14 Weeks Later- Purpose of Education in a Democracy.

From my first entry about education in democracy until now, my feelings have stayed the same. The purpose of education in a democracy is to develop a students knowledge and skill as they grow into young adults. Education is to prepare the students for the work ahead of them and so they can contribute their knowledge to society. It is not only to create the "good" citizens but to also push people to do their best and achieve. Without educated citizens our society would be nothing. The people we educate are the ones who grow up and make a difference in the world by being a part of it. By saying "being a part of it" I mean that we educate them for their careers. Without education we would have no doctors, lawyers, or school teacher. In order for our society to be successful we need educated citizens to be a part of it. We educate for a purpose and that is to help people grow and expand their knowledge to the best of their abilities so the world and technology can grow as well. However, not only the educated are successful. So much technology and methods of life came from people who were never educated. Does this mean that only certain people should be educated? How do we know who to educate and who to not? Or should we just educate the people who excel in one field anyway? Maybe educating those who already excel in life can make for an even more advanced world. Exposing them to new ideas can bring about new discoveries. No matter what situation, education is important and truthfully education is the key to democracy.

Community Service.- RESPECT

The community service I did at Arts High School was very enjoyable. I learned more about the school and what it's like to be a teacher; more at community service than I did while shadowing. For my community service I assisted with a ceramics teachers class. The time I spent with that class taught me a lot about how a teacher should act in the classroom and how their attitude contributes to the overall classroom environment.

People usually think that teachers must be very hard on their students and always be strict. The problem with that philosophy is that students don't like teachers who are hard on them and always tend to rebel against those teachers. A successful teacher respects his/her students and is stern with them while letting them know he/she cares. To get respect you have to give it. While being at Arts High School, I saw that the more a teacher respected their students, the more respect they got back from them.

Respect within the classroom not only helps break that barrier between students and teachers, but also helps with the students whole learning experience. I have come to realize while at Arts that the students who are more motivated are always the ones who communicate with their teacher respectfully. Teachers who are stern with their students while giving them respect and let the them know that they care about the students well being, are the ones who are truly successful in what they do.

Summary of Project Findings

As future art teachers, we have been researching the impact of the arts on academic achievement. Through the research that we found, we believe that it is important for the schools and the students to know the profound proficiencies the arts can have on the curriculum. Art helps the overall cognitive development, motivation, and self-expression of students. Data were collected through interviews, journals, personal experience, and fieldwork. Data revealed that art education in fact affected student's academics in terms of having different perspectives and becoming more comfortable with self-expression and communication skills.

What I am learning from my inquiry project, what i have found, and how does it change my perspective on public education.

I'm learning a lot about how art really effects children and how important it is in education. Art helps students in expressing who they are and helps them inquire more about what they learn. Since art is a subject with little guidelines and rules to whats right or wrong, it makes it a positive element in any child's school experience. Without art there would be no expressiveness and personality in students. Art helps to mold students into what they want to be by giving them choices about how to do things and what to think rather than only expressing one way to do or think like other subjects such as history or science. I never really thought about how art effects academics until now. I understood that art helped children with expressing themselves, but what I did not know was that it had a bigger positive effect on academic achievement. My inquiry project is shaping my understanding of why we really need art in public education. Researching this topic has made me realize all the positive aspects art has on students. It helps them learn that exploring the meanings and purpose of things is OK, and necessary to a successful learning experience. I really do feel that art lightens the educational curriculum as does any free willed class.

Inquiry Project Introduction

"Art is everywhere, except it has to pass through a creative mind." I have come to realize that art is all over from the sidewalk chalk drawings, to the shoes we wear. Allowing art in academic classrooms give students a chance to experience active learning while expressing their individualism. Art has been able to aid the development of certain skills needed in our society. Critical thinking, creative problem solving, effective communication, originality, imagination, ownership in learning, and teamwork are just a few examples of the influence that art can have on students in schools. There have been critics who believe art is not relevant in our education systems, that there is no place for it. As budgets are getting cut, it is quite evident that the subjects not present on standardized testing will suffer the most. Art education, although a crucial factor in a student’s academic life, suffers first and most. I will delve deeper into the history of art education, the cognitive and social affects on students, and touch upon four essential questions. What are our schools like, and how did they get that way? Who are our students? Who are our teachers? What are the characteristics of an effective teacher? It is important to realize that art is all around us. Not only does it have a direct affect on academic achievement by aiding in the creative learning of children; it helps them develop their individualism and the person they are destined to be. Art is a beautiful part of our lives; imagine what our world would be like without all of the Picasso's, Van Gogh's, and Caravaggio's. Art holds an essential place in the world, and in our school system. Why would we want to prevent the creation of art and the acceptance and understanding people have acquired towards it over the years?