burchenal et al argue in response to Winner and Hetland. They point to research that shows transfer between VTS and other content areas, gains in test scores in core subjects, and otherwise ask “Why not” advertise the effects arts education has on other subject areas.

It seems the two articles are debating which way to address arts advocacy. We live in a time when, on the whole, the “Arts” are not as revered as we would like them to be. The industry and/or advocates of art education know that there is still tentative placement and funding of art education in public schools.  Both articles clearly voice concern over acceptance of arts education in the bigger realm of national public education.

Perhaps the whole argument is not so black and white. Individual art educators and art education groups have the responsibility to be mindful of advocacy as they facilitate the development of students in art. There are numerous personal beliefs and philosophies that draw people to become art educators – all of which should be sung from the roof tops from time to time to influence the dialogues in education and to maintain the arts inclusion in public education.