Tech Resources class: 2nd Question Final

2. Discuss some ways that you can use your art to enhance students acquiring English literacy skills.

John Dewey’s book Experience and Education is a “lucid analysis of both traditional and progressive education.” (Alfred L. Hall-Quest).  Dewey believes that neither the old nor the new education is adequate. However, both need of each of other. If we were to teach English literacy in the “old ways,” the teacher would be limited to pen, paper, book and blackboard.  If we were to teach English literacy in the “new ways,” it would mean endless number of possibilities.  The teacher can use technology to enhance learning. Videos and music as part of the daily interaction or engagement  with the language.  We can go beyond that and we can use the arts. For instance, a arts and craft teacher, can ask students to use different vocabulary words to describe what they make. A paint teacher can ask students to describes the different colors, themes, symbols and gestures that they see in a particular painting.  A music teacher, can use music symbols, notation, and listening exercises that allow the student to express himself.

In his book, Music Matters, Dr. David Elliot argues that arts, particularly music has tremendous significant in education. He opposes the old and traditional belief that  reduce music to an aesthetic experience. He states, “…This set of beliefs is commonly known as the philosophy of ‘music education as aesthetic education’ or MEAE for short. Unfortunately, there are compelling reasons to believe that the MEAE philosophy is theoretically and practically unsound, as several philosophers now argue. (Elliot,  pg. 5).

Furthermore, many educators would agree that music is language. Therefore, it must not be teaching only in the traditional way. It needs a life giving-acting experience. This is the same of English as a language. It must use the arts in order to make a “jump” between the abstract concepts of the language and the actual use of it.

According to Elliot, “the original meaning for the art had much more to do with the PROCESS than with the PRODUCT (Elliot, pg. 22).” In other words, Greeks were interesting in the process of making certain object beautiful or magnificent.  How did the sculpture, painter or musician came to such inspiration? How did he  choose the colors, shapes or notes? Likewise, arts can provide the essential tools for students who find themselves limited in the traditional teaching ways.  

~Ab