Elliot Eisner - what can education learn from the arts about the practice of education?

"the aim of education ought to be conceived of as the preparation of artists. By the term artist neither he nor I mean necessarily painters and dancers, poets and playwrights. We mean individuals who have developed the ideas, the sensibilities, the skills, and the imagination to create work that is well proportioned, skilfully executed, and imaginative, regardless of the domain in which an individual works. The highest accolade we can confer upon someone is to say that he or she is an artist whether as a carpenter or a surgeon, a cook or an engineer, a physicist or a teacher. The fine arts have no monopoly on the artistic."

- Elliot Eisner

for the entire transcription of his speech, given in 2002 at Stanford University, go HERE.

Mission Statement

A Mission Statement for this blog:

The GreenFire kiln at Noble and Greenough School.

I have decided to start this blog as a way of discussing some the issues that I return to again and again in the field of education. I am interested in learning more about the view points surrounding arts education, especially at the secondary school level. Clay is my medium but I would welcome input from educators, parents, administrators, town officials, etc. that pertain to any visual medium.

As this blog progresses, I hope we can explore many of the various issues in this area: content vs. competency, where arts fits into a high school/college/elementary school curriculum, public education vs. private, funding, the college application process and its effect of schools...

If any future readers want to bring on issues that are important to you, please bring them up. I welcome all input and truly hope this can become an active forum for all involved.

A little about who I am: I have been teaching ceramics at Noble and Greenough School in Dedham MA for 13 years. I have also taught at Sewickley Academy outside of Pittsburgh and at Phillips Andover in Massachusetts. I have taught drawing, painting, printmaking, and ceramics at the high school level as well as drawing and 2D design at number of community colleges while living in Portland, OR.