In Mr. Harsh’s lesson, he teaches aesthetics by first defining it in the context of philosophy. He provides examples to help illustrate and ground the idea. For example, he pours creamer into a glass of coffee and describes the beauty as he sees it. Mr. Harsh engages the students by using a various set of techniques. This includes using a captivating voice, asking questions to his students, and providing real life examples that everyone can relate to. The students’ engagement is evident through their eye contact, occasional laughs, and answers to questions. By speaking in both English and Spanish side by side, he is able to make sure that what he is saying is understood by most everyone. Mr. Harsh touches on topics such as abortion and suicide. I probably wouldn’t talk about abortion because that could potentially alientate students from each other. However if given to chance to talk about suicide, I would instead try to dedicate more time in a separate mental health lesson. If I were to “update” this lesson, I would use example artworks that are connecting more so to popular culture. There are many animations, movies, and video games that I’m sure students would be into. Even Fortnite for example can be described aesthetically if given the chance.
In the second video, a ted talk “Teaching art or teaching to think like an artist” is on creativity in an art education curriculum. The speaker does a good job at separating “skill” from “creativity.” Just because someone can draw a horse realistically, doesn’t mean that it requires creativity. Creativity is about being able to connect ideas to create new and original products. Traditionally, schools are seen as machines that pump out similar factory workers. But what if the arts could help a student invent an entire new job? “In the 21st century”, she states, “I want my children to think like artists no matter what career path they choose.” This is vital because everyone needs to learn how to be creative. When doing well in any career, you need to go beyond the basic requirements in your job description; you need to make bounds beyond what you are directly told.
One of the big dilemmas I face on being a future art educator is how much my lessons will be on skill building or on creativity and self expression. If I only focus on skill building, there isn’t a lot of purpose unless they want to become a professional artist. If I only focus on creativity, then I’m being disingenuous when I’m trying to teach students about what really goes beyond a good work of art. It doesn’t matter if you have all the inspiration in the world, if you can’t understand the fundamentals of realism, it will not turn out good. Even though I took plenty of art classes in high school, probably about 5% actually helped me become the artist I am today (skill wise). That isn’t to say that I had teachers, but high level and methodical explanations of drawing on Youtube helped me build a strong skill set. Self expression and creativity are important, but skillbuilding is an important prerequisite. Much like remembering your lines for play is a prerequisite for good acting.
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