Arts education and arts integration are two different things.  I find that some people don’t quite understand this and therefore may feel unqualified or disinterested in learning about what they have to offer their students.  Here, I am setting out to clarify a few things.

Let’s get a couple of critical questions out of the way first:

Are arts education and arts integration two different things?  YES

Can either form take the place of another?   NO

And now to the nitty gritty…

Arts Education is where students learn the skills and practices of artists and musicians.  They learn how to play an instrument, techniques for painting, vocabulary that defines their movement or strategies to take a picture.   Students knowledge base in an artform as well as the historical aspect and appreciation of the arts is what is taught here.   Students are then given opportunities to explore, refine and use these skills in various art projects as they move through the artistic process.  When we have an education in the arts we are also learning skills beyond the ones that can be readily assessed: collaboration and independence, work ethic and perseverance, communication and self-reflection.  An education in the arts helps us to define ourselves and understand our culture.  It is an essential piece to the whole picture of becoming a lifelong learner.

Arts Integration is a concept of teaching where students utilize the arts to learn about, practice and embed an understanding of various concepts that may or may not be arts-related.  With arts integration, students learn with and through the arts.  For example, my students have gained quite a repertoire of math dances that have helped them to understand and remember math concepts such as area and perimeter, parallel and perpendicular lines and how to move on a coordinate grid.  We also listen to music daily and discuss related reading strategies such as visualization and the concept of beginning, middle and end.

These two methods of educating children are very different and one type needs the other.  Sure they could be taught independently of each other, but that would take away from the potential of a well-rounded arts education.  This is not to say that those only interested in the arts should practice both arts ed and int.  In fact, the arts are for everyone.  After all the arts are culture and we all need to be able to understand and process all that is around us.  Visit this post for more on learning with, through and about the arts.

Why this post?

I decided to write this post for a couple of reasons.  One is that many people simply don’t know the difference between arts education and integration.  The other is because in these times of so many budget cuts, where the arts tend to be their first to go, it is important to understand that arts integration SHOULD NOT and CANNOT replace arts education.  The only true formula it to have the arts taught for the sake of the art and to integrate it into other content areas so that students can deepen their knowledge, appreciation and understanding of both the art form and the other area that is taught.

I am a proponent of the ideal where both artsed and artsint are taught simultaneously.  The two need to be taught and should be taught together.  They naturally compliment each other and provide for the  most effective and long standing education we can give our students!

What are your thoughts?

~EMP

Related posts:

1. Artsed in 5
2. Why the Arts?
3. Arts Integration School

Today and Thursday I am happy to be sharing with you a collaborative post created by Yoon Soo Lim @doremigirl, Kyle Pace @kylepace, Michelle Baldwin @michellek107, Andrew Garcia @berkshirecat and myself about our experiences during and after our EduCon conversation about arts integration.  (Please check out their blogs as well by clicking on their names.)  Today will be A Reflection and the next post will be A Plan.  Enjoy! ~EMP

(Thanks to @brophycat for the pictures of our team during the presentation!)

Moving Beyond EduCon2.3: A Reflection & A Plan

by Yoon Soo Lim

3 days at EduCon2.3  were jam packed with meeting my colleagues, thinking and rethinking education (and my role in it), and carrying on conversations about LEARNING environments and good practices for our students. So what did I learn?

Conversation:

Cultivating Connected Learning Experiences through Arts Integration

@eliza_peterson, @KylePace, @michellek107, and I decided to bring a vis-a-vis conversation to EduCon about learning through integrated arts curriculum. Why? It is believed that in our society art, dance, music and theater are considered nice, feel-good things, especially for kids. Take a look at our crowdsourced virtual bulletin board here with teachers answering the question, “Why Integrate with the Arts?”. After reading through these posts, one cannot help but ask a follow-up question, “If the arts are so important, why aren’t they integrated more into the curriculum?”. This is precisely why we wanted to have this conversation with our colleagues at EduCon.

Interestingly, creativity and arts education had been mentioned many times during EduCon, starting with Friday night’s panel. During the discussions of EduCon sessions and in my preparation for our conversation, these words kept popping up: “cultivating”, “connected-learning”, and “experiences”.

These words also happen to be the first four words of our session title .

When it came to our session time on Sunday morning, these are the words we focused on.

Why?

Everyday, Elizabeth, Michelle and I are immersed in music while Kyle gives support to his arts teachers. We teach about music, we create music, we teach others how to teach music, and we learn new ways to learn about music. We live and breathe the joys as well as the pains of being “in” the arts field. To move our schools forward and to collaborate with teachers, we motion to cultivate a new culture – to prepare the ground, and foster growth through refining of the mind – for all of our students’ learning. So why does it matter to connect?

