The discussion this week has centered on the theory and science of Education. As we make the transition into our final teaching unit before the final project, I’d like to submit to you the idea that what we mean by Education in its purest, noblest form is not Science but Art.
Art is the word we use when we refer to that creative activity or its result, when images and objects, sights and sounds, drawings and carvings, convey the beauty and splendor of the world, or realize the imagination of the artist, for the purpose of self-expression or the shared enjoyment of its creation. Art is that which elevates our interpretation of the world and of ourselves from mere description or narrative, to the sublime.
Of course there are aspects of the practice that are scientific in nature. The Art world is full of examples that parallel. The math in perspective. The chemistry in pigments. The physics of sculpture. All these artistic expressions require a solid grounding in the relevant science, but the final expression — the ultimate outcome — is not something that is science. Education is the process of sharing “the beauty and splendor of the world” with our students. We use scientific principles the same way a painter uses perspective and color. We apply technical knowledge the same way that a marble sculptor wields hammer and chisel. We strive to help our students to perceive the world by combining these technologies with our own inspiration and passion.
This notion is at the heart of the disatisfaction that teachers have with “teaching to the test” but it’s seldom expressed as a violation of artistic integrity. The teacher will say “I don’t want students who can pass the test! I want students who know something!” My belief — and it’s only an opinion — is that the “something” we want students to know is the inspiration and passion that we, as teachers, have for a particular domain of knowledge. For me, personally and anecdotally, I teach in this field to inspire all of you with the ideas and ideals that education at a distance can afford. I spend huge amounts of time passionately engaged in figuring out ways to share the “splendor of the world” with you, jn working within the scientific constraints of screen, bandwidth, interaction, and memory, and in creating experiences that will provide you with your own insight into the field.
Like Art, not every work appeals to everybody. Likewise, not every lesson works for everybody — or anybody, sometimes. Sometimes the failure is in providing sufficient support so you can recognize the splendor in what you’re seeing. Sometimes its a matter of waiting for the experience to mature like the first week of class where you all mostly went “GAAAHH!!” and then discovered several weeks later that it was all part of the plan. Art is not necessarily in the eye of the beholder like Beauty, but more likely exists in the mind of the Artist.
My answer on the “Art or Science” question is an emphatic “Art!”