Directions: Unfortunately, there may be times when you will need to justify integrating arts, music, and movement. Below are three scenarios. Choose one. Respond to the prompt as if you are in that situation. Cite sources. In each scenario, you are a professional educator and your response has to be professional. When you respond to your peers' posts, you should take on the identity of the critic described in the prompt. This is role playing, but still show professionalism. The best arguments are respectful.
Prompt Scenarios:
1. You are a third grade teacher at Imaginary Elementary School. You integrate arts, movement, and music in your lessons. You have just received a scathing email from a parent of a gifted student. The parent states that you are wasting time with pointless activities and that you need to cut the frill. How do you respond?
2. You are a music teacher and there are budget issues. You have a chance to address the school board regarding the importance of your program. What do you say?
3. You are on a grade level team with other teachers. One of your partner teachers tells you that she's heard you are wasting time and tells you that you should focus on the skills that will be tested on the Smarter Balance test that is coming up. How do you respond?
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ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteResponse to scenario #1
ReplyDeleteDear Parent,
Let me begin by stating that I understand your concerns and that I am sensitive to them. I know that Anna’s education is important to you. She is a gifted student and needs to be challenged academically. You are concerned that she is not receiving the same academic rigor with art integration that she would receive with a more traditional approach to learning. Let me take this opportunity to assure you that is not the case. Integrating the arts into lessons is not simply about including an art project with each lesson. Instead, it is about infusing arts, music, and movement into the curriculum. This allows me, as a teacher, to create deeper more meaningful learning experiences for my students, including Anna. A drama and/or the visual arts allow students to visualize a story and bring characters to life and creates opportunities for students to develop internal visualization strategies (Rogers-Grazado, 2011). “Text can be abstract and inaccessible, while paintings, videos, sculptures etc. can be viewed and explored from a variety of viewpoints” (Rogers-Grazado, 2011). The arts provide learning experiences that cannot be achieved through test-taking and rote memorization. Art integration provides “unique opportunities for students to express themselves, hence revealing their internal logic in ways we might not otherwise see” (Burnaford, Aprill, Weiss, 2006). It is a way to assess student learning and understanding through visual representation.
Art integration allows students to think critically about their learning through reflection. Students who are engaged in what they are learning are more motivated to learn. Integrating the arts helps students become more invested in what they are learning (Burnaford, Aprill, Weiss, 2006). When students are self-motivated they are more engaged and willing to explore, which allows them to more readily synthesize new learning (Rogers-Grazado, 2011). I hope that I have convinced you that there is nothing “frilly” about art integration. It is creating deeper learning experiences for Anna and giving her opportunities to reflect on what she is learning.
Sincerely,
Jenny LeTempt
“Arts Integration allows us to build chefs who make choices – not cooks who merely follow the recipe” (Riley, 2012)
Burnaford, G., Aprill, A., Weiss, C. (2001). Renaissance in the classroom: Arts Integration and Meaningful Learning. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.
Riley, S. (2012). Use arts integration to enhance common core. Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/blog/core-practices-arts-integration-susan-riley
Rogers-Grazado, C. (2011). Why integrate the arts into the classroom? . Retrieved from https://callanrogers.wordpress.com/2011/11/07/why-integrate-the-arts-into-the-classroom- part-1/
Mrs. LeTempt,
DeleteAlthough I can understand why the arts integration is valuable for some students, I do not think it is necessary for my child. She is able to exceed all standards and scores very highly on state tests. I think the more time we put towards preparing for tests and the more information we can provide her the better. Does arts integration take more time than traditional instruction? Also, how will this approach benefit my daughter in her future?
Sincerely,
Mrs. Rice
Let's keep this dialog going. I want to see where it goes!
DeleteAubrey
Mrs. Rice,
DeleteAll students can benefit from the arts being integrated into the curriculum, including your child. Arts integration does take more time than a more traditional approach to instruction, but it is well worth it! Your child is already excelling academically, so I completely understand your hesitation and concern. Integrating the arts will create deeper learning experiences that will be more meaningful and memorable to your child. We are preparing our students to be competitive in a global society. "The “sit and get” experiences of traditional classrooms will only develop the
demands of yesterday’s standards, not the skill sets necessary to master the expectations of the new CCSS" (Peel, 2014).
Jenny
Peel, R. (2014). Integrating arts in the classroom: A strategic approach to support common core state standards. Delta Journal of Education, 4(1), 63-72.
Mrs. LeTempt,
DeleteDo you think you will even be able to get through the textbook by the end of the school year? I am concerned that my child won't be prepared for the next grade level, if the text is not covered.
Mrs. Rice
Mrs. Rice,
DeleteYour child will be well prepared for the next grade level. Art integration is not taking away from her level of education, it is only adding to it. The concepts she is learning now will have a more lasting imprint in her memory with arts integration, which will only assist her in the learning of new concepts next year.
Mrs. LeTempt
To Whom it May Concern,
ReplyDeleteThank you for taking the time to hear why I believe we should fight to keep the Music Program thriving in the schools. Music is important to all students, staff, and community people; therefore it should not be cut due to budget issues.
