9:48 PM
Edit This
My third grade teacher was the one who all kids prayed that they would have to teach them. She was not only fun and exciting, she was also known for the art projects that she would have students do in class. She was great at taking materials from lessons being taught at the time and tying them into some sort of artwork. This allowed us as students to learn in a fun, hands-on manner. We were taking what we had previously learned in a lesson, and turning it into a tangible form. The artwork would later be displayed around the classroom or on the bulletin board in the hallway. These projects also served as a reminder of what exactly we had been learning. Not only is art in the form of painting or sculpting an important thing to have within schools, but so is music, theater, and all other forms. These programs help develop numerous skills beneficial to a child's growth. Arts education "makes a tremendous impact on the developmental growth of every child and has been proven to help level the "learning field" across socio-economic boundaries" (James S. Catterall, 1998). These programs also help develop creativity and problem-solving skills. Americans for the Arts is a site dedicated to providing information about and promoting the arts within schools and at home. It contains facts about the benefits of these types of programs, and also gives links to websites that contain additional information regarding this issue. Just as many schools are removing physical education from their curriculums, so are school choosing to do away with the art programs. The Department of Education offers professional development and funding programs for arts education. If one's child attends a school where the art departments are lacking, it is extremely important for the parents to participate in these activities at home. For more ideas on activities to do with your child at home, go to http://www.americansforthearts.org/Public_Awareness/get_involved/004.asp.
-(Involvement in the Arts and Success in Secondary School, James S. Catterall, The UCLA Imagination Project, Graduate School of Education & Information Studies, UCLA, Americans for the Arts Monograph, January 1998)
0 comments:
Post a Comment