Reading Review 1 Wyatt A. Schultz January 7, 2014 Sienkiewicz, C. (1985). The Froebelian kindergarten as an art academy. In B.

Wilson & H. Hoffa (Eds.), The history of art education: Proceedings from the Penn State conference (pp. 125-137). Reston, VA: National Art Education Association. Strauch-Nelson, W. (2012a). Reuniting art and nature in the life of the child. Art Education, 65(3), 33-38. Strauch-Nelson, W. (2012b). Transplanting Froebel into the present, International Journal of Education through Art, 8(1), 5972. doi: 10.1386/eta.8.1.59_1 Summary: This review examines Friedrich Froebels revolutionary Kindergarten as a child-centered, highly spiritual, educational environment. Children explore this development of religious feelings from the living soul-unity between parents and child to a later realization of a metaphysical unity of the universe. (Sienkiewicz, 1984, p. 130) This is done through a close communion with God, humanity, and nature. (Strauch-Nelson, 2012b, p. 67) Froebel believed that mental life was the outgrowth of the incessant creativeness of the divine, and the link between man and God as for him so close that emotions, much better than logical operations, could help man understand his own nature. (Sienkiewicz, 1985, p. 130) An historian shared his perception of 17th century education saying, youth was for most children a sorrowful period; the instruction hard and heartlessly severe. Grammar was beat into the memory, and likewise portions of scripture and poetry. Schoolrooms were gloomily dark. No one thought that children could find pleasure in work or that they had eyes for anything but reading and writing" ( Boyd, l961 p. 304). (Sienkiewicz, 1985, p. 125) Out of this low period in late 18th century education, Froebel introduced a new philosophy of education, the Kindergarten.

Among the things children find naturally interesting are play activities such as play-acting, storytelling, movement, making music, drawing and painting. Froebel believed these activities were the basic building blocks of a joyful and effective methodology. (Strauch-Nelson, 2012b, p. 63) These play activities center around the Fine Arts, hence the emergence of art education as important in schools. At about the same time when kindergarten teachers would have been conducting classes, Elizabeth Peabody in her Plea for a kindergarten in the Boston area, spells out the powerful role that art plays in the new education. (Sienkiewicz, 1985, p. 129) American education had in the 1840s a few influential educators such as Horace Mann introduced drawing into public education. (Sienkiewicz, 1985, p. 133) Key Points: Froebel was a deeply religious man who believed that all of nature, including man, shares an inner connectedness and is likewise connected with God, the sole source of all things. (Strauch-Nelson, 2012b, p. 61) This over-riding principal affected all of his concepts and principals. The strongest concept of interacting with nature; he described nature as the spirit of God revealed much as the spirit of the artist is revealed in his masterpieces (Von Marenholtz-Bulow, 1877, p. 29). (Strauch-Nelson, 2012a, p. 35) Using nature in his classroom, extended to the entire school property, Froebel gave children stimulus for drawing, painting, and modeling of real living things. A second concept Froebel derives is the interrelatedness of all education. This means that the educator ought to lead the child through such situations as will help him to relate his experience organically one with another. (Sienkiewicz, 1985, p. 131) Art must be interdisciplinary. Froebel would encourage teachers of all subjects to use art education to connect their varied education courses together. Thirdly, Froebel understood children as social beings. The child, he believed, is an essential part of the whole of humanity who desires to work in harmony with others. (StrauchNelson, 2012b, p. 64) His Kindergarten put children with other children. Playing with each other, learning from each other, and growing up together. He saw the classroom as a social continuation of the ideal family based on a caring, joyful model. At the same time, he recognized and held a deep and abiding respect for the individuality of each child. (Strauch-Nelson, 2012b, p. 64) Children benefit by interacting with each other and the teacher, but time alone in necessary to develop the uniqueness of each child.

Personal Reflection: This reading review reemphasized my personal philosophy, conviction, faith and personal understanding of the source of our creative nature, our Creator God. As we are created in the Image of God, we have within us vast creativity. Froebel, as the son of a Lutheran minister, his view of God was rooted in his Christian background. He believed it is the destiny of each being to unfold its essence and thereby reveal God in its external being. (Strauch-Nelson, 2012b, p. 62) I am also the son of a Lutheran minister and have experienced some divine unfolding. I see daily revelation of God at work in the creative process in my own art and the art of my students. I believe applying some of Froebels concepts in the contemporary classroom public or Christian would be successful. Connection with nature, even in an urban school is available through plants and other living things in proximity to the classroom. Actually getting out of the school and walking through nature is much desired over Internet searches. However, if that is your access to nature, there are millions of websites on which to find resources. The interrelatedness of art education in the school curriculum, in theory is very sound, but in practice schools would need a major paradigm shift for implementation. Teachers of content-rich subjects would struggle incorporating art education in their schedules. Conversely, the art teacher would need cooperation to infuse academic subject topics and themes and mesh with the whole school educational program. My classroom art curriculum needs more connection to other subject area classrooms in my building. This is a problem I plan to address. Finally, Froebel has inspired me to continue art education with lots of visual stimulation in my classroom. I will add to my list of short-term goals more integration of art in the rest of my schools curriculum. My students will continue to interact with each other and their art. One of my favorite quotes of the readings: To Froebel the purpose of education was to lead people to their own individual representation of the divine essence within them, and to thereby help them develop a consciousness of their unity with God, nature and humanity. (Strauch-Nelson, 2012b, p. 62) I agree whole-heartedly.