Music has the power to encourage and empower students physically, emotionally, spiritually, socially, and intellectually. Musical learning and performance teaches students to have self-discipline, dedication, teamwork, knowledge, self-confidence, and humility (Petress, 2005 pg. 112); all of which are imperative skills for students to learn to be a contributing member to society and the classroom. Ken Petress (2005) states, " that music takes self discipline because one needs to learn to practice, take instruction, and criticism, and to perform whether solo or as a member; dedication, musicians learn to take the necessary time to learn and perform music; teamwork, musicians have to work as a team for their performance to be appreciated and valued; knowledge, studying music demands that one learn some level of theory, history, and cultural sensitivity; and confidence, being able to perform musically to entertain audiences and to understand and follow a composers intentions". All of these skills that a Music Education offers students, carries out into their abilities to build in the general education classroom.
Music improves students brain development and enhances skills in all other areas. By making music we are strengthening the human brain. Making music targets the sensory and perpetual systems: auditory, visual, tactile, and kinesthetic, the cognitive: symbolic, linguistic, and reading, planning movements: fine and gross muscle action and coordination, feedback and evaluation of actions, learning memory, and motivation (pleasure) (Weinberger, 1998, pg. 38). By learning music, students have the opportunity to engage all senses at once. Also, studies have shown that when students receive instruction in music listening, reading scores increased compared to those who did not receive training (Weinberger, 1998, pg. 38).
If these facts are not enough to convince the board the we should not cut funding for the Music Programs in our schools, let us not forget the obvious. Students love music. A world without music is dull and unexciting. Music surrounds these children in their everyday lives and rather than removing it from schools, we should be embracing it. Lastly, MUSIC IS FUN!
Thank you for your time,
Tanya
Petress, K. (2005). The Importance of Music Education. Music Education, 126(1), 112-117. Retrieved from http://fac.teachers.ab.ca/SiteCollectionDocuments/FAC.teachers.ab.ca/Advocacy Articles/6.pdf
Weinberger, N. (1998). The Music in Our Minds. Educational Leadership.
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DeleteTanya,
DeleteI can appreciate your point of view. I agree, music is fun and kids enjoy it. My child is well adjusted socially and has no issues with gross motor skills. I do see the benefits of increased learning memory and increased reading scores. However, my child needs to spend more time in subjects like math and science to increase his skills in areas that matter to life after school. It is great that music has some positive benefits, but should it really be included when students don't spend enough time learning subjects like science in school already?
Jenny
Tanya,
DeleteAlthough I agree with some of the points you made about the benefits of music, I do not think that our rigorous curriculum will allow for it to continue. Students are now faced with more testing than ever before and the test results greatly impact their future as well as ours. We simply do not have the time to incorporate music and therefore funding should not be wasted in this area. How will music better prepare our students to succeed on the SBAC and other state tests?
I wonder where this dialog will go!
DeleteAubrey
With our limited funds the money that we would allocate to the music program would be better spend on resources our students need to help raise their academic scores and hopefully past the standardize testes they need to graduate. While i do understand to some extent the benefits of having music in our school, our decision as to what program is to receive funding is based on what is more beneficial to our students and unfortunately music is not a a priority.
DeleteAudrey
Tanya,
DeleteThank you for your well thought out and research based inquiry. We simple do not have the funds to continue your program, as we need to update our technology in order for students to take the current standardized state tests. I agree with you that there are benefits musically for students, but I think classroom teachers can incorporate when necessary into their lessons. We need to now refocus our time on practicing and preparing for our new tests.
Stephanie
Wow, that was a really convincing argument. I cannot think of any agreement against it. I liked that you listed several areas that it could help a student including teamwork and presentations skills. These are all thing that are important and parent would recognize them as such.
DeleteWell done Tanya!
Jenny,
DeleteYes, I think Music Education is still necessary regardless of the time it takes away from other subject areas. Think of it this way, every time we learn a new song that we enjoy we can always remember the words. If your child is given the chance to learn music, maybe he can create catchy songs using information in other subjects to help him study. This example, amongst many others, is why music could help your child continue to be a better student.
Thank you!
Stephanie,
DeleteThank you! I am happy to see that you do agree with me. However, did you consider the fact that music education in fact involves technology, math, ELA, and many other subjects. When one learns to read or play music they are learning an art form, a special science, and wonderful ways of expressing themselves. They are using counts to read music and rhythm, rhymes, phrases, expressive language, etc to write lyrics and songs. Teachers cannot provide lessons in music to that depth in the classroom.
Tana!
DeleteThank you for your support and I hope that I will have your support the next time I have to present in front of the board in efforts to keep the program or re-establish it (depending on the decision).
Kelsey,
DeleteBy allowing the students to continue having a Music program, the students will be given a chance to use strategies that they use in the classroom and therefore will be able to refine those skills. Students use Math when learning to read and play music, they have to dissect the meaning of symbols and notes, and much more. Most of the students also benefit by becoming more confident which trickles into their self confidence in other subject areas.
Scenario #1
ReplyDeleteDear Parent,
Thank you for presenting your concern about the integration of arts, movement and music in our classroom to me. I would like to assure you that all of my students intellectual prosperity is important to me. In fact, that's why I chose to integrate arts, movement and music into our lessons. I feel as though sitting still and quit for hours on end, for anyone, let alone third graders is a daunting task. I have to ask myself does sitting in anyway help our students learn? Do we need to tame or students' physical natures? I have found that incorporating arts, movement and music into the learning process creates more opportunities for hands on learning and is overall more engaging for the students. We all learn through our senses, drawing information in through our bodies to feed our understanding of the world. Essentially the mind and body work as one to process information.
