by Mabi Conti

Why is the division between Africans and African Americans?
“You can bend a knee, but not a heart”
Why is the division between Africans and African Americans? Why do we talk at each other instead of talking to each other? Why is it that most African men barely have African American males as friends or as counter parts? Have you ever wonder why? Have you ever wonder the difference with other groups in America? There are many factors that contributed to this male division.

The first and foremost is that fact that of all people living in most countries, the men are mostly in charge of their destiny, America is the only place where these men have been left behind, what does that mean? It means that Africans from Africa does not have their counterparts in positions of power to help them catapult into position of power and wealth, because they, African American men are still struggling to get crumbs from the pie to share. African American men have been castrated from the milk and honey of America.

The second fit of the puzzle is that most Americans have seen media depictions of Africa, as a land of suffering, instability and economic failure, there is more to Africa than gloom and doom. This mindset blinds most African American males towards African males, instead of looking at the media hype and focus on our commonalities and how we can both join our know-how together and become a formidable force.

I have often said that what African American lack in been born privileged, Africans can bring to the table. On the other hand, what Africans lack in terms of navigating into the main stream, African Americans can add that to the equation for us. The old saying that two heads are better than one, applies here.

So, why is somebody not explaining this to both parties? This is part of my responsibilities. I have to tell it all. I have to open the window to our minds and make us see beyond. All I ask for is five minutes of your time and let me open the window to your mind. Only five minutes, and I can guarantee you that, I will do just that and I promise you will never be the same again once I get that five minutes of your time.

The third issue confronting African American males is the mentality that we are here to steal from them. That is to say that we, Africans are here to get free education, which is far from the truth. We pay dearly to go to schools as foreigners. The notion that African males steal their women. Now lets talk about this issue.

From time in memorial, men have always catered to women. This is not new in the world today; the circumstances in America and other western countries have changed the balance. Men have always been the breadwinners of most families. African men are good breadwinners, they may not be the greatest lovers, and however, they are certainly the greatest providers for their families.

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About the Author

Mabi Conti, a seasoned lecturer that has appeared on television and radio discussing issues ranging from business to diversity. I about to publish a book on Race Relations, title: Africans In America, Hear Our Stories.

Since 1985, Mabi Conti has positioned himself as the bridge between the perceived and the realities of understanding people, race, culture and doing international business.

Mabi Conti is a marketing guru with a mind of a strategist, a great affinity for reading and writing. Take advantage of my talents and let me watch you grow.

by Benicio Brown

African American paintings are in high demand, we know that for sure. The mixture of the two cultures combined into one form of art is truly beautiful, but what are the artists really trying to portray? Moving from somewhere you know as your home and landing in a foreign country is hard enough. Learning the language is achievable, and art is similar to that of a language. You need to learn to adapt quickly to a new way of life and remember that it is not just a language, but a culture as well.

Artists realized that once they moved they would have to adapt their current practices to enable others to understand exactly what they were doing. It even came to the point where the artists understood that they might even have to mask their current beliefs and take up others to ensure that their art was popular and understood. Of course, African American paintings have a great history, and it is one that needs to be understood if you really want to understand African American art.

The hardest time for an African American was certainly during the times of excessive slavery. If you were lucky enough to be a good artist, then you might be assigned to families. To begin with you might be making quilts and cushions or similar items, but the future would offer so much more. Eventually the African American artists became known as simply painters for white families. Whilst this was downgrading and the artists were not ever treated correctly, what they didn’t realize is this could be their ticket to freedom; their art was worth more to families than the artists themselves.

As slavery became less and less popular in certain regions and people became to stand against it, artists were able to make their move. The quality of African American paintings at the time was highly valued by many families. So much to a point where some artists were able to break free by offering families a collection of their best work, and the families let them go!

Of course, the next step for artists was getting through the civil war. Whilst African American artists were become more and more recognized, black culture in the USA was still separated from white culture. The white man dominated the streets and constantly downgraded other cultures. Of course, artists used this to their advantages and portrayed their feelings or lives through their artwork. Of course, many people didn’t understand where the idea originated from their work, or what it meant. That didn’t matter to the artists producing the African American paintings though as it was this emotion that allowed them to produce such quality work!

In fact, the African American art community became so popular that their work was displayed through the country. Museums and studios proudly displayed their work. It was only slightly after this point that their work was considered as similar to that of European artists.

Of course, the reasons African American paintings were so popular was because they were extremely unique. If they were suddenly being compared to work in Europe, then they didn’t really stand much hope of being the biggest and the best. The artists need to come up with something that would distinguish them from artists across Europe and for that matter, the rest of the globe!

The Harlem Renaissance definitely managed to achieve this. It allowed African American art to be once again distinguished as popular and unique. Over the years the artists in the community build on each others life’s experiences and the past of their ancestors and the future of their families. Of course, the new found inspiration for the art meant that African American paintings became more and more in demand. The same supply and higher demand meant that they had to increase the prices of their work and were soon out pricing European artists!

Of course, even to this date African American artists still look back on their ancestors work or lives for inspiration. This allows them to portray emotion and doesn’t let anyone forgot what happened and what shouldn’t happen once more. Emotion is the best form of inspiration and this is why African American paintings are such high quality!

About the Author

For an extensive collection of African American artwork please visit The Art of Lynde, the Official Lynde Washington online gallery. Offering African American limited edition fine art prints and original African American paintings.

by Janet Blackwell

African American quilting is on the rise in the US. The 2010 Quilting in AmericaTM survey, points to a 65% increase in the number of black quilters in the last decade.

