History of Teaching Art

Art Education Should See Itself as Promoting

(a) An adequate level of insight into the nature of aesthetic experience.

(b) The ability to recognize aesthetic qualities in a wide variety of visual experiences.

(c) The knowledge and skills to use some aesthetic encounters as ways to understand the workings of the economic, political, and social world and how that world can be bettered.

Five Faces of Art Education

1. The Magician

2. The Mechanics

3. The Merchants

4. The Muckrakers

5. The Mosaicist

Reflection

Lanier's ideas were far ahead of his time. Four of his main ideas: developing self-identity, aesthetics, social change, and morality fall within my own teaching philosophy. I share a passion with Lanier towards shaping the future of art education. Modern technology has enabled several of his ideas outlined in red to manifest. Social media and the global Internet have led to widespread sharing of ideas, within an image-centered culture. Breakthroughs in Artificial Intelligence and machine learning have allowed for DeepDream, Ezimba, and other computer-based image generators.

Societal changes and technological advancements have allowed for visual culture to be used to promote equality and peace. As an educator, I aspire to change the status quo and look towards the future for insight into how to shape the present moment. We are on the cusp of major breakthroughs in the next evolution of visual images, virtual, augmented, and mixed reality.