Hi, all! I'm extremely excited about leading this week's discussion! Please refer to the Microsoft Word document attached to the Week 8 Section of Moodle. You will also find a video there of my review of resources in lieu of a Powerpoint. I will post the links and questions here as well, as it will be easier than going back and forth.
-Did any statistics surprise you?
-For those of you that have arts programs at schools
where you teach, have you seen evidence of arts-involvement benefits in students? If you are not currently teaching, perhaps
you attended schools where the arts were prevalent. Thinking back, can you remember any evidence
from the primary or secondary grades showing benefits of arts involvement?
-For those of you who do not have arts programs in
schools, do you see a distinct need for them?
-Diane Ravitch states “The Arts Are
Experience.” In Chapter 2 of The Art of
Changing The Brain, Dr. James Zull cites Dr. David Kolb’s book, Experiential Learning and the concept of
the learning cycle. In thinking about
experiential learning, how can the arts “be experience?”
-What solution(s) can you propose to
the problem that most low SES schools are facing in the loss of arts programs?
-Based on this research, what are the implications for educators?
I can't wait to watch our discussion grow!
-Jamie Hipp
Based on the first resource and question posed, no the statistics didn't surprise me. I have seen the value of the arts since I was in school, and I continue to see it as a teacher in the classroom. Typically my students that participate in some form of extracurricular arts activity are my better performing students. It makes me wonder what the arts does for the brain that makes this distinct difference.
ReplyDeleteShelli, I agree with you. Nothing surprised me too much. I do think arts are incredibly important. I was a band geek in high school and it absolutely changed everything for me. I do not doubt for a second the power of the arts themselves, but I think it would be remiss to ignore the other factors that come into play. The research article you posted mentioned this also when they discussed that correlation is not causality. But I wonder too if all the other factors impact too. Such as: having a relationship with an adult who isn't panicking about your test scores and trying to give their attention to too many students, or surrounding yourself with a group of kids who are interested in the same thing, or the attachment to role models in your artistic field (the way great musicians inspire generations after), or that someone is teaching you that what you create has value (I love when Ravitch points out that art is meant to be shared), or that you have something to do (rather than be home alone bored and looking for something to get in to), or that, unlike in school, what you create is never wrong. I think that art in to itself does wonders for the brain, but I also can imagine that all the other positive aspect of being involved in the arts are incredibly important too. Just having a place where I was working on a team toward something bigger than just me was so important to me during my teen years.
ReplyDeleteMy school has just added music this year. My students only get 30 minutes of instruction twice a week, but I notice the smiles when they all break into song and I can't stop them : ) It's wonderful to see them all share a special moment together.
Katy, I agree that working on a team teaches teenagers valuable lessons. As mentioned in chapter 8, social interaction has all kinds of effects on the brain. The positive social interaction that comes from cooperation and working toward a bigger goal fosters a great environment for the students. It is rewarding for the students, both individually and as a team, to succeed in a project that was bigger than each of the individual pieces.
DeleteThis is a great point about art and social interaction. Do you know of any studies that compare students who participate in art to those who participate in sports? In sports students get the same benefits mentioned here from social interaction, but a different type of experience.
Deletehttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/handle/2027.42/67473/10.1177_0743558499141003.pdf?sequence=2&isAllowed=y
DeleteFrom my short experience in teaching, I have noticed that the arts programs are always the first to be cut. I have never understood why some people do not feel the arts are a necessary part of learning for all children. We want our students to think critically, but we are not giving them a chance to use creative expression. After reading over the study, I am not surprised at all. I am extremely disappointed. Students need to think critically. I believe this can be done with an arts program. Creativity is crucial in all art forms. Implementing art programs, allows students an opportunity to incorporate divergent thinking. Divergent thinking could allow students to fire multiple pathways of the brain. Although, many see art as a “waste”, I disagree. I believe the arts need to be implemented into all schools. It teaches students to become tolerable and respectful of everyone while expressing their creative abilities. These strategies could then be carried over to core subjects, allowing students an opportunity to use creativity to problem solve in areas such as math and science.
