"This country has been the basis of my being. And when it's no longer there, you know, it's unthinkable." Ueantabo Mackenzie's haunting words in the PBS NOW documentary "Paradise Lost" shook the author. He knew he wanted to teach a unit on global warming, especially after participating in the Portland-area Rethinking Schools…

This article explores the possibilities for effecting Transformative Learning in students of German language and culture through the use of popular music videos, in both the target and the students' own languages. Transformative Learning, a term that has differing valences in numerous academic disciplines, is employed here in its social-scientific…

This document examines the key elements of Canadian artist Arthur Lismer's life (1885-1969) and depicts his philosophy as an art educator by excerpting his writings. In addition, the paper examines that philosophy against the framework of Barer-Stein's Universal Learning Process to emphasize the difference between "role internalizing"…

Media literacy is a topic that is being addressed globally as greater numbers of people become aware of the need to teach audience members how they are influenced by the media. Here, two of its broad categories - captive and voluntary - are identified. Examples of media literacy programs in Canada and Australia are also presented to illustrate the…

Video offers an immediacy that can stimulate students' thinking. Sharing the experience of a film documentary in a classroom setting, for instance, creates a bridge between the everyday experience of students and unfamiliar new information. The human faces and voices on the screen and the comfortable structure of narrative can personalize abstract…

This paper explores the concepts of representation and response as illustrated, first, by "seeing-in" (Wollheim, 1980, 1987) or by the "reading" of a painting in which the viewer regards a particular painting from different perspectives and angles. In both instances, the reading involves a dual engagement with the substance and the medium. This…

Discusses how to use art in introductory political theory courses. Provides examples of incorporating art to teach political theory, such as examining Machiavelli's "The Prince" and Michelangelo's "David" to understand Florentine (Florence, Italy) political theory. (CMK)

Describes a college course on the sociology of sport, in which students reflect on their own experiences and practices in sport, engage in critical analysis of the taken-for-granted values and assumptions associated with sport, and do construct analysis and deconstruction of televised sport as it promotes certain interests and marginalizes others.…

Illustrates reader-response theory by discussing a piece of Chinese art, "A Book from the Sky." Examines the relationship between and among viewer, text or artwork, and artist; and attempts to determine the meanings viewers of different ages, genders, ethnicity, and professions construct in reaction to the work of art and to postmodern…

This paper presents evidence for the positive impact of television on 1,500 children, aged 6 to 16 years old, specifically concerning their conceptions of beauty. The role of television was repeatedly mentioned by the subjects although it was not the primary research goal of the researcher. Examples of children's descriptions of beauty as derived…

Art education can be used as a focal point in studying peace education and gender issues. One aspect of peace education is the field of human relations and that can include issues of gender. Basic concepts of patriarchy, sexism, feminism, and women's liberation can be studied through art. Finnish art education curriculum provides three areas for…

Discusses using educational and popular films and television for history instruction. Argues that students need training to see the bias built into film making through the editing process. Urges that critical thinking must be developed in students to make use of mass media coverage of historical and current events as teaching tools. (DK)

Explores the role of genre painting in the education and socialization of 17th-century Dutch children. Focuses on three types of painted scenes that transmitted educational messages: the private sphere of family life and the public domain of the street and of the school. (MJP)

Maintains that the various components of philosophical inquiry (reasoning, forming concepts, translating) can serve as useful methods for art education research. Discusses four approaches to philosophical research: analytic, phenemenological, feminist, and pragmatic. Reviews examples of each drawn from recent art education literature. (MJP)

Advocates reconceptualizing visual arts as a core subject embodying key elements of experiential learning and critical thinking through an interdisciplinary approach. Illustrates this approach with a discussion of the interconnected issues surrounding family snapshots (social history, aesthetics, technological advancement). Discusses issues of…