The Importance Of Arts Integration

The Arts provides students with “valuable opportunities to experience and build knowledge and skills in self expression, imagination, creative and collaborative problem solving, communication, creation of shared meanings, and respect for self and others” (Lemon, 2011). The Australian Council of Educational Research (2004) have found that engagement in quality arts education positively affects overall academic achievement, engagement in learning and the development of empathy towards others. Present day, the integration of the Arts in education has become a recognised phenomenon worldwide compared to previous decades. This is evident through curriculum planning as the Arts is organised in an integrated and interdisciplinary manner (Barrett 2001;

When World War 1 began in 1914, the United States was neutral and wanted to remain that way because their chief objective was to continue doing business with Great Britain, France and Russia (Keene, Cornell & O’Donnell, 2013). By remaining neutral, America would benefit from all sides. We know that this would cause hatred among other nations. However, what really caused the United States to part-take in the war was the “sinking of the Lusitania ship by a German submarine.” This was a British Passenger ship that was transitioning from New York to the British Islands and had crossed into the war-zone. This was not a mistake as what was described in that driver who took the wrong turn, ending the lives of Archduke Francis and his wife that started the initial war 1 (Keene, Cornell & O’Donnell, 2013, p. 595). Was that ship smuggling ammunition and other contraband on board the passenger ship? If this is true, we can see how the heart of man is very brutal; the love of money is the root to all evil. America had to find a way in protecting their loan to Britain. Overall, one can say, if Archduke had given Serbia its independence from Australia to a Slavic state, would there be a World War 1 (DeVry University, 2016)

Art education is connected to everything we say we want for our children and our schools. Arts pave the way for academic achievement, social and emotional development, civic engagement, and equitable opportunity. Arts education contributes to a positive education environment, fueling motivation to learn by enhancing skills in thinking and sociability. Exposure to the arts and learning in the arts impart proficiencies in language and mathematics.

When I was working for Girls Rock Math– a summer camp that incorporates arts activities as a method of teaching math concepts with the intention to spark young girls’ interest, I noticed a significant increase in the girls’ interest when arts activities were present compared to when it was just plain math. The first and second graders in my class appeared to be much more excited about the subject and more concentrated when the teacher was trying to explain the instructions. This discovery makes me wondering about the influence of arts integration has on students learning. Defined by The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, arts integration is "an approach to teaching in which students construct and demonstrate understanding through an art form.” By integrating arts into core subjects teaching, educators are allowing students to learn through the arts, with the arts or accompanied by art lessons. In fact, arts education has been constantly associated with higher individual achievement.

A student who does not enjoy the fundamental classes might not find interest in going to school. The innovated minds that find tranquility in a music class or rather a basic art class is more likely to look forward to attending school the next day. Fine arts enhance the mind. It enhances what is already there or

Art is around us everywhere we go. Art can be in architecture, landscaping, performances and paintings. The arts can affect the way people think and how they act, like when a young child draws or paints a picture, they have to make small choices that can help them in many aspects of life. BUt sadly the beneficial education tool of The Arts has been in a rapid decline. In her article, School Art Programs: Should They Be Saved?, Valeria Metia says, “During the 1999-2000 school year, 20 percent of schools offered dance and theatre classes, but in the 2009-10 school year, only 3 percent of schools allocated funds for dance classes, and only 4 percent taught theatre.” Since this decrease in art programs students ages 5-18 are missing out on valuable characteristics in their education. Art gives students improved test scores and better thinking skills, significantly higher graduation rates,better performance in schoolwork,development of habits including problem solving, critical and creative thinking, and working with others and a happier and better school day. SInce art is so beneficial to a student's learning we should push harder and get art programs into our public schools again.

The culture of ancient Greece reflects the importance of the individual in society in many different ways. The Greeks used art, philosophy, and even their system of government to convey their beliefs in the importance of one single man in a society.