This screen shot is from RSA video we shared in our session. The video is RSA Animate – Changing Education Paradigms of Ken Robinson (05:41 and on).  It’s a clear capturing of what a fully-engaged learning looks like. Senses, brain function, and passion all working together, so focused and fully alive!

To the teachers who attended our session in person or virtually, making this kind of “aesthetic experience” mattered. Some teachers grew up being in the arts. For some, they were curious how to integrate the arts in the classroom. These teachers engaged in conversations fully and intentionally.

Some of the examples we shared on our Google Sites were good starting places to delve into deeper conversations with teachers who were in attendance.

Encouragement: If you want connected learning for your students, make it a priority. Take the first step to get in a consistent conversation about what students are learning and how you as teachers can give support to each other.

This charge is for both classroom teachers as well as the arts teachers. WE ARE ALL TEACHERS. We no longer cannot monopolize our “subject” areas and consequently keep ourselves at an arm’s distance. Students will not connect their learning if it is not encouraged or modeled for them. It will be hard. It will be time consuming, but by creating this kind of learning environment, learning becomes real and interesting for students.

Make Arts Your Priority, Admins!

If you truly believe creativity is something that needs to encouraged, and cultivated, make arts education a high priority! I am tremendously blessed to work with administration who support the arts education at our school. I am going to quote one of the administrators at my school: “Creativity, critical thinking and innovation – all are important terms in today’s education. Integrating the arts is a great way to tap into all of these while making learning more meaningful to the students.” Follow Susan’s advice and make it an important priority for your school.

Start with a Simple Conversation, Teachers!

Routinely get into conversations with your students about what they are learning. You are good at asking specific questions to elicit information, teachers! Engage in conversations and learn about what they are learning. It shows not only that you are interested in who they are, but that you are curious about them as learners. Talking to other grade teachers in person is always good idea. Again, connecting with another teacher is something that is time consuming, but in teacher’s lounges, or even in passing, make an effort to start a conversation. If you need help integrating the arts in your discipline, ask an arts teacher you are interested in partnering with. There just might be an area where two classes can naturally work on a project that will bring deeper learning.

I am humbled to have worked with Elizabeth, Kyle and Michelle. They are not only active in their own learning, they make connected learning come alive. I learn much from them and work harder to make connected learning a reality for my students.

The EduCon conversation was a great beginning. I cannot wait to have more of these important conversations and see the changes in many classrooms. I believe there will be a time when more decision makers for schools will make arts a priority. Until then, our work continues.

Before I end my thoughts for today, I want to ask you to think about a question based on @mrchase’s post titled, Things I know 36 of 365: We’re really good at not teaching kids to sing. Why are kids afraid of singing?

If you would like to think some more, check out Where Do the Arts Stand in Our Schools? by Dana Santomenna, PsyD and How Important is Arts Education? by Katherine Schulten (NYTimes Learning)

~ Yoon Soo Lim
@DoremiGirl

by Michelle Baldwin

Educon was a fast and furious experience for me, but one that I will value for a very long time. So many conversations, both scheduled and impromptu at lunch or dinner, have kept me thinking and questioning since I returned home.

During our session, we talked about how arts education helps students to understand not only how everything is connected in our world (as an adult, you don’t just do math at 10:00 in the morning and then switch to science or reading), but also how arts education helps to understand how everyONE is connected. Through music, art, drama, and dance, students can view similarities and differences across cultures. Isn’t it interesting that every culture on our planet utilizes the arts to express what it means to be human?

At one point during our session, we began discussing how the arts really help students learn about each other and work together. I said, “When you’re taking a math test it’s all about YOU. When you’re in a music class, it’s all about US. ” How often in school do students have an opportunity to truly work toward a common goal? Most of the time, that is going to occur in an area where the arts are involved. When I think about how important teamwork and collaboration are in our society, I wonder why students spend most of their academic careers competing with each other for class rank, grades, etc. It’s no wonder they have difficulty translating their learning in school to how to succeed in a connected, global society. By integrating arts lessons throughout the curriculum, students may have more opportunities to work together, to learn ensemble, and to feel the power of WE, instead of only ME.
-Michelle Baldwin

@michellek107

The Virtual Experience

by Elizabeth Peterson

Attending a conversation virtually can be interesting.  You are listening in, taking it all in, but your voice may not be heard.  Let’s face it, one of the best parts about a conversation is the give and take.  You can’t just take, you have to give!

