We talk about what teaching and learning ought to look like, without ever really being clear about what we want an education to do. Pictures have different purposes. Their intent may be to record an event, evoke an emotion, preserve a memory, provide documentation, honor an individual, or just please the eye. A great work of art might do all of those things, but it is unrealistic to expect all art to accomplish all of them. Knowing more about the subject of the work, the mind of the artists, the goals of the person who commissioned the work, and cultural setting in which the work was produced my help us understand more about how to view a work of art.
So what exactly is it that we are looking for in public education? Do we value symmetry over emphasis? Are we looking for accuracy or imagination? Should education inspire or indoctrinate? Do we want an education that gives us answers or asks us questions?
There are a lot of people critiquing the “art” of educating our children. Is the picture of public education all wrong? Or is it that we don’t always know how to look, or where to stand, or what to look for once we’ve got to where we need to be? I don’t know the answers, but it seems to me that the questions are worth asking.
anonymous on 21 Mar 13Have students to create visual works of art online. Silk is an interactive site where students can drag their mouse around on the page to create beautiful weaving & whirling designs. Drawing lines on the screen will add color to the moving art, & by speeding up or slowing down their movements the effect will change. Students can choose between 6 different colors, & 3 different modes of symmetry. Students can share their creation with a simple link. Have students describe their unique artwork as a description & creative writing exercise. Also available as an app for the iPad.
