Discusses the life and paintings of Vincent van Gogh, focusing on "The Road Meanders," and describes how to teach students through the painting (e.g., analyzing colors, discussing feelings it evokes, and writing poems that speak to the people in the painting). A copy of the painting is included. (SM)

Reflects on three articles in this themed issue written by classroom teachers, describing how and why they incorporate the arts into the heart of their language arts instruction. Concludes that sign systems and the arts are powerful tools for thinking, whether they are used efferently, to represent specific information, or aesthetically, to create…

In response to changes with content and curricula, and to enable future teachers to be successful, the author has created a very basic guide to creating a quality unit. It is simple in nature so as to allow for numerous artworks, perspectives, and styles of teaching to be incorporated within the organization of the unit. These guidelines are most…

An educator with a serious interest in incorporating critical thinking into a school curriculum might feel the need to be an expert in critical thinking simply to evaluate the many existing approaches which bear that name. Furthermore, this problem would seem to be compounded if critical thinking and the creation of art were asserted to be…

Teachers, researchers, and performers in the field of Performance Studies often find themselves defining what it is that they do. Boundaries are often hard to draw, however. Is the work they are doing "art?" The distinction is important to funding agencies, tenure committees, and university administration. One definition of art…

Explores how teachers in early childhood programs can contribute to the aesthetic development of young children. Suggestions include sharing awareness of beauty; attending to design of school environment; providing fine art in classroom; exploring artwork with children; providing beautiful books; direct experience with art/artists; providing…

Feels education has neglected the visual and creative parts of the self accessible through art. Offers a rationale for having K-12 students draw for 30 minutes daily following structured visual exercises to strengthen skills in seeing, remembering, and connecting. Offers a critique of Mortimer Adler's Paideia Proposal. (DMM)

The role of arts education has been receiving increasing emphasis in early childhood education. This paper maintains that teaching itself may be considered an artistic, creative activity in the following ways: (1) teaching presents an artistic performance to the student; (2) the teacher has to make judgments during the course of instruction; (3)…

Outlines the benefits of using art activities with special education students. Part of a theme issue on art for special needs students. (SJL)

Describes how Zen and the art of pottery expand into a Great Tradition where the potter dreams his forms in a realm of imagination between sense and mind. Explains how decoration plays a vital role connecting art and our life-world. Outlines how students need a decade to reach this spiritual level. (KM)

A sequential program of teacher education is presented, viewing teaching as an art and proposing that teacher education should cultivate a creative outlook, an understanding of the intellectual foundations of artistic teaching, a working knowledge of the technology of the teacher's craft, and a personal style of artistic teaching. (PB)

Argues that the unique interrelationship of art, reading, and writing offers teachers a variety of opportunities to nurture students' artistic imagination. Describes several strategies that can be used to explore images through writing and to explore images through reading. (SR)

Describes a project in which students combined personal narratives, drawings, and Japanese woodblock prints. Includes three examples of students' stories and prints. (SR)

One solution for school counselors with regard to their dilemma of greater caseloads and less time is the use of brief or time-limited counseling techniques. Using art when counseling adolescents can achieve this same goal. Article aims to provide secondary school counselors with a step-by-step introduction to the use of art when counseling…

Provides paper play activities for toddler-, preschool-, and school-age children. Lists materials needed, and includes photographs illustrating final craft products. (JPB)