Abstract
The purpose of this chapter is to broaden the reader's understanding of social-emotional learning by exploring the aesthetics. Specifically, this chapter seeks to expose instructors to a wide variety of ideas for incorporating the aesthetics into their general college courses. For the purposes of this chapter, four main categories were explored: music, visual art, creative movement, and drama. For each of these four areas, an emphasis in relationship development through shared interest in the aesthetics as well as freedom of choice in assessment options was continuously highlighted. College instructors should feel motivated and confident in implementing any of the suggested ideas or creating their own lesson ideas after reading this chapter.
TopUnderstanding The Aesthetic Domain
The ideas about the aesthetic domain and their relation to education are drawn from the seminal work of Maxine Greene (2001) and her lectures at the Lincoln Center Institute. The term Aesthetic refers to the ability to discover and appreciate beauty from the human senses. In an academic sense, aesthetics can be grouped and labeled through the four major categories of the arts: music, visual art, movement or dance, and drama or theater. This chapter will explore each of the four areas and offer creative ideas for instructors to use and adapt to their classroom as they see fit.
Importance of Aesthetic Learning
There have been several studies conducted which outline the benefits of incorporating the arts into other academic disciplines (Kim & Kemple, 2011; Winner, Goldstein, &Vincent-Lancrin, 2013). Specifically, studies have shown benefits for students labeled “at-risk” (Brown, Benedett, & Armistead, 2010; Parker, 2020). The Aesthetics, by their very nature, necessitate the need for cooperation between groups which has been an important factor in SEL. Music, dance, and drama are highly group dependent. Even the visual arts can be modeled for group engagement. These areas strengthen soft skills such as self-expression, patience, persistence, motor coordination, and creativity which are key targets for SEL (Isenberg & Jalongo, 2018).
Aesthetic domains are important as independent content areas; however, they can also strengthen the pedagogical impact when used in other content areas if paired with purpose. Incorporating aesthetic learning ideas into content areas such as language, math, and science can add deeply engaging and hands-on experiences which create a richer experience for students (Clements & Wachowiak, 2010). Further, by allowing students aesthetic choice in classroom activities, the instructor helps to build relationships with students. These relationships can be difficult to build in the college classroom, however, the importance of relationships for college students remains an important factor in student success (Furrer, Skinner, & Pitzer, 2014).
Key Terms in this Chapter
Cognition: How the brain acquires information or knowledge. The act of learning using the human senses.
Creative Movement: Any form of movement which communicates some form of human emotion. These movements can be done individually or in groups. These movements can be to direct or prompt others in non-verbal ways. Examples include dancing, improvisatory movement, acting out movements, using gestures with objects or the body, and any variation of these.
Aesthetic Choice: The ability of a person to select between their desired medium to direct their own learning or showcase their acquired knowledge of a given subject.
Visual Art: Any form of art centered around human seeing and which is created to communicate some form of human emotion. Examples include painting, drawing, sculpture, ceramics, photography, video / filmmaking, printmaking, graphic design, knitting, crocheting, embroidery, architecture, or any variation of these.
Music: The use of sound to communicate some form of human emotion. Usually constructed using forms of pitch, rhythm, melody, harmony, and structural format.
Aesthetic Domain(s): Four main categories of aesthetics: visual art, music, drama, and creative movement.
Metacognition: How one thinks about the act of thinking.
Drama: Any form of acting which communicates some form of human emotion. The acting may be individual or in a group. The acting may be live or recorded. Some examples include improvised speech, moving the body, reciting prepared scripts, using any other art form to enhance the act, or any variation of these.
Aesthetic: The ability to discover and appreciate beauty from the human senses.