Studies have shown that that the arts are an integral part of whole brain learning and students involved in the arts, score an average of 100 points higher on the SAT's than students who do not have access to arts education. (Arts Integration Resources, 2015) Behavior issues were also reduced when arts, movement and music integration were implemented into the classroom. Also, students in arts integration classrooms tested from 7 to 15% higher in all tested subjects regardless of demographic group of students tested. (Research, 2014)
I find multiple reasons to integrate arts, movement and music into our curriculum. I hope you will join us in our classroom in order to observe how engaged the students are in their learning through this type of integration during our lessons.
Thank you,
Alana Winstead
Arts Integration Resources. (2015). Retrieved May 29, 2015, from http://www.paps.net/domain/2744
Research. (2014). Retrieved May 29, 2015, from http://artsintegration.com/research/
Alana,
DeleteI appreciate your response. It is interesting that you say that doing art projects increases test scores in all subjects. I am still a little skeptical on how that can be. How does doing a frilly art project help my child do better on a test?
Jenny
I'm curious how the teacher will respond to this one!
DeleteAubrey
Good Afternoon Alana,
DeleteAlthough I see how arts and movement can benefit my child, I do not feel it is necessary. When I was growing up, we learned and applied our learning through pencil and paper work and I was rather successful academically. Because of this, I do not feel that incorporating arts into my child's academics is necessary.
Thank You,
Tanya
Alana,
DeleteThank you for responding to my issue. I appreciate your explanation and agree that we do not need to tame our children, they need to move! My child does not need to improve his scores or behavior, he needs to be challenged by rigor. How can an art project challenge my child more than practicing the skills he needs?
Thank you,
concerned parent
Jenny,
DeleteI would like you to take a look at the resources I have listed in the previous email. After using arts in my class for many years as well as my colleagues, I have learned that the arts can inspire the creative growth of all students in all subjects. One reason I love incorporating arts into my classroom is that something as simple as drawing skills can increase the child's power of observation. It also gives students the power to their ideas visually by giving them new tools to promote critical thinking. Discussing art can also increase a child's vocabulary and language. These are just a few examples of how art integration can help students critical thinking skills, which will in turn help a child critically think on a test. I would love to have you come into our class to view one of our integrated arts lessons.
Thank you,
Alana Winstead
Dear Tanya,
DeleteI would love to have you come in to our classroom to see a arts integration lesson first hand to see it's benefits and how engaged the students are in the lessons.
Thank you,
Alana Winstead
Dear Taylor,
DeleteI would love for you to come into our classroom to see one of our arts lessons first hand. I think you will be surprised as to how carefully I integrate arts and align Language Arts, Math, Science, and Social Studies standards into my lessons in order to make the students fully engage and gain meaningful and relevant knowledge.
Thank you,
Alana Winstead
Dear Mrs. Winstead,
DeleteThank you for your prompt response. I can see you that you take time and care when planning all of your lessons. My child does not have behavior issues and she already tests high. My concern is that her educational time is not being spent wisely and I would like her to be pushed more.
Thank you for your time,
concerned parent (Stephanie)
Alana, great idea to invite the parent to observe firsthand!
DeleteAubrey
I think you brought up some every interesting points. I liked that you talked about standardized test. Even though I don't necessary like them I think parents do. What types of behavior problems do the arts help improve?
DeleteMs. Winstead,
DeleteThank you for your prompt response. I now understand the importance of integrating art and music into the classroom. I also thank you for sharing the studies that have shown that that the arts are an integral part of whole brain learning and students involved in the arts, score an average of 100 points higher on the SAT's than students who do not have access to arts education. (Arts Integration Resources, 2015) That's amazing!
Robin
Alana,
DeleteYou certainly make a convincing argument. I will have to come and have a look at this whole art integration thing myself.
Jenny
I will be there 8 am, sharp tomorrow!!! ;)
DeleteAlana,
DeleteYou raise a good argument, I was unaware of the positive affects the arts programs have on students test scores. My daughter is extremely introverted and she is coming how very distressed from these outward games and activities. Is there a way you could accommodate her?
Dear Parents
ReplyDeleteThank you for the email addressing your concern regarding Thomas’s education. Let me start by saying that I understand your concern, but let me reassure you that Thomas is learning as we do our arts and movement activities. The integration of art and movement is a way for our students to release their built up energy after sitting for long period of time in a positive and creative manner.
The kinesthetic involve are very intentional to the students learning experience. The activities are an extension of the work they are doing and do not take away anything from their academic, it only enhances them. The arts help children develop vital higher level thinking and analytical skills. Ant and movements being integrated into the curriculum helps students to learn other subjects. The integration of art provide learning experiences that cannot be achieved through test-taking and rote memorization. Art integration provides unique opportunities for the students to express themselves and interpret what they are learning using and artistic media.
Arts integration goes beyond including art projects in class; it is a teaching strategy that seamlessly merges arts standards with core curricula to build connections and provide engaging context (Nobori, 2015). I hope I have alleviated your fears about the integration of the arts into the curriculum and it’s the benefits to your son education. Please feel free to come in any time to observe and participate in our arts and movements learning activities so you can see and experience the benefits for yourself.
Sincerely,
Audrey Scott
Schwartz, Katrina (2015). How Integrating Arts into Other Subjects Makes Learning Come Alive retrieved from
http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2015/01/13/how-integrating-arts-into-other-subjects-makes-learning-come-alive/
Nobori, Mariko (2015).How the Arts Unlock the Door to Learning, retrieved from
http://www.edutopia.org/stw-arts-integration-reform-overview
Audrey,
DeleteI can see why the arts are a valuable tool for incorporating in the classroom and I appreciate you invitation. I am still concerned that Thomas' time is being wasted by incorporating the arts because he is a boy and boys do not need to take time doing frilly things. I believe it would be much more beneficial for our son to be engaged in experiments rather than to be simply dancing and drawing. Does you arts/movement integration include activities that are suited to boys?