Quilters are also spending more to pursue their hobby. Kyra Hicks is a quilter who wrote a book about the topic. The book, titled “1.6 Million African American Quilters: Survey, Sites, and a Half-Dozen Art Quilt Blocks,” is about this rich heritage.

Some Facts about African American Quilters:

– Numbers are growing — in 2000 there were a million black quilters in the U.S. Today there are 1.6 million black quilters among a total of 21 million quilters in America.

– Black quilters are spending more on their hobby. Black quilters spend $279 million annually on quilting activities, products and services such as fabrics, sewing machines, quilting lessons, magazines and books, up from $93.6 million ten years ago.

– The quilters are willing to spend on fabric to make their quilts. One-third of African American quilters recently surveyed spent between $7 and $8 per yard on fabric for quilting projects.

– There are famous quilters you may not know about. For example, S. Epatha Merkerson, who played Lieutenant Anita Van Buren on the TV show Law & Order, is a quilter.

– Quilting is not just popular with women but men also enjoy the craft. According to Hicks book “1.6 Million African American Quilters: Survey, Sites, and a Half-Dozen Art Quilt Blocks” men like to quilt too. There are links to over 10 web sites and blogs featuring African American male quilters in the book.

– Other well-known quilters include Michael Cummings of New York and Carole Harris of Detroit.

– Emerging art quilters are Aisha Lumumba of Atlanta, Georgia, and Cecelia “Cely” Pedescleaux of New Orleans.

– Kyra E. Hicks began her interest in the craft after being mesmerized by Eva Ungar Grudin’s 1990 traveling exhibition, “Stitching Memories: African-American Story Quilts.” She later taught herself to quilt.

– The most popular types of fabrics purchased for quiltmaking by Black quilters are African prints, abstracts, solids, and geometrics. These fabrics are chosen specifically to represent African American culture.

There are not just quilters but crafters who are in on the trend. There are textile artists, dollmakers, fabric designers, that join quilters from the African diaspora.

There is a growing interest in African American quilting right now. As a quilter, Hicks knows this intimately and hopes to turn more people on to this trend.

About the Author

“1.6 Million African American Quilters: Survey, Sites, and a Half-Dozen Art Quilt Blocks” has a directory of more than 270 web sites, blogs and YouTube videos featuring African American quilters and guilds. There are six unique art quilt blocks included in the book.

See http://www.black-threads.com to learn more about African American quilting.

by Eric Michot

As an artist, am I identifying with my art?

Do I become the product of my own creation as I am expressing what appears to be my creation?
Am I creating myself through my expression?
While I am creating an art form, am I being created?
Who is the artist? Me or the art I believe I create?

As I express the art from my consciousness, I become who I am, the creation, the creator, the one and the other, the presence within the space.
The absence of form within the formâEUR¦

Am I real before I create, therefore created?
Am I ever created before I am creating?
Who I am if not the expression of my own will and thoughts, ideas and the rest?
Can I be other than what I think? Can I see my thoughts as I see myself?
Who I am if I can see my thoughts? Who is looking?

I am no longer my thoughts as I become the observer who observes the thoughts.
Observing a creation which is me, which is my creation that is observing me.
Observing my creation creating me, I grow to be whole as I become aware of the presence within the space, the absence of form within the formâEUR¦

As an artist, am I identifying with my art?
Absolutely, if it means not doing soâEUR¦

What do I become from not being anymore?
Have I ever being anything if I am nothing now?
Am I ever nothing when I was something sometimes?
What is the definition of being? What is being a definition?
Do we define ourselves through definition of others?

Who are others? Ourselves?

As a human being, am I identifying with my life?
Do I believe I am my mind?
I may not be my mind; my mind may believe to be me.
It may doesn’t know more than its own experience.
My mind is my experience. The experience of itself.
The remembrance of its own existence.
Therefore believes it is what it remembers to be, through its own experience.
The mind is a loop, a never ending circleâEUR¦

I am the observer, not what is observed.
I am free from my mind, as I am looking; I am getting perspective.
I become the perspective. I believe I am the perspective as I become.
I create an identity with this idea as I understand it. I become what I understand,
As I understand what I become. Identifying with the idea of what I become.
Am I ever real? Are we identification? I am for now, until I indentify with the idea of not being identified.

As an artist, am I identifying with my art?

Author:

johan lopes

Although African American art is popular today in the United States, this form of art owes its origins to the local art of Central and West Africa. This art saw growth between the 17th and the early 19th centuries. During this period, the art took various forms, such as ceramic vessels, wrought iron figures, quilts and small drums. This art form was further popularized in the local markets of western European by artists, such as Joshua Johnson (painter from Baltimore) and Scipio Moorhead (engraver from New England).

Renaissance to Modern Day: The Journey of African American Art

The Harlem Renaissance (popularly known as the New Negro Movement) is considered to be the most remarkable movement that changed the course of African American art. This cultural movement, which spanned the entire 1920s and 1930s, spread the idea of freedom within the artistic community. This was the period that saw the advent of famous artists such as William H. Johnson, Palmer Hayden, Richmond Barthe and Hale Woodruff, to name a few. In an attempt to promote black artists, William E. Harmon established the Harmon Foundation, which supported a number of artists through its annually held exhibitions and the Harmon Award. Another attempt came in 1933, when the Public Works of Art Project was introduced by the US Treasury Department. However, this attempt wasn\’t too successful. It was after World War II (1939 – 1945) that African American art started getting international recognition, with exhibitions held in cities such as Paris, Amsterdam, and others. Today, this art form explores various fields, such as violence, sexuality, gender, race and identity.