ReplyDeleteIn my parish, the only art that is offered, at the elementary level, is that for talented students. Which is a disadvantage for every other child in the school. Majority of the time, students that are identified as talented in art, music, or theater get exposure from their home environment. Low income students are the students that need art exposure in the classroom. There is a good chance they are not getting that type of exposure from their home environment. Based off of this research, it was proven how helpful the arts are, especially in SES schools. The research showed that grades and engagement in academic and extracurricular activities increased. More students completed school and more of the students went to college. Art programs are needed at every level, so why it is usually the first program to go is so confusing, and frustrating, to me. As Diane Ravitch explained art is an experience, and all students need that experience. They need it to think critically. They also need it because there is a good chance they will be able to relate some type of life experience to some type of art form. In public schools, it is hard to get this message across to parents and educators. If programs are non-existent in schools, educators need to make it a point to try and integrate art into core subjects, such as science and reading. This could be done by doing an independent study on a famous artist, creating skits to complete science tasks, etc. By allowing students an opportunity to engage in true art programs, (not just painting a picture that doesn't relate to classroom material) you are giving them an opportunity to think creatively, which could positively impact their engagement, working memory and attention span.
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DeleteJonathan and Ashley, I completely agree about trying to integrate arts into our daily teaching, but I find that so many things are shoved into our day as teachers. Need some social emotional development, oh the teachers can do that. Need more health and nutrition in kid's education? Teachers can do that. Kids should be developing all these skills and I think outsiders reason that "oh it only takes a few minutes a day." but I find that all that little stuff adds up... Shelli, if the arts were integrated into the classroom do you think the trends would still be there. Or do you think it's having an outside expert that makes the difference? Or what makes the difference?
DeleteMany ELA lessons, especially those dealing with literature can be made creative and implemented in such a way as to give the student some semblance of autonomy. The final project of our unit on drama included the students writing, filming and editing a short (3min) "tabletop movie" with paper cut out characters. By the end of the unit they had learned enough about the rudimentary makeup of drama that their assessment became, in essence, making a play of their own. And different lessons within the unit included students writing from the perspective of characters in plays being taught, acting out scenes in class and other creative activities. I don't know what incorporating a few minutes per day of arts education in the classroom would look like. I suppose that's how it would have to work in something like a math or even science classroom as those disciplines don't necessarily lend themselves to arts integration.
DeleteKaty's response mentioned that there are so many responsibilities for the teacher to cram into the school day. I could not agree more, for this reason, it is even more important to have strategies like arts integration to help cover all subjects and assist students in making connections. So often, teachers believe that they do not have ample time to integrate the arts, however, when arts integration is seen as a usable strategy to reach all students with varied prior knowledge and various strengths and weaknesses, it gets infinitely easier.
Delete-Jamie Hipp
Jonathan,
DeleteBelieve it or not, arts integration can be a natural fit with math and science. Here are some lesson ideas for both:
Science:
-Students write a play as various elements from the Periodic Table: noble gases could be the nobility, Hydrogen, Oxygen, Nitrogen, etc. can be the popular crowd, metals could be "heavy meta;" dudes, etc.
-Choreographing a dance for various science cycles
Math:
-Students create dances to depict different properties of Algebra
-Students create a human number line or plot on a human graph where they lay down to create the X and Y axes
-Students write an Order of Operations rap
-Jamie Hipp
Ashley,
DeleteJust as you stated, the arts help multiple pathways to fire.
Dance, music, drama, visual art, creative writing...all art forms have a social element. Theatre, choir, dance concerts, and large murals lend themselves to cooperative learning, however, even if a student is performing a monologue, working on a solo, or painting a picture by themselves, all art can (and should be!) discussed/analyzed/critiqued/reviewed socially (Social Pathway). Every art form requires judgment on behalf of the artist, as well as delaying gratification (until the performance date or the art work is complete). These are both executive functions (Frontal Lobe Executive Function Pathway). Obviously, the performing arts allow students to strengthen the Language Pathway (delivering lines, singing in a foreign language, etc.) and the visual arts are delivered via the Sensory Motor Pathway. Studies have shown that participating in the arts (especially music) reduces stress (The Emotion Pathway), and, of course, actual performance or completion of art is rewarding (Reward Pathway).
Take a look at Zadina's Homework Menus throughout the text. Do you notice any arts-integration strategies?
-Jamie Hipp
I actually used one of the homework strategies in my personal blog this week. I am a big fan of skits in my classroom, so any way I can get my kids to get up and use their multiple intelligences, I try:) I stated an example about creating a skit to explain life cycles. After reading some of the responses above, I like the idea of using movement in math as well.
