No full-text available
To read the full-text of this research,
you can request a copy directly from the author.
Art becomes the fourth R
Abstract
In an era when students design Web sites for projects and integrate video, graphics, and animation into their presentations, art is fast becoming the new literacy for our times. One of the many reasons I enjoy being an educator during this time of unprecedented change is that the potential for revelation is great. To do my best revelation-hunting, I locate the eye of a hurricane, park, and look around with an open mind. When I do that, revelations come frequently. One such revelation that came years ago has helped me understand an important foundational shift underlying the Internet revolution in education. I am not referring to the creation of distributed-learning communities; to the use of hypermedia to learn associatively rather than linearly; to the creation of anywhere, anytime, on-demand access to knowledge to meet the lifelong learning demands of a mobile work force; or to other shifts in the ways we learn and work. Although these are significant changes from even a decade ago, they are just symptoms of a greater change that is so pervasive and infused into our experience that we miss it entirely. I am referring to the fact that the multimedia environment of the Web, as well as much of what we experience through our computers, requires students to think and communicate as designers and artists. The age of art has arrived, leaving behind the text-centric world that has guided us for so long. The language of art has become the next literacy—or the fourth R. We need not linger any longer over whether art should have a permanent and central place in our school curriculum. It should, and we need to move quickly to prepare students to be literate in the world that they are inheriting and rapidly shaping. In the digital age, art skills are not just good for the soul, but they provide, in the words of Elliot Eisner (1988), "access to cultural capital," and ultimately, access to employment. I had an amazing experience a few years ago that helped me fully appreciate art's new importance in education. I was watching a 10th grader struggle at his computer to create a multimedia presentation for his language-arts project. He wasn't struggling with the technology— like any info-age kid, he could click around the screen with considerable ease. It was the aesthetics that seemed insurmountable. As I watched him clumsily cramming together scads of video clips, graphics, sounds, buttons, and a few words, it suddenly hit me like a ton of bits: He was trying to create art, and no one had shown him how. In the process of fumbling with the medium, he was losing his sense of what he wanted to communicate in the first place.
... Such exemplary teachers may well come to blend the traditional goals of education with new non-linear models of instruction in which print literacy is only one of several new literacies that better address students' multiple intelligences (White & Hubbard, 1988;Willis, 1997). In leaving behind the text-centric world that has guided us for so long (Ohler, 2000), education is perhaps on the verge of a major series of developments in semasiographic writing systems, in which visual hypermedia will rival glottographic writing systems in terms of accessibility and expressiveness (Davis, 1997). ...
... Recent advances in technology and access to computers and the Internet have created almost unimaginable opportunities for social studies teachers to use computers in their classroom in a way that goes beyond basic computer skills to include such things as web searching and publishing, presentation software, and multimedia (Becker, 1991(Becker, , 1994(Becker, , 1999Davis, 1997;Ohler, 2000;White & Hubbard, 1988;Willis, 1997;Zhao, 2001). Depending on their level of self-efficacy and their philosophy of teaching, social studies teachers may not use computers at all, limit their use, or fully integrate them into their teaching (Becker, 1999;Conway & Zhao, 2001;Cuban, 2001;Delcourt & Kinzie, 1993;Fontana, 1997;Hadley & Sheingold, 1993;Heywood & Norman, 1988;Lloyd & Gressard, 1984;Marcinkiewicz, 1996;Martorella, 1997;Olivier & Shapiro, 1993;Strudler et al., 1999). ...
ABSTRACT: This study of four beginning social studies teachers, all graduates of the secondary PROTEACH program, explored how effectively they were able to use technology in their classrooms to teach historical thinking and historical inquiry, including perspective taking and historical empathy. The data in this yearlong study consisted of observations at four separate schools, interviews with the participating teachers, a student survey, interviews with students, and various documents. The teachers in this study felt well prepared by the PROTEACH program. During their induction they focused primarily on professional concerns, including the lack of effective support for the integration of technology in their classroom. While their experiences with technology in the PROTEACH program profoundly impacted their beliefs, their sense of self-efficacy largely determined the degree to which they pioneered new forms of pedagogical content knowledge when they taught historical inquiry with computers. Although their students generally liked using computers to learn about history, additional factors, such as the state test and the unique culture at each school, further impacted the degree to which they were able to do so. The findings suggest that teacher preparation programs need to help preservice social studies teachers learn how to integrate technology into real world history classrooms, provide preservice teachers with opportunities to reconcile their beliefs about history pedagogy with technology integration, and help them develop multiple teaching methods that both work for them and engage their students. In addition, preservice teachers need opportunities to develop a clear understanding of historical thinking and historical inquiry in order to effectively engage their students in doing history and constructing their own meanings of history. ABSTRACT (cont.): Furthermore, the study indicates that beginning teacher induction programs need to provide better support for beginning social studies teachers in their efforts to integrate technology in the history classroom. Suggestions for further study of teaching history with computers include research on the impact of teacher preparation programs on teacher beliefs, specific strategies for teaching history, the effectiveness of teacher induction programs, the impact of teacher and student understandings of historical inquiry, longitudinal use, stakeholder attitudes, and the actual use of the available infrastructure. System requirements: World Wide Web browser and PDF reader. Mode of access: World Wide Web. Title from title page of source document. Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Florida, 2002. Includes vita. Includes bibliographical references. Text (Electronic thesis) in PDF format.
