Integrating the Visual Arts Into My Ideal Classroom
Visual arts surrounds us in our everyday life. Nature, buildings, designs, furniture, fashion are all a part of visual art. As a child, the simplest things can excite and intrigue their innocent minds: the sight of a rainbow after a sprinkling of rain, the magnificent colors of a beautiful flower, the making of a paper airplane, and even the use of lines and colors to make a picture for their mommies and daddies. Visual arts can have a major effect towards the development of a child and should therefore be integrated into the classroom. One benefit of integrated arts education is that it provides children with a way to express themselves. “It is an outlet for ideas and feelings. It is a safety valve that can allow emotional catharsis” (Cornett, 2007). “Visual art integration can [also] cause children who may resist learning to want to give it a try; the learning context contrast with the “right answers” focus in math and spelling (McDermott, 2004)”. The mind of a student continues to grow and develop when visual arts is effectively integrated into the curriculum. “The arts also play a key role in developing social competencies among educationally or economically disadvantaged youth who are at the greatest risk of dropping out” (Holcomb, 2007). Curiosity, problem-solving, critical thinking, imagination, concentration, creativity, and empathy all stem from the use of the arts in the classroom.
“Nearly everyone has the capacity to understand art language used to express ideas and feelings, and ‘neither children or accomplished artists state, to their own satisfaction, what they want to say unless they have acquired the means of saying it’” (Arnheim, 1989; Cornett, 2007). In order to be able to clearly express thoughts and feelings, one needs to be taught concepts on line, shape, color, space, texture, and form. The use of these of elements can alter perspective and feeling. By teaching these concepts, I will be helping my students create meaningful art pieces and will also aid them in interpreting art made by other people.
“Creating art helps children discover the unexpected possibilities of their creativity” (artinaction.org). With creativity may also come insecurities and different perspectives. Another important visual arts concept I intend on teaching my students is respect for other’s work. Art can sometimes be a very scary and mysterious thing to students. If students are not comfortable sharing their art or feel too afraid of what others may think, teaching through the arts cannot be successfully done. This is why I feel that it is vital to teach students about uniqueness and diversity. Everybody’s view on what makes something nice, beautiful, or intriguing will always vary. In addition, art can also depict different feelings, messages, and thoughts and can therefore stir up mixed responses. When this happens, I do not want my students to put down the ideas and opinions of others. Instead, I want my students to learn how to accept and critique other’s thoughts and consider a different perspective instead of providing negative remarks.
“...[The] individual classroom remains the site of most learning; each teacher creates a unique classroom canvas” (Cornett, 2007). I strongly believe that the environment of a classroom has a big impact on the atmosphere and attitude of a classroom. “Children feel and behave better in places that please the senses (Cornett, 2007). Creating Meaning Through Literature and the Arts talks about the effects of aesthetic aromas, sounds, immersion, and color. To create aesthetic aromas, I would like to place fresh flowers or plants within the classroom and possibly even some oils and scents during work time. I also really enjoy the effects of music in the classroom. When possible, I plan on playing soothing music when students are working as well as in the mornings as students get settled in. Other ideas I consider include lots of soft, natural lighting, clean, organized supply and work areas, comfortable carpeted areas, pillows to sit on when working on the floor, and pleasant colors. Another important aspect of a classroom is creating an exhibit space. I believe in displaying students work in order to promote quality work, ownership, and pride. I really like the idea of having students choose their best work to be put up in the classroom as well as creating their own personal portfolios that they can look through and share with their parents.
Stations and centers are great ways to provide students with different opportunities for exploration and independent work. One center that I would like to put into practice is the Art-Making Center where students work on a specific art experience each month (such as collage, sculpting, watercolors, etc). Another station to include would be the Beauty Center. Students bring in items that they consider to be beautiful and have discussions which will teach them about “individual concepts of beauty” (Cornett, 2007).
Another teaching strategy that I plan on implementing is aesthetic scanning. This is where students look closely at picture book art and describe the different elements, meanings, and emotions of the artwork. I like this idea because it requires students to pay attention to details, make inferences, and use descriptive language. This can be extended to language arts and the practices of every day life.
When teaching new techniques or introducing new art materials, I plan on using the explore-practice-express sequence. The first step is to give student time to play with and explore the new material. Next, students practice using the materials or art technique as the teacher provides feedback. The last step is allowing students to fully use the technique or materials to create a piece of art, that is, putting it into full effect. It can also be beneficial to use the same materials repeatedly in order to develop deeper experimentation and to build confidence. Once students complete an art piece, I would have them sign it like a professional artist would. I believe that by doing this, students will take pride in their creation and feel a sense of ownership.
