With the proliferation of visual art forms in the twentieth century, aesthetic education increases in importance as a component of the school curriculum. The Art Education program at Appalachian State University prepares knowledgeable, creative, and resourceful art teachers who: recognize the importance of visual art to life; cultivate positive creative outlets of expression; develop critical awareness of our culture’s visual imagery; address the integration of visual art with other school subjects, link aesthetic issues to social/environmental problems, and acknowledge and embrace cultural diversity. Thus, our art education students are prepared to effect change to improve the quality of all life through the art experience.
The degree awarded is the Bachelor of Science in Art Education (K-12) with North Carolina Teacher Certification. The program of study for art education students consists of the following three areas: the university liberal arts general core of courses, the professional education core of courses, and the art major core of courses which includes studio, art history, aesthetics, criticism, and art education.
The four art education courses provide extensive theory as well as ample opportunity for practice teaching. The first course, entitled Professional Survey, focuses on writing, word-processing, and e-mail skills while introducing the major issues confronting the field of art education. Students observe art teaching/learning in a variety of settings. The second course, entitled Pre-School Through Age 12, emphasizes lesson preparation and internet research skills with a multicultural focus for teaching situations involving young children through pre-adolescents. Students actually teach elementary students in a public school setting. The third course, Adolescence through Adulthood, focuses on speaking skills while addressing art education issues relating to the teaching/learning of adolescents and adults. Students devise a socially relevant art lesson and then teach it in various settings (after school programs, senior residences, high schools, etc.). The fourth course, Curriculum and Professional Preparation, comprises studies in curriculum theory, development, management and evaluation. Students design lessons for and participate in alternative learning environments that include hyper space and/or non-traditional settings. Students exit the program with a teaching portfolio reflecting their substantial knowledge and experience in art education.
The outstanding faculty, facilities, and program provide the Art Education student with the skills, tools, knowledge, and experience necessary to make teaching art a successful and rewarding vocation in a fast-paced, ever-changing world.
Goals
- To apply a philosophy that meaningfully integrates an encompassing view of art education and life experiences.
- To apply a global perspective to issues of culture (including class, race, gender, ethnicity, values, etc.) as they apply to the art experience.
- To effect change through the art experience to improve the quality of all life.
- To possess knowledge of the content area (including studio, criticism, history, aesthetics, etc.) and to continually draw from and seek to expand that knowledge base.
- To exemplify the attitude of a professional in regard to the belief in the
absolute importance of art in life, and to be capable of nurturing others while continually evolving toward self-actualization.
- To be capable of identifying, questioning, and understanding the position of others and their relation to art education so as to informatively discriminate as a
professional.
Practicum Experiences
Learning to be a master teacher requires practice. Art education majors have opportunities to teach in every art education course. They have practicum teaching experiences with Pre-K children; elementary, middle school, and high school youth; as well as with home-schooled children, those in after school programs, at-risk youth, the developmentally disabled, adults, and
the elderly. In collaboration with The Community Art School of the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts, the Watauga Public Schools, and the Boone community, we offer numerous opportunities for art education majors to hone their teaching skills.
Teaching Portfolio
To help our students obtain a teaching position, we have them develop a Teaching Portfolio throughout the art education classes. This portfolio highlights their accomplishments as artists and showcases their teaching experiences and curriculum development. Teaching portfolios include: A
resume, Philosophy of Education, Documented Teaching Experience, An Elementary Lesson and Curriculum, A Middle School Lesson and Curriculum, A High School Lesson and Curricula, An Artist's Statement with Examples of Artwork, and the Technology Folder.
Art Education Club
Most Art Education students participate in the Art Education Club, which serves as Appalachian's student chapter of the National Art Education Association and the North Carolina Art Education Association. As student-members in these national and state professional organizations, art
education majors become more familiar with contemporary issues in their field and acquire a foundation for professional development when they are teachers. Activities include fundraising to attend state and national art education conferences; community service; and trips to exceptional art programs, exhibitions, and speakers.
Art Education scholarships
In addition to the scholarships offered by the university, and the Reich College of Education, there are scholarships available to art majors and one specifically for art education majors.
The Reese Penland Scholarship for Art Education includes tuition, room and board, and a small stipend for materials for any of the two-week summer sessions at Penland School of Craft.
Other scholarships in the Art Department available for art education majors include: Burress Scholarship, Petschaur Polson Penland Scholarship, PSI Scholarship, Martin and Doris Rosen Scholarship, College of Fine and Applied Arts Scholarship, Purveyors of Art and Design Materials Inc. Annual Scholarship, The Art Mart Annual Scholarship, Cheap Joe's Annual Scholarship, and The Randolph A. Johnson Scholarship Endowment for Art.