... Such initiatives are meant to engage students' sensory systems more actively and stimulate them to rethink science communication as part of the overall research cycle taught in methods classes. in furthering such trends and making them part of the scientific circuit, the development and training of sensorial literacy levels becomes more crucial. 10 The scientific model in which we 'count and predict' or 'describe and understand' is being challenged by an academic model that promotes the 'articulation' of possible new futures or the design of blueprints that are provocative rather than conservative. building on past achievements only is therefore insufficient to refine our scientific toolbox. in addition, systematic approaches to studying phenomena have already gradually been replaced by the 'grab and go culture' inherent to the big data movement, in which researchers combine data from different sources without necessarily having knowledge of the research intention and goals underpinning these data. ...
What would the ideal society of the future look like? In 1516, the eminent English humanist Thomas More tried his hand at imagining a perfect society on a distant island. His Utopia was published in the Flemish town of Leuven, home of a university that was established almost a century earlier. 500 years later, scholars of this university revisit More’s best-known work and reflect on the ideal society of the future, using the scientific insights of today, including perspectives which More could never have imagined.
What will our cities look like a hundred years from now? How will stem cell research and 3D printing change the world? Will we be able to cure all diseases? Will we be traveling to other planets? Will computers take over? Or will humanity find a way to improve the quality of life for everyone and feed a growing world population? In ‘A Truly Golden Handbook’, more than fifty KU Leuven scholars share their science-based utopian dreams. From the creation of spare organs, artificial intelligence and the genetic future, to global governance, ecological sustainability and pathways to more equality, this visionary book offers a broad interdisciplinary look at the world of tomorrow.
... Significant challenges face researchers and practitioners aiming to study, foster, and assess growth in graphical literacy: there are few studies to provide developmental accounts of graphical literacy; teachers find it is difficult to evaluate students' multimedia projects (Ohler, 2000), and different rules for assessing graphical literacy apply in different contexts (Hadjidemetriou & Williams, 2000McMullen & Woo, 2000 ). In an effort to address these challenges a comprehensive coding scheme to assess graphical literacy was developed and applied to students in Grades 3, 4, and 6, with the scale comprehensive enough to assess advances in several different content areas. ...
This study examined growth in graphical literacy for students contributing to an online, multimedia, communal environment as they advanced their understanding of biology, history and optics. Their science and history studies started early in Grade 3 and continued to the end of Grade 4; students did not receive instruction in graphics production, nor were they required to produce graphics. Results show that students spontaneously produced graphics that advanced along seven dimensions, including effective representation of complex ideas, use of source information and captions, and aesthetic quality. On average, the scores for the seven dimensions were higher for Grade 4 students with two years of experience with Knowledge Building pedagogy and technology (Knowledge Forum®) than for Grade 6 students with one year of experience. The overall pattern of results suggests reciprocal enhancement of graphical, textual, digital, and scientific literacy, with students exceeding expectations by available norms, and performance enhanced through extended Knowledge Building experience.
... As our students are born into technology, thus making it their "mother-tongue" while still in diapers, we can no longer avoid the new, universal language. Five years ago a technology/art teacher Ohler (2000) stated that, "art is fast becoming the new literacy for our times" making the following two points. ...
... Web pages are common assignments in schools. Visual images also facilitate communication in a global society (Ohler, 2000). Children need experiences in the visual 26 arts, including aesthetics, to learn how to present information visually and analyze visual images in order to function more effectively in a technological world. ...
This study examined the effect of a visual arts, family-focused school readiness intervention on the parental efficacy and level of family involvement of low-income families. A second, primary focus of the study was to test the potential of academically focused experiences in the visual arts to increase the basic concept development of young children. To increase accessibility, the intervention was conducted in a neighborhood library.
The research design for this descriptive study included qualitative and quantitative components. Data collection consisted of a non-randomized one group pre-test/posttest design from students on a standardized instrument and from primary caregivers using self-report questionnaires. Other data collection sources included field notes documenting observations made during implementation collected by the investigator, parent home engagement data in the form of a weekly survey filled out by adult participants and weekly phone calls monitoring any issues or questions regarding the completion of take-home activities.
The results of this relatively small sample using the visual arts to build basic concept knowledge indicate that, given a larger sample, this approach may prove to be a promising strategy to use with young children and their families. The average raw score gain on the student basic concept scale was 8 points at the end of the seven-week intervention. The parent surveys indicated that almost all books sent home were read each week and an average of three home learning activities per book were completed between sessions. The majority of parents commented at least once on the At-Home Surveys about increases in positive interaction with their children while engaged in the home learning activities. Enhancing the parent-child relationship begins with the sharing of positive experiences. Comments made by adult participants indicated that parents felt empowered to better support their child's learning by participating in this experience.
