Burger, Arts Integration and Analysis of Learning Paper 1
Arts Integration and Analysis of Learning Paper
Scott Burger
EDU 252
Spring 2014
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“Every culture on this planet has art forms. Why is that? Neuroscientists continue
to find clues as to how the mental and physical activities required for the arts are
so fundamental to brain function. Certain brain areas respond only to music wile
others are devoted to initiating and coordinating movement from intense running
to the delicate sway of the arms. Drama provokes specialized networks that focus
on spoken language and stimulate emotions. Visual arts excite the internal visual
processing system to recall reality or create fantasy with the same ease” (Souse
2006).
As humanity has progressed, the brain has become wired to react to the various forms of art in
manners that cannot be duplicated through other methods of cognitive activation. In the early
years of a child’s brain development, neural connections are emerging at a rapid rate due to the
constant revelation of information and the exploration of new materials. What neurologists are
beginning to understand is the correlation between continued neural activity and participation in
the arts (Sousa 2006). Sousa explained in his article, How the Arts Develop the Young Brain,
“When children entire school, these art activities need to be continued and enhanced.” Visual
arts, dance, drama, and music all serve to promote children’s brain development, and when
paired with the content explored in the classroom, they serve to yield a higher level of learning.
Outside the realm of educational advancement, the arts also serve to improve student selfesteem, self-perception, and overall self-worth in student lives, promoting greater achievement in
and out of the classroom. “The arts instill pride. The arts help… develop real-life skills. The arts
increase opportunities for self-expression. The arts increase an individual’s sense of
belonging…” (Lock n.d.) Despite the advantages of using art in education, the arts are seldom
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observed as essential but as trivial extras to be enjoyed as leisure. Culture does place a high value
on fine art, yet the support it receives in elementary school settings is rather barren. “When
school budgets get tight, elementary-level art and music programs are among the first to be
reduced or eliminated” (Sauso 2006). This abandonment of the arts has been pressed further
during the past decade due to the higher premium on reading and math curriculum that Federal
programs and incentives such as No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top has instituted.
“Ironically, this is happening just when neuroscience research is revealing the impressive impact
that the arts have on the young brain’s cognitive, social, and emotional development” (Sauso
2006).
In my classroom, due to the information included above, I will strive to include art into at
least one content-based lesson a week. As a student, I enjoyed art, especially the visual arts. I
found an outlet for ideas, dreams, emotions I had no other means to express, and methods of how
to convey my learning in the classroom. Arts were both a refuge and a stronghold for me to
safely explore and discover myself. Even though time has passed since I was sitting in the
classroom, I know students are still looking for means to find themselves, explore their learning,
and network with their peers; art continues to provide such opportunities. Furthermore, one of
the greatest abilities of mankind is that of creating. It is a gift given to humanity from God, the
ultimate Creator, and when we use that gift, we honor Him. In turn, creating art is not only a
form of taking advantage of what God has gifted us, it is an act of spiritual worship and ought to
be treated accordingly.
Put concisely, art is invaluable. Art when incorporated into the classroom yield not only
academic improvement but social improvements as well. Despite the decreased support that art
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has received in the school systems, its worth continues to grow, and scientific advancement has
proven that worth.
Shamefully, I must admit, this view of the arts is newly acquired in my education
approach. Throughout the brief duration of the EDU 252 course, my understanding of the
importance of art brilliantly exploded into the bland teaching practices with which I had become
so familiar. The course was truly a breath of fresh air and has already drastically shifted my goals
as a student teacher benefiting both my students and myself. One of my greatest struggles with
incorporating art into my classroom was finding ways to fit its varieties into the basics of my
routine, that is, fitting art into assessment, my pedagogical styles, classroom management,
content knowledge, and collaboration with stakeholders.
To begin, art can be used to diversify the realm of assessment in the classroom. Instead of
having students complete a mundane written assessment, the teacher might allow students to
convey their learning through various art forms. For example, a student might draw a picture to
show what they learned during science, write a song about the material covered in a social
studies unit, dramatize or dance their way a literary work. Assessment is meant to convey student
learning, and if a student is more comfortable or confident demonstrating learning through an
artistic avenue, then I believe a teacher’s role is to accommodate for that preference.
Pedagogically, I have begun attempting to involve more music and kinesthetic movement
into lesson content. Students tend to thrive with kinesthetic learning styles and music provides a
simpler method of retaining information. As the brain creates more neural connections through
the use of music and kinesthetic movement, the students are not only learning more, but having
more fun while learning. When students have fun, the students open themselves up to more
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information, take more chances, and increase their learning. Music has been given priority in my
style of classroom management and I use it to silently conduct my classroom. When I play
music, students know they are to be working. When music ceases, students know to stop what
they are doing and prepare themselves for the next lesson installment. When students are
receiving disciplinary actions, students are to explain what they were doing wrong and how they
will improve their behavior. Instead, I have allowed my students to draw their problem behavior
and their solution ideas. Students have become increasingly willing to comply with their
discipline and show more initiative in correcting their behavior.
Art plays a high role in student learning both in and out of the classroom. By opening
doors that students might have previously left unopened, art unlocks student potential, the variety
of student assessment, and the overall amount of student learning taking place in the classroom.
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Work Cited
Lock, C. (n.d.). What the arts can do for your children: Turn to the arts to boost self-esteem.
Retrieved from http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/families/at-home/supporting-youngartists/what-the-arts-can-do
Sousa, D. (Nov. 11, 2006). How the arts develop the young brain. The School Administrator, vol.
63. Retrieved from https://www.aasa.org/SchoolAdministratorArticle.aspx?id=7378