Children and Their Art [antikvár]

', ii'i I,-1 , »•>»•' ' I On the occasion of this new edition of Children and Their Art, the first of the new century and new millennium, the authors express appreciation to the publisher for unparalleled support over many years. Few texts reach seven editions, and few continue to be published over a period of more than four decades. That Children and Their Art has reached this status is a testimonial to the consistent commitment of the publisher, both to the topic of die book and to the authors. The world has changed greatly since 1958, the date of the first edition of this book, and the authors have made every attempt to keep each new edition up to date and current with the best theories and practices of art education. It seems that change in education has accelerated with other aspects of life in the computer age. This new edition of Children and Their Art reflects significant changes in art education while maintaining the solid foundation of values that have been consistent from the beginning. These values include a strong belief in the contributions of art in the education of all children, the significant role of teachers, the centrality of art centered content including creative art expression, and the importance of sound instruction in a supportive learning environment. The past six years (since publication of the previous edition) have produced major changes in art education, most of which can be viewed as progress for the fleld. The National Standards for the Visual Arts have been adopted and implemented in some form in most states. Nearly two hundred teachers have become National Board Certified (NBC) in art by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS). The National Art Educauon Association (NAEA) has published Standards for Art Teacher Preparation, which will increase the likelihood that new art teachers will be competent and successful in their classrooms. After a cwenrj'-ycar hiatus, the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) conducted and reported an assessment in the arts. The report revealed strengths and weaknesses in art education, noting particularly that many students still do not receive regular instruction in art. Studies by the National Center for Education Statisdcs (NCES) and NAEA indicate that, although art is not universally implemented in public elementary, middle level, and secondary schools in the United States, much progress has been made. The study of art is institutionalized within school systems at an unprecedented level, and art is increasingly regarded as an essential subject within a balanced curriculum. Art is recognized for its intrinsic educational value as well as for its role in facilitating learning in the general curriculum. CHANGES IN THE NEW EDITION The most obvious change in the seventh edition of Children and Their Art is the format for the book itself We have increased the size of the book and moved to a four-color, two-column design that allows us to better showcase the numerous examples of children's art found throughout the book. The new edition includes over 300 illustradons, and over sixty new images have been added in this edition to provide examples of new media and better representation of postmodern artforms and works by women and minority artists. Some of the changes experienced readers of the book will note are as follows: • increased attention to the use of computers as learning tools and as a medium for making art • addition of a section in Chapter 2 on the postmodern era in art and implicadons for art education • introduction of Internet addresses and references following each chapter and to the resources presented in the appendices wherever applicable. • addition of new art reproductions, examples of child art, and photographs of teaching and learning situa- We have much to learn from countries we have visited— Russia, People's Republic of China, Israel, Japan, France,