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Elliot Eisner’s 10 Lessons

Why The Arts Are Important.

Sep 27, 2006

In "The Arts and the Creation of Mind". Eisner discusses why Arts Education is important as the Arts battle forward to lay their claim within essential curriculum.

His work has been outlined on the National Art Education Association website.

The arts teach students

how to make good judgments about qualitative relationships.

that problems can have more than one solution

(celebrate) multiple perspectives.

that in complex forms of problem solving purposes are seldom fixed, but change with circumstance and opportunity

(make vivid) the fact that neither words in their literal form nor number exhaust what we can know.

that small differences can have large effects.

to think through and within a material.

how to learn how to say what cannot be said.

to have experience that can be had from no other source

"The arts' position in the school curriculum symbolizes to the young what adults believe is important. "

The Arts and the Creation of Mind. Chapter 4, What the Arts Teach and How It Shows. (pp. 70-92). 2002. Yale University Press

If educators do not allow sufficient space in the day for students to explore the world in their own way using the capacities that suite them best they miss out on a whole form of experiencing that will be necessary for them to attain a high quality of life when they graduate. Students need to be able to make value judgments and to discern what is important for them with regard to quality of life.

Some sources go as far as to say that Democracy itself is at risk if students are not taught how to be discerning and how to live well with other cultures. To function in democracy voters need to know how to become informed about issues without being caught up in hyperbole or to just follow the crowd. Experiencing the world from a variety of positions can help the student form this ability.

A well balanced education that addresses the spiritual, emotional, psychological and physical needs of the students whilst at the same time training them for their chosen 'life's career' is of benefit to all. The ideal would be that the arts are interwoven with all aspects of the curriculum. This would ensure that Multiple Intelligences are spoken to and engaged with in a variety of subtle as well as explicit ways.

The copyright of the article Elliot Eisner’s 10 Lessons in Arts Education is owned by Jo Murphy. Permission to republish Elliot Eisner’s 10 Lessons in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.