ART401 Foundations of Art Education
Spring 2016 Purposes for Art Education Assignment Paper
One stated purpose for this course is for each student to consider and develop her or his own beliefs about art education, as examination is made of prior people, ideas, beliefs, and practices in art education. Another intended outcome of the course is for students to recognize the shifting diversity of purpose for art education that has occurred within the public schools of the United States during the past 200 years. The following is a list of 45 purposes for art education that have been manifested by various writers in art education literature during the past two centuries. Throughout the semester, as you conduct readings for this class and beyond, note specific quotes and/or references you come across that correspond to these purposes for art education.
Part 1 of Paper
From the course readings throughout the entire semester, select four or five purposes for art education from the list of “Purposes for Art Education” listed below that align with your own purposes for art education. From the readings done throughout the semester, select and type two or three of the most direct quotes that support each of your four or five primary beliefs about art education (thus 8-15 quotes, in total). Give a full reference citation for each quote, following correctly the Publication Manual of the APA (6th edition).
Some Recognized Purposes for Art in Public Schools (and Elsewhere)
1. build a sense of appreciation and “good taste”
2. increase vocational possibilities
3. encourage independent thinking
4. discover and develop artistic talent
5. cultivate and express a sense of beauty
6. promote skills in observation
7. train the hand, mind, and eye
8. assist students in their other school subjects
9. provide a break from other school subjects
10. engage in a form of play
11. develop democratic behavior in citizens
12. provide an outlet for self-expression
13. learn elements and principles of design
14. promote neatness, dexterity, and precision
15. generate an appreciation for nature
16. generate an appreciation for the built environment
17. enhance social and emotional growth
18. provide a universal language, spoken by all people
19. build moral citizens
20. strengthen national security
21. discover beauty
22. initiate and expand opportunities to use art materials
23. understand art processes—think and work like an artist
24. encourage spontaneity and originality
25. provide a concrete outlet for imagination
26. further students’ character development
27. build skills in problem solving
28. investigate and study everyday objects
29. have aesthetic experiences
30. learn a vocabulary of expression
31. cultivate aesthetic judgment
32. provide a therapeutic outlet
33. express creative thinking
34. make intelligent choices with regard to home furnishings, apparel, constructed landscapes and other areas of daily life
35. instill cultural values
36. instill multi-cultural values
37. promote leisure time enjoyment
38. develop respect for one’s own effort and the effort of others
39. develop visual perception
40. develop visual literacy
41. learn about art and artists from the past
42. increase ability to discuss works of art
43. become knowledgeable consumers
44. learn about the surrounding visual culture
45. learn about the surrounding material culture
If appropriate, add other purposes to this list.
Part 2 of Paper
Type a 2 page paper (double spaced) stating your own foundational beliefs about art education. You may utilize quotes from Part 1 of this assignment, and other quotes you may choose, in your paper to support your position. Give a full reference citation for all quotes, following correctly the Publication Manual of the APA (6th edition).