Sincerely,
Miss Rice
Audrey,
DeleteI appreciate your invitation to come into the classroom and may take you up on that. You convinced me that maybe your class is doing more than just "frilly" art projects. However, Thomas is a gifted learner. He doesn't need to do art to interpret what he is learning. He is more left brain dominant. He likes structure, numbers, and does well with rote memorization and test-taking. How is art integration going to benefit him when he is already successful at school?
Jenny
Keep up the discussion!
DeleteAubrey
Our arts and movement activities are gender neutral. there is creative writing, examine science concepts by examining an art piece on nature,or animals.We can learn about history through re-enactment of historical events Arts and movement is more than dancing and drawing. Believe it or not there is a lot of experimentation involve in arts and movement. it unlocks our students creativity, build on their higher level of thinking, they are analyzing and examining the topic they are learning about in the content areas from a different perspective. These are just some of the skill they are developing, which they can apply when their taking examines.
DeleteAudrey
Hello Audrey,
DeleteThis concerns me because my child is often discouraged by art projects and comes home frustrated that she does not want to do the work. She often feels that she does better when she is given independent seat work because she is more introverted and not "artsy" (in her words). Please make accommodations for my child.
Thank You,
Tanya
Audrey,
DeleteThank you for responding to my concern for my child with my concerns of his academic rigor. Is there any research that backs up your statement, "The arts help children develop vital higher level thinking and analytical skills"?
I will be in on Monday morning to observe.
Thank you,
Concerned parent
Audrey,
DeleteThank you for your quick response. I am now able to see how the arts can provide my son with a unique learning experience that is more engaging than when I went to school. I can now see the benefits of arts and movement in the classroom and Thomas told me today about how much fun he is having. I would like to meet with you to make sure his grades are on track and I would like to come to see an arts integration lesson soon.
Thank you,
Alana Winstead
Dear concern parents
Deletethere are several research have shown that art integration is beneficial to students academic achievement in a research conducted by NASAA found that students who participate in arts learning experiences often improve their achievement in other realms of learning and life. In a well-documented national study using a federal database of over 25,000 middle and high school students, researchers from the University of California at Los Angeles found students with high arts involvement performed better on standardized achievement tests than students with low arts involvement. Moreover, the high arts-involved students also watched fewer hours of TV,participated in more in community service program.
I have include some resource for you to look over that will help to develop a better understand of the way art integration is used in the curriculum.
http://www.nasaa-arts.org/Publications/critical-evidence.pdf
13 Catterall, James S. (2002), “The Arts and the Transfer of Learning.” In R. Deasy (Ed.),Critical Links: Learning in the Arts and Student Achievement and Social Development,Washington, DC:
I am looking forward to you coming on Mondayand spending some time with our class to observe and participate in our class to get first hand experience which i hope will alleviate your concern that your child is indeed learning.
sincerely
Audrey scott
Ms. Winstead
DeleteI am happy to hear that Thomas is enjoying the art integration aspect of his learning.
I would like to meet you and discuss your concerns regarding your sons grades please let me know when you would likely to meet with me, so I can make time in my schedule got our meeting.
Sincerely
Audrey Scott
Dear Mrs. Scott,
DeleteThank you for your response. I think you make some interesting points. I like the idea that it will help Kathy on standardized test but I still think there are better way to spend class time.
Sincerely a concerned parent.
Audrey,
DeleteI appreciate your thorough response and the study that you quoted is quite convincing. I am interested to learn more about how art integration can help my child use higher level thinking skills and look at things from multiple perspectives.
Jenny
Ms. Scott,
DeleteI appreciate your invitation to the class. You raise good points about the benefits of integrating art into the curriculum. I'm still concerned my son spends time with another gifted student at a private school. The work is more rigorous and I see this student excelling faster than my son in that environment. I'm worried the time spent on art is contributing to this?
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteGreat start to your discussions. Keep them going! These seem so real and this is great practice for dealing professionally with criticism!
ReplyDeleteAubrey
I have tried to post my blog numerous times over the last several days and every time it disappears as soon as I lot out! I sent you an email to your smu account. Please let me know what I can do!
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteScenario #3
ReplyDeleteGood Afternoon Abe Team!!!! (Lincoln Staff) It was brought to my attention that many of you think that I have been wasting my time integrating Art and Music into my lesson plans. Art and Music are vital elements in educating our students. Now I do understand that achieving a high test scores on the Smarter Balanced Standardized Test is essential. The lessons and activities that I do with the students is not a waste of time. In fact, it helps them in all of their academic classes. Music helps our students in a variety of ways. For example, music can establish a positive learning state as well as create a desired atmosphere. It can help students stay focused and concentrate on main ideas. Music increases attention, improve memory, release tension, enhance imagination, develops rapport, music can inspire and motivate students as well as adding an element of fun. You don't have to take my word for it. There are many books and articles that express the importance of Art and Music integrated into the classroom. The Little Book of Music for the Classroom and Classroom Management for Art, Music and the PE teacher are two wonderful books to read that express the importance of Art and Music incorporated into the classroom. Art and Music are beneficial for the classroom emotional, physically as well as academically!
