Curriculum Frameworks Statement

After analysing current national and state visual arts curriculum documents such as VELS and ACARA, it is clear that both have two main criteria in which students participate in making art. VELS has a creating and making dimension which focuses on ideas, skills, techniques, processes, performances and presentations (Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority, 2012, para. 6.) and whereby students create and make artworks which involves imagination, experimentation and planning in which they can explore experiences, ideas, feelings and understandings (Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority, 2012). VELS also has an exploring and responding dimension which aims to involve students in analysing and developing understanding about their own and other peoples work and expressing personal and informed judgments of arts works (Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority, 2012, para. 7.). Both of these dimensions of visual arts are encouraged to be used in other KLAs as often as possible. In the Shape of the Australian Curriculum document from ACARA, learning in the arts involves making and responding whereby students learn as artists, by making art works that communicate to audiences and they learn as audiences, by responding critically to the arts (ACARA, 2011, p. 5). It is highlighted in the documentation that these two dimensions are taught together, as each depends on the other. The Shape of the Australian Curriculum (ACARA, 2011), states that arts education is vital for students for success as individuals and members of society and that it gives opportunity for engagement with innovative thinkers and allows for experience as both audience members and artists. Allocation of time for teaching the arts ranges from 100-160 hours per week and differs between year levels; however, this time allocation is also a school based decision (ACARA, 2011, p.4). Some impacts that these documents could have on a pre-service teacher could be that there may not be enough time allocated by the teachers particular school for the arts, and therefore students do not have the opportunity to fully understand and engage in the arts like they would with other subjects. Some schools may not have any specialist teachers for the arts and the responsibility is therefore left up to teachers who are uneducated in the field, therefore disadvantaging their students. Finally, the state and national curriculum documents disadvantage the teachers who may feel it essential to allow more time for the arts, especially since there are 5 elements to cover. The documents say to implement the arts into other subjects however, this should not be the only arts that the students do, and in some schools cases, it is which is going to impact student learning.

References ACARA. (2011, August). Shape of the Australian Curriculum: The Arts. Retrieved March 29, 2012, from http://www.acara.edu.au/verve/_resources/Shape_of_the_Australian_Curriculum_The_Arts __Compressed.pdf#xml=http://search.curriculum.edu.au/texis/search/pdfhi.txt?query=art& pr=www.acara.edu.au&prox=page&rorder=500&rprox=500&rdfreq=500&rwfreq=500&rlead =500&rdepth=0&sufs=0&order=r&cq=&id=4f795ebe7 Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority. (2009, September 16). Structure of the Arts Domain. Retrieved March 29, 2012, from http://vels.vcaa.vic.edu.au/arts/structure.html