... With the proliferation of image-based media forms relying on electronic means of production in the last 25 years, a new rationale for art education has emerged (Hicks, 1993, Ohler, 2000). To address this need, a new paradigm of teaching art in the public schools was proposed by Freedman (2003) and others (Boughton et al., 2002) that seeks to expand the curriculum of art education to include a careful and measured study of images and means of production in new media. ...
“How might one build a creative arts component . . . into a course not otherwise involved with the creative arts?” was one of the questions Rusty Rushton posed in his Call for Papers for the volume titled “Honors and the Creative Arts.” His question caught my attention. The NCHC’s Mission Statement calls upon us as teachers of Honors courses “to enhance opportunities (academic, cultural, and social) responsive to educational needs of highly able and/or exceptionally motivated undergraduate students.” On the other hand, however, we may feel, as Gail E. Hawisher and Cynthia L. Selfe clearly do, that “we often find ourselves casting about for effective ways to educate students for a world with which we, ourselves, are unfamiliar—and about which we remain uncertain” (3-4). A significant element of that world is, of course, technology.
This chapter explores the development of 21st century literacies at the middle school level. A case study, situated in an international middle school that integrates literacy and digital technologies, contextualizes this discussion. Participants included a cross-section of teachers and students. A key theme related to teachers was the merging of traditional and modern literacies: for students, literacy as language arts. Advantages to the fusion of literacy and digital technologies were (1) students' increasing their global awareness, (2) creativity in demonstration of learning, and (3) the abundance of resources. Distractibility, technology glitches, and the notion of breadth versus depth with regard to learning were challenges in this highly advanced technological institution.
How do art educators and special educators working with special needs students know what qualities exist in each medium that could set off a student or help them to control their own behavior? How does the educator determine what medium will be the most beneficial for each of their students? Many art educators would state that they know these things through experience in working with the materials and students, through trial and error, and by seeing how different populations respond to and work with these materials. Many art educators work on an intuitive level to make their choices, and some make choices based on what is available to them for use. This study explores a specific art media, digital video, to better inform special educators and art educators who are working with special needs students the beneficial aspects, drawbacks and educational strengths of digital video production for students with emotional, behavioral and learning disabilities. Through a preliminary survey to determine the inherent qualities of this media and a case study to provide an in-depth look at this media, this study explores how art educators/special educators make decisions about when, why and how to use digital video with special populations. (Contains 1 table.)
Computer-based technologies have created a new arena of discourse to be conquered by language professionals and students. Integrated Learning Systems (ILS), multimedia/hypermedia software and authoring tools, and Internet applications may offer assistance with more traditional language instruction as well as improved tools for language teaching and learning. Integrated Learning Systems are predominantly behaviorist in approach; multimedia tools can be shaped to fit the teaching/learning style of the user; Internet applications show great promise as constructivist tools. Speech-language pathologists are challenged to recognize the potential of these new technologies and are provided criteria for evaluating each application along with models and resources that can be used with language instruction.
Harry Broudy (1979) posed this serious and thought-provoking question to policymakers throughout the world about 25 years ago. In the light of the inadequate attention paid to the arts in education systems, the question has preserved its validity to the current day, even though Broudy, along with many other education specialists, have provided rather persuasive answers to it. Their answers, although resting on different grounds, all point to the fact that art education should be part and parcel of any defensible basic education scheme, or the fourth R.
Elliot Eisner, for example, has taken up a position along these lines rooted in a different definition or conception of literacy (1983, 1998). He contends that the term ‘literacy’ should no longer be limited to reading, writing and arithmetic. A broader and a more comprehensive account of literacy should encompass all the symbolic systems and languages that have been created to perform a unique epistemic function (Eisner, 1998, p. 11). He further insists that these different languages have been created out of absolute necessity, since redundancy and repetition would have resulted in a less pluralistic situation than we are witnessing today (Eisner, 1983, p. 50). The ability to decode and encode meaning within each of the extant symbolic systems, therefore, is an essential power and skill that a fully literate (in contrast to ‘semiliterate’) individual should possess. The arts, representing the prime example of non-conventional symbolic systems, can effectively complement the range of languages or cultural tools available to the next generations for the purpose of communication and mutual understanding.
In this article, the authors bring together the central ideas of the prominent thinkers in arts education and arts in learning to construct a comprehensive case for the importance of the arts in every child's education. The roles of the arts in cognition, equitable access to meaning, student motivation, and cultural representation and understanding are explored. Illustrations are drawn from visible national projects translating the ideas into practice. Teacher voices on the power of the arts in the. learning of their children are introduced.
Advisor: Martin Sharp. Paper (M. Ed.)--Pennsylvania State University, Great Valley, 1995.
School reform: Can anything be done? Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Association of Educational Publishers
- D Shalvey
Shalvey, D. (2000, June). School reform: Can anything be done? Paper presented at
the annual meeting of the American Association of Educational Publishers, Washington,
DC.
Preparing our children for their future, not our past
- D Thornburg
Thornburg, D. (1990). Preparing our children for their future, not our past. Adult
Literacy & Technology Newsletter, 4(1).
Eloquent evidence: Arts at the core of learning
- E Murfee
Murfee, E. (1995). Eloquent evidence: Arts at the core of learning. Washington, DC:
National Assembly of State Arts Agencies.