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New York City
August 2002

Art in the Curriculum
By Marcia Osterink

Leadership in education lies with those who understand the complex dual functions – verbal and visual – of the brain, and are open to making the creative process the centerpiece of education. These enlightened educators no longer regard teaching visual art as an educational ornamentation. They are making it an essential part of the curriculum.

What did it take for educators to make this shift in thinking? Throwing away old misconceptions, for example that art is a mindless activity involving only the use of hands. Rudolph Arnheim, Harvard professor of the psychology of art, says that all thought processes rely on images. The belief that only those who are “gifted” in art can experience success, is another misconception. No other subject in school is approached with the idea that you need to be good in it to learn it.

Art is a skill everyone could have according to a study done by Roger Sperry at Cal Tech. It shows that all people can learn to draw, as every brain has the potential for it. It is the right side of the brain specifically that controls imagining and visualizing. By accessing this part of the brain, a person can learn to draw.

Art is not just a nice little ability, either. According to educational psychologist Howard Gardener of Harvard University, there are seven intelligences, not just the two that are now tested by the IQ and SAT tests. One of the neglected intelligences, spatial intelligence, deals directly with art.

Once convinced of the importance of art education, planning for a program begins. A program with the principles and concepts of art taught in a sequential fashion. Where line, color , shape, and texture are repeated throughout the grades with hands on lessons. Through art, students can begin to experience a new visual world.#

Marcia Osterink is the publisher and CEO of Arts Attack, an elementary school arts curriculum.

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Education Update, Inc., P.O. Box 20005, New York, NY 10001.
Tel: (212) 481-5519. Fax: (212) 481-3919.Email: ednews1@aol.com.
All material is copyrighted and may not be printed without express consent of the publisher. © 2002.


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