for anyone

RESPOND TO STUDENTS POST IN 50 WORDS 
TASHE POST 
 
humanism any system or mode of thought or action in which human interests, values, and dignity predominate. devotion to or study of the humanities.
Rationalism is a term of art in psychology referring to the school of thought that sees certain elements of cognition as innate.
Naturalism refers to the depiction of realistic objects in a natural setting.
Idealism is the tendency to represent things as aesthetic sensibility would have them rather than as they are.
 America following the rising need for societal change from religion, politics to social change, these ideals became of great significance to the changes that the American society was undergoing through. The society needed these ideals to understand the importance of looking issues from a reality perspective in the context of idealism, fostering of natural process as key aspects of human survival. American people especially, the purists began to question their way of life in terms of what they believed in and this consequently led the US to some of its largest changes in history. Rationalism for instance, brought insight to the people that the Bible alone was not the only guide to life but other aspects were also critical to human life hence leading to an open society where individuals became free with the liberty to pursue their own happiness.

NICHOLAS POST
 
The ancient Greeks are renowned for their contributions to philosophy, art, science, as well as theology. The ideas formed by the ancient Greeks include many schools of thought including:Rationalism- The logical viewpoint that claims only reason is the true source of knowledge and truth. Rationalism is usually defined and elaborated upon in the field of epistemology.Humanism- This school of thought emphasizes the value of human beings, collectively, whilst regarding rationalism over blind faith or dogma. Emphasis is also placed upon the value of each individual human life. Naturalism- The goal of naturalism is to depict raw/natural form of detail within art, and life in general. Idealism-  Last, but not least, we find the popular term idealism, highly valued ideas of the ancient Greeks. Idealism refers to the oneness of consciousness that is the foundation of all beings. Plato himself, however held that ideas are of independent nature, existing independently. 
The early Americans were heavily influenced by these ancient Greek ideas, going as far as incorporating many elements of each of these schools of thought, not only into their own philosophical viewpoints, but also incorporating such elements into politics, art, architecture, and even fields of science. The ideals of individualism, yet the spur of collectivity were viewed honorably, as they were foundations of both ancient and modern democracy, and the ideas of beautiful, yet raw presentation were held in esteemed regard for their beauty. The resurgence of these ideas in the early Americas was bred from the ideals of freedom and destiny and their correlation with these ancient schools of thought.

GARY MCNEILL POST
 
David Amram discussed how he was able to learn from people in his life more than in school.  He expresses how education and skills can be gained by the influences of people.  He describes that students should be allowed to experience many opportunities to see what may peak their interest.  My children attend the public schools in our community.  They are very fortunate to have what is called exploratory classes in middle school.  All students are randomly assigned two exploratory classes every semester which includes art, music, fitness, and others.  My son was not too thrilled to find he had to take the food class, but realized he enjoyed the creative process of cooking and the reward of eating.  My daughter was not excited to be in the agriculture class, but found that she loved the teacher and had a great experience.  Now, my son is not going to be a chef and my daughter is not going to be a farmer, but they both had opportunities to try something different.  I agree with David Amram that you can only find your skills, talents, and desires by trying new things.

ASSIGNMENT
 
Thinking about the Arts
How have you interacted with the arts in your life? Were you a participant, or were you a part of the audience? Describe how you have participated in the arts in a 525- to 700-word personal essay. This is an essay describing your personal experiences, but you must adhere to APA formatting in regards to general formatting and title page.
Describe the following in your personal essay:A description of the art you experienced and why you chose this form of art over the other art forms covered in this class.
How the experience personally affected you.
How you plan to continue your participation in the arts as either an audience member or creator of the visual or performing arts.
Your own definition of what the arts are and the purpose they serve
Submit your assignment in a Microsoft® Word document.
Note: Your experiences of the arts may include attending concerts or plays, art in your home or a museum, a movie, or your own work as an artist or performer. If you are describing your own artwork, discuss how the process of creating or performing affected you and what you wished to communicate.