Lastly, holding art discussions is an important teaching practice that I plan on conducting in the classroom. The discussion begins with what students see (techniques, colors, elements), then interpretations (meaning, reasoning, emotions), and finally possible creations of stories. “Eventually, students see how artwork done by others expresses diverse messages and gives insight....Students become comfortable expressing their concerns under safe, structured circumstances where unique perspectives are valued and learn to lead discussions” (Cornett, 2007). Another aspect of communication also involves how the teacher talks with a student about his/her art. Instead of asking, “What is this?” I would need to offer comments and feedback that surround the art elements or process he/she used. For example, I would ask, “Why did you decide to do it this way? These lines and colors look interesting...Can you tell me more about it?” It is important to speak in this way because we do not want to disrespect students or make them feel that their art is inadequate.
“Teachers who expect students to be independent, to generate rather than imitate, engender deeper thinking” (Cornett, 2007). One critical thinking strategy I plan to engage my students in is problem solving. “Higher-oder thinking is developed through confrontation with problems” (Cornett, 2007). By providing a problem for students to work through (such as representing something through the use of different media), I will be engaging them in complex thinking and encouraging creativity. It will also teach students that there can be more than one answer or more than one way to come up with a solution. Another strategy I intend to teach is visualizing. It is said that “we remember in images, not words, what we see, hear, feel, and experience...” (Cornett, 2007). Being able to visualize images in our mind as we read is one of the few strategies that increase comprehension. This can be developed through guided visualization which involves zooming in on details of a mental image as a story is read aloud, altering elements such as color or texture, and turning the image upside down or sideways to provide a different perspective.
With a strong focus on standards involving math and reading along with “a public sense that the arts are lovely but not essential”, the inclusion of arts education has been slipping for more than three decades (Smith, 2009). However, as a future educator, I am aware of the benefits of integrating visual arts into the curriculum. “Teachers who are committed to arts integration have a “what-if” perspective. They invite students to experiment, gather ideas, pose potential solutions, reflect, evaluate, and feel the joy of discovery” (Cornett, 2007). Students have the opportunity to develop in all areas, not just in subject matter, but also socially, mentally, personally, and emotionally. With these concepts, classroom environment, practices, and strategies I have listed, I hope to provide my future students with the best possible education by teaching through and with visual arts.
Works Cited
Cornett, Claudia (2007). Creating Meaning Through Literature and the Arts. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson.
Holcomb, Sabrina (2007). State of the Arts. National Education Association. Retrieved from http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/10/.
Smith, Fran (2009). Why Arts Education is Crucial, and Who’s Doing it Best. edutopia. Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/arts-music-curriculum-child-development.
Why Art? Art in Action. Retrieved from http://www.artinaction.org/w/WhyArt.
“Nearly everyone has the capacity to understand art language used to express ideas and feelings, and ‘neither children or accomplished artists state, to their own satisfaction, what they want to say unless they have acquired the means of saying it’” (Arnheim, 1989; Cornett, 2007). In order to be able to clearly express thoughts and feelings, one needs to be taught concepts on line, shape, color, space, texture, and form. The use of these of elements can alter perspective and feeling. By teaching these concepts, I will be helping my students create meaningful art pieces and will also aid them in interpreting art made by other people.
“Creating art helps children discover the unexpected possibilities of their creativity” (artinaction.org). With creativity may also come insecurities and different perspectives. Another important visual arts concept I intend on teaching my students is respect for other’s work. Art can sometimes be a very scary and mysterious thing to students. If students are not comfortable sharing their art or feel too afraid of what others may think, teaching through the arts cannot be successfully done. This is why I feel that it is vital to teach students about uniqueness and diversity. Everybody’s view on what makes something nice, beautiful, or intriguing will always vary. In addition, art can also depict different feelings, messages, and thoughts and can therefore stir up mixed responses. When this happens, I do not want my students to put down the ideas and opinions of others. Instead, I want my students to learn how to accept and critique other’s thoughts and consider a different perspective instead of providing negative remarks.
