Embedded Files
Learning Targets
Define the Importance of the Arts in the classroom
Explain why incorporating the Arts can enhance the educational process.
Describe the benefits of integrating the Arts into mainstream education.
The Importance of the Arts in Pre-K - 12 Education
by Muranda Duff
Have you ever wondered why the smell of crayons or glue instantly take you back to your childhood? Or why a song or rhyme can elicit a memory of a specific place or space in time? For many of us these question's can be answered simply by emotions that were evoked from learning how to use each material, or from hearing the song for the first time. When did that appreciation for the arts begin for you? Was it in preschool? Home? No matter where you have that first experience, the impression will forever be imprinted in your mind and your senses.
Those impressions and feeling are why the different types of Arts are important to ones education and should be integrated as often as possible. By introducing different venues of self expression and individuality one enhances the overall learning experience and provides a foundation for critical thinking and reasoning (NCES, 2021). The more exposure to open-minded creativity, the more impactful the educational experience can be. Throughout this lesson we will discuss both the importance of why music, art, and other creative avenues are important to our educational journey, as well as how the arts can effectively be introduced across all disciplines in education.
In this video clip examples are given of a few different ways Art instruction can help students communicate what they are feeling and thinking. Take a minute to watch and learn.
How does Art Education help our Students?
Introducing the Arts into the education curriculum is not a new idea. This concept has always been a part of our standards, however, due to the fact that we have fallen behind the rest of the world in those two categories, there has been a push to increase the students in the United States in math, reading and science awareness. Although there is a lot of evidence supporting this claim, there is not enough evidence supporting the complete removal of the arts in education. In fact there is overwhelming evidence that show the importance of integrating the arts and the impact it can have through all disciplines, including STEM (NCES , 2021).
It is never to early to introduce children to the arts. The sooner children are introduced, the sooner their minds can be opened to many different ways of creative, critical thinking. When children are able to open up creative ways of thinking, they open up creative ways of knowing as well (UF 2021). Lets take a look at how having the arts incorporated in everyday learning can benefit a students educational experience.
Why the Arts?
According to to the National Standards of Art, the concepts and knowledge learned from incorporating the arts into student's curriculum enhances students educational in the following ways:
Generates Artistic ideas for work
Develops ideas
Develops analytical thinking
Conveys meaning through presentation
Develops skills for interpretation through thoughts and ideas
Develops critical thinking
Develops understanding to relate and incorporate artistic ideas into social, historical, and cultural concepts.
Combing these concepts through each STEM discipline allows for a well-rounded student (Katy , 2021).
What does this look like in the classroom?
Further discussion explains that when students can produce original thoughts and ideas through any type of creative outlet, further cognitive, critical thinking and communications skills are developed at higher rates than those students who are not introduced to the world of art expression (Kennedy Center, 2021) .
Conclusion...
The introduction of the arts in the classroom, especially at an early age has proven in many instances to be the foundational platform for students educational experience. Arts in any form or discipline promotes developing a healthy growth mindset. The experiences obtained allows for self-confidence to flourish, improves cognition, and allows for communication through many different avenues. Lastly, it provides an understanding of culture and self. Presenting students at any age the ability to find an avenue for self-expression is a powerful tool, one that should be developed and fostered at every turn.
Why does integrating art disciplines into Pre-K -12 into the classroom benefit both the teacher and the student?
a). Teachers can assign art projects instead of teaching a lesson.
b) The school district earns extra money from the government for adding additional course curriculum
c) The student and the teacher discover the best level of knowledge known .
d) The student has free reign to color all day.
When a child is introduced to the arts in school, what skill(s) does the students obtain?
a) a stronger growth mindset
b) an understanding of culture and self
c) better communication
d) All of the above.
Answers: 1. c 2. d
Page updated
Report abuse