Plastic Arts Education in Ecuador

The plastics arts is essential tool to stimulate the creative ability and aesthetic sensibility in Ecuadorian preschool students

In Ecuador, the implementation of plastic arts in the different schools is very important because it’s essential tool to stimulate the creative ability and aesthetic sensibility of the students. Plastic arts techniques, influence in the development of the child’s fine motor skills as they are part of his daily life. The child’s brain have a capacity of imagine and create anything to this age. The best method to that a child learned is the observation, perception, and representation of analysis. This fosters the development of talents and creativity that are necessary incentives for the child learning. The teaching methods help to acquire new information that the brain could use in the future to construct ideas, answers, or give solutions. Plastic arts in the initial education are a priority need for the child, because during the plastic workshops they have the opportunity to creative and act. It’s considered to be dynamic process because the path it traverses is not linear. The educational system at this age should function as a transmitter, sifter and maintainer of cultural goods, creating interrelations with art.

Plastic arts are a motivating tool that helps in the different areas of cognitive and preferential development. Integral development, motivating skills, capacities, and improving observation analysis are some of the benefits of plastic art. Plastic art techniques, if performed daily, influence in the development of the child’s fine motor skills as they are part of their daily life, and failing to use them in an appropriate and timely manner will deploy a series of weaknesses and shortcomings in the development of skills engines that should strengthen at this age. The expression of human emotions and situations through the use of material elements aid creativity in children as well. Furthermore, this contributes in a really significant way in the intellectual and emotional formation of the people in general. Due to the fact that Ecuadorian schools have a deficit in creativity, plastic arts is essential tool that will stimulate the creative ability and aesthetic sensibility in Ecuadorian preschool students.

Art is a gift the human beings have at birth and this provides the opportunity to increase the capacity for action and experimentation to face a society full of changes. “Art is a social product par excellence, where the influence of concrete reality predominates” (Hinostroza, 2000, p.12). Because art is expressed and communicated values, customs, ideals and aspirations that mark the social development of a people and enrich the artistic expression to the people in the world. “Art is the expression and manifestation of human feeling, through the line, color, movement, rhythm and melody according to the objective reality where it develops” (Aquiles, 2000, p.10). Then, it will be understood that manifestation of human activity that is expressed in a way subjective, unique and irreproducible way to realize an artistic creation, be it real or imaginary communicating feelings and sensations that is the result of its intelligence and creativity. “Art creates a domain in the symbolic life of the child, which encourages them to experiment with ideas and feelings while providing pleasure, which is a central goal in the development of emotional-affective life” (Setchovich, 1999, p.18).

First, the method of teaching in pre-school schools in Ecuador is quite standardized and systematic. For a better development of its initial education, Ecuador has agreed to the update curriculum, based on games and arts as methodological lines to organize, promote, and run experiences, starting the recognition that they are actors in their own learning. (Arias, 2013). With this in mind, implementing an innovative change in the schools would raise methods of observation, perception, and representation of analysis. This fosters learning and the development of talents and creativity that are necessary incentives for the child’s interest in learning to act as motor. The curiosity of a child is enormous. Accordingly, when a child is curious, he or she observes and analyzes the different things that are around them. In fact, to promote learning, talent development and creativity is a key part of the teaching in the preschool. Indeed, the school should be a privileged place of learning and personal growth for a child. Education is “a social process that enables the development of each person’s potential. This process occurs in life and for life, in interaction with the environment, where the child develops his aptitudes, values and feelings” (Fundación, 2013).

Plastic arts should be considered as important methodological strategies in the process of strengthening the fine motor, because they offer plastic materials that can be manipulated freely and spontaneously with their hands promoting the joy of create and develop the imagination through its free expression. In plastic arts the children play with the material, the colors, the space, the images and the textures. Then they will begin to realize them expressing consciously what they feel, think and see. As a result the teaching methods help to acquire new information that the brain could use in the future to construct ideas, answers, or give solutions. Also, teachers will also expand their knowledge and establish strategies in a relevant way for this area and will be able to meet the needs of infants in a harmonious inter-learning relationship, strengthening the initial education pedagogical model which in turn will help the acquisition of knowledge, skills and values in children. Plastic arts in the initial education are a priority for the child, because during the plastic workshops not only is a reality is perceived, but also they have the opportunity to create and act.