Robin
Brewer, C. (2011). Johns Hopkins University School of Education Music and Learning: Integrating Music in the Classroom. Retrieved May 30, 2015, from http://education.jhu.edu/PD/newhorizons/strategies/topics/Arts in Education/brewer.htm
Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium. (n.d.). Retrieved May 30, 2015, from http://www.smarterbalanced.org/
Robin,
DeleteIf music increases attention, why do my students listen to their headphones when I am talking to block me out? If we say music is OK in the classroom, we will have to say phones are fine. If phones are out, students will text, tweet and snapchat. This is a slippery slop that I am not willing to go down.
Let's stick to the basic and teach the students in an old fashioned way we all were taught.
Ms. Weinman
Robin,
DeleteI am interested in learning more about the integration of arts, music and movement into my classroom. I was never taught this style of teaching, so I'm very skeptical. After further thought, I feel as though it will be very engaging to the students to incorporate the arts into my lessons. Would you be willing to have me come into your classroom to view one of you integrated lessons?
Thank you,
Alana Winstead
Robin,
DeleteI can see you are passionate about the arts. As you know we are all being evaluated on how well our students are doing via standardized testing. I do not want to lose my job because my students are in Art class when they could be practicing and reviewing for the Smarter Balance.
Stephanie
Stephanie,
DeleteI completely understand your concern, however, Art integration enhances our students learning. Art classes will be beneficial for our students while preparing for the Smarter Balance. For example, the arts teach children to make good judgments about qualitative relationships. The arts teach children that problems can have more than one solution. Also, it teaches children to think through and within a material. These are just a few reasons why it is important for Arts to be integrated within the classrooms.
Robin
Alana,
DeleteI am absolutely thrilled that you want to come into my classroom to view my integrated lessons. Let’s set a time and date for you to come!
Robin
Ms. Weinman,
DeleteI do understand your concern, however, there will always be, “That Student” that will test the classroom rules. The student that comes to class with his cell phone and insists that he is using it for classroom purposes and, of course, the student with the headphones. I do understand that it is a slippery slope, but we must remind the students of the classroom rules and follow through on the consequences. If music enhances the memory, establishes a positive learning state, helps students to focus and concentrate as well as increasing their motivation to learn than I’m willing to go down that slippery slope.
Robin
Mrs. Robin,
DeleteThank you for that detailed explanation. I think you are right arts integration can help student preform better in class. However, are there other things that could also do that.
Good Evening!
DeleteI have to say that I very much agree with your argument. I think music is a very useful tool in helping students to remember information. I personally am someone who benefits hearing information in lyrics form, especially when the words are relevant and catchy! Keep this up!
Robin,
DeleteYou have convinced me that the arts are worth keeping. You raise important points. I'm still concerned about how much time should be spent on these kinds of activities. It seems most teachers are pressed for time just to fit in the core curriculum. How are you finding time to teach art and still teach to the text.
From a parent.
Scenario 1
ReplyDeleteDear concerned parent,
It has been my hope this year that the parents of my 3rd grade students are involved in their education. Your contribution with Johnny’s education is wonderful, he has benefited greatly as a result of you being an active parent. With that being said, I would like to explain some of the research behind incorporating arts, movement and music in the classroom and clarify my educational goals for the students.
Art has become an isolate subject with math and literacy taking its place in the classroom. As adults, we know that soft skills such as creative thinking, evaluation and providing rationale for responses are useful skills to have. In my art lessons the students are responding to works of art to develop these skills. Brain development is a dynamic process that needs to be nurtured. Your child is gifted academically, by incorporating art into the math he is doing, it will solidify the skills he is learning. Our brains are capable of a limited amount of information in one sitting. We need a break from learning to process the information so that it can go into our long term storage and we can retrieve it later. Time spent not learning is just as important (Pelligrini, Huberty, & Jones, 1995). Overloading our brains with information creates a crash and this will result in no new learning.
Whenever children can use multiple senses they will understand a concept better. Ideas and feelings start in the body before they are translated to words (Minton 2003, 37). If you’ve ever played Simon Says, and someone tells you to touch your head, but they have their finger on their shoulders, chances are you touched your shoulders as well. This physical response helps learners’ process information better (Coulter, 1995). Movements and art is a beneficial tool to help develop intellectual intelligence. I can assure you, Johnny is a strong learner and by incorporating arts and movement into our learning process is only aiding in understanding.
Please feel free to contact me if you have any further questions.
Thank you,
Ms. Weinman
References
Coulter, D. 1995. Music and the making of the mind. Early Childhood Connections: The Journal of Music and Movement Based Leaning 1: 22-26.
Minton, S. 2003. Using movement to teach academics: An outline for success. Journal of Physical Education, Recreating & Dance 74 (2): 36-40.
Pelligrini, A.D., Huberty, P.D., & Jones, I. (1995). The effects of recess timing on children’s playground and classroom behaviors. American Educational Research Journal. 32(8), 845-864.
Ms. Weinman,
DeleteI am now understanding better how arts can be integrated into a lesson while teaching multiple subjects. After further talk with Johnny he states that he is loving your class. I was just concerned that there was to much art and no academics, but now I understand that art is just a part of the lesson and that it is incorporated into the academic lessons. I would like the opportunity to come into the classroom to view the lesson first hand.
