Amandeep Kaur

Art 133
Unit Paper 5
November 2, 2017

Unit Paper 5: Structures and Systems

The basis of Structure and System is that it is a tool that guides, educates, and provides

new insight for students to gain an opportunity to learn about an idea, build enough knowledge

about the idea, so they can become personally connected to the idea. For example, a 21st century

approach to teaching art in some schools according to Eisner (2002), The arts teach children

that problems can have MORE than ONE solution and that questions can have more than one

answer (p. 29). When a student becomes attentive in this idea and can relate to the idea on a

personal level, explores the idea, and the end result is that the student gains more knowledge and

builds self- confidence. Most of the time when a student has self-confidence it allows them to

feel creative. Creativity is an important function for people because it allows people to be

disparate thinkers in all aspects of their lives. According to Walker (2001), By using big ideas,

students find that art making is more than creating an interesting design or learning particular

technique with a specific medium: art making also becomes an expression of important ideas

related to their own live and the lives of others (p. 144). In our fast moving society, where

technology is changed almost every day, being able to be creative and, also a problem solver, as

individuals makes people with those skills much more available.

After reading the 10 Lessons Arts Teach, I thought to myself, how will I incorporate

those lessons in my future classroom? I want my future students to walk away from my

classroom feeling that they have not only learned to express themselves as artists, but, also that

they have learned more about visual art world well live in today. I want them to learn that there
are many forms of art and multiple versions of art mediums at their disposal for them to utilize as

artists. One of my first big ideas that I would like to present to my class, are heroes. I would start

by using VTS images to stimulate the students and incorporating essential questions. Having a

printed copying of Esiners ten lessons in the classroom would be a great idea because it would

serve as a simple reminder that art is not just something where we take a color crayon or paint to

a paper. It can serve as an outlet to escape the world they are living and express their feelings and

thoughts without being judged for it.

References

Eisner, E. (2002). The arts and the creation of mind. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.

Walker, S. (2001). Teaching meaning in artmaking. Worchester, MA: Davis.