The platform used for the live streams at EduCon 2.3 was great because not only were you able to view and hear our session(once it got up and running), but you could participate with other virtual viewers in the chat room.

Our team tried to make sure that other virtual attendees were part of the conversation.  There was a give and take going on in the chat room that posed some interesting thoughts, resources and even built relationships.  We echoed the important points made in Philly and added our own two cents, making for a full experience.

There is something about listening in on a conversation that allows for great reflection, too.  As you sit in the comfort of your home, slippers on, letting the sound of others talk together fill your headset, you have a relaxed feeling of being there.  And when you are ready to respond, your thoughts, written out, not spoken, are thought out a little differently than if you are there.  You are able to complete your thought, look it over and then send it out to the others in attendance.

I, being Skyped in as part of the presentation team, had the other advantage of being able to speak at times when I thought appropriate.  My wonderful teammates would make my talking head a little bigger on the screen and allow me to add my thoughts.  (That was another interesting aspect of Skyping in – I was always being projected on the screen in the front of the room! )

At the end of the session, everyone in the chat room made sure we all knew each other’s Twitter handles so that we could keep in touch and keep the conversation going.

The other venue we provided for our attendees was the #artsint backchannel.  Here, both face to face and virtual participants could tweet and reply to one another.  This backchannel is now in full swing as people are starting to use it more and more!  Again, we are keeping the conversation about the ever important topic of Arts Integration alive!

Sure, there are limitations to being virtually in attendance to a conversation among peers.  But this is yet another wonderful example of what the virtual world can do for us as educators.  We connect online, have opportunities to converse in person and continue the discussions for weeks and months into the future.

See what happens when you allow teachers to connect?  Go us!
~Elizabeth Peterson
@eliza_peterson

by Andrew Garcia

Despite the video feed glitch delaying my remote entry to the Arts Integration conversation, I found attending virtually to have several benefits (some of which I tweeted using the hashtag #noncon). First, the view of the presenters and what they were saying was clear (most of the time).  From home there is no obstructed view or “overflow room”.  Second, it is actually easier to ‘take notes’ during conversations by listening and writing and/or live-tweeting.  This would quickly become annoying to a neighbor if I were actually present at Educon. (One great benefit of being an auditory learner is the ability to at once listen and type!) Question is, which is more important? Silent and still listening to preserve the peace of your proximal #educon attendee or to passionately listen, process, type and connect (w/ others on a backchannel)? Who is to say that the backchannel conversations aren’t the ones that will assure that the message lives beyond the moment?

To me, at least with regard to conversations, I learn best by listening and processing.  Right there, right then. With any good talk, keynote, session, workshop, ‘conversation’ NOW is the moment to key into. (And why so much Professional Development efforts fail-  it’s too easy to lose that lovin’ feeling once tomorrow comes.) Attending virtually, I was 100% THERE and turned ON to the moment/topic at hand. I was simultaneously documenting the moment. As Connie Weber of Fireside Learning wrote to me after the keynote, “I definitely felt you there!” Being ‘there’ is all about the quality of attention and intention.  I might argue that some folks “at” Educon, may, at times, have been physically there but mentally elsewhere. If I were at Educon, I would have been, at least to some extent, distracted by all the awesome Educators around me (‘OMG, there’s @willrich45!!’). And, if reading the tweets of some of my followers is any indication, this is definitely true for them, too.

Third, attending Educon online actually allowed freedom to attend multiple conversations without being considered rude. I was interested in many conversations that were scheduled at the same time. I would time my exits accordingly (a lull in the conversation, a tech problem, but I always returned).  Doing so also allowed me to be a minor asset to presenters.  I took screenshots of conversations and posted them at BOX.net-free for the taking.  Many presenters were grateful to have “evidence” of them in action for their professional portfolios. I was happy to be a minor but helpful resource.

Finally, far from feeling alienated and excluded by those attending Educon, I would argue that relationships with #educon friends in my Twitter PLN, were kicked UP a notch. Circumstances (multiple snow days, committee obligations) kept me away from Philadelphia during Educon 2011 but I feel closer to those who attended than I did before as a result of the conference, and the multiple live and virtual conversations being had in those 2 thought-provoking days.  Sure, I would have loved to see @NMHS_Principal’s karaoke skills. But (apparently) I am glad I missed the Applebee’s experience on Friday night. (Eh?) It also was a plus to be able to prepare a meal and/or go to the bathroom without missing a word that was said.  Good perks, those! All this said, I can’t wait to be at ISTE2011. Live. In person.

Andrew Garcia
@berkshirecat

Please also check out Andrew’s post: On Arts Education-Changing the Paradigm in Schools.  It strikes true to the message we are trying to send about the importance of arts in education.