Second, the stimulation of the creative ability in the children ages 3 to 4 years old is very important. The complex activities in this age, prevent the maturation of the fine motor, that if they are not corrected to time could generate difficulties in the initiation of the writing as it is: driving description, loose graphics, impulsiveness or clumsy writing giving rise to being hypertonic or hypotonic as their muscles have not reached maturity and still have no physical or emotional stability (Arias, 2013). Due to the fact that the children’s brain have a capacity of imagine and create anything to this age. When they do different activities like reading a history book the brain is obliged to imagine the things that they read. Besides, this the children make a drawing when their brains have a connection with the imagination. The plastic arts are important because it are not simple activities of reproduction of stereotypes, colored drawing, and, decoration or filling of figures that only thicken the work folder. But rather, plastic arts are transforming processes of the educational task that aim at a cognitive, socio-affective and motor development of the boy and the girl, forming it integrally.

In fact, the emotions of children are important to creativity. Even through their emotions they can recreate the different scenes that involve being happy, sad, angry, etc. With this in mind, imagination can solve problems and help them practice self-discipline and develop both affection and compassion. Therefore the most important in a child is to create imaginary situations where they can act freely and they can solve problems. In addition, it is considered a dynamic process because the path it traverses is not linear. Thus, the educational system at this age should function as a transmitter, sifter and maintainer of cultural goods, creating interrelations with art to offer meaningful learning experiences to the child.

Finally, improving aesthetic sensibility in initial education through the ability to understand the beauty of life and in art provides a comprehensive approach to children’s harmonic development. The initial education in arts where there is intensive accumulation of physical, mental, and spiritual faculties of children of 3-4 years accustomed causes good cognitive development. Nowadays, the formation of intellectual personality in preschool children is as important as the development artistic skills. In fact, it appears that the attitude for the composition of poems, stories, songs, etc.is becoming more promising. Thus, the aesthetic interests of the child in the expression of the universality of an aesthetic activity that is associated with art should be relaxed, cheerful, creative imagination, and initiative. But, the problem nowadays is that teachers do not use adequate methodological strategies to develop fine motor skills in the age of 3 to 4 years, because they work without greater organization and consideration of the needs and rhythm of development of children. (Arias, 2013).

In conclusion, the initial education in arts where there is intensive accumulation of physical, mental, and spiritual faculties of children of 3-4 years accustomed causes good cognitive development. All students can improve if establishing techniques of the plastics arts teachers in initial education. The implementation of these arts in the Ecuadorian preschool will help with the development of creativity and innovation. Also, teachers will benefit by integrating their knowledge, as children today require an education with quality and warmth, where they offer meaningful experiences that allow their comprehensive training. Plastic arts contribute with agile and dynamic processes for the development of fine motor skills as they allow the application of different plastic techniques in a creative way that promotes segmental independence. Creating experiences of learning enriching for the integral formation of infant, which teachers do not give due importance within the learning process. Therefore, teachers are encouraged to incorporate into the educational process a methodological guide on plastic techniques to apply and improve the development of fine motor skills in children aged 3 to 4 years.

References

Aquiles, E. (2000). Art and creativity in the Education.

Arias, R. (2013). Plastic Arts for the development to children. Quito.

E. (2012). The Finland Phenomenon – The System Educative Finland. Retrieved July 20, 2016, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAvle_y1mgI

Fundación. (2013). Down21.org. Retrieved from http://www.down21.org/educ_psc/educacion/atencion_temprana/cognitiva.htm

Hinostroza, E. (2000). Art and Creativity.

Ossola, A. (2014, November 12). Scientists are more creative than you might imagine. Retrieved July 28, 2016, from http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2014/11/the-creative-scientist/382633/

Riquelme, A. (1986). Artes Plasticas. Universitaria.

Setchovich, G. (1999). Plastic Expresion and Creativity. Mexico.