African American Art Requires Support Even Today

Even after a long and vibrant history, the African American art community still needs support in the modern day world. Till a few years ago, most mainstream American art galleries didn\’t even feature African American art. Even if it made its way into the galleries, such art received very low price offerings. However, the recent White House campaign to bring back the wide diversity of this art form has been successful in popularizing this art form. But there is a much wider scope for black art apart from the expositions, auction prices and critical reviews. Today, this art form needs prominent advocacy so that it can easily reach out to people in every corner of this world.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/clothing-articles/the-splendor-of-african-american-art-5990849.html

About the Author

African Import USA is a leading dealer in African American art masterpieces. You can also find here the latest black college attire, black movie DVDs, African drums and much more right here.

Author:

Maigida Africanarts

Contemporary African American art is rapidly becoming a popular way to enhance your home d�cor. With its earthly tones and natural lines, African American art is not only beautiful to look at, but also creates an inviting richness to any room. In order to buy contemporary African American art, you need to know not only which artists are admired, but also where you can find legitimate pieces that will enhance your home. Here are some tips that will help you in your shopping.
To begin looking for contemporary African American art, you may want to stop at your local museum. Often, there will be a section devoted to this art time period and you can browse through it to see what pieces speak to you as a prospective art owner. Try to look at the colors and that figures that are painted or sculpted to see what you might like to include in your home. In addition, it may help to talk to the museum docent to see what other artists may not be represented in this display or which ones are the most relevant to the modern movement.
You can also find more information about contemporary African American art on the internet. By taking the time to look up various artists and their works, you can get a sense of what is available and what kinds of styles may appeal to you personally. You can also look at various dealer websites to see what if being sold through their stores as well as at auction websites that might offer better deals, though highly questionable authenticity. Take the time to print out pictures of the pieces that you like and take them with you when you are out looking at art stores and galleries.
Having some knowledge of the artists that are considered a part of the contemporary African American art time period will help you find the pieces immediately that you want to purchase. If you\’re insistent on having the proper time period, knowing who is working or who has worked on the pieces you may want to purchase is crucial. Create a list of five to ten artists that you are interested in purchasing and bring this list with you when you\’re out shopping. If you cannot find anyone on your list, the shop owner may be able to direct you to similar artists\’ work that might be in your price range.
The best places to look for contemporary African American art are galleries and websites that feature these works explicitly. You want to deal with a store owner or website owner that specializes in these types of art pieces in order to feel more secure about the authenticity of the work. And when you\’re dealing with someone that loves African American art as much as you do, the process is much more rewarding and inspiring. Try doing internet searches for your favorite artists or simply browse any local African American art stores in your local area.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/art-articles/buying-contemporary-african-american-art-132640.html

About the Author

Mr. Moyo Ogundipe has a Bachelors of Arts degree in Fine Art from the University of Ife, Ile-Ife, Nigeria. He is experienced in Traditional African Art, Modern African American Art . He has done many African Paintings and aftican art.Buy African paintings Online.

Author:

Maigida Africanarts

Whether you’re interested in adding modern African American art to your home collection or are just looking to integrate this art style into your décor, it’s imperative that you learn more about the background and history. While many of us know the basic ideas of where modern African American art was inspired, the more we know, the better we can include this art into our homes as well as our hearts.

It’s interesting to note that modern African American art began long before the idea of ‘modern art’ was conceived. As early back as slavery, African Americans were crafting iron pieces, pottery, quilts, baskets, cabinets, and silver. While many of these tasks were relegated to them, the utmost craftsmanship was required and thus the African American population became quite skilled in these crafts. What’s even more compelling about this situation is that the African Americans were generally allowed to sell any work they did in their ‘off time’ for profits they could keep, thus enabling them to purchase their freedom from their masters.

But while most of these early examples of modern African American art were for practical purposes, other African Americans began to create portraits as artistic pieces. Artists like Robert M. Douglas Jr. and Joshua Johnson were taught the basics of painting and composition on their own or through private tutoring, as deemed by their owners or by abolitionists that wanted the slaves to be able to save up to buy their freedom.

Once the Civil War ended and slavery was declared illegal, there was a resurgence in the time’s modern African American art movement. Pieces of these artists’ work were displayed more prominently in museums and private homes. And while these works tended to include simple nature scenes as well as portraits, they still found some struggle in getting shown in public areas in the United States. In Europe, however, African Americans were much more successful in garnering praise as well as showing of their work. Across the ocean, African Americans were able to try new styles of painting and art as they were generally accepted.

Moving into the modern African American art phase, these African American artists were bolstered by the Harlem Renaissance movement. More artists than ever were getting recognition for their work, thus paving the away for African American art to not only be accepted, but also celebrated in artistic circles. Even Roosevelt helped the African American art movement with the passing of his Works Progress Administration.

By seeing the struggles that the African American artists went through to come into this age of modern African American art, it’s easy to see how valuable these pieces are. When you bring a piece of African American art into your home, you not only celebrate the artists of this time, but all of the generations that came before. You celebrate the history of a people that have never given up on their talents, no matter how far others may have tried to push them down.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/art-articles/the-importance-of-modern-african-american-art-128933.html

About the Author

Mr. Moyo Ogundipe has a Bachelors of Arts degree in Fine Art from the University of Ife, Ile-Ife, Nigeria. He is experienced in Traditional African Art, Modern African American Art . He has done many African Paintings and aftican art.Buy African paintings Online.

Author:

Raj

The new millennia has seen the world go online ranging from the normal emails to the buying stuff online ranging from groceries, books, tickets almost everything became available in the virtual space. And the recently added players in the space are the online art galleries that display Indian contemporary and modern art.

One such player that has been making waves in the Indian art industry is the online web portal Breathe Arts. Breathe Arts is an e-commerce website that showcases Indian contemporary, modern and tribal art, photography, sculptures, and film memorabilia. The website facilitates an online gallery in every four months that runs for duration of six to eight weeks. The exhibition is an exclusive affair which provides access by invitation only.

Breathe Arts came into existence in the year 2010 and the way it is growing makes it nothing short of a child prodigy of Durva Gandhi. Durva Gandhi had already made a name for herself as an avid art collector, publisher, aesthetic consultant and curator for the last decade. Breathe arts is her baby born out of sheer passion she has for art as she truly breathes art, this is from where the venture derives its name.

When one goes through the website you find an inventory consists of 543 unique works of art from primary as well as secondary market sources across India. The website has successfully created a virtual space where the art collectors can look for art.

When it comes to decorating your home or office, every individual has a different taste of which painting to choose, like oil paintings on the wall, contemporary art paintings; etc.

Breathe arts which is an online art gallery has exhibited a multitude of art works of different artists. Paintings add a unique charm to your walls, so it is important to spend time for deciding the right art work that suits your style. Online art galleries are gaining popularity in today\’s world, some people may enjoy the activity of just relaxing at home or office and buying art works that suits their style. It also seems to be a happy medium than going to the art galleries and buying art work. On www.breathearts.com you can view the inventory that has a wide range of art works of different artists.

When you purchase an art work from breathe arts your time investment will be worth more than you paid for the art.

An online art gallery provides easy access to a wide selection of masterpieces for you to select. If you want to buy a genuine fine art painting you need to find a genuine art gallery for that, and here on breathe arts, the online art gallery you will find a varied collection of genuine fine art paintings from all the various art galleries in India at very attractive prices.

You could choose paintings from a collection of contemporary art works to the tribal Indian art works on www.breathearts.com

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/art-articles/a-virtual-space-for-art-collectors-4704886.html

About the Author

Author:

Maritza M. Conde

Theoretical Approaches to Learning Art

‘Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.’

Picasso

As educational leaders, it is our task to enhance learning with the theories that we learn throughout our educational experiences so our children as Picasso so nicely put it could keep their imagination and continue being artists for the rest of their lives. Art is ‘the use of skill and imagination in the creation of aesthetic objects, environments, or experiences that can be shared with others’ according to Britannica Online. In the broadest sense art is the one subject that has stayed closest to the older Latin meaning, which roughly translates to ‘skill’ or ‘craft,’ and from an Indo-European root meaning ‘arrangement’ or ‘to arrange.’ The purpose of this article is to explore the applications of eight to ten theories and use them to teach art education, while explaining how the information contained within the matrix created, could be transferred, and implemented to the art education program, while evaluating the pros and cons of each theory to the arts.

Theories

In the 21st century the educational system of the United States of America is in a process of change, in which it is merging and integrating new curriculums, theories, and programs into the system. All of the programs that have been created are focused on minority students, women, and students who have shown in one way or another that are at risk of not having the requirements to succeed in this educational system. Yet the techniques required for teacher to interact with the students has also been changing from writing to typing, books to computers; chalk boards to white boards; lecturing to team work.

Philosopher-educator John Dewey suggested that Americans face a choice between education as a function of society and society as a function of education. . . .Democracy demands the latter and requires citizens to develop the capacity to interpret, understand, and analyze knowledge, as well as to effectively communicate information, ideas, and concepts. (Romanowski, 2006, 9A)

Yet, theories are not permanent. They change due to our needs, culture, and beliefs for workable or accurate explanations of what the truth and purpose of education (p. 4). This may be because a theory according to DeMarrais and LeCompte (1999) is the ‘way we organize and explain the world we live in’ (p. 3). Throughout history, our social and cultural beliefs have been influencing the educational system with a range of social theories that include but are not limited to Functionalism, Marxism, Interpretivism, and Post-modernism, which have also influenced art. Geertz (1998) states that ‘these approaches place great importance on presentation of the ‘multiple voices’ of all participants – especially less powerful participants such as women, members of minority groups, and students’ (DeMarrais and LeCompte, 1999 p. 38). In other words, art education, science education, mathematics, and knowledge in general are important for all individual, no matter the sex, age, ethnicity, or social status. The learning theories used today in schools are not limited to social learning theory, behaviorism, cognitive dissonance, contiguity theory, cooperative learning, Gardner, Piaget, Situated learning, Skinner, Vygotsky, Weiner, and Constructivism among others.

Interpretive theory

The interpretive theory states that school planning requires a systematic plan that has predetermined objectives or standards like the NCLB Act of 2001, since written rules and procedures, hierarchy of authority, impartial treatment of students, hiring, have characterized it and advancement based upon official credentials of teachers. The function of our schools is to give the students the tools they need so in the future they would be able to make money, have technology and have the power to teach others what they would need for the future making them available for each student, teacher, and staff. This learner believes that the USA educational system is attempting to put together an ideal educational system with Bush\’s implementation of the No Child Left behind Act of 2001.

Under this law, every child in every racial, economical, and demographic group in every public school of the nation must improve their test scores in math and science standardized tests. According to King-Sears (2005), the phrase ‘highly qualified teacher’ used to ‘mean those who were fully certified and extraordinarily effective in teaching students’ (p. 187) but today according to the NCLB guidelines a ‘highly qualified teacher will have a bachelor\’s degree, be fully certified, and prove they know the content they teach’ (p. 187) by taking content specialized examinations. Teachers must be able to help children connect their learning to their own experiences and provide opportunities for students to manipulate and use resources to maximize academic growth. Art education is a tool used by teachers in every content area to help students connect the content learned to their own personal experiences.

Change Theories

According to Shapiro (2005), a theory of change refers to ‘the causal processes through which change comes about as a result of a program\’s strategies and action.’ These theories explore the reasoning that leads program leaders to their inferences about how changes happen. Most of there theories of change requires ‘backward mapping\’ or identify the outcomes of a program. According to Shapiro (2005), the theories of change are both explicit and implicit and most include:

• Frame the specific problems to be addressed
• Frame their intervention goal
• Identify processes through which change happens
• Describe their strategies, principals and specific methods for intervention
• Delineate short-and long-term intended effects

Trait theory

The trait theory states that individuals are born with a series of inherited characteristics that gives a person the sufficient combination of traits that are suited for life, these traits can also be measured through the individual\’s ability to perform a series of tasks or skills that will allow them to be efficient. This theory originated in the nineteenth century, when Gregory Mendel discovered that genes and inheritance played an important role in the characteristics and trait that an organism possessed. As the years passed, researchers focused into trying to discover the traits wanted for a particular task. In our case, many researchers focused on identifying the traits or skills needed to be successful in art.

In 1950, Myers & Briggs, a mother-daughter team, created a survey test that could identify sixteen traits that are thought to be inherited by simply answering a series of questions found at http://cbae.nmsu.edu/~dboje/teaching/490_ps1/step_1.htm . In 1974, Stogdill wrote a handbook in which he is able to identify a series of traits and skills that make a good artist such as creativity, diplomacy (that person can be tactful with others), clever, persuasive, observant, conceptually skilled, knowledgeable, organized, and a fluent speaker. Lots of other traits have been added to this theory depending on the model and organization that is implementing it. While other researchers like Machiaveli, McGregor, McClelland, Katz, Yukl, Flanagan, Bennis, and Boje continue to study and create more models based on inherited traits. While the new scientific discoveries on genes, characteristics, psychology, and chromosome dominance create more questions on the existing trait theories. Some of the questions this learner has are: 1) Does an artistic traits dominant or recessive. 2) Will scientists be able to identify a creativity gene? 3) Can a person with heterozygous genes be able to acquire and develop the traits or skills they would posses if their genes where homozygous? 4) Can we identify artists with a simple test?

Multiple Intelligence Theory

Dr. Howard Gardner developed the theory of multiple intelligence in 1983, which suggests that the traditional notion of intelligence, based on the individuals I.Q. testing is limited, so he proposed eight different intelligences based on a broader range of human potential in children and adults. Dr. Gardner (1993) says that we esteem highly articulate or logical people of our culture and that we should place equal attention on individuals who show gifts in the other intelligences such as artists, architects, musicians, naturalists, designers, dancers, therapists, entrepreneurs, and other individuals that enrich our society. Our society unfortunately does not reinforce children that posses these gift and labels them as ‘learning disabled’, ‘ADD (attention deficit disorder’, or calls them underachievers. Dr. Gardner (2000) suggests that teachers should ‘be trained to present their lessons in a wide variety of ways using music, cooperative learning, art activities, role play, multimedia, field trips, inner reflection, and much more’ According to Armstrong (1994),

The good news is that the theory of multiple intelligences has grabbed the attention of many educators around the country, and hundreds of schools are currently using its philosophy to redesign the way it educates children. The bad new is that there are thousands of schools still out there that teach in the same old dull way, through dry lectures, and boring worksheets and textbooks. The challenge is to get this information out to many more teachers, school administrators, and others who work with children, so that each child has the opportunity to learn in ways harmonious with their unique minds.

Cognitive Developmental Theory

Based on his life long research, Piaget felt that ‘students should not be seen as empty vessels to be filled by expert teachers, but rather active participants in the building of their own knowledge’ (Nagarjuna, 2006). According to Murray (2007), Piaget concluded ‘that schools should emphasize cooperative decision-making and problem solving, nurturing moral development by requiring students to work out common rules based on fairness’ (p. 2). Even though the explanations offered may be incorrect today, according to the latest adult sensibilities and research, but ‘the fact that children do offer explanations for these things shows that they are actively working to understand the world around them’ (Nagarjuna, 2006).

Jean Piaget viewed intelligence as a process that help an organism adapt to its environment and proposed four major periods of cognitive development. The four development stages described in Piaget\’s theory are (1) sensorimotor stage, (2) Preoperational stage, (3) Concrete operational stage, and (4) formal operational stage. Each cognitive structure in Piaget\’s theory is defined by a series of traits, and corresponds loosely to specific age. These chronological periods are not rigid rules, just approximate values to set the stages in an order starting from birth to 2 years of age defining the sensorimotor stage, where the children experience the world through movement and senses and learn object permanence. The preoperational stage starts from the age of 2 to 7 years and the child has an acquisition of motor skills. In the concrete operational stage starts from 7 to 11 years and the children begin to think logically about concrete events that are taking place in their environment. In the formal operational stage begins after the age of 11 and it is when the child develops of abstract reasoning of the world around them.

Vygotsky Cognitive Theory

Vygotsky\’s theory is an attempt to explain consciousness as the end product of socialization in which he insists that children\’s minds are shaped by the particular social and historical context in which they live and by their interactions with adults, explaining why educators will never be replaced with technology no matter the advances that we reach. His social development theories play a fundamental role in the development of cognition. Vygotsky (1978) states:

Every function in the child\’s cultural development appears twice: first, on the social level, and later, on the individual level; first, between people (interpsychological) and then inside the child (intrapsychological). This applies equally to voluntary attention, to logical memory, and to the formation of concepts. All the higher functions originate as actual relationships between individuals (p.57).

Vygostsky\’s theory of art developed a ‘dynamic overall approach by (1) the writer\’s intentions, era, and background; (2) the form, content, and symbolism of the literary piece; and (3) the readers\’ experience and interpretation of the work’ (Lindqvist, 2003). Vygostsky did not regards art as something spiritual and metaphysical, which raises the artists genius above the shape and contents of the work being created. Instead, he saw art as a reflection how society touches the people\’s lives and how society developed. Art is an excellent tool for studying not only society, but emotions, and psychology. According to Lindqvist (2003), ‘Vygostsky regarded the psychology of art as a theory of the social techniques of emotions. His analysis reflects the artistic process.’

Taoism

The Tao is a universal principle that covers everything from the creation of the galaxies to the way human interact with themselves and the world, showing the path needed to be followed. The Tao consists of 81 verses that are vast and go beyond all human logic. This collection of 81 short verses has survived over twenty-five centuries and their content still teaches us a great deal. The author of the Tao was  Lao Tzu, a royal librarian which was asked by the emperor to write all his knowledge before leaving the kingdom to wonder China (Windridge, 1999, p. 60). According to Manson, Taoism should not be described as a religion or a philosophy since the first step to interpreting the Tao is not to be guided by the labels. The Tao is the principal of all knowledge that is external and internal; eternal and mundane and it appears eternally. The Tao is an infinite and final cycle that starts and ends in the same time. To comprehend, the Tao, in plenitude you would need 200 lives of 100 years each and you would only be able to reach the beginning of a small end, which would be the spiral that reaches all the finalities of the mind, the spirit, psychology and evolves into human thought. This can be seen in Wu\’s translation of the Lao Tzu: Tao teh ching verse 7:

Heaven lasts long, and Earth abides. What is the secret of their durability? It is not because they do not live for themselves. That they can live so long? Therefore, the Sage wants to remain behind, but finds himself at the head of others; Reckons himself out,

But finds himself safe and secure. Is it not because he is selfless That his Self is realized? (p.15)

At the site http://www.thetao.info/tao/taoleader.htm shows how diverse verses of the Tao have been implemented to leadership, life, and education for example verse 17, ‘The highest type of ruler is one of whose existence the people are barely aware. Next comes one whom they love and praise. Next comes one whom they fear. Next comes one whom they despise and defy’ (Wu, 2005, p. 35). Yet a book written so long ago provides us insight on how to be leaders in the changing world of the 21st century.

According to Astin & Astin (2000), the Tao has no beginning or end, yet it evolves with the times, which determines its expressions due to an era, a social group, or a particular task. Learning in Taoism is always orientated to a higher calling a vision, a goal, a task, a proposed problem that is awaiting a solution that will guide civilization, a group or a company to reach peace, unity and a common goal among all its members perfect enough to be used in a classroom, art classes, and for life.

Elaboration Theory

The Elaboration theory is an extension of the work previously conducted by Ausubel on advance organizers and Bruner on spiral curriculum. According Reigeluth (1992), the elaboration theory specifies that classroom instruction needs to be organized in increasing order of complexity for optimal learning. Instruction needs to be from simple lesson is presented and then it keeps getting harder until all the tasks are taught and the goals are meet. Reigeluth (1992) suggests that the lesson start with a summary of the previous class and end the class with a synthesis of that day lesson. The Elaboration theory proposes seven major strategy components: (1) an elaborative sequence, (2) learning prerequisite sequences, (3) summary, (4) synthesis, (5) analogies, (6) cognitive strategies, and (7) learner control. Elaboration theory applies to the design of instruction for the cognitive domain.

Application to Art Education

A teacher is someone who takes your hand, opens your mind, and touches your heart.

Anonymous

Each theory helps educators prepare a well-developed lesson that includes various formats and learning styles. These help include all the students in the class while giving the instructor various tools to enhance the art education programs in our school systems.

Those who educate children well are more to be honored than parents, for these only gave life, those the art of living well.

Aristotle

Educators today need to have tools, skills, and abilities to reach the students within the schools. The multiple intelligence theory and the trait theory help educators classify the students in the classrooms. The cognitive theories, interpretative theory, and the elaboration theories help the educator map out the students learning process from simple to more complexes, not only within the grade but throughout life. According to Martin Luther King Jr. (1948), ‘The function of education, therefore, is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. But education which stops with efficiency may prove the greatest menace to society. The most dangerous criminal may be the man gifted with reason, but with no morals.’ In other words, education is the direct imparting of knowledge already accumulated from one who knows to one who is at the time ignorant. Yet according to Zuk & Dalton (1999), ‘The primary purpose of education is not to prepare children for jobs or to make our nation economically competitive in international markets. Public education is an important element of a working democracy and offers much more than measuring what we do in terms of dollars and cents or the economic return of our investment.’ Yet according to Holcomb (2007), ‘as a growing consensus of policymakers, educators, and parents agree that the arts are integral to learning, some districts are seeing a policy shift on the local and state level. In California, education and arts organizations have worked to secure a windfall arts budget that, in theory, would guarantee arts education in every public school in the state. The monies – $105 million in ongoing funds, and a one-time, $500 million line item for classroom equipment – are a legacy of the California Teacher Association\’s successful lawsuit on education funding.’

Art education has many benefits for the students and world we live in, so let use our knowledge on the theories available to us to enhance the students\’ knowledge of the world. According to the Indo-European root meaning of art, it is whatever has undergone a deliberate process of arrangement. Art can describe several things: a study of creative skill, a process of using the creative skill, a product of the creative skill, or the audience\’s experience with the creative skill. Art is something that visually stimulates an individual\’s thoughts, emotions, beliefs, or ideas. Art is a realized expression of an idea – it can take many different forms and serve many different purposes.

Education is an admirable thing, but it is well to remember from time to time that nothing that is worth knowing can be taught.

Oscar Wilder

Reference

Armstrong, T. (1994). Multiple Intelligences in the Classroom. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Astin, H., & Astin, A. (Eds.) (2000). Leadership Reconsidered: Engaging Higher Education in Social Change. Michigan: W.K. Kellogg Foundation.

Bergmann, H. (1999, October – December). Introducing a grass-roots model of leadership. Strategy & Leadership, 27(6), 15. Retrieved November 19, 2005, from the ProQuest database.

Boje, D. (2000, December 7). Traits: The journey from will to power to will to serve. The Leadership Box. Retrieved January 2, 2006, from http://cbae.nmsu.edu/~dboje/teaching/338/traits.htm

DeMarrais, K.B., & LeCompte, M.D. (1999). The Way Schools Work: A sociological analysis of education (3rd edition). New York: Addison-Wesley Longman.

Doyle, M. E.,  and Smith, M. K. (2001) ‘Classical leadership\’, the encyclopedia of informal education. Retrieved January 6, 2006, from http://www.infed.org/leadership/traditional_leadership.htm

Gardner, H. (1993). Multiple Intelligences: The Theory in Practice. New York: Basic.

Gardner, H. (2000). Intelligence Reframed:  Multiple Intelligences for the 21st Century.  New York:  Basic.

King-Sears, M.E. (2005, Summer). Are you highly qualified? The plight of effective special educators for students with learning disabilities. Learning Disability Quarterly, 28(3), 187- 188. Retrieved on March 29, 2006, from the EBSCOhost database.

King, M. (1948). The Purpose of Education. Retrieved on October 1, 2006 from             http://www.toptags.com/aama/voices/speeches/pofed.htm

McEwan, E. K. (2003). 10 Traits of highly effective principals: From good to great performance. California: Corwin Press.

Navarrette, R. (2006, March 1). Defending No Child Left Behind; {R,E,S,C Edition]. The San diego Union – Tribune, San Diego, California, B.7. Retrieved on March 23, 2006, from the ProQuest database.

No child left behind act of 2001. (n.d.). Retrieved March 14, 2005 from http://www.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/esea02/index.html?exp=0

Norris, W. R., & Vecchio, R.P. (1992, September). Situational leadership theory: A replication. Group & Organization Management, 17(3), 331. Retrieved November 19, 2005, from the InfoTrac database.

Reigeluth, C. (1992). Elaborating the elaboration theory. Educational Technology Research & Development, 40(3), 80-86.

Romanowski, M.H. (2006, Feb. 27). Did State Board of Education rule properly on evolution? – Part I of II; No.: Constrictions on teaching deprive students knowledge; {Home Final Edition]. Columbus Dispatch: Columbus, Ohio, pg. 9A. Retrieved March 15, 2006, from the ProQuest database.

Roush, M. (1989, March 27). An A study of our failing schools; [FINAL Edition].  USA Today (pre-1997 Fulltext). McLean, Va. p. 3D. Retrieved April 2, 2006, from the ProQuest database.

Stogdill, R. M. (1974). Handbook of leadership: A survey of the literature. New York: Free Press.

Tzu, L. (2005). Lao Tzu: Tao teh ching (Wu, J. C., Trnas.). Boston: Shambhala Classics.

Weiskittel, P. (1999, October). The concept of leadership. ANNA Journal, 26(5), 467. Retrieved November 19, 2005, from the ProQuest database.

Windridge, C. (1999). Tong sing: The chinese book of wisdom. New York: Barnes & Noble.

Zuk, Bill & Robert Dalton.  The gift horse:  alliances between business and arts education. A Fine FACTA, v 1 (2) Winter \’99 pg 31-35. Retrieved on October 1, 2006 from http://people.uleth.ca/~connie.chaplin/purped.html

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/education-articles/theoretical-approaches-to-learning-art-898236.html

About the Author

Maritza M. Conde
Science High School Teacher and Data Specialist
Education:
BS in General Biology 1999
Advance Certificate in K-12 Bilingual Education 2001
M.A. in Curriculum and Technology 2005
EDD in Organizational Leadership 2010

Great Things About Photography

Are you thinking about taking up the hobby of photography? Many who have already discovered this exciting and fulfilling hobby can tell you the top ten reasons why photography is so great. Maybe you will be captivated by this compelling and diverse art as well.

1. The Challenge of Getting the Perfect Picture
If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. Sometimes a hundred shots have to be taken and you have to try for several days to get just the picture you want. An individual must have patience, but at the end of the day a great sense of accomplishment is felt from capturing the best part.

2. Tell A Story
From beginning to end of a snowball fight, with people throwing their first snowball and eventually rolling in the snow and then dusting off, you can see the event and it tells the story of friendship, fun and joy of life. Looking at pictures of an old family farm from its humble beginnings to the growth and increase over a hundred years it tells a story of family, hard work and sacrifice. Everyone has a story, photos can share that story and bring it to life.

3. Express Individuality
A photographer subject matter will reflect their interests, likes and preferences. A photo can also reflect the individuality of a subject. The clothes they choose to wear and the location they want the pictures shot all show who they are and their personality.

4. Joy and Laughter Increase
Anyone who looks at their first grade picture can attest to this fact. What is more fun than looking back at your younger years or seeing the awkwardness of adolescence? In your later years of life, seeing a picture of your family working or playing together warms your heart and lets you remember good times and better health. A photo lets us travel over the decades and brings back moments that make us laugh and carries us through the hard times.

5. See Things Truly As They Are
Somethings are so perfect- the petals of a flower, the height of a Redwood, the still calm of the lake at dawn. They draw you in to the grace of nature and life in purity and simplicity. The sweet smile of a child reflects the goodness of life and all the hope for what we can become and achieve. This is what life is and who we are in it.

6. Solitude of the Dark Room
The magical atmosphere of the dark room leads you to discover the potential of the photograph. Lightness, darkness, shadows all are in the control of the photographer. It is a work done alone with your ideas and skills combined to bring out the story of the photo before you.

7. Understand the Emotions of Others
As you look over the events of history and witness the faces of those who endured the depression or see victims of the Holocaust you can see in their eyes what they have endured. Their faces portray their hearts and hurts and although you were not there, you understand what they carry with them a little more.

8. A Gift to Others of Their Most Precious Moments
After the couple returns from the honeymoon one of the first priorities is to get the wedding photos. One of the happiest days of their lives is recorded forever. When someone does something for you that you can’t do for yourself you feel indebted and forever grateful. It is a special gift to give someone their special memories and most cherished events.

9. Once You Capture a Moment You Can Display it
From the famous to the personal, photographs reveal lives of people. Some are placed in history books, some on the walls of a museum and some in the home. When they are displayed they are able to reach into the lives of others and stir emotion and thought. Photos are meant to be shared and seen.

10. The Only Way You Can Freeze Time
A photo is a moment frozen in time for a person to enjoy and remember whenever they want. The look, the expression, the emotion only happen for an instant. Although someone might carry it in their heart, with time the memory fades. If a photo is taken a child is able to see the happiness of their parents on their wedding day, a parent can see how small their child was the day they brought them home for the first time and all the years after as they grew to adulthood. All the birthdays, first days of school, vacations and friends can be captured and with you always. Time and space do not take a loved one from us when we can see them and the moments we share together, always.

Author Bio
Francesca Black enjoys photography as a hobby and manages content at Future Photo http://www.future-photo.com and Photo Wizard www.photo-wizard.net

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Best Digital Prints: Things to Remember

So, you have captured that wonderful moment, a beautiful image in your digital camera!

Now, you are preparing to take a print to make a gift to your dear and near one or for your personal collection!

Now here is the crux!

In the majority of such cases, as our experience tells us, people are not sure what the maximum size can be for a digital print, without that image distorting! Many people think that they can make the image as big as they want, then print without knowing about the “image stitching technique”! And when there is distortion, they blame the printer for low visual quality.

One must remember that what looks the worst from a close distance may look the best if the distance between the image and the viewer is increased (10 to 15 feet or more) in case of larger digital prints.

While taking digital prints, the photographer should consider critically how the image will be displayed for a better, if not the best viewing experience.

There are some digital printers too, who do not know the limit or only who only concentrate on money rather than the quality of the output offered. Sometimes they forget that what is merely a digital photo to them, may be a precious moment to the photographer, which may never be repeated!

The maximum size that a printout of a digital photo can be, depends on various aspects. But the common aspect can be the following if you are thinking of having your photo printed for yourself:

If you are using a commercial 1.2 mega pixel camera, the best digital prints may come as around an 8×10′ photo, whereas an 11×14′ is almost the limit.

If you are using a commercial 3 mega pixel camera, the best digital prints may come as around an 11×14′ photo, whereas a 16×20′ is almost the limit.

If you are using a commercial 4 mega pixel camera, the best digital prints may come as around a 20×24′ photo, whereas a 30×40′ is almost the limit.

Another way of estimating the best possible result before taking digital prints, is calculating PPI (final print resolution). If you divide the width (pixel) by your desired print size (inches) you get PPI. As a general rule, if your final print PPI is around 200 to 400, you get an overall good digital photo.

Having a photo printer at home may save you for in some instances. However buying a printer is not a lasting solution for having quality digital photos. The cost is often too high in comparison to the reasonable prices offered by renowned printers for digital prints.

These days you don’t need to go out searching for printers from the high street to produce a good quality digital print! You can find better quality and cheaper digital prints sitting back at home over internet.

Hopefully, getting your quality digital prints will not be so hard next time.

Happy imaging.

Author Bio
John Oxton is a professional photographer, printer and a freelance investigative writer. For more information regarding digital photo, and cheap online prints he recommends you to visit, www.colorama.co.uk

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