DEJ #6 Art Becomes The 4th 'R'

Quote: "To keep this from happening, art must be considered the fourth R: a literacy as solid as reading, 'riting, and 'rithmetic. When was the last time a school board discussed cutting any of these subjects from the curriculum? When art is considered a literacy and is as embedded in the curriculum and in our cultural psyche as the other three Rs, it will become self-perpetuating, inevitable, and unquestioned. Fortunately, the world of multimedia and the Internet gives us the opportunity, rationale, and a broad base of support to make that happen." (Ohler 2000).

Response: I once took an art class, and throughout the whole semester we tried to deteremine the definition of art, and what was or wasn't art.  I've come to the conclusion that basically everything deals with art; there could be a blank piece of paper with a dab of ink in the center and it can be considered art.  As long as there is a explaination that goes along with it, it is most likely going to be considered art.  Therefore if art is everywhere around us, we should incorporate it into the classroom.  Students should be able to make their own art with the help of technology and also have an explaination to go along with it.  This also allows the to be creative and to express theirselves in ways they might not be able to do with a paper.

Reference:

Ohler, Jason. "Art Becomes the Next R." Educational Leadership Magazine Oct. 2000: 16-19. Web. 27 Feb. 2012. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vCKbHYY-gzXtLXnLak8i_hoV7TPAOfxNIamNrkWW3Pc/edit#.

Additional Resource:
Incorporating Art Into the Classroom