Artistic Development in Children—an Art Teacher’s Manifesto
Happy 2022! For those of you who don’t know me, I’m a photographer and also currently in graduate studies for MAT Art Education Initial Certification at Teachers College Columbia University. This is my Digital Notebook, much like a thesis, for Artistic Development in Children with Judith Burton. You can read the full pdf here.
My vision in art education — why do I teach art and why is it crucial in K-12?
The notebook’s title, “Creo, ergo sum.” (I create. Therefore, I am.) is my motto, adapted from René Descartes’ “Cogito, ergo sum. (I think. Therefore, I am.)”. I believe creation is another proof of existence particular to humans. What we execute in every day life is the direct result of our creativity, imagination, visual perception, and thoughts noodling in our cognitive topology.
What I envision myself doing for the rest of my life and what I envision my students doing as well is striving towards
the mastery of creation in service of self and others .
I advocate that art education is crucial in every student’s education because it teaches them the power of birthing something that is that was not before. Not everyone has artistic talents and proclivities. Not everyone is cut out to become artists. But they don’t have to be. Art education transcends beyond teaching children how to become artists. If that is the case, then children will find art classes pointless or disheartening once they struggle with their inhibitions. I want to teach my students how to be creators. Whether it be elegant codes or a more efficient way of book keeping, I want to teach my students how to use their cognitive, kinesthetic, and socio-emotional abilities to create was is that was not before. How to use their creativity and higher order thinking skills to problem solve and create something beautiful. To be able to withhold the tension by embracing multiple contradicting realities; it is within this space we are able to envision alternative futures.
I put my heart and soul into it. This is my launch pad, and I hope it will bring a lot of conversations about education reform among artists and educators. Read if you’re curious about artistic developmental stages in children (VERY FASCINATING), and how that’s reflected in real life classrooms in public schools (Section III). I write about my dialectic self portrait lesson plan I used for elementary-middle school Proskuneo summer camp at Clarkson, GA with student work. Section IV deserves its own spotlight, so I’ll be uploading them separately.
Introduction — My philosophy & vision of Art Education
Section I — Artistic Development in Children
Section II — Lesson Planning
Section III — Field Observations in Children at PS 452
Section IV — (the meat of the manifesto)
Epistemological Legitimacy of Art Education
Holistic Assessment in Art Education
A Note on Standardization
Multilingual and Multicultural Immersion
