Connecting “Learning and Teaching the Ways of Knowing” to Education

“The aesthetic becomes a casualty in American education.” This line from “Learning and Teaching the Ways of Knowing,” illustrates that American education lacks the appreciation for aesthetic learning. It is questioned, “How do we help students experience the aesthetic aspects of language?” Especially in a society in which it is required that each teacher covers numerous Grade Level Content Standards, do we neglect the arts and integration of aesthetic appreciation. The arts seem to be considered luxuries.

If educators begin to integrate lessons that evoke emotion and feeling, then students will be able to make connections and “see how each piece is a part of a larger whole.” Bringing attention to the aesthetics in school curriculum also allows students to develop sensibilities about our world. It is necessary for schools to provide students with experiences that move students to feel compelled about what they study. Passing state mandated tests does not always demonstrate a student’s understanding of a subject as well as an emotional connection to a feeling that was created through a student’s learning.