|
|
“Exploring the Benefits of Art in Elementary Education”
• This article mentioned over and over again how younger children are more apt to enjoy drawing and coloring than traditional classroom activities, and are typically note resistant to being exposed to art. This rings true to my experience teaching even 4th and 5th graders throughout the past 6 years. I have had many students in the past that have been extremely resistant to many activities required in the classroom such as reading, writing, etc. I can remember one 5th grade student of mine in particular who I really struggled with when it came to engaging him in the content. He was an extremely creative kid and it seemed that the only time I could get him to participate was when we were doing some sort of activity that integrated art. At first, I remember being irritated with this because I thought, “we can’t make everything art related.” However, I started brainstorming and trying new things, and I quickly realized that it wasn’t difficult at all to integrate art in all subject areas. When I provided that particular student with more choice in the classroom as far as how he wanted to demonstrate his learning, it was amazing the transformation he made. His engagement was much higher and he was still able to demonstrate mastery of skills just like all other students but could do it in a way that worked for him.
“How Integrating Arts Into Other Subjects Making Learning Come Alive”
• I found it really interesting to learn about the Integrated Arts Academy (IAA) and how their experiment had such a huge impact on student engagement and test scores. This resonates with me a lot because my school, like IAA, has a high population of English Language Learners as well as students with special needs. This article, along with many others from this course, highlighted the impact that integrating arts can have on students particularly in those two areas. Art is a universal language and allows students to express themselves in a creative way, capitalizing on their strengths. I think if we do a better job of integrating arts into our curriculum, English Language Learners and students with special needs will gain more self-confidence and be less resistant to tasks in the classroom.
“How Arts Integration Supports Learning: Students Shed Light on the Connections”
• The universal themes investigators of this study found resonated with me in this article because they’re the key to creating curious and joyful learners. These themes included improved learning environments, engaged content, and broadened learning communities. In my current district, we have spent so much time participating in professional development centered around creating curious and joyful learners. It’s very reassuring to see the impact that arts-integrated units had in these 3 areas and reassures the idea that in order to create joyful learners, we have to move away from some of the traditional classroom practices and find new and innovative ways for students to express themselves.
|
Locked