Thank you,
Alana Winstead
Music Blog
DeleteThank you for meeting with me to discuss the benefits of keeping the music program at our school. I understand part of the reason for considering making the cut would be to create more time to prepare for standardized tests. There are many studies demonstrating how having music programs actually improves test scores. “Researchers in Hamilton, Ohio documented that students participating in a string pullout program scored higher on the reading, mathematics and citizenship portions of the Ohio Proficiency Test than their non-music peers.” Another study showed students taking music scoring 68%, while non-music students scored a 58% at grade level on SAT reports. (Music’s impact, 2001) There are many other studies linking higher academic success to playing music. One of the reasons for this phenomenon is the way music develops both the left and right parts of the brain. This development helps students connect new information to music. (Brown, n.d) Another benefit of taking music is increased spatial intelligence. Children acquire problem solving skills and have a greater understanding of how to put things together, increasing their math success. (Music’s impact, 2001) Students who play music also gain “neurophysiological distinction between certain sounds that can aid in literacy, which can translate into improved academic results for kids.” (Locker, 2014)
Music can help build community, increase confidence and be a lot of fun. It’s an opportunity for creative expression intertwined with logic and reason. Allowing students to participate in the arts gives time for whole child development. For many people music is an emotional outlet.
I also understand budget cuts are a contributing factor to considering dropping this program. I wonder if there could be fund raising opportunities? I could facilitate a concert put on by the students for our community. The community attending could donate to the music program.
Thank you for your time.
References:
(2001) Music’s impact on academic success. Children’s music workshop. Retrieved from: http://www.childrensmusicworkshop.com/advocacy/academicsuccess/
Locker, M. (Dec 16, 2014) This is how music can change your brain. Time. Retrieved from: http://time.com/3634995/study-kids-engaged-music-class-for-benefits-northwestern/
Brown, L. L. (n.d.) The benefits of music education. PBS parents. Retrieved from: http://www.pbs.org/parents/education/music-arts/the-benefits-of-music-education/
DeleteMs. Olmsted,
We have to consider the overall impact of programs in comparison with the financial factors. The music program at your school costs the district about $120,000 per school year. I don't foresee your fundraising efforts being able to cover this cost.
The board
Delete
Alana,
DeleteI am glad Johnny is enjoying our class! He is a great student. You are welcome to come in this week anytime :)
Ms. Weinman
Mrs. Olmsted,
DeleteAlthough we agree that music can have a very beneficial impact on student learning we do not believe it is a core curriculum subject. Although people may like music this does not mean everyone must acquire the skills to be a musically involved citizen, whereas the core content areas are life skills regardless of career. We believe that school funds are better spent on content areas that will create well-educated citizens that can contribute to the work force.
Mrs. Olmsted,
DeleteYou make a good argument for the art's. But how will it help Johnny Pass the smarter balance?
Ms. Weinman,
DeleteThank you for responding so promptly. I also appreciate how you went into detail explaining to me the importance of integrating art and music into the classrooms. Now I have a better insight on how art and music can enhance my son's education.
Thank you again,
Robin
Tana,
DeleteAs I mentioned above, students who participate in music programs actually score higher on tests like smart balance. Practicing music links the left and right side of the brain while increasing neurophysiological distinction. This combination improves academic success in both math and language.
Ms. Rice,
DeleteI understand your concern, I agree, core content should be top priority. After researching music programs I believe students who practice music are able to problem solve and comprehend core content more easily. Music increases neurophysiological distinction making students more capable in math and English.
The Board,
DeleteYou raise a valid concern about funding. I would like to have the opportunity to host one fundraiser and actually see its success before we rule it out. This community deeply values the music program and I feel will be supportive of our efforts. If this fundraiser is successful perhaps it will lead to more until we have enough funding.
Robin,
DeleteNo problem! I am glad to have clarified any misunderstandings, feel free to join us in class anytime this week.
Thank you,
Ms. Weinman
Shauna,
DeleteWow, I was not aware of how much music impacts the students. Thank you for providing research based evidence showing how music can improve test scores. Your idea of creating a fundraiser is great, let's connect at a later meeting.
Ms. Weinman
Posted on behalf of Kelsey:
ReplyDelete(In response to my partner teacher)
Although I agree that preparing for the SBAC is important, I do not agree that the arts is a waste of time. In fact, I believe that by incorporating the arts, movement and drama I am providing my students with opportunities to learn and prepare at a deeper level. Studies have shown that the arts enhance children's learning because they are able to create memorable experiences through hearing, seeing and feeling. The arts combine verbal and nonverbal information processing which provides a higher level integration and overall better remembering of the material.
In addition, research has indicated that the arts provide us with a variety of thinking forms. The arts require making judgment in the absence of rule, encourages flexible purposefulness, recognize the unity in form and content, and requires students to think within the constraints of their selected medium. Also, the arts allow children to establish for themselves a personal inner involvement with an artistic experience. All in all, the arts provide an engaging experience that is more memorable and ignites creative thinking.
Although the SBAC is a high stakes test, what it measures traces back to what we can learn through the arts. The performance tasks challenge students to respond to complex real problems using their skills and knowledge. In conjunction with the ELA SBAC, the arts share common elements of sound, time and space, and require skills of aural, kinesthetic and visual perception. These skills and experiences can be used for answering the performance task questions with a deep level of understanding.
In today's education there is a large emphasis on highs stakes testing, however these tests do not adequately prepare our students for the outside world. Steve Jobs even said that "The benefits of creative initiative may not be as clear and measurable as core subject test scores, but we should not underestimate the value of arts education for our youth." The use of art in education guides students to think for themselves, to be productive and innovative, and to enjoy the pursuit of knowledge. The arts will not only prepare them for these upcoming tests, it will enhance their ability to succeed in our society.
