Academic Language and its place in the Art Classroom

I felt that our class discussion about Academic Language was very rewarding and helped me to open my mind to all an art classroom can truly be.  Many times as educators of a specific discipline, we think we are meant to teach only our specific objectives, when that is very far from the truth.  It is much more than that, we as educators, are creating an education as a whole, not individual pieces of knowledge.

Academic language is the idea that while speaking, writing, and communicating in general to our students, we must push ourselves to a more scholarly level.  This will help our students to strive for greatness and understanding of language and higher level education in general.  When we talk to our students at their level, they will only stay at that same education level.  We must elevate our language in order to help our students become more competent and comfortable speaking, reading, and understanding academic language when on their own or out in society.  The way we present lessons, ideas, topic, etc. should be using this type of approach in order to aid in the understanding and comprehension of such topics at a higher order of thinking.  Our students should be able to think metacognitively and critically to gain knowledge and in turn be able to communicate that knowledge with others.

In saying this, I am referring to the prospect that academic language is something I will need to promote, discuss, and aid in learning with my students in the art room as well.  By conducting discussions and working in academic language with my students I will help them to be capable and informed students.  This applies to being able to communicate their own art to others, to understand ideas and topics in art that in other cases would be far advanced for their current level.  Using academic language within my own classroom becomes an educational experience that can contribute to all areas of the students academic career and life in general.

Academic Language is not simple grammar and sentence structure to be taught in the Language Arts classroom, but one that filters through all areas of education and life and must be conducted in such a manner.  Using Academic Language in every area of life and education will only increase the use of it by our students, resulting in a more knowledgeable and intelligent youth.