Agnes Nobel examines the importance of art in the development of the child and looks for some answers to the vital question: what is education for? She goes on to investigate why Waldorf schools attach such importance to art in education. She describes Steiner's picture of the developing child, his views on the imprint of early experience in the child's whole being and the importance of living relationships and community in the Waldorf school. She shows how these ideas were expressed in the curriculum of the schools. There have been many books written on the Steiner approach to education, but they have usually been written from within the Steiner educational movement. This book takes an independent view of Waldorf education and critically assesses its unique qualities, successes and relevance to the modern day.

Perlas brilliantly articulates the competing cultural and intellectual constructs driving the competition between elite globalization and global civil society, and outlines a path forward by which we may resolve that conflict in the favor of life. A must read for all who work for a positive future. -- David C. Korten, Ph.D., author, The Post-Corporate World

Publisher's description: In Educating Artists for the Future, some of the world?s most innovative thinkers in higher education in art and design offer fresh directions for educating artists for a rapidly evolving post-digital future. Their creative redefinition of art at the interdisciplinary interface where scientific enquiry and new technologies shape aesthetic and cultural values offers groundbreaking guidelines for art education in an era of emerging new media. This is the first book concerned with educating artists for the post-digital age, propelling artists into unknown territory. A culturally diverse range of art educators focus on teaching their students to create artworks that explore the complex balance between cultural pride and global awareness. They demonstrate how the dynamic interplay between digital, biological, and cultural systems calls for alternative pedagogical strategies that encourage student-centered, self-regulated, participatory, interactive, and immersive learning. Educating Artists for the Future charts the diaphanous boundaries between art, science, technology, and culture that are reshaping art education.

This title presents an anthology of texts which frames the recent educational turn in the arts within a wider historical and social context.

Arthur Efland puts current debate and concerns in a well-researched historical perspective. He examines the institutional settings of art education throughout Western history, the social forces that have shaped it, and the evolution and impact of alternate streams of influence on present practice.A History of Art Education is the first book to treat the visual arts in relation to developments in general education. Particular emphasis is placed on the 19th and 20th centuries and on the social context that has affected our concept of art today. This book will be useful as a main text in history of art education courses, as a supplemental text in courses in art education methods and history of education, and as a valuable resource for students, professors, and researchers. “The book should become a standard reference tool for art educators at all levels of the field.” —The Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism “Efland has filled a gap in historical research on art education and made an important contribution to scholarship in the field.” —Studies in Art Education

History as Art, Art as History pioneers methods for using contemporary works of art in the social studies and art classroom to enhance an understanding of visual culture and history. The fully-illustrated interdisciplinary teaching toolkit provides an invaluable pedagogical resource—complete with theoretical background and practical suggestions for teaching U.S. history topics through close readings of both primary sources and provocative works of contemporary art. History as Art, Art as History is an experientially grounded, practically minded pedagogical investigation meant to push teachers and students to think critically without sacrificing their ability to succeed in a standards-driven educational climate. Amid the educational debate surrounding rigid, unimaginative tests, classroom scripts, and bureaucratic mandates, this innovative book insists on an alternate set of educational priorities that promotes engagement with creative and critical thinking. Features include: A thought-provoking series of framing essays and interviews with contemporary artists address the pivotal questions that arise when one attempts to think about history and contemporary visual art together. An 8-page, full color insert of contemporary art, plus over 50 black and white illustrations throughout. A Teaching Toolkit covering major themes in U.S. history provides an archive of suggested primary documents, plus discussion suggestions and activities for putting theory into practice. Teaching activities keyed to the social studies and art curricula and teaching standards Resources include annotated bibliographies for further study and lists of arts and media organizations. This sophisticated yet accessible textbook is a must-read resource for any teacher looking to draw upon visual and historical texts in their teaching and to develop innovative curriculum and meaningful student engagement.