Integrating Art into the Classroom

“They (the arts) can bring every subject to life and turn abstractions into concrete reality. Learning through the arts often results in greater academic achievement and higher test scores.” (New Horizons for Learning)

For my response I would like to focus on the concept that is talked about in chapter eight of emphasis art. That concept is thinking critically through art. As you think critically through art it can help you teach subjects in a way that helps students understand the other concepts that are being learned. In the book they show an example of a student’s artwork. The student had painted a picture of a concept that was being learned in social studies. By painting or doing an art project with the other subjects it can help the students relate their unique artwork to that subject, thus, making the subject being learned more memorable.

As I read more into integrating art, I learned just how closely art integrates into each subject. Art has a direct link to each subject, and as a teacher I think that it is very important to use all resources available to help your students learn in the best possible way.

I had the awesome opportunity to observe a creative teacher who integrated art with mathematics.  He had the students take photographs of outside objects and then he had the students create math problems from the photographs they took. By integrating photography with mathematics it helped the students think critically to find the real life applications to mathematics. In the article Art Across the Curriculum: Bilingual or Mainstream classroom. It reads;

“It (art) has been the "spice" to my language arts, math, geography, science, and ESL Lesson Plans; it has created many memorable closures to exciting thematic units presented throughout the school year.”

As a future teacher, I hope to integrate art into all subjects. In social studies I hope to do something similar to the example in chapter eight. Having the students draw pictures or creating something from what we have been learning helps me, as a teacher; see what emotions or thoughts the students are having with the topics that are being discussed in class.  In Science, building or sculpting models can help the students see visually the concepts that are being taught. In math, using symmetry through art and in writing story problems can help the students relate math to real life. Comparing the art and discussing the art can help the student’s English skills.

There are so many real life applications that can be made by using art in education. I am very excited to incorporate art in my classroom. 

Resources

"Integrating Art." MAEA VISUAL ARTS CURRICULUM . N.p., n.d. Web. 5 Feb 2011. <http://usm.maine.edu/~trudy/frame/finteg.htm>.  

Lopez, Jesus. "Art Across the Curriculum: Bilingual or Mainstream Classroom." ArtsWork. N.p., 2002. Web. 5 Feb 2011. <http://artswork.asu.edu/arts/teachers/lesson/visarts/visarts1.htm>. 

Emphasis Art. 9th. 2010. 107-109. Print. 

Classroom Observation Kurt Johnson