Journal 11: What are the benefits and limitations of integrating the arts throughout the elementary school curriculum? What issues are you encountering as you plan your unit? How do you think these issues might present themselves in the classroom situation? How are you addressing these issues now? How will you address them in the classroom?
There are a lot of benefits to integrating arts throughout the elementary school curriculum. In this chapter, it mentions that drawing, like any other skill, is something that should be practiced daily. As we’ve discussed in class and through other readings, there are different types of intelligences. A child who is not smart at math may be able to grasp concepts more easily if the math is explained to him or her in the form of an art activity.
Artistic intelligence has been overlooked in academic circles for a very long time. Even now, doctors and lawyers are considered more solid careers than painters or actors. However, holistic learning is changing this viewpoint in the classroom. It’s a fantastic idea to have children artistically engaged in social studies, science, language arts, math…The more opportunity children have to explore the way they learn, the better they will understand their learning processes as adults.
It is easy as an instructor to become consumed with one aspect of the assignment, whether it be the artistic or the educational. It’s hard to get the right mix. If it’s difficult for instructors, it’s even more difficult for the kids.
It’s hard to give equal attention to both aspects of the assignment. I feel a bit like the academic aspect is the boring, lecture-y part, and the art project is the “fun part”. This would be even harder to overcome in a classroom setting, because you would be essentially lecturing or giving notes on the academic aspect and then letting the kids have fun painting, sculpting, or whatever. As an instructor, you would have to be extremely enthusiastic and find a fun way to present the academic aspect of the project.
0 comments:
Post a Comment