References:
Eisner, E. W. (2004). What can education learn from the arts about the practice of education. International Journal of Education & the Arts, 5(4), 1-12.
Heilig, J. V., Cole, H., & Aguilar, A. (2010). From Dewey to No Child Left Behind: The evolution and devolution of public arts education. Arts Education Policy Review, 111(4), 136-145.
Nadon-Gabrion, C. (1984). Language, a Bridge to Learning in Movement and Music. Theory Into Practice, 23(4), 335.
Kelsey,
DeleteThe arts part of these lessons take up so much time. I just don't think it's even possible to cover all the standards before the test, if you continue to waste your time I will have to tell the principal. I'm sorry to say that, but if our students fail then we fail as a school and we just can't afford to be "a school needing improvement."
Your partner teacher (Aubrey)
Aubrey,
DeleteAlthough some arts/drama/movement activities do take time, it is possible to integrate these in the same amount of time as a normal lesson. For instance, instead of having students simply read about a historical event and filling in a worksheet, you could give each group an envelope that states their resources, what they need, and how to get it. Within 20 minutes your class could have recreated a war, have a deep understanding of the event, and be able to critically analyze the cause and effects of the war from various points of view. The arts can be combined into our normal lessons without taking away time and they help students have a deeper understanding of the content. Arts are meant to enhance student understanding which has been supported by various research studies. Also, I would be happy to have the principal come to my classroom to observe how arts integration is preparing my students to succeed on the high stakes tests.
I liked that you compared the arts to the standardized testing. I think this is a good argument that parents will understand. Is it possible to use the arts as a way to assess students?
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteI just noticed that down below this box as I am typing, there is a box next to "Notify me." I am going to click that box and test it to see if responses result in an email notification. I will let you know what I find out!
Testing notification email...
ReplyDeleteThis appears to work, but I need someone else to respond to this post to test it for sure. Just "hi" would work!
DeleteBummer, didn't work. But it was worth a try!
DeleteGood afternoon board members,
ReplyDeleteThank you for taking the time to sit down with me today to discuss the value and importance of having a music program in our diverse and remarkable school. I have been teaching this amazing music program here at Imaginary Elementary School for the past 7 years and have seen astounding growth and development in my students. Research has been being conducted for years in the connection between a child’s learning and music, and I can say that based upon my research and that of others, there are only positive results.
I consider myself and the other music teachers in the district to be very cost efficient people. We make use of our resources and are very creative in the means in which we plan our lessons. Music is not confined to traditional instruments and sheet music. Not only are music teachers cost efficient, but also we pride ourselves in managing and teaching larger class sizes than the average classroom teacher. I myself teach 2 average classes at one time. If you were to remove our music program and it’s 3 music teachers, these teachers must be replaced by at least four classroom teachers. In an effort to save money by dropping our program, you may be spending more to replace it.
Music not only positively affects children academically, but also socially, emotionally, and cognitively. A master’s thesis by Jeanne Akin, Music Makes a Difference, documents numerous studies that show the value of music education to learning the “core” curriculum. Highlights from a summary of Akin’s findings are as follows:
1. Arts education leads to cognitive and basic skills development (Medeja 1978) (Milley 1984).
2. Learning to play a musical instrument helps students to develop faster physically, mentally, emotionally and socially (Mueller 1984).
6. There is a high relationship between high self-perception, high cognitive competence scores, general self-esteem and interest in school music (Lillemyre 1983).
8. Music education improves student listening skills (Kohanski 1970).
10. Music and arts enriched curriculum can be a factor in raising IQ scores for second graders (Mathison 1977).
11. In reading for meaning, music students can out-achieve non-music students (Friedman 1959).
12. Children who have received school keyboard music lessons score higher in mathematics and history than students not in the program, although their IQ scores are no higher than the other students’ (ESEA 1969).
13. Receiving increased music instruction can lead to increased learning in mathematics (Malester 1986).
14. Brain research shows that music and arts activities develop the intellect (Sinatra 1986).
16. There are many research studies that show a connection between music education and reinforcement for academic tasks (Madsen 1981).
17. Eye-hand coordination needed to learn to write can be developed by learning to play an instrument (Wishey 1980).
18. Disciplinary problems are reduced in school systems which have arts programs (Arts, Education and Americans 1980).
20. Research indicates that reading music can improve reading language abilities in slow young learners (Tucker 1981).
As fellow leaders in education and wanting the best education possible for our youth, I urge you to consider the negative effects that dropping an integral part of our school’s heritage can have on our students.
I appreciate you consideration and thank you again for your time.
-Mrs. Newkirk
Akin, J. (1987). Music Makes a Difference in the Classroom. Retrieved May 30, 2015, from http://nldline.com/music1.htm
Royer, R. (n.d). Justify Your Music Program. Retrieved May 30,2015, from http://www.childrensmusicworkshop.com/advocacy/justifyyourprogram/
Mrs. Newkirk,
DeleteI have to agree with my fellow board member. We agree that there are some benefits to the music program, but reading, writing, and math are fundamental. We just cannot afford the financial aspect of this as well as the time lost to choir, band, and orchestra. Besides, most students will not grow up to become professional musicians.
Board member (Aubrey)
Mrs. Newkirk,
DeleteAll of these benefits are wonderful, but the music program is taking valuable time away from students who need to prepare for the SBAC. We need students to score as high as possible on the standardized test. How is the music program going to help us achieve that goal?