Throughout the years, hundreds of studies have been conducted regarding the correlation of art, creativity and one’s ability to learn. Although there is no direct scientific explanation for the results of these studies, their numerous and repetitive findings give them credibility. Reading through studies conducted by the Dana Foundation as well as the Arts Education Partnership one can find correlations between an arts education and improved learning as well as attention. In terms of engagement, one Dana study found that:

Sufficient data exists to suggest that study and participation in the fine arts is a key component in improving learning throughout all academic areas. Evidence of its effectiveness in reducing student dropout rates, raising student attendance, developing better team players, fostering a love for learning, improving greater student dignity, enhancing student creativity, and producing a more prepared citizen for the workplace for tomorrow can be found documented in studies held in many varied settings, from school campuses, to corporate America (Katy Independent School District). This is necessary because employers want people who are quick thinkers that are always evolving via their desire and willingness to learn. Evidence via brain research is only one of the many reasons education and engagement in fine arts is beneficial to the educational process. The arts develop neural systems that produce a broad spectrum of benefits ranging from fine motor skills to improved emotional balance, such as holding a paintbrush or scribbling with a colored pencil are the essential of fine motor skills in young children.

The arts require a large portion of the budget, not only to pay art teachers but also for the materials needed. Yet it doesn't receive the money it needs in view of the fact that a lot of people demean the prevalence of the arts in education claiming that in the real world the arts aren't essential. In recent years the budget cuts have made art education almost a fictitious concept. This is a problem that is critically wounding student's right to a well-rounded toolkit. "A well-rounded educational experience that includes the arts is closely linked to academic achievement, social and emotional development, civic engagement, and equitable opportunity" (Velasco). The benefits of the liberal arts are limitless, by riding schools of art programs, public education is restricting innovativeness and diminishing the limitless of

Do you want to add light to your life? Arts programs in schools are crucial to students learning for many reasons Kids in school that take arts are guaranteed to expand their brain, and make life a little brighter. Kids cannot do this if schools have no programs in the arts. We need the arts in schools for all sorts of things and it is of great importance that they are included in the school curriculum .

This survey records the habits of mind, personal attitudes and social abilities intrinsic to arts education. Moreover, review of the article has identified that students learning the arts would have the better influence on their mind for other subjects such as mathematics, reading, and social studies. Students who are enrolled in art classes experience improvement in other domains of life and course subject to learning. A report of the national survey, which has used a federal database of more than 25,000 students, the analyst found that students who were involved in any program of arts in any way gave better performance on standardized achievement exam than students who do not participate in the education of arts. A very general viewpoint about learning experience is that it includes some transformation both in education and life inside the school or outside the school life. However, the extent and nature of this transformation remain a subject of interest for the researchers. (Ellen,

Music, dance, drama, painting and drawing teachers try to incorporate academic lessons into their art classes. Students can be learning both art and academic topics at the same time. This can benefit the students extremely because it will not only engage the students in helpful activities, but it will keep them interested in learning the different topics. For example, schools may play music in the halls to introduce the students to culture that may help them to be open to learning new things in all of their classes. The painting teacher may have her student’s paint a picture of a historical event they learned about in their history class and discuss it in front of the class. The music teacher may ask the students to pick a certain song that reminds them of a book they read in their English class and explain to the class why the song reminds them of that certain book. The dance teacher might assign a dance to the students that will get them thinking of a subject to write their paper on for writing class. The possibilities are endless as to how to mix academics into the arts. It is important to do so to keep the creative juices flowing in the young minds of the students in public schools. By participating in an arts course, students are fueling their cognitive developments and are

“The arts are an essential element of education, just like reading writing, and arithmetic…music dance, painting, and theatre are all keys that unlock profound human understanding and accomplishment” (William Bennett, Former US Secretary of Education).

Schools that offer fine arts classes have lower dropout rates and raised attendance. The fine arts positively impact students of lower socioeconomic status more those of a higher  status. The fine arts have no barriers for race, religion, and culture when it comes to being involved in the arts. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to be involved (Katy Independent School District). Without the arts these students have no outlet for creative capabilities and no way to express their talents. Students who need this way of expressing themselves are overlooked and they are the ones who need it the most (Dickson). When viewing the participation of arts in the eyes of a ten-year old, “It cools kids down after all the other hard stuff they have to think about” (Arts and Smarts: Test Scores and Cognitive Development).