DeleteKaty,
DeleteI, too, am interested in the differences between your questions about arts integrated into the classroom with the classroom teacher versus a teaching artist coming in for a lesson or series of lessons. There is not much research currently on the efficacy of one as opposed to the other. Often, classroom teachers integrate the arts with the core curriculum as a form of differentiation or to promote students retention of content. Guest teaching artists, on the other hand, most often teach "art for arts' sake." Does the new music teacher at your school try to integrate music with the core curriculum or does he/she focus more on music theory/rhythm/etc. in isolation?
-Jamie Hipp
She hasn't integrated it much with what we're doing, so I think she is teaching rhythm and theory, which I think is great!!!
DeleteI’m not sure I agree with everything being said here. I like art and I think art classes are probably important to a degree but I don’t see in the research provided any concrete proof that art education is the key to civic mindedness or academic improvement. In fact they acknowledge that fact on p. 24, “the data in this report do not permit an analysis of causal links that might exist between deep arts involvement and academic and civic behavioral outcomes. All of the findings attest only to statistical correlations…”
ReplyDeleteI certainly enjoyed my arts classes in high school and as an undergrad but I just don’t know how much my sketching in a pad and making terrible looking ceramic bowls and cups aided in my overall education or how it made me into a better citizen.
The real challenge seems to be integrating creativity into a typical math, science, social studies, or ELA classroom. There are clear correlations pointed to in this study and in the other literature we’ve been reading that incorporating creative activities relating to the subject matter and concepts in any particular class supports learning. I have found this to be the case in my own experience as well. Whenever I have given a creative activity to my class they seem to work somewhat harder than they would if they were given say, an article to read, annotate and answer questions about.
I do recognize that my students, like Shelli’s, who engage in extracurricular creative programs such as yearbook and creative clubs do tend to be my more engaged if not always higher performing students. Also like Shelli, I wonder what physiological explanation there is to arts or creative activities helping learning along.
Jonathan,
DeleteFor the concrete proof that you are looking for, I highly recommend this book on arts and brain research: http://hepg.org/her-home/issues/harvard-educational-review-volume-72-issue-2/herbooknote/arts-with-the-brain-in-mind_61
The information in the first article, specifically key finding number two, was interesting to me. The information pointed out that students who had an arts-rich high school experience were more likely to complete a calculus course. In addition, the information also pointed out that students who took art classes in high school achieved a higher GPA in math than other students. I think these statistics are interesting, but I don't necessarily find them surprising. Students who are involved in the arts are learning different ways of thinking and of approaching problems. As Ashley mentioned previously, participating in the arts teaches students ways of thinking critically. Students who learn (from the arts) to look at problems in different ways can apply this problem solving technique to other areas such as math. Those who can look at problems from different perspectives and find various ways of getting to a solution, in my opinion, are more likely to be successful math students. When I give my students an opportunity to be creative, it almost lets me see a different side of them. They express their thoughts and ideas in ways that I wouldn't normally get to see in my every day math class.
ReplyDeleteIn chapter 8, Dr. Zadina points out that "neutral or positive social interaction is very rewarding, contributing to good health, well-being, and longevity. Social learning may be rewarding to the brain because it involves cooperation." I just wanted to point out that in my current high school teaching placement, I have overheard some of my students discussing their choir performances. Every now and then, they get to choose a group and any song and perform the song for their choir class. These performances give the students an opportunity to work with others that they may not normally choose to work with. Because their voices work together for the particular piece they chose, they are working cooperatively for the performance. My current high school also has an amazing, competition winning band. A great band comes from hard work and the cooperation of many students who again, might not normally choose to work together. I think that students who participate in these types of arts are well-rounded and they learn about being involved in something bigger than just themselves. It teaches them lessons that can be applied both inside the classroom and out and these are more likely to be the successful students.
I agree with you Amy. The skills they learn from the arts teach them to look at problems in a different way. They even come up with different ideas than student's that don't participate in the arts. It is as if the wiring in their brains changes because of what they get in the arts and they are able to think in a more creative way. Which, from what we have learned about the brain so far, doesn't seem too far fetched, for the brain to be changed so dramatically from being exposed to a different type of learning.
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DeleteShelli,
DeleteYou stated that, "The wiring in their brains changes because of what they get in the arts and they are able to think in a more creative way." Do you think that it is therefore extremely important to expose children to the arts very early on? Wiring and connections start early and, as Zadina pointed out, hearing a second language early on encourages speaking with less of an accent later and promotes bilingualism, which actually aids in native language development. Should we think of early childhood arts programs in the same way?