“...[The] individual classroom remains the site of most learning; each teacher creates a unique classroom canvas” (Cornett, 2007). I strongly believe that the environment of a classroom has a big impact on the atmosphere and attitude of a classroom. “Children feel and behave better in places that please the senses (Cornett, 2007). Creating Meaning Through Literature and the Arts talks about the effects of aesthetic aromas, sounds, immersion, and color. To create aesthetic aromas, I would like to place fresh flowers or plants within the classroom and possibly even some oils and scents during work time. I also really enjoy the effects of music in the classroom. When possible, I plan on playing soothing music when students are working as well as in the mornings as students get settled in. Other ideas I consider include lots of soft, natural lighting, clean, organized supply and work areas, comfortable carpeted areas, pillows to sit on when working on the floor, and pleasant colors. Another important aspect of a classroom is creating an exhibit space. I believe in displaying students work in order to promote quality work, ownership, and pride. I really like the idea of having students choose their best work to be put up in the classroom as well as creating their own personal portfolios that they can look through and share with their parents.
Stations and centers are great ways to provide students with different opportunities for exploration and independent work. One center that I would like to put into practice is the Art-Making Center where students work on a specific art experience each month (such as collage, sculpting, watercolors, etc). Another station to include would be the Beauty Center. Students bring in items that they consider to be beautiful and have discussions which will teach them about “individual concepts of beauty” (Cornett, 2007).
Another teaching strategy that I plan on implementing is aesthetic scanning. This is where students look closely at picture book art and describe the different elements, meanings, and emotions of the artwork. I like this idea because it requires students to pay attention to details, make inferences, and use descriptive language. This can be extended to language arts and the practices of every day life.
When teaching new techniques or introducing new art materials, I plan on using the explore-practice-express sequence. The first step is to give student time to play with and explore the new material. Next, students practice using the materials or art technique as the teacher provides feedback. The last step is allowing students to fully use the technique or materials to create a piece of art, that is, putting it into full effect. It can also be beneficial to use the same materials repeatedly in order to develop deeper experimentation and to build confidence. Once students complete an art piece, I would have them sign it like a professional artist would. I believe that by doing this, students will take pride in their creation and feel a sense of ownership.
Lastly, holding art discussions is an important teaching practice that I plan on conducting in the classroom. The discussion begins with what students see (techniques, colors, elements), then interpretations (meaning, reasoning, emotions), and finally possible creations of stories. “Eventually, students see how artwork done by others expresses diverse messages and gives insight....Students become comfortable expressing their concerns under safe, structured circumstances where unique perspectives are valued and learn to lead discussions” (Cornett, 2007). Another aspect of communication also involves how the teacher talks with a student about his/her art. Instead of asking, “What is this?” I would need to offer comments and feedback that surround the art elements or process he/she used. For example, I would ask, “Why did you decide to do it this way? These lines and colors look interesting...Can you tell me more about it?” It is important to speak in this way because we do not want to disrespect students or make them feel that their art is inadequate.
“Teachers who expect students to be independent, to generate rather than imitate, engender deeper thinking” (Cornett, 2007). One critical thinking strategy I plan to engage my students in is problem solving. “Higher-oder thinking is developed through confrontation with problems” (Cornett, 2007). By providing a problem for students to work through (such as representing something through the use of different media), I will be engaging them in complex thinking and encouraging creativity. It will also teach students that there can be more than one answer or more than one way to come up with a solution. Another strategy I intend to teach is visualizing. It is said that “we remember in images, not words, what we see, hear, feel, and experience...” (Cornett, 2007). Being able to visualize images in our mind as we read is one of the few strategies that increase comprehension. This can be developed through guided visualization which involves zooming in on details of a mental image as a story is read aloud, altering elements such as color or texture, and turning the image upside down or sideways to provide a different perspective.
With a strong focus on standards involving math and reading along with “a public sense that the arts are lovely but not essential”, the inclusion of arts education has been slipping for more than three decades (Smith, 2009). However, as a future educator, I am aware of the benefits of integrating visual arts into the curriculum. “Teachers who are committed to arts integration have a “what-if” perspective. They invite students to experiment, gather ideas, pose potential solutions, reflect, evaluate, and feel the joy of discovery” (Cornett, 2007). Students have the opportunity to develop in all areas, not just in subject matter, but also socially, mentally, personally, and emotionally. With these concepts, classroom environment, practices, and strategies I have listed, I hope to provide my future students with the best possible education by teaching through and with visual arts.
Works Cited
Cornett, Claudia (2007). Creating Meaning Through Literature and the Arts. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson.
Holcomb, Sabrina (2007). State of the Arts. National Education Association. Retrieved from http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/10/.
Smith, Fran (2009). Why Arts Education is Crucial, and Who’s Doing it Best. edutopia. Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/arts-music-curriculum-child-development.
Why Art? Art in Action. Retrieved from http://www.artinaction.org/w/WhyArt.