Curriculum Handbook: The Disciplines, Current Movements and Instructional Methodology ed. by Louis Rubin (review)

Books 81 Curriculum Handbook:The Disciplines, Current Movements and Instructional Methodology. Louis Rubin, ed. Allyn & Bacon, Boston, 1977.953 pp.. illus. $35.95. Reviewed by Constance E. Wagar* ‘From the moment, long ago in history, when the first group of parents gathered together to plan the first school, the critical question has alwaysbeen: what shall we teach the children? This sentence begins Section I of the comprehensive handbook dealing with the problems of curriculum in our schools today. The handbook, of which Rubin is also one of the authors, is divided into three sections: Section 1 outlines the perspectives, the major objectivesand trends in the subject-matter disciplines; the second is devoted to a study of current tendencies in curriculum building and the third deals with teaching methods, which should be of practical value to teachers, especiallyto those who are beginners. (This handbook is followed by a second (not under review), which includes curriculum administration, differing viewpoints on the purpose of education and other related subjects.) The comprehensiveness of the Handbook is indicated by the fact that it contains 111 essays;some are illustrated by figuresor by tables, for example Figure 4 entitled Building Blocksof Food. Following each essay are two pages: the first, Operational Concepts, and the second, Implications-contributed by Rubin as a brief clarification of dominant themes and of their practical application. He points out that only he is responsible for these opinions and suggestions,and they are very helpful to the reader. Each essayis followedby a detailed list of references;there is a valuable table of contents and a voluminous index. Three essays are of particular interest to visual artists and teachers. Rubin explains that they were included because ‘the indications are that art education will take on renewed importance as we move toward the third millenium’. The first essay, Curriculum in the Visual Arts, stresses the point that students should not only make pictures and sculptures but must be introduced to examples of good works. The second one, Expanding Conceptual Understanding in the Arts, urges the use of visual rather than verbal presentations by teachers, who should ‘permit the children to learn through the physical manipulation of the content’. Two distinct aspects of art education are elaborated in the third one, The Arts in General Education: Aesthetic Education, and these are the impressionistic and aesthetic experiences. An interesting point made is that ‘the process of creativity is much more important toward aesthetic development and sensitivity than is the realization of some satisfactory product’. This excellentbook isnot necessarilyone to be read from cover to cover but should be approached as an encyclopaedia of curriculum areas where one searches out the pages relevant to one’s personal requirements. It should form a part of each teacher’sbookshelf of reference material. Guide to Basic Information Sources in the Visual Arts. Gerd Muehsam. Jeffrey Norton Publishers/ABC-CLIO, Santa Barbara , Calif., 1978.266 pp. f11.28. ‘Thishandbook is intended to guide students and researchers to basic information sources in the visual arts. Although it is designed primarily for art students and art history majors, the wide range of material offered should also. . . prove useful to graduate art history students, to students in graduate library sciencecurricula, and to librarians and others concerned with the visual arts.’ The author’s aim has been ‘to advise the information-seeker of basic search strategies applicable to the visualarts; to acquaint him or her with the essential referenceand research tools; and to indicate authoritative sources dealing with the principal periods in art, as well as sources on art forms and techniques and national schools of art.’ The author stresses that the guide is selective. It is limited generally to sources in English. A balance was sought between writings suitable for beginners and for researchers. Only books published before 1977were considered. *Naparima Girls’ High School, San Fernando, Trinidad, West Indies. The first two chapters concern library procedures for obtaining information about visual artists and about works of art. Encyclopedias, periodicals and bibliographies are discussed in following chapters. The coverage seems very good. Not mentioned , however, is the Annual International Bibliography ofArt Books (Basel: Jaggi, 1972). The second part of the book presents brief chapters citing works...