A Rationale For The Arts In Education
Many educators, as well as persons directly concerned with the arts, share the conviction that the arts are a means for expressing and interpreting human behavior and experience. It follows, therefore, that the education of children is incomplete if the arts are not part of the daily teaching and learning process. Arts in education programs are designed to make all of the arts integral to the general or basic education of every child in entire school systems. Work with these programs demonstrates that changes take place in schools so that they become humane environments in which the arts are valued as tools for learning as well as for their own intrinsic sake. Experience further indicates that the arts are useful to educators in meeting some of their main goals – that is, providing a great variety of educational opportunities, distinguished by quality, for all children.
The arts are a universal human phenomenon and means of communication. Involvement in them, both as participant and observer, can promote a deeper understanding and acceptance of the similarities and differences among races, religions and cultural traditions. The arts involve the elements of sound, movement, color, mass, energy, space, line, shape and language. These elements, singly or in combination, are common to the concepts underlying many subjects in the curriculum. Take time and think about the importance of art and how throughout the ages art has played a crucial role in life.
Jaylene Armstrong is a retired art educator from Madison, Wisconsin. Questions? Call me at 661-255-3050.