I would start with Bloom's Taxonomy (pardon my spelling) While Bloom's is
not the end all be all, the language gives wording that specifically
identifies the kind of learning that takes place. One of the problems with
writing arts goals is that words like "encourage" and "problem-solving" do
not actually identify the skills/processes learned or used.
In my district, we are in the process of rewriting all our curricula. This
coming summer we begin on the visual art curriculum. Our school board is
looking for "content rich" curriculum objectives, goals and assessments.
They want to be able to say, "Our students have _____knowlege about visual
art." Is this the end goal of a visual arts education? It depends, if one
looks at the math curriculum or a science curriculum, what is the end goal?
Not many children grow up to be mathmaticians or rocket scientists. These
curricula tend to focus on very general objectives. With the end result, not
that a student will be Albert Einstein, but that he/she will be able to
balance the checkbook and have the basic skills to function in our society.
Is that the least we can expect.....do students achieve more? Of course they
do. So when I think of developing visual arts goals/curricula, I tend to
think of what a well educated person should know about art, the end result.
I do not work from the position that every student I have will become a
visual artist but from the position that every student I have will have some
use for fundamental art skills/knowledge in his her life.
When I present this comparision to parents, you can see the light bulb go
off! How many of you have parents who say, "Our family is not artistic. Or
little Johnny is not artistic." I rarely hear that any more. Also, because
I see my job as educating parents, other teachers and administraters about
what art education is vs. what they think it is, more and more, they come to
see the value in what the children are learing, and how it carries across the
curriculum.
Am I selling out visual art? I don't think so. I think I am presenting the
subject in a practial, real world way. Will some of my students become
working artists? I hope so.....but in the meantime, if art becomes a part of
their lives, and they pass that to their children and continue to be
supportive of the arts, that to me would be as meaningful if not more so.