-Jamie Hipp
Jamie, I definitely think that we should consider early childhood art programs. I think that if students were exposed to activities that build their critical thinking skills at an earlier age, they would be more likely to succeed as the content becomes more and more complex. Developing the ability to see multiple aspects of a problem and approach the problem from different sides is a huge skill, and a skill that I feel a lot of students are not very strong in. They want a step by step, no fail way to get an answer because they think it is much more difficult to think creatively and critically about the problem. If we tried to develop those critical thinking skills at a very early age, perhaps these skills would continue to build in the students' brains and help students succeed with the more advanced content.
DeleteI think that this week's discussion is really interesting, and I appreciate all the different viewpoints that are expressed. As teachers we are constantly working within a framework where we have limited time and limited resources, among other challenges. We have to make strategic decisions about what to fit into the day and what to cut.
ReplyDeleteI think art is extremely important and clearly beneficial for students. Where I work, we have different schools take on different specialty areas. For example, one of our schools has a science and technology focus, and another has a cultural arts focus. At the first school students can participate in a robotics club, and in the second they can be in a marching band, among other options. At the cultural arts school we were lucky to receive a grant from the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities. (Read about it here, or come work at this school if you love art! http://www.renewschools.org/apps/news/show_news.jsp?REC_ID=246725&id=1)
On another note, I don't think creativity has to be limited to the arts. In fact, I think we need to prioritize creativity in subjects like math and science. My students often struggle with problem solving in math, which requires creative thinking. And the more opportunities they have to visually represent math problems (art!) the more they begin to develop a conceptual understanding.
What other ways do you incorporate art into other content areas?
Maya, I agree. Having students visually represent is so important. This week my students started multiplication by drawing pictures (3 spiders with 8 legs each, how many legs). It was so much fun to see my more artistically inclined students get excited and invested as we drew out the problem
DeleteI love the idea of making creativity a priority in every subject. Creative thinking does not need to be suppressed. I wish schools would create mandatory professional development courses that train teachers to encourage creative thinking in all aspects of teaching.
DeleteJamie, this study was very interesting. These statistics did surprise me a little. I have always thought of the arts as a way of expression. However, I always thought of it as a fun activity or hobby in school, not a necessity...which is why I think it is often the first to go when there are budget cuts. As have I gotten older though, I have begun to see the importance of the arts. Every person has their passions and their "niche" in school. I think the reason some students even stay in school is for these elective arts classes. I know that sounds crazy, but I know a person that only stayed in high school and received a high school diploma because they loved their talented drama class. So maybe some of these statistics aren't as surprising as I initially thought. Besides the arts being one reason for kids to stay and continue through school, the skills they learn in these classes can benefit them in their core classes as well. The kids who take music classes are great with fractions. The kids who are great at art are really good at visualizing and drawing angles and shapes. These are just a couple of examples I have seen first hand in math classes, but these skills really do transfer to other subjects.
ReplyDeleteI must say that after I read the statistics from the first article I was not surprised. It was refreshing to read. They just confirmed what I already believed. I am a very big supporter of keeping arts education in the school. The first school I taught at had a connection with the local music school. Teachers would come to the school once a week and teach music classes to kindergarten through 2nd grade. When the students reached third all students were offered violin classes to expose students to classical music and the chance to play an instrument. The violin teachers would come to the school so parents did not have to worry about transportation. This school had a very diverse population of students from different cultural, educational and economic backgrounds as well as multiple languages. Even though the school was a private school 95% of the students qualified for free or reduced school lunch. In addition to the music school teachers coming in there was a very strong music visual arts curriculum at the school.
ReplyDeleteSince I moved to Baton Rouge and started teaching in the public schools with a similar economic population of kids I can definitely see the major impact of music. The students I teach now are not a well rounded when it comes to quality of educational experiences. I can see it especially in their writing assignments. There are a lot of papers with limited details and they seem at times very generic. The kids are so use to graphically organizing their ideas there is limited space for creative expression.
I think that in order to solve this problem we need more studies like these that show how important the arts are to education and student achievement. Then we as educators need to bring this data to our lawmakers and advocate for our students’ futures. Because we are the professionals and experts when it comes to our students. Based on the second article and the results it showed after three years it is evident that the arts are important to our students. So I think that we as educators should try and incorporate movement/dance and song as well as visual arts into our lessons as much as possible.
Morgan W.