Jenny
Mrs. Newkirk,
DeleteYou make a powerful argument. I especially like that music can help improve reading scores and behavior issues. However, how does music translate to an applicable skill that an adult can use in real life?
Mrs. Newkirk,
DeleteAlthough I agree with what you are saying in regards to the benefits of music I am skeptical in regards to your argument about funding. I think that our school would be better off if classroom teachers simply integrated music into their lessons rather than having a separate music class. By incorporating music in the classroom there would be no need for a specialist teacher and students would still get the wonderful benefits of hearing and using music.
Stephanie,
DeleteI agree with you. Art and music are vital within the classrooms. There are so many benefits that art and music can contribute to the classrooms. Thank you for highlighting so many of the benefits that art and music have to offer to our students.
Robin
Aubrey,
DeleteI agree that most students will not become professional musicians as their long-term goal, however, music is linked to students having more success in their core subjects in conjunction to taking music class than not. The human brain can only handle so much information input at a time and if we allow students to subconsciously learn (ie. patterns, problem solving, literacy, critical thinking skills) then they will perform better in their core curriculum.
Thank you for your time.
Stephanie
Jenny,
DeleteOur students are being overwhelmed with data that their brain cannot realistically input and recall. Through a music education students statistically score higher on standardized tests compared to students in schools with deficient music education programs, regardless of the socioeconomic level of the school or school district.
If our school is being rated and funded dependent upon student test scores, I feel it is imperative to continue their music education because, as mentioned previously, it has multiple positive factors that no other curriculum can bring forward.
-Stephanie
Johnson, C. M. & Memmott, J. E. (2007). Examination of relationships between participation in school music programs of differing quality and standardized test results. Journal of Research in Music Education, 54(4), 293-307.
Kelsey,
DeleteI completely understand your argument for having teachers implement music into their classrooms. However, they are not the specialists. They do not realistically have the TIME to dedicate and integrate music the way that a music teacher can. Also, the music program allows for classroom teachers to have prep time that they otherwise would not have. This allows for classroom teachers to have a "brain break" in order to stay motivated and focused for the day.
-Stephanie
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI sorry this is in so late. I thought I published it on Friday but I don't see it in the post so I must of not pushed publish.
ReplyDelete-Tana
Posted by instructor on behalf of Cybil:
ReplyDeleteDear Imaginary Elementary School Parent/s,
Thank you for your feedback regarding the integration of arts, movement and music. I agree that our students' education is highly important and extremely time sensitive. I also found that having happy and healthy students promote positive learning and can be a great way to encouraging students to want to go to school every day. As an effective teacher, I am dedicated in finding ways to make my students' learning experiences engaging and fun through creative activities, multiple techniques and different strategies. Because they spend so much time in the classroom, holding their attention can be a challenge so, it is extremely helpful to adapt creative instruction making their learning fun and interesting while promoting higher academic retention levels. With fun stuff aside, most of my activities are integrated with a subject area, following the school requirements and common core standards and ultimately, I am working toward engaging the students in my classroom, making meaningful connections, enhancing their ability to learn while helping them to reach higher academic achievements.
I have attached some great resources that you may find helpful:
http://www.edutopia.org/blog/classroom-connections-arts-integration-up-close-bob-lenz
http://www.edutopia.org/stw-arts-integration-video
http://www.paps.net/domain/2744
If you still have questions I would love to meet with you. Please call or email me to schedule a good time.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Wilson
(360)123-7777
cwilson@ntpsd.edu
Posted by instructor on behalf of Tana:
ReplyDeleteDear Parent,
Thank you for your involvement and interest in the instruction that your student is receiving in my class. I understand you have concerns over the curriculum I am teaching. I realize this is because you want the very best in academic education for your student. I want to insure you that this is goal I also deeply believe in. I am working to help your student and every other student in this class to achieve their highest potential. That being said there are several different ways of delivering instruction. We may not always agree about the exact educational methods I provided, however, with a relationship of respect I believe we can work together to meet your students educational needs.
I would like to assure you that the strategy of integrating arts, music, and movement, into the curriculum is researched based strategies that have been show to provide students with great academic benefits. For example, according to the National Assessment of Education Progress art activities have been correlated with leveraging memory (Vega, 2012). Memory is an important skill to develop in every subject and is useful for test taking. Other benefits are that art is correlated with an increased attention span (Posner &Patoine, 2009). Researchers believe that there are several reasons for this connection. One is that the neural networks in the brain may connect art with attention. Also, it is believed that a high level of interest in a subject can lead to increased motivation which combined with increased attention and directed toward a difficult task lead to greatly improved cognitive learning (Gazzaniga, 2008). Along with an increased level of attention I find that art can be engaging and provided the increased interest in learning that can help the students be motivated to engage in more difficult learning tasks. Essentially it is through art that I can challenge your student to great academic achievement. Furthermore, researchers have found specific correlations between music and geometrical concepts, there have been links between acting and memory, and art is useful in promoting symbolic conceptual thinking (Posner &Patoine, 2009). Symbolic innovative thinking is an essential set of skills that our future citizen and your student will need in adult life. I am sure you would agree that the aim is to give our students all the skills needed to be successful. This type of creative problem solving cannot be done through learning skills of rope memorization and simply learning facts.
I believe art, movement, and music, are essential elements to your student academic success. I invite you to come into visit our class and see if you agree. I look forward to working with you in the progress of you student educational success.
Sincerely,
Tana Rogerson