Thank you to this great team of educators.  I have grown and learned so much by working with you and look forward to doing more in the future.  ISTE, here we come! ~EMP

Related posts:

1. PLaiC – Experience, Reflect, Apply
2. Get in the Conversation
3. Pleasure, Experience and Art

Sometimes the ones we need to convince of the power of arts integration are not the parents and community members, but the educators themselves.  There are many educators who are skeptical, but even the ones who love the idea of the arts in schools are still hesitant to make it happen.

Why is this?

I have a few thoughts… 

• Of course there are the skeptics: those who simply don’t believe the arts are more than fluff.  (sniff, sniff – I’ll leave it at that.)
• You may know a teacher or two who say they already do arts integration because they require their students to add an illustration to their weekly book reports, or do a holiday craft in December.
• Sometimes there are teachers who think the arts might be a great addition to their teaching, but don’t see the real value of them. “There are much more important things to accomplish, and we need to prep these kids for the test!”
• Then there are teachers and administrators who can get so wrapped up in what they NEED to do (classroom management, correcting papers, prepping for the test, dealing with discipline, differentiating for the variety of students) that time just slips away.  Even if they believe in the arts, there just simply “isn’t time.”

(And to this fourth variety of teachers, I say, they arts could quite simply be an answer to your needs!  The first step in arts integration is making the change in your classroom culture: showing your students that you value the arts and their expressions of ideas through them.  Many of the needs stated above can be aided through the use the arts in your teaching.)

So, what to do?  Well, it’s time to Educate the Educators.  Here are some ideas:

• Advocate – You need to educate yourself in the power of the arts.  Get your hands on some studies, stories and real life applications for the effects an arts education can give our students.  If you are talking to a data lover, then get the data and find the statistics.
  • Some great research for this can be found in Daniel Pink’s A Whole New Mind, Tony Wagner’s The Global Achievement Gap, and the study done by Lois Hetland and Ellen Winner that is the basis for their book Studio Thinking.
  • Find out what other schools are doing and how they are successful in the arts.  For some info on this, visit the “Stories from Schools” tab on our Arts Integration Live Binder.
• Listen and Respond – If someone is truly concerned about taking that first step to teaching through the arts, listen to what is really worrying them and offer your assistance.  If a staff member is badmouthing your program, calmly ask them what their concern really is.  When you open your ears to what the person has to say, they are more likely to listen to your response.
• Tell Stories – In the lunchroom, at duty, even at a staff meeting, don’t be afraid to share your stories of student successes in the arts.
• Invite Your Principal In – Ask your administration to observe a lesson where you are integrating the arts.  Being proactive in showing what it is you do will be seen very positively.
• Lead from the Front – Be a model of arts integration by doing it yourself.  Share your successes and failures along the way, but keep on the journey.  Arts integration, like any other good curricular program or method of teaching, is not easy, but keep at it.
• Share Lessons and Ideas – When you come up with a great integrated lesson, share it with another teacher.  You know the saying.  There’s no need to reinvent the wheel!  Think of your great lessons like great recipes.  When you come up with one, make a copy and pass it out for others to enjoy!
• Collaborate – Get together with another teacher and team teach using the arts.  Once you discover each others’ talents, use them to create amazing experiences for your students and yourselves.
• Publish the Great Stuff – Take pictures and videos to document the process, hang up the products, type out a summary and pass it on to the school or community newspaper.  Sharing the creative experiences of your students is a great way to educate all who see and read your work.

Whether you are just starting out or have been doing this for a while, you are bound to run into roadblocks along your journey.  Unfortunately, those roadblocks may be in your building.  Stay positive and proactive and the work you do will never go to waste.

~EMP

Click one of the tags from this post to find related posts.

Some people may be wondering… why the arts?  Why when we are so knee deep in preparing for standardized tests do we need the arts?  Why when we are being pushed into using more and more technology do we need the arts?  Why?  Because we do!  The arts mold our culture.  They extend who we are!  They build our brain and improve its function.  They are the essence of learning (unlike those tests) and now are intertwined with technology and media (which we harness).

And if we don’t start fighting for the arts now, our society will be in trouble.

We can be part of this “fight” by being proactive, by supporting our arts’ teachers and implementing the arts into all aspects of our teaching.  Arts integration coupled with a solid arts education is the best way to go.

This month, the blog series will be about Getting Started with Arts Integration.  It is in preparation for and to deepen the understanding of a presentation I will be doing this Saturday for #rscon11.  (My presentation Getting Started with Arts Integration is scheduled for 7:00 EST)

One of the key components of getting started with the arts is arts advocacy.  You need to know what you are talking about beyond, “The arts make people feel good,” or “The arts make you smarter.”

The arts are very complex in what they do for us.  It’s emotional, intellectual, physical and social; logical and abstract; right brain and left brain; methodical and impulsive All at once.

There is so much to say about the arts and what they do for us and we need to be equipped with the reasons to have the arts in our schools and embedded in our teaching.

I started a Wallwisher to house some of the great resources that are out there.  These resources come in the form of articles, blog posts, books, and videos.  Find the ones that speak to you and will help you to relay the important message of the power of the arts in education to your communities.  I ask you to add to this as well.

Here is the direct link to this Wallwisher: http://www.wallwisher.com/wall/arts-advocacy

I hope this provides you with some great reading and viewing!

~EMP

Related posts:

1. The Values of the Arts
2. Making Connections Through the Arts
3. Highlights from the Arts Integration Series

For the past two months, our posts at The Inspired Classroom have been about arts educuation and integration.  It has been a wonderful journey taken with many guest bloggers and readers that have commented and tweeted our posts.   Because of the great body of content we have collected, I would like to take this post to highlight the ones that have generated the most traffic through viewing, commenting and re-tweeting.  I hope you enjoy this collection!

First, a shout out to the amazing educators who contributed to the series.  We had a range of professionals coming from across the country but united by their trust in the power of arts in learning.  Our guest bloggers were Michell Baldwin, Rachel Evans, Cindy Marie Jenkins, Toni Tabora-Roberts, Dr.  Richard Selznick, and Joan Weber.  Please take a moment and view their bios here.

And now for the highlights!  The following posts have been sorted into categories.  Please bookmark this page to help you maneuver through the series.  Not all of the posts are included here, though.  For a complete list of posts specifically on Arts Integration, click the integration tag.  You may also want to click on other tags for concepts in which you are interested.

On Getting Started with Arts Integration:

What is True Arts Integration?

The Arts are Not Quick

Learning With, Through and About the Arts

On Collaboration:

The Artist-Teacher Partnership

Collaborate to Integrate

Ideas to Use:

Putting Integration into Practice

Making Connections Through the Arts Part I and Part II

The National Anthem Project

Collaboration in Action – Music

Studio Days

On Assessment:

No Free Rides: Assessment in the Arts

mistakes

This may be the last day of our specified series, but arts integration is always our focus here.  So, be sure to check back with us for what we hope will be inspiring posts for years to come!

We encourage you to look at these posts and add your own thoughts and ideas.  Our goal for this blog is to make it a conversation and your voice is really what matters!  This blog is for YOU!  Please add to it.

~EMP

Related posts:

1. Arts Integration Series About to Begin
2. Results of the Teacher Survey in Arts Integration
3. May 2010 Blog Series – Teacher Appreciation!

As the span of two months comes to a close, I am amazed at the great insights I have seen from the guest bloggers and readers during this series on Arts Integration.  I started the series with The Garden Philosophy, my philosophy of education written as a young ed student awaiting the opportunity to touch children’s lives.  Today, I want to share with you a précis piece I wrote only a few months back as an assignment where I expressed my philosophy of education and the role the arts played within it.   Your comments on it are always welcomed!

In an age of information, high stakes testing, standards based learning and meeting AYP, we risk forgetting to teach the whole child.  The arts are the first to get cut when a budget needs trimming and yet are most essential to our rearing of whole children.  They teach our students invaluable lessons in determination, team work and communication.  They allow us to think critically about the world around us, pose difficult questions, and find our own place in the world.

Assessment of the arts is difficult and the outcome of their teaching is not immediate, but that is the point.  Education in the arts stays with you, it is long term, it buries itself into the guts of who you are as an individual striving to succeed in an ever changing society.

Teachers need to find the times and places in their classrooms to make the arts a vital part of their day.  This type of education, where arts are taught both for their own value as well as integrated into other disciplines, brings out the innovation, creativity, thoughtfulness and depth of learning that no other can.

Our systems need to stop isolating and discriminating and start seeing the value and  integrative possibilities that will lead to meaningful experiences to share and build on, teaching students that memorizing facts and figures isn’t everything.  The world needs our children to be alive and to be excited about learning.  Students need to have their curiosity stimulated so that they are willing to always contribute their very best.

The arts are an integral part of this educational journey.  When that happens, the whole child can be taught and the whole child can learn.

What are your thoughts?  Please comment here!

~EMP

Related posts:

1. The Garden Philosophy