Reflection2 & Bumper Sticker

Eisner’s two chapters dealt with how to teach visual art and how to create effective learning environment through teaching art. While reading these two chapters, I have thought of many points in current education as well as art education and met a lot of agreeable moments from my experiences as a student. As Eisner mentioned that two of the most important factors affecting students’ experiences in the classroom are the quality of teaching they encounter and the quality of the curriculum provided, I have been wondering how to enhance the quality of teaching and curriculum since I have got into the field of education. Because these two factors basically came from capacity of the teachers, the students’ educational achievements could be varied according to what kind of teachers they meet.

“Good teaching cannot be “delivered”. Teaching like knowledge cannot be shipped, pumped or transmitted like the contents of a letter into the heads of students. In a sense, all that teachers can do is to make noises in the environment.”(Eisner)

I smiled when reading the above paragraph since it reminds me my school experiences through the childhood. Many teachers seemed to believe teaching as a delivery tool of knowledge so that, they were so passionate to make noises literally. Sadly enough I, sometimes, considered what they said as “noises”. That was because, I believe, the appropriate learning environment and situation couldn’t be created by teachers. During the internship course, the most important thing I had learned is that teacher’s role is not only to teach but also create positive learning environments and situation which effectively engages students in meaningful learning process connected new aspects of outside the classroom.

“Another important idea about teaching is that its most important effects are located outside the classroom. To the extent to which are interested in their ability to use what they have learned in life outside school- the context that really matters we must look to their behavior outside school.” (Eisner)

Influenced by the generalization of Internet and personal multimedia devices, today’s students are accustomed to actively learning outside the school. They are not passive receivers anymore but the school curriculum hasn’t taken this new aspect and change of the world. They don’t really care how students use their knowledge or skills they learned from the school in the outside the school. Most schools still stick to standardized tests in order to evaluate students as if the tests’ scores were good predictors of what students will do outside school. Besides, the tests focus primarily on assessing the immediate effects. But Eisner points out that it, sometimes, takes a little bit long time being fully aware and having a better understanding about what students have learn. Learning is not paused but being progress by interacting with various factors such as new knowledge and experiences.

Then, what can we teach through the arts and what can students get benefits from learning the arts? I personally believe that the most important thing students can get from the art classes is to learn and experience how to use their imagination for the active learning. Through this process, students could develop their creativity and perspective toward the new world. Because of that, the teachers’ ability to engage students’ imagination is critically important skill in art teaching.  Another outcome of effective art education is the refinement of perception as Eisner discussed. Because Students who have been in an effective arts education program should have had their sensibilities refined.

Freedman’s chapter is very challenging for me to understand. I have recognized the historical aspects of teaching visual culture but I couldn’t make meaning between the concepts and theories as well as couldn’t have a good understanding for that. So I focused on reading the conclusion several times in order to get the main points that she wanted to say. And I finally found the last sentence that Dewey mentioned.

“We come to know art through the dynamic of experience but experience has changed” (Dewey)

The Bumper Sticker

Eisner states Good teaching cannot be “delivered”. Teaching like knowledge cannot be shipped, pumped or transmitted like the contents of a letter into the heads of students.