Filling In the Gaps: Art Education in High School; Preparing Students for College
Research has been conducted across many curriculum and educational venues to identify the skills students are missing when entering college and for succeeding in college. One idea is that the arts combined with other subjects will assist in creating curriculum aimed at critical thinking skills. Here are some examples of how art can be used in cross-curricula lessons or as stand alone classes, which would help the students better at critically thinking across the curriculum and help guide them toward being an original thinker. We encourage art integration, cross-curricula lessons, and art/art history lessons as stand alone to teach students to critical thinking skills.
Analysis & Interpretation
Looking at artwork gives students a chance to analyze and interpret artists works. An open discussion is encouraged for students to look at the different elements that compose the artworks, to be able to analyze these elements keeping in mind the artist’s social background, era and identity. Students can be given a chance to interpret the artworks by relating them to their life experience. Analytical interpretations are then more personal, however they are also grounded in concrete facts.
Intellectual Openness
While looking at contemporary art, social issues, visual culture, and other art related subjects students are asked to keep an open mind and create an internal environment so they are able to accept the artist’s point of view with a critical eye. Students will be asked to challenge their experiences and values to be able to critique a piece intelligently. Students stating that they don’t like an artwork is easy, however explaining why, is not. Explaining why a student does or does like assists students with building a larger vocabulary and increases their writing skills in general.
Precision and Accuracy
While making an artwork, students need to be able to plan and sketch their ideas before starting their project. Students would benefit from working both in and out of curriculum constraints. Students should have time to simply be creative and have lesson plans to be creative inside the teachers constraints regarding time management, materials and supplies, and subject of their art project. By introducing constraints, the teacher is having them move outside their comfort zone and in turn attempting to spark new creativity where there was not any in that arena before for the student.
Inquisitiveness
Curiosity and inquisitiveness are necessary attributes to fully question works of art and creating artwork. Students need to feel engaged in their art and the art of others. Some students may not feel curiosity or inquisitiveness and it is the teacher who will help spark those attributes. Students who are properly engaged will keep researching and wanting to learn about art, even outside the classroom and school. Art can reach out to students and get them excited about creating and looking at art. Field trips such as to a museum, to see community murals, or going to an artist's studio are a few ideas which may spark interest in students and engage them on a personal level.
Problem Solving
Art making, as any other area involves problem solving. When things do not go as planned while making a painting, sculpting, drawing, photograph, or any other form of art, the artist work to find a solution to their problem. Finding new direction for their artworks is common since an initial idea may have to be modified due to cost, material incompatibility, structural issues, equipment failure, or other common issues such as patron constraints during the process. Students are able to learn from artists who find new ways to create art with what may be considered a mistake to some people. Students should be guided through the brainstorming process to help them find different paths they may take to reach their final result.
Reasoning, Intelligent Debate, Proof
Art will help students argument, reason and prove their point, by allowing them to present and defend their creation. At the end of an art lesson, students can present their artwork to the class. This open discussion teaches the students how to interact with peers and how to present their findings. Their art work which is a result of a lesson should be discussed by the students and include such items as how well did the student understand the lesson; what was the student's interpretation of the assignment, justify why their work falls within the parameter of the lesson, and any other lesson appropriate discussions. Students explaining their artworks (or the art of others) will help with their language skills, reasoning, intelligent